7. Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures (2009)

Supergroups are always risky propositions. The results often underwhelm, because it doesn’t matter how well a group of musicians work if they don’t work well as a unit. Them Crooked Vultures, however, works — and it really comes as no surprise: Dave Grohl and Homme already had a functioning chemistry, and John Paul Jones tethered Led Zeppelin together during Page and Bonham’s rough addiction days at the end of the ’70s. In fact, out of every post-Zeppelin project I’ve heard, I like this one best. Musically, Homme hangs with Jones and Grohl on equal footing, and together they rumble through just over an hour of bar-chord-and-blues-scales hard rock. Jones adds a whimsical twist to the record, using horn sections and keyboard interludes to give things a big-top feel. Meanwhile, Homme’s persona drips swagger all over the record. Them Crooked Vultures brought out his most sleazy and cocksure lyrics and vocal deliveries.