Getting the band back together! Five bands that reunited after breaking up

Unfortunately, band breakups happen – and they can get ugly, especially when money and fame are involved! Here are some bands that thrilled fans by getting back together after their breakups. 

Guns ‘N Roses 

Hard rock band Guns ‘N Roses saw meteoric success in the late 1980s and early 1990s with songs like “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, and “Paradise City”.  The band went through several lineup changes, including founding drummer Steven Adler leaving in 1990 and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin leaving in 1991. Tensions rose while trying to create a new original album after the 1994 covers album “The Spaghetti Incident”. Guitarist Slash left in 1996, followed by bassist Duff McKagan in 1997. Lead singer Axl Rose was the only remaining member when the act resurfaced in 2001. However, in 2016, Slash and McKagan came back in 2016 for a hugely popular (and ongoing) reunion tour. 

The Police 

British New Wave band The Police were at the top of their careers with songs like “Message in a Bottle”, “Roxanne”, and “Every Breath You Take” when they disbanded in 1984. Creative differences – and age differences – contributed to strife within the band, and all three members embarked on solo careers following the breakup. In 2007, the band reunited for a 30th anniversary tour (briefly). When the tour ended in 2008, The Police once again disbanded – as the world’s highest-paid musicians of that year. 

The Eagles 

The Eagles had a huge hit with their 1976 album Hotel California, but tensions were high as they recorded their followup, In the Long Run. That tension between guitarist/vocalist Glenn Frey and guitarist Don Felder bubbled over during a 1980 fundraiser concert for a U.S. Senator. Frey felt that Felder had insulted the senator under his breath, and confronted him about it – and that he felt the par would get into a physical altercation following the show. The group separated after that night. The band had a reunion in 1994 for their Hell Freezes Over tour. 

Blink-182 

Possibly the biggest pop-punk bands of all time, Blink-182 has had a few lineup changes but is best known for being a trio: drummer Travis Barker, bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus and vocalist/guitarist Tom DeLonge. The group had era-defining hits in the late 1990s/early 2000s, including “All the Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again”. However, they broke up in 2005 following arguments about recording and the direction of the band. In 2008, Barker survived a plane crash that killed four people, leading to the trio reuniting and starting the conversation about getting back together. The band reunited in 2009 and toured until 2014, when DeLonge quit. He was replaced by Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba for several tours and albums, including 2016’s California. Hoppus announced in 2021 that he was diagnosed with cancer, and the band announced DeLonge’s return in 2022. 

Led Zeppelin 

“Jimmy Page with Robert Plant 2 – Led Zeppelin – 1977” by Jim Summaria, http://www.jimsummariaphoto.com/ is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

After drummer John Bonham’s tragic 1980 death at age 32, Led Zeppelin disbanded, and lead singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, and bassist John Paul Jones went their separate ways. In 2007, the group reunited for one night only – with Bonham’s son Jason on drums. The group played the O2 Arena in London. Although the show generated plenty of buzz about a new tour or record, it never happened.