There are so many legendary bands out there that have broken up over the years and have still remained broken up. Think of great bands like The Smiths, The Jam, Oasis, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Sure, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin did a couple one-off reunion shows, but they never embraced the idea of a permanent reunion, whether it be new material or a full reunion tour.

The question is: Should these incredible bands try to reignite their flame or should they leave it all in the past, in case they might hurt their legacy? The answer is: it depends. Some bands like The Stone Roses and Blur have been able to come back and play great live shows and even release new material, but other bands like Happy Mondays, The Sex Pistols and The Velvet Underground probably wish they left it where it was when they first split.

As I mentioned in my previous article, The Stone Roses have basically mastered the art of the comeback. There was incredible demand from fans for a comeback. They had been split for about 15 years and they still put on a great live show, and now this year, they are releasing new material for the first time in over 20 years (spoiler alert: it's amazing!). Also, the fact that the reunion included all four members of the band's finest, classic lineup was a definite plus.

Fellow British band Blur has also nailed its own reunion. The legendary '90s Britpop band reunited (with the original, classic lineup) five years after breaking up to play some huge live concerts including shows at Hyde Park, Glastonbury and Oxegen Festival (all of which were well-received) and then, last year, they released their first studio album since 2003 called "The Magic Whip," which was critically acclaimed and was even praised by former Britpop rival, Liam Gallagher.

Those are some of the reasons why band reunions are deemed successful. A successful reunion must get the band's classic lineup to come together for purely musical reasons and not because they are desperate for money or desperate to try and get back into the spotlight. This means that the live performances and new material (if they decide to release any) has to be close to, if not better, than what they were doing before they split up.

So, what happens when a band reunion turns ugly? Take legendary Manchester band Happy Mondays as a perfect example. The band has played many reunion shows over the years. However, many fans are well aware of the fact that these reunions had a lot to do with the band's financial situation, which is one reason why some band reunions are doomed for failure. Also, the band played a series of shows in 2012 with half-filled venues (which demonstrated that there was not ample demand for the reunion) and the dates were described by critics as a largely "drunken disaster."

New York punk, avant-garde band, The Velvet Underground, also demonstrated how not to reunite a band. Although, initially, the band's 1993 reunion was seen as a success (the band played Glastonbury and began to grace the covers of magazines again), the tension between band members Lou Reed and John Cale had reignited. Ultimately, this lead to the band's split once again, which marked the end of a band who had essentially built the foundations of alternative rock and experimental rock.

Another band reunion that turned sour was London punk legends The Sex Pistols. The band has reformed on numerous occasions and played some pretty extensive reunion tours. However, the first reunion tour in 1996 was described by The Guardian as "an unashamed money-making venture," which is a bit ironic because the band's entire style and philosophy was based around anarchism and anti-consumerism. However, the band continued to play more reunion shows including shows in 2008 when fans even acknowledged that the band's form was well below its prime.

So, after discussing what makes or breaks a band reunion, what does this mean for bands like The Smiths, The Jam and Oasis, who have yet to reunite? In regards to The Smiths, the two stars of the band, Morrissey and Johnny Marr, have been touring and releasing new music successfully since the split of The Smiths in 1987, so they clearly don't need the cash, but I reckon the band's drummer, Mike Joyce, and their bass player, Andy Rourke could probably do with the money.

However, considering the fact that Joyce and Rourke have been suing Morrissey and Marr over royalties from the band and the fact that Morrissey and Marr have repeatedly publicly stated their lack of interest in a band reunion, it would seem that a band reunion would be a bit awkward -- even though fans (including myself) would love to see Moz and Marr playing together again. In other words, the idea of the four of them in a recording booth together again seems just as likely as the four Beatles getting back together. Although, I will say that it's obvious that Morrissey and Marr can still play and sing really well live, so if and when that reunion comes, there would be definitely be an incredible demand for tickets.

In regards to The Jam, the band split in 1982 and frontman Paul Weller has been touring successfully as a solo artist since 1991 and he's definitely still on top form. Bass player Bruce Foxton had moderate success as a solo musician in 1994, played in some lesser known bands like Stiff Little Fingers, and even played separately with Weller and with drummer, Rick Buckler. Buckler had a pretty quiet music career after The Jam as he played in some lesser-known bands, Time UK and Sharp (which included Foxton, but was very short-lived), and eventually in 1990 he called it quits from professional music. However, in 2005, Buckler played in some Jam tribute acts -- The Gift and From The Jam -- which again included Foxton. So, the missing link in the band was between Weller and Buckler, who haven't seen each other since the band's split in the '80s and they don't seem to be on friendly terms or any terms really.

Would there be a huge demand for a Jam reunion? Probably not, only because Weller still plays some old Jam songs on his solo tours and believe me, he plays them well. Besides, Weller was the heart and soul of The Jam, so it's not like people are dying for the trio to play live again. Plus, the Jam tribute act, From The Jam, still plays shows with Foxton (Buckler doesn't play with them anymore), so one way or another, The Jam's songs are still getting played live. Also, Paul Weller has always been a forward-thinking guy (after all, he is called The Modfather) and he's said publicly that band reunions are "sad." In this case, let's hope the band leave it where it is.

In regards to Oasis, it's hard to say. The legendary Manchester Britpop band split up in 2009, so it doesn't really seem like enough time has passed yet for the band to reunite. Although that's not to say that there aren't millions of Oasis fans around the world (including me) who want to see the Gallagher brothers play together again. Since the band split, Noel Gallagher has gone on to a successful solo career and Liam Gallagher formed a band with the remaining members of Oasis (basically Oasis minus Noel) called Beady Eye, which released two records before splitting up in 2014.

Liam has publicly declared his interest in reuniting Oasis (probably because the guy just loves the spotlight), but older brother, Noel has said that if and when Oasis reunite, it will only ever be for the money and he doesn't need the money now. Also, throw in the fact that Liam Gallagher doesn't really have the same pipes that he used to back in the early '00s. Don't get me wrong, as soon as Oasis reunite, I'll be the first one to buy tickets, but at this point, I don't think it would be for the right reasons.