With songs like “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Supersonic,” they shaped the music of the 1990s. The group became one of the most successful bands in British music history: Oasis. Now they have announced their comeback for 2025.
Which cult bands have already celebrated successful comebacks:
Many people associate the musician Phil Collins with Genesis, but he only joined the band three years after the band was founded (1967). Collins started as the new drummer and took over the role of frontman and lead singer after the departure of founding members Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett. To date, Genesis have sold 150 million albums. In 1997, Collins also left the band. After his promotion he was replaced by singer Ray Wilson, but for many fans the band was no longer the same. There was even more joy when Genesis went on tour again with Phil Collins in Europe and North America in the summer of 2007. With the conclusion of their farewell tour in March 2022, Phil Collins also announced the end of the band's live performances.
One or two German bands also got back together after their breakup – especially the No Angels, who even split up twice before celebrating a comeback again. Nadja Benaissa, Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, Vanessa Petruo and Jessica Wahls made it big as a girl band in 2000 through the German casting show “Popstars”. Three years later the band broke up – only to reunite as a four-piece in 2007. The second separation followed in 2014, after the No Angels were already down to three. The surprise in 2021: For the band's 20th anniversary, four of the five No Angels are getting together again for an album (“20”). Shortly afterwards, the band was back on stage together in Germany for concerts.
Guns N' Roses are one of the most famous rock bands in the world, with over 100 million albums sold and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since its formation in 1985, the band has experienced ups and downs. In the mid-90s, almost all of the founding members left the band, only Axl Rose remained. In 2008, after a long wait, a new album was released, but it couldn't build on old successes. In 2016, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan returned for a performance at the Coachella festival. The subsequent “Not In This Lifetime” tour grossed over $475 million, and their debut album “Appetite for Destruction” reached number two in the German charts.
“Friendship Never Ends…” – the Spice Girls obviously take their lyrics literally. The five-piece British girl band came together in 1994 and released their first album in 1996, including their hit song “Wannabe”. After the rise of Halliwell in 1998 and the announcement of a band break in 2001, the members began their solo careers. In 2007 they came together for a final world tour together and a greatest hits album with the original line-up. The tour was a huge success, grossing over $100 million. In June 2012, the five members reunited to promote their musical “Viva Forever!” and performed a medley at the Olympics closing ceremony in August. Another tour of Great Britain followed in 2019, this time for the fourth time and without Victoria Beckham, who now works as a fashion designer.
Take That was formed in 1990 as a boy band in Manchester, the group split up in 1996 and reunited in 2005 without Robbie Williams. The group's well-known songs are mainly self-written titles such as “Back for Good” and “Patience”. Even before their comeback in 2006, they were considered one of the most successful British bands of all time, with 25 million albums sold and eight number one hits. The band currently consists of the three founding members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen, occasionally supplemented by Robbie Williams.
In addition to the No Angels, Die Ärzte have also celebrated their comeback in German-speaking countries. The punk band was founded in Berlin in 1982. They gained additional notoriety in 1987 when authorities indexed some of their songs. Despite the success, the band found themselves burnt out and announced they were breaking up. The farewell tour was a triumphant success, the last concert took place on July 9, 1988 in Westerland, which also gave its name to one of their biggest hits. In 1993, Bela B and Farin Urlaub came back, got a new bass player and looked for a record company through an ad. The single “Cry for Love” made it to number one in the charts again in 2015. Since then, Die Ärzte have released many albums, played concerts and made political statements – and are still active today.
The new wave band The Police was founded in London in 1977 and achieved great success under frontman Sting. After a series of successful albums in the 70s and 80s, the band unexpectedly broke up in 1986. Work on their planned sixth album was canceled, partly because of Sting's growing interest in a solo career. The Police got back together for the band's 30th anniversary, but decided against new music and instead went on a big reunion tour. Between May 2007 and August 2008 they played 151 concerts worldwide. After a little over a year, the band finally broke up.
The American hard rock band was founded in New York in 1973 and is considered one of the most successful rock bands of all time, with more than 100 million albums sold worldwide. After their worldwide reunion tour in 1996-1997, Kiss only announced their “Kiss Farewell Tour” four years later. But at the end of 2002 they announced that their departure from the stage was not as final as planned. Even after the tour, Kiss played more concerts. At the beginning of 2019, Kiss announced their absolutely final farewell tour. But the “End of the Road” tour also extends over three years and ends in 2023 with its last concert in New York.
Many people associate the Eagles with their hit song “Hotel California”. The band was founded in 1971 and split up nine years later. Tensions between Glenn Frey and Don Henley were so high that it was said the Eagles wouldn't play together again until “hell froze over.” In 1994 there was a reunion with a live concert under the title “Hell Freezes Over”. The accompanying live album went straight to number one on the Billboard charts and sold over nine million copies in the USA. In 2023, the Eagles finally announced their farewell tour, but no longer in the original version.
Founded in 1968, Led Zeppelin was one of the most successful bands of all time. The death of drummer John Bonham marks the end of the British rock band. In 2007, a full 27 years after their dissolution, Led Zeppelin announced a spectacular reunion: the three founding members Plant, Page, Jones and Bonham's son Jason would play a complete set together again for a benefit concert in London's O2 Arena. According to the information, 20 million people tried to get a ticket, but only 20,000 spectators were able to attend.
The British rock band Blur was founded in 1990. In a list of reunions, comebacks and revivals, Blur is one of those bands that never officially broke up. There was radio silence for twelve years before she celebrated her new comeback with an album in 2015.
