I splurged, bought a flight, a hotel, and a very expensive concert ticket to see Rush at Ball Arena in Denver, CO, on October 5th, 2026. The last time I had seen Rush was when I was 18, in 1984. Between the cost and the simple fact they (and I) have less time ahead of us than behind, I’m 98% sure this will be the last time I get to see a band that defined my youth.
That alone got me thinking about various things related to bands that have been around 40-plus years or significantly more.
Three specific things come to mind:
- Bands who have replaced members who have passed on.
- Bands that have one, or in a lot of cases, no original members left but tour under the band’s name.
- Bands who, quite frankly, should probably hang it up.
So, starting with the first one, I will use my recent Rush show as a starting point.
Rush has always been a power trio from the beginning. When Neil Peart decided to retire from the band in 2015 and then passed away in 2020, both points seem to indicate that Rush was finished. I mean, who on earth could possibly replace a man many consider one of the most influential drummers of all time?
But Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee both continued working together and realized the passion to continue together was very powerful. But again, how on earth could they replace their friend, principal songwriter, and drummer?
Anika Nilles got the Rush job through a recommendation from Geddy Lee’s bass technician, followed by private sessions with Geddy and Alex Lifeson. The connection was Jeff Beck. When Geddy and Alex began seriously considering playing again, she was already on Geddy’s mind. They quietly brought her to Canada to try playing together. Geddy has also said there wasn’t a formal shortlist of candidates. Beyond her technical ability, they valued her intelligence, personality, musical background, and willingness to take on such a demanding role. She was offered the role in October 2025.
So here we are, well into the tour, and having witnessed her playing and interaction with the band firsthand, I can tell you she is a perfect fit. Is she Neil? Of course not. But that is exactly the problem I notice. Die-hard Rush fans do nothing but compare her to Neil. People complain she plays parts differently than he did. Well, of course she does… she is not him! Furthermore, why would she want to play everything exactly like Neil did? She is a musician, and musicians are creative.
So, other bands like ZZ Top, The Foo Fighters, The Rolling Stones, etc., continue to chug on and create music, despite the loss of a key member. Some bands called it a day after a big loss… Led Zeppelin comes to mind, but to expect a replacement member to be the person they replaced is silly.
The next two items I’ll keep short.
Bands who continue on when there are only one, and in some cases, no original members left, but they continue to use the band’s name. The two at the top of my list are Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foreigner, and the Little River Band. There are zero members of those bands that are original. Yet, they tour like you are seeing the “real” band. No, they are tribute bands. Any close culprit would be The Marshall Tucker Band; however, original lead singer Doug Gray is still the heartbeat of the band, so they get some grace. Any of these bands doing it with no original members (and some with only one) are nothing more than tribute bands. Period.
Finally, the bands that should probably call it a day. This list is purely speculative, but online discussions point to bands like Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, the aforementioned Lynyrd Skynyrd, David Lee Roth, Bon Jovi, and, to some extent, The Rolling Stones. It’s one thing to do what you love until you can’t do it anymore, but to charge people to hear subpar performances (sometimes at big prices) out of ego is not cool. So, when I say it is time to hang it up, maybe rephrase that to the artist being “realistic about your product and what you charge for it.”
I’m glad some of the bands I loved as a teen are still out there doing what they do, loving it, and doing it well. To see people step in and cover original members that seemingly appear to be impossible to replace and then see them do it well is something I don’t mind paying to see.
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