And without Ron McGovney there would perhaps have been no Metallica and therefore he's more important than Cliff. That's where I'm getting. While they were there in the formation, they are not what defines the band and therefore it's ridiculous saying Paul Day is more important to Iron Maiden than Bruce Dickinson. While the former was there first, the other is the guy that's been there for 25 years.
I understand where you're coming from, but your point gets lost to me when you claim the earlier members, present on no official recordings, are more important than the guys actually playing on the albums and have been playing the gigs for quite a few years. Look, I am nitpicking, but that phrasing kinda rubbed me the wrong way a bit.