Once upon a time, a formerly huge music act getting back together was a huge event - remember Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park (circa 1980)? Nowadays, it’s so commonplace by now, that it’s virtually an afterthought.
Someone pointed out to me once that old bands tend to reunite about 18 years after their central members have sired children. Ergo, the impetus for most formerly rebellious rock & rollers to get back together is to pay their kids’ college tuitions!
By now, it’s pretty much a rarity for a pop / rock band NOT to reunite sometime after they’ve called it quits. Even the Beatles - hindered by the untimely murder of John Lennon - managed to produce a new single in the 1990s.
One of the few major acts of the last 40 years to not get back together is ABBA. Since they dissolved in the early 1980s, they have not recorded or performed together, and have resisted megabuck incentives to do so.
What other bands haven’t reunited? How many can we come up with?
The Clash never reunited after breaking up in 1986. Joe Strummer’s death in 2002 makes any reunion cash-in unlikely. It was rumored that the Lollapolooza organizers tried to get them to reform in the 90s.
There have been 3 attempts to reunite David Lee Roth with the rest of Van Halen, but all have failed.
New Kids on the Block broke up in 1994 and have never re-united, despite truckfulls of money being repeatedly shoved at them to try to get them to do so.
I dunno…they may not have reunited long enough to tour, but they recorded those two new tracks for the Best Of album in the 90s. In fact, that was one of the alleged factors in Hagar’s departure.
The original Smashing Pumpkins never have and most likely never will reunite. I don’t care what anyone says, this so-called SP reunion is just a cheap ploy by Corgan to sell more of his shitty solo music under a more marketable name.
ABBA was offered a billion dollars to tour. They turned it down.
Agnetha will never get back with the group, Frida inherited a bunch from her late husband and Benny & Bjorn are raking it in from Mamma Mia!. Must be nice.
Bonzo Dog Band
Emitt Rhodes, despite being a one-person act, hasn’t done anything since 1973.
Jefferson Airplane
Creedence Clearwater Revival (so far)
The Supremes
Did a live show just recently (sans Viv, of course), and had previously reunited for the “No Matter Who You Vote For, The Government Always Gets In” single.
5/6 of the classic lineup (minus Spencer Dryden) made a reunion album in 1989.
Not the original lineup, but Diana Ross plus two later members did that disastrous reunion tour a few years back.
