The greatest solo artists understand something fundamental about live music. It is not just about the songs. It is about the machine behind them. The right backing band can elevate a frontperson from compelling to transcendent. History is filled with solo icons who toured with lineups so powerful they could have headlined on their own. Here are 20 who built legacies with killer musicians behind them.
Alice Cooper
After the original Alice Cooper band dissolved, Cooper rebuilt with elite players like guitarists Nita Strauss and Ryan Roxie, plus drummer Glen Sobel. His live shows in the 2000s and 2010s became theatrical hard rock masterclasses. The musicianship has always matched the spectacle.
Bob Dylan
Dylan toured with The Band in 1965 and 1966, redefining electric folk rock. During the Rolling Thunder Revue, he had Mick Ronson and T Bone Burnett in the lineup. The Never Ending Tour has featured players like Larry Campbell and Charlie Sexton, keeping the catalog alive night after night.
Bruce Springsteen
The E Street Band is practically a co-star. Clarence Clemons, Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg and Steven Van Zandt shaped the sound of tours from The River to The Rising. Their ability to pivot onstage during marathon three-hour sets is legendary.
David Bowie
From Mick Ronson and the Spiders From Mars to Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick, Bowie curated bands like art installations. The Station to Station tour and the Serious Moonlight tour showcased players who defined entire eras of rock performance.
David Byrne
Post Talking Heads, Byrne assembled genre-blending ensembles featuring members like Mauro Refosco and the Dap-Kings brass section. The American Utopia tour used a choreographed, wireless band setup that reimagined what a live rock show could look like.
Donald Fagen
On The Nightfly tour and later Steely Dan-adjacent outings, Fagen worked with elite session royalty. Players like Larry Carlton and Michael McDonald brought studio precision to the stage, translating complex arrangements into flawless live performances.
Elvis Costello
Costello has toured with The Attractions, The Imposters and even The Roots. Steve Nieve’s keyboards remain central to his sound. From Armed Forces-era shows to modern tours, the backing musicians have always been razor sharp.
Frank Zappa
Zappa’s bands were graduate schools for virtuosos. Alumni included Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio and Adrian Belew. Whether it was the Mothers of Invention or later 1980s ensembles, the technical precision and improvisational daring were unmatched.
James Brown
The J.B.’s were a powerhouse unit featuring Bootsy Collins and Fred Wesley. Brown demanded military-level tightness. The live band arrangements on tours in the late 1960s and early 1970s essentially wrote the blueprint for funk.
Joni Mitchell
Her 1979 tour featured Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Lyle Mays and Michael Brecker. That lineup alone reads like a jazz fusion hall of fame. Mitchell’s songs became expansive, elastic and musically fearless onstage.
Linda Ronstadt
Her early 1970s backing band evolved into the Eagles, including Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Later tours featured Andrew Gold and Waddy Wachtel. Ronstadt consistently surrounded herself with players who defined California rock.
Lou Reed
The Rock n Roll Animal live album captured Reed backed by guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner. The twin-guitar attack on Sweet Jane became a benchmark for live reinterpretation.
Neil Young
With Crazy Horse, Young built a combustible chemistry with Danny Whitten, Frank Sampedro and Ralph Molina. On the Mirror Ball tour, Pearl Jam served as his backing band, bridging generations of guitar-driven rock.
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy’s early solo band featured Randy Rhoads, Bob Daisley and Tommy Aldridge. Later lineups included Zakk Wylde. The Blizzard of Ozz era established a gold standard for metal musicianship supporting a frontman.
Paul McCartney
Wings featured Denny Laine and Jimmy McCulloch, while later tours brought in guitarists like Rusty Anderson and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. McCartney’s modern live band handles Beatles, Wings and solo material with seamless authority.
Peter Gabriel
Gabriel’s tours have included Tony Levin, Manu Katche and David Rhodes. The So tour and Secret World Live shows blended theatrical staging with musicianship at the highest level.
Prince
The Revolution and The New Power Generation were stacked with talent like Wendy Melvoin and Sheila E. Prince demanded virtuosity and delivered explosive live performances on tours like Purple Rain and Lovesexy.
Ringo Starr
His All Starr Band concept rotates elite musicians including Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren and Edgar Winter. Each tour becomes a celebration of collective rock history under Ringo’s steady leadership.
Stevie Wonder
Wonder’s touring bands have featured world-class horn sections and multi-instrumentalists capable of navigating his complex arrangements. Live renditions of Superstition and Sir Duke demonstrate extraordinary ensemble tightness.
Weird Al Yankovic
Weird Al has toured with the same core band for decades, including guitarist Jim West and drummer Jon Schwartz. The consistency allows for precise parody recreations that sound remarkably close to the originals.