10 Most Shocking Moments In Rock Music History

Any rock and roll band normally lives and dies on the strength of their drummer. No matter how many guitar chops you think you have, the whole tune is going to mean nothing if you don't have a proper rhythm section leading the charge. However, what happens when your drummer is down one limb?

As Def Leppard were going into the making of their album Hysteria, they were already given the unenviable task of following up their smash hit Pyromania. Once everything settled down for the holidays in late December, the band were awoken on New Year's Eve with the news that drummer Rick Allen had a terrible auto accident that left him without his left arm. Despite numerous attempts to reattach it, the only way for Allen to truly heal from his injuries is for him to amputate his left arm for good.

That's not enough to keep the spirit of rock and roll down though. Working with an electronic kit after returning to the fold, Rick began to function as the drummer again, playing all of his left handed beats with his left foot. After a warm welcome at the Monsters of Rock festival, Rick soldiered on as the Thunder God who had beaten the odds that were stacked against him. It just goes to show you that even when the world is telling you no, rock and roll can help you through even the worst of times.