Saddest Moment in Music History - "When were you when John Lenin dies?"

[Dick Pooman]

What is your saddest moment? Straying from Richie Valens and the Big Bopper hitting a mountain at 300mph and Elvis dying on the toilet, what is your saddest moment?

Mine is Roy Orbison dying mere days before he had his first top 10 hit. Video below is Roy performing the new song live for the first time, and just 17 days before he died of a heart attack. The song went to #5 on the charts, which was his highest charting song ever.

 

[mr.moon1488]

 

[Dick Pooman]

Ronnie Van Zant had a redundant backup in Donnie Van Zant who looks and sounds just like Ronnie Van Zant.

 

[ScamL Likely]

Probably Ian Curtis' (Joy Divison) suicide at the age of 23 considering how successful the band and its successor ended up being in the long run. It just feels like he barely got to enjoy it. But then on the other hand I guess you could think of his suicide as the catalyst for their later success because that sort of "tragedy" can often drive sales of things like albums or movie tickets to new heights even if they were already fairly well-received before that.

 

[Mister Qwerty]

When I heard that Lemmy Kilmister died it felt like an end of an era of rock & roll.

 

[Cat Menagerie]

I wouldn't say "saddest" as this would be tough for me to pin down. However, I was a big fan of The Cranberries in high school and college. I found Dolores O'Riordan's death to be tragically and stereotypically Irish--by drinking herself into an alcoholic stupor (.33 BAC) and drowning in her bathtub.

 

[Immortal Technique]

Michael Jackson's 1984 Pepsi commercial fire incident. It sent one of the greatest performers into decades of addiction, but killed the Jheri curl hairstyle with it.

 

[Maskull]

Remember that time you revisited a band you loved in youth only to be disappointed?

 

[Damn Near]

Probably the Beets getting into that fiery bus crash in Bluffington when their bus wiped out the entire Funny family

 

[The Reaper]

Jim Croce dying a week after finishing his fifth studio album. At the height of his career, and finally reaching the point where he could sustain himself with his music (he was never a rich man, and much of the money he made from his successful albums went to paying back the record company. There's an especially sad point in his story:

Croce finished recording the album just a week before his death. While on tour, he grew increasingly homesick and decided to take a break from music and settle with Ingrid and A.J. when his Life and Times tour ended.[18][19] In a letter to Ingrid which arrived after his death, Croce told her he had decided to quit music and stick to writing short stories and movie scripts as a career and withdraw from public life.[3][20]

He had just finished a show at Northwestern, and was heading to Texas to play at Austin College. I don't know for sure, but I remember hearing from a stranger that the Austin show was supposed to have happened earlier, but was cancelled for some reason. Croce had promised to reschedule the show and was flying back in order to perform. I don't know if its true, as the strangers I talk to are not the most trustworthy, but it fits with Croce's character. He was an honest man, and worked hard in order to play his music taking on odd jobs. Those events inspired his music and represented the common man.

 

[Dolphin Lundgren]

There's a few I can think of.

John Lennon's mistreatment of his son, Julian Lennon. For someone who sang about peace and love, he sure was horrible to his son. Paul admitted he was a shitty father. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture...-could-never-show-it-to-his-wife-and-son.html Sean Lennon was the favored son, and it would be pretty depressing to see another sibling get more love.

Brian Wilson's nervous breakdown and issues with mental illness at the peak of his career in The Beach Boys.

Chester Bennington's suicide got me pretty down when I read about it. Same with Scott Weiland's death from drugs. He was a talented singer and it was sad to read about his overdose after his problems with addiction for all those years.

One more that's more of a sad moment for me, personally.

My favorite Nine Inch Nails song is La Mer.

I found out that Trent Reznor was on the verge of suicide when he did this beautiful song. It hits harder for me when I play it now knowing he wanted to die when he did it.

 

[I Exist]

Avicii's death was just sad to me, he was overworked by his managers, had pancreatitis and still did shows and he tried his damndest to live up to everyone's expectations but he felt as though it wasn't enough.
He cut himself with a broken wine bottle and left a note that said he 'couldn't go on any longer'.

 

[Dolphin Lundgren]

I can't believe I forgot Layne Staley. I still get sad over his death, honestly.

 

[Disgruntled Pupper]

Sublime remains my favorite early 90s alternative band and Bradley Nowell's overdose always bums me out when I think about it. Like, if his friends would have just gone surfing with him that morning, dude would probably still be kicking and Sublime could have put out at least a few more albums.

 

[Some JERK]

When Michael Jackson screwed the Beatles out of their recording catalog and then allowed "Revolution" to be used on a fucking Nike commercial.

 

[Dolphin Lundgren]

Sublime remains my favorite early 90s alternative band and Bradley Nowell's overdose always bums me out when I think about it. Like, if his friends would have just gone surfing with him that morning, dude would probably still be kicking and Sublime could have put out at least a few more albums.

His death is more ridiculous considering he did heroin only as an experiment because he wanted to be like the big rock stars that became addicted to drugs.

 

[Emperor Julian]

The day an entire generation embraced 'indie' music scene represented by libertines and snow patrol.
00's music brit scene in general when I think on it.
fucking disaster for music.

Seriously though John lennons death.

 

[Ex Cummunicated Sasser HD]

 

[Moloko]

Depends on what you mean by the saddest? The death of Freddie Mercury was sad. I remember Radio One playing 'Radio Gaga' and feeling emotional every time I heard "Radio, someone still loves you." The death of David Bowie was sad. Kirsty MacColl's death after pushing her children out of the way of a speedboat was the saddest for me. IIRC it happened not long before Christmas and no matter where you went in the UK you could hear 'The Fairytale Of New York' playing. It would make me think of her poor kids.

The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York (Official Video)

Official video for Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl Stream The Pogues greatest hits here ▶ https://RhinoUK.lnk.to/ThePogues Subsc...

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The day an entire generation embraced 'indie' music scene represented by libertines and snow patrol.
00's music brit scene in general when I think on it.
fucking disaster for music.

Seriously though John lennons death.

The Indie Brit scene, which actually started in the '90s, was the best thing to ever happen to British music. Oasis, Suede (the band used the name 'London Suede' in America), Pulp, Radiohead, the Verve et al. If I had to choose between listening to them or the utter shite being pumped out today, particularly from America, I would choose Indie Brit music every...single...time.

 

[Emperor Julian]

The Indie Brit scene, which actually started in the '90s, was the best thing to ever happen to British music. Oasis, Suede (the band used the name 'London Suede' in America), Pulp, Radiohead, the Verve et al. If I had to choose between listening to them or the utter shite being pumped out today, particularly from America, I would choose Indie Brit music every...single...time.

90's indie music scene was fine and had a lot going for the it, the gallagher bros have got a free pass on their charming personalities due to wonderwall. the 00's was an embarrassment to the species, unless you're really keen on a methhead with nothing to say.