The concept of the super group - which generally involves rock stars getting together and indulging themselves in some kind of mutual musical love-in – often leads to disastrous results with the whole thing frequently turning out less than the sum of its parts. However, sometimes it does actually work as Dave Grohl is currently proving. Here are ten super groups...
10. Them Crooked Vultures
The main Foo Fighter, Dave Grohl, teamed up with Queens of the Stone Age pal Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin Bassist John Paul Jones. Much talked about before anything happened but then the trio let rip at last year's Lollapalooza after-party and an album of heavy metal virtuosity was released last November.
9. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Composed from the ashes of The Byrds (Crosby), Buffalo Springfield (Stills), and The Hollies (Nash), CSN obviously felt they weren't super enough, so they added Neil Young. Hugely successful, it predictably all fell apart due to bickering egos and drugs but they have got back together a few times since, including at last summer's Glastonbury.
8. Travelling Wilburys
The coming together of Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, George Harrison (The Beatles), Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra) and Tom Petty is one of
music's greatest accidents. George got his mates together to help record a B-side for his "Cloud Nine" album. Harrison's record company heard the resulting track, "Handle with Care," deemed it great and requested an album. Somehow ego-less and beautiful for it.
7. Blind Faith
Eric Clapton had had it with Cream, as had Steve Windwood with Traffic. The two lost musical wonderkids found each other and with Cream's Ginger Baker on drums, they formed Blind Faith. The band was in such high demand that their first concert was in front of over 100,000 at London's Hyde Park. They disbanded less than a year after they formed.
6. Chickenfoot
Former Van Haleners Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer Chad Smith – this was change of underpants time for any classic rock fans. Their eponymous debut album went top 5 in the U.S. and Canada and they'll be back at it once Chad finishes his latest bout of Chilli Peppering.
5. Monsters of Folk
Consisting of Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) and M. Ward from She and Him, this outfit brings together the brightest young folk and alt-rock singer-songwriters of the modern era. Formed in 2004, the group took nearly five years to get their debut self-titled album out, but that's folkies for you.
4. Velvet Revolver
By the late 90s, some of the biggest names in US hard rock were unemployed and so Velvet Revolver was formed by Slash (Guns N' Roses) and Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots. Over the span of two whiskey-soaked albums, the band specialized in air-guitar exuberance, arena-rock spectacle and tight leather pants.
3. The Raconteurs
Jack White likes a side project and in 2006 he hooked up with singer-songwriter Brendan Benson to form the Raconteurs. Following their debut, Broken Boy Soldiers, the band seemed destined to be an enjoyable one-off, but the group reunited for a 2008 follow-up, Consolers of the Lonely.
2. Power Station
The super group of the 80s made up of singer Robert Plant, along with John and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, and former Chic drummer Tony Thompson. Bernard Edwards, also of Chic, produced and managed the band. Named after The Power Station recording studio were the whole undoubtedly coke-fuelled idea came to prominence in 1984.
1. Electronic
A marriage of Mancs as New Order's Bernard Sumner hooked up with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, with a bit of help from the Pet Shop Boys along the way. Lasted over ten years but even though there has been no formal split, they've been somewhat inactive for a while now.
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