10 Seemingly Insignificant Choices That Changed The World Forever

5. Buddy Holly's Desire For Clean Underwear

When Buddy Holly boarded a plane in 1959 he had simple motives; he wanted to do some laundry and finally rest before going on stage. The tour he had been taking part in had just been extended, and the pittance the record company set aside for the tour meant that things were always going wrong; the bus would break down; the heating was unpredictable, supposedly giving some members of the tour frostbite. As a solution for this, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper chartered a small plane to expedite their journey. This decision, driven by a number of factors (including genuine frustration and a yearning for clean clothes) was to cause the world to lose some of the most promising musicians in a generation. The decision to board that fatal plane was one that forever changed the face of music; we've all heard American Pie, and recognise this as "the Day the Music Died." The tragic loss of these 3 figures established the musicians as representatives of the teenage angst which characterised the 1950s, resulting in the rise of music legends such as Elvis Presley. Much like the aviation disaster over Munich which cost the lives of most of the Manchester United team in 1958, the cost of the disaster is hard to ascertain as what Buddy Holly and his cohorts could have done for music is entirely speculative, just as the prospective contribution of the footballers will remain forever a mystery.