Top 10 Best Albums Released After the Death of a Band Member

These bands lost a member along the way, but they continued after the mourning period and came back stronger.

The Top Ten

  1. Back In Black - AC/DC

    That album was released after the death of lead singer Bon Scott, who choked on his vomit after a night of binge-drinking in early 1980. He was quickly replaced by Brian Johnson (former lead singer of Geordie), and together, they made what is considered AC/DC's magnum opus.

    The album sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide and was certified 25x platinum in the United States. Talk about a triumph!

  2. ...And Justice for All - Metallica

    The album was released after the death of bassist Cliff Burton in a 1986 road accident. The instrumental track "To Live Is to Die" is dedicated to his memory.

  3. But Here We Are - Foo Fighters

    This album was released after the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins following an overdose in March 2022.

  4. Diamond Eyes - Deftones

    This album was released while bassist Chi Cheng was in a coma after he was involved in a horrible car crash in 2008. He ultimately died in 2013, but I guess the rest of the band had little to no hope that Chi would survive.

  5. Hackney Diamonds - The Rolling Stones

    This album was released after the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2022.

  6. Nightmare - Avenged Sevenfold

    Released after the death of drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan at the very end of 2009.

  7. Repentless - Slayer

    Released two years after the death of guitarist Jeff Hanneman. It was also Slayer's final album before their separation.

  8. .5: The Gray Chapter - Slipknot

    Released after the death of bassist Paul Gray.

  9. MTV Unplugged in New York - Nirvana

    This album was recorded before Cobain died, though.

    You know, back when Nirvana existed.

  10. Made in Heaven - Queen

    Released four years after Freddie Mercury's death from AIDS. All vocals were recorded by Mercury before his death. Queen released another album, The Cosmos Rocks (2008), with Paul Rodgers on lead vocals.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light - Woods of Ypres

  12. ?

    Wasteland - Riverside

    13. The Contenders

  13. Mother's Milk - Red Hot Chili Peppers

    The first album to feature the RHCP's best-known lineup (Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante) is also a tribute to their original guitarist Hillel Slovak, who died of an overdose in 1988.

  14. Adrenalize - Def Leppard

    The follow-up to Def Leppard's blockbuster album Hysteria (1987) was released in the wake of guitarist Steve Clark's death in 1991. He has songwriting credits on six songs, and the song "White Lightning" is dedicated to him.

  15. Learning to Crawl - The Pretenders

    Released after James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon both died of drug overdoses.

  16. From Zero - Linkin Park

  17. Black Gives Way to Blue - Alice in Chains

  18. Holy Hell - Architects

  19. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas - Mayhem

  20. Closer - Joy Division

BAdd New Item