Many famous rock bands got to enjoy widespread recognition for their work while they were still together. It’s a blessing, really. Quite a few rock bands through the years have only gotten mainstream recognition after breaking up. The following four legends are just a few examples of bands that should have gotten more love when they were still together.
Videos by American Songwriter
1. The Doors
The Doors’ career was short and wild. These American psychedelic rock icons were together from 1965 until 1973. The band came to an end a few years after the death of their frontman, Jim Morrison.
While the band did get some recognition while they were together, the late 1970s and early 1980s saw an enormous resurgence of their music, as well as the writings of the late Jim Morrison. In 1978, the remaining members decided to get together again to publish some of Morrison’s poetry in the album An American Prayer, which gave the band some post-breakup attention. The Doors weren’t inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until 1993.
2. The Velvet Underground
This is a solid example of rock bands that only got recognition after breaking up. The Velvet Underground was quite underappreciated during their years together between 1964 and 1973. Their influence in the world of art rock and experimental music was felt almost immediately after the band came to an end. Today, The Velvet Underground is considered one of the most pioneering proto-punk outfits in music history.
3. Joy Division
Joy Division more or less dissolved after the sudden and tragic death of their lead singer, Ian Curtis, in 1980.
The band got a bit of recognition while they were together, but they didn’t become universally loved by fans of post-punk until after they broke up. They weren’t inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until 2023, decades after they disbanded.
4. Big Star
In the 1970s, power pop band Big Star released three stellar albums, and they are still considered ahead of their time decades later. I wouldn’t be surprised if Big Star had gotten bigger while they were together if they did not have as many issues with their label and the distribution of their music. For the most part, Big Star’s music wasn’t readily available to the public when they were together.
It wasn’t until the 1980s, when younger bands started to cite them as influences, that Big Star got the recognition they deserved.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/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.