Once an artist finds success in a band, they usually stick with the group that brought them the most acclaim. But for these Journeyman Musicians, one big band wasn’t enough. Whether through changing creative direction, personal disagreements, or the desire to try something new, they left one hugely successful group — and found major success all over again.
Paul McCartney
Arguably the most famous musician alive today, Paul McCartney has created a legacy on music that will likely be felt for centuries.
Taking inspiration from rock ‘n’ roll acts of the 1950s such as Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, a young Paul McCartney joined John Lennon’s skiffle group, The Quarrymen in 1957. In 1958, school friend George Harrison joined and by 1962, Ringo Starr had been appointed as a drummer – finalising the set-up to the biggest band in the history of commercial music. Between 1962 and 1970, the Fab Four took over the world with their history-making Ed Sullivan Show performance in 1964 drawing an estimated 73 million viewers. With 20 US number 1s (and 17 in the UK), they have a nearly unlimited back-catalogue of success, being regarded as one of the most influential bands ever.
In 1970, the band famously broke up after years of drifting apart creatively. As the others pursued solo careers, McCartney went about creating new project Wings. Featuring wife Linda, the group had multiple big hits such as ‘Band on The Run’, ‘Silly Love Songs’ and ‘Let ‘Em In’. However, the undisputable biggest song for Macca and Wings was ‘Mull of Kintyre’. Spending an extremely rare 9 weeks at number 1 in the UK, the song was the 1977 Christmas number 1. It soon became the biggest selling song of all time in the UK. Today, it is still the 4th best-selling single in UK history as well as being an unofficial anthem for Scotland.
Both bands have songs within the top 10 selling UK singles of all time, with the aforementioned ‘Mull of Kintyre’ at 4 and The Beatles’ 1963 hit ‘She Loves You’ currently in the 9th position. McCartney’s ability to transition seamlessly between two globally successful acts makes him one of music’s ultimate journeyman musicians.
Dave Grohl
Originally making his break as the drummer for Nirvana, Dave Grohl has gone on to enjoy a long, decorated and fruitful career.
Having spent a number of years in the highly successful grunge band Nirvana, Grohl was now regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the music industry. In 1994, Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain committed suicide, therefore ending the band who were still in the middle of revolutionising a counterculture movement in the 90s.
Despite failed entry into Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, in the days since Nirvana Dave has gone on to a great deal of success. In the mid-90s, Grohl formed the Foo Fighters.
A group involving old Nirvana session musician Pat Smear, the band are still one of the biggest rock bands in the world today – still selling out stadiums as well as having a large amount of radio play. Still making music today, the band have shown great longevity, having been huge and constant since the mid-90s. In this, Grohl commonly plays the guitar, ditching the drums for this band (the drumming is instead done by Taylor Hawkins).
Additionally, Grohl has gone on to perform in multiple bands alongside Josh Homme. Most famously, Grohl was the drummer for Queens of The Stone Age. In 2002, they released the highly-acclaimed ‘Songs for the Deaf’ album to much fanfare. They are likely best remembered today for singles such as ‘Go With The Flow’ and ‘No One Knows’. Furthermore, Grohl is part of the supergroup trio Them Crooked Vultures alongside Homme and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones.
Grohl’s reputation as a true journeyman of modern rock is further cemented by his willingness to adapt roles across different bands and styles.
Paul Weller
Titled ‘The Modfather’ for his contributions to the genre, Paul Weller was one of the front-runners in the rebellious music scene in the 80s.
As the big 3 names in punk (Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Buzzcocks) made their mark, The Jam furthered the brand of anti-establishment music with their mod style. Leading the trio to 4 UK number 1 singles, the Jam’s music was a much more commercial sound, spreading the message – all as sung by Paul Weller. Singing about the inequality and issues of Britain, they became a huge act who have still left a significant mark on music to this day that can be felt in the musicians of today.
In 1982, the band suddenly broke up after having been one of the biggest groups of the early 80s. After this, Weller went about creating The Style Council – a duo with pianist Mike Talbot. Having a number of top 10 singles and albums, their success was enough to be placed in the Wembley Stadium portion of Live Aid. Lasting in the limelight longer than The Jam, Talbot and Weller parted ways in 1989, with Weller claiming, “It’s something we should have done two or three years ago. We created some great music in our time, the effects of which won’t be appreciated for some time”.
Weller successfully afterwards would go on to a successful career as a solo act, never uniting with his old bandmates – a sign of a journeyman musician who values forward momentum over nostalgia.
Damon Albarn
In the latter 1990s, music was dominated by a new genre called Britpop. The frontrunners in this newly-emerging sound included Damon Albarn-lead band Blur. Memorably feuding with Oasis, Blur memorably beat Oasis in a 1995 race to number 1 when ‘Country House’ managed to outsell ‘Roll With It’ for the top position.
The ‘Battle of Britpop’ continued for years with Oasis arguably winning, but nonetheless, Blur came out having cemented their legacy. Having another number 1 with ‘Beetlebum’ in 1997 as well as 13 total top 10 singles, they are one of the most popular acts of the 1990s.
When the new millennium dawned, Albarn believed it was time for reinvention. Drastically differing from Blur – Gorillaz are an animated, virtual band that has gained a cult following for their unique brand of music. With hits such as ‘Clint Eastwood’, ‘Feel Good Inc.’ and ‘DARE’ to their name, they have endured a lengthy spell – still releasing new material to this day. Despite being something nearly unheard of and something unique, they have managed to connect well with the mainstream music consumer, having had 6 UK top 10 albums and 5 UK top 10 singles.
Johnny Marr
Ranked #51 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, Johnny Marr’s career as a Journeyman Musician spans from The Smiths to Modest Mouse.
The Smiths became one of the most influential alternative rock bands of the 1980s, with Marr’s jangly guitar style complementing Morrissey’s distinctive voice. Despite their lack of huge chart success, albums like Meat is Murder and The Queen is Dead are considered classics.
After leaving The Smiths in 1987, Marr played with The Pretenders, The The, and Electronic, as well as working as a session guitarist. From 2006 to 2009, he joined Modest Mouse, contributing to their number one US album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, and later moved on to The Cribs.
Noel Gallagher
Oasis were the defining Britpop band of the 1990s and 2000s, with eight UK number ones and 22 consecutive top 10 hits.
As the band’s guitarist and main songwriter, Noel Gallagher penned some of their most enduring hits before the group split in 2009 after a fight with his brother Liam. Noel then formed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, achieving three UK number one albums and singles like AKA… What a Life!, Everybody’s on the Run and In the Heat of the Moment.
Despite constant speculation, the Gallagher brothers’ feud has so far prevented an Oasis reunion.
Ronnie Wood
Ronnie Wood’s status as a Journeyman Musician comes from his time in multiple legendary rock bands.
After playing in the Jeff Beck Group, he joined Faces in 1969 alongside Rod Stewart and members of Small Faces. The band toured internationally and scored hits like Stay With Me. In 1975, Wood joined The Rolling Stones, replacing Mick Taylor and becoming one of rock’s most recognisable rhythm guitarists.
Wood remains with the Stones today, is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and has worked with artists from Bob Dylan to David Bowie.
Corey Taylor
Corey Taylor fronts two major bands with very different styles.
As Slipknot’s lead vocalist, Taylor helped the masked metal band cross into the mainstream with hits like Psychosocial, Duality, and Before I Forget. Their aggressive image and sound made them one of the most recognisable metal acts in the world.
Taylor’s second band, Stone Sour, offers a more melodic hard rock sound, with acclaimed singles like Through Glass and Bother. Balancing both groups, Taylor remains one of rock and metal’s most versatile performers.
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell, ranked ninth greatest lead singer by Rolling Stone, achieved huge success in both Soundgarden and Audioslave.
Soundgarden’s grunge-defining Superunknown (1994) went multi-platinum and won Grammys for Spoonman and Black Hole Sun. The band split in 1997, and in 2001 Cornell formed Audioslave with members of Rage Against the Machine. Their debut album went triple platinum, and they became the first US rock band to perform in Cuba.
Soundgarden reunited in 2010, but Cornell died by suicide in 2017, leaving a legacy as one of the most influential rock voices of his era.
Creed / Alter Bridge
Creed burst onto the scene in the late 90s. From their debut album My Own Prison, the band had 4 songs reach the top of the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart – a first for a band to do so with their debut LP. Selling over 6 million copies, their next album (Human Clay) too was commercially prosperous, earning the group more chart-toppers as well as memorable hits such as Higher and With Arms Wide Open. Selling 10 million copies in 2 years, it is one of the very few rock albums to be certified diamond by the RIAA.
However, after the well-performing Weathered album, things started to fall apart. Injuries and drug issues within the band led to a disastrous December 2002 concert – which resulted in a lawsuit where Creed was sued for their terribly-performed act. This one controversy singlehandedly destroyed the band, leading to their split in 2004. In more recent years, Creed has gained a reputation as one of the worst rock bands of all time – being hated by a large portion of the rock community.
Following the breakup, three of Creed’s members – guitarist Mark Tremonti (A Journeyman in his own right), bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips – regrouped with Mayfield Four frontman Myles Kennedy to form Alter Bridge. Tremonti’s heavy, melodic guitar work, Phillips’ precise drumming, and Marshall’s basslines combined seamlessly with Kennedy’s soaring vocals, creating a heavier, more progressive sound compared to Creed’s post-grunge style.
Alter Bridge found their own loyal fanbase, aided by hits such as Isolation, Rise Today, Addicted to Pain, and the epic Blackbird. Wrestling fans know them for Metallingus, which became WWE Hall of Famer Adam ‘Edge’ Copeland’s entrance theme. Unlike Creed, Alter Bridge maintained a strong critical reputation and have continued to tour and record consistently.
Individually, Tremonti has also launched a successful solo project under his own name, exploring thrash-influenced metal. Myles Kennedy has worked extensively with Slash in Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, releasing multiple albums and touring worldwide. Phillips has played with the rock supergroup Projected, while Marshall has occasionally guested on side projects with Tremonti. It’s a band full of Rock n’ Roll Journeymen!
The shared DNA between Creed and Alter Bridge makes them a fascinating case of journeyman musicians taking the lessons of one band – both good and bad – and using them to create a stronger, more enduring second act.
From McCartney’s leap from The Beatles to Wings, to Grohl’s transition from Nirvana to Foo Fighters, to Ronnie Wood’s move from Faces to The Rolling Stones – these artists prove that the term “journeyman musician” is not about drifting aimlessly, but about thriving in multiple creative worlds. They’ve shown that success in one band doesn’t have to be the end of the road – for true journeymen, it’s just the start of the next chapter.
