Goku was supposed to die on Namek with the explosion as the legendary super saiyan and killing the most powerful being (freeza) with him. Akira torishama said so, but the studio told him to go on.
Totally agree. It would have been so much better if that could ahve been the ending. Frieza and Goku both dying after such an epic battle. Still, all the add on's afterwards wern't so bad with Cell Saga and Buu saga.