Memorable background vocals

[PennyroyalWe]

And this. Solid gold!

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Ladysmith all day.

 

[perfektspace6]

• Michael Anthony with Van Halen on just about every song.
• Numerous Yes Songs.
• Pretty much everything the Beach Boys did in their Golden era. This one comes to mind although not sure what you would consider background versus lead:

 

[Michedelic]

You could just end the thread with this…


But then there was Brian's inspiration for all that…



And his contemporaries…

 

[roller]

Sons of the Desert sing back-up on this one. You can hear them on the chorus beginning at 2:21.



Sons of the Desert never got their full due. Their 1997 debut album, Whatever Comes First, is quite good.

 

[two fingers]

And this. Solid gold!

Great pick!

 

[roccobass]

These backgrounds are so haunting and sad! The Shangi-Las. Thank you ladies!

 

[Shepsdad]

The greatful dead had a few good ones, broke down palace comes to mind.

I always loved the BVs on the chili peppers By the way album, very well done.

 

[two fingers]

A dozen Journey songs could make this list easily. Two real standouts for majorly-stacked harmonies and backup vocals are....

"I'll Be Alirgth Without You"


And "Wheels In the Sky"

 

[two fingers]

Too any Boston songs to list. Brad Delp recording track after track backing himself up made for some brilliant harmonies. I'm too scared to miss a great one to even bother listing them.

 

[garp]

Neil Young – "Heart of Gold" (1972)
Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor take the song to a whole 'nother level.


Paul McCartney – "Take It Away" (1982)
This is just one of many examples of McCartney/Wings tunes where Paul & Linda do some really nice, lush layered stuff.


The Carpenters – "We've Only Just Begun" (1970)
From modest beginnings in Joe Osborn's garage studio, Karen & Richard became well-known for their rich backing harmonies.

 

[pepj]

The girl with Wynnona is pretty special...and no, no one is singing her parts.
Dont recall her name.

 

[RichterScale]

If you're a Michael McDonald fan, just listen to yacht rock on sxm radio. I call it the Michael McDonald channel.
Seems like 80% of the songs they play, he sang, wrote, co-wrote, sang backup, was in the band, bands he liked, people he was 3rd cousins with, you name it. Seems most songs they play are tied to him in some way.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Anything by the Bee Gees

 

[icefly]

The Andantes, sang tons of Motowns, and didn´t get too much credit.

 

[bassfran]

Lindsey Buckingham. Game/set/match.

(And Howie was always pretty baller, too. RIP.)

 

[MG Wolf]

ALL of Ray LaMontagne's "Monovision" album…in a word STELLAH.

 

[Ellery]

Pink Floyd's Not Now John from the album The Final Cut

 

[Auspuff]

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

Wonderful backups and arrangement.