Random Pettiest Reasons Bands Broke Up (12 items)

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  (#6) Refused

  • Heavy metal, Melodic hardcore, Screamo, Post-hardcore, Art punk, Experimental rock, Umeå hardcore, Noise, Art rock, Progressive rock, Thrashcore, Post-punk, Hardcore punk, Alternative metal

  Swedish punk rockers Refused didn't spend much time together as a band, but they definitely left a lasting impression. Their 1998 album The Shape of Punk to Come has spawned numerous think pieces, with critics calling it everything from a classic to the most overrated punk album of the 1990s. It seems that everyone can agree on one thing, however: The Shape of Punk to Come is the album that broke up Refused.

  Shape is an anti-capitalist manifesto disguised as a blueprint for navigating the future of punk. When the album didn't dismantle capitalism or start a worldwide movement like they'd hoped, Refused terminated their career. They went on a tour of mostly basements and coffeehouses with poor attendance, and decided to cancel the remaining dates after police shut down their final show in Virginia. They broke up a few months after the album's release, citing the Virginia show as "a last feeble attempt to break the linear timeline that the modern ways of production has forced upon us."
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  (#11) Violent Femmes

  • Alternative rock, Punk rock, Folk punk, College rock, Post-punk

  Folk-punk rockers the Violent Femmes have suffered a few break-ups over their 30+ years as a band, but the one that took place circa 2007 might be the most notable. Gordon Gano sold the rights to their hit "Blister in the Sun" to Wendy's for commercial use. This didn't sit well with Brian Ritchie, who called Gano both greedy and insensitive before promptly filing a lawsuit accusing Gano of cheapening the band's reputation. The lawsuit also stated that Gano withheld royalties from Ritchie in what was referred to as an "ongoing intra-band dispute."

  Pettiness aside, Ritchie's predictions about what would happen when Wendy's used the song were correct. Some fans were confused and upset upon hearing the signature riff in the commercial, questioning whether or not the nature of the tune made it a bizarre choice to promote burgers and fries.
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  (#7) Rage Against the Machine

  • Crossover thrash, Nu metal, Political hip hop, Rock music, Rapcore, Funk metal, Heavy metal, Rap metal, Alternative rock, Funk rock, Alternative metal, Hard rock

  Rage Against the Machine are notorious for being anarchist activists who, through their music, spoke out against corporate America, capitalism, imperialism, and US foreign policy. They were banned from Saturday Night Live in 1996 for suspending upside-down American flags from their amplifiers, and they even started a riot at the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

  Things began to spiral for Rage Against the Machine when they lost to Limp Bizkit for Best Rock Video at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, which prompted bassist Tim Commerford to climb to the top of a fake palm tree placed directly behind the podium in protest. As the members of Limp Bizkit collected their award, Commerford began furiously shaking the tree. This resulted in a scuffle between stagehands and security personnel, leading to Commerford spending the night behind bars.

  After expressing his humiliation over the ordeal, frontman Zach de la Rocha announced his decision to leave the band, claiming it was because the band hadn't achieved its musical or political goals. And though Commerford's antics were not the cause of their split, it appears to be the straw that broke the camel's back. 
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  (#2) Simon and Garfunkel

  • Pop music, Worldbeat, Rock music, Folk music, Folk rock, World music, Pop folk, Soft rock

  Simon & Garfunkel were the famous folk-rock duo responsible for the soundtrack to The Graduate, spawning the classic, "Mrs. Robinson." Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel met in elementary school and went from practicing harmonies at recess to selling over 100 million records worldwide. The duo seemed to get along okay throughout most of their career, and according to documentarian Charlie Grodin, the rivalry between Simon and Garfunkel emerged when filmmaker Mike Nichols cast them both in a 1970 film adaptation of the novel Catch-22, then cut Simon's role.

  In the years that followed, Garfunkel distanced himself further and further from music in order to establish a career in film. Simon laments that it all came to a head when Garfunkel accepted the lead role in Mike Nichols's next film, 1971's Carnal Knowledge, and purposely failed to mention it to him. Apparently, Garfunkel was afraid Simon would quit the band if he told him. 
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  (#1) Pixies

  • Experimental rock, Grunge, Noise, Alternative rock, Noise pop, Punk rock, Indie rock, College rock, Surf music, Post-punk

  Without the Pixies, there would be no Nirvana or Radiohead. The influential alt-rockers pioneered the genre in 1986 up until their untimely break-up in 1993.

  Frontman Black Francis hired Kim Deal after she responded to a newspaper ad about the band needing a bassist, but he didn't expect her to become the fan favorite. Even Kurt Cobain was impressed with her. In 1992, Cobain stated in an interview that he wished Kim "was allowed to write more songs for the Pixies, because 'Gigantic' is the best Pixies song and Kim wrote it."

  Francis became jealous and blocked Deal from having any creative input in their later albums. In perhaps the pettiest move of all, Black Francis sent the news of the break-up to the rest of the band via fax.
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  (#12) Witchrot Broke Up Because The Guitarist Slept With His Bandmate’s Girlfriend

  It was the break-up heard around the world. If you didn't know Canadian metal band Witchrot before the infamous Facebook post, you likely do now. In November 2018, Witchrot member Peter Turik posted the following to the group's Facebook page:

  Due to the unfortunate reality of our guitarist f****** my girlfriend of almost 7 years, WITCHROT will be taking an extended hiatus. I, however, will continue the band in another space and time, being ripe with hate the music is slowly flowing and without a doubt will become the most devastating, torturous music I have ever created.

  He then added that the band's drummer had passed. The post went viral, leading Turik to clarify that indeed, two people he cared about had pierced him "a trillion times in the heart with betrayal and that resentment scars like hellfire."

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