Bad Company

For other uses, see Bad Company (disambiguation).

Bad Company
The original Bad Company line-up in 1976. Left to right: Boz Burrell, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, Mick Ralphs
The original Bad Company line-up in 1976.
Left to right: Boz Burrell, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, Mick Ralphs
Background information
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Years active
  • 1973–1982
  • 1986–1999
  • 2001–2002
  • 2008–2019
Labels
Spinoffs
Spinoff of
Past membersSee: List of Bad Company band members
Websitebadcompany.com

Bad Company were an English rock supergroup that was formed in London[2] in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers, drummer Simon Kirke (both ex-Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex-Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson).[1] Kirke was the only member to remain throughout the band's entire run, while he and Ralphs were the only members to appear on every studio album. Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, also managed Bad Company until 1982.

Bad Company enjoyed great success throughout the 1970s. Their first three albums, Bad Company (1974), Straight Shooter (1975) and Run with the Pack (1976), reached the top five in the album charts in both the UK and the US.[3][4] Many of their singles and songs, such as "Bad Company", "Can't Get Enough" (1974), "Feel Like Makin' Love" (1975), "Shooting Star" (1975), "Burnin' Sky" (1977) and "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" (1979), remain staples of classic rock radio. They have sold 20 million RIAA-certified albums in the US and 40 million worldwide.[5] Though they initially disbanded in 1982, Bad Company reunited on many occasions to record and tour until 2019. In 2023, Kirke revealed that they would not continue as a band following the development of Rodgers' recent health issues.[6]

  1. ^ a b "Bad Company Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "Bad Company". perryscope.us.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference UK Charts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference AMC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Top Selling Artists". RIAA. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  6. ^ Corey, Irwin (30 November 2023). "Simon Kirke: 'Bad Company's Days Are Pretty Much Over'". Ultimate Classic Rock.