10 Bands That Broke Up For Bizarre Reasons

The consistent theme of sibling rivalry continues as the surreal undoing of The Kinks claims top spot. The Kinks are one of the most integral acts in the history of British rock and are responsible for some of the genre’s most ageless songs. Unlike other bands featured, The Kinks enjoyed a long, storied career before their calamitous downfall came to fruition in the strangest of circumstances.

Originally forming as the Ray Davies Quartet in 1962 with Rod Stewart as vocalist for a time, The Kinks emerged in their final form in 1963. The group enjoyed major success from 1964 onwards thanks to their breakout hit ‘You Really Got Me’. However, the relationship between founding brothers Ray and Dave Davies was generally turbulent, worsening greatly when the group’s popularity declined in the late 1980s and '90s. Despite receiving some late-career recognition, they continued to flounder commercially and it all came to a head at the unlikeliest of times.

For Dave’s 50th birthday, Ray decided to throw his brother a party which ended up being the last time all members of the band were in a room together. According to Dave, Ray stood on a table and began making a self-indulgent speech. While talking, Ray stood on Dave’s birthday cake and caused a huge row between the brothers. Even though Ray has disputed this story since, the band broke up immediately and the brothers supposedly never spoke to each other again.