When The Impossible Actually Happened
Rock fans spend years imagining reunions that will probably never happen. Every so often, though, old bandmates put decades of arguments, breakups, and separate careers aside for one song or one unforgettable night. Some of these reunions lasted only minutes, while others produced full concerts, but all of them gave fans something they never expected to see again.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Heart - Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (2013)
Heart's 2013 induction brought the original 70s lineup together onstage for the first time in more than 30 years. Ann and Nancy Wilson were joined by Roger Fisher, Steve Fossen, Howard Leese, and Michael Derosier for “Crazy on You”. The later “Barracuda” performance added Jerry Cantrell, Chris Cornell, and Mike McCready, but seeing the original Heart lineup together again was already enough to make the night special.
Talking Heads - New York City (1989)
Talking Heads hadn't toured since 1984, but a Tom Tom Club show at New York's Ritz in July 1989 unexpectedly brought all four members together. Jerry Harrison joined first, followed by David Byrne, and the night ended with Byrne, Harrison, Tina Weymouth, and Chris Frantz sharing the stage for “Psycho Killer”. It was messy and unplanned, which somehow made the fleeting reunion feel even more appropriate for the band.
The Faces - London (1986)
Rod Stewart's Wembley Stadium concert produced a genuinely moving Faces reunion. Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan, Kenney Jones, and Ronnie Lane joined Stewart, with Bill Wyman helping on bass because Lane's multiple sclerosis had made performing increasingly difficult. Seeing Lane back alongside his old bandmates gave the reunion extra emotional weight. The group would cross paths again in later combinations, but the 1986 appearance remains the closest thing to a proper classic-lineup reunion.
Ray And Dave Davies - London (2015)
Years of feuding made a Kinks reunion seem almost impossible, which is why the ending of Dave Davies' London concert on December 18, 2015, was such a shock. Dave introduced a “surprise for Christmas,” and Ray walked onstage. The brothers hadn't performed together in nearly 20 years. Naturally, they played “You Really Got Me,” the song that had started everything for the Kinks more than half a century earlier.
The Band - Los Angeles (1978)
The Last Waltz was supposed to be the end of the Band as a touring unit, but barely a year and a half later, the five members unexpectedly found themselves together again. During a Rick Danko show at the Roxy in Los Angeles in March 1978, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson joined him for a late-night set. They played songs including “The Weight” and “Stage Fright” before the club finally shut things down.
The Byrds - Los Angeles (2000)
Roger McGuinn wasn't even announced for the Fred Walecki benefit at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in August 2000. David Crosby and Chris Hillman were already appearing, but McGuinn's surprise arrival suddenly turned the evening into a Byrds reunion. The surviving trio performed “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” together. It was brief, spontaneous, and much warmer than many fans would've expected given the band's complicated history.
The Rolling Stones With Bill Wyman - London (2012)
Bill Wyman left the Rolling Stones in the early 90s and seemed perfectly content staying away. That changed during the band's 50th-anniversary concerts at London's O2 Arena in 2012. Wyman returned as a guest, marking the first time he'd performed with the Stones in roughly two decades. Former guitarist Mick Taylor also appeared, giving fans a rare chance to see pieces of several classic Stones lineups intersect on the same stage.
Yes - Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (2017)
Yes has had so many lineups that almost any reunion requires a diagram, but the 2017 Rock Hall induction brought several major eras together. Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin, and Alan White performed, while Bill Bruford participated in the ceremony without drumming. Geddy Lee filled Chris Squire's bass role on “Roundabout,” while the band also played “Owner of a Lonely Heart”. For longtime fans, the lineup collision was almost as interesting as the songs.
The Supremes With Diana Ross - Motown 25 (1983)
Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Cindy Birdsong hadn't performed together in more than a decade when Motown 25 brought them back for “Someday We'll Be Together”. The reunion was short and apparently under-rehearsed, and reports of tension between Ross and Wilson have followed it ever since. Whatever was happening behind the smiles, millions of viewers saw one of Motown's most famous groups sharing a stage again for a moment nobody could ignore.
Screenshot from Motown 25, NBC (1983)
ABBA - Stockholm (2016)
ABBA's 2016 Stockholm gathering was more complicated than headlines initially suggested, but it was still extraordinary. At a celebration marking 50 years since Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson first met, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad performed “The Way Old Friends Do” for them. Björn and Benny joined them onstage afterward. Some reports called it a full ABBA performance, while more detailed accounts say the quartet didn't actually sing together as ABBA.
JONATHAN NACKSTRAND, Getty Images
Marillion With Fish - Aylesbury, England (2007)
Fish hadn't performed with the classic Marillion lineup since leaving in 1988, so his hometown appearance in Aylesbury carried plenty of nostalgia already. Then Mark Kelly, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas, and Ian Mosley replaced Fish's backing band for “Market Square Heroes”. The location couldn't have been more fitting, because the song itself was rooted in Aylesbury. Fish quickly insisted it was a one-off rather than the beginning of a reunion tour.
Cream - Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (1993)
Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker had barely played together since Cream's 1968 breakup when the Rock Hall came calling. After rehearsing, the trio decided to perform and delivered “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Crossroads,” and “Born Under a Bad Sign”. The chemistry was still obvious enough that reunion rumors immediately followed. Cream eventually mounted full reunion shows in 2005, but the 1993 appearance was the first unexpected proof that the old magic hadn't disappeared.
Journey - San Francisco (1991)
Journey had been inactive for years when the death of promoter Bill Graham brought Steve Perry, Neal Schon, and Jonathan Cain together at Golden Gate Park. Their brief 1991 set included “Faithfully,” “Lonely Road Without You,” and the hometown anthem “Lights”. It lasted less than 10 minutes, but it became historically important because it was Perry's final live performance with Journey. A studio reunion followed later in the 90s, but no tour ever happened.
The Velvet Underground - Jouy-en-Josas, France (1990)
Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker hadn't shared a stage since the late 60s when an Andy Warhol exhibition outside Paris brought them together in June 1990. What was supposed to be a cultural event suddenly turned into a genuine Velvet Underground reunion. The quartet's appearance eventually helped pave the way for a more extensive reunion tour in 1993, but that first surprise performance carried the thrill of seeing a seemingly impossible lineup restored.
Deep Purple With Ritchie Blackmore - Long Island (2026)
This one is fresh enough that Deep Purple fans are still processing it. On August 12, 2026, Ritchie Blackmore walked onstage at Jones Beach in New York and played “Smoke on the Water” with Deep Purple for the first time since 1993. Blackmore had reached out to Ian Gillan himself, partly because the venue was close to his Long Island home. The reunion lasted one song, but after 33 years of tension, that was more than enough.
Jeremychanphotography, Getty Images
Bon Jovi With Richie Sambora - Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (2018)
Richie Sambora hadn't performed with Bon Jovi since leaving the touring lineup in 2013 when the band's Rock Hall induction arrived. Sambora returned alongside Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Tico Torres, and other past and present members for “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “It's My Life,” “When We Were Us,” and “Livin' on a Prayer”. Former bassist Alec John Such also participated, making the celebration feel like a genuine gathering of Bon Jovi history.
Creedence Clearwater Revival - El Cerrito, California (1983 And 1988)
These weren't full CCR reunions, but they're fascinating because of how rarely John Fogerty played with his former bandmates after the breakup. In 1983, Fogerty joined Stu Cook and Doug Clifford at their El Cerrito High School reunion, performing under their earlier name, the Blue Velvets. At another school reunion in 1988, Fogerty played with Clifford while Cook was touring elsewhere. The actual four-man CCR lineup had briefly reunited at Tom Fogerty's wedding in 1980.
R.E.M. - Songwriters Hall Of Fame (2024)
Hours after Mike Mills joked that it would take “a comet” to get R.E.M. performing together again, one apparently arrived. Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mills, and Bill Berry reunited at the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony and played an acoustic “Losing My Religion”. It was the original quartet's first public live performance together in many years, and the simplicity made it better. There was no giant production, just four old bandmates and one great song.
Genesis - Milton Keynes, England (1982)
Peter Gabriel's first major reunion with Genesis happened for a practical reason. His ambitious WOMAD festival had left him facing serious financial trouble, so his former bandmates agreed to play a benefit concert at Milton Keynes Bowl. Gabriel fronted Genesis again, and Steve Hackett appeared during the encores. Around 60,000 fans stood through relentless rain to witness a lineup many thought they'd never see again. Nothing quite like it happened afterward.
Joe Strummer And Mick Jones - London (2002)
A benefit for striking firefighters became the closest thing fans ever received to a proper Clash reunion. During Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros' show at Acton Town Hall in November 2002, Mick Jones unexpectedly joined Strummer for “Bankrobber,” “White Riot,” and “London's Burning”. It was their first time performing together in nearly two decades and, heartbreakingly, their last. Strummer died little more than a month later.
Talking Heads - Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (2002)
Unlike their messy 1989 appearance, the Talking Heads' 2002 reunion was planned. Their Rock Hall induction persuaded David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison to perform together despite years of bitterness. They played “Psycho Killer,” “Life During Wartime,” and “Burning Down the House”. Nobody mistook it for the beginning of a comeback. More than two decades later, the foursome have reunited publicly for conversations, but still haven't performed together again.
Pink Floyd - London (2005)
Live 8 accomplished something years of reunion speculation couldn't. Roger Waters joined David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright in London's Hyde Park for Pink Floyd's first performance with that classic quartet since 1981. Their short set included “Breathe,” “Money,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Comfortably Numb”. The personal disagreements hadn't magically vanished, but for roughly 20 minutes they mattered less than the music. It became the quartet's final performance together.
Black Sabbath - Birmingham, England (2025)
Black Sabbath couldn't have scripted a more emotional ending. At the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park in July 2025, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward performed together for the first time in 20 years. Their final four-song set consisted of “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid”. It became the final Black Sabbath performance and Ozzy's last live appearance before his death later that month.
Keiran Bowers, Wikimedia Commons
Led Zeppelin - London (2007)
Millions reportedly tried to get tickets when Led Zeppelin announced a one-off tribute to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones were joined by Jason Bonham, son of late drummer John Bonham, at London's O2 Arena. Rather than delivering a brief nostalgia set, they played a full concert packed with “Kashmir,” “Black Dog,” “Stairway to Heaven,” and “Whole Lotta Love”. Then they walked away again.
Paul Hudson from United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons
Pearl Jam With Dave Krusen - Fresno, California (2022)
Pearl Jam turned a drummer crisis into a reunion nobody expected. When Matt Cameron tested positive for COVID-19, original drummer Dave Krusen stepped in during the band's Fresno show. Krusen had played on Ten but left before Pearl Jam became global stars. In Fresno, he finally got to play songs including “Once,” “Even Flow,” “Black,” “Jeremy,” “Alive,” and “Porch” with the band in front of a huge audience.
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