Some musicians join one band and stay there for life. Others cannot sit still. They jump between groups, start fresh side projects, and somehow turn each new band into its own genuine commercial success story.
This list looks at ten talented musicians who somehow built fame not once but twice across multiple successful bands. Each one left a mark. Keep reading to discover their full stories and surprising musical connections.
Dave Grohl went from Nirvana’s drummer to Rock’s biggest frontman
Dave Grohl joined the band Nirvana as drummer back in 1990. He played on Nevermind, the breakthrough album that brought grunge into the mainstream. After Kurt Cobain sadly died in 1994, Nirvana ended for good.
Grohl then formed Foo Fighters, becoming the band’s lead singer, guitarist, and main songwriter. Foo Fighters have won multiple Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album. He also drums in the rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures.
Jack White turned one garage band into three hits
Jack White first found fame with the White Stripes, a duo formed with Meg White. Their song Seven Nation Army became a global stadium anthem. The band won several Grammy Awards before ending in 2011.
After the White Stripes split, White formed the Raconteurs with songwriter Brendan Benson. He also started the Dead Weather alongside singer Alison Mosshart. Both new groups landed their albums inside the Billboard top ten charts.
Josh Homme built a career from Desert Rock roots
Josh Homme helped form Kyuss back in the late 1980s, helping create the entire stoner rock genre. After Kyuss broke up in 1995, he formed Queens of the Stone Age the following year in California.
Homme also helped start Eagles of Death Metal with Jesse Hughes in 1998. In 2009, he joined Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones in the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, releasing one acclaimed album that year.
Maynard James Keenan leads three bands at once
Maynard James Keenan formed Tool back in 1990 alongside guitarist Adam Jones. The progressive metal band became a worldwide success, winning multiple Grammy Awards across decades for songs like Schism and the later track 7empest.
Keenan also fronts the rock band A Perfect Circle, formed with Billy Howerdel in 1999. His third project, Puscifer, started as a solo venture in 2003. All three bands remain wildly active and successful today.
Travis Barker drums for more bands than anyone
Travis Barker joined Blink-182 as drummer back in 1998. The pop punk band became massively popular, with albums going multi platinum. He stayed loyally with the group through breakups and many reunions over the years.
Barker also formed Box Car Racer with Tom DeLonge and +44 with Mark Hoppus. He still plays in the Transplants alongside Tim Armstrong of Rancid, blending punk, hip hop, and reggae influences together quite nicely.
Damon Albarn went from Britpop to cartoon stardom
Damon Albarn rose to fame in the 1990s as the frontman of Blur, a leading Britpop band. Blur won several Brit Awards and had massive hits across the United Kingdom and much of Europe too.
Albarn later created Gorillaz, an animated virtual band project, together with artist Jamie Hewlett. Gorillaz became a global phenomenon, selling millions of records worldwide. He also leads The Good the Bad and the Queen too.
Corey Taylor balances two heavy bands with ease
Corey Taylor helped start Stone Sour in 1992, years before he became famous. The hard rock band took a break when Taylor eventually joined Slipknot, then reunited in 2002 to finally record their debut album.
Taylor joined Slipknot in 1997 as their new vocalist. The band sold millions of albums and won a Grammy for the song Before I Forget. He still fronts both bands successfully, touring with each regularly.
Chino Moreno explores sound beyond Deftones
Chino Moreno formed Deftones in 1988 with friends from Sacramento, California. The alternative metal band found huge worldwide success, and their landmark album White Pony eventually earned them a Grammy Award win in early 2001.
He also leads side projects called Team Sleep and Crosses, exploring electronic and dream pop sounds. Moreno previously played in the band Palms too, showing his musical range far beyond the heavy sound of Deftones.
Thom Yorke keeps creating beyond Radiohead
Thom Yorke is the singer and main songwriter for Radiohead, one of the most acclaimed rock bands ever. Albums like OK Computer and Kid A changed how people thought about modern rock music so entirely.
He also created Atoms for Peace with Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2009. In 2021, Yorke formed a new band, The Smile, alongside fellow Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner.
Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez built two iconic bands
Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez first found fame together in At the Drive-In, a post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas. Their breakthrough 2000 album Relationship of Command became a cult classic record for the band.
After At the Drive-In split, the pair formed The Mars Volta in 2001, blending progressive rock with Latin rhythms. The band won a Grammy Award and released several critically praised and influential studio albums together.
Featured Image: Photo by christopher friese on Wikimedia Commons
