Last Updated on December 12, 2025 by Black Sunshine Media
The combustible chemistry between siblings has powered some of the most iconic moments in rock history. There’s something flammable about the connection between siblings who share both a stage and a last name—whether it’s the tight harmonies, the creative tension, or the lifelong bond that somehow makes the music hit harder. Of course, that bond can also bring fireworks, and plenty of these duos and trios have famously clashed as often as they’ve collaborated. But when it works, it really works.
Some names you’ll expect. Others might surprise you. But every act on this list proves that when family and music collide, magic can happen.
Keep scrolling to see who made the cut.
The Sibling Power Rating
I developed a rating system based on the compatibility and inseparability of sibling relationships, which is determined by limited and subjective criteria:
- Can you imagine one without the other?
- Did they get along?
- Did one sibling outshine the other in some way (solo career, other projects, etc.)?
[Note: The SPR is only applied to the top 25 sets of siblings.]
Angus and Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
The key to AC/DC is consistent simplicity. They never dabbled in the stylistic fuckery of drum machines, power ballads, or Drop D tuning proggy nonsense. They gave us four-on-the-floor, high-energy rock n’ roll. Shootin’ guns, ringin’ bells, and drinkin’ whiskey. AC/DC is the only multi-platinum rock band that made the same album 18 times in a row, and nobody complained. And it all starts and ends with Angus and Malcolm.
No solo albums, guest appearances, or side projects. Unfortunately, AC/DC is still touring without Malcolm, but at least his nephew, Stevie Young, is the replacement.
Malcolm on Angus | Angus on Malcolm |
“From the get-go, I was wise enough to say, ‘Well, I’m playing rhythm ’cause he was just so much better; he just went for it, and it was brilliant. My place was sitting with rhythm, and I love rhythm. I’ve always loved it.” | “Malcolm makes the band sound so full, and it’s hard to get a big ego if you play in a band with your brother, it keeps your head on the earth. Malcolm is like me, he just wants the two of us to connect.” |
Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart)
“Barracuda” was the best Led Zeppelin song of 1976.
Ann and Nancy Wilson formed a unified front of sisterhood for the first 40 years of their 50-year career in rock music. No gossip, sibling rivalry, or power struggles (that spilled into the public, as far as I know). However, the sisters had a falling out after an incident in 2016, when Ann’s husband, Dean Wetter, was arrested (and charged) for assaulting Nancy’s then 16-year-old twin sons backstage at a Heart show. They’re still touring together, so life goes on.
Nancy has released four solo studio albums and a live album, which was news to me. Ann has released four studio albums and three EPs, also news to me. However, I have plenty to say about Ann’s most notable extracurricular activity: a one-off duet with Mike Reno (Loverboy), “Almost Paradise (Love Theme from Footloose)”.1
Liam and Noel Gallagher (Oasis)
I don’t like their music. I think they’re funny. Both had solo careers that tanked so hard, they had to get back together. Not that they couldn’t have lived off the Oasis royalties.
Liam and Noel are the Oliver and Hardy of rock. They couldn’t exist without each other, not as musicians. Both could have been wildly entertaining talk show hosts or football hooligans.
Liam on Noel | Noel on Liam |
“I think he’s a bit of a dick. I don’t miss him ’cause at the moment he’s a fucking tool and I don’t wanna hang out with him.” | “He’s the angriest man you’ll ever meet. He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.” |
“He’s a prick, he’s turned into the middle class. He’s turned into the establishment. He’s one of them.” | “I liked my mum until she gave birth to Liam.” |
Ron and Russell Mael (Sparks)
The brothers in Sparks never did anything separately. The 2021 documentary directed by Edgar Wright, The Sparks Brothers, is highly recommended.
Curt and Cris Kirkwood (Meat Puppets)
When the band went on hiatus in 2002, guitarist Curt Kirkwood formed a short-lived supergroup, Eyes Adrift, featuring Krist Novoselic on bass (Nirvana), Kirkwood on guitar and vocals, and Bud Gaugh on drums (Sublime). They released one eponymous album in 2002, toured the U.S., and broke up in 2003, after the record tanked. Meanwhile, during this period, Cris was deep in the throes of heroin addiction and wound up doing a stint in the Federal prison system for assaulting a security guard while on probation for a 2000 drug charge.2 When he was released in 2006, Meat Puppets reformed and haven’t looked back.
Phil and Don Everly (The Everly Brothers)
The Everly Brothers were unique for dueling lead vocals, mostly in diatonic thirds. Don sang baritone, Phil sang tenor. Their blended voices influenced Simon and Garfunkel, the Beach Boys, and the Beatles.
The brothers split in 1973, reunited in 1983, and continued to perform together sporadically until Phil’s death in 2014. Neither achieved the kind of solo success they enjoyed as a duo.
Phil on Don | Don on Phil |
“Don and I are infamous for our split, but we’re closer than most brothers. Harmony singing requires that you enlarge yourself, not use any kind of suppression. Harmony is the ultimate love.” | “The world might be mourning an Everly Brother, but I’m mourning my brother Phil. That’s the one part where being brothers makes a difference. It’s just instinct. That’s the charm of what the Everly Brothers are: two guys singing as one.” |
Richard and Tim Butler (The Psychedelic Furs)
When The Furs went on hiatus in 1992, Richard and Tim formed Love Spit Love, which sounds more like the fucking Cranberries than the Furs. At any rate, Richard has slightly more artist recognition for a 2006 solo album, but most people couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. Tim didn’t work with anybody but his brother.
Alex and Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
I’ve said it before, but if Van Halen was a one-hit wonder and that hit was “Hot for Teacher”, they’re still Hall of Fame material. For me, it’s impossible to think of these rock siblings playing with anybody else. Eddie had some side hustles, but for the most part, he didn’t do anything without Alex. They were glued together.
Alex’s memoir, Brothers (2024), goes into exquisite detail about their relationship, but the brothers were never shy about bashing and praising each other during interviews.
Alex on Eddie | Eddie on Alex |
“As much as I love Ed, if you put us in a room with no one else for 15 minutes, we’d be at each other’s throats.” | “If I’m on stage and I turn around and I don’t see Al, there’s a problem. I can’t play with another drummer, to tell you the truth.” |
Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott (Pantera)
When Pantera broke up in 2003, Darrell and Vinnie formed Damageplan. A year later, a mentally unstable man shot an killed Dimebag on stage during a Damageplan show in Columbus, Ohio. Vinnie Paul went on to form another band, but passed away in 2018.
Ray and Dave Davies (The Kinks)
These two were throwing hands at each other 30 years before Oasis entertained us with their pillow fights. Both Ray and Dave had solo careers, but the Kinks didn’t (un)officially disband until 1997.
Ray Davies’ first solo album, Return to Waterloo (1982), was supposed to be the next Kinks album, but Dave Davies refused to play on it. All other Kinks members appeared on the record.
Ray on Dave | Dave on Ray |
“I love him and he’s my brother, but I just can’t stand to be in the same room with him.” | “I love him. He loves me, but when we’re in the same room, it doesn’t work.” |
Andrew, Jon, and Tim Farriss (INXS)
These listicles aren’t throwaway clickbait. What’s fun and interesting is that I frequently learn something, too. I hope nobody thinks all this information is rattling around my head cuz isn’t. The Farriss brothers are a perfect example of our shared discovery.
I would have given them a five-star SPR because I can’t think of Tim, Andrew, or Jon separately. They are irrevocably associated with INXS. And let me clarify—there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. INXS was a great fucking band. The Swing (1984) is one of my favorite records from the mid-1980s.
Andrew was the main songwriter and usually sat behind the keyboard. Jon was the drummer. Tim was the lead guitarist. All three Farriss brothers had solo projects, but…
INXS carried on after Michael Hutchence died in 1997, which doesn’t sit right with me. But here’s the part I really didn’t know. In 2005, the surviving members were the focus of the CBS reality television series, Rock Star: INXS, where contestants auditioned to become the new lead vocalist. A dude named J. D. Fortune won the contest and became the band’s new lead singer.
INXS continued to play live and released one album of new material with J.D. Fortune (Switch, 2005). They toured until 2012. Their timeline stops cold in 2019.
Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, Gerald and Bob Casale (Devo)
Mark Mothersbaugh has the most extensive resume outside the band (mainly in film and television credits); however, both sets of brothers pursued other interests without their corresponding sibling. Mark M. and Gerald Casale collaborated briefly in the late 1980s, providing the music for Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987) and Slaughterhouse Rock (1988) [with Bob Mothersbaugh].
Ron and Scott Asheton (The Stooges)
It’s easy to forget that The Stooges only recorded three studio albums before breaking up in 1974 (The Stooges (1969), Fun House (1970), and Raw Power (1973). They reformed in 2003, thanks to an enduring influence on punk, hard rock, garage rock, and alternative rock. Those first three albums are on everybody’s list of albums you must hear before you die.
Ron and Scott pursued separate interests after the split. Ron’s most notable project is Destroy All Monsters, a Detroit experimental performance art noise rock band that formed in 1973 but didn’t release its first official album until 1995 (Destroy All Monsters 1974–1976). Scott performed with the Scott Morgan Band, Scots Pirates, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, and recorded extensively with Sonny Vincent.
There’s no verified animosity between the brothers; they simply chose to pursue different paths, though they both returned for the Iggy and the Stooges reunion line-up.
Ira and Charlie Louvin (The Louvin Brothers)
The Louvin Brothers didn’t make rock music and don’t belong on this list, but I’ll take any opportunity to turn people on to their second album, Tragic Songs of Life (1956).
Chris and Rich Robinson (the Black Crowes)
Chris could get away with being the front man of just about any rock n’ roll band, and Rich could play guitar in half of the hard rock bands alive today. They lose a star because the Black Crowes went on hiatus several times, and the brothers pursued other avenues for a while. A borderline iconic duo (as far as rock music is concerned), but not on par with Angus and Malcolm or Alex and Eddie.
Earl and Paul Hudson aka H.R. (Bad Brains)
The drummer and lead vocalist, respectively, of the finest band to emerge from Washington, D.C.
Earl rarely worked outside the Bad Brains organization, but H.R. had a relatively prolific solo career, including collaborations with Sublime, P.O.D., and the Long Beach Dub All-Stars.
Jean and June Millington (Fanny)
David Bowie wasn’t known for promoting other artists, but he made a few exceptions. One of his most notable pets is Fanny, an American all-female rock band that emerged in the early 1970s. Bowie told Rolling Stone in 1999:
“They were one of the finest fucking rock bands of their time, in about 1973. They were extraordinary: they wrote everything, they played like motherfuckers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody’s ever mentioned them. They’re as important as anybody else who’s ever been, ever; it just wasn’t their time. Revivify Fanny. And my work here is done.”
Fanny’s original lineup disbanded in 1975. June was Bowie’s girlfriend (allegedly) in the 1970s, and subsequently released three solo albums in the ’80s.3 Jean was later married to Bowie’s guitarist Earl Slick.
Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson (The Beach Boys)
They tried to do things separately. Brian had a decent solo career. Carl released a pair of lackluster solo records (Carl Wilson, 1981, and Youngblood, 1983). Dennis released a solo album, too (Pacific Ocean Blue, 1977). But nothing compares to their collective work in the Beach Boys.
Jimmy and Dennis Flemion (The Frogs)
Jimmy played in Sebastian Bach’s touring band, and Dennis played keyboards for the Smashing Pumpkins.
Johnny and Edgar Winter
Visually and superficially, these two should be a five-star slam dunk. However, they don’t pass muster. As the younger brother, Edgar got his start in Johnny’s band. Edgar’s first solo album, Entrance (1970), was mostly written or co-written by Johnny.
While Johnny continued on a path to fame with his blues guitar stylings, Edgar put together a series of R&B/funk bands, most notably The Edgar Winter Group (with Dan Hartman, Ronnie Montrose and Chuck Ruff). Edgar went number one with “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride” (with lead vocals by Dan “I Can Dream About You” Hartman). The band’s debut album, They Only Come Out at Night (1972), peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 200.
Johnny’s 1969 solo album was his highest charting hit (#24 on the Billboard Hot 200), but he forged a legendary career as a blues guitarist and session player for Muddy Waters.
Jeff and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross)
These two appear on-screen and stage together frequently, but some people might know Steven as the current bass player in Melvins.
They wrote a brilliant book together (Now You’re One of Us: The Incredible Story of Redd Kross with Dan Epstein, 2024) and continue to melt faces in Redd Kross.
Cindy and Ricky Wilson (The B-52s)
We lost Ricky to AIDS in 1985.
Duane and Gregg Allman (The Allman Brothers)
Those first four Allman Brothers albums are way above average blues rock. It’s a shame we didn’t get to hear more of what Duane could do, but it was nice to see Gregg carry on without his brother.
Kim and Kelley Deal (The Breeders)
It’s not even a question. As the bass player of the Pixies, Kim outshines her twin sister in just about every catagory. The Breeders are still happening, by the way.
Kim on Kelley | Kelley on Kim |
“Sometimes I look at her and I just want to take a knife and gouge her eyeballs. But then at other times, she says something and I think, ‘Wow, that was really cool’.” | “There is a symbiotic relationship where I take care of her, she takes care of me, I take care of her, she takes care of me. It depends on that day who needs taking care of.” |
John Fogerty and Tom Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
What a sad story. If you’re a fan of Creedence Clearwater Revival, do yourself a favor and avoid reading anything about them, especially interviews with John Fogerty, because something ain’t right with that guy. He blames everybody but himself.
Tom left CCR in 1971 after prolonged acrimony with his brother. Conflicting stories leave room for doubt, but according to drummer Doug Clifford, Tom left because John wouldn’t let him sing a song on the next album, which became Mardi Gras (1972), a critical and commercial failure, and the band’s swan song.4
Tom Fogerty died in 1990, barely on speaking terms with John. In the eulogy at Tom’s funeral, John said, “We wanted to grow up and be musicians. I guess we achieved half of that, becoming rock ‘n roll stars. We didn’t necessarily grow up.”
The Best of the Rest
- Jonny and Colin Greenwood (Radiohead)
- O’Kelly, Rudolph, Ronald, Vernon, Ernie, and Marvin Isley (The Isley Brothers)
- James and Ben Johnston (Biffy Clyro)
- Van Conner and Gary Lee Conner (Screaming Trees)
- John and Anne “Honey” Lantree (The Honeycombs)
- Matt and Brad Shultz (Cage the Elephant)
- Daniela, Paulina, and Alejandra Villarreal (The Warning)
- Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill (Kings of Leon)
- David J. and Kevin Haskins (Bauhaus)
- Max and Igor Cavalera (Sepultura)
- Jad and David Fair (Half Japanese)
- Shaun and Paul Ryder (Happy Mondays)
- Tegan and Sara
- Roger, Larry, Lester, and Terry Troutman (Zapp, Zapp Band)
- Tim and Neil Finn (Split Enz)
- Mikey and Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance)
- Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Robert and Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots)
- Joe and Albert Bouchard (Blue Öyster Cult)
- Chuck and John Panozzo (Styx)
- Pelle and Niklas Almqvist (The Hives)
- Phil and Dave Alvin (The Blasters)
- Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (The Misfits)
- George and Louis E. Johnson (The Brothers Johnson)
- Robert Sweet and Michael Sweet (Stryper)
- Ali and Robin Campbell (UB40)
- Christiaan, Justin, James, and Cornelius Webb (The Webb Brothers)
- Michael and Christopher Amott (Arch Enemy)
- Warren and Dan Zanes (The Del Fuegos)
- Randy, Tim, and Robbie Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive)
- David Sylvian and Steve Jansen (Japan)
- Phil, Derek, and Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant)
- Andy and Derek Longmuir (Bay City Rollers)
- Bill, Bob, Paul, Barry, John, and Susan (The Cowsills)
- Steve and Muff Winwood
- Josh and Zac Farro (Paramore)
- Andy and Max Savage (Parquet Courts)
- Tom and David Farmer (Blackfoot Sue)
- Dorothy, Betty, Helen, and Rachel Wiggin (The Shaggs)
- Vicki and Debbi Peterson (The Bangles)
- Win and Will Butler (Arcade Fire)
- Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
- Rufus and Martha Wainwright
- Mark and David Knopfler (Dire Straits)
- Jay and Michael Aston (Gene Loves Jezebel)
- Steve, Jeff, and Mike Porcaro (Toto)
- Tim and Mike Kinsella (Cap’n Jazz)
- Jim and William Reid (The Jesus and Mary Chain)
- Mike and Noel Hogan (The Cranberries)
- Wendy and Carnie Wilson (Wilson Phillips)
I know I missed a few siblings, so let me know in the comments!
- One of the most confounding aspects of life in Asia is the popularity of Western adult contemporary music. You will hear Air Supply, the Carpenters, later-period Heart, Kenny Rogers, Bee Gees, Carole King, Elton John, etc., all day, every day. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “Almost Paradise” over the years. Taxis, restaurants, shopping malls, and videoke versions. It’s fuckin’ maddening. ↩︎
- https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5593127 ↩︎
- https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2018/03/05/david-bowie-guitar-veteran-earl-slick-doubly-happy-to-celebrate-bowie-live-on-tour/ ↩︎
- https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/07/07/doug-clifford-ccr-john-fogerty/29792885/ ↩︎
