4. Metallica
When Metallica came on the scene like a locomotive full of heavy metal rage in the early 80s, they carved out a spot for themselves amidst the extremely popular glam bands of the era. Along with other thrash acts like Anthrax and Slayer, Metallica was largely responsible for bringing metal back to commercial viability. Over the years the band has seen a handful of significant lineup changes. The first was the replacement of guitarist Dave Mustaine by Exodus' Kirk Hammett. Mustaine was booted due to the ever present drug and alcohol issues in addition to a violent temper. Mustaine went on to form Megadeth, and while successful in their own right, would never come close to reaching the heights Metallica did. The second change came when popular bassist Cliff Burton was killed in a 1986 tour bus accident. The guys had drawn cards to determine who would sleep where, and in a cruel twist of fate Burton won and chose Hammett's bunk. Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich came out of the accident virtually unscathed. Jason Newsted was chosen to replace him and would be with Metallica during their glory years. He was welcomed by the fans, but they always held a sentimental spot for Cliff Burton. Newsted left the band in 2001 and Metallica's search for his replacement is documented in the fascinating and unflattering documentary "Some Kind Of Monster". Their choice was Robert Trujillo, who had been playing in Ozzy Osbourne's band. Ironically, Jason Newsted would then be his replacement in Ozzy's band for the remainder of the 2003 Ozzfest tour. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boanuwUMNNQ