10 greatest rock supergroups ever, ranked

Some of the best acts in rock are not just groups—they're supergroups, or bands made up of musicians who had already found success either solo or as part of an existing well-known band. Sometimes, supergroups are the product of downtime between main projects, while others form as a one-off fantasy project.

No matter how supergroups form, the best of them have been described as "lightning in a bottle" and have proven to be so much more than just novetly acts—it's no surprise that when so many talented people work together, something great can come out of it. But it's also no surprise that some supergroups have been shortlived. Like any band, supergroups can hinge on a crucial combination of chemistry and talent, and with so many high-profile and talented members, egos can clash, leading a supergroup to split up just as quickly as they formed. And some supergroups were so successful, it's easy to forget they were supergroups.

Asia

Members of King Crimson, Uriah Heep, U.K., Yes, the Buggles and Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Asia formed in England in 1981, with an original lineup consisting of lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton, formerly of King Crimson, Uriah Heep and U.K.; guitarist Steve Howe, of Yes; keyboardist Geoff Downes, from Yes and the Buggles and drummer Carl Palmer, from Emerson, Lake & Palmer, a supergroup itself. The band is perhaps best-known for their hit single “Heat of the Moment,” and their lineup has changed over the years.

Despite being made up of some of prog rock’s heaviest hitters, Asia had a more commercial ‘80s-rock sound, exemplified best in “Heat of the Moment”—the song is a classic of the era and a staple of classic-rock radio, and given the immense talent in the group, it’s no surprise they got off to a strong start with such a huge hit. Although the band had plenty of lineup changes over the years, the original one remains its most successful, especially in America.

Velvet Revolver

Members of Gun N' Roses, Wasted Youth and Stone Temple Pilots

Velvet Revolver emerged in 2002 with Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum; Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner; and Scott Weiland, formerly of Stone Temple Pilots. The band contributed songs to the soundtracks for Hulk and The Italian Job before releasing their debut album, Contraband, in 2004, which was followed by Libertad in 2007. In 2008, as Weiland struggled with addiction, he was fired from the band, leading him to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots.

Velvet Revolver’s time as a supergroup was brief but memorable—the band fit in perfectly with the alt-rock scene of the early 2000s with their brand of hard rock. While it’s easy to hear the pieces of the bands its members originated from, Velvet Revolver forged ahead with their own sound, and it paid off for them—Contraband hit number one on the Billboard charts, with standouts like “Slither” and the ballad “Fall to Pieces.”

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Members of Atomic Rooster, The Nice and King Crimson

Progressive-rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer formed in London in 1970, with a lineup of Keith Emerson of The Nice, Greg Lake of King Crimson and Carl Palmer of Atomic Rooster. Their sound was focused around the synthesizer and drew from a number of genres, including classic, jazz and blues. Their most famous track is “Lucky Man.” Although Palmer is the sole surviving member, he has continued to tour using hologram technology.

It’s hard not to think of prog rock without thinking of Emerson, Lake & Palmer—their sound practically defined the genre, and they had a huge influence on it. They were one of the most successful prog-rock groups of the ‘70s, and their fame surpassed that of the members’ original bands, making them one of the most successful superpgroups in rock, as well. Their live shows continue to impress fans decades after their formation.

Them Crooked Vultures

Members of Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age

Them Crooked Vultures was made up of Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. The band released a single album in 2009, and although they have not released any music since, they did reunite in 2022 for tribute concerts for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Their track “New Fang” won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.

With members of Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures had already assembled some notable musicians of the ‘90s and 2000s, but with Jones, a core member of one of the most iconic rock bands of all time, they solidified their status as a formidable supergroup—and surely made some of their wildest rock ’n’ roll dreams come true. Their sound was a blend of alternative, hard rock and blues, unsurprising given their makeup.

Temple of the Dog

Members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam

Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell formed Temple of the Dog in Seattle in 1990 as a tribute to his friend Andrew Wood, the frontman of Mother Love Bone, with members of then-fledgling band Pearl Jam, including Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, who had also played in Mother Love Bone, as well as Matt Cameron, Mike McCready, and frontman Eddie Vedder. They released just one album, Temple of the Dog, in 1990, and celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2016 with a tour.

Temple of the Dog was more than just a powerful tribute to a friend and expression of grief—it’s remembered as a masterpiece grunge album from the genre’s early years, with some of the best vocal work of Cornell’s career. He and Vedder work well together on the poignant “Hunger Strike,” providing a hint of what listeners would later hear with Pearl Jam, and “Reach Down” is a sprawling, 11-minute rock epic.

Audioslave

Members of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden

After Rage Against the Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha left the band, Audioslave formed from its ashes, with Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk joining forces with Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell. The band released three albums, starting with their self-titled debut in 2002, but disbanded in 2007. They reunited for a performance in 2017, and any possible plans for new music or a tour were put to rest with Cornell’s tragic death later that year.

Audioslave presented a great merging of its founders’ sounds. Cornell had already impressed with his vocals in Soundgarden, but with Audioslave, he truly demonstrated what he was capable of. And the fact that he was the frontman of not one but three great bands, two of them supergroups, is a testament to his talent. Fans often hold up Audioslave’s albums as nearly perfect, with a sound more in line with Cornell’s other projects.

Bad Company

Members of Free, King Crimson and Mott the Hoople

Formed in London in 1973, Bad Company was made up of singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, former members of Free, guitarist Mick Ralphs of Mott the Hoople and bassist Boz Burrell of King Crimson. They were the first band to sign with Led Zeppelin’s label, Swan Song. They had plenty of hit songs throughout the ‘70s and early ‘80s, among the most famous of which are “Feel Like Makin Love” and “Shooting Star.”

Bad Company had impressive roots, but the band ultimately became more successful than its founders’ original projects—they’ve become one of the most famous and most successful supergroups in rock, and they helped solidify Rodgers’ status as once of rock’s best voices. The band’s hits are practically classic-rock anthems, so it’s no surprise they’ve sold over 40 million records worldwide. And although they’ve had their fair share of lineup changes, they’ve largely continued playing over the years.

Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young

Members of The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and The Hollies

Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young began as Crosby, Stills, & Nash in 1968, with David Crosby of The Byrds, Graham Nash of The Hollies and Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield, then later, Neil Young, also of Buffalo Springfield. Their debut album, Crosby Stills & Nash, was released in 1969. Their personalities clashed plenty over the years, leading to numerous breakups and reunions—they most recently called it quits in 2015, and Crosby’s death in 2023 ended them for good.

CSNY was bursting with talent and creativity—the supergroup was made up of musicians who were already legendary and had left their mark on early rock music. The band saw massive success, particularly in the 1970s, and were known for their beautiful vocal harmonies. Déjà Vu, their first album as a four-piece, is held in especially high esteem by fans, who consider it a classic album which best exemplified their talent.

Cream

Members of Graham Bond Organization, Manfred Mann and Yardbirds

British band Cream formed in 1966 with bassist Jack Bruce of Manfred Mann, guitarist Eric Clapton of Yardbirds and drummer Ginger Baker of Graham Bond Organization. They released four albums over the course of three years, before disbanding in 1969—the band was fraught with tension from its creation, particularly between Baker and Bruce, although they did reunite for some shows in 2005. The band is often considered to be the first supergroup.

Cream fused rock, blues, psychedelic rock and jazz to create their distinct sound, and it earned them quite a following—on top of being the first supergroup, they were also they first band to have a double album achieve platinum status. But it wasn’t just the band itself which had major achievements. On top of his success with Cream, Clapton also went on to be a hugely successful solo artist.

The Traveling Wilburys

Members of The Beatles and ELO

The Traveling Wilburys formed in 1988 with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty when Harrison was asked to record a B-side for his song “This Is Love.” They released their debut album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, in 1988, and sadly, Orbison died shortly after—they released one more album in 1990 but felt it just wasn’t the same without him, leading them to call it quits.

When it comes to rock supergroups, none had a lineup more incredible than The Traveling Wilburys, with some of the biggest names in rock—including a former Beatle. If The Traveling Wilburys struggled with ego, it didn’t show. One of the best things about the band was they truly seemed to be enjoying themselves, and each member got their moment to shine, with their influence coming through clearly in the band’s songs.

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