Tomb Of The Unknown Drummer

I saw an infomercial for the latest Time Life "Ultimate Whatever Decade" collection the other night. This one casts a long-overdue spotlight on the pop rock hits of the 70's. Naturally, the collection itself is weak, and they played the same fifteen clips for the duration of the half hour infomercial, but something struck me.

Of those fifteen clips, nine of them had drummers pulling double duty as lead singers. Don Henley-style beards, Don Henley-style 8-beats with Don Henley-style singing over their left shoulder. And none of them were Don Henley. Makes me wonder if that was an actual trend in 70's pop- having a drummer/singer. And if so, why would we let that die? It's pretty great when a drum kit isn't buried upstage, but put down center, letting that drummer absorb the praise owed to his brethren for generations. Imagine if the trend held, and we'd have Phil Selway belting front and center falsettos during "We Suck Young Blood", or Will Champion not still playing, but now singing "The Scientist." I tell you, that would be magic.