'70s Rock Band, Disbanded After Five Years, Ranked Among 'Greatest Supergroups' of All Time
During the peak of progressive rock in the '70s, the British band National Health assembled some of the most accomplished musicians in the genre and is now recognized among the greatest supergroups of all time.
In a list released by BBC Music Magazine, which ranked the 23 greatest all-star lineups in history, National Health joined some of the most legendary names in music.
While iconic bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Cream, Bad Company and others dominated the mainstream, the group, spearheaded by Dave Stewart and Alan Gowen, carved out a devoted following in the underground music scene.
Formed in 1975, the band, which got its name from Stewart's government-issued National Health glasses, was composed of musicians from Hatfield and the North and Gilgamesh, two of the prominent bands from Canterbury, England.
The founding lineup featured Stewart and Gowen with guitarists Phil Miller and Phil Lee, bassist Mont Campbell and drummer Bill Bruford.
However, the supergroup's lineup was anything but stable.
Even before releasing its debut album, the band experienced several lineup changes after Bruford left in 1976 and was replaced by Pip Pyle.
Campbell also departed, making way first for Neil Murray before John Greaves eventually took over on bass.
After a series of major shakeups and years of preparation, National Health officially released its self-titled debut album in 1978 through Affinity Records.
Blending progressive rock with jazz and classical influences, the album featured compositions by the band's members.
"Tenemos Roads" and "Borogoves (Excerpt from Part Two)" were composed by Stewart, "Brujo" was written by Gowen, while "Elephants" was co-written by Stewart and Gowen.
In the same year, they released their sophomore album, Of Queues and Cures. The album also introduced cellist Georgie Born.
Despite continuing to make music and perform live, National Health officially disbanded in 1980.
Constant shifts in musical direction, coupled with personal issues, ultimately brought the five-year-old band to an end.
However, the following year, they reunited to perform at a memorial concert following the death of one of the band's founding members, Alan Gowen.
In 1982, they released Coda, a posthumous tribute featuring Gowen's unreleased compositions and recordings.
Related: '80s Rock Band, Formed by Accident, Ranked Among 'Best Supergroups' of All Time
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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 10:08 PM.