Research on the erythromycin class of antibiotics has spanned 60 years with tens of thousands of analogues prepared and published in the patent and scientific literature. Each of the analogues in the Erythromycin Analogue Set represent pivotal advances in the development of the erythromycin class. The analogues display a range of physico-chemical, potency, spectrum of action and cross-resistance profiles. The Erythromycin Analogue Set is a useful tool in addressing current research questions on antibiotics using the resources accumulated since the discovery of erythromycin in 1952.