3 Hall of Fame Classic Rock Bands That Broke up Too Soon

The business of being in a rock band can be tricky. Trying to schedule practice time, going on (international) tours, writing great songs and keeping everyone happy is a herculean effort that few groups of people can pull off. Even some of the best classic rock bands in the world break up too soon, depriving fans of who knows how many iconic songs.

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Here, we wanted to explore that very phenomenon. We wanted to look at a trio of classic rock bands that split well before they should have. While some groups like The Rolling Stones continue on (seemingly) forever, some fizzle out in a few short years. Indeed, these are three hall of fame classic rock bands that broke up too soon.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

The California-born group Creedence Clearwater Revival released its debut self-titled studio album in 1968. That record included hits like “I Put A Spell On You” and “Susie Q”. But CCR would release its final album, Mardi Gras, just four years later in 1972 and dissolve. How is that possible? Boasting a lead vocalist with one of the best rock singing voices ever in John Fogerty, the group just burned out.

It was Fogerty who was their genius, writing and performing their biggest tracks. But creative differences and a clashing of egos doomed the group, which, in the early 1970s, was perhaps the biggest and most important band in the world.

The Beatles

The Beatles were around for the entire 1960s and then disbanded basically as 1970 kicked off. In a way, the group is a mirror for the decade, starting out with proto-rock tracks like “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in 1964 and evolving into psychedelic songs like “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” just a few years later in 1967.

Known for their personalities as much as their songwriting abilities, which is saying a lot about both, the group just couldn’t stick together after becoming the biggest in the world. And when John Lennon was killed in 1980, that halted any hope of reunion.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin began in 1968 and broke up in 1980. The brainchild of the British guitarist Jimmy Page, the collective was something of a supergroup. But it wasn’t personalities or fights over money that ended the classic rock staple. It was the untimely death of drummer John Bonham, who died as a result of alcohol and drug use.

Before that sad event, however, Led Zeppelin was on top of the world thanks to their incandescent lead singer Robert Plant and their often elaborate, beautiful songs like “Stairway To Heaven” and “Going To California”.

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