From Spanish to Japanese, and everything in between
In the photo, from left to right, are Jack Irons, Hillel Slovak, Flea, and Anthony Kiedis. Following Hillel Slovak's unfortunate demise due to an overdose, Jack Irons found it too difficult to continue with the band and chose to depart. Nonetheless, Anthony Kiedis and Flea persevered, leading the band through numerous lineup changes as they forged ahead to international success.
David Marks, who was a member of The Beach Boys for a number of years, exited the band in 1963. This decision was largely influenced by his inability to tolerate Murry Wilson, the father of bandmates Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, who was famously irritating.
Dave Mustaine, shown on the far left, was dismissed from Metallica due to substance abuse, a decision he deems unfair. However, he went on to establish the successful band Megadeath.
In the initial stages of U2's formation, Richard Evans, the Edge's older brother and guitarist, decided to leave the band. Following his departure, Evans has found moderate success working with other bands.
Pink Floyd, a renowned classic rock band, experienced internal struggles throughout its lifespan. After their album 'The Wall,' Richard Wright (center left) was criticized by the band due to an argument with Roger Waters (far left) and subsequently chose to leave.
Pete Best (center left) was asked to depart from the Beatles when George Martin, their producer, expressed dissatisfaction with his drumming. Their manager gave Best the bad news, and Ringo Starr subsequently took his place.
Tracii Guns (left) and Nikki Sixx (right) are shown in the picture. Tracii Guns was given his notice by Guns N' Roses due to his lack of commitment. He ceased attending rehearsals and parted ways with the band a year before their debut album was released.
Andy Nicholson (center right), the bassist for the iconic British rock band, stepped down from touring with the group citing exhaustion. Subsequently, he went on to perform as a DJ and started his own record label.
Bob Welch (center rear) left Fleetwood Mac in 1974 due to ongoing conflicts and disagreements with band members, as they notoriously faced countless internal disputes. They released their iconic album 'Rumors' in 1977.
Manager Mathew Knowles' favoritism towards Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland led to bitterness for LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett. As a result, both Roberson and Luckett caused trouble and were eventually pushed out of the group. Michelle Williams later joined the group to make up the famous trio.
Singer Paul Di'Anno (center) was asked to leave the band after his excessive consumption began impeding his performance. He really pushed the boundaries of rockstar hedonism.
John Kiffmeyer (left) was substituted by Tré Cool in Green Day when he started attending college. Sadly, his absence led to his exit before the band achieved great success.
Songwriter Kim Hill (pictured in the left foreground) sang with the Black Eyed Peas during the early 1990s. Prior to the band's worldwide success with their songs 'I Gotta Feeling' and 'Pump It,' Hill decided to leave due to feeling objectified by record labels as a woman.
Michael Dempsey (center left), a founding member and bassist of The Cure, was excluded by fellow musicians due to their perception of him as overly critical of the songs. Despite this, he went on to pursue his musical career, collaborating with various bands such as Roxy Music.
Glen Matlock, positioned on the far left, had to depart in order for Sid Vicious to join the S** Pistols. This occurred during their rise to popularity upon the launch of 'Anarchy in the UK' and 'God Save the Queen.'
Established in 1998, the Sugababes experienced some success within a couple of years. However, their peak came after Siobhán Donaghy (on the right) left the band (rumored to have escaped through a toilet window).
Simon Colley (far left), quit Duran Duran for The Subterranean Hawks.
This image shows Jason Everman (far right) together with Soundgarden. Everman made the decision to leave both Nirvana and Soundgarden in order to enlist in the US Army Special Forces. He received a distinction for his commendable service.
Keith Levene (left), one of the founding members, was removed from the group before they could release their debut record. Following this, Levene established Public Image Ltd.
George Baldi III (rear center) left Boyz II Men before the group achieved commercial success with their exceptional harmonies.
Tenor Elbridge Bryant (upper left) was substituted with another vocalist just a year prior to The Temptations recording and releasing their first album with Motown Records, a pivotal event that greatly influenced the music landscape.
Founder David Lee Roth left the band Val Halen during a 1984 tour due to rising tensions. In his place, guitarist Sammy Hagar (right) was brought in, but he was later ousted when Roth decided to rejoin the band in 1997.
Guitarist Chris Karloff (left) was dismissed from the band while they were making their second album due to "creative differences."
Before drummer Keith Moon joined The Who and became known for detonating explosives during performances, the band had Doug Sandom as their drummer. Unfortunately, Sandom had to leave the band in 1964, only two years after becoming a member, as he was deemed "too old."
Jason Galasso made the choice to depart from NSYNC prior to their debut, as he had concerns about becoming a teenage idol.
John Berry's interest in playing with the band waned significantly once their debut EP was released, leading him to stop attending practices altogether. His intentions were made abundantly clear.
Bassist Dell Neal has no regrets about his decision to depart from The Killers a year before the band's success skyrocketed. Neal cited stress and unsatisfactory finances as the primary factors behind his choice.
Pete Garner, formerly a roadie for The Stone Roses, played with the band for a span of four years. However, in 1987, when the group faced difficulties, Garner made the decision to leave. The Stone Roses went on to make a significant impact on the British pop music scene, along with Oasis and Blur.
TV and film composer Gavin Skinner parted ways with Primal Scream due to incessant arguments with guitarist Jim Beattie. Following suit, Beattie also decided to leave the band not long after.
One of the original members of The Jam, Steve Brookes, played guitar in the band during its early days. The group went through several musicians before Brookes ultimately left due to disagreements over the band's musical direction.
Sources: (NME)(Relix)(Thomann)
See also: Bands who reunited-for better or worse
Being in a band can be challenging. The demands of touring, handling press responsibilities, and maintaining a harmonious creative dynamic with fellow musicians can cause immense pressure. The bands featured in this list have achieved significant success, but unfortunately, this success has come at a cost - the loss of members along the way.
Click through this gallery to see which famous groups had unlucky members leave right before they made it big.
Musicians who left bands before their success
They were at the brink of massive popularity
MUSIC Rock and roll
Being in a band can be challenging. The demands of touring, handling press responsibilities, and maintaining a harmonious creative dynamic with fellow musicians can cause immense pressure. The bands featured in this list have achieved significant success, but unfortunately, this success has come at a cost - the loss of members along the way.
Click through this gallery to see which famous groups had unlucky members leave right before they made it big.