3 Big-Name Rock Bands That Almost Broke up (And the Songs That Saved Them)

Being in a band creates incredible pressure. It can be quite difficult to get three, four, or five people on the same page with the same aim and the same energy. Truly, that’s very rare. So, it’s no wonder that bands break up all the time, even when they’re supremely talented.

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Here below, we wanted to highlight three big-name groups that were this close to breaking up, but they held on (much to the glee of their fans). Indeed, these are three big-name rock bands that almost broke up (and the songs that saved them).

“The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac from ‘Rumors’ (1977)

In 1976, as the British-born band Fleetwood Mac was recording what would become their signature album, Rumors, tensions were at an all-time high. Romantic relationships within the group were crumbling. Affairs on top of affairs were becoming public. And all the while, they were writing incredible, emotive songs. On Rumors, though, there is only one tune credited to all five members, and that’s “The Chain”. It was put together by splicing discarded tracks together, cutting tapes with a literal razor blade to make it work. In the end, the song marked something of a unifying force for the band to continue on.

“Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2 from ‘War’ (1983)

The Irish-born rock band U2 is nothing if not passionate. That energy and emotion shine through in their songs and especially in the vocals from frontman Bono. But sometimes that passion spilled over in unproductive ways. During the group’s early days, as they were struggling to find success in the UK, the band almost split over religious reasons. Even guitarist The Edge was considering a new professional track altogether. But it was The Edge’s work on “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, a political song that galvanized the band, that helped to turn things around.

“Get Back” by The Beatles from ‘Let It Be’ (1970)

Fans of the multi-part 2021 documentary series, The Beatles: Get Back, know the history of this song well. At the end of the 1960s, as The Beatles were making what would become their final album, tensions were high. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were giving each other the cold shoulder, and guitarist George Harrison had outgrown the group. But to keep the Fab Four together for one final hurrah, McCartney kept writing in real-time. The result was the song “Get Back”, and it was a track that gave the band energy to do more, to make one final LP.

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