Making a living out of music is difficult, so for those who are lucky enough to make it, it is a life-long profession. But while there are musicians that assure they will never retire, others find themselves growing tired of the spotlight, or simply wanting to take a step back.
A lot of the time it comes as a disappointment, but fame is just not for everybody. Sometimes fans are lucky though, and what seemed to be a retirement was just a long hiatus. Either way, there are different reasons why artists decide to call it quits. Here are ten artists who stopped making and why.
10 Adele
The amazing singer behind countless hits has a history of making her fans wait. But when she finally releases her music, it's always incredible. However, in 2012, a year after a triumphant tour of Europe and North America for her record 21, Adele announced she was taking a break and not to expect new music soon.
"I have to take time and live a little bit. There were a good two years between my first and second albums, so it'll be the same this time," she said. The album, 25, ended up being released in 2015.
9 Shania Twain
Shania conquered the world with her hit Man! I Feel Like A Woman in the early 2000s, but in 2004 she entered a hiatus that ended up lasting over six years. The reasons behind this? She was diagnosed with Lyme disease and developed dysphonia, which directly affected her ability to sing.
Shania was forced to stop making music, but with patience and years of rehabilitation, she finally got her voice back. "Getting through all of that, I'm encouraged now and I feel like I can tour again and I'll make more records. So I'm feeling really successful with that challenge," she said.
8 Soundgarden
Soundgarden was one of the greatest bands from the Grunge music scene, and they inspired countless other artists around the world. Which is why it was such a shock for fans when they broke up in 1998, after two incredibly successful albums.
The truth is that there was tension between the musicians because of the band's overwhelming success. Drummer Matt Cameron said that the band had been "eaten up by the business." In 2012, over a decade after the official breakup, the band got back together and released a record. They stayed together until Chris Cornell's death in 2017.
7 One Direction
Everybody knows the band broke up, leaving a trail of broken hearts behind them. They were at the peak of their career, with a long list of amazing hits. The members all have their solo projects now, but ten years after the formation of the band, let's review why they stopped making music together.
"The 1D thing just ran its course. They’ll remain friends, but they are exhausted and want solo careers," a close source told Us Magazine. There's still the possibility of a reunion, but in the meantime, fans can enjoy their solo work, which is amazing.
6 Sam Smith
Sam Smith has had a long list of popular hits, including number 1 single Too Good At Goodbyes. After working tirelessly for years, in 2015 Sam decided to take a break from music.
This decision was difficult but necessary, Sam said. "I am sad, but I'm also - it feels right," the singer said. "I've been playing now for three years nonstop, and it feels right for me to just go home and live my life - just be a 23-year-old." However, in 2017, Sam announced he was back to making music.
5 Rage Against The Machine
This controversial band, which was incredibly successful in the 90s, first broke up in October 2000 with singer Zack De La Rocha's departure from the band. The differences, he said, were creative, and though there had been some conflict between the bandmates, they all got along.
"I am extremely proud of our work, both as activists and musicians, as well as indebted and grateful to every person who has expressed solidarity and shared this incredible experience with us," the singer said. The band has reunited a few times through the years, although they didn't make new music, and by the end of 2019, they announced they were getting back together, but they haven't made any new music yet.
4 Lorde
After the strenuous success of her debut album, Pure Heroine, Lorde took a long break from making music which made her fans impatient. Finally, four years after, she released her second album Melodrama. Lorde said a lot of things changed in her life after that record, and that she had to take some time to figure out who she was.
"For me, it was kind of about processing what I want to say next and I knew it just couldn’t be any old thing," she said aboutMelodrama. "It had to be really special and really singular and it couldn’t sound the same as the old stuff and there was a lot of discovery that went on."
3 Foo Fighters
In 2014, the band released one of their most successful albums, Sonic Highways, and toured for a very long time. During one of the concerts, frontman Dave Grohl fell off the stage and broke his leg, but continued the show anyway, and then finished the tour playing from a costume made throne.
But after the tour, the situation had been too stressful for the band and they decided to take a long break. Since they didn't give any explanations as to why they had stopped making music, breakup rumors started, but they cleared them up with a hilarious video. Finally, in 2017, they released the album Concrete and Gold.
2 Big Time Rush
This boy band became successful because they starred in the Nickelodeon series Big Time Rush and even though they never formally broke up, they've been on an indefinite hiatus ever since.
About their music, they said "it’s not like it just disappears. But in terms of new content, it might be a while, but might not be ever. We don’t know at this point and we’ve all kind of been saying, 'we’re all really excited and really antsy to be our own individual artists outside the band — and support each other.'"
1 Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is the only band from the Grunge era that has never broken up. They have a huge collection of hits, and they've released their new album, Gigaton, this year, which was very well-received. This album finally arrived after a seven-year-long hiatus. They would've liked to release it sooner, but certain events, including the death of their friend Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), got in the way and they had to stop making music for a while.
"It’d be fun to record or even just to write a song together," bassist Jeff Ament said. "I think when Chris passed – that’s really been a tough one to wrap our heads around – and then there’s just life stuff."
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