Why does the vocalist get all the credit?

[Rule Britannia]

So I know for a fact you've all listened to a song that consists of guitar, drums, bass and vocals and what really bugs me is the fact that people "oggle" the singer the most. Could somebody please explain the logic behind this if anything the singer is by far the least talented person on the stage.

I understand completely that there is a certain style to singing and amking your voice do stuff can be difficult but in my eyes it's a natural born talent. (you can either sing or you can't. that sorta thing) I also understand that to be able to sing in tune can be learnt but it's nothing like just being able to do it naturally.



EDIT: For those who mentioned it I know a lot of bands where the drummer does(<---/did(EDIT)) the composing. (off the top of my head "Three Days Grace" and "Avenged Sevenfold".

 

[LobsterFeng]

If you have a good voice, then yeah I think you're just as cool as the guitarists and such. And I'm guessing it must be hard to sing for an hour or more at a concert. Plus that and usually, not always, but usually the vocalist writes the song, which is pretty cool too.

I do think drummers deserve more credit though.

 

[saintchristopher]

because the singer's out in front. There's a reason they're usually called the "front man." They just usually become the "face" of the band. Especially if it's a girl singer. Look at No Doubt, or Paramore in like 2 more years.

And you see the frontman who only sings less and less these days. Much more common is the band wherein everybody plays an instrument and a couple people sing a little.

 

[Akytalusia]

it's because they're the face of the band.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I'd hardly say its natural born talent. Like anything, you can do it if you train at it.

But on topic, I'd say cause tehy're considered the leader. I always look into a band, if I like them, I'll look them up and see who started it. Like Alice In Chains. Even when Layne Staley was alive, I always say Cantrell as the leader, cause he was a huge part in starting it, and did alot of the vocals. But people most remember Laynes voice when it comes to vocals.

 

[loc978]

Depending on the style of music, vocal training can be every bit as grueling as learning to consistently play blistering guitar solos.
example:
-even if you're not fond of a metal growl, sit through the song and check the man's range. He can go from metal growl to crooning to nasal punk to screamo at the drop of a hat. Try contorting your vocal cords like that. I've tried, it's not possible without years of training.
Oh, and the vocalist is usually the primary songwriter as well... unless you're talking about bland pop churned out by big labels.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

He/she the face of the band. That's what I do is sing.

It doesn't matter that I'm can't write or play shit, I'm the voice people hear. Plus, the vocalist has the best interaction with the crowd, as they don't have to worry about playing the notes, or I'm not stuck behind a drum set. I'm right up in the crowds face, singing my lungs out.

Vocalists are usually the hype-man of the band, so people naturally gravitate towards them.

 

[Staskala]

Do you know how hard it is to train and maintain a good singing voice?
It's easily on the same level as mastering an instrument. Of course there are genres where the voice work requires less skill, but the same thing is also true for every instrument.

 

[BENZOOKA]

Vocalist often is the face of a band.

There are five people running towards you; one of them yells at you. You will look at that person. Relations of talents has got nothing to do with this, it's something simpler.

 

[Rule Britannia]

If you have a good voice, then yeah I think you're just as cool as the guitarists and such. And I'm guessing it must be hard to sing for an hour or more at a concert. Plus that and usually, not always, but usually the vocalist writes the song, which is pretty cool too.

I do think drummers deserve more credit though.

I play bass and guitar (not at the same time obviously) but playing that hurts after a while (especially when playing bass) (I GOT BLISTERS ON ME FINGERS!)

I do take into account however that it probably sucks to sing for an hour or so. Even talking for an hour sucks

 

[Mordwyl]

Because Freddy Mercury (Queen)'s voice is ear porn.

 

[SinisterGehe]

Because they are the leader of the band, the spokes person, the face and the condutor.

Example in orchestra world, if you do a good gig, the audience do not clap for you they clap for the conductor, unless you are a solo player on the front. It is just traditional for the solo person to take the credit. For example: Why the solo-guitarist always gets the attention and you never hear about 2nd player. Or the drummer, how many people actually take a note on the drummer? He doesn't exist really, unless he does a solo.

It is normal in the music world, get used to it. Maybe you should try getting in to the music world in order to understand it. I myself understood it soon as joined a orchestra.

 

[Speakercone]

Singer/vocalist is the most visible person in the band for the most part. Also, people who aren't musicians themselves are most likely listening to the singer/vocalist because everyone understands singing to a certain extent whereas not everyone understands the intricacies of bass or guitar.

Fun aside: A friend of mine once said that, to her, guitarists are like wizards who use complicated hand gestures and a big-ass wand to conjure sound from nothing.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

On top of everything these fine individuals have said (front man, face of the band), in the genres that this is particularly present the rest of the band may be unknown studio musicians. Let's face it, Steve the drum machine operator isn't going to be as famous as Katy Perry, if at all.

On top of that, a singer is automatically recognizable. If they appear in another band, you might say "Hey, is that the guy from Faith No More?" or whatever, whereas the guitarist or drummer might be harder to tell unless you're a hardcore fan, and then you tend to know all the members anyway. Some guitarists have developed a special guitar tone that only they use, but they tend to be famous anyway. I could always tell if, say, Zakk Wylde was the guitarist for something, even if I had no prior knowledge.

 

[lacktheknack]

Because they have the ability to do the most eye-popping stage show.

Watch "Yeah Yeah Yeahs" live for an example. Karen O doesn't sing live too well, but she freaking INSANE on stage. The drummer can't move, and the guitarist has both hands occupied with a large object. The singer, however, can shadowbox with her mic(s), go sailing across the stage, hang from the speakers, throw water at the crowd, throw HERSELF at the crowd, etc, while still singing.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Vocals and lyrics are what speak to people. Its what truly defines what a song or band is about.

If you had an instrumental band (orchestras don't count). You could make brilliant music, but your songs would not have any meaning. And in turn wouldn't draw the attention of the listener.

You cannot communicate proper emotion through instruments as they do not speak any human language, you can only interpret emotion.

Spoiler: For example...

In this song, you cannot pull any emotional or any other connection from the music.
It is a brilliant piece, but there is nothing for us as human beings to relate to.

In this song, you can clearly understand what kind of emotion is being projected.
Because it has lyrics, and we can understand him.

 

[wrecker77]

I'm going to pick the vanilla "They are the face of the band option.

While I don't outright see the flaws in the vocalist getting the most attention, there are a couple things that bother me about it. Its subtle things really. In alot of music video's the vocalist is always the main character and gets the most shots and such.

Another possibility for this is that the singers are just so much more interesting than the rest of the band. While its obviously not true for every band, Look at singers like Eric Sean Nally of Foxy Shazam and Jared Leto of 30 Seconds to mars. They make an effort to be energetic and special and that's why they are often seen as the face of the band.

 

[dorkette1990]

Singing is not naturally a talent, necessarily. A lot of singers learn to sing through lots and lots of practice and learn to control their vocal muscles. Technically, most people can "learn" to sing.
Also, I personally am attracted to instrumentals more - aside from iconic singers, like Jack White. For example - Coheed and Cambria. I don't much like the singer, but I love the instruments.
Aside from that, singers usually spend all their time cultivating fame, so you only really see them. In bands like The White Stripes, you don't know about the bassist because he didn't bother making a name for himself, unlike the drummer and vox/guitarist.