6 Bands That Reunited After Decades for Special One-Time Events

Some of classic‑rock’s biggest names broke decades of silence for single‑night returns that thrilled fans and reset the record books. From Led Zeppelin’s rushed but emotional Live Aid set to Cream’s formal salute at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, these short‑lived reunions proved how much history can be packed into just a few songs. Below are six landmark one‑off comebacks.

Led Zeppelin – Live Aid, Philadelphia (13 July 1985)

Led Zeppelin dissolved after drummer John Bonham’s death in 1980, so fans were stunned when Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones agreed to appear at Bob Geldof’s Live Aid marathon five years later. Backed by Phil Collins, Tony Thompson and Paul Martinez, they tore through “Rock and Roll,” “Whole Lotta Love” and “Stairway to Heaven.”

The hastily rehearsed set was ragged, yet seeing the trio together again before 90,000 people at JFK Stadium made headlines worldwide and raised millions for famine relief. Although they later rejected a TV rebroadcast, this brief charity slot remains their only U.S. reunion performance with all three surviving members.

Cream – Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Los Angeles (12 Jan 1993)

Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker had not shared a stage since 1968, but the Hall of Fame induction lured them into playing “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Born Under a Bad Sign” and “Crossroads.” Rehearsals the day before were the first time they’d played together in 25 years.

Their three‑song blast was rough yet powerful, reminding the crowd why Cream were once dubbed the first “supergroup.” Rumors of a tour swirled afterward, but the trio went their separate ways until a short London–New York run in 2005, making the 1993 ceremony a true once‑in‑a‑generation sight.

Pink Floyd – Live 8, Hyde Park (2 July 2005)

Roger Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985, sparking years of lawsuits and insults. Bob Geldof persuaded Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright to reunite for London’s Live 8, their first set together in 24 years. They performed five songs, ending with a hug that moved the global TV audience.

With Wright’s death in 2008, Live 8 became the quartet’s final appearance. The emotional performance re‑entered Pink Floyd albums into worldwide charts and briefly thawed personal tensions, even if talk of further work quickly cooled. Fans still hail it as one of the charity event’s defining moments.

The Police – Grammy Awards, Los Angeles (11 Feb 2007)

Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers hadn’t played live since 1986, but they opened the 49th Grammy Awards with a jazzy take on “Roxanne.” “Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Police — and we’re back!” Sting announced, earning a standing ovation from the star‑studded crowd.

The three‑minute blast doubled as a teaser for their later world tour, yet the Grammys performance stands alone as the night the famously fractious trio proved they could still lock into groove on live television after two decades apart.

Eagles – “Hell Freezes Over” MTV Special, Burbank (25 Apr 1994)

Don Henley once said an Eagles reunion would happen “when hell freezes over.” Fourteen years after their 1980 split, the classic lineup gathered at Warner Bros. Studios to film an MTV special that became the Hell Freezes Over album. Glenn Frey joked, “We just took a 14‑year vacation.”

The semi‑acoustic set introduced four new songs and refreshed favorites like an unplugged “Hotel California,” debuting on television before a huge audience. Though the band soon launched a lengthy tour, that single taping — their first public performance since 1980 — marked the real surprise comeback moment.

Black Sabbath – Live Aid, Philadelphia (13 July 1985)

Live Aid also coaxed Black Sabbath’s original foursome — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — to reunite for the first time since 1978. Introduced by Chevy Chase, they ripped through “Children of the Grave,” “Iron Man” and “Paranoid” in under 15 minutes.

Iommi later called the experience “surreal” because they rehearsed for barely an hour before facing tens of thousands at JFK Stadium. The high‑energy cameo ignited future reunions, but the hurried Live Aid set remains their most spontaneous shared appearance.