Formed: 1973-1982

The lineup: Paul Rodgers (Free, The Firm, Queen + Paul Rodgers), Simon Kirke (Free), Mick Ralphs (Matt the Hoople), Boz Burrell (King Crimson)

The story: Legend has it that singer/songwriter Paul Rodgers (famed for 'All Right Now' when he was the leader of Free) was so entranced with the underrated Jeff Bridges western film 'Bad Company' that he had to do something about it, so he formed this band and named their first album after it.

The debut album in 1974 was an unexpected hit but given that they were managed by Peter Grant (Led Zeppelin) it couldn't have been that much of a surprise. Unlike most super groups, Bad Company kept blasting out hard rock and blues for around a decade and then here and there for a long while after. Their initial single 'Can't Get Enough' was picked up in 1999 for a Levi's jeans ad, causing a resurgence in their popularity.  

Album to buy: Bad Company