(Gibson) Alice Cooper once observed that life as a rock-and-roller is like riding a roller coaster. For every thrill-ride to the top, there seems to be a frightening plunge to the bottom. The hazards of the rock lifestyle are such that some musicians and songwriters remain forever mired in a trough, and never return to past glories. But as the following artists prove, the ability to rise phoenix-like from the ashes is a big part of rock history as well.2) AC/DC: AC/DC's landmark 1979 album, Highway to Hell, propelled the Australian rockers to the upper echelon of hard-rock bands. Tragically, while working on their follow-up album, frontman Bon Scott lost his life after falling into unconsciousness following a night of heavy driving. The band considered quitting, but decided instead to bring singer Brian Johnson on-board. The resulting album, Back in Black, paid tribute to Scott's memory and became a seminal rock classic.
1) Aerosmith: At the turn of the '80s, Aerosmith went from being one of the rock's most popular bands to teetering on the edge of collapse. Crippled by the departures of both Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, the band released just one album of new material between the years 1980 and 1984. Perry and Whitford returned to the fold in the mid '80s, however, and a cleaned-up Aerosmith stormed back with a series of landmark albums and singles that propelled them to dizzying heights. Since then, interest in the band has rarely waned. Check out the full top 10 list here
