There are plenty of stories as to how the number 13 became associated with bad luck in many cultures. But whether you believe in triskaidekaphobia -- the word coined to denote the fear of the number -- or not, there's no denying that plenty of musicians have had their share of bad luck. So, in honor of Friday the 13th, we've created a gallery of 13 Unlucky Alternative Rockers.

Ask any successful musician how they made it and there's a good chance they'll chalk it up to a combination of hard work and good luck. But not everybody can be as fortunate. Inside, you'll find stories of people who parted with bands as they were on the verge of their big break. Sometimes these decisions were made by the musician who wanted something different for their life, while other times the band decided that they needed someone else to take them to the next level. This includes former members of U2, Green Day, the Velvet Underground, the Police and even someone who was kicked out of both Nirvana and Soundgarden.

We've also included a few stories of artists who ran into numerous problems with their record labels. However, we've stayed away from rockers like Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone or Bradley Nowell of Sublime, both of whom died from drug overdoses shortly before they could have become household names. We feel that their stories, and those of others whose potential were never fully realized, should be considered tragedies and not as bad luck.

So click on the gallery above to begin reading about some of the unluckiest people in alternative rock.

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