Photo Gallery: Guitar World Magazine Covers Throughout the Years — 2002

Much loss was felt among the music community in 2002. It was, sadly, a year marred by the deaths of some of rock and roll's most talented visionaries.

In March, Ozzy Osbourne/Motley Crue drummer Randy Castillo died of cancer, just two weeks before Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley succumbed to his addictions in his self-imposed exile at his Seattle condo. Founding Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone also died of a heroin overdose in June, as did Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby one day later.

Perhaps the most shocking loss of all was the unexpected death of founding Clash singer/guitarist Joe Strummer, who died from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect on December 22. Strummer was honored in a tribute at the Grammy Awards the following year, when Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Steven Van Zandt, Dave Grohl, Pete Thomas and Tony Kanal performed the Clash classic "London Calling."

But as unfortunate as the many passings of 2002 were, there was much to celebrate among guitar enthusiasts. System of a Down, Queens of the Stone Age and Weezer -- among others -- all worked to keep the rock and roll spirit alive with new material. Some of their stories were even captured here in the pages of Guitar World. Check out the gallery below to see the less somber side of 2002.

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