Top 10 Musicians Who Became More Famous After They Died

This is a list of musicians who received more popularity after their death.

The Top Ten

Robert Johnson

Robert Leroy Johnson was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a powerful combination of expressive singing, skilled guitar work, and original songwriting that has deeply influenced later generations of musicians. Johnson died in 1938 at the... read more

During his lifetime, he had no commercial success and very little recognition. He was a blues singer who showed singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that influenced later generations of musicians of blues and rock and roll, such as Eric Clapton (from the Yardbirds, Cream, and Derek & the Dominos), Bob Dylan, Robert Plant (from Led Zeppelin), and Keith Richards (from the Rolling Stones).
One of his songs, "Cross Road Blues," was popularized by Cream in the late 1960s as "Crossroads." Since the 1960s or 70s, his life has been rediscovered by historians. For example, there are three verified photographs of him today.
Nick Drake

Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake (June 19, 1948 - November 25, 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He released three studio albums during his lifetime, but they sold poorly and received little attention. His work gained significant recognition posthumously... read more

He received little success and recognition during his lifetime. His albums sold less than 5,000 copies. But after his death in 1974, he started to reach a cult following and critical acclaim for his acoustic guitar style and lyrics. One of his most known songs was "Pink Moon."
He influenced artists such as Robert Smith (The Cure), Peter Buck (R.E.M.), and Beck.
Otis Redding

Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, and talent scout. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal figure in soul music. His posthumously released hit (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay became his most... read more

Sure, he was popular, but not as much as he is today. Back in the 1960s, African-Americans were treated unfairly, and the Civil Rights movement was happening at the time, so it was rough for him to become more popular and commercial before his death.
When he died in a plane crash in December 1967, everybody mourned him. The next month, his label, Volt Records, released the single "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," which quickly went to number one, becoming his signature song, his first and only #1 hit, and the first posthumous #1 hit. He has inspired many artists and is one of my dad's favorite artists.
Sid Vicious

Sid Vicious, born John Simon Ritchie (10 May 1957 to 2 February 1979) in London, England, was an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the influential punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Despite his iconic status in the punk movement, he was notorious for his tumultuous lifestyle and his... read more

He was known for being the bassist for the punk rock band The Sex Pistols, but when he stabbed his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, things started to go wrong. He committed suicide by overdosing on heroin in 1979. He had left the band a year before his death.
The band's only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, started to receive critical acclaim, and Vicious was known as a legend since then.
Jeff Buckley

Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley (November 17, 1966 - May 29, 1997), who was raised as Scott "Scottie" Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Buckley was born in Anaheim, California, into a musical family. His mother, Mary Guibert, was a classically trained musician, and his father... read more

He was a blues, alternative, and folk rock artist who had little commercial success and recognition during his lifetime. When his only studio album, Grace, was released in 1994, it had poor sales and mixed reviews, reaching #149 on the Billboard 200.
But after he died in 1997, it received critical acclaim and is listed by some critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. Since then, his legacy has inspired artists like Muse, Adele, and Lana Del Rey.

Jeff Buckley's only album, Grace, was released in 1994 and originally had mixed reviews and poor sales. He died from accidental drowning in 1997, and then Grace became a success, receiving critical acclaim and being listed as one of the greatest albums of all time.
It's sad that it took his death to make him famous and his only album to be listed as one of the greatest albums of all time.
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Israel "Iz" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole, also called Bruddah Iz, was an American musician, entertainer, and Hawaiian sovereignty activist. He was born on May 20, 1959, and passed away on June 26, 1997. He is best known internationally for his medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World,... read more

He was a Hawaiian musician who played music on a ukulele. Sadly, he suffered from obesity and died in June 1997. Sometime in 1999, one of his songs, which is a medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World," gained notice when it was used in commercials for eToys.com (the internet subsidiary of Toys R Us).
It was later used in movies such as Meet Joe Black, Finding Forrester, and 50 First Dates. The YouTube video for the song has over a billion views, and in 2021, the song was inducted into the National Recording Registry as part of the heritage of American recorded sound.
Jim Croce

James Joseph Croce was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. His songs "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time in a Bottle" both reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Sure, he was popular during his lifetime, but not as famous as he is today. By the time he died in a plane crash in September 1973, he had four Top 40 singles, with two Top 10 hits and one No. 1 hit, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown."
Shortly after his death, his fame exploded, and the song "Time in a Bottle" was released and quickly went to #1. His songs have been featured in popular movies and TV shows, such as Stranger Things.
Big L

Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974 - February 15, 1999), best known by his stage name Big L, was an American hip hop recording artist born and raised in Harlem, New York City. Coleman began his rap career with the hip hop trio Three the Hard Way. His first notable appearance came on Lord Finesse's "Yes You... read more

He was an underground rapper on the East Coast and didn't receive much recognition at the time. His debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, was released in 1995 and only peaked at #149 on the Billboard 200 charts.
After the album was released, he was slowly becoming more popular, which led to Jay-Z planning to sign him to Roc-A-Fella. But four years later, he was murdered, and his second album, The Big Picture, was unfinished. It was released the following year with remixes and additional material added to complete the album. He has influenced many rappers and is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Ian Curtis

Ian Kevin Curtis (July 15, 1956 - May 18, 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the post-punk band Joy Division.
Curtis, who suffered from epilepsy and depression, died by suicide on May 18, 1980, at the age of 23, on the eve of... read more

He was the lead singer of the post-punk band Joy Division. He suffered from both epilepsy and depression and took his own life during the band's North American tour in 1980. After his death, one of the band's albums, Unknown Pleasures, started to receive critical acclaim, and his music influenced U2 and The Cure.
Selena

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was an American singer, songwriter, spokesperson, actress, and fashion designer. Known as the Queen of Tejano music, she was one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. She was murdered in 1995 at the age of 23.

The Newcomers

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XXXTentacion

Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy (January 23, 1998 - June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion and often referred to as X, was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with his unique blend of genres including hip hop, rock, and R&B. Despite a controversial personal life and criminal... read more
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was born on March 20, 1915, and died on October 9, 1973. She was known for her unique blend of gospel music and electric guitar playing. Tharpe's work strongly influenced the development of rock and roll and inspired artists... read more

The Contenders

Pop Smoke

Bashar Barakah Jackson (July 20, 1999 - February 19, 2020), known professionally as Pop Smoke, was an American rapper. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, he rose to fame with the release of his 2019 singles "Welcome to the Party" and "Dior." He frequently collaborated with UK drill artists and... read more

He was a rapper associated with Brooklyn drill, a trap-like style that emerged in Brooklyn, New York. He was about to become popular during his lifetime, but he was unexpectedly murdered in his home in February 2020. His death was mourned by rap fans.
When his debut album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, was released, it became very popular, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. It is 2x Platinum as of October 2021. He is regarded as a legend by rap fans.

He had some success before he died, but he became really famous after his death.
Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 - April 5, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician, best known as the frontman of the grunge band Nirvana. Founded in 1987, Nirvana achieved global success in the early 1990s, reshaping rock music with albums like Bleach, Nevermind, and In Utero. Cobain died... read more

Kurt did become more popular after his death, but one of the reasons he killed himself was literally because of the fame from the media.
Juice WRLD

Jarad Anthony Higgins, known professionally as Juice WRLD, was born on December 2, 1998, and passed away on December 8, 2019. He was a rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his influence on the emo-rap and SoundCloud rap scenes, which gained popularity in the mid-to-late 2010s. His stage name came... read more

The media mentioned his name so much that everyone started finding out who he was.
Bradley Nowell

Bradley James Nowell was an American musician who served as the founder, lead singer, and guitarist of the band Sublime. He was instrumental in blending punk rock, reggae, and ska into the band's signature sound. Nowell died in 1996, shortly before the release of the band's multi-platinum self-titled... read more
Avicii

Tim Bergling (September 8, 1989 - April 20, 2018), better known by his stage name Avicii, was a Swedish electronic musician, DJ, remixer, and record producer. He was best known for his contributions to electronic music in the 2010s, with numerous songs charting in the Top 40 and influencing a new generation... read more
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