Got myself in an odd thought spiral tonight while listening to some oldies. What would the world be like if Buddy Holly had lived? What would the world be like if Hank Williams Sr. had lived?

There are so many artists out there that died long before their time, men and women who were genre defining artists. Elvis may be the biggest name there. If he’d stayed away from the drugs? He might still be alive today (though he would be in his 90s). Think of how music would have changed if he’d been whole and healthy for another 50 years?

You can probably think about dozens of other singers out there that just died much too soon who might have changed music forever if they had only lived. It’s kind of crazy to think about. John Lennon. Kurt Cobain. Chester Bennington.

What artist do you think would have changed the world if they hadn’t left us too soon?