After Oasis, Which Rockers Should Reunite Next?: Roundtable

A major domino has fallen in the rock world with the announcement of Oasis’ 2025 reunion tour. “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over,” Liam and Noel Gallagher declared in a joint statement. “Come see. It will not be televised.”

What once seemed impossible gradually came to feel inevitable as the Gallagher brothers appeared to publicly soften their stances on a reunion. If one of rock’s most volatile duos can kiss and make up, then reconciliation is definitely, maybe within reach for many more bands, if only they can bring themselves to see the light (or the appropriate amount of dollar signs).

We polled several members of the UCR team to see which rock ’n’ roll holdouts they would most like to see bury the hatchet next.

READ MORE: 20 Best Rock Bands That Feature Siblings

Matthew Wilkening: To be clear, you should not force people who don’t like working with each other to do so just for your entertainment. But putting that important moral objection aside, if I could commission one reunion, it would be David Lee Roth‘s Eat ‘Em and Smile band, featuring Steve Vai, Billy Sheehan and Gregg Bissonette. The surviving members of Led Zeppelin already bowed out rather spectacularly with the Celebration Day show in 2007, and Pink Floyd‘s classic lineup (unknowingly) did the same two years earlier at Live 8. There’s a ton of official, high-quality audio and video of those groups in action. Sadly, the same can’t be said of Roth’s first solo tour, which looks like a blast based on the amateur bootlegs that are out there. Only a fire marshal stopped them from getting back together for one show back in 2015, so let’s make sure the room is up to code next time, huh?

Watch David Lee Roth Perform Live in 1986

 

Bryan Rolli: Every day Skid Row doesn’t reunite with Sebastian Bach is a day that’s slightly worse than it could’ve been, for me, personally. We’re talking about one of the only ‘80s/‘90s hard rock bands whose classic-era members are all still alive, reasonably young and in good enough shape to mount a full-scale reunion, and whose classic vocalist can still hit those stratospheric high notes of yesteryear. The creative juices are clearly still flowing as well: Bach and Skid Row both released impressive new albums in the past couple years, both of which hark back to their headbanging glory days. If they could get past their personal grievances, I truly believe they could make a proper, long-overdue follow-up to Slave to the Grind. Both parties can still tear it up onstage too, and they deserve to do so in much larger venues. If Bach rejoined Skid Row, I’m confident they could all graduate from sports bars and state fairs to packing large theaters and amphitheaters. Who knows, maybe Guns N’ Roses will need an opener on their next stadium tour …

Watch Skid Row Play ‘Youth Gone Wild’ in 1991

 

Allison Rapp: For me, it’s Led Zeppelin. Granted, the band will never be the same without John Bonham behind the drum kit, but three out of four ain’t bad. I’ve seen Robert Plant in concert a few times now in recent years, and each time I’ve been amazed at how he’s gelled with new musicians and found original ways to revisit songs that were written decades ago — I’m talking in terms of his vocal approach, song arrangement, pretty much everything. Why couldn’t that modus operandi also be applied to working with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones again? I understand that these guys aren’t really interested in rehashing old history or creating a giant nostalgic fuss over themselves, but I think there’s a way for it to be done that’s both exciting for fans and artistically satisfying for them. Perhaps a small-venue tour? Or a limited residency in London? If the three remaining members of Led Zeppelin are reading this right now: Call me, I’ll do everything I can to help make it happen.

Watch Led Zeppelin Play ‘Kashmir’ in 2007

 

Matt Wardlaw: Yes would be a big one for progressive rock fans. Steve Howe is the only
classic-era member still in the current lineup — and, seemingly, a big part of why Jon Anderson isn’t in the band comes back to Howe. While Yes’ last two albums have been really strong, Anderson’s latest solo release, True, could have easily been the best Yes album in decades. Additionally, at 79 years, his voice remains remarkably undiminished, even as he sings some of the longest and most challenging pieces from the Yes catalog in his current live shows. A Yes reunion with Anderson, Rick Wakeman and even Trevor Rabin back in the fold would be a great final victory lap for all involved. They could even borrow a page from the massive ‘90s reunion tour for their Union album and keep all of the present members involved as well.

Watch Yes Play ‘Roundabout’ in 1991

 

Corey Irwin: I think the answer has to be Talking Heads – and, for the first time in a long time, there may even be momentum toward it happening. In 2023, the group appeared together for a Q&A following a screening of Stop Making Sense at the Toronto Film Festival. It marked the first time in over 20 years that David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison shared a stage. But what’s most important is they seemed to genuinely enjoy the moment. “It’s so good to be here with my bandmates tonight. It’s been a long time,” remarked Frantz. In a separate interview, Byrne said he was now “cordial” with his former bandmates, a significant improvement from their previously strained relationship. (Byrne also admitted he was at fault for the band’s messy breakup, which may have helped mend some fences.) With the musicians finally on good terms, news leaked about an $80 million offer to reunite at a handful of festivals, which was turned down. Maybe the check needs to be bigger. Maybe the band determined that festivals wouldn’t be the right format for their triumphant return. Perhaps a residency would make more sense for the group – can you imagine Byrne’s imagination running wild at the Sphere? Regardless of the logistics, there’s still abundant demand for Talking Heads, who haven’t played a full concert together since 1984. (They did play the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.) One more factor pushing for a reunion is the compilation album Everyone’s Getting Involved that was released earlier this year. It featured a wide array of modern artists reinterpreting the Talking Heads’ material. The eclectic mix, including Miley Cyrus, the National, Paramore and Lorde, exposed a whole new faction of listeners to Talking Heads’ songs. As a result, the band’s cross-generational appeal has never been higher. Time to capitalize.

Watch Talking Heads Play ‘Burning Down the House’ in ‘Stop Making Sense’