Data journalism: The Guide's band hiatus hypothesis

With the return of both Aphex Twin and Weezer after years away, the comeback album is all the rage, but research by the Guide shows that the longer the hiatus, the worse the comeback album. Some bands do have their excuses – rehab, rifts, legal issues, solo jaunts, sheer weight of expectation – but, as our graphic shows, any break of more than four years is never any good. Nearly every alternative 90s act is culpable – from the Stone Roses to Smashing Pumpkins, No Doubt, Pixies, and now Weezer's floppy latest. Chances are, Lauryn Hill's long-awaited follow-up to The Miseducation… won't buck the trend, either.