10 Most Dramatic Band Splits In Music History

From the time the band starting getting major success, The Smashing Pumpkins were already on shaky ground. Their breakthrough album Siamese Dream sent the band to the big leagues while also separating them from the grunge sound of the early 90's. It may be regarded as a classic, but its production was especially contentious.

Being known to overanalyze, frontman Billy Corgan notoriously re-recorded every guitar and bass part on the record, much to the rest of the band's chagrin. Determined to aim even bigger, Corgan helped birth the band's opus on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which brought the band even more alt-rock acclaim. However, the ensuing tour cycle led to the group firing drummer Jimmy Chamberlain due to his heroin habit, which left him in incredibly bad shape.

Add to that the fact that bassist D'arcy Wretsky and guitarist James Iha broke up their romantic affair and the Pumpkins became completely under siege. Though the band continued as a trio for their next album Adore, the writing was on the wall. After the recording of the album Machina, Wretsky abruptly quit, leaving the band to tour with Melissa Auf Der Maur before finally calling it a day. While the band has reunited in a new form as of recently, the original Pumpkins lineup has still not been able to make amends in full.