10 Bands That Broke Up For Bizarre Reasons

Music is cruel. Some bands will set out to take on the world armed with abundant talent, only to peter out when their dreams don’t materialise. These ambitions are usually somewhat realistic, but that rule doesn’t apply to Sweden’s Refused, who set themselves the minor task of destroying capitalism. 

As one of punk rock’s most divisive bands, people generally see Refused as either landscape-shifting pioneers or inexplicably overrated, with the middle ground rarely being visited. Refused formed in 1991 and had enjoyed a steady rise until the release of their third album, ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’, in 1998. No matter what your opinion of Refused is, there is no denying that this groundbreaking album sounded the death toll for the band. The members expected it to spark a globe-engulfing revolution with its anti-capitalistic undertones, bolstered by their bold manifesto for the future. But when it became apparent that they weren’t going to end capitalism, they immediately threw the towel in.

The last live show Refused played before disbanding in 1998 was broken up by police, acting as an underwhelming last stand for the rampant punk group. In the aftermath, Refused remarked that it was “a last feeble attempt to break the linear timeline that the modern ways of production has forced upon us”. Despite their sudden disappearance, Refused later reformed in 2014 and their latest album, ‘War Music’, was released in 2019.