10 Amazing Bands Who Lost Members At The Height Of Their Potential

5. AC/DC (Bon Scott)

Bon Scott meant what he sang when he told us he was on the highway to hell. AC/DC€™s sneering, simplistic rock was eviscerated by the music press for years, and even audiences occasionally booed them. But all the hard work paid off, and by the time of 1979€™s classic Highway to Hell, AC/DC was poised to take over the world. Then Bon Scott€™s runaway abuse of alcohol took its toll in February 1980, just a few months after the release of their then-biggest album. By now, everyone knows the rest: despondent but unwilling to lie down, the Young brothers, AC/DC€™s primary creative force, recruited a singer named Brian Johnson. Less than a year later, Back in Black hit shelves, and it shattered every expectation set by Highway to Hell. Back in Black is one of the best-selling albums of all time, in the company of records like Thriller and Dark Side of the Moon. Just about every song from it has entered rock€™s book of standards, and AC/DC enjoyed thirty more years of massive success. Brian Johnson came on board with hardly a hitch. The sound hasn€™t changed in any significant way since 1974, and many casual listeners would be hard-pressed to tell you the difference between a Scott song and a Johnson one. But there€™s something that€™s a bit more rock €˜n roll - a bit more adventurous and dangerous - about those long-lost Bon Scott years. It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll, and there's no guarantee you'll get to enjoy it when you arrive.