Some bands have gotten their big break around the time they nearly broke up. It’s actually a lot more common than you think, and the following legendary outfits came close to disappearing entirely before one of the best albums hit the shelves. Let’s take a look!
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Metallica
On one tragic day in September 1986, Metallica’s bassist, Cliff Burton, was killed in a bus accident while the band was on tour in Sweden. The rest of the band was on board and (thankfully) sustained no serious injuries. But they were left with the grief of their bandmate and friend being gone, and the future of Metallica was in doubt.
But before breaking up, they decided to carry on (with Burton’s family’s blessing) with a new bassist, Jason Newsted, and record another album. Their first album after Burton’s death would be …And Just For All, released in 1988. That album would hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and become Metallica’s breakthrough album and their first Top 10 record. They would follow that album with their self-titled record in 1991, which would be a No. 1 smash across the board.
R.E.M.
When one thinks of the alt-rock band R.E.M., one thinks of incredible albums like Lifes Rich Pageant from 1986, Document from 1987, or Out Of Time from 1991. Believe it or not, those albums came close to not happening. Back in 1985, while working on Fables Of The Reconstruction, the band chose to work with producer Joe Boyd. Apparently, the sessions were extremely difficult. Just as well, the conditions where they recorded in London were allegedly poor. The band was also unhappy with what they considered to be “poor food.” They were brought to the verge of disbanding. And it didn’t help that Fables Of The Reconstruction was met with mixed reviews.
Thankfully, R.E.M. didn’t break up. And after touring for months, the band went with a different producer for Lifes Rich Pageant. It was all up from there.
Joy Division
This one teeters on the edge a bit. There isn’t any evidence of Joy Division’s members explicitly saying they were going to break up ahead of their debut album’s release. Still, considering how delicate their situation was, I’ll include them on this list.
Unknown Pleasures from 1979 was Joy Division’s breakthrough album. Their fame would be short-lived, ending with Ian Curtis’ tragic passing soon after and a posthumous release that would mark the end of the band in 1980. But before they dropped their legendary debut album, the band only had a handful of early releases. They had gotten signed by RCA but asked to be dropped due to creative differences with their producer. Curtis’ health problems were getting worse. And while the band tried to accommodate him, there was an uncertainty to the band’s future.
Things were tricky for a while. But they found a producer they worked well with and finally recorded their debut album at Starberry Studios in Stockport, England. The rest is history.
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
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