It's not uncommon to see talented musicians extend their skills beyond just one project. In the past, the music world had the pleasure of seeing Ronnie James Dio play in multiple successful bands such as Black Sabbath and Dio. Then there's the case of Guns N' Roses, whose talented musicians not only came together to collaborate but also branched out to form supergroups. There are even instances, like Green Day, who created their own side projects just to step out of their band's shadow for a moment.
Throughout today's music industry, there are still constant examples of musicians lending their craft to multiple bands. In some cases, a musician's arrival in a certain group was necessary for its survival. Other times, we see what was once a side project grow over decades and become its own sought-after act. There are even classic instances where someone just wants to go solo to prove what they can do. Whatever the case may be, musicians lending themselves to multiple bands has given the music world an incredible amount of work that otherwise wouldn't have been possible.
10 Charlie Benante
Anthrax & Pantera
Since 1983, Charlie Benante has been a professional musician, beginning his career with Anthrax. With the band, Benante has contributed to 11 studio albums, five of which are gold records. Although Anthrax has experienced an incredible amount of success, Benante still desired more and had a few side projects along the way. One that he is highly remembered for is an Anthrax spin-off band named Stormtroopers of Death.
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Benante has also contributed to Metal Allegiance, which formed in 2014, along with recording his own solo work in 2021 and 2022. In 2022 he joined Pantera as a touring member—a major career milestone. No one thought they would ever see a Pantera reunion, but Benante has been able to jump behind the drum kit honoring his friend Vinnie Paul for the past few years.
9 Thom Yorke
Radiohead & The Smile
Known as the iconic voice behind the song "Creep," Thom Yorke has been with the band he co-founded, Radiohead, since 1985. With Radiohead, Yorke has achieved major success, as the band has released nine studio albums during their time together. For what he accomplished as the lead singer of the band, Yorke has been labeled by Rolling Stone as one of the most influential singers of his generation.
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Even as the face of a band that achieved so much, Yorke has had aspirations beyond the group. He did some solo work in the 2000s and even formed a short-lived supergroup called Atoms for Peace. Currently, Yorke is working with his band The Smile, which he formed in 2018. Since their debut, they have released three studio albums, with the first being in 2022 and the other two in 2024. As for Radiohead, it's been a few years since they performed together, but 2025 could be the year they return.
8 Shavo Odadjian
System Of A Down & Seven Hours After Violet
With his iconic long goatee, Shavo Odadjian is one of the most recognizable bass guitarists in the entire music industry. By 1995, Shavo had become the permanent bassist for the legendary System of a Down and hasn't looked back since. Though the band has only released five studio albums, with the last one coming in 2005, they have remained active by performing a few shows most years. Outside the band, Shavo has occasionally lent his musical talents elsewhere, but his most prominent project recently emerged.
With his iconic long goatee, Shavo Odadjian is one of the most recognizable bass guitarists in the entire music industry.
In 2024, the world was introduced to Shavo's new band, Seven Hours After Violet. Together, they released their first album in 2024 and have unlimited potential. Music remains a key focus in Shavo's life now with Seven Hours After Violet, and the occasional show with System of a Down, but he's proven to be so much more. He's an artist, a philanthropist, an actor, a director, and an all-around genuine talent.
7 Damon Albarn
Blur & Gorillaz
Damon Albarn is a visionary in the music industry. Albarn formed the band Blur in 1988 and the band released their first studio album in 1991. Impressively, every record the band has produced has been certified either gold or platinum. That would be enough to cement Albarn's place in music history, but he didn't stop there. In 1998, he helped form the iconic virtual band Gorillaz, which paved a new path for others to follow.
With Gorillaz, Albarn has released eight studio albums, four of which have been certified at least gold. It seemed things might be slowing down for Albarn as Blur took an eight-year hiatus, but in 2023, he proved he wasn't done yet. Gorillaz not only released a new album that year, but so did Blur. Albarn remains one of the most successful musicians, and there is no telling what he might revolutionize next.
6 Matty Mullins
Memphis May Fire & Anberlin
When an open audition occurred in 2008, Matty Mullins emerged victorious and became the lead singer of the newly formed Memphis May Fire. The band has gone on to become one of the staples of the metalcore genre and with a new album coming in March 2025, they are determined to keep it that way. However, Mullins has explored many ventures beyond the band, such as providing guest vocals for other groups and releasing a few solo albums.
Most notably, Mullins was chosen to be a touring member of Anberlin in 2024 and served as their lead singer throughout the summer. This came after Anberlin's vocalist, Stephen Christian, announced he was stepping away from touring. Although Mullins was initially intended to just be a touring member, he has since lent his voice to the band on tracks for their 2024 album, Vega. It remains to be seen if this will be permanent, but for now, Mullins is the face of two bands.
5 Emily Armstrong
Linkin Park & Dead Sara
Not every musician begins their career on top. There are countless stories of those who spent years just searching for an opportunity. Emily Armstrong's career started in 2002, and after a few years, she and her band Dead Sara had their first gig. Their first official album was released in 2012, and with the band, Armstrong certainly gained notoriety. Along the way, she performed with the likes of The Offspring, Beck, and Demi Lovato.
The biggest break in her career finally came over twenty years after it began when she was named as the co-lead singer of Linkin Park in 2024.
The biggest break in her career finally came over twenty years after it began when she was named as the co-lead singer of Linkin Park in 2024. Since then, they have released a new album, From Zero, which arrived in November 2024. It's a new sound for the band, but their new hit song "The Emptiness Machine" does have nearly 500 million streams on Spotify, so it seems the fans enjoy it. Even now, as a member of Linkin Park, Armstrong is still a part of Dead Sara, and with the new popularity, it could be a significant platform for the band she started.
4 Corey Taylor
Slipknot & Solo Career
To begin his historical career, Corey Taylor founded the band Stone Sour. However, in the early days, the band did quite take off. Things would quickly change for Taylor as Stone Sour would end for the first time, and he went on to join a new band called Slipknot. From there, Slipknot took off and Taylor has been the voice of it since the beginning. With the success of the band, Taylor was even able to bring back Stone Sour for a consistent 20-year run, until the band announced a hiatus in 2020.
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Taylor has continued on with Slipknot as the band has released seven studio albums, the latest in 2022. Also, with Stone Sour on hiatus, it gave Taylor a chance to focus on his solo career. He released his debut solo studio album CMFT in 2020 and followed up with CMF2 in 2023. It remains to be seen if Stone Sour will return or if Taylor will start another side project like he's done in the past. Either way, the one thing that has remained consistent is that Taylor continues to have one of the most powerful voices in all of metal.
3 Maynard James Keenan
Tool, A Perfect Circle & Puscifer
There is seemingly nothing Maynard James Keenan can't accomplish when he sets his mind to it. Before ever stepping into music, Keenan served in the U.S. Army after high school. Following his military service, he moved to Los Angeles in 1988 and formed Tool in 1990. Five studio albums and four Grammy Awards later, Tool continues to be one of the most revered bands in music, as they continue creating future plans.
One successful band wasn't enough for Keenan, who went on to form the also-popular group A Perfect Circle in 1999, which has released four studio albums. Then there's Puscifer, which Keenan helped found in the early 2000s during a hiatus from A Perfect Circle. Puscifer has also released four studio albums. Now, Keenan belongs to three successful bands, but that's not all. He is a philanthropist, a comedian, an actor, a record producer, and a wine connoisseur.
2 Mark Tremonti
Creed, Alter Bridge & Tremonti
Mark Tremonti's music career with the band he co-founded, Creed, had an auspicious start. Creed's first three albums were certified platinum, and if the band never did anything again, their legacy would be cemented just from their first 10 years. It almost happened that way too, as Creed was thought to be finished in 2004. This led to the formation of Alter Bridge where Tremonti and fellow Creed members Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall teamed up with singer Myles Kennedy.
Creed's first three albums were certified platinum, and if the band never did anything again, their legacy would be cemented just from their first 10 years.
As a band, Alter Bridge has released six studio albums and has received critical acclaim for their work. Tremonti even formed a third band that took his last name, where he was the lead singer this time. The band Tremonti has put out six studio albums, with the latest debuting in January 2025. To make things even better for Tremonti, Creed is reunited and touring again. It's incredible the career he's built, and now with three successful groups all at once, there is no telling the heights he will reach.
1 Zakk Wylde
Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Sabbath & Pantera
Zakk Wylde is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in the world. His skill is incredible, and his career speaks for itself. To begin his journey, Wylde became the guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, which is one of the biggest starts to a career of any musician ever. Though he's been on and off with Ozzy over the years, he is currently still playing with Ozzy as needed, and was part of Ozzy's 2022 album, Patient Number 9.
To begin his journey, Wylde became the guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, which is one of the biggest starts to a career of any musician ever.
In his time away from playing for Ozzy, Wylde started many other projects. While his early Pride & Glory group didn't last long, Black Label Society stuck, and he has fronted the band since 1998. He has also done a tribute to Black Sabbath in another project called Zakk Sabbath, which he is still touring with. Additionally, Wylde joined Pantera as a touring member in 2022 to honor his friend Dimebag Darrell. With a couple of solo albums mixed in, Zakk Wylde may be considered one of the busiest people in music, but that's part of what makes him a true icon of metal.
