Pop music fans were thrilled when S Club 7 announced that they were reuniting to celebrate 25 years since they first formed.
The seven piece, made up of Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O’Meara, Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens, were famous for hits such as Reach, Don’t Stop Movin’, Never Had a Dream Come True and S Club Party. They will go on a special tour of the UK in October to commemorate their milestone anniversary, treating fans to performances of popular songs from their back catalogue.
Here at NationalWorld, their announcement made us feel nostalgic and made us consider which other artists from yesterday we would love to see return to the stage. Click through our gallery to see which 14 artists, who were active between the 1960s and 2010s, we would love to see get back together.
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9. One Direction
Boyband One Direction found fame on ITV talent show The X-Factor back in 2010 after being put together by Simon Cowell. The band’s original five members, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, had auditioned separately but failed to progress through the contest as solo artists. The group quickly gained popularity among viewers of the show and though they ultimately finished third they enjoyed huge success. They have sold more than 70 million records worldwide and are one of the best selling boybands of all time. Malik left the band in March 2015 amid rumours of a rift between the members. This was denied, however, with him claiming he just wanted to be “normal 22-year-old who is able to relax”. In August 2015, it was announced the four remaining band members would be going on hiatus the following year to focus on solo projects. All five members have gone on to enjoy musical success alone. | Getty Images
10. Led Zeppelin
It’s been more than 40 years since Led Zeppelin parted ways, but fans would still love to see them return to the stage. The band, which included members Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, are one of the best selling artists of all time. They achieved eight consecutive UK number-one albums and six number-one albums on the US Billboard 200 during their 12-year career between 1968 and 1980. Bonham died accidentally in September 1980 after drinking and then suffering asphyxiation from vomit, and the remaining members decided to disband the group. The three remaining members have reunited a number of times over the years, including for Live Aid in 1985, and for Record Store Day in 2018, the band released a 7" single "Rock and Roll" (Sunset Sound Mix)/"Friends" (Olympic Studio Mix), their first single in 21 years. | Getty Images
11. The Smiths
The Smiths were a popular band, comprising singer Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce, who were active between 1982 and 1985. Fans will know them for songs such as Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now and Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want. Tensions among the members led to the Smiths' breakup in 1987, and in the years since all the members have refused offers to reunite. They have also all separately said that the band they will never reform. | Getty Images
12. System of a Down
System of a Down are an iconic band among heavy metal and alternative music fans. Formed in 1994, the band was made up of Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian, and John Dolmayan, who replaced original drummer Andy Khachaturian. The Grammy award-winning band went on hiatus in 2006 and reunited in 2010. Other than two new songs in 2020 called Protect the Land and Genocidal Humanoidz, however, System of a Down has not released a full-length record since the Mezmerize and Hypnotize albums in 2005. In an interview with the Battleline Podcast in January, Dolmayan claimed that Tankian "hasn't really wanted to be in a band for a long time . . . and quite frankly, we probably should have parted ways around 2006. We tried to get together multiple times to make an album, but there were certain rules set in place that made it difficult to do so and maintain the integrity of what System of a Down stood for”. The band was known for releasing experimental songs with oblique lyrics about topics such as politics, drug abuse and suicide. | Getty Images