There’s no gentle way to put this: Many of rock’s biggest stars have chosen to retire or been forced off the road by age, illness or death in the past decade.
While artists such as the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney have demonstrated a remarkable ability to endure the often grueling life of a touring artist far into their 70s and 80s, many others have not been quite as lucky.
Aerosmith recently became the latest in an increasingly long line of bands who announced that they were retiring from touring. The group was already planning to call it a career, having launched their Peace Out farewell tour in September of 2023. After just three shows, Steven Tyler severely damaged his vocal cords, forcing the tour to be postponed – at first for a month, then a year. Earlier this month, Aerosmith announced that the singer would not be able to make a full recovery, and called off the trek altogether.
They join a road exodus that has recently seen legendary acts such as Kiss, Genesis and Elton John play the final shows of their farewell tours in the past couple of years. At some point in the near future they’ll be joined by peers such as the Eagles and Foreigner, who are both currently on their own farewell treks.
Below you will find a list of 25 bands or artists who have announced the end of their touring careers, or disbanded as the result of illness or death. We also discuss five acts who are currently in the midst of farewell tours, and a handful of groups and solo artists whose touring futures are very much up in the air.
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25 Artists Who Have Stopped Touring in the Last 10 Years
More and more of rock’s biggest stars have said goodbye to the road.
Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening