Behind the Music: 25 Bands With Messy Breakups
It's commonplace for even the most successful bands in music history to go through a breakup. Sometimes, though, that break-up is incredibly messy.
It’s happened to all-time greats and bands we'd rather forget. Is it all down to that classic issue of “musical differences,” or are there other reasons musicians fall out?
1. INXS
Had original singer Michael Hutchence lived, INXS might still be performing today. The band went on hiatus after Hutchence’s death in 1997 but was persuaded to reform in an unlikely way. INXS found their new singer, J.D. Fortune, via a CBS talent show, and they reformed in 2005. It was a successful move at first, and the band’s new album, Switch, charted, but Fortune became a concern. His erratic behavior and narcotic use led to his firing at Hong Kong airport in 2009.
2. The Eagles
All original members of The Eagles played vital roles in the band, but the unofficial group leaders were Don Henley and Glenn Frey. Their domineering personalities led to the departures of Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner in the 1970s, and there was constant discord. Frey and Henley clashed while guitarist Don Felder became entangled in a backstage fight in 1980. The Eagles split but would get back together in 1994 for the Freezes Over tour.
3. One Direction
One Direction was a manufactured band from the UK talent show X Factor. All five original members auditioned as solo artists; only some were happy with being bunched together. The first to leave was Zayn Malik, who later admitted he never wanted to be part of the band. Malik complained that he couldn’t experiment and quit One Direction in 2015.
4. New Order
Guitarist Bernard Sumner and bassist Peter Hook were great friends, but the longer New Order went on, the greater their hatred. After periods of inactivity, Hook declared that the band was over, but Sumner and drummer Stephen Morris felt otherwise. They started again without Hook, who had been in the group since the beginning.
5. Blink-182
The pressures of being in a band finally took their toll on another pair of best friends. Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge were the driving forces behind Blink-182, and the two were in harmony through the early years. Later, DeLonge wanted to experiment with the sound, while Hoppus was happy with the pop-punk formula. That ancient issue of “musical differences” saw Blink-182 split in 2005.
6. The Clash
While UK punk band The Clash didn’t split officially until 1986, the group effectively finished three years earlier. It was the year Mick Jones left the group as tensions with other band members became unbearable. Jones and bassist Paul Simonon weren’t speaking, while group leader Joe Strummer described the situation as “intolerable.” Jones departed, leaving the band without half its creative genius, and they were never the same force.
7. Roxy Music
Can two strong personalities ever survive in the same band? When Roxy Music began, the focus fell on charismatic singer Bryan Ferry and electronics wizard Brian Eno. When Eno became tired of Ferry’s dominance of the group, he left in 1973 to follow a solo career. Eno later claimed that a clash of “young male egos” brought about his departure.
8. Cream
Cream was one of the first rock supergroups. Members Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker were experienced musicians who had performed with other top bands, but the Cream chemistry didn’t work. Baker and Bruce’s mutual dislike descended into hatred, and many were surprised that the group lasted for three years. Cream eventually went sour when Clapton became tired of keeping the peace.
9. Black Sabbath
Rock legends Black Sabbath continued after firing singer Ozzy Osbourne, but they weren’t the same band. Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, and Tony Martin may have been better vocalists but lacked Ozzy’s stage presence. Osbourne’s unreliability, together with alcohol and narcotics use, led to his firing, but he complained that all band members had their issues.
10. The Police
UK post-punk band The Police were unlikely bandmates: Bassist Andy Summers was much older than the others, while drummer Stewart Copeland had his career before joining late in 1977. The group enjoyed chart success, but Summers and Copeland resented the attention focused on frontman Sting and wanted to get involved in more songwriting. Even Sting acknowledged that the band had become a dictatorship, and the Police inevitably split.
11. Oasis
Sibling fallout is the worst kind, so when the Gallagher brothers clashed, it spelled the end for one of the greatest British bands. Oasis was built around Liam’s vocals and Noel’s songwriting, so the brothers needed to maintain harmony. A simmering feud came to a head in 2009 when the two fought backstage. The band split and have so far resisted calls to reform.
12. The Beach Boys
Tensions between Brian Wilson and Mike Love have dogged The Beach Boys for much of the band’s sixty-year history. In 2012, all seemed well as the group embarked on a reunion tour, but Love had already planned to perform with his breakaway version of the Beach Boys. It’s a messy situation that means the band has rarely been in perfect harmony since they formed in 1961.
13. Talking Heads
Like many bands, the focus of Talking Heads fell on the group leader. Singer David Byrne is one of the most creative and innovative musicians, but did his artist’s temperament lead to the demise of this great group? Byrne looked to take over every part of Talking Heads, which led to resentment among the other members. The band had been on hiatus before an official breakup in 1991. Byrne later filed a lawsuit when Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison tried to tour Talking Heads with a new singer.
14. The Fall
UK post-punk band The Fall didn’t break up officially until singer and founder member Mark E. Smith died in 2018. Smith was the only constant figure in the group from its inception in 1976, and many others couldn’t get on with the band’s leader. An intense onstage fight makes them a worthy entry on this list. In 1998 in New York, drummer Karl Burns lost his temper mid-set, and he grappled with Smith, who was arrested for assault. Three members walked off stage and never played with The Fall again.
15. Pink Floyd
It’s hard to see a way back for any band whenever lawsuits are involved. Pink Floyd had an unlikely reunion at Live 8 in 2005, but tensions between David Gilmour and Roger Waters remained. Waters was a founding member, while Gilmour stepped in to replace the wayward Syd Barrett. Waters was dominating Floyd when the 1983 album The Final Cut was released. However, he left the group, and Gilmour carried on using the Pink Floyd name, leading to that bitter lawsuit.
16. The Smiths
Tensions between the two driving members of The Smiths had been simmering for some time before the band split in 1987. Guitarist Johnny Marr, tired of singer Morrissey, took a break and read a story in the music press claiming the group had broken up. Marr confronted the band and left. The Smiths briefly looked into recruiting a replacement guitarist but wisely decided against it.
17. Simon and Garfunkel
The band has nowhere to go when the only two members fall out. Simon and Garfunkel were responsible for some of the most moving songs and intelligent lyrics in music history, but the duo often clashed. Art Garfunkel was reportedly jealous of the admiration placed on Paul Simon’s songwriting. Simon, in return, was resentful of the attention put on the singer. Many reunions have followed various splits, and this is one tension that is unlikely to be resolved.
18. Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was officially a group, but Beyonce Knowles was always in charge. Her father, Michael Knowles, was the manager, but when original members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett moved to bring in their representatives, Knowles Sr. kicked them out. Roberson and Tuckett only discovered their fate when the promo video for the “Say My Name” single appeared on MTV in 2000, and they weren’t featured.
19. Van Halen
When Van Halen reunited in 2004, it was all about the money. The band was split into two warring parties, with the Van Halen brothers on one side and vocalist Sammy Hagar in the other camp with bassist Michael Anthony. Hagar struggled with his drinking while Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing was on the slide. Eddie and Sammy fought, and the show in Tucson was the last for this version of the band.
20. Fifth Harmony
Like One Direction, Fifth Harmony was a band made by a TV show. Initially formed in 2012, their name took on an ironic twist in 2012 when Camila Cabello left the group. Fifth Harmony continued with four members, but their goodbye to Cabello hinted at a bitter split. At the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, they took to the stage with five singers before one jumped off stage. It was a bizarre stunt and one that’s never been fully explained.
21. Pixies
Pixies made it big on the back of Black Francis’ songwriting. He was also the singer and leader of the group; other members were initially comfortable with this situation. Later, after Kim Deal had co-written the 1988 hit “Gigantic,” she sought more creative input. With Francis looking to remain in charge, the pair fell out. Reluctant to face his bandmates, Black Francis broke up Pixies by fax in 1993.
22. N.W.A
The ill-feeling among N.W.A band members continued long after Ice Cube left. He’d complained about payments due and departed to go solo in 1989. The two parties continued to trade insults via “diss tracks.” The bad blood can be heard on N.W.A.’s “100 Miles and Runnin’” EP, while Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline” offers his side of the sorry story.
23. Sonic Youth
When two band members become involved in a relationship, it can lead to future problems. Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore were married but separated in 2011 due to Moore’s infidelity. While there were two additional group members, the split proved terminal, and Sonic Youth disbanded in the same year.
24. Creedence Clearwater Revival
This list has many messy breakups, but Creedence Clearwater Revival’s split may be the most bitter. Once again, the backstory involves a group leader and resentment among bandmates. John Fogerty was the singer and wrote and produced most of CCR’s material. John’s older brother, Tom Fogerty, quit in 1971 because sibling rivalry was too much to deal with. A year later, with tensions still high, the band called it a day.
25. The Beatles
Even the biggest band in the world had to end at some point. The reasons for the Beatles' break up are complex, and there is more than one factor behind the split. George Harrison was tired of being overlooked as a songwriter, while Yoko Ono’s influence on John Lennon also played a part. When John and Paul McCartney fell out, the group failed to recover, and the Beatles called it a day in 1970.
