Cream

Cream were a British rock trio formed in London in 1966, widely regarded as one of the first supergroups and a foundational act of blues-rock. The lineup brought together guitarist Eric Clapton, fresh from The Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, drummer Ginger Baker, who had cut his teeth with Alexis Korner and the Graham Bond Organisation, and bassist Jack Bruce, a veteran of Manfred Mann. All three were seasoned figures of Britain's blues revival, and together they reshaped what a power trio could sound like.

Cream's music fused blues structures with extended, high-volume improvisation, turning songs like «Crossroads» and «Spoonful» into vehicles for lengthy instrumental interplay on stage. Studio work such as «Sunshine of Your Love», «White Room», «Strange Brew» and «SWLABR» showed a tighter, more psychedelic songwriting side, often shaped by lyricist Pete Brown working alongside Bruce. «Tales of Brave Ulysses» and «Badge», the latter co-written with George Harrison, further illustrate the band's range.

Despite a short lifespan, Cream had an outsized influence on rock, helping define the possibilities of the guitar trio and paving the way for the jam-oriented and hard rock bands that followed. Clapton, Baker and Bruce each carried the band's improvisational spirit into subsequent projects, but it was as Cream that they left their most lasting mark.