Top 10 Most Controversial Band Reunions

Top 10 Most Controversial Band Reunions

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most controversial band reunions of all time.

#10: The Beatles

The Beatles… got back together?? It’s surely impossible? But it’s probably testament to the muted feeling around this mid-90s project that it never really gets a mention whenever the iconic Liverpool band is discussed. The surviving members (McCartney, Harrison and Starr) collaborated on two new songs for the 1995 Anthology project; “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love”. They were built around old John Lennon demos, massaged into new material chiefly by ELO’s Jeff Lynne. The move sparked debate at the time, though, about whether it was ethical or even artistically valid to essentially resurrect a deceased band member. Ultimately, the tracks in question arguably added very little to the overall legend.

#9: New Order

After the tragic death of frontman Ian Curtis in 1980, the remaining members of post-punk pioneers Joy Division regrouped, but under a new name. And, initially, it was the name that sparked controversy, as some believed it to be a reference to fascism and Adolf Hitler. The band quickly confirmed that there was no such connection. Fast forward a couple decades, though, and controversy of a different sort befell them. New Order reunited again in 2011, but with a different lineup, and notably without founding member and bassist Peter Hook. There followed some long and tense legal issues behind the scenes, largely around the distribution of royalties.

#8: Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac's revolving door of members is practically legendary. For this list we might’ve chosen a number of moments along their tumultuous timeline. But, perhaps nothing highlighted the always-present tension quite so well as the recombining of the “Rumours” lineup, in 1997, for “The Dance Tour”. The tour itself was a success, but all the talk around it was focussed on the unique dynamics of the relationships between band members - and especially between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. The song “Silver Springs” was revived at the time. Written by Nicks about Buckingham, it had previously been dropped from the “Rumours” album in 1977. Twenty years later, and the lyrics struck a chord even better than they did before.

#7: Oasis

The Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, were notorious for their volatile relationship throughout their time in Oasis. Near-constant reports of backstage bust-ups ultimately led to an acrimonious split in 2009. There followed years of reported bitterness between the two, so much so that an Oasis reunion was widely tipped to be one of those things that would just never happen. That all changed in 2024, when the pair announced a truce, and a new tour in 2025. Fans rejoiced, but the good feeling turned sour when it came to trying to book tickets. Huge demand led to hours-long queues online. And then, if you did get to the front, Ticketmaster’s so-called dynamic pricing meant that tickets were hugely more expensive than advertised. Liam and Noel had long been held as working class heroes, but the pricing scandal flew in the face of that reputation.

#6: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

When a reunion of one of the biggest bands in the world gets retrospectively labeled as the Doom Tour, it’s probably safe to assume that something went wrong. The inner workings of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had always been complicated, to put it mildly. But, the four appeared to have worked it all out, when they announced a reunion and a fresh set of dates scheduled for 1974. In truth, the shows are remembered by fans with something akin to fondness. They’re controversial, though, purely due to the sheer scale of the band’s reported excesses at the time. It was sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll… to the extreme.

#5: Sex Pistols

It’s perhaps not often that the Sex Pistols and the Spice Girls could be accused of the same thing… but when it comes to seemingly blatant cash-grab reunions without any real substance, they’re both guilty. For the Spice Girls, it happened in 2007, with cynics claiming that their return tour only materialized as no one from the group had achieved a successful solo career. With the Sex Pistols, though, it happened in 1996, with a short run of dates dubbed the “Filthy Lucre Tour”. The Pistols had once been punk rock's poster children, building their reputation on anarchy and anti-establishment ideals. As a result, many saw their latter-day 90s rerun as being steeped in hypocrisy. The tour was financially successful but it did lasting damage to the band's credibility.

#4: Guns N' Roses

As with many on this list, the life and times of Guns N’ Roses never did run smooth. The relationship between lead singer Axl Rose and lead guitarist Saul “Slash” Hudson became the archetypal will-they won’t-they setup, in terms of them ever playing together again. Thankfully for fans, in 2016, with the "Not in This Lifetime... Tour" the pair did reform, for what turned out to be a commercial juggernaut. The years beforehand, though, are mostly remembered for the ultra-chaotic “Chinese Democracy Tour”, which was littered with cancellations, no-shows and disappointing performances. Slash wasn’t involved, which all played into some ill feeling at the time. But, at least they settled the score in the end.

#3: Van Halen

In 1996, it had been eleven long years since the original Van Halen had taken to the stage. It’s little wonder then that the watching world got pretty excited when the group showed up in full, complete with David Lee Roth, to present Best Male Video at the VMAs. The appearance goes down as something of a car crash, though, with clear tension between Roth and Eddie Van Halen, in particular. Roth’s antics during the presentation reportedly lead to huge arguments backstage, with it even said that he and Van Halen almost came to blows. Ultimately, the reunion that was teased here never really came to fruition… which only served to fuel the bad blood for years more to come.

#2: Linkin Park

The tragic death of Chester Bennington in 2017 sent shockwaves through the music world and left Linkin Park's future uncertain. In the years that followed there were various album reissues, and constant talk that they might reform, with founding member Mike Shinoda reportedly exploring a number of options. In 2024, it was finally announced that Linkin Park would tour again, with a new lead vocalist in Emily Armstrong. However, controversy instantly erupted due to Armstrong’s ties to the Church of Scientology. It was also revealed that she had previously supported fellow Scientologist and convicted rapist, Danny Masterson, whose crimes saw him sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. Fans demanded answers, and Bennington’s son Jaime criticized Armstrong’s appointment as a betrayal.

#1: The Doors

Replacing a frontman as iconic and unique as Jim Morrison was always going to be a controversial move. Yet, in the early 2000s, the surviving members of The Doors did just that, recruiting Ian Astbury of The Cult for a series of shows and new recordings. This new version of the Doors - which went by the name The Doors of the 21st Century - didn’t go down well. Backlash was swift and brutal, with many fans and critics accusing them of grave-robbing and exploiting Morrison's legacy. In the background, there were also long-running legal disputes between them and the Doors’ original drummer, John Densmore. All in all, it’s remembered as a massive artistic misfire, and as a cautionary tale about the dangers of trying to recapture the magic of a bygone era.

Which band reunion did you find most controversial? Which do you feel still managed to work? And which, in your view, ultimately failed? Let us know in the comments!