Disbanded Bands

Years together:




Boredom. And the deterioration of some of the members of the group. Alcohol and/or drugs had taken a toll on Danko and Manuel.

Recent Band albums had not sold that well. Live performances had become hit-and-miss.

As one biographer put it, “ Robertson had grown tired of caretaking the Band. Ever since the Band had moved to L.A, Robertson had virtually been managing the group, and he couldn’t cope with them any longer.”

He wanted to do film scores and other work, and eventually he did.

Started: 1977
Ended: 2012

First album: INXS
Final album: Original Sin

Number of years together: 35

Number of albums released: 12 studio albums, 4 live albums, 12 compilation albums, 14 video albums and 5 EPs

Number of videos: 43
Singles: 71

Former members:

Garry Gary Beers, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss, Tim Farriss, Michael Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly, Jon Stevens, J.D. Fortune, and Ciaran Gribbin

Reason of the band splitting:

On November 11, 2012, during their performance as support act to Matchbox Twenty at Perth Arena, Australia, INXS announced that the performance would be their last, though they did not officially announce a permanent band retirement.

Likely, the death of Michael Hutchence, and the departure of JD Fortune, played a huge part.

There was no actual reason, for the band recently ending other maybe wanting to call it a day.

Commercially though, the album was a complete failure and many of the band's metal fans were disappointed with the pop sound.

On October 12, 1987, almost two months after the release of Love Is for Suckers, Snider left the band, the record label cancelled its contract, and Twisted Sister disbanded.

Smith let Stewart go due to disagreements with the direction of the band, feeling that Stewart was no longer happy or committed to the band. Todd was fired due to major disagreements with Smith, and personal problems that were getting in the way of the band.

The lineup for the band's first seven studio albums included lead vocalist Chester Bennington and drummer Rob Bourdon until Bennington's death by suicide in July 2017 when the band entered an indefinite hiatus.

Motörhead disbanded upon Lemmy's death on 28 December 2015.

Nirvana disbanded following Cobain's suicide in April 1994.

Afterwards, Dave Grohl founded the group, Foo Fighters.

Following O'Riordan's death from drowning due to alcohol intoxication in 2018, Noel Hogan confirmed that the remaining members chose to disband out of respect for her.

They disbanded after the release of their acclaimed final album, In the End (2019).

In 1997, the band broke up due to internal strife over its creative direction and exhaustion from touring. After more than a decade of working on projects and other bands, they reunited in 2010, and Republic Records released their sixth and final studio album, King Animal, in 2012.

After the death of lead singer, Chris Cornell, the band ended all together.

Avory left the group in 1984 and was replaced by another Argent member, Bob Henrit.

The band gave its last public performance in 1996 and broke up in 1997 as a result of creative tension between the Davies brothers. The Kinks have had five top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

They broke up following the critical and commercial failure of their seventh and last studio album, Pogue Mahone (1996).

The band—once again including MacGowan—re-formed for a reunion tour in late 2001.

During a 1991 tour of Japan, MacGowan was dismissed from the Pogues due to the impact of his drug and alcohol dependency on the band's live shows.

He subsequently formed a new band, Shane MacGowan and The Popes, with which he recorded his last two studio albums, The Snake (1994) and The Crock of Gold (1997).

When did the Sex Pistols break up? The Sex Pistols broke up in January 1978 after a short, disastrous tour of the United States.

Contributing factors included the stalled preparation for a movie, Sid Vicious's worsening drug problem, and government bans that limited the Sex Pistols' ability to perform in the U.K.

REO Speedwagon To Stop Touring After Upcoming Dates Due to 'Irreconcilable Differences' The beloved 1980s rockers said tension between singer Kevin Cronin and bassist Bruce Hall has made it impossible to keep the wheels turnin'.

Dissolution. Due to disagreements over money and the management of the band, the Runaways and Kim Fowley parted ways in 1977.

Currie quit in 1977, due in large part to Fowley's unorthodox work methods, mistreatment and verbal assaults, something she documented in her 1989 autobiography, Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie Story, which inspired the 2010 movie The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart as Jett and Dakota Fanning as Currie.


According to Fuchs, in the 2005 documentary film Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways, she was distraught over the band members' inability to get along with each other and called her close friend Randy Rhoads of the L.A. band Quiet Riot, who encouraged her to come home.

Reason for band splitting up:

The Stooges disbanded in February 1974 as a result of dwindling professional opportunities; this factor was compounded by Pop's ever-present heroin addiction and erratic off-stage behavior.

Initial reason for band splitting up:

Personality conflicts and creative differences within the group were also taking a toll, as were drug addiction problems for some band members. Wiedlin announced her departure from the group in October 1984.

The band, eventually called it a day after reuniting in 2022.

Reasons for the band splitting:

In reality, the breakup of The Beatles was due to numerous factors: money problems and the death of Brian Epstein, divergent creative visions, and burgeoning artistic impulses. The breakdown of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership played a pivotal role.

The deaths of John Lennon, and George Harrison solidified his band breaking up for good.

Reason for band splitting:

The band broke up over a backstage fight in 2009
Their relationship had completely deteriorated.

According to Noel, the brothers had a fistfight prior to their world tour and had begun traveling to shows separately.

This came after a big fight at Rock en Seine festival in Paris, where Liam was allegedly wielding Noel's guitar “like an axe” backstage. “"He was quite violent," Noel claimed. "At that point there was no physical violence but there was a lot of World Wrestling Federation stuff.

In 1982, Headon left the band due to internal friction surrounding his increasing heroin addiction, and Jones departed the following year.

With a new lineup, the band released their final album Cut the Crap in 1985 before disbanding a few weeks later.

Started: 1990
Ended: 2006

They re banded from 2013-2016

First album: Destiny’s Child
Final album: Destiny Fulfilled

Number of years together: 16

Studio albums released: 5 albums, 1 EP, and 5 compilation albums

Number of videos: 20
Video album: 3
Singles: 23

Former members: Beyoncé Knowles, LaTavia Roberson,
Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett, Farrah Franklin, and Michelle Williams

Reasons for band splitting:

While making the album, they planned to part ways after their fourteen-year career as a group to facilitate their continued pursuit in individual aspirations. Knowles stated that their destinies were already fulfilled.

Started: 1981
Ended: 1986

Number of years together: 5

Number of albums released: 3 albums, 3 compilation albums, and 2 remix albums

Number of singles:

14 singles
4 video albums
12 music videos

2 films

Former members: George Michael, and Andrew Ridgeley

Reasons for band splitting:

Tensions grew with George wanting to take the music and Andrew growing tired of being put under the microscope.

As their individual trajectories came into focus, George and Michael ultimately came to the decision that it was time for Wham! to come to an end.

Michael was keen to create music targeted at a more sophisticated adult market rather than the duo's primarily teenage audience, and therefore, he and Ridgeley officially announced the break-up of Wham! in the spring of 1986.

Started: 1995
Ended: 2002

Re banned: 2023 - present

First album: NSYNC
Recent album: Celebrity

Number of years together: 7, and reformed

Number of albums: 4 albums, 3 compilation albums, 11 soundtracks, and 2 holiday albums

Number of music videos: 25
Singles: 18

DVDs: 4
Tours: 4

Members: JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass, and Justin Timberlake

Reason for bands initial split:

Looking back on *NSYNC's split, JC says he thinks things happened “organically” for the band. In the time leading up to the breakup, JC felt that all the members were leaning into different projects like clothing lines and acting careers.

In a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Timberlake explained that it was time for him to “follow his heart”. He also claimed that he cared more about music than some others in the group.

Updated: They recently regrouped. Whether or not it’s permanent or temporary is anyone’s guess.

Year started: 2010
year ended: 2016

Number of years: 6

Final album: Up All Night
Final album: Music in the A.M.

Number of albums released: 5 albums, and 10 EPs

Singles: 17
Video albums: 2
Music videos: 17

Former members: Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik

Reason for band splitting:

The star added that there were underlying tensions after the band had endured five years of intense fame and scrutiny following their debut on X Factor.

"There was obviously underlying issues within our friendships, too. We'd got sick of each other if I'm being completely honest."

Zayn Malik was simply ready to live while he was still young.

In fact, as the One Direction alum—who formed the group with bandmates Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson in 2010—recently revealed, he knew the exact moment he needed to step away from the band five years after their debut.

With the recent death of Liam Payne, there is a very good chance that the band is over for good.

Started: 1994
Ended: 2001

The band reunited in 2007–2008 2012 and 2018–2020

First album: Spice
Final album: Forever

Years together: 7, and two brief reunions.

Number of albums: 3 albums, and Compilation albums: 1

Singles: 11
Video albums: 11
Music videos: 18

Former members: Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, and Victoria Beckham

Reasons for splitting :

Multiple issues may have contributed to the original breakup of the Spice Girls.

The celebrity power of individual members came to overshadow the group's music by the start of 1998, such as the high-profile engagement between Posh and football (soccer) star David Beckham.

Halliwell left the Spice Girls in 1998, citing exhaustion and creative differences, but rejoined when they reunited for a greatest hits album (2007) and two concert tours: the Return of the Spice Girls (2007–2008) and Spice World (2019).

Don’t expect them to reunite however.

In a recent interview, Victoria Beckham said of prospects:

“I'm really proud of what I did with the Spice Girls," Beckham said, "but today, I want to help people assert themselves through fashion, for example, and beauty."

Started: 1975
Ended: 1991

Briefly, they reunited from 1998-200

First album: Talking Heads
Final album: Naked

Number years together: 16, and briefly 3 reunited.

Number of albums released: 8 studio years, 2 live albums, 3 complication albums, 1 remix album and 4 video albums

Number of singles released: 15 Music videos, 31 singles, and 15 music videos

Former band members:

David Byrne, Tina Waymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison

Why the band split: In December 1991, Talking Heads announced that they had disbanded.

Frantz said that he learned that Byrne had left from an article in the Los Angeles Times, and said: "As far as we're concerned, the band never really broke up. David just decided to leave."

Byrne admitted, recently that he wasn’t actually the easiest person to work with.

Started: 1980
Ended: 2024

First album: Mumur
Final album: Collapse into Now

Number of years together: 44

Number of albums: 14 including fourteen compilation albums, one remix album, one soundtrack album
Number of singles released: 63 twelve video albums, seven extended plays, and seventy-seven music videos

Former members: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe

Reason for band splitting: According to band member, Peter Buck “It was the money, the politics, having to meet new people 24 hours a day, not being in charge of my own decisions.”

Michael Stipe also told Buck and bassist Mike Mills: “I need to be away from this for a long time.”

Stipe is also notoriously known as a recluse, uncomfortable with being in the spot light, and the commercialism of being a successful band.

Started: 1981
Ended: 2012

First album: Licensed to Ill
Final album: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

Number of years together: 31

Number of albums: 8 Studio albums, 5 compilation albums, 5 video albums, 7 EPs

Number of singles: 43
Number of videos: 47

Former members: Adam “MCA” Yauch, Mike “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “Ad Rock” Horowitz, Kate Schellenbach, and John Barry

Reason for band splitting: In 2012, they became the third rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the same year, Yauch died of cancer and Beastie Boys disbanded.

Started: 1973
Ended: 2003, with a final concert performance in their home town of New York City, New York.

First album: KISS
Final album: Monster

Number of years together: 50 (Granted, the band had a greater turn out, rival by the sure number of former cat members of Law & Order

Plus and or minus.

Number of albums released: 20

Former members: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.

Other members, included Vinny Vincent, Mark St. John, Eric Carr, Bruce Kulick, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer.

Reason for retiring: While they would love to rock and roll all night, eventually, the time comes for them to slow things down and retire.

Gene Simmons says Kiss is retiring from touring while they’re still on top.

Started: 1980
Year ended: 1990

The band, did briefly get together from 1998 - 2008, 2014 - 2018, and finally 2022

First album: In the Garden
Final album: Peace

Number of years together: Initially 10

Number of albums: 8, 2 compilation albums, 1 EP, 1 soundtrack, 1 live album
Number of music videos:
Number of singles: 37
Number of music videos: 33

Former members: Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart

Reason for band splitting:

After strenuous years of touring and recording (Eurythmics had released eight studio albums in eight years), a rift had developed between the duo and Eurythmics disbanded, although no formal notice was given.

Year started: 1965
Year ended: 1973, with a brief reunion in 1978.
One-off reunions: 1993, 1997, 2000, 2011–2012, 2012–2013

First album: The Doors
Final album: An American Prayer

Number of albums released: 9 albums released, 5 live albums, 21 compilation albums, 21 archive albums, 6 box sets, and 2 soundtrack albums

Number of singles released: 21 singles, 24 music videos

Former members:

Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, and Robby Krieger, and Patty Sullivan

Why the band split up:

On August 30, 1973, The Doors announced they were disbanding. After failing to replace their late frontman, Jim Morrison, the band's three surviving members decided to call it quits.

No Jim, No The Doors. Technically speaking, the band split up way before that.

As for Jim Morrison?

He knew he had to leave, and he did, even before “L.A. Woman” was released and began climbing to a sales level that almost equaled the best of the Doors' nine gold albums.

He left for Paris and Pamela, the girl he had not been able to img id=15351007 width=500full] live with or without for at least two years.

Year started: 1977–1988
Years ended: 1988

The band did briefly get together from 1990–1995.

First album: Dire Straits
Final album: On Every Street

Number of years together: 12, with 5 years reunited before ending for good.

Number of albums released: 5 studio albums, live albums 4, 3 compilation albums, and 4 EPS

Singles: 31
Music videos: 14

Why the band split:

However, the stress of recording two albums in a short time and touring them would take its toll on the brothers.

David left the band in August 1980 following heated arguments with his older brother. His guitar tracks were almost complete for the record, too, but were re-recorded by Mark, who left him uncredited.

Former members:

Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, John Illsley, Pick Withers, Alan Clark, Hal Lindes, Terry Williams, Guy Fletcher, and Jack Sonni

Started: 1970
Ended: 2020

First album: Van Halen
Final action: A Different Kind of Truth

Number of years together: 50

Number of albums released: 12, 2 live albums, 2 compilation albums, and 3 video albums
Number of Singles: 56

Former band members: David Led Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Sammy Hagar, Anthony Van Halen, and Alex Van Halen

Reason why band split:

Following the 1984 Tour, Roth decided to quit and form a new band. Group members have given different reasons for the split, but all were firmly rooted in control of the band's sound, artistic direction, singles released and pace.

Roth was concerned about Eddie playing music outside of Van Halen.

Hagar said he would call out Eddie for performing badly during the tour, but at the time, he didn't realize that Eddie had been battling cancer. “That's when we bumped heads. That's when it really got bad,” Hagar told Stern.

Started: 1993
Ended: 2021

First album: Homework
Final album: Random Access Memory

Number of years together: 28

Number of singles released: 26
Number of album released: 4, including 1 soundtrack, 2 live albums, 3 Compilation albums, 18 Music videos, 5 remix albums

Former members: Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo

Reason why band split: According to Thomas Bangalter:

“It was an exploration, I would say, starting with the machines and going away from them. I love technology as a tool [but] I'm somehow terrified of the nature of the relationship between the machines and ourselves.”

Also, you could argue they wanted the band to be an enigma. The more Daft Punk wanted to be a mystery, the better.

Started: 1977
Year ended: 1986

They did briefly reunite from 1986 1992 2003 2007–2008

First album: Outlandos d'Amour
Final albums: Synchronicity, and Every Breath You Take: The Singles

Number of years together: Initially 6

Number of albums released 5, 3 live albums,7Compilation albums, 11 video albums, 1 EP, 4 box sets, and 1 $oundtrack
Singles: 26

Former members: Stewart Copeland, Sting, Henry Padovani, and Andy Summers

Reasons for why the band split:

Andy Summers explains that lead vocalist and bassist Sting felt he could pursue a solo career and didn't need the band anymore.

While the decision seemed appealing at the time, it was devastating for the other band members.

Instead of announcing the end of the Police, their manager, Miles Copeland, wanted to keep it quiet.

Also, few factors led to the 1984 breakup of The Police. Despite being at the height of their fame when they disbanded, internal disagreements continued to cause tension, and their differing ages also played a fundamental role.

Unlike a majority of bands who rose up in the same scenes, The Police didn't grow up together.

Year started: 1967
Year ended: 1995

They did briefly, get together from 1997–2022.

Number of years together: Initially 28 years, and 25 years reunited, for a grand total of 53 years.

Number of albums released: 18 studio albums, 10 live albums, 23 compilation albums, 4 video albums, and 1 EP.

Number of music videos: 30
Singles released: 62
Others: 4

Former members: Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, Lindsay Buckingham, Neil Flynn, and Mike Campbell

Reasons why the band split:

Initially creative differences, and “complicated” relationships between band members. Things came to a boiling point, when Buckingham was fired from the band in 2021, during the midst of their tour.

However, Christine McVie’s death in 2022 solidify the band quitting all together.

Started: 1968
Ended: 1980

First album: Led Zeppelin
Final album: Coda

Years together: 10

Number of albums released: 9 albums, 4 live albums, 10 compilation, and 4 video albums
Singles: 19
Charted songs: 3
Music downloads: 9

Why the band split up:

Led Zeppelin broke up in 1980 as a result of their drummer, John Bonham dying.

Bonham was an integral part of the band and without him among the living the surviving band members felt it best not to continue as a band without him.

Former members:

Robert Plant, John Bonham, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones

Year stated: 1974
Year ended: 1996

Number of years together: 22

First album: Ramones
Final album: Adios Amigos

Number of albums: 14 studio albums, 10 live albums, 15 compilation albums, and 1 EP

Number of singles: 71 singles, and 32 music videos
Number of films: 10

Reasons why the band split up:

Several factors: Limited commercial success, scathing reviews from critics who saw them as a joke, and constant infighting between members.

Particularly between Johnny and Joey (in fact, they actually never spoke to eachother for 22 years).

Johnny Ramone was responsible for initiating one of the major sources of animosity within the band when he began dating and later married Linda Daniele, who had previously dated Joey Ramone.

Though the band remained together for years after this incident, relations between Johnny and Joey remained strained.

Once Johnny, Joey, and Tommy passed away, thus ended the band. With Marky bring the last band member standing, of the original line up, and C.J. Ramone as well.

Former members:

Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Marky Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, C.J. Ramone, Elvis Ramone, Richie Ramone, and Tommy Ramone

Started: 1970
Ended: 2023

First album: Whole Oates
Final album: Home for Christmas

Number of years together together: 52
Number of albums released: 18, 27 compilation albums, 11 live albums
Number of music videos: 35
Number of singles: 63

Former members: Daryl Hall and John Oates

Why the band split:

The problem stemmed from Oates' attempt last year to sell his half of the duo's jointly owned company, Whole Oats Enterprises, which controls trademarks, personal name and likeness rights, record royalty income, website and social media assets.

Something he cannot do without Hall's consent.

Started: 1984
Ended: 2014

First album: The Tragically Hip
Final album: Man Machine Poem, with Saskadelphia containing previously unrelated songs.

Number of years together: 30

Number of albums released: 13, 1 Compilation album, 2 3 video albums, 2 EP albums, and 1 box set.
Number of singles: 54

Former members: Rob Baker, Gord Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair, and Davis Manning

Reason for band splitting: After Downie died on October 17, 2017, the band announced in July 2018 that they would no longer perform under the name.