10 Classic Rock Artists That Died Too Soon

We all tend to take our rockstars for granted. Regardless of how good or bad the records are, these musicians have put their absolute lifesblood into giving us some of the best music we've ever heard. It seems like these acts can go on forever, but oftentimes life has other plans.

Over the years, there have been severe casualties in the rock world that have left the entire community devastated. Whether it was through drug abuse or just a freak accident, the deaths of these artists shook the music world to its very core. While it's never easy to watch someone pass away, it's even more tragic when these acts had so much talent at their disposal.

Rather than hearing the next offering from their favorite bands, fans are only left to speculate how the rock world might be different if these musicians had been able to escape their fate. As time has gone on, the rock world has been able to pick up the pieces and create some incredible art thanks to the mark these artists left on the world.

Though these artists may not be here in physical form anymore, their influence has not been lost on those that came after them.

By the mid-80's, rock and roll had come a long way from the blues music that inspired it back in the late 50's and 60's. However, in the middle of the synthpop and hair metal stylings of the world, one guitarist cut through the rest of the musical haze like a cowboy through the desert.

With his first album Texas Flood, Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of the most interesting artists to come out at the time. Sure, the blues rock he was playing was certainly nothing new, but Vaughan brought an added layer of intensity that hadn't been seen in ages. While he had gone through his fair share of ups and downs, he seemed to have cleaned up his act up until the start of the 90's.

Shortly after performing with guitar legend Eric Clapton in Wisconsin, Vaughan boarded a plane which would take him out of the venue so he could prepare for his next gig. However, the inclement weather led to a tragic end when the plane crashed into a nearby ski hill after it took off. With no survivors from the crash, the music world had lost one of the greatest legends to pick up a six-string, whose influence can still be heard in everyone from Mike McCready to John Mayer.