10 Most Underrated Members Of Legendary Rock Bands
2. Michael Anthony - Van Halen
When you look back on the early days of Van Halen, it truly felt like they hit upon the recipe for the perfect rock band. Complete with Eddie Van Halen's amazing tapping licks and David Lee Roth acting as the all star frontman at the center of the stage, it was pretty much impossible to look away every time the band played live. If you've got those two superstars in your band though, it's pretty easy to get overshadowed if you're the bass player.
Which is a shame considering just how much Michael Anthony brought to Van Halen's sound in the early days. Having already cut his teeth in the California club circuit before getting the gig with Van Halen, Anthony was still more than able to hold his own in the band, always digging into the groove and locking in with Alex Van Halen at just the right time on songs like Mean Street.
Even with having the distinction of being a bass player, the biggest weapon in Anthony's arsenal was his voice, with a high harmony vocal that you couldn't ignore if you tried. If you go back and listen to the classic Van Halen records, every one of those harmonies in the background are more than just some arranging...they're a bona fide hook of the song at this point. While remaining humble throughout most of his career, Michael Anthony feels like the fun loving dude at a party who just happened to be in one of the best rock bands known to man.