1. Dec. 6, 1969: Altamont Festival
Less than four months after Woodstock, the walls came tumbling down at the Altamont Speedway in Northern California where the Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane and Gratefull Dead headlined a free concert. More than 300,000 people attended, but four never went home. Three died accidentally while the fourth, Meredith Hunter, was stabbed to death in front of the stage during the Stones' set by out-of-control Hell's Angels. It was all caught on film by the Maysles' brothers in Gimme Shelter.

2. Dec. 3, 1979: The Who Concert Stampede
Late opening the doors at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum for the much anticipated Who concert, fans pushed to the front and when two doors finally opened surged forward, leaving 11 ticketholders dead in the wild crush. The crowd's unruly behavior was blamed on general-admission "festival seating."

3. Dec. 8, 1980: John Lennon Murdered
Just as John Lennon and Yoko Ono had just released Double Fantasy, a deranged fan shot the former Beatle in front of his apartment building in New York. Mark David Chapman was found guilty of the murder and remains in jail. The film Chapter 27 tells the story from Chapman's perspective.

4. June 30, 2000: Pearl Jam Crowd Crush
While Pearl Jam performed at the Danish Roskilde Festival, nine fans died in front of the stage when the packed-in crowd surged forward, leaving no breathing room for many. Since then promoters have made front-of-stage security a priority.

5. Feb. 20, 2003: Great White Club Fire
One hundred fans of the metal band Great White died when stage pyrotechnics ignited a massive inferno at The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Great White's tour manager and the club's two owners have all all served time in jail for this heinous crime.

6. Dec. 8, 2004: Dimebag Darrell Murdered Onstage
Former Marine Nathan Gale shot and killed Pantera guitarist "Dimebag Darrell" Abbott while he performed with Damageplan at Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. Three others died in the senseless incident. Police killed Gale, a paranoid schizophrenic, while he attempted to take a hostage.  

7. Apr. 5, 1994: Kurt Cobain Commits Suicide?
Unhappy with his new-found popularity and marriage to Courtney Love, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain allegedly offed himself with a shotgun blast. But the authors of Who Killed Kurt Cobain? believe it wasn't a suicide. What do you think?

8. Aug. 9, 1995: Jerry Garcia Dies of Heart Attack
While recovering at the Serenity Knolls rehab center from another bout of drug use, Jerry Garcia suffered a heart attack and passed away, ending his long, strange trip with the Grateful Dead. Despite Garica's departure, band members continue to play his music under the headings Phil Lesh and Friends, Bob Weir and Ratdog, and Furthur.

9. Feb. 3, 1959: Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and Big Bopper Die in Plane Crash
Known as "the day the music day," Buddy Holly's charter plane never made it to Minnesota from Iowa. Richie Valens, J.P. (The Big Bopper) Richardson and the pilot also perished.

10. Sept. 20, 1969: The Beatles Break Up
This was the day John Lennon gave notice to Beatles' manager Allen Klein that he was done with the Fab Four. In Novemeber, Paul Mccartney acknowledged the break-up in a Life magazine interview.

What other "Worst Days in Rock History" are we missing? Leave a comment.

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