10 Greatest Supergroups In Rock History
3. The Traveling Wilburys
When you're getting together some of the greatest musicians of all time into a room, there's no guarantee that sparks are going to fly. You can get some of your favorite players into a jam session, but only time will tell if they have the chemistry to actually carry on as a band. Though there are some egos that you have to deal with from time to time, the Traveling Wilburys were one of the most wholesome supergroups ever conceived.
It's not like the pedigree is in question here though, having people like Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and George Harrison being some of your main songwriters. When the band was first formed, they were originally supposed to write a B-side to George's album, until the label convinced them to turn it into a project. While that does reek of 'label obligation,' the entire project was an absolute joy for everyone involved, with the band drafting in Roy Orbison and ELO's Jeff Lynne to mold the songs into something perfect.
Once Roy passed away after the making of the first record though, things seemed to grind to a halt, with the rest of the band quickly returning to their old outfits and leaving the good times in the past. Although this kind of thing is still about as 'middle aged rock' as it gets, you're in for a songwriting clinic once you sit down with the entire record.