Words by Francesca Manenti
In December of 2021, Little Mix broke the news of their planned hiatus through an Instagram post published just a little over a year after former bandmate Jesy Nelson had left the band. Similarly, to Nelson, the group cited a desire to work on other projects as the reason behind their decision, yet they reassured their fans that this was not a permanent break ÔÇô ÔÇ£We are not splitting up ÔÇô Little Mix are here to stayÔÇØ. But as many of us know, these are often the familiar famous last words spoken by a band that is ready to call it quits. IsnÔÇÖt One DirectionÔÇÖs ongoing seven-year ÔÇÿhiatusÔÇÖ telling enough?
As we are reminded of all the countless great bands who shocked the world by parting ways after successful careers, it seems almost as if the breakups are the inevitable end that a band must meet in order to maintain a legacy. So, while the world awaits to see if Little Mix will keep their promise, we take a look at some of the biggest breakups in music history and why some groups decided it was better to burn out than fade away.
The Beatles
Despite having happened almost 52 years ago, the breakup of The Beatles remains one of the most talked-about events in music history. And for good reason. With a career that dominated the industry non-stop for eight years and showed no signs of slowing down (at least on the outside), Paul McCartneyÔÇÖs announcement that the ÔÇ£Beatle thing is overÔÇØ in 1970 came unexpectedly. What followed was confusion, anger, and a whole lot of pointing fingers ÔÇô The world had inexplicably just lost the Fab Four and they desperately needed someone to place the blame on.
The blame fell on many, particularly Yoko Ono, John LennonÔÇÖs eccentric wife, who was ever-present at his side. But what many fail to understand is that the breakup of The Beatles was gradual ÔÇô Simply the result of four young men growing apart over time and developing their own, respective artistic identities. Tensions rose within the group regarding song-writing input, financial management and creative direction, which eventually resulted in Lennon secretly leaving the group in 1969, officially ending The Beatles. This decision turned out to be beneficial for everyone ÔÇô Each member got to embark on the solo careers they desired, and The BeatlesÔÇÖ legacy was forever preserved within the music they created during their short but sweet time.
Guns NÔÇÖ Roses
Worldwide disappointment spread amongst rock fans in 1996 as the news broke that guitarist Slash had left Guns NÔÇÖ Roses, with bassist Duff McKagan announcing the same the following year, leaving lead singer Axl Rose as the sole remaining original member. While not a traditional breakup, in the sense that Guns NÔÇÖ Roses never really ceased to end, many consider the disbandment of their original line-up as one of the biggest losses in rock music.
Fuelled by excessive drug use, alcoholism and ego clashes, conflicts continued to rise during the bandÔÇÖs exhausting three-year Use Your Illusion Tour, by which point they had already lost two core members of the original group. Tensions reached a boiling point after Rose allegedly presented Slash and McKagan with an ultimatum, which forced them to sign over the rights to the Guns NÔÇÖ Roses name exclusively to Rose. With relationships being permanently damaged, the group entered a fourteen-year hiatus during which the band went through countless lineup changes. Unfortunately, none ever recaptured the magic of the original. Hailed as the last great rock nÔÇÖ roll band, the disbandment of the classic Guns NÔÇÖ Roses line-up officially marked the end of the glam/hard rock era, ushering in the grunge scene of the 90s. It wasnÔÇÖt until 2016 that Slash, McKagan and Rose made amends and embarked on a successful reunion tour.
Oasis
While not the most surprising of breakups given their volatile, turbulent relationship, the turmoil surrounding the breakup of Oasis is incomparable to any other band. Having exploded onto the music scene in the mid-1990s at the forefront of the Cool Britannia movement, Oasis became famous for two things ÔÇô Their iconic, uplifting music and the scathing relationship between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.
LiamÔÇÖs brash, loutish behaviour contrasted highly with NoelÔÇÖs more reserved attitude, which made for quite the public spectacle. For all the eighteen years that Oasis existed, the two brothers made no secret of their vicious feuds, often getting into physical fights both outside and inside the studio. Ultimately, it was this continuous strained relationship that led to the demise of Oasis. On one fateful night in 2009, Noel officially quit the group, devastating fans everywhere, after an altercation with the younger Gallagher that allegedly ended with a guitar smashed to pieces in a fit of rage. Fast-forward to 2022 and the beef is still cooking, with the brothers constantly poking each other through social media, crushing every fanÔÇÖs hope of a possible reunion.
One Direction
As the biggest boyband of the last decade, and possibly of all time, itÔÇÖs no surprise that One DirectionÔÇÖs breakup did NOT go unnoticed. Unlike any of the bands already mentioned, their breakup occurred during the era of Stan Twitter. In March 2015, Zayn Malik announced his intention of leaving the group, citing a desire to lead ÔÇÿa normal lifeÔÇÖ, sending fans into a frenzy. All of a sudden, the Internet was in turmoil with ÔÇÿDirectionersÔÇÖ taking to Twitter to express their devastation and disturbing hashtags with the likes of #Cut4Zayn starting to appear. Never before had the departure of a bandmate caused such a reaction amongst the public and this was only the beginning.
The real blow came when two months later the group decided they would be taking a hiatus for at least a year in order to focus on solo projects. Heartbroken teens once again fled to social media, to discuss how long this intended break would be. Seven years later, much of the world has moved on from One Direction, with each member finding success in their respective solo careers, yet the distressing response to their disbandment remains a significant occurrence, showing us the impact the breakup of a band can have on fans.
