The Best Band Reunions of the Past Decade
New bands spring up all the time, and existing bands seem to be quitting almost as often, dealing with the conflicts that come with being out on the road and other issues, or even worse, band members passing away. It’s always a big disappointment to see your favorites fade away, but a reunion is almost always a possibility. These are some of the best that have made their fans smile again in the past decade.
Black Sabbath
The original members of Black Sabbath, including Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy Ioammi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler, announced in 2011 that they’d be reuniting for a tour and a new album. Sadly, it wasn’t long after before Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma and shortly after Ward decided to abandon the whole thing, reportedly due to contractual complaints, meaning he wanted more money.
In 2013, tour dates were arranged that allowed Iommi to return to the U.K. every six weeks for treatment, allowing the band, minus Ward to follow through with the plans. Brad Wilke from Rage Against the Machine replaced Ward, and they managed to record the album 13 and take to the stage throughout 2013. They planned on making another album, but it didn’t happen, and in 2014 the band announced that the tour would be the final one due to Iommi’s health problems. Although he revealed in 2016 that his cancer was in remission, noting that he’d need to remain vigilant for the rest of his life to watch for its possible return according to Billboard, the band officially broke up in March of 2017 in an announcement via social media.
Fleetwood Mac
One of the great oldies’ bands, Fleetwood Mac started over a half-century ago in 1967 – they’ve had many members come and go over the decades, with a couple of big reunions. Arguably the biggest came in 2013 when it was announced that Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Stevie Nicks would reform to embark on a world tour. After a 16-year absence, Christine McVie rejoined the band in 2014 for a tour that ended in November of 2015. Since then, things have been quiet. Nicks has said that the band won’t be recording any more albums, but there have been hints of a future tour.
Guns N’ Roses
A relatively younger band compared to Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath, Guns N’ Roses formed in 1985. While it did exist in various different forms, the band went on hiatus for longer periods and in February of 2009 singer Axl Rose gave his first interview in nearly a decade, stating that there was absolutely non chance of a reunion with Slash. Summarizing with “not in this lifetime.” In 2015, the “Not In This Lifetime…” tour surprised all with the return of the band’s classic lineup, including Rose, Duff McKagan and Slash.
Soundgarden
Soundgarden was at their peak in the late ‘90s, with albums selling like crazy and stadiums selling out. But after over 10 years they decided to end it while they were still ahead. In 2011, fans were ecstatic when they regrouped and hit the road. A new album, King Animal was released in 2012 with more tour dates following. With rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell’s suicide in 2017, it all came to an end. After a long silence, in October 2018 it was announced that the band would not continue.
Author: Eric Adamczyk