When it comes to the culture of rock & roll, there has long been a sense of excess associated with the music. Whether it’s sex and drugs or band members simply destroying hotel rooms and throwing televisions out the window, debauchery and indulgence have seemed part and parcel with buzzy guitars and big drum kits.

But drinking pints of whiskey in a single day or ingesting a plethora of other drugs can catch up to you. Traveling and taking physical risks can catch up to you. The business of music can catch up to you. As a result, the history of rock is not without its tragic stories. It’s sad tales of heroes gone too soon.

Here, we wanted to explore that, to dive into the lives of five Hall of Fame rock artists that were unfortunately cut short due to bad decisions or bad luck. The result of all that loss affected not only the individuals involved but the entire musical landscape of the 20th century. These are five premature deaths that stunted rock & roll.

Buddy Holly

Born on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas, Buddy Holly was one of the first mainstream rock & roll stars of the 1950s. He made his first TV appearance in 1952 and in 1955 he started opening up for Elvis Presley. With his band the Crickets, he released his first studio LP in 1957 and then released two solo albums a year later in 1958.

But the hopes for a long career for the rising star were dashed on February 3, 1959, when, at just 22 years old, he died in a plane crash along with fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and “The Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson. For someone who could have rivaled Elvis and helped inspire millions, Holly’s career ended almost before it began.

Jimi Hendrix

Born on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington, Jimi Hendrix was a guitar nerd from an early age. But it was only when he moved to London in the ’60s that his skills were truly appreciated.

Today, Hendrix is considered the greatest rock guitarist of all time (if not the greatest six-string player ever) despite the fact that he essentially only had a three-year career as a solo artist. One of the famed “27 Club” members, Hendrix died on September 18, 1970, at the age of 27. What might have happened if he’d continued to live and play his instrument unlike anyone else on Earth?

Jim Morrison

The frontman for the Doors, Jim Morrison was born on December 8, 1943, in Melbourne, Florida. But it was in Los Angeles where he made a name for himself as a pop culture mystical poet-songwriter.

In the 1960s, Morrison and his band released canonical rock songs like “Light My Fire” and “L.A. Woman.” But like Hendrix, Morrison died at 27 years old, passing away in Paris, France, under some still-mysterious circumstances. It would’ve been interesting to see Morrison adapt and evolve from his ’60s poet prince acid rock phase. Sadly, the world never got to see it.

Janis Joplin

With a sound that no one has been able to replicate since, the feral-voiced singer Janis Joplin was like a nuclear explosion in rock music in the ’60s. Born on January 19, 1943, Joplin’s vocals could tear you apart from the inside.

Singing songs like “Piece of My Heart,” “Summertime” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” Joplin was both rebel and premier vocalist of her age. Like the two artists above, however, she also died young, at just 27 years old. Today, just imagine what an 82-year-old Janis Joplin might sound like on the mic.

Kurt Cobain

Part-Hollywood leading man, part-desperate artist, Kurt Cobain was the King of Grunge when he died in 1994. The frontman for the group Nirvana was born in the small town of Aberdeen, Washington, on February 20, 1967.

He grew up to be the most influential musician of the ’90s thanks to his incisive songwriting and square jaw. But he also died far too young, committing suicide at just 27 years old. Who knows how he could have changed rock in the 21st century. Now, though, we’ll never know.