Most Popular Band Breakups of the ’80s
The decade of 1980s witnessed many ugly band breakups; whether the causes of these breakups were cited as personal tragedies or artistic differences, the fact of the matter is that an unusually large number of major bands called it quits in the 1980’s. Even though many of these music groups ended up reuniting sometime in the future, this list takes a look at the bands who separated, some for a short period of time and others for longer.
Minutemen
No doubt, Minutemen was one of the most underrated rock bands in the history. The band came to a halt when D. Boon, the band’s singer and guitarist died in 1985. Boon suffered from an accident and died at the age of 27 when the American band was at its peak. Other members of the band George Hurley and Mike Watt never made an attempt to reunite.
Led Zepplin
Unlike Minutemen, Led Zeppelin was one of the most popular bands of the decade. And just like Minutemen, the band faced the calamity in the form of drummer John Bonham. Back in the 1960’s, Led Zeppelin recorded their first album and after a 12 year long stint and 8 critically acclaimed albums, the band was shut down abruptly by the tragic death of the band’s guitarist.
The creativity and songwriting prowess demonstrated in these 12 years however meant that the band cemented it’s name in the history books as one of the greatest musical groups of all time, selling more than 300 million copies of their 8 albums making them one of the biggest selling bands of all time.
The Jam
Luckily, not every band of the 1980’s broke up due to a tragic loss of life. Another major reason for the breaking up of bands during this period was the underlying personal conflicts between band members which eventually saw the breaking up of The Jam.
The band led by Paul Weller but in 1982, Paul decided to leave the band due to the difference in their music approach and direction. Other band members Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton decided not to pursue their careers further without Paul. In its short existence, the band gained a lot of fame before finally breaking up in 1982.
The Police
Probably the only band in this compilation that successfully reunited after their 1980’s break up, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers were joined by Sting in 2008 when they performed during a tour to North American. Just like Weller, Sting had moved on from the band in 80’s with no intention to come back again but 2008 saw a reuniting of the band members after persistence from their die hard fans.
The Eagles
Back in 1979, after the release of “The Long Run”, “the Eagles” were headed for some serious trouble; the band members experienced serious differences which would result in a lot of fights and bickering, sometimes even on stage! There were many reasons for the band members to reunite again but they disliked each other to the point that it took them 14 long years before finally reuniting.
The Clash
The Clash is one of those bands which experienced a very public falling out between the band members, a spat which even erupted at times on stage.
In 1982, Topper Headon, the drummer of the band, was dismissed from the band due to drug problems, followed by guitarist Mick Jones who left the band in 1983.
Other band members Paul Simonon and Joe Strummer tried their best to continue the legacy of the band without their counterparts before finally giving up and calling it quits in 1986.
Husker Du
Husker Du is one of those bands which had it’s fair share of controversy and personal differences, but to everyone’s amazement, the band members managed to remain together as a music group despite their fundamental differences.
The two leaders of the band Bob Mould and Grant Hart would regularly lock horns over the creative approach and stylistic direction of their music. The band was formed in 1979 and despite numerous major differences between the band members, managed to stay together until 1988 when the band eventually broke up.
More in Music
-
`
The BIGGEST Pop Culture Moments of 2008, Ranked Chronologically
With 2018 is almost over it’s hard to imagine that 2008 actually happened a decade ago. But before you ready your...
October 2, 2024 -
`
Here Are the Best One-Hit Wonders of All Time
Other than songs, artists can also be one-hit wonders as they often contribute to the all-time hit songs. Take the example...
October 2, 2024 -
`
Timeless Retro Games That Should Have Made It to PlayStation Classic
Sony joined the bandwagon of bringing the dead back to life after it recently announced its PlayStation Classic, a small-sized reincarnation...
October 2, 2024 -
`
The True Story Of Pocahontas: Historical Myths Versus Sad Reality
John Rolfe was a respected planter who played an important role in the survival of American colony – first Eglish Permanent Colony. But...
October 2, 2024 -
`
5 of The Most Fascinating Discoveries Made in 21st Century
2018 is filled with fascinating discoveries that became headliners because they shed light on some of the hidden secrets of our...
October 1, 2024 -
`
TV Series That You Didn’t Know Were Based on Comics
When we hear about comic book stories, the first thing that comes to mind is the image of a largely built...
October 1, 2024 -
`
What People Get Wrong (And Right) About The Vikings
There are many famous theories about Viking like they were bearded and suppressed everyone around them. But according to Janina Ramirez, this...
October 1, 2024 -
`
Female Artists Who Made a Mark in The Music Industry
Women empowerment has come a long way – especially in today’s music industry, where female musicians like Beyonce, Taylor Swift and...
October 1, 2024 -
`
Best Old-School Nintendo Games of All Times, Because Nostalgia Exists
Thirty-five years ago, Japanese brand Nintendo released a console which came to be a household necessity for gaming families – hence,...
October 1, 2024
You must be logged in to post a comment Login