Veteran editor who brought DJ Mag to the U.S., fused EDM with VIBE, and created award-winning content across the globe.
When people talk about classic rock, they usually start with the triumphs. The landmark albums. The legendary performances. The moments that defined entire eras of music, creating new cultures along the way.
And honestly, that makes sense. Those are the stats you put on the front of the baseball card. The songs that still echo through your Spotify playlist are generally tunes that were made long before the afvent of Spotify. But classic rock was never just about harmony. It was also built on tension, the kind that can either spark greatness or burn everything down. Behind many of the genre’s most iconic bands were simmering conflicts and creative power struggles that eventually led to spectacular breakups. In some cases, those bands even found their way back to each other, only to implode all over again. Whether driven by unfinished business or the temptation to recapture lightning in a bottle, the results were rarely clean. Still, those messy reunions and dramatic collapses became part of the mythology, and subsequently, essential for the story. 10 Guns N' Roses Bright Shining Burnout The late '80s into the early '90s marked a meteoric, if altogether short, rise to mainstream success for the Los Angeles-based rock band Guns N' Roses. Buoyed by the eventual breakthrough success of their 1987 debut LP, Appetite for Destruction, and followed by the critical reception of the albums G N' R Lies as well as Use Your Illusion I and II, the group, also known as GNR, seemed poised to continue their dominance into the '90s. Interpersonal issues between members, however, arose instead. After a subpar commercial reception to Guns N' Roses' 1993 album of punk rock cover songs called The Spaghetti Incident?, simmering tensions between the lineup of frontman Axl Rose, guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Matt Sorum only grew. Classic lineup drummer Steven Adler had already been fired a few years prior due to drug addiction, while prior rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin had departed to get sober and escape Rose's increasingly erratic rock star behavior. Related Why Slash Hated Playing Guns N' Roses' Most Famous Song For So Long Just because it was Guns N’ Roses' biggest song, doesn’t mean Slash liked playing it . Posts 1 By Paul Elliott Rose's unsteadiness and rapidly controlling demands over the band also led to McKagan and Slash leaving Guns N' Roses, while Sorum and Clark were later fired, leaving the continuation of additional music long in doubt. Slash and Rose had the most public of conflicts, ranging from disagreements over creative direction to Rose allegedly being upset with Slash over the guitarist's collaborations with pop icon Michael Jackson. Rose had suffered abuse as a child and reportedly believed allegations of abuse against Jackson at the time, which made Slash's actions feel like a betrayal. Rose never allowed GNR to fully"dissolve," using his control over the name in endeavors like the mythically long-delayed follow-up to The Spaghetti Incident?, 2008's Chinese Democracy. While Rose has mended fences with Slash and McKagan to tour as Guns N' Roses again in recent years, it feels like the lengthy period spent feuding cost the band the best spark of what they once had. 9 Van Halen Lead Singer Blues Much like Guns N' Roses, Van Halen was another hard-rock-leaning California band with as much behind-the-scenes dramatics as success, especially when it came to their rotation of lead singers. From 1974 to 1985, the group consisted of their signature lineup of singer David Lee Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, bass player Michael Anthony, and drummer Alex Van Halen. In that time, Van Halen had a string of successful albums, including their self-titled 1978 debut, 1980's Women and Children First, and 1982's Diver Down. In 1985, disagreements over the band's sound, direction, and separate solo projects prompted Roth to decide to quit. Singer Sammy Hagar was chosen to replace Roth and helped carry Van Halen to four more successful records in an 11-year period. By 1996, however, Hagar had grown increasingly at creative odds with the rest of the band and departed . Van Halen briefly joined forces again with Roth in '96, but after a disastrously iconic public appearance together at the MTV Video Music Awards, Roth was out again. Next in the Van Halen lead singer's seat was the former band Extreme's vocalist, Gary Cherone, whose brief tenure led to the commercially underwhelming 1998 LP Van Halen III. Following this reception and a lukewarm tour, Cherone and Van Halen parted under amicable circumstances in 1999. After a brief hiatus, Van Halen had another brief tenure and poor tour with Hagar before finally reuniting with Roth one last time. The band was able to tour and record the 2012 album A Different Kind of Truth. It would prove to be the last album for Van Halen after Eddie Van Halen died of cancer in 2020. Despite frequent lead singer dramas, at least Van Halen went out in their original formation on their own terms. 8 The Beatles Managerial Meltdown The Beatles didn't exist all that long in the world of rock and roll, with the legends from Liverpool, England, only being active from 1960 to their 1970 dissolution. Still, the group, also known as the Fab Four, made their time together count, as they not only released thirteen studio albums but also created a cultural phenomenon that was unprecedented. Guitarists George Harrison and John Lennon, bassist/piano player Paul McCartney, and drummer Ringo Starr evolved from a boy band into experimental entrepreneurs in just a decade; the world would never be the same. Related 10 Beatles Covers That Improve On The Originals There’s no question the Fab Four wrote incredible songs, but in the years since, quite a few musicians have put an incredible new spin on things. Posts 2 By Zahra Huselid Eventually, conflicts arising in the partnership of Lennon/McCartney and Harrison and Starr's desire to have a greater creative stake in the band helped fuel the Beatles' separation. Over the years, it's been alleged that Lennon's significant other in later years, Yoko Ono, was behind the shift, but the truth was much closer to home. In 1967, the group's manager, Brian Epstein, died suddenly, which led to a power vacuum that could never be adequately filled. Having an increased involvement in the business side of their venture with no mediator for their personalities was the beginning of the band's unraveling. 7 Cream A Supergroup Supernova In 1966, one of the first rock supergroups came together when British blues-rock titans, bassist Jack Bruce, guitarist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker, decided to form the psychedelic rock-influenced trio known as Cream. In their three years together, Cream managed to record the albums Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, and Wheels of Fire, with a fourth album called Goodbye arriving in 1969 following their separation the year prior. While Cream's sound proved influential on the genre, it was ultimately the infighting between Bruce and Baker that made Cream so short-lived. The pair had previously been in a group together called the Graham Bond Organisation, which was marked by frequent fights between Bruce and Baker that included sabotaging each other's musical instruments. Baker even allegedly pulled a knife on Bruce at one point and would ultimately fire him from the Organisation band.While the duo weathered the storm for a time in Cream, their squabbling would only continue, with a reportedly stressed Clapton acting as the mediator. Cream still managed to make some timeless music in spite of this, though even later reunions, such as in 2005, would still be blemished by these old grudges. 6 Hall & Oates The Duo That Said "No Can Do" To Staying Together The rock duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates came together out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, beginning in 1970, and achieved their greatest commercial success from the mid-'70s to the late '80s. They eventually came to be referred to by the moniker Hall & Oates and had a string of iconic songs, including"Sara Smile,""She's Gone,""You Make My Dreams,""I Can't Go For That ," and"Maneater." Hall & Oates continued to perform together into the 2020s, though a recent nasty and public 2023 legal battle over publishing rights to their own work has seemingly put them at irreversible odds with each other. Last year, both artists separately confirmed that they'd both moved on from their time performing together and that they'd never do it again. It was a tidy, if altogether sad, way of putting a bow on an altogether notable musical career. 5 Oasis Far From Brotherly Love While the British rock band Oasis certainly had plenty of highlights in their '90s heyday, much like Cream in the '60s, their creative output was marred by constant conflicts between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. While that may have helped fuel the rise of songs like"Wonderwall" and"Live Forever" as well as major albums like Definitely Maybe and Morning Glory?, the brothers turned personal fights and disagreements into what became practically an Olympic sport. Their verbal sparring is even immortalized on a 14-minute, 1995 recording called Wibbling Rivalry. Related What Happened To Liam Gallagher & Oasis After Better Man Better Man depicted Robbie Williams' friendships and rivalry with Liam Gallagher and the band, Oasis, who experienced success after the movie. Posts By Eidhne Gallagher After years of verbal tussling, a near-lawsuit, a cricket bat, and Liam wielding one of Noel's guitars like an ax after yet another argument, Noel quit Oasis in 2009. While both brothers went solo , their continued train of insults to each other finally led them back together to reunite. Oasis is planning to tour again together later this year, but with the Gallaghers' history, is it wrong to question if there's a quick expiration date? 4 Fleetwood Mac A Team Of Turmoil Another band that could easily join Oasis in the Olympics of inner turmoil is Fleetwood Mac. Formed in London in 1967 by former guitarist and singer Peter Green, the only permanent members of the band throughout their tenure have been drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie. While Fleetwood began as a British blues rock outfit, by the mid-'70s, Green had left along with then-members Danny Kirwan, Bob Welch, and Jeremy Spencer. They were replaced by vocalist/keyboardist Christine McVie , guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, and singer Stevie Nicks, which ushered in Fleetwood's pop rock era. While this came along with critical mainstream success for the band with albums like the iconic Rumours, the breakthrough came with persistent conflict. The McVies were divorcing at the time of Rumours, while Buckingham and Nicks had gone from being a couple to becoming constantly at odds with each other. While Fleetwood Mac was able to use this energy for periods of chaotic creativity, Christine McVie, Nicks, and Buckingham all ducked in and out of the lineup in the decades that followed. The band was able to unite for their final studio album with 2003's Say You Will along with a few more tours, though Buckingham was fired and replaced by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' guitarist Mike Campbell and Crowded House singer Neil Finn during Fleetwood's final live dates. Buckingham wound up suing for an undisclosed sum. While Christine McVie's death in 2022 seemingly closed the door on the group, Fleetwood has said he would not be opposed to reassembling the remaining members once again. 3 Talking Heads Byrne'd Down Relationships From their formation in New York City in 1975 to their critically acclaimed run through the '80s, the band Talking Heads was a revelation to the world of new wave music. Fusing together styles including funk, punk, world, and art rock, songs like"Psycho Killer,""Once In a Lifetime," and"Burning Down The House" were among the material that elevated the band to icon-level status . Screen Rant Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. By 1991, however, Talking Heads had broken up, with lead man David Byrne leaving and instead deciding to go solo. Other members of the band were reportedly left shocked and upset by the decision, with drummer Chris Frantz stating they'd learned of it from a newspaper and not through Byrne himself. As a result, relations between Byrne and the rest of the group have been shaky in the years since, with Talking Heads only reuniting once, in 2002 to play at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The band did make a public appearance together recently to celebrate the 40th anniversary re-release of Stop Making Sense, but up to this point, there have been no plans for Talking Heads to play music together again. Only time will tell if Byrne or the other members will ever reverse this decision. 2 The Eagles A Beat-Up Breakup The Eagles formed in the early '70s out in Los Angeles, and were actually a part of singer Linda Ronstadt's self-titled 1972 third solo album before venturing out on their own 1972 LP entitled Eagles. Mainstream attention quickly followed the band, and ultimately The Eagles not only became one of the '70s most successful groups, but one of the best-selling acts of all time. In 1980, however, tensions boiled over between singer/guitarist Glen Frey and guitar player Don Felder during a benefit concert for a politician named Alan Cranston, an event infamously known as"Long Night at Wrong Beach." Related I Still Can't Believe The Best-Selling Classic Rock Album Of All Time Is This Band's Greatest Hits Compilation It seems like a studio album would be the obvious answer for the best-selling classic rock album, but it’s actually a greatest hits album. Posts 55 By Sarah Polonsky The Eagles broke up not long after the pair threatened each other with physical violence during this concert, and wouldn't play together again until 1994 for the aptly-named Hell Freezes Over tour. Felder went on to later sue the band after being fired in 2001. The Eagles would continue to tour and release their first studio album in 28 years with 2007's Long Road Out of Eden. They've continued to play live even after Frey's death in 2016, recruiting Frey's son Deacon and noted country musician Vince Gill to fill in. 1 Creedence Clearwater Revival The Unfortunate Sons Much like The Beatles, it feels like Creedence Clearwater Revival's creative impact has long outlived their actual time together as a band. Lead singer and primary songwriter John Fogerty, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty , bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford only played and recorded from 1968 to 1972 . The group managed to record seven albums during that time, highlighted by the chart-topping Green River in 1969 and Cosmo's Factory in 1970. Tom Fogerty left after feeling like his brother's increasingly controlling and domineering nature within the band about its direction was becoming too much to take. John Fogerty allegedly relented and allowed Cook and Clifford more creative freedom on the band's final album , 1972's Mardi Gras. Despite this, CCR split up not long after, and a series of lawsuits and fights for business and creative control have kept the band contentiously apart. Tom Fogerty died in 1990, and John Fogerty refused to perform with Cook and Clifford at Creedence's 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. While Fogerty has periodically left the door open to reuniting with his CCR bandmates, both Cook and Clifford have firmly said there was no chance of it and that the time of that being possible had come and passed. At the very least, the work of Creedence Clearwater Revival remains a classic rock staple to this day.
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