5 Legendary Musicians Who Continue To Make Millions After Their Deaths

Music is immortal and will be heard by numerous generations of listeners long after an artist has left us. Just as the likes of Mozart and Beethoven have ascended into history, so will many of the more contemporary artists we listen to today.

However, unlike these classical composers, their music will not be the stuff of legend but also an extremely lucrative asset. Over the last few decades especially, many deceased musicians have continued raking in the big bucks long after they have left this world. In fact, there have even been some artists who have become more profitable in death than they have been in life.

In this list, we will look at 5 legendary musicians who continue to make millions after their deaths.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

#5. Kurt Cobain

Nirvana’s frontman Kurt Cobain was hailed as a legend by a generation of listeners who lived through the 90s. Putting grunge at the forefront of popular music, Cobain had already built a lasting and lucrative legacy prior to his untimely death in 1994.

In the wake of his suicide at the young age of 27, Cobain was already worth an impressive $50,000,000. Upon his death, his estate was inherited by his wife Courtney Love and daughter, Frances. Thanks to some clever investments and Cobain’s enduring popularity, his estate has skyrocketed to a whopping $450,000,000. Cobain’s growing fortune earned him the distinction of being Forbes’ highest earning dead celebrity of 2006.

Initially, Love owned 98% of Nirvana’s publishing rights before selling it for another significant sum. Cobain’s daughter Frances is given a cool $100,000 per month from her father’s publishing rights, royalties and other investments made by the trust handling her share of the inheritance. It is expected that she will take full control of her father’s posthumous fortune on her 30th birthday.

While there have been disputes and controversies as to how Cobain’s likeness and music have been used following his death, it cannot be argued that it made the late star an extremely hefty payday. Not bad for someone who hasn’t been around for almost 30 years now.

#4. Bob Marley

Both a musical and cultural icon, Bob Marley’s distinctive sound helped put Reggae on the map. In addition to that, Marley’s politically charged and socially conscious lyrics made the message of his music just as, if not more memorable than his sound. His signature look and unmistakable presence have also endeared him to generations of listeners long after his death.

At the time of his death from cancer in 1981, Marley was already worth a respectable $32,000,000. His posthumous album aptly titled Legend, became the highest selling Reggae album in history. Due to his Rastafarian beliefs, Marley did not leave behind a will. By law, his wife Rita would have automatically inherited a portion of his estate. However, legal issues arising from her forging her late husband’s signature on certain documents caused the estate to be managed by Marley’s producer, Chris Blackwell.

By 2001 however, Rita and her children were able to win back full control of the late singer’s estate and it has since grown exponentially. Officially, Marley’s net worth now stands at an imposing $130,000,000. Although it is estimated that the singer’s true value is somewhere closer to the $500,000,00 mark due to the rampant unauthorised marketing of his image.

In 2021 alone, Marley’s estate had earned an impressive $16,000,000 and he has made the Forbes’ top earning dead celebrities list from 2001–2007 and 2012–2020. Authorised or not, it cannot be denied that Bob Marley has continued to rake it in even in death. Few artists can say that they have left both a cultural and financial legacy that has lasted numerous decades.

#3. John Lennon

A co-founder and songwriter of The Beatles, John Lennon would also find fame as an equally successful solo artist. With a career spanning almost two decades, Lennon has had a consistent run of success. Like Bob Marley, Lennon also crafted a reputation as a cultural icon thanks to his distinct image and socially relevant songs like Imagine.

At the time of his murder in 1980, Lennon’s estate was already valued at a jaw dropping $200,000,000. Following his death, his estate was managed by his widow Yoko Ono. The daughter of a prominent banker, Ono had the resources to manage her late husband’s assets. Just after his death, Lennon’s latest album Double Fantasy shot up to the top of the charts.

Lennon’s death triggered somewhat of a resurgence in both his popularity and that of The Beatles. This boost in sales did wonders to Lennon’s net worth as he was credited as a songwriter on the bulk of the group’s songs. Aside from his vast musical catalog, Lennon’s estate included properties, artwork and other lucrative investments. This has since quadrupled the value of his estate which now stands at $800,000,000.

Although primarily in the hands of his widow Yoko Ono and son, Sean, Lennon’s eldest son Julian who was left out of his famous father’s will, was able to receive a share of the estate in a settlement with his step-mother and brother. He has since used the money he received to buy other parts of Lennon’s estate and other important documents from his father’s career.

Lennon has been featured on Forbes’ top earning dead celebrities list since 2016. In 2020 alone, his estate had earned an additional $13,000,000. With someone possessing such talent and with his estate being left in capable hands, it is likely that John Lennon will find himself to be a billionaire in death sooner rather than later.

#2. Elvis Presley

The King Of Rock himself, Elvis Presley re-invented popular music as a whole. Equal parts talented and controversial, Elvis had left behind a somewhat impressive financial legacy at the time of his death. Despite his decadent lifestyle, excessive spending and at times shady management, The King was able to leave behind an estate worth $5,000,000 which would be around $20,000,000 in today’s money.

While it obviously could have been much more considering how much he had earned throughout his lifetime, it was by no means a small amount. Following his death from a heart attack in 1977, Elvis had left his fortune to the three closest members of his family. They were his father Vernon Presley, grandmother Minnie Mae Presley and daughter, Lisa-Marie Presley.

Vernon and Minnie Mae would pass away not too long after in 1979 and 1980 respectively. This meant that Lisa-Marie became the sole benefactor of her father’s estate. As Lisa-Marie was only a child at the time, her inheritance was held in a trust. As per her late grandfather’s will, Priscilla Presley was appointed trustee. However, the estate had begun to fall into debt.

Fortunately, Priscilla had proven herself to be a capable businesswoman. Following her divorce from Elvis, Priscilla embarked on a successful business career and was supported by her late ex-husband. Upon taking charge of the estate, she had transformed it on its head. From being over a million dollars in debt, it grew to exceed Elvis’ earnings from when he was still living. Thanks to Priscilla’s efforts it is estimated that Elvis’ estate is now worth somewhere between $400,000,000-$500,000,000.

Elvis has featured in Forbes’ highest earning dead celebrities list every year since its inception and has topped it an impressive 7 times. In 2020 alone, his estate has made an additional $30,000,000. Elvis’ growing estate has proven that with the right management, you can pay off your debts and hit it big even over four decades from your death.

#1. Michael Jackson

From the King of Rock to the King of Pop, we close this list with Elvis’ former son-in-law, the late, great Michael Jackson. Despite being one of the most popular and profitable artists in history, Jackson’s finances were in complete disarray at the time of his death. Gross overspending had turned his $380,000,000 estate into a messy negative $500,000,000.

Jackson’s lavish lifestyle was only part of the reason he had gotten into debt. In the years leading up to his death, Jackson’s fortune was spent on child support, spousal support and attorney fees in his various legal battles. However, he also owned a number of extremely valuable assets. This included his extremely extensive musical catalog which included that of The Beatles’ music as well as various properties, artwork, jewellery and other memorabilia.

While this may have been enough to at least pay off the bulk of his debts, there was another factor that affected the late singer’s estate. Upon Jackson’s death, he experienced an unprecedented revival in popularity. Jackson’s music was hitting the top of the charts once more and selling like hotcakes. It was almost as if we had been transported back to his heyday.

Ironically, it was Jackson’s death that revived his finances and pulled his estate out of a crippling debt. The year of his death, Jackson’s estate earned a lifesaving $90,000,000. It has since grown in the past 13 years to an astounding $2,400,000,000. This resurrected fortune was split between Jackson’s children, various charities and his mother Katherine. It was also stipulated that upon Katherine’s death, Jackson’s three children will inherit her share of the estate. Thus, it is safe to say that they will be looked after for life.

In the years following his death Michael Jackson has consistently featured on Forbes’ list of richest dead celebrities, topping it a record 10 times. He also became only the third artist to sell over a billion records and was the first to reach this milestone after death. Jackson was also listed as the richest dead person on various occasions since his passing. It goes to show that being dead hasn’t stopped the King of Pop from setting new records.

Well, that does it for this list! If you’ve made it this far, let me thank you for taking the time to read this! It certainly was interesting to see just how much these artists can continue to earn even after death.

The fact that some of these earnings were enough to make profits in the face of crippling debts is even more mind blowing. However, these earnings are certainly well deserved. They are a testament to the skill and talents of the artists in question and have also allowed them to leave a legacy that will allow their families to be comfortably looked after.

If I’ve missed any other prominent examples do let me know. I might make a follow-up to this list too. Until then, take care!