3 Bands You Want To Reunite but Probably Never Will

The hardest thing about being in a band is keeping it together. Often, there isn’t enough money in the world to make feuding bandmates reconcile their differences and reunite. Then you must factor in age and whether the band members are still alive. Meanwhile, some acts hit the road with one or two original members and roll through the hits while backed by hired musicians. Not ideal, but you take what you can get. Many would love to see the three legendary groups on this list reunite, but it probably won’t happen.

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The Smiths

Morrissey claimed guitarist Johnny Marr ignored his 2024 offer to reunite The Smiths. But Marr told the BBC that he “didn’t ignore the offer, I said no.” Zero ambiguity there. Also, bassist Andy Rourke died in 2023 at age 59, leaving only Morrissey, Marr, and drummer Mike Joyce. So even if Morrissey and Marr could work it out, the original lineup of one of England’s most influential bands will forever be in the past. So if you’re in the mood for reunited Manchester rock legends, Oasis’ reunion tour hits stadiums around the world this year.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin performed in 2007 at a tribute concert for Atlantic Records co-founder and president Ahmet Ertegun, with John Bonham’s son, Jason, filling in on drums. It gave fans hope that maybe this will continue. But there has never been a sustained reunion of the band since they broke up in 1980 following Bonham’s death. Regarding occasional rumors of getting back together again, Robert Plant said he’s “disappointed and baffled” by Jimmy Page’s attempts to feed such rumors. But that was in 2014. How about now? Page recently told Metro that “the future of Led Zeppelin is the past.”

Pink Floyd

Will David Gilmour and Roger Waters ever share a stage again?

“Absolutely not,” said Gilmour. “I tend to steer clear of people who actively support genocidal and autocratic dictators like [Vladimir] Putin and [Nicolás] Maduro. […] On the other hand, I’d love to be back on stage with Rick Wright, who was one of the gentlest and most musically gifted people I’ve ever known.”

Wright, Pink Floyd’s late keyboardist, died in 2008. Gilmour and Waters last performed together with Wright and drummer Nick Mason at the Live 8 benefit concert in 2005.

Photo by Dick Barnatt/Redferns