Selena
JLo would have no career.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi releases his 4th album in 70 or 71 and is another great album. The Experience officially breaks up and Jimi starts moving towards jazz rock fusion working with jazz greats like Miles Davis. Throughout the 70s, he does more experimental music while doing collaborations with Clapton, Bob Marley and funk stars like George Clinton. In the 80s, he does work for Michael Jackson on Thriller and does Beat It instead of Eddie Van Halen. The 70s and 80s aren't kind to Jimi commercially, but he has a resurgence in the 90s when music of the late 60s becomes cool again. He has massive hit album similar to what Santana had in 1999. He works with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, both of whom were heavily influenced by Hendrix. He tours every now and then in the 2000s, but for the most part, is done recording new music. In 2013, he jams with Prince on While My Guitar Gently Weeps at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He Jams with Prince again on at the Super Bowl, both playing Purple Rain and Purple Haze.

Lennon would be like McCartney with his longevity, but more of a moral voice.

No idea why but Jim Henson always came to mind when i thought about this question

edit to also add: Steve Jobs. that company hasn't really produced any unique products since he died…. just the same product with different colors

62strat said:

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Just imagine if Cobain lived, cleaned himself up, then got Layne to clean up too.

Two genre defining bands continue on with uninterrupted success. Foo Fighters could easily still exist, with Nirvana replacing him when he left.

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I love watching AIC's Unplugged performance from time to time (it's the best imo), but damn it is depressing, knowing that he was a full blown barely-functioning heroin addict with little to no remaining teeth at the time of that performance in 1996...and that he would go on to live SIX more years as an addict. I can't imagine what a withered away person he must have been around 2000.

He freaking nailed it though, aside from a few slip ups, which Cantrell helped support him through.

Addiction is the worst

John Lennon

John would have continued to release solo stuff through the 80's. He's music would have continued to get a bit more experimental and out there, but once you gave it enough listens and really digested it. It would be undeniably genus. He would slow down around 90. In 92-93 there would be rumblings of Paul and John restoring their relationship. In 94, all four Beatles would sit down together for an interview on 60 minutes. They would be relaxed and have funny banter. When asked about a reunion, they would all say no, but you could tell they all still had love for one another. In 96, rumors would emerge of a NEW Beatles Album. Then in 1997, 28 years after the last time they were in studio together, the Beatle would record and release a new studio album. It would become the greatest selling album of all time. Half of the 14 song album would have George Harrison listed as co-writer. They would go on a world tour in 97/98, smashing all imaginable financial earning records for a tour. In 2001, John and Yoko Ono would divorce. In 2004 John would be diagnosed with lung cancer. In 2005, he would release an album where all the songs would be co-written and recorded with his son Sean Lennon. In 2007 he would lose his 3 year battle with cancer.

This is more of a sliding doors situation.

JLo had acted before Selena, but let's be fair, she hadn't done much to impress anyone. Nobody really knew her name until she played Selena, which opened the door to her music career, which opened the door to a more legitimate acting career.