Death is a horrible thing, but it gets even worse when someone dies at the prime of one’s life, thus leaving an incomplete legacy behind. Here’s a list of musicians (in no particular order) whose music was taken from us far earlier than we expected.

Also Read: AR Rahman to Score Music for Ishaan Khatter’s Pippa

1. Jim Morrison

Incapable of compromise, Morrison was an artiste in the truest sense of the word. A poet and filmmaker, it was music where his efforts gained the widest acceptance. Taking his poetry and pairing it with the efforts of his bandmates, every aspect of The Doors had more of his fingerprints than anyone else. Though the circumstances surrounding his death are still disputed, it could be said that it was his artistic drive that was ultimately his undoing, but also his legacy’s salvation.

2. John Lennon

One of the biggest stars on planet for more than half of his life, John Lennon used that platform to attempt to change the world for the better. One thing’s for certain, Lennon was able to make a huge difference in the world of music, and the hearts of millions of fans, whether it was as a member of The Beatles or as a solo artist.

3. Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly was arguably the biggest star of a trio of artistes, who all died when a plane crashed, instantly killing them all in 1959. His death was such a blow to the music industry that the incident has come to be known as ‘The Day the Music Died’. Despite a relatively short career before his passing, no early rockstar had a larger influence on modern music.

4. Jimi Hendrix

A guitarist with such unique talent that he has become the measuring stick that all others are compared to, JImi was a force to be reckoned with. Leader of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and an underrated vocalist, Jimi was capable of taking any song and making it his, as evidenced by his incredible cover of The Star Spangled Banner, and Bob Dylan’s  All Along the Watchtower.

5. Kurt Cobain

A reluctant megastar who buckled under the pressure of fame and took his own life because of it, Kurt Cobain’s arrival on the US Billboard Charts indelibly altered music as we know it today. Possessing a voice that was mired in anger and isolation, there was no singer who was better positioned to be the voice of his generation than Cobain.

Also Read: 5 Infamous Moments in Music History