A new study debunks the myth that 27 is the most dangerous year for musicians:
After analyzing statistics on 1,046 musicians who had number one hits in the U.K. (which actually excluded Hendrix, Joplin, and Morrison), the researchers found that only 7% had died during that period. There were quite a few deaths between 20 and 40, but researchers determined the rockers weren't more likely to die young due to some evil sorcery. It seems the spike in early deaths can be attributed to a strange condition called "doing a fuckton of drugs."
The "27 Club" myth exists due to the human brain's tendency to look for patterns and ignore things that don't fit.
Anahad O'Connor adds, "[T]he decline in premature deaths was tied to better treatment for drug overdose, as well as changes in lifestyles as pop music became more prevalent than hard rock."
The Dish 