10 Rock + Metal Musicians Who Had Big Success After Getting Fired

While getting fired from a big band is never ideal, it's not necessarily a death sentence for your future. In fact, several musicians have gone on to do great things after getting sacked and that humbling moment perhaps lit a fire under them to pursue something on their own terms that eventually turned out great.

Yes, there are a wealth of famous firings and not all of them work out well. Pete Best was famously let go by The Beatles before the band went on to become the biggest band in the world with the arrival of Ringo Starr. Things didn't exactly go well for another Pete — Pete Willis, when Def Leppard replaced him with Phil Collen as the band's career skyrocketed upward. And there are countless others who just faded out of prominence after being let go by their bands.

But in this list, we're shining a spotlight on 10 fired rock and metal musicians who were able to sustain their musical relevance. In fact, all 10 started something from scratch once they found themselves free and all of these "next acts" saw them find the perfect vehicle to showcase their talents.

Two of the musicians on this list even share a current band — we're talking about Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony. Hagar was let go from Montrose early in his career, but crafted a solid solo career before eventually joining Van Halen. It was there he played with Anthony, who would later be let go from Van Halen. And together they would continue first as part of Chickenfoot before their most recent band The Circle.

Who else found success after being let go? Dave Mustaine certainly had a chip on his shoulder after his axing from Metallica and has made Megadeth a success in its own right. And we certainly hadn't heard the last of Ozzy Osbourne after his late '70s termination from Black Sabbath.

See who else made the list of musicians who found great success after being fired.