10 Bands Who Quit Music At The Peak Of Their Success

If you need proof that sticking it out through tough times is a good idea, then look no further than The Zombies. Had this band stayed together, they may have become one of the biggest names of the 1960s.

Formed by Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone in 1961, The Zombies looked as if they could eclipse The Beatles in the primordial landscape of rock n roll for a time. Their debut album, ‘Begin Here’ (released as a self-titled record in the United States) was a big success mainly thanks to the inclusion of ‘She’s Not There’. This single reached number one across the world in countries such as New Zealand, Japan and USA, but failed to make the top 10 in their native UK. News travelled slowly in those days, and this was highlighted by the reception to their second album, ‘Odessey and Oracle’, from 1968. Initially it seemed that this record had commercially bombed and the band broke up just a few months after its release. But the lead single, ‘Time of the Season’, went on to become a phenomenal hit in North America, easily topping charts in Canada and the United States alike.

In spite of the surprising success of ‘Odessey and Oracle’, the band did not reform until 1989 and ‘Time of the Season’ was not performed live by the band’s original line-up until 1997, nearly 30 years after its initial release. Had The Zombies stayed together for just six more months, it’s likely that their names would be held alongside the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles in the present day.