Playing in a rock band with your siblings can be a double-edged sword.
If it’s chemistry you seek, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better partner. The musical bond between siblings can border on telepathy: Just look at the inimitable twin-guitar attack of AC/DC‘s Angus and Malcolm Young or the guitar-and-drum lockstep of Eddie and Alex Van Halen for proof.
On the other hand, to embark on a musical journey with somebody who shares your DNA is to open a can of worms that can lead to lifelong consequences and headaches. The Kinks, Oasis, the Black Crowes and Heart are just a few examples of sibling bands who are nearly as famous for their knock-down, drag-out fights and years-long cold wars as they are for their impressive bodies of music.
Still, if our list of 20 Best Rock Bands That Feature Siblings proves anything, it’s that the promise of stardom often outweighs the risk of estrangement — and no matter how cataclysmic the fights can get, the mutual admiration and love for making music often remains.
Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson aptly described this duality while discussing his rollercoaster-like relationship with his guitar-slinging brother and bandmate Rich Robinson. “Rich and I would fight in the studio, fight on tour, we’d fight at the hotel,” he told Classic Rock. “But we never fought when we were making new music. There’s something holy about writing songs with my brother.”
Read more about this holy musical matrimony in our list of 20 Best Rock Bands That Feature Siblings.
20 Best Rock Bands That Feature Siblings
Family affairs have yielded great music — and plenty of drama.
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli