'70s Bands That Broke Up Right Before Their Fame Exploded

Probably every member of every rock band in rock history dreams of making it big — and some actually do find lasting commercial and critical dominance, while countless others don't. So many bands that came of age and peaked in the 1970s broke in such a way that they became foundational in the rock 'n' roll canon, but quite a few of those only got their laurels in retrospect. Like all the better-known and immediately successful important rock bands of the 1970s, these groups wrote great songs, played a lot of shows, and even landed record deals. In the end, however, none of that helped raise their profile enough to earn a place in the spotlight while they were still active bands.

There are a lot of reasons why bands break up, and things not working out is chief among them. Many notable '70s bands split up — or ended under the shadow of tragic circumstances — before they could enjoy the accolades, acclaim, and record sales they deserved and which would eventually come their way. That, or they wound things down before they could ever get a foothold in the messed-up music industry of the 1970s.

With a stark, dark, and moody sound, Joy Division stripped down rock music to its skeleton, the perfect accompaniment for the sad, gothic, and haunting lyrics of bellowing lead singer Ian Curtis. At the fore of the late 1970s U.K. post-punk scene, Joy Division released some standalone singles before its first full-length album, "Unknown Pleasures," hit stores in June 1979. Many of its tracks would go on to become Joy Division's best-known songs, such as "Shadowplay," "She's Lost Control," and "Disorder," which indirectly inspired 1980s goth and alternative rock.

"Unknown Pleasures" was modestly successful, topping the U.K.'s independent music chart, while Joy Division figured to get a lot more popular, or at least a lot more exposure, via a tour of the much larger U.S. market. Scheduled to begin in May 1980, it didn't come to pass because just before Joy Division was supposed to depart England, Curtis was found dead by suicide. Dealing with mental health issues like depression and mood swings, and prescribed powerful prescription drugs to treat epilepsy, Curtis was 23 years old. Joy Division ended with Curtis' death, but one more album, "Closer," was released in July 1980, just after the band's signature song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Meanwhile, the survivors of Joy Division reconvened, rebranding as the poppy, electronic-oriented New Order.

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Big Star was so important to the music of the 1970s that a cover of its 1972 song "In the Street" was used as the theme song for the sitcom "That '70s Show." But contrary to its depiction there, few real-life '70s teenagers listened to Big Star records. The Memphis-based group, co-led by singer-songwriter Chris Bell and former teen star Alex Chilton, recorded three albums in the '70s, all of which were plagued by distribution issues and poor label management. The first, "#1 Record," was lauded in 1972 by the media, and while it failed to sell well, it helped invent power pop, a rock sub-genre with a big sound made up of endless hooks, hard-rock tropes, and ringing guitars.

A disgruntled Bell quit Big Star in 1972, and bassist Andy Hummel followed suit after the release of 1974's "Radio City," leaving Chilton and drummer Jody Stephens to record an album that label Stax decided not to release. That album, "Third/Sister Lovers," saw the light of day in 1978, long after Big Star had broken up. But many of those who did manage to hear Big Star's albums in the 1970s and beyond went on to form rock bands that incorporated musical themes and lessons they learned from the group. Members of R.E.M. and the Bangles are avowed fans, while the Replacements loved the group so much that it recorded a tribute song called "Alex Chilton."

Even a casual rock fan knows "Layla." In 1970, a band calling itself Derek and the Dominos released what would turn out to be its only studio album, "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs." Along with the classic rock radio staple "Bell Bottom Blues," the LP also generated the semi-title single, an epic that would ultimately become one of the most acclaimed pieces of '70s music, repeatedly named on best-of lists and used dozens of times in movies and TV shows. The first section was an angry and frustrated tale of unreciprocated love, framed by the acrobatic guitar work of guitar master Eric Clapton; the second, credited to drummer Jim Gordon, was a sweet and introspective piano instrumental. 

At any rate, neither "Bell Bottom Blues" nor "Layla" made their way into the American Top 40, at least not at first. Then the whole project fell apart anyway. While recording what would've been the second Derek and the Dominos album, Gordon took five hours to tune his drums, getting Clapton good and annoyed when the drummer offered to tune up his guitar. At that point, Clapton stormed out of the studio and declared he'd never play with Gordon again. Shortly after, member Duane Allman died in October 1971, ensuring a reunion would never happen. After the band's dissolution, "Layla" re-climbed the Hot 100, peaking at No. 12 and finally getting heard by a huge audience, opening it up to the praise it would eventually receive.