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When creative differences turn into legal battles! Join us as we examine the most infamous times when band members took their disputes from the studio to the courtroom. Our countdown includes legal showdowns from legendary groups where royalties, names, and egos were all on the line. Which musical lawsuit surprised you the most?
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00:00Has he changed, in your opinion?
00:02I believe he has.
00:03Yes.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most infamous times
00:08when at least one band member issued a lawsuit against a current or former member of the group.
00:13They went their own private ways, found their own friends, and became rest-rewind on each other.
00:22Number 10. Oasis.
00:24I hate the term sibling rivalry, but that's effectively what it is.
00:28I know my brother better than anybody else.
00:31Liam's like a dog, and I'm like a cat.
00:33With the core of Noel and Liam Gallagher, Oasis dominated the UK and ushered in the Britpop era with Blur.
00:39Yet away from the music, the brothers regularly clashed, leading to the band's split in 2009.
00:49In 2011, Noel claimed Oasis had to cancel their appearance at Vee Festival due to Liam being hungover,
00:55not for laryngitis, which was the official statement.
00:57This sparked the younger Gallagher to sue Noel for defamation.
01:01In response, Noel filed a counterclaim, claiming Liam had left abusive voicemails to his wife and tried to attack him with a guitar.
01:07However, all this family drama reportedly caused their mom, Peggy, to tell her sons to stop suing each other.
01:13As such, they dropped their cases in 2012.
01:15Where were you while we were getting high?
01:21We were getting high.
01:23Number 9. Pink Floyd
01:25In 1984, Roger Waters, who co-founded the legendary English band Pink Floyd, decided to move on to Pastures New.
01:40After remaining with his remaining co-founders, Nick Mason and David Gilmour, things got messy.
01:44Waters believed the band was over, while Mason and Gilmour were set to continue Pink Floyd without him.
01:49We did have some very difficult times, like a few years ago, but we seem to have managed to avoid the things that really get people too touchy these days.
02:02This prompted Waters to file a lawsuit to dissolve the band.
02:05He stated that it didn't feel right for Mason and Gilmour to continue using Pink Floyd's name without him, and called the group a spent force creatively.
02:12In 1987, the two parties came to an agreement.
02:15In 2013, Waters spoke about his regret in issuing the lawsuit.
02:26Number 8. The Police
02:28Coming to prominence in the British New Wave scene, the police took the industry by storm, with multiple hits and prestigious awards.
02:49Even after the band members went their separate ways, they occasionally reunited over the decades, despite years of hostility.
02:55However, the possibility of another police get-together was severely dented in 2025.
03:00Stuart Copeland and Andy Summers issued a suit against Sting for underpaying them royalties.
03:05Do they start to get resentful that you're the writer, that you're the front man?
03:09Yeah, I was like the cuckoo in the nest, you know, they didn't really know what they were taking on.
03:14The duo claimed that in 1977, each member agreed to share income from the police songs.
03:20This was later confirmed in contracts.
03:22Copeland and Summers believe they lost out on around 1.5 million pounds.
03:26Sting has disputed his former bandmate's assertions, instead claiming they likely owed him money from being overpaid.
03:31You stay, you may as well play.
03:39Number 7. Journey
03:40Despite changing their main vocalist several times, breaking up, and reuniting, the legacy of Journey is incredible.
04:01However, a major change happened in 2020.
04:04Journey co-founder Neil Schoen and Jonathan Cain announced they'd fired Steve Smith and Ross Valerie for attempting to instigate a corporate coup.
04:11On top of that, they were suing the duo for $10 million in damages.
04:15In response, Valerie countersued, challenging Schoen and Cain's claim over Journey's trademark.
04:30In 2021, the lawsuits were settled.
04:32However, the drama wasn't over.
04:34In 2022, Schoen issued a cease and desist letter to Cain for performing a Journey song at Donald Trump events.
04:40This led to Cain suing Schoen for misusing the band's tour finances in 2024.
04:45The following year, Journey announced their farewell tour.
04:47I think I know Steve, and I think he's gonna, you know, be gracious and receive it, and, you know, he was certain.
04:54If he doesn't, I'll be disappointed.
04:57Number 6. The Beatles
04:58To wonder aimlessly is very unswinging.
05:04Unhip.
05:05And when I touch you, I feel happy inside.
05:08I can't hide, I can't hide.
05:09When people discuss the most influential bands in history, the Beatles are always in contention.
05:14The success of the Liverpool group cannot be understated.
05:17By 1970, after a spate of issues within the band, including the appointment of Alan Klein as manager, Paul McCartney wanted out.
05:24Whatever talent they have as individuals, and who can deny it, their capacity to earn is largely tied up in their performances as a group.
05:38However, his contract and the other members wouldn't let him.
05:42Unable to sue Klein directly, McCartney issued a lawsuit against the Beatles to dissolve their partnership.
05:47When the case went to trial in 1971, the world found out the band was in a terrible financial state.
05:52The court ruled in McCartney's favor, and the band was formally dissolved.
05:55He disputed claims he broke up the Beatles, instead insisting he was trying to save their music.
05:59I guess nobody ever really done me.
06:05Who's she done me?
06:08She done me good.
06:10Number 5. Fleetwood Mac.
06:12Despite decades of massive success, Fleetwood Mac aren't strangers to lawsuits between members.
06:28One of the most shocking took place in 2018.
06:30Having first joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, Lindsey Buckingham was later fired by the group.
06:35This reportedly involved a disagreement about certain material being used in a tour, which Buckingham refused to sign off on.
06:41There was nothing to hide.
06:43Everyone knew that this was what was being written about.
06:46Everyone knew that these songs, the subject matter was what we were living.
06:54In response to his firing, he sued the group for several reasons, including breach of judiciary duty and breach of oral contract.
07:01Two months later, the suit was settled out of court for undisclosed terms.
07:04Buckingham also claimed his firing stemmed from Stevie Nicks.
07:07Allegedly, a dispute led to her giving an ultimatum to the band, that either he's fired, or she'll walk away.
07:21Number 4. Hall & Oates.
07:23After forming in 1970, Daryl Hall and John Oates became one of the most famous duos in the music industry.
07:38They continued their successful partnership for decades.
07:40However, in 2023, things got really rocky.
07:44Hall was furious that Oates planned to sell their publishing rights to Primary Wave without his consent or knowledge.
07:49As a result, Hall issued a lawsuit, which blocked the sale until the duo could agree on terms.
07:54He said that the alleged planned sale was, quote, a completely clandestine and bad faith move and called it, quote, the ultimate partnership betrayal.
08:03Do you see it that way?
08:05Well, that's strong words.
08:05However, Oates disputed Hall's version of events, even filing his own complaint and getting a restraining order against Hall.
08:12This fallout led both musicians to declare they're unlikely to work together again.
08:16In 2025, the legal issues were resolved between Hall and Oates during arbitration.
08:29Number 3. The Beach Boys.
08:31Formed in 1961 as a core of family members with the Wilson brothers and their cousin Mike Love,
08:50The Beach Boys' unique surf and sound became the soundtrack of many people's summers.
08:54Yet, despite most of them being relatives, they've had many legal battles.
08:58In 1994, Love won a lawsuit against Brian Wilson for royalties.
09:02Tell him it's over.
09:06You and I are going to rewrite these songs, put them together in a normal album, and get on with it.
09:12Just us.
09:15Family first, right?
09:16Love then sued Wilson again in 2005 for damaging his reputation with his Smile album.
09:21However, that was dismissed in 2007.
09:23As for Al Jardine, after leaving the band, he created another group, Beach Boys Family and Friends.
09:29He was then sued for using a similar name.
09:31After initially losing the case in 2001, Jardine's appeal was successful in 2003.
09:36The case was eventually settled in 2008.
09:37Love is really the best of what you need tonight.
09:502. Creedence Clearwater Revival
09:55When they formed in 1959, it was from 1969 to 1971 when Creedence Clearwater revival had massive success with 14 consecutive top 10 single hits.
10:18However, sparked by Tom Fogarty's leaving and additional tensions, the group disbanded in 1972.
10:25In 1995, former Creedence co-founders Stu Cook and Doug Clifford created the band Creedence Clearwater Revisited.
10:39According to them, they asked John Fogarty to join, but he rejected.
10:42He then sued the new group for using a similar name, claiming fans would believe he was involved.
10:47The case was settled in 2001, but in 2014, Clifford and Cook sued Fogarty for not following the settlement agreement by making negative public remarks about the band.
10:56Fogarty countersued for royalties before the cases were settled in 2017.
11:00You know, and they called the phrase sinking into depression.
11:02That's what it was.
11:03It was day by day.
11:04It got worse.
11:05Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:09Violent Femmes.
11:10A lawsuit over selling a song to Wendy's led to the band's breakup.
11:13When I see you, eyes will turn blue.
11:20When I see you, a thousand eyes turning blue.
11:25The Doors.
11:26Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger were sued for creating the Doors of the 21st Century.
11:30Art of Anarchy.
11:47The supergroup sued Scott's staff for failing to promote their work.
11:50Feeling touched by heaven, all I see are just illusions that are real to me.
11:58There's an angel leading me along a netless highway.
12:05The Sex Pistols.
12:06John Lydon unsuccessfully sued his bandmates over music used in a Danny Boyle TV show.
12:11God take a queen.
12:14We made it, man.
12:17We love a queen.
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12:35Number 1. Jane's Addiction
12:37After forming in 1985 and undergoing multiple breakups and hiatuses, Jane's Addiction reunited in 2024.
12:52Although reviewers praised the group and fans were excited, the reunion ended abruptly.
12:57While performing in Boston, Massachusetts, Perry Farrell was recorded confronting Dave Navarro on stage, leading to him attacking the guitarist.
13:04Now, this video went viral on social media.
13:08We've spoken to some young people here in the seaport who didn't actually know who Jane's Addiction was until this video came out.
13:15The scuffle continued backstage.
13:17In the fallout, while Farrell apologized, Jane's Addiction canceled the tour and later ruled out reuniting in 2025.
13:23That same year, the other members of the band issued a $10 million lawsuit against Farrell for assault.
13:28He countersued by claiming assault and harassment from them, and stated they put his earpiece volume to an unsafe level, so he couldn't hear himself sing.
13:36Build up the outer space
13:38Even the ghosts came
13:41To the late, late, late show
13:45Watch us play
13:47Which other infamous case of a musician suing a band member did we miss?
13:52Let us know below.
13:53Let us know below.
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