3 Iconic Rock Albums That Resulted in Members Leaving Their Bands

Some of the most iconic albums of all time were recorded by bands that were on the edge of implosion. That is definitely the case for the following well-loved albums, each of which resulted in at least one member departing in the middle of recording or shortly thereafter. Let’s take a look at how these albums pushed some band members to their limit.

‘Band On The Run’ by Wings (1973)

This iconic Wings album remains one of Paul McCartney’s most beloved post-Beatles feats. Band On The Run was a total smash hit, peaking at No. 1 on both the US and UK albums charts. It also resulted in several members of Wings quitting on the spot. 

Legendary guitarist Henry McCullough quit during an argument with McCartney, and drummer Denny Seiwell soon followed. Apparently, much of that band was unhappy with McCartney’s direction for the record and didn’t appreciate being bossed around. Somehow, McCartney managed to pull it off with some help from other musicians while recording in Nigeria, despite being ill and also dealing with being robbed at knifepoint.

‘The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway’ by Genesis (1974)

There’s no doubt that Peter Gabriel was a fine frontman in Genesis. After all, he was manning the ship when Selling England By The Pound reached the Top 10 in the UK back in 1973. But after the release of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway in 1974, another Top 10 hit for Genesis, Gabriel had somewhat abruptly decided to leave the band, following the completion of their promo tour for the album.

It’s not clear whether there was any ill will or cabin fever going on in the recording studio. It seems as though Gabriel just wanted to spend more time with his family and was sick of touring. But his absence left a big hole in the band just as they were starting to break through in a big way. Thankfully, Phil Collins stepped in and kept the show going, leading to a slew of No. 1 hit albums.

‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana (1991)

When one thinks of Nirvana, one thinks of Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic. One likely won’t think of the name Chad Channing, partly because he was uncredited on the album Nevermind for quite some time. Channing was the drummer of Nirvana from 1988 to 1990. He can be heard on the band’s debut album, Bleach, as well as their EP Blew from 1989.

When the time came to record Nevermind, an album that would catapult Nirvana to superstardom, their resident drummer quit. Apparently, it was over creative differences. They were partially through recording Nevermind when Channing dipped out, and Dave Grohl was hired to complete the album. You can hear Channing’s cymbal crashes on songs like “Polly”. In fact, the drum lines Channing wrote for songs like “In Bloom” were performed by Grohl. Channing wasn’t credited for his part on “Polly”, specifically, until a reissue of Nevermind years later.

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