Unsung Members Of Top Bands Who Deserve A Lot More Credit For The Group's Success

Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael first met at school in England at age 12 when Ridgeley raised his hand to be Michael's “buddy” and show the new kid around on his first day. The two became instant friends and subsequently founded the group Wham! in 1982. As singer Michael recalls in the 2023 Netflix documentary Wham!, he was shy and awkward, and looked up to Ridgeley, who was far more outgoing and self-assured:

Andrew was this kind of idol that I had. He was the first person that I'd ever hung around with that was much stronger than me. Almost everything came from Andrew. Andrew changed my life in exactly the way someone needed to change my life if I was going to be a pop star. 

Although the duo wrote their first album together, Michael became the bigger star. Ridgeley was mocked as being just a pretty face, but Ridgeley described himself as “a sounding board and a creative sidekick who shared an instinctive understanding with George.” Michael also came out to Ridgeley at age 19, years before he publicly came out (or rather, was outed), while the two were filming the "Club Tropicana" music video. 

When Ridgeley learned that Michael would be writing Wham!'s second album alone, his feelings were admittedly hurt, but he knew Michael was the more talented songwriter. He wanted his best friend to be a success, and was willing to step aside. He told the Los Angeles Times in 2023:

One of my character flaws is indolence. It became apparent very quickly that his songwriting was in a different league, and to achieve our goals, we would be best served with him writing alone.

Michael and Ridgeley dissolved Wham! in 1986 after just four years because they realized they were getting more mature and Wham! was very much a band all about youth. They parted as friends. "I think it should be the most amicable split in pop history," Michael said. They remained close as Michael went on to have a successful solo career, and up until Michael's death at age 53 in 2016. 

Queen's bass player John Deacon is known for being instensely private, but he also provided Queen with their biggest hit. In a rare interview, Deacon explained the story behind writing “Another One Bites the Dust”:

I listened to a lot of soul music when I was in school and I'd been wanting to do a track like “Another One Bites the Dust” for a while but originally all I had was the line and the bass riff. Gradually I filled it in and the band added ideas.

Although the song wasn't meant to be a single, Queen fan and fellow musician Michael Jackson encouraged the group to release "Another One Bites the Dust" as a single. The song went on to sell 7 million copies.

The son of two musicians, John Entwistle grew up learning to play the piano, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, and eventually, the electric bass. He's not known for taking the spotlight, and The Who's song "The Quiet One" contains the line “I'm not quiet, everyone else is too loud.” That said, his skill as a bassist earned Entwistle the nicknames “The Ox” and “Thunderfingers.”

Entwistle's musical background allowed him to become an arranger for The Who, including the group's rock opera, Tommy, and he was known to hold together the group's live shows as well. 

Named “bassist of the millennium” by Total Guitar magazine, John Entwistle perished in 2002 at age 57. 

Meg and Jack White began performing together as The White Stripes in 1997 and went on to become one of the most popular indie rock bands of the 2000s. At the height of their success, Jack was often seen as the frontrunner of the band, but Meg was criticized for her quietness as well as her drumming skills. Meg insisted she preferred to stay out of the spotlight and Jack called the criticism of Meg's skills sexist. 

In 2007, they canceled their fall tour at the last minute and gave the following statement: "Meg White is suffering from acute anxiety and is unable to travel at this time." While Meg once again faced intense criticism, many admired her for being transparent about her mental health at a time when mental illness was still rarely discussed. 

Ever since the Beatles set foot in the US in 1964, it's been clear that Ringo Starr has a special place in everyone's hearts. Watching the group's first US television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, one can clearly hear Starr get the biggest reaction from the audience. 

In addition to his drumming and vocal abilities, Starr was known as the “peacemaker” of the Beatles. When questioned about how he managed to continue his friendship with George Harrison after Harrison had an affair with Starr's first wife, Starr replied, “Well, you know, at least we kept it in the family.”

Starr also notably flew to New York City to be with Yoko Ono after the murder of John Lennon. 

When Charlie Watts joined The Rolling Stones as their drummer in 1963, he had no idea he'd still be playing with them nearly 60 years later. Watts was known as the backbone of The Rolling Stones, rarely seeking the limelight and staying out of the group's more dramatic moments. Watts even stayed away from drugs until he developed a heroin addiction in the 1980s, which he reportedly overcame with the help of his wife. 

In addition to his drumming skills, Watts assisted in the band's stage designs and the artwork for their Between the Buttons album. As journalist Barbara Ellen put it in a 2000 interview with Watts, “You’ve got to hand it to a… man who’s played with the world’s most influential rock ‘n’ roll band… and stayed happily married to his wife, Shirley… A man who, moreover, remains resolutely determined not to take his elevated position too seriously.”