10 Rock Bands That Survived The Deaths Of Key Members

At the dawn of the 1980's, AC/DC were finally starting to gain some traction globally. After some mild success with early records like Powerage and High Voltage, the band's Highway to Hell record yielded their biggest success yet. The signature guitar groove of the Young brothers mixed with the gravelly lyrics of Bon Scott were now poised for the mainstream...or so they thought.

As the band started rehearsing after the tour, Scott was working on lyrics for the band's follow-up and went on a drinking binge to clear his head. When he was found in a friend's car the next morning, he had asphyxiated while sleeping and died of alcohol poisoning. This was a pummeling blow to the band due to Scott's dangerous lyrics and unmistakable voice.

Shortly after the funeral, the Young brothers decided that Bon would not have wanted the band to end this way and began to search for a new singer. After multiple potentials, the band settled on Brian Johnson, who went on to record vocals for Back in Black, which was made as a tribute to their fallen rocker. Upon release, the album was met with near-universal acclaim, proving that even the most grim events can sometimes have a silver lining.