3 Bands Who Released One Album and Then Called It Quits

Several bands ended nearly as soon as they began. Why is that? Well, sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, of course. The number of bands that have fallen victim to this story is seemingly countless. Whether it be personal relationships damaged by sex and drugs, or professional ones damaged by rock ‘n’ roll business affairs, many great bands have dissolved thanks to the nature of their vocation.

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Of course, some bands have lasted longer in this paradigm than others. However, there are a few bands that lasted for a fleeting moment, including these three. As they became one and dones after they called it quits following their one album release.

The Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols are arguably the most controversial band of all time. They are the epitome of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, but because of that, their career as a band was cut significantly short when bassist Sid Vicious became addicted to h—n and their manager, Malcolm McLaren, started utilizing unorthodox business practices.

Prior to the band’s breakup, The Sex Pistols had only released one album. That album was their 1977 debut studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. To this day, the album is one of the most disruptive of all time, thanks to tracks “God Save The Queen” and “Anarchy In The UK”.

Derek and the Dominos

Eric Clapton has founded several bands and split up with those bands, including Derek and the Dominos. Two years after the breakup of Cream and two bands later, Eric Clapton started Derek and the Dominos, and like the rest of the bands he formed, this one was also short-lived.

While Derek and the Dominos’ lifespan was rather short, they released one bombshell album before their breakup. That album was their 1970 top 25 hits album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Following the release, Derek and the Dominos broke up due to personal turmoil and drummer Jim Gordon’s mental health decline.

New Radicals

The New Radicals‘ fame surged in 1998 with the release of their one album, Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too, and its hit single, “You Get What You Give”. The album peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200, and the single peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite this success, they called it quits.

Just roughly a year after the release of their top 50 hit album, the New Radicals broke up in 1999 due to Gregg Alexander’s desire to create songs for other artists, as well as his disillusionment with fame and fatigue brought on by touring.

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