Supergroup (bands)

In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe music groups comprising members of great proficiency who had already achieved fame or respect in other groups or as individual artists. The term took its name from the 1968 album Super Session with Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield, and Stephen Stills. The coalition of Crosby, Stills and Nash (later Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) is another example.

Related Topics:
1960s - 1968 - Al Kooper - Mike Bloomfield - Stephen Stills - Crosby, Stills and Nash - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

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With the success of Cream, the term also came to include groups that sold huge numbers of albums and headlined massive concerts, regardless of the previous fame of the individual members. However, the term as correctly applied refers to the architecture, not the achievements, of the group. By any standards, it is not a rigidly defined category and has become, more than anything, a marketing term.

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Supergroups tend to be short-lived (often lasting only for an album or two), perhaps because of the natural conflict of egos between established stars. Also, some supergroups were formed as side-projects that were never intended to be permanent.

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