Top 20 Band Mates Who HATE Each Other
#20: Eddie Van Halen & Everyone Except Alex
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Van Halen
Maybe there’s a reason the band is called Van Halen; it's almost like Ed doesn't want anyone else there. The guitarist and David Lee Roth have decades of animosity between them, mostly stemming from Roth's outgoing, childlike personality rubbing EVH the wrong way, which may have been exacerbated by Ed's battles with booze. But Ed has also spoken ill of former bassist Michael Anthony, claiming Anthony was a “garbage bass player”. Then there's Roth's most famous replacement, Sammy Hagar, who left in the late '90s over managerial and creative differences. Rock and roll is tough, and the personalities within often tougher.
#19: The Monkees
Top 10 Band Mates Who Hate Each Other
Despite successful and distinct songs like “I'm a Believer” and “Daydream Believer,” The Monkees are usually held as an American Beatles copycat. They did virtually everything that the Fab Four did but not quite as effectively, including a failed movie called “Head.” Heck, they even broke up in the same year! Like the late ‘60s Beatles, The Monkees did not get along. Tension was rife throughout their four years of activity, and the members weren’t particularly interested in acting as a band. In fact, Peter Tork was so desperate to escape that he paid out his contract to leave early, equating to roughly $5 million today! And, just like pulling a thread, The Monkees unraveled from there.
#18: Caleb & Jared Followill
Kings of Leon
Getting along with family can be difficult. Just imagine if you had to work and tour with them every day! Caleb and Jared Followill, along with their brother Nathan and cousin Matthew, make up Kings of Leon, the band behind songs like “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody”. And, like most brothers in music, Caleb and Jared don’t exactly get along. Or at least, they didn’t. It mostly stemmed from Caleb’s alcoholism, as Jared despised Caleb’s nonchalance and unprofessional behavior. Caleb in turn hated Jared for tarnishing his name and not believing in him. Luckily, Caleb eventually quit drinking and the brothers reconciled.
#17: Black Francis vs Kim Deal
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Pixies
The Pixies weren’t so much a band as a backing group to frontman Black Francis. Francis was the main creative force behind the group, and it was he who wrote virtually all of their songs. Unfortunately, this caused friction between Francis and bassist Kim Deal. Deal wished for more creative freedom in the band but Francis continuously rejected her ideas, resulting in quite a lot of tension. This was compounded by the band’s relentless touring schedule, which caused the members to grow exhausted and bitter. Francis threw a guitar at Deal during one concert, and at another Deal completely refused to play. Francis eventually snapped and dissolved the Pixies in 1993.
#16: Lars Ulrich & James Hetfield vs Jason Newsted
Metallica
Despite Newsted serving as Metallica’s bassist for almost fifteen years, he was always the odd man out. This largely stems from him not being Cliff Burton, the band's original bass player, who was killed in a bus accident while the band were touring Sweden in 1986. The band welcomed Newsted by burying his bass tracks on “... And Justice for All”. Newsted chalked this up to Lars and James hazing him, but they would later blame this on his playing. Although seemingly there for the long haul, Newsted never quite felt respected and exited the band after a disagreement with Hetfield about a side project.
#15: Eagles
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When it comes to the best-selling albums in American history, the Eagles hold two of the top three spots. “Hotel California” is in third with 26 million sales, and “Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975” is in first with 38 million. Nestled between them is Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” It just goes to show that success doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness. The Eagles did not get along, and Randy Meisner left the group following a physical fight with Glenn Frey. Everything came to a head on July 31, 1980, known as the Long Night at Wrong Beach. Frey and Don Felder openly bickered onstage, with each threatening to kick the other’s you-know-what. It was the end of the Eagles until 1994, with Frey saying, “We just took a 14-year vacation.”
#14: Steven Tyler vs Joe Perry
Aerosmith
Steven Tyler and Joe Perry have long been songwriting partners. And, as is common with romantic partners who have also been together for a long time, it seems to be nothing but bickering between the two. Heavy substance use plagued the early years of Aerosmith, and it impacted the work of both Tyler and Perry. They would often record separately, and their animosity boiled over in 1979 when Perry left the group while recording “Night in the Ruts”. Perry and Tyler wouldn’t reunite for almost another decade, when they both found success recording “Walk This Way” with Run-D.M.C. However, the fighting continued into the 2010s, with physical onstage antics and Tyler signing to “American Idol”, causing noticeable friction between the pair.
#13: Steve Perry vs Everyone Else
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Journey
Steve Perry was the new kid on the block, and not everybody liked him. Perry didn’t make his first appearance with Journey until October 1977, when the band had already released three albums. Furthermore, he brought a mainstream pop sound to the progressive rock band that hardcore fans didn’t exactly gel with. As a result, Perry was a bit of an odd man out. While his tenure brought great success to the band, he apparently never felt included, and he told VH1 as much during an episode of “Behind the Music.” Personal problems and creative differences often brought him into conflict with the others, and he pretty much disappeared from the public spotlight after quitting the band in the late ‘80s.
#12: Tom DeLonge vs. Everyone Else
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Blink-182
There are a few bands synonymous with pop punk, and Blink-182 is certainly one of them. Unfortunately, the band’s success has negatively affected frontman Tom DeLonge. His time with Blink-182 initially came to an end in the mid 2000s, as he was growing increasingly disillusioned with touring and the time spent away from his family. DeLonge later returned to the band but the in-fighting continued, with a major source of contention being his musical side project, Angels & Airwaves. Though there was more turbulence following this, the trio put aside their differences in 2023 for a reunion tour that was enormously successful.
#11: Mike Love & Brian Wilson
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The Beach Boys
Cousins Mike Love and Brian Wilson pioneered surf rock, and they revolutionized musical production with their 1966 album “Pet Sounds”. But Beach Boys Mike and Brian rarely saw eye-to-eye. Mike has even called himself Brian’s “Antichrist” due to their constant clashing, which included heated arguments over band's experimental direction in the '60s. He also took Brian to court on numerous occasions for defamation and writing credits. And despite the two reuniting for a 50th anniversary tour, Love – who owns the Beach Boys brand – disbanded the anniversary lineup when the tour ended and resumed performing with a pack of hired guns.
#10: Mick Jagger vs Keith Richards
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The Rolling Stones
It’s a miracle that we got the legendary music of The Rolling Stones at all, because songwriting partners Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were constantly at each other’s throats. Their relationship has long been described as familial and, like most families, there is often some squabbling involved. Their working partnership was at an all-time low in the mid ‘80s, following the middling success of “Dirty Work” and Jaggers’ unwillingness to promote it. Compounding this was Jagger's increased focus on his solo career and growing disinterest with the Stones. Richards has claimed that he would “shout and scream at [Jagger],” and he later called him “unbearable” in his autobiography.
#9: Ray & Dave Davies
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The Kinks
Some brothers just find it hard to get along. Ray and Dave Davies worked together in The Kinks, with Ray on vocals and rhythm guitar and Dave on lead guitar. Dave once told The Telegraph, “I think Ray has only been happy for three years of his life. Those were the three before I was born.” That pretty much sums it up. There’s not one thing that caused their schism - it just seems that they’ve never exactly gotten along, even in childhood. The frosty relationship remained cold throughout their musical career, with arguments running rampant. The band finally dissolved in 1996 and, while rumors of a reunion have circled for decades, drummer Mick Avory laid them to rest in 2023, saying the brothers couldn’t work it out.
#8: Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley vs Ace Frehley & Peter Criss
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KISS
Here we see a band split right down the middle. Kiss was one of the biggest and most controversial rock bands of the '70s, known for their electrifying music and elaborate stage shows. And while they continue to play to this day, they do so without Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Criss was dismissed in 1980, and Frehley left soon after over disagreements with the band’s direction and for constantly being ignored in band decisions. Although the band held a reunion in 1995, both Ace and Peter have re-exited and remain on poor terms with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, who, among themselves don’t seem to be on great terms anymore.
#7: Joey & Johnny Ramone
Ramones
There is one main name in punk rock, and that’s the Ramones. In a fun little bit, each member adopted a pseudonym with the surname Ramone, so Joey and Johnny aren’t actually brothers. But, that didn’t stop them from fighting like it. The two were reportedly constantly bickering about any and every little thing, including politics and the direction of the band’s career. Everything took a turn for the worse, though, when Joey’s girlfriend, Linda Daniele, left him for Johnny. While they continued to tour, this incident permanently soured Joey and Johnny’s relationship and there was simply no going back. The two never reconciled, and Joey died from cancer in 2001 without, it’s been said, so much as a phone call from Johnny.
#6: The Entire Band
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Fleetwood Mac
When do we get the Fleetwood Mac movie because, boy, is that story juicy. Despite producing one of the greatest albums ever in “Rumours,” Fleetwood Mac was a mess from the very beginning. In fact, six people had already come and gone before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the band. The making of “Rumours” was also famously turbulent, as the entire band was fighting with each other and refusing to speak outside of the studio. Despite this, the iconic lineup stayed together for another decade before splitting after 1987’s “Tango in the Night.” Buckingham quit the band following a physical altercation with Nicks, and Nicks followed soon after in the midst of an argument with Mick Fleetwood.
#5: Billy Corgan & D'arcy Wretzky, Billy Corgan & James Iha
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The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins were huge, but man were they hostile. James Iha and D'arcy Wretzky briefly dated, but manged to keep things cordial post-breakup. Relations between D'arcy and Billy Corgan were never quite as smooth. Although credited on albums up until “Machina II”, Wretzky held resentment after Corgan took over her bass duties on “Siamese Dream” and Corgan has been less than kind towards her since the '90s came to a close. Iha, like D'arcy, did not take part in the reformed Pumpkins, and has been referred to by Corgan as “a piece of shit” and “one of the worst human beings” he’s ever met.
#4: Simon & Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are one of the best known duos in music history, and believe it or not, they hated each other’s guts nearly every step of the way. The recording of “Bridge over Troubled Water” was rife with difficulties for the duo,and they called it quits after its release. They later refused to talk to each other, and despite brief reunions, continue their resentment and constant verbal jabs. When Simon was asked about a reunion in 2016, he quickly shut it down, telling the reporter that he and Garfunkel don’t get along and that touring with him is not enjoyable.
#3: Roger Waters vs David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright
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Pink Floyd
Already industry vets, Pink Floyd's commercial peak came with 1973's “The Dark Side of the Moon”, lasting until “The Wall”. But, that sudden and massive success also ratcheted up the tension between bassist and principal songwriter Roger Waters and the rest of the band. Water's exclusive role as lyricist netted him half the royalties to any of their non-instrumental songs, while he typically wrote or co-wrote the majority of the music during this era as well, entitling him to an additional cut.Issues between Waters and Wright led to Wright's dismissal, while Waters animosity with Gilmour and dissatisfaction with Mason ultimately led to Waters himself leaving.
#2: Axl Rose & Slash
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Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses were exactly what the late '80s needed, but while Axl and Slash couldn't have done it without each other... they really could have done without each other. Tensions between the two finally hit a breaking point in 1996 when Slash took his top hat and went home, following in the footsteps of Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler. At the time, he stated that it was due to personal and creative differences with Rose, but would later cite Rose’s hostile attitude and unprofessional behavior, Rose’s increasing legal control of the band, and the earlier departures of his missed bandmates as a motivator.
#1: Liam & Noel Gallagher
Oasis
Whoo boy, where do we even start with the Gallaghers? Well, it’s really more like Liam hating Noel with every fiber of his being. Liam has reportedly expressed his wish to beat his brother with a guitar and constantly refers to him as a “potato” over social media. Liam apparently got his wish in 2009, as the brothers came to physical blows at a festival and Liam swung a guitar at Noel’s head. Noel has in turn stated that Liam is “frightened to death” of him and that he “plays him like a slightly disused arcade game.” Ah, nothing like the timeless bonds of brotherly love.
