Supergroup bands are formed from members who are either already successful bands or solo artists.
The first supergroup was Cream in the late 1960s, and the concept grew throughout the 70s and 80s. In the 2000s, these supergroups formed, featuring core artists of the 90s grunge movement.
audioslave
In 2001, three members of Rage Against the Machine teamed up with iconic grunge singer Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. Rage vocalist Zac de le Rocha left the band, and they announced they were looking for a replacement. Instead of continuing with the same name, they decided to start fresh.
Chris Cornell was recommended by producer Rick Rubin. Soundgarden disbanded in 1997. Rubin felt the band had more to offer beyond their legacy as Rage Against the Machine. This was proven to be correct, as their self-titled debut album peaked at No. 4 on the Top Hard Rock Albums and No. 7 on the Billboard 200. Their single, “Like A Stone”, went to No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart and the Alternative Airplay chart as well. Audioslave released two more albums in the 2000s.
velvet revolver
Similarly, members of Guns N ‘ Roses followed the same formula to replace their lead singer, Axl Rose. Instead of continuing under the same name, they rebranded themselves as Velvet Revolver and sought to recruit a new lead singer. Many notable singers auditioned for the group, but they attempted to recruit Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland. Weiland turned down the offer twice as he was still with Stone Temple Pilots. That changed in 2003, when the band broke up, and Weiland joined Velvet Revolver.
Their debut, Contraband, went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. All four singles released charted exceptionally well, with both “Slither” and “Fall To Pieces” reaching No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Additonally, they released a follow-up album in 2007 before Weiland was fired in 2008.
them crooked vultures
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl was previously known as the drummer of the iconic grunge band Nirvana. In 2002, Grohl briefly returned to the drums, performing with Queens of the Stone Age before returning to Foo Fighters.
In 2009, he formed Them Crooked Vultures with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and former Led Zeppelin bassist and composer John Paul Jones. Together, the trio released only one critically acclaimed album in 2009. The supergroup reunited in 2022, honoring the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Photo by KMazur/WireImage
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