10 Rock Bands That Survived Key Members Leaving
6. Peter Hook - New Order
New Order were formed after Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis' death in 1980, with Peter Hook reprising his role on the bass and even picking up the microphone for Dreams Never End and Doubts Even Here in 1981.
Peter's unique plays style developed further with New Order, utilising his infamous high bassline and gradually exploring more synthesised effects as the group delved more and more towards their iconic electronic sound. Whilst Peter reunited with the band following their hiatus in 1998, by 2007 he had announced that he was no longer working with lead singer Bernard Sumner.
The news shook the New Order fanbase to the core, and there was plenty of speculation about whether that was the band finished for good. However, original keyboardist Gillian Gilbert and Tom Chapman from Bad Lieutenant were recruited up and the group embarked on a live world tour. Since Hook's departure, the new look New Order have recorded two studio albums with each of them accompanied by a successful tour of North America and Europe.
Peter launched a lawsuit against New Order in 2015, claiming he hadn't been cut a fair deal from New Order's earnings. Everything was settled by 2017 however, allowing both parties to continue on with their successful careers.