10 Amazing Musicians Everyone Forgets About In Legendary Bands
3. Michael Anthony - Van Halen
When you have a singer that's as wild as David Lee Roth, chances are you don't need that much else. Aside from Eddie Van Halen's amazing guitar playing, Dave commanded the stage every time he gave a performance, making the audience feel like they were a part of one big party at every venue they went to. So when you have Eddie's tapping licks and a man waving a sword for the majority of the set, how the hell is the bass player supposed to get any love?
Even when Van Halen were getting going, Michael Anthony had made mention that he was just trying to keep up with the rest of the guys half of the time, with everyone being a foot above him chops-wise. While the bass might not have been the most flashy thing in the world next to Eddie Van Halen, Michael's lines always felt suited to what the band needed, from the ominous single note intro on Runnin With the Devil to laying down the groove in the back with Alex on Mean Street.
If you're looking for his real superpower, it always comes down to his voice, having the incredible high harmonies that made the band sound electric whenever they played live. Even if Dave might not have been the most impressive singer in the world, Mike's harmonies were half of the reason why those choruses are hammered into our brains half the time. You can chalk it up to the showmanship or being in the right place at the right time, but if Michael Anthony wasn't in the fold at the beginning of Van Halen, the world of hard rock would look a whole lot different today.