Rock bands of the 20th century have come and gone (though some are still hanging around), and many fans would kill for a chance to see their original lineups reunite. Sadly, for the following three rock bands, a true reunion of their original lineup will never happen. Let’s take a look.
Videos by American Songwriter
The Kinks
The Kinks kicked off in 1963 with brothers Ray and Dave Davies, along with Pete Quaife and Mick Avory. They were a really incredible pop-rock act that gave us gorgeous songs like “You Really Got Me”. They continued long beyond that original lineup before disbanding in the 1990s.
Sadly, a true original reunion just won’t happen. Quaife passed away in 2010 at the age of 66 from complications related to kidney disease, and the remaining brothers will probably never truly get over their contentious relationship anyway. At least Mick’s been doing well for himself through the years.
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd has been up, down, back, and forth, and multiple iterations of the legendary psychedelic prog-rock band have existed through the years. When they first formed in 1965, the band was composed of Nick Mason, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Syd Barrett. A true OG lineup reunion won’t happen because of the very notable (and painful) absence of Barrett, who passed away in 2006. Likewise, we lost keyboardist Wright in 2008.
David Gilmour, who is part of the “classic” lineup of Pink Floyd and has been a part of the group off and on since 1967, would have to make good with Roger Waters for a half-true original lineup reunion to happen. However, I doubt that will ever happen.
The Jam
Ah, the revived mod era. This entry on our list of rock bands who will never reunite their original lineup was formed in England back in 1972. Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton, and Rick Buckler launched the mod revival band with a touch of punk rock and power pop. They stood out, to say the least.
Sadly, the band only lasted 10 years before disbanding in 1982, with four no. 1 hits under their belts. An original lineup reunion won’t happen as of 2025, considering drummer Rick Buckler has passed away. It would have been wild to see mod revived in the 21st century, wouldn’t it?
Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.