An inevitability about rock music from the 1970s is that the bands and artists who made it will have to call a halt at some point. This year, many fine rock bands are doing just that. As the farewell tours and gigs pile up, 2025 will likely be the last-ever chance to see many of the top rockers from that era.
Of course, many others continue to rock on with strength and vigor. We’ve just seen Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, side by side at Glastonbury. The Rolling Stones are on tour again, while in Las Vegas, Scorpions celebrate their 60th anniversary with a residency next month at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.
There are many more still playing, but let’s take a look at five top 1970s rock bands that are calling it time in 2025 as live performers. They are heading for those final gigs, playing out dates on farewell tours, and getting ready to hang up the instruments on a group basis anyway. Well, they say they are anyway. I wouldn’t put it past one or two to find a way to play a few more dates into 2026.
Five top 1970s rock bands taking their final bow in 2025
Gang Of Four
The post-punk rockers, who formed back in 1976, are currently on their The Long Goodbye tour. Like many bands from the 1970s, it is sadly no longer possible to get the original lineup back together again. The tour lineup does include the last two surviving members, Jon King and Hugo Burnham, which is as good as it gets.
So far the tour is going down well. Gigs have two sets with the first focused on their debut album Entertainment. The second is then crammed with their other top songs. Always an influential band, they join the last chance to see live list.
Jeff Lynne’s ELO
Labeling as Jeff Lynne’s ELO is important to distinguish between different versions of the band, originally founded back in 1970. Lynne though is the mainstay over recent years so his version is pretty much the real band in my book anyway. He has brought his ELO musicians together for the final set of concerts.
They are on a countdown now with just three last gigs to go. Two in Manchester this week and the last ever, a huge outdoor Hyde Park, London, on Sunday, July 13. Lynne did appear with the band last weekend in his home city Birmingham, despite a broken hand. That took him off guitar duties and on vocals only after a very recent injury picked up in a taxi crash in London.
With or without him playing the London final date looks set to be an emotional night.
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath added to the emotions as they played at Back to the Beginning in Birmingham at the weekend. It was the first time the original band lineup had played together in 20 years. The event, with its huge lineup of bands, included the likes of Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, and Slayer, and marked Osbourne’s final live appearance in fine style.
Osbourne played a short five-song solo set while sitting on an elaborate gothic throne on stage. He was then joined by the rest of Black Sabbath for four of the band’s top songs, ending with” Paranoid” to close the event and Osbourne's live career. Poignant but memorable, what a way to bow out.
The Who
Although the band may continue with dates in Europe they have announced their last ever shows in North America. Those play out in August and September this year on The Song Is Over tour. They will have plenty of hits from the 1960s and 1970s plus more to entertain the crowds.
READ MORE: Sammy Hagar almost single-handedly ruins Black Sabbath farewell concert
It should be pretty memorable as Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend start to wind it up as a group of course Keith Moon and John Entwistle will be missing. Daltrey and Townshend have dealt with that and put in some great live shows without them. Will Zak Starkey join them on drums? Who knows? The answer is no as it stands, but anything could happen yet.
Eagles
It was all about when hell freezes over when these guys felt they'd never regroup. But it's all a bit friendlier now. After many years in business as Eagles, and quite a few apart, sending legal warnings between themselves, they are ready to stop again. The band has been playing out their Long Goodbye tour for a while now.
It all comes to a spectacular close with eight dates later this year. the band will play those at the Sphere in Las Vegas during October and November 2025. It seems that when it comes to Hotel California, you can actually leave. The band will check out with their final date on November 8, 2025.
Near misses
I’m sure some readers will be thinking of other bands and artists that should have been mentioned too. I did have some near misses for the list. Foreigner, for example, was going to have a farewell tour back in 2022. They have, though, backed off from backing out and continue to play on.
Uriah Heep is on a final wind-down; they completed the UK leg of The Magician's Farewell tour this year. But they are scheduling more legs and dates over the next couple of years, so it’s unclear when they will finally stop.
Then there is REO Speedwagon, their final date was to be 1 January 2025, just qualifying them to be included in this ending in 2025 list. But things fell apart sooner, and the band broke up after the final shows in December 2024.