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.

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.

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.

Renowned supergroups

• Audioslave - formed by Chris Cornell from Soundgarden and ex-Rage Against The Machine members (Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk).
• Blind Faith - Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker of Cream, Steve Winwood of Traffic, Rick Grech of Family
• Captain Beyond - Rod Evans (Deep Purple), Rhino Rheinhardt and Lee Dorman (Iron Butterfly), Bobby Caldwell (The Johnny Winter Band )
• Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Neil Young
• Cream: Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker
• Damn Yankees: formed by Ted Nugent, Jack Blades (Night Ranger), Tommy Shaw (Styx)
• Demons and Wizards: formed by Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian and Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth, this band combined the two other bands' influences and techniques, coming together to form beautiful power metal.
• Derek and the Dominos: among the members of this one-shot supergroup were Eric Clapton and Duane Allman
• The Faces: Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, Ian McLaglan
• The Highwaymen - Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, all with long solo careers behind them
• Led Zeppelin is a marginal case, because although Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were famous and respected when the band formed as The New Yardbirds, the other half of the group were relative unknowns at the time (albeit very competent unknowns). Page's original intention for the group was to include other well known musicians for the vocalist and drummers spots.
• Oysterhead: Trey Anastasio, Les Claypool, Stewart Copeland
• The Plastic Ono Band: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman, Alan White
• Power Station: Robert Palmer; John Taylor and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran; and Tony Thompson of Chic
• The Traveling Wilburys: Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne

Charity supergroups

• Band Aid: Three groups of British artists who released "Do They Know It's Christmas?" firstly in 1984
• USA for Africa: 45 American recording artists who recorded "We Are the World" in 1984 to combat famine in Ethiopia
• Supergroup TV show - UK Supergroup vs USA Supergroup in a charity battle of the bands reality show concept

Failed supergroups

• XYZ, ex-Yes and Led Zeppelin members who became a true supergroup on creation, despite the group not surviving long enough to produce any official albums.

Other supergroups

• Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe is a strange case, because although all of the musicians were famous and respected, they were largely (but not entirely) so because of their earlier achievements together in Yes.
• Asia - Geoff Downes (Yes and Buggles), John Wetton (King Crimson and UK), Greg Lake (Emerson Lake and Palmer), Steve Howe (Yes), and Carl Palmer (Emerson Lake and Palmer)
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive
• Beck Bogert Appice : power trio formed by guitarist Jeff Beck with Vanilla Fudge's Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice
• Bloodbath: Death Metal supergroup consisting of members of Edge of Sanity, Opeth and Hypocrisy amongst others.
• Bruderschaft: European futurepop supergroup consisting of DJ Rexx Arkana , Ronan Harris of VNV Nation, Sebastian Komor of Icon of Coil, Stephan Groth of Apoptygma Berzerk and Joakim Montelius of Covenant.
• Cyberaktif : cEvin Key & Dwayne Goettel of Skinny Puppy, with Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly/Delerium.
• The Damage Manual: A quartet of prominent industrial musicians; Chris Connelly, Martin Atkins, Jah Wobble and Geordie Walker .
• Down: Band formed from members of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity and Eyehategod.
• DPG-Unit : group formed by 50 Cent's G-Unit and Snoop Dogg's Dogg Pound.
• Electronic: Bernard Sumner of New Order and Johnny Marr of The Smiths.
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer
• Emerson, Lake & Powell
• Eyes Adrift - Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, Curt Kirkwood of Meat Puppets, Bud Gaugh of Sublime
• Fantômas: Mike Patton, King Buzzo of The Melvins, Dave Lombardo of Slayer, Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle.
• The Firm (1980s rock music supergroup) - Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, Chris Slade
• The Firm (1990s hip hop supergroup) - Nas, Cormega, Foxy Brown and AZ
• G3 - Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen
• Gorillaz
• GTR - formed by guitarists Steve Hackett (Genesis) and Steve Howe (Yes and Asia).
• Hazen Street - formed by Toby Morse , Freddy Cricien , David Kennedy, Hoya and Mackie James .
• The Heartbreakers - composed of Richard Hell, Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan
• Jeff Beck Group: Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, Mick Waller , Nicky Hopkins
• Liquid Tension Experiment: Tony Levin, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy and Jordan Rudess.
• Mad Season : Layne Staley of Alice in Chains and Mike McCready guitarist forPearl Jam.
• Me First and the Gimme Gimmes: Spike Slawson , Fat Mike of NOFX, Joey Cape and Dave Raun of Lagwagon, and Chris Shiflett of No Use for a Name
• Misery Index: Jason Netherton , Sparky Voyles and Kevin Talley of Dying Fetus. Has since gone through line-up changes.
• Neurotic Outsiders: Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns n' Roses, and John Taylor of Duran Duran
• The New Pornographers: Carl Newman of Zumpano, Neko Case, Dan Bejar of Destroyer, John Collins of Thee Evaporators and others
• OSI: Jim Matheos (Fates Warning), Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Kevin Moore (Chroma Key), Sean Malone (Gordian Knot) and Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree).
• Pigface: The industrial supergroup. Martin Atkins, Trent Reznor, Jello Biafra, Steve Albini, Nivek Ogre, members of KMFDM and The Orb, plus countless others.
• Planet X: Virgil Donati, Tony MacAlpine and Derek Sherinian.
• Sabina y Paez : Popular latin rockers Joaquin Sabina and Fito Paez released together the album "Enemigos Íntimos" ("Intimate Enemies") in 1998.
• The Reindeer Section: 27-strong Scottish indie rock supergroup featuring (amongst others) members from Snow Patrol, Belle & Sebastian, Idlewild, Mogwai, Arab Strap and Teenage Fanclub.
• Sinergy: Formed by Alexei Laiho of Children of Bodom and his fiancee, Kimberly Moss of former Dimmu Borgir piano fame
• Sky: classical guitarist John Williams, with other classical performers
• The Tear Garden : All members of Skinny Puppy and The Legendary Pink Dots.
• Temple Of The Dog : A one-album group, put together as a tribute to Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood, featuring members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. The hit single "Hunger Strike" came as a result of this album.
• The Thorns : Matthew Sweet, Shawn Mullins and Pete Droge.
• Tomahawk: Duane Denison of The Jesus Lizard, Mike Patton of Faith No More and Fantômas, Kevin Rutmanis of The Melvins, John Stanier of Helmet and The Mark of Cain.
• TransAtlantic : Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt and Pete Trewavas.
• Velvet Revolver: rock band with Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and three former members of Guns n' Roses.
• Yes, who began as a mere group but became a true supergroup with the members Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Alan White.
• Zwan, formed by Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin of The Smashing Pumpkins.