10 Killer Rock Music Bands With No Guitarist
8. Ben Folds Five
Something of a tongue-in-cheek band name, matching the singer's habitually tongue-in-cheek style, the Ben Folds Five is a misnomer, as there are only three band members - Folds on vocals and piano, Robert Sledge on bass, Darren Jessee on drums, and not a guitarist in sight. At once silly and sophisticated, the threesome have managed to weave class into light and humourous lyrics (Song for the Dumped or One Angry Dwarf, anyone?) across three decades, with Folds' keys driving the tunes.
Despite having a jazz trio setup, the group pumped out seven years' and three albums' worth of alternative rock tracks between 1993 and their first of several break-ups in 2000, after which Folds became better known as a solo act (including having his work featured heavily in Dreamworks' Over the Hedge). Despite the frontman's success, he reunited with the band in the 2010s and they went on to record a fourth record, supported by a brief stint of touring and a few further reunions since.
They may be gone again (for now), but there's no beating the Five for some '90s nostalgia, Offspring-esque lyrics and luxurious harmonies.