15 Musical Siblings That Rocked the Stage

“Getting the band together” doesn’t always involve your schoolmates or random people answering back-page ads in The Village Voice. (It was a different time.)

Sometimes, the greatest bandmates come from one’s own family. Whether the musicians play pop, stadium rock, or classic R&B, these 15 sets of musical siblings changed the course of history. Other bands often imitate their sounds but never duplicate them. Best of all, they have fans in nearly every generation.

No matter if they kept it together or fell completely apart, their moms and dads certainly can take pride in all of their sons and daughters. Imagine gathering around the family dinner table with these musical powerhouses!

1. Malcolm and Angus Young (AC/DC)

Before he passed away in 2017, Malcolm Young served as the hard-rocking backbone of Australian rock band AC/DC, alongside his younger brother Angus.

Today, thanks to various illnesses, retirements, and deaths, Angus remains the only original member of the band, whose hits include “Thunderstruck,” “Shoot to Kill,” and  “Back in Black.”

2. Eddie and Alex Van Halen (Van Halen)

Despite its infamous lineup changes — mostly involving their mercurial lead singers — drummer Alex Van Halen and guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen formed the backbone of the band that bore their name.

Thanks to their influence, songs like “When It’s Love,” “Jump,” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” all entered the pop culture lexicon. The band sold more than 58 million albums worldwide before Eddie Van Halen’s death in 2020 forced their disbandment.

3. Noel and Liam Gallagher (Oasis)

The 1990s saw a resurgence of “Britpop” thanks in no small part to the music of Oasis, who delivered Stateside hits with thunderous songs like “Morning Glory,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” and the super-smash hit “Wonderwall.”

Singer Liam Gallagher and guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher delivered hit after hit in between infamous brawls with one another. In fact, a recording of one of their most infamous brawls (conducted during an NME interview with the band, no less) reached No. 52 on the UK Singles Chart back in 1994.

4. Ray and Dave Davies (The Kinks)

The Kinks became one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s thanks to their music’s unique blend of Merseybeat (first made famous by The Dave Clark Five) and R&B.

That influence comes courtesy of the musical prowess of the lead singer, Ray Davies, and his brother, guitarist, and backing vocalist, Dave Davies. Their songs, from “Lola” to “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night,” still get covered by bands today.

5. Duane and Gregg Allman (The Allman Brothers Band)

The Allman Brothers Band would have turned out more hits than they did had brothers Duane (lead guitarist and founder) and Gregg (lead vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter) kept their addictions to various substances in check.

Despite the band’s omnipresent drug problem and Duane’s unfortunate death in a motorcycle accident in 1971, the band churned out classics like “Melissa,” “Midnight Rider,” and “Whipping Post.”

6. Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys)

Brian Wilson created some of the most memorable songs of the 1960s and 1970s. From “God Only Knows” to “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations,” The Beach Boys’ sound was almost singlehandedly the work of that wild, weird, and wonderful man.

Wilson couldn’t have done it without the help of his brothers Carl Wilson (who played guitar) and Dennis Wilson (who played drums).

7. Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart)

As the foundation of 1970s rock group Heart, singer Ann and guitarist Nancy Wilson defied gender norms and climbed the charts on the strength of such songs as “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” and “Crazy on You.”

The sisters continued making hits in the 1980s and 1990s with songs like “Never,” “What About Love,” and “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You.”

8. Andrew, Jon, and Tim Farriss (INXS)

Before they became known for the antics of their libertine, Jim Morrison-lite frontman Michael Hutchence, INXS operated as The Farriss Brothers Band.

Eldest brother Tim played guitar, middle brother Andrew played keyboards, and youngest brother Jon played drums. The Farriss brothers continued these positions during the meteoric rise and fall of INXS. Weathered storms included the tragic death of Michael Hutchence in 1997, and the charting of such songs as “Need You Tonight,” “Devil Inside,” and “Don’t Change.”

9. Matthew and Gunnar Nelson (Nelson)

In the 1990s, Nelson had a string of hits with “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love & Affection,” “After The Rain,” and “Everywhere I Go.”

Twins Matthew and Gunnar Nelson are third-generation performers: their grandparents were television pioneers Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, and their father was former 1950s heartthrob Ricky Nelson. Their mother, Kristin Harmon, is the older sister of NCIS actor Mark Harmon, making him their uncle.

10. Michael, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon, and Randy Jackson (The Jackson 5)

However problematic their father, Joseph, was, the Jackson 5 made history as one of the first Black pop bands to successfully achieve “crossover” status.

While Michael Jackson’s supernova of a career remains in a class all its own, the remaining brothers in the Jackson 5 — Jermaine, Marlon, Tito, and Randy — also have respectable musical careers of their own.

11. John and Tom Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

Creedence Clearwater Revival became one of the most influential bands of the 1960s, even though they were only formally together in that name and formation from 1968 to 1970. The band owed much of that success, in no small part, to the talents of brothers John and Tom Fogerty.

Unfortunately, the brothers continuously fought throughout the band’s existence and only barely reconciled before Tom died of AIDS complications aquired from a tainted blood transfusion in 1990. Nevertheless, their songs like “Fortunate Son,” “Proud Mary,” and “Bad Moon Rising” remain staples of classic rock radio lineups.

12. Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb (The Bee Gees)

The Bee Gees became the most successful Australian musical group in history thanks in no small part to the musical talents and harmonies of brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb.

Of the three, only Sir Barry Gibb is alive as of this writing. However, their songs — “I Started A Joke,” “Staying Alive,” “Too Much Heaven,” “Night Fever,” and “You Should Be Dancing,” to name but a few — will live on forever.

13. June, Bonnie, Anita, and Ruth Pointer (The Pointer Sisters)

Though The Pointer Sisters experienced the most success when they performed as a trio — with June, Ruth, and Anita in the lineup.

The sole surviving sister, Ruth, now performs as The Pointer Sisters with Ruth’s daughter Issa (whose father is David Edwards of The Temptations) and Ruth’s granddaughter (and Issa’s niece) Sadako Pointer in the lineup.

14. Chris and Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes)

The UK had Noel and Liam Gallagher brawling with one another, and the United States had Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes brawling with one another.

Singer Chris and guitarist Rich form the backbone of the modern Southern rock band, who had hits back in the 1990s with “She Talks To Angels,” “Wiser Time,” and a rockin’ cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.”

The band periodically releases new music when the brothers aren’t clawing at one another’s throats.

15. Jordan and Jonathan Knight (New Kids on the Block)

Say what you will about New Kids on the Block, but they remain one of the most successful boy bands in modern music history. That’s thanks in no small part to the efforts of singer (and HGTV star) Jonathan Knight and his younger brother (and sometime VH1 reality star) Jordan Knight.

Together, they helped the band secure its biggest hits, including “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “Cover Girl,” and “Hangin’ Tough.”