Have you always dreamed of being a rich and famous rockstar? You might want to think twice after reading this article… Being in a band looks fun and exciting but it is actually stressful and intense. Learn exactly why these world famous bands broke up.
1. ABBA
This Swedish musical group was sensational in the 70s. You might not know this but the band was composed of two couples. The band didn’t split because both couples broke up but Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus got the opportunity to write for musical theater and loved it so much, they preferred leaving the band.
2. The Smashing Pumpkins
Billy Corgan, the lead singer of The Smashing Pumpkins, was irritating the other band members since he always wanted to play both bass and guitar which annoyed bassist D’arcy Wretzky and guitarist James Iha. Unfortunately, two band members died of an overdose the same night. The band split in 2000.
3. Black Sabbath
Ozzy Osbourne was the reason the band split. He became out of control in the 70s, acting out and missing rehearsals. The band decided to fire him but, unfortunately for them, everyone remembers Ozzy and only Ozzy.
4. The Clash
Again, addiction tore another band apart. The drummer Topper Headon left the group to deal with his addiction and Mick Jones was fired because of his erratic behavior.
5. Guns N’ Roses
This rock band was huge in the 80s but by the mid 90s, the original band members were off doing their own thing. Substance abuse was the main reason for the split. Axl Rose was also always late and unprofessional during performances.
6. The White Stripes
Grunge and punk band The White Stripes were very popular in the early 2000s. People started to get worried when band members and wife and husband Jack White and Meg White divorced. Meg suffered from anxiety, which is why she wanted to leave the spotlight.
7. Pink Floyd
After losing their frontman Syd Barrett, the band went through a downward spiral. Roger Waters left the band since him and David Gilmour couldn’t agree on the direction of the band. Waters even sued the group to prevent them from using the name Pink Floyd.
8. Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine was a great band in the 90s but by the 2000s the band was going through tough times. After Mike D hurt himself before a show co-headlined with the Beastie Boys and cancelling the performance, it went downhill from now. They argued a lot about their album too.
9. Simon and Garfunkel
These two argued a lot about songwriting. Their last album Bridge Over Troubled Water was recorded in 1970 and after that, they separated. Many years later, when they were inducted in the Rock In Roll Hall of Fame, they came together just for a few hours.
10. The Beach Boys
Money problems, songwriting credits and many other issues tore this all-American band apart. Mike Love fired Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and Davis Marks, which made everything even more awkward.
11. The Beatles
Everyone knows the story of The Beatles. You can blame Yoko Ono but it is not entirely her fault. The band was already having struggles, especially if you listen to The White Album. At some point, if you spend too much time with people, you get annoyed with them. That’s life.
12. The Eagles
The Eagles were extremely popular in the 70s but by the 80s, fatigue, substance abuse and drama between band members ruined them. It didn’t help that Don Henley and Glenn Frey wanted to use the group to help with a political campaign. You don’t mix rock and roll with politics.
13. The Police
Gordon “Sting” Sumner began bossing the other bandmates around, which annoyed everyone, especially since they were getting more and more famous. They called it quits in 1984 after realizing they didn’t have much in common.
14. Oasis
Oasis was a huge hit in the 90s but the two bandmates and brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher, could not get along and ruined the band. When they played, they would often fight during performances and stop their set to piss the other one off.
15. The Kinks
Even if they were brothers, the members of The Kinks didn’t have any brotherly love. The two brothers are fought and actually, they never got along together even when they were kids.
Source: CheatSheet