Bands breaking up has been a habitual phenomenon. The Sherp picks some of the most dramatic of them.

In conventional businesses, you would write a mail or a letter notifying your colleagues one month prior to your departure. However, rock bands prefer to go out with a bang, with a considerable amount of drugs and hate.

After sifting through many band break-up stories, The Sherp settled on theΒ top 5 ugliest band break-ups in the history of rock music:

 

1.Β The Eagles

This band was in the peak of its music career in the β€˜70s. Sadly, their mighty talent was overshadowed by their great egos. During a show in 1980 in Long Beach, things got ugly as guitaristsΒ Glenn Frey and Don Felder agreed to a fight. In 1994, they reconciled for the β€˜Hell Freezes Over’ album and tour. Felder left again in 2001 claiming β€˜wrongful termination’. They finally settled the case out of court in 2007.

2.Β Oasis

The split of the Gallagher brothers seemed pretty inevitable ever since they formed the band in the early β€˜90s. In 1994,Β Liam attacked Noel with a tambourineΒ followed by forcing their drummer to quit in 1995. The Gallagher brothers were compelled to hold a press conference to announce that Oasis hadn’t disbanded as two more members left in 1999. The bandΒ finally called it splits in 2009Β after two decades of going at each other’s throats. Noel started a solo project titledΒ β€˜High Flying Birds’, while Liam formedΒ β€˜Beady Eye’ along with the rest of Oasis.

3.Β The Beatles

The termination of this legendary rock β€˜n’ roll band resulted in its share of public brawling and lawsuits. In 1970, thousands of fans were disheartened whenΒ Paul McCartney announced that he was leaving the group. As opposed to the popular belief thatΒ John Lennon’s wife, Yoko, helped to break up the band, it really wasn’t her. The band suffered from creative rivalries, bad business decisions and easily-bruised egos.

4.Β The Pixies

Although they formed in 1986 andΒ terminated in 1993, the band epitomized the alternative rock of the β€˜90s. After many years of fabricated gossip and break-up threats, front manΒ Black Francis put an end to the bandΒ with an announcement on BBC radio in January 1993. While he was courteous enough to inform guitarist Joey Santiago after the interview, he notified bassist Kim Deal and drummer David Lovering byΒ sending a fax!

5.Β The Smashing Pumpkins

After more than a decade ofΒ drug addiction, personality conflicts and Billy Corgan’s ego, the band announced its end along with a four-hour farewell performance in Chicago. After more than three years,Β Corgan blamed guitarist James Iha for the split, describing the situation asΒ β€œcancerous can’t-live-with-you-but-can’t-live-without-you”. However, Iha denied he was at fault. Fans got to witness the main drama when the Pumpkins β€œreunited” for tour and the only person on stage from the original line-up was Corgan!

 

Disputes between band members continue to rage on for decades into 2013. Sometimes, bands never learn from their mistakes! After all is done, it’s probably just the fans left to suffer.