Bands That Are/Were Around for 10 Years+ Without Any Changes in the Line Up

Declan A Walsh

Hopefully, you get the gist of this thread from its title. Can you think of any band that has never had a change in its line up and has been around for 10 years or more? This could be current or past bands. Be careful with this one as some bands had line up changes before they settled down.

I think U2 might just count. It depends on whether or not Dik Evans (brother of The Edge) had officially left the band called The Hype and but was not a member of U2 when it officially started. There was a brief overlap with both band names - that is why I cannot be sure. If they do qualify, that would make it nearly 45 years old from March 1978!

Be warned. I will be double-checking examples!😀

gabria

radiohead since 1985

Strumms

The National formed in 1999 and have had the same lineup without deviation from day one.

The bass player Scott Devendorf missed a few gigs due to paternity leave a few years back but was and is still a member of the band, just opted to sit out their tour of Australia and was replaced on stage by his bass tech Logan Coale….pretty much just a sub as opposed to a fully credible lineup change.

Deregos.

Zeppelin and ZZ Top both had the same line up for years.

rje66

Queen??

Deregos.

Because they've been around so long, between all the bust- ups, snorting, shaging and fighting, Fleetwood Mac must've been able to kept the same continuous line-up for ten years . . . at some point?

Anesthetize

Muse and Biffy Clyro have never changed line-up, since forming in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Both bands are made up of school friends, and Biffy Clyro having a set of identical twins.

PsychoPete

A-ha had the 3 same members but different tour members. Rammstein and Rage Against The Machine also kept its original line up. Four Tops had the same line up for 44 years. ABBA would just about make the 10 year mark with the original line up

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120172090#Comment_120172090

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120172742#Comment_120172742

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120172905#Comment_120172905

None of the above count for the following reasons.

The National: they gained an extra member in 2001 with Bruce Dessner on guitar and keyboards, so their line up did change.

Queen: They went through a few bass players during its first year before John Deacon finally joined. So already, the line up had changed before they became famous. Apart from that, Queen continued on after Freddie Mercury's death in 1991. John Deacon left in 1997, but Queen still exists with Brian May and Roger Taylor being its official members.

Fleetwood Mac: I am looking for a band that have been around for 10 years or more and whose line up has never changed in its history. The "Classic" line up of Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lyndsey Buckingham had an unbroken stint from 1975 to 1987, but it was not the original line up of the band. It has also continued on since then with various different line ups.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174151#Comment_120174151

The Four Tops' original four members were around for 44 years, but it continued after that with various different members and still exists to this day. While impressive, it does not fullfill the requirement as the line up did eventually change. I was also thinking of musical groups - that's why I said "bands".

spurious

Abba are still going. Since 1972 with a short break. :)

Rumours of a couple of new songs abound.

rje66

The doors......

iamstop

Cypress Hill.

Public Enemy after they had to kick out Professor Griff

Beastie Boys after Mixmaster Mike joined, up until Adam Yauch died.

Anesthetize

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120178524#Comment_120178524

Always first on the bill as well.

Deregos.

Do The Cranberries fit the criteria?

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120178524#Comment_120178524

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120178627#Comment_120178627

The following do not count:

The Doors - initially there was at least one other member: Patty Sullivan as a bass player. Even if he was discounted, The Doors did continue after Jim Morrison died with keyboard player Ray Manzarek taking over lead vocals.

Public Enemy - clearly the line up did change as Professor Griff left and I believe there were other line up changes.

Beastie Boys - similar to Public Enemy.

I think in the case of the latter two it was misunderstood what I meant. I am looking for bands in existence for at least 10 years, where the line up has never changed in its entire history. I think some thought I meant that the line up had not changed for at least 10 years.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120180052#Comment_120180052

Interesting question. The band started life as The Cranberry Saw Us with Niall Quinn as lead vocalist. He left and the remaining three musicians (Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawlor) continued as an instrumental group until Dolores O'Riordan joined. They changed their name to The Cranberries some time after that. After the death of Dolores in 2018, there was still an already recorded album to be released, and the three survivors officially dissolved the band in 2019. Make what you will of that!

Deregos.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120180230#Comment_120180230

Is that a yes then? because they only became 'The Cranberries' once Dolores had joined.

Or no? . . I don't really care eitherways, I enjoy looking up useless information about the likes of feckin Coldplay on Wikipedia.

What about family oriented bands like Kings of Leon, The Bee Gees or Sister Sledge? must be loads of sibling groups that stayed together 10 years or more after forming bands.

And do sibling duos like Sparks or The Carpenters count?

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174697#Comment_120174697

Do you mean Bryce Dessner ?

Probably a bit pedantic on your behalf in fairness …. While he was technically a new arrival, a slightly later arrival into the band before their first album. He was recording with them from day one but the National hadnt played a live gig prior to this recording being made….therefore he never misses a show, played on every recording they made, played the first gig so he’s been there from day one, essentially. He’s in fact listed as a band member on the liner notes. The liner notes make a deliberate separate mention between the band and the session / additional musicians…

The National

• Matt Berringer - lead vocals
• Scott Devendorf - bass guitar, backing vocals
• Aaron Dessner  - guitar
• Bryan Devendorf - drums
• Bryce Dessner - guitar

Additional Musicians

• Mike Brewer
• Nathalie Jonas
• Nick Lloyd
• Jeff Salem

So for me he’s an original member, on their first recording, plays their their first gig also…not a lineup change so.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120180554#Comment_120180554

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120180596#Comment_120180596

Re Cranberries, it is a matter of interpretation. I'm open on that one!

Kings of Leon and Bee Gees: Absolutely!

I had not thought about duos. I'm inclined not to myself as I was thinking of bands. There is no denying that Sparks and The Carpenters had no line up changes though!

Sister Sledge are down to two now so they don't count. There is a bit of confusion about the 10 years. What I am looking for is bands that have been around for 10 years or more that have never had any changes in their line up in their entire history. I picked 10 years because it is a reasonably long period for a band to have had no change. So, for example, yes to Bee Gees and Kings of Leon, but not Sister Sledge.

Re The National, I got the line up information from Wikipedia. It had all of them being members in 1999, but with Byrce (sorry for calling him Bruce!) becoming a member in 2001. As you say, that was before their first release.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120181052#Comment_120181052

How do the Carpenters count but Sister Sledge don't count because a member died?

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120181158#Comment_120181158

Because The Carpenters stopped when Karen died, but Sister Sledge kept going after one of them passed away (Joni). In fact, that is irrelevant because Kathy has come and gone a few times before Joni's death and is currently not a member - they are down to two. Re The Carpenters, I was not really considering duos but another poster brought them up. As it stands now, Sister Sledge are now a duo but that could change!

iamstop

"I think some thought I meant that the line up had not changed for at least 10 years."

That's what I was thinking. In that case, Digable Planets is another one.

Declan A Walsh

Rage Against the Machine, as referenced in an earlier post, were formed in 1991 and have had no changes to their line up in their history, so they are a perfect example.

Audioslave, which included the three musicians from RGTM along with singer Chris Cornell, is a curious one though. They were active from 2001-2007, but reunited briefly in 2017 before the death of Chris. You could argue that Audioslave were a band for 16 years, rather than 6 years, as a result of that brief reunion.

Fugazi. Started as a three piece very briefly but added the fourth member well before the first record came out. No line up changes from their first record in 1988 until their final release in 2001.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120196101#Comment_120196101

Technically, the line up did change, but not as far as their recording career is concerned. I already got rapped on the knuckles for that kind of scenario so I'm going to categorise them as an "imperfect example"!

PsychoPete

Blur has the original line up, I don't recall it ever changing ?

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120198035#Comment_120198035

Believe me when I say I would love to say that was the case! However, between 2002 and 2007, guitarist Graham Coxon was out of Blur and was not in the band for their 2003 album Think Tank.

Declan A Walsh

Coldplay is another example. They have been together a a band since the late 1990s without any line up change.

Husker Du, same three piece from day one in 1979 'til the day they split

rpirl

Would be a couple of other Irish examples apart from U2

Hope is Noise (2005-present)

O Emperor

Rubyhorse had same line-up during their initial run (which was 1994-2004 or thereabouts), but I think one of the members might've sat out the reunion, not sure

rpirl

Mancunian band I Am Kloot

Wild Beasts would be an almost (had an early member that got replaced), Delays would count only the band still seems to be in existence after Greg Gilbert's passing a couple of years ago

loyatemu

Super Furry Animals. The actor Rhys Ifans was in an early lineup but he'd left before they released their first single in 1995 and after that it was the same 5 guys through to their final album in 2009 (and some subsequent reunion tours).

Ride have had the same lineup for over 10 years, but with a big gap in the middle.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120546535#Comment_120546535

As Ride has been around for more than 10 years and they never had any change in their official line up throughout their history, they are a good example.

Super Furry Animals, on the other hand, did have a couple of changes in their early days, so technically they do not fit into this.

Declan A Walsh

American rock band The Strokes have been around since 1999, with no change in the line up.