I don’t mean to be a contrarian, but when it comes to bands, it’s often not the front person I perceive as chief in talent.

It started, I think, with my steadfast belief that, despite the greatness of Paul Simon’s songwriting, Garfunkel was the true gem in that partnership. I mean it. Together, they were amazing. Great songwriter or not, would Simon’s, um, pleasant vocal abilities really have netted him a solo career without ol’ tenor Art’s gorgeous harmonies (and lead on “Bridge Over Troubled Water”!) at least at first?

I’m sure some may think so, so let me reply with a preemptive “Ha! Good one!”

My proselytizing on behalf of Garfunkel led me to realize just how often, whether it’s a duo or a band with more than one capable singer-songwriter, I have often preferred — or at least strongly respected and sort of rooted for — the No. 2 guy lurking in the shadow of the usually more charismatic singer.

In what sense I root for them, I don’t know. More fans and respect? More people in agreement with me?

Take The Clash for instance. I was a bit young and unaware of their earliest output, but I’ve loved them since I first saw the videos for “London Calling” and “Should I Stay or Should I Go” in the early ‘80s. For what it’s worth, lead singer Joe Strummer’s 2002 death is the first death of a famous person that made me cry.

I’m a fan, in other words. And yet, if I’m being honest, lead guitarist Mick Jones’ songs might be my preference. I often go straight to Mick’s songs when I queue up The Clash: “Stay Free,” “Train in Vain,” “Lost in the Supermarket,” “Should I Stay or Should I Go” and their excellent cover of “Police on my Back.”

Those are some of my favorite Clash songs, all sung by Mick.

Hell, even Cheap Trick, in which lead singer Robin Zander’s undeniably talented pipes have always led the charge, there’s one song I know and love that is sung by bassist Tom Petersson: “I Know What I Want.” The other night I asked my wife if she could guess my favorite Cheap Trick song, and she replied, “Some people are married to real adults.”

Just kidding. She said, “The one the other guy sings.” If you’ve ever seen the band live, you know that Tom owns the stage the second Zander hands over the mic.

New wave greats The Cars lead singer Rik Ocasek did not sing all of The Cars’ hits. I’ve long known, again because of the official video, that Benjamin Orr sang the haunting “Drive,” but he also sang lead vocals on two other Cars gems that helped put them on the map, “Let’s Go” and “Just What I Needed.”

Don’t even get me started on The Pixies. Kim Deal’s “Gigantic” and “Into the White” were fantastic. Her role as a singer became more and more limited over time during The Pixies’ first run from 1986 to ’93. Thank goodness for her band, The Breeders.

A year ago, Far Out magazine published a story whose headline dared ask, “Is Mike Mills a better singer than Michael Stipe?” In it, the U.K. music pub reported how, during R.E.M.’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Eddie Vedder called Mills the band’s secret weapon. Obviously, there’s no R.E.M. without Stipe, but bassist and back-up singer Mills’s high-octane (and octave) voice did more than complement tunes like “Fall on Me.” Check out his lead vocal duties on “Superman,” “Love is All Around You” and “Near Wild Heaven” before you infer what I’m implying. At the very least, R.E.M. wouldn’t have been what it was without Mills.

Then there’s my unholy but firm belief that George Harrison wrote and sang the best Beatles songs. This makes me want to argue with myself, so I can imagine how you must feel right now.

But between “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something,” naysayers can disagree all they and I want, and I’d still prefer George’s songs over Paul and John’s.

Hey, speaking of bands that show my age, ever heard U2’s “Van Dieman’s Land” or “Numb,” sung by guitarist The Edge? I’m not saying he eclipses Bono as a singer. And there’s no way Type A Bono would go quietly, but between Edge’s voice and more subdued personality, I wouldn’t mind The Edge being out front more often.

This is in no way intended to suggest some people are more talented than others. How would I know?

But when one person dominates the conversation in a roomful of people — or a stage — and one of the quieter people speaks up, it’s often worth listening to what they have to say.