The Top 10 Supergroups

by Ivana Markotic

July 7, 2011

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Pretty much the opposite of embarking on a solo career, supergroups bring together a bunch of musicians from established bands to create one “super” ensemble (usually). The latest addition to this weird musical subcategory includes Mick Jagger’s new band, SuperHeavy (with Joss Stone, Damian Marley, Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours composer A.R. Rahman, and the kitchen sink probably). Also of note is Danger Mouse and composer Daniele Luppi’s project, Rome (featuring Jack White, Norah Jones and six renowned Italian studio musicians) and the recently announced and still unnamed Mars Volta/Mastodon/Dillinger Escape Plan project. Here are a few others, some clearly more awesome individually than as the sum of their parts.

10. The Dirty Mac

Keith Richards was the first Rolling Stone to join a supergroup, playing alongside John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Mitch Mitchell (the drummer from the Jimi Hendrix Experience) just once in 1968 for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. The importance of The Dirty Mac was in being Lennon’s first live performance since The Beatles last show in 1966, and it is rumoured to be the reason Lennon pursued creating another supergroup (see #6).

9. Velvet Revolver

After the Stone Temple Pilots broke up, singer Scott Weiland joined former members of Guns N’ Roses (guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Matt Sorum) and Wasted Youth’s Dave Kushner to form Velvet Revolver. Often described as having a heavy Guns N’ Roses influence, the supergroup’s name, like GNR, combines gun imagery with soft substance. Velvet Revolver managed to release two albums (Contraband and Libertad), tour exhaustively, and win a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance (for “Slither”) before Weiland rejoined the Stone Temple Pilots.

8. Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures marked the full return of Foo Fighters’ singer Dave Grohl to drums, playing alongside John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age (a band he also drummed with for a time). Like Velvet Revolver, the supergroup won Best Hard Rock Performance at the Grammy Awards for “New Fang” in 2011. With the release of the new Foo Fighters album, Them Crooked Vultures are currently on hiatus, but a second album is planned.

7. The Traveling Wilburys

Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne collaborated together as The Traveling Wilburys. Between its members, there are more than ninety studio albums(!), but the supergroup only released two as a collective between 1988 and 1990, the second without Orbison as he had passed away.

6. Plastic Ono Band

Following The Dirty Mac, Eric Clapton and John Lennon were in a supergroup together once again, this time with Yoko Ono, bassist Klaus Voormann, drummer Alan White, legendary producer Phil Spector and many other artists, including a live performance with the Who’s drummer Keith Moon. Live Peace in Toronto 1969 was the supergroup’s first live album and in 2010 Ono, Clapton and Voormann reunited for a performance with guests Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, Lady Gaga, and Paul Simon, among others.

5. Gorillaz

Former Blur singer, Damon Albarn’s first supergroup was 2007’s The Good, The Bad & The Queen alongside The Clash’s Paul Simonon, The Verve’s Simon Tong, and famed drummer Tony Allen. Albarn’s original virtual side-project Gorillaz slowly transformed into a supergroup, especially with 2010’s release of Plastic Beach. Paul Simonon and Simon Tong collaborated on the album and live performance, in addition to The Clash’s guitarist Mick Jones. Moreover, the single “On Melancholy Hill” was originally written by Albarn as a song for The Good, The Bad & The Queen but only appeared on Plastic Beach. Special guest performances on the album include Lou Reed, Mos Def, Bobby Womack and Snoop Dogg. Appropriately enough, the supergroup’s recent free digital release, The Fall, features a song called “Revolving Doors.”

4. Primal Scream

Primal Scream’s associated acts include Jesus and Mary Chain, The Stone Roses, Nico and The Faction, My Bloody Valentine, and Felt over a career-spanning 25+ years. Although alt-rock combos were present in the supergroup, Primal Scream was a rock band influenced by the house music gaining popularity in the ’90s. Adopting a house music influence resulted in Primal Scream’s mainstream success and the critically acclaimed Screamadelica. With nine studio albums, the band has been touring heavily in 2010 and 2011.



3. The Dead Weather

When the Beatles stopped performing live, John Lennon formed supergroups and toured with them; when Meg White’s health stalled The White Stripes from doing any more live shows, Jack White decided to create a series of groups to collaborate with on albums and tour. The first of these supergroups was The Raconteurs with members of The Greenhornes, and the most recent was The Dead Weather. Alongside Jack White, The Dead Weather features The Greenhornes and The Raconteur’s Jack Lawrence, The Kills’ Allison Mosshart and Queens of The Stone Age’s Dean Fertita.

2. Broken Social Scene

Together for over twelve years, Broken Social Scene is like that couple that will never title themselves married. In a way, they’re a sort of a reverse-supergroup where the union of the band resulted in the success of more independent bands and artists that keep returning to collaborate with Broken Social Scene. Included in the BSS family of associated acts is Feist, Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Metric, Stars, Land of Talk, Apostle of Hustle and The Weakerthans, among others. Forgiveness Rock Record also featured collaborations with Pavement’s Scott Kannberg and Death from Above 1979’s Sebastien Grainger.

1. Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)

David Crosby (The Byrds), Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield), and Graham Nash (The Hollies) formed Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1968, occasionally joined by fourth member Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield). All four members share singing responsibility, often marked by their blended harmonies that made their first album in 1969 a massive success. Each member focused on pursuing a solo career at the same time as the collaborative supergroup, which often created tension among members. CSNY is often credited as inspiring many modern musicians and after over forty years together, they still tour extensively.

Tags: Music, Lists, broken social scene, dillinger escape plan, Gorillaz, Joss Stone, mars volta, Mastodon, Primal Scream, The Dead Weather, Them Crooked Vultures, Velvet Revolver

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