If siblings are your first playmates, they might as well be your first bandmates too! Musicians have been creating bands with their siblings for ages, from the swinging Andrews Sisters of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" fame to the original boy band, the Jackson 5.
And while there are plenty of bands that started with siblings and then added in friends or other relatives (think: The Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Wilson Phillips, Good Charlotte, Delta Rae, Kings of Leon, Cage the Elephant), many others kept their lineup strictly a family affair.
Whether you have brothers and sisters or not, here are seven sets of musical siblings we love to see collaborating onstage and in the studio.
Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell
Billie Eilish may perform as a solo act, but she's been working in lockstep with her older producer brother, Finneas O'Connell, since her 2019 debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? It was an auspicious start for the pair — after they swept the Grammys, Eilish's second album also topped the charts, and the the two of them became the youngest two-time Academy Award winners by winning Best Song for 2020's "No Time to Die" and 2023's "What Was I Made For?" Eilish's third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, out now, is another successful Billie/Finneas collaboration.
The Jonas Brothers: Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas
New Jersey's Jonas Brothers gained a large following as Disney darlings, doing the Camp Rock films and their own Jonas TV show, but their self-titled 2007 album rocketed the three teens up the Billboard charts, onto tour stages worldwide, and into the hearts of teen girls all over. After four albums in four years, tabloid-fodder romances, and some sibling in-fighting, the brothers called it quits in 2013 before roaring back in 2019 with the five-times platinum, global hit "Sucker." They've been working together ever since and have hinted that they have "some exciting projects" coming soon.
Haim: Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim
The three Haim sisters originally had two other family members in their first band -- their parents! The fivesome called themselves Rockinhaim, and while they played local fairs in their elementary school days, by the time the sibling trio was ready to strike out on their own, Este, Danielle, and Alana had more than enough chops to write, play, and produce their own albums.
The Bee Gees: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb
The British Gibb brothers went through innumerable iterations over the years, from their start as a skiffle band in the 1950s, to their popular soft rock days in the 1960s, to their global dominance as the Kings of Disco in the 1970s. Older brother Barry and twins Robin and Maurice are among the best-selling artists of all time; 1977's Saturday Night Fever soundtrack continues to be one of the bestselling soundtracks ever. And their story should be coming to the big screen soon -- director Ridley Scott is set to direct a movie about the lives and music of the Brothers Gibb.
Tegan and Sara
Canadian twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin started making music together as teenagers. They named their first band Plunk, short for "light punk" since they didn't have a bassist or drummer, just the two of them on guitars and vocals. They released their first self-released album, Under Feet Like Ours, in 1999, and since then have consistently released new music every three to four years. Since their latest album was 2022's Crybaby, here's hoping the indie-pop duo are heading back to the studio soon!
Hanson: Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson
When the Hanson brothers from Oklahoma burst onto the scene with "MMMBop," their baby faces and Midwestern charm helped propel them to superstardom. Isaac, Taylor, and Zac went on to release another seven albums after their debut, Middle of Nowhere, and branched into other forays, such as launching their own brewery (the brilliantly named Mmmhops Pale Ale was their first beer). Plus, each May in their hometown of Tulsa, they host a multi-day "Hanson Day" festival, celebrating the May 1997 release of their first album.
Bonus Group: Elusion
Nineties R&B group Elusion consisted of two sets of identical twins! Sisters Tamica and Tanya Johnson and sisters Michelle and Marie Harris called themselves Elusion as an allusion to the optical illusion they presented. When they released their lone album, Think About It, in 1998, they were featured in an Ebony roundup of "Hot New Female Groups." The lead group featured? Destiny's Child.
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