Backup band

A backing band or backup band is a musical ensemble that accompanies an artist at a live performance or on a recording. This can either be an established, long-standing group that has little or no change in membership, or it may be an ad hoc group assembled for a single show or a single recording. Ad hoc or "pickup" groups are often made up of session musicians.

Notable backup bands

Some of the best-known, most long-lived, and most established backing bands (with lead artist) include:

• Ace in the Hole (George Strait)
• Booker T. & the M.G.'s (Otis Redding)
• Bluesbreakers (John Mayall)
• Crazy Horse (Neil Young)
• Double Trouble (Stevie Ray Vaughan)
• Drifting Cowboys (Hank Williams)
• Miami Sound Machine (Gloria Estefan)
• Mink DeVille (Willy Deville)
• Parliament Funkadelic (George Clinton)
• Patti Smith Group (Patti Smith)
• Scarlet Fever (Cee-Lo Green)
• Spearhead (Michael Franti)
• The Aces (Desmond Dekker)
• The All Stars (Junior Walker)
• The Animals (Eric Burdon)
• The Ants (Adam)
• The Attractions (Elvis Costello)
• The Bad Seeds (Nick Cave)
• The Band (Bob Dylan)
• The Bluebelles (Patti Labelle)
• The Cardinals (Ryan Adams)
• The E Street Band (Bruce Springsteen)
• The Eagles (Linda Ronstadt)
• The F.C.C. (Serj Tankian)
• The Flecktones (Bela Fleck)
• The Four Seasons (Frankie Valli)
• The Funky Bunch (Marky Mark)

• The Heartbreakers (Tom Petty)
• The Hot Band (Emmylou Harris)
• The Impressions (Curtis Mayfield)
• The Jordanaires (Elvis Presley)
• The Magic Band (Captain Beefheart)
• The Maytals (Toots)
• The Miracles (Smokey Robinson)
• The Mothers of Invention (Frank Zappa)
• The New Power Generation (Prince)
• The News (Huey Lewis)
• The Pips (Gladys Knight)
• The Raelettes (Ray Charles)
• The Revolution (Prince)
• The Rumour (Graham Parker)
• The SFA (Jonathan Davis)
• The Shadows (Cliff Richard)
• The Shondells (Tommy James)
• The Sixers (Stephen Kellogg)
• The Spiders from Mars (David Bowie)
• The Stooges (Iggy Pop)
• The Strangers (Merle Haggard)
• The Sunshine Band (KC)
• The Supremes (Diana Ross)
• The Tennessee Three (Johnny Cash)
• The Vandellas (Martha Reeves)
• The Wailers (Bob Marley)
• The Waves (Katrina Leskanich)
• Union Station (Alison Krauss)