3 Supergroups From the 1990s You’ve Never Heard Of (but Feature Your Favorite Rock Star)

Supergroups will probably be a thing as long as bands are a thing. They were certainly in abundance throughout the 20th century, even at the tail end of the decade. And quite a few rock supergroups from the 1990s have been forgotten by mainstream listeners today. I don’t think that’s fair, as a few of these groups were really good. Let’s just look at a couple of examples of rock supergroups from the 1990s that you might have missed!

Videos by American Songwriter

Contraband

If Contraband doesn’t ring a bell, don’t worry. This hard rock glam metal supergroup was only around for the better part of two years, launching in 1990 and disbanding in 1991. Contrabana was made up of Richard Black (Shark Island), Michael Schenker (Scorpions, UFO), Tracii Guns (Guns N’ Roses, L.A. Guns), Share Pedersen (Vixen), and Bobby Blotzer (Ratt).

This group was born from a brief unplugged collaboration between the bands Vixen and Ratt back in the day, and the band only produced one self-titled album in 1991. It was great while it lasted, but not all supergroups are meant to last forever.

BBM

A supergroup offshoot of another supergroup? Why not? BBM (Bruce, Baker, Moore) was made up of Jack Bruce of Cream, Ginger Baker of Cream, and Gary Moore of Skid Row and Thin Lizzy. This trio, like many talented supergroups, was very short-lived. They formed back in 1993 and came to an end after just one album and a brief UK tour in 1994. That sole blues rock album, Around The Next Dream, is a really impressive piece of work.

Temple Of The Dog

What would a list of rock supergroups from the 1990s be without mentioning at least one top-notch grunge band? Temple Of The Dog was made up of some serious grunge talent, including Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam), Matt Cameron (Soundgarden and Pearl Jam), Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), and Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam).

This band lasted from 1990 to 1992, with a few reunions in the last few decades. Originally started as a tribute to Cornell’s late friend, Andrew Wood, Temple Of The Dog released just one self-titled album in 1995. It was a pleasantly surprising album that peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.

Photo by Pete Still/Redferns