The Supergroups (music) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bad English

Bad English had such hit songs as "When I See You Smile", "Forget Me Not" and "The Price of Love". Briton John Waite had previously been lead singer for The Babys as well as having a solo career. American Neal Schon was a guitarist for Santana, and more famously, Journey.

The U.K.'s Jonathan Cain was keyboardist for The Babys with John Waite, and with Neal Schon in Journey. Ricky Phillips was the bassist for The Babys with Waite and Cain.

Answer: Asia

Asia burst on the world music scene in the early '80s with songs like "Heat of the Moment", "Don't Cry", and "Only Time Will Tell". Keyboardist Geoff Downes first tasted fame as a member of the band Yes and later with The Buggles. Lead vocalist and bass player John Wetton was formerly in King Crimson, Roxy Music, and Uriah Heep. Guitar slinger Steve Howe has been a member of Yes and GTR. Drummer Carl Palmer was part of the trio Emerson, Lake, & Palmer and also Atomic Rooster. Asia has had a large number of members rotating in and out through the years -- too many to cover here -- but Downes, Wetton, Howe, and Palmer are the core.

Answer: Velvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver featured three former members of Guns N' Roses -- Slash, McKagan, and Sorum, along with Dave Kushner formerly of Wasted Youth and former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. Their first album, 2004's "Contraband" contained the Grammy-winning single "Slither".

The followup album, "Libertad" in 2007, was also well received. Scott Weiland left the group in 2008 but the remaining four members have vowed to carry on.

Answer: Damn Yankees

The Damn Yankees gave the world power ballads like "High Enough" and "Where You Going Now" along with great rock songs like "Coming of Age". Ted Nugent started with The Amboy Dukes in the late 1960s before a stellar solo career in the '70s. Tommy Shaw rose to fame as a songwriter and co-lead singer with the band Styx. Jack Blades burst onto the music scene with Night Ranger in the early 1980s. And Michael Cartellone? Well, the Damn Yankees were his big break. Since their demise he's gone on to play in Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Answer: Chickenfoot

The Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar had a successful early career with the band Montrose before his solo albums and hits of the 1970s and early '80s. He joined Van Halen in 1985 where he became friends with bassist Michael Anthony. Joe Satriani has long been known as one of the world's best rock guitarists. Chad Smith rose to rock fame with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Answer: Cream

Cream set the very standard for what a supergroup could achieve, selling 35 million albums in just a two-year period (1966-1968). Prior to Cream, Eric Clapton had built a reputation as a brilliant guitarist in John Mayall's Blues Breakers and The Yardbirds. Meanwhile, bassist Jack Bruce had been in bands like Blues Incorporated and the Graham Bond Organization. Ginger Baker played with Bruce in the Graham Bond Organization and other popular British acts.

Answer: The Highwaymen

If there were a Mount Rushmore of Country music, a strong case could be made for including any or all of The Highwaymen. Each member individually is a legendary singer and songwriter with millions of records sold. The Highwaymen formed in 1985, releasing three critically acclaimed albums over the ensuing decade along with three hit singles on the U.S. Country music charts, most notably the Number One hit "Highwayman" in 1985. Sadly, two of the four Highwaymen are no longer with us, Waylon Jennings passing away in February, 2002 and his good friend Johnny Cash in September, 2003.

Answer: Temple of the Dog

Temple of the Dog was formed in 1990 by Soundgarden's Chris Cornell as a tribute project to his friend Andrew Wood, who had died in March of that year from a drug overdose. Wood had been lead singer of Mother Love Bone, a group that had Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar and Jeff Ament on bass. Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron completed the rhythm section while Pearl Jam's Mike McCready and Eddie Vedder handled lead guitar and lead vocal, respectively.

Their only album, the self-titled "Temple of the Dog" was released in America in April 1991.

The album yielded two Top Ten hits on the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts, "Hunger Strike" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven".

Answer: The Honeydrippers

The Honeydrippers were formed by Robert Plant in 1981 with the desire to have something as "heavy" as Led Zeppelin, only with more of an Rhythm & Blues feel. The album "The Honeydrippers Volume One" was released in late 1984. A single from the album, "Sea of Love" peaked at Number Three on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, while "Rockin' At Midnight" was also a Top 40 hit in the U.S. One of the notable sidemen on the album was keyboardist Paul Schaffer, band leader for "The Late Show with David Letterman."

Answer: Bad Company

Bad Company rocked the 1970s with hits like "Can't Get Enough", "Bad Company", "Feel Like Makin' Love", and "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy". Singer Paul Rodgers departed the group in the early 1980s and was replaced by Brian Howe, who led the group to a resurgence of popularity with rock radio hits like "Shake It Up", "If You Needed Somebody" and "How 'Bout That".

Answer: The Traveling Wilburys

The Traveling Wilburys were a happy accident that came about during the recording of George Harrison's album "Cloud Nine". Most of the Wilburys' members were involved with different songs at various points. The ensemble all enjoyed working together so much they decided to make an entire album. That album, "Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1", eventually reached triple-platinum in American sales and won a Grammy award in 1989 thanks to songs like "End of the Line" and "Handle with Care".

A second album, the purposely misnumbered "Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3" was less successful.

The deaths of Roy Orbison in December, 1988 and George Harrison in November, 2001 ended the Wilburys' musical travels for good.

Answer: Power Station

After completing Duran Duran's third album, group members John and Andy Taylor wanted to branch out and experiment with a heavier rock influence. They recruited drummer Tony Thompson of Chic, and singer Robert Palmer to round out the project. The group's name came from the famous Power Station recording studio in New York, New York, where the first album was recorded.

Answer: Journey

Journey started out as a jazz-fusion oriented group, but met with little commercial or critical success. So in 1977 new lead singer Steve Perry was added and the group steered to a more straight rock and pop sound. It resulted in their breakthrough album, 1978's "Infinity" and two hit singles, "Lights" and "Wheel in the Sky". With albums like "Evolution", "Departure", "Escape", and "Frontiers" Journey would become one of the premier bands in rock.

Answer: Damnocracy

Damnocracy would unfortunately not survive past the VH1 show that created them. During episode seven, the series finale, the group played a rousing concert of cover songs and two new originals at the Empire Ballroom in Las Vegas. All five members expressed a desire to continue on with the group in some capacity, schedules permitting, but to date no further concerts or recording sessions have transpired.

Answer: USA for Africa

Of course with that many members it could only be charity supergroup USA for Africa, a one-time event organized by Jackson, Richie, and music producer Quincy Jones. It was in response to the United Kingdom supergroup Band Aid, whose song "Do They Know It's Christmas?", raised money for African famine relief.

The song "We Are The World" was a Number One hit in both the U.S. and U.K. in April, 1985. USA for Africa, and the Hands Across America event raised a combined $100 Million (US) dollars for famine relief.