10 Rock Songs You Didn't Know Had Big-Name Guest Stars

When Rockstars Become Just Another Name.

By Tim Coffman /

Songs should never get a pass solely on name recognition. Regardless of how big your band is, your song has to have a solid foundation before it starts becoming any kind of massive hit. At the same time, sometimes it helps if you have some seasoned veterans behind the scenes.

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Across the years, there have been many great musicians who have preferred to go uncredited for their work on albums. Whether it's because of label issues or just working to serve the song, these big names left their musical mark but never felt the need to draw any more attention to themselves.

Some of these tracks have not only let artists go into new territory, but also gave them exposure to new audiences who may not be aware of them. These anonymous stars may be hidden away on record, but once you hear them in context, you won't be able to NOT hear them. Whether it's for a verse, a solo, or even just an occasional backup vocal, these musicians went from being rock gods to just another musical face in the crowd.

The actual artists behind these songs are all great in their own right, but they ended up creating an even more spellbinding performance with a pretty famous session player.

10. Marianne Faithful - The Memory Remains

In the grand scheme of Metallica releases, Reload is not really looked at as a particular highlight. Sure, everyone knows and loves the breakout hit "Fuel," but the rest of the album seemed to be more of the same blend of hard rock and alternative tracks we had grown accustomed to on 1996's Load. While the one other single "The Memory Remains" is still a favorite from this album, the breakdown featured something we had never heard before on a Metallica release: female vocals.

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The wordless chant that has become a crowd singalong was actually performed in the studio by Marianne Faithful. While her stint in the 60's may not have been as bright as other rock contemporaries, her singles and relationships with former members of the Rolling Stones makes her an ideal candidate for this ominous chant. Seeing how most of the lyrics revolve around a faded starlet who has had fame suck her dry, the chilling vocals of Faithful during the bridge are both demented and sad at the same time.

Faithful might not be what many expected out of Metallica, but her voice was just what this song needed to get its point across. There's no chance you'll find her touring with Metallica, yet she can make powerful music with them all the same.

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