The Heartbreakers could never catch a break. A great live band that was plagued by poor production in the studio. Opiates took their toll on them as well.
Walter Lure, Johnny Thunders, Jerry Nolan and Billy Rath all gone to join Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone, Billy Murcia, Walter Kane, Joe Strummer and Sid Vicious in the great mosh pit in the sky.
That's rather logical as the HB (or the Ramones) had a genuine but limited appeal. Therefore their success was limited. Talk about a good but "confidential" band... aka "a club band that will never go bigger than filling theaters".