Formed in 1973, the supergroup included Rodgers, Ralphs, ex-King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell and drummer Simon Kirke. The group was the first ever signed to Led Zepplin's vanity label. They debuted Swan Song in 1974, and reached the top of the charts all over the world with singles like "Can't Get Enough of Your Love."

Their next album followed soon after. Straight Shooter was another major success, both critically and commercially. Songs like "Feel Like Makin' Love" propelled the album and the group to even more fame, and in 1976 the group released their third consecutive million-selling record, Run With the Pack.

The hit albums continued to arrive, one after another. 1977's Burnin' Sky was quickly followed by 1979's Desolation Angels, on which the group began to experiment with a new sound, which included synthesizers and strings. As the '70s drew to a close, however, things began to slow down. The band took a three-year break before releasing Rough Diamonds, the group's last album before they disbanded in 1982.

In 1986, Ralphs and Kirke decided to try another shot at making music, and resurrected the Bad Company name. This time around, they pulled in former Ted Nugent vocalist Brian Howe to replace Rodgers. The slightly modified group released From 10 to 6, but their former fan base failed to notice, and the effort was a commercial failure. In 1988, another album, dubbed Dangerous Age, fared slightly better, and 1990's Holy Water was even more successful, powered by the hit "If You Needed Somebody."

Here Comes Trouble came out in 1992 and achieved platinum status on the wings of the single "How About That." In 1993, fully 20 years after its inception, Bad Company expanded into a quintet and added bassist Rick Wills and rhythm guitarist Dave Colwell.

The group released a live album, The Best of Bad Company Live ... What You Hear is What You Get. That effort was quickly followed by 1995's The Company of Strangers and 1996's Stories Told and Untold.