7 of the Worst Band Breakups in the History of Music

Band breakups are rarely smooth sailing. Whether it’s creative differences, interpersonal drama, or drug use, many of the biggest bands out there have broken up on less-than-stellar terms. While some of the following bands have since gotten back together or at the very least made amends with each other, the rest seem to be done for good. Let’s look at seven of the worst band breakups in the history of music!

1. Cream

Eric Clapton’s band Cream was only around for three years, and apparently, those three years weren’t exactly great for the band’s members. Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce absolutely hated each other, and they even had history in a previous band in which they’d fight, sometimes on stage. While the on-stage chemistry of Cream was excellent, it wasn’t durable. Clapton had to break up fights constantly and was sick of it. The band broke up in 1968.

“It felt like I was in a confrontational situation 24 hours a day,” Clapton said.

2. The Black Crowes

Being in a band with your sibling isn’t always a good thing. The Black Crowes’ Rich and Chris Robinson spent much of the band’s career fighting constantly. After a tour with Oasis in 2001, they decided to disband. After a few attempts at reuniting through the next couple of decades, they called it quits again in 2015 over a financial dispute.

“I love my brother and respect his talent,” said Rich at the time. “But his present demand that I must give up my equal share of the band, and that our drummer for 28 years and original partner, Steve Gorman, relinquish 100% of his share, reducing him to a salaried employee, is not something I could agree to.”

As of 2019, the pair have resolved their differences and gotten back together, though who knows how long that will last?

3. The Police

The original members of The Police were pretty tight-knit in their early days. However, their relationships began to fall apart as the band saw chart-topping and financial success. Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers allegedly resented Sting for holding all of the songwriting power. Emotions boiled over and they broke up in the late 1980s, though they have gotten back together occasionally for reunions until 2008.

4. Eagles

The Eagles were pioneers of country rock. Unfortunately, the band was rife with personal drama. It’s safe to say that each of the band members had big personalities, and the dynamic of the band wasn’t exactly healthy. In 1980, Glenn Frey and Don Felder almost got into a fistfight on stage, with Felder allegedly telling Frey, “I’m going to kick your a** when we get off the stage.” That marked the end of the band for a while before they reunited with a few new members.

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5. The Fugees

Romantic relationships within bands rarely work out. Just look at Fleetwood Mac. This was also the case for The Fugees. Members Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean started an affair when the band was at their most successful, and the result was a tumultuous, fight-riddled relationship that contributed to the band’s breakup in 1997.

6. The Everly Brothers

This country duo comprised of Don and Phil Everly has since become legendary. Unfortunately, they didn’t end on good terms. Don was battling drug addiction in 1973, and after telling Phil he wanted to disband after one last concert, had a bit of a drunken meltdown on stage. The audience wasn’t happy, which resulted in Don drunkenly letting his anger out on the audience as well as his brother. Phil famously smashed his guitar and left, and that was the end of The Everly Brothers for quite some time.

7. The Beatles

This wouldn’t be a list of the worst band breakups without mentioning The Beatles. This legendary rock outfit broke up in 1970 after years of interpersonal drama. John Lennon said it was Paul McCartney’s fault, McCartney said it was Lennon’s fault, and a lot of fans blamed Yoko Ono for the breakup. Regardless, something as big as The Beatles just wasn’t meant to last forever.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives

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