10 Music Bands That Split Up Over Stupid Reasons

Rock and roll has never been just about the music. It’s about personalities, egos, lifestyles—and sometimes, drama so petty it feels like it came out of a high school lunchroom rather than a stadium tour. While some band breakups stem from creative differences or serious personal issues, others implode over arguments that seem, in retrospect, downright ridiculous.

Here are 10 music bands that fell out over stupid reasons, from sandwich orders to arguments about band names.

1. Oasis – A Fight Over a Banana

You can’t have a list like this without Oasis. The British rock legends, led by feuding brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, were notorious for their constant arguments. But the band’s final split in 2009? Reportedly, it started with an argument backstage at a Paris festival—over a banana.

Noel claimed that Liam threw a plum at him and smashed his guitar after a petty disagreement over what fruit was on the catering table. That food fight escalated into the end of one of the most successful bands of the ’90s. Noel walked out, later saying he simply couldn’t work with Liam anymore.

“It’s with some sadness and great relief… I quit Oasis tonight.” – Noel Gallagher

2. The Beatles – Ringo Walked Out Over Salad

The Beatles’ breakup is legendary and complex, involving money, control, and Yoko Ono (depending on who you ask). But did you know Ringo Starr once quit the band temporarily in 1968 because he felt left out and because Paul McCartney criticized his drumming—and his salad?

Ringo said he’d had enough of the tension, so he packed up and left during the White Album sessions. The other Beatles didn’t even ask him to come back right away. They just decorated his drum kit with flowers when he returned two weeks later.

“I felt I wasn’t playing great, and I also felt that the other three were really happy and I was an outsider.” – Ringo Starr

3. Blink-182 – Tom DeLonge’s UFO Obsession

Blink-182 were pop-punk icons—until guitarist Tom DeLonge left in 2015. The band had its share of disputes, but things went downhill when Tom became deeply involved in UFO research.

Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker were frustrated with Tom’s repeated delays on band projects. Tom, meanwhile, was reportedly busy working with the U.S. government on extraterrestrial research. The final straw? He kept blowing off studio time, claiming he was too busy with “a national security issue.”

It was the weirdest—and possibly most X-Files-worthy—breakup in punk history.

4. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Ego Over Songwriting Credits

CCR had one of the shortest but most successful careers in rock. Despite multiple hit albums, the band disintegrated quickly—largely due to squabbles over control and credit.

Frontman John Fogerty wrote nearly all the songs, and his brother Tom didn’t appreciate being sidelined. Tensions peaked when John forced everyone to share songwriting duties on the band’s final album—as a petty test to prove he was the only talented one.

The results were subpar, the band fell apart, and they never reunited again—not even for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, which John attended without the others.

5. Guns N’ Roses – Axl Rose’s Perfectionism

Guns N’ Roses brought raw energy to the late ’80s, but the band was always a ticking time bomb. The catalyst? Axl Rose’s obsession with control.

Guitarist Slash and other members grew frustrated with Axl’s demands, such as making the band wait hours before concerts started and bringing in session musicians to re-record their parts.

At one point, Axl legally secured ownership of the band’s name without telling the others—a move Slash found out about only after quitting. Axl’s micromanagement pushed everyone away, and the original lineup dissolved over what many call the lead singer’s unchecked ego.

6. The Smiths – Disbanded Over a Manager Choice

The Smiths were poetic, melancholic, and wildly influential. But the breakup? Less tragic, more petty.

In 1987, tensions were already high between singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. The final blow came when Morrissey wanted to hire a new manager—the band’s accountant, of all people. Marr objected. He wanted a professional music manager.

Morrissey wouldn’t budge, so Marr left. The band folded immediately. One of indie music’s greatest duos broke up over office politics.

7. Fleetwood Mac – Petty Affairs and Pettyer Reactions

Fleetwood Mac is practically a soap opera with instruments. Sure, their inner-band relationships were famously messy. But some of their squabbles were truly absurd.

One of the dumbest? During the recording of Rumours, Lindsey Buckingham reportedly refused to let Stevie Nicks sing a certain harmony just to annoy her, not because it didn’t fit musically.

The band often aired grievances through their songs, sparking passive-aggressive wars in the studio. They didn’t just write breakup songs—they lived them, over and over, often fueled by jealousy and minor slights.

8. The Kinks – A Punch Over a Girl (and a Beer)

Another pair of warring rock brothers, Ray and Dave Davies of The Kinks, nearly torched the band before it even took off.

At one gig in 1965, Ray punched Dave in the face because Dave insulted the band’s drummer—right after knocking over Ray’s beer and flirting with his girlfriend. Dave fell to the ground, got up, and kicked over Ray’s amp.

They kept the band going for decades, but their sibling rivalry was legendary. They argued onstage, during interviews, and in the studio—often over the tiniest provocations.

9. Zayn Malik Leaving One Direction – Pasta Night Fallout

One Direction’s breakup was less about instrument-smashing and more about passive drama. Zayn Malik’s sudden exit in 2015 stunned fans, but what made it dumber? The drama around “Pasta Night.”

Band members reportedly tried to bond by cooking and hanging out. But Zayn often skipped out, and tensions escalated. Some reports claim a major argument over food choices and skipped hangouts triggered the final breakdown in group cohesion.

In truth, Zayn’s departure was likely about wanting to go solo—but that infamous “Pasta Night” moment became a symbol of the band’s unraveling.

10. Van Halen – The Brown M&Ms Incident

No list of petty band drama is complete without Van Halen’s infamous brown M&Ms clause. The band demanded a bowl of M&Ms with all brown ones removed at every venue.

While the clause was meant to check if promoters read the full contract (which included safety specifications), it became a running joke—and a real problem. When a promoter missed the detail, the band would go into diva mode. Once, they trashed a dressing room over the presence of brown M&Ms.

Though not a direct cause of the band’s fallouts, it reflected the control issues that plagued them. Between David Lee Roth’s ego, Eddie Van Halen’s perfectionism, and these petty stipulations, the band saw multiple splits over the years.