Alive on the Charts

For music’s “Forever 27” club a rise in catalog sales, reissues, anniversary products and events means that acts often find plenty of life after untimely passings.

Kurt Cobain
1967-1994

• Sales Before Death: 5.6 million Nirvana albums.
• Sales Since: 8.9 million, including studio albums, MTV Unplugged, 1996 live album.
• Peak: Nevermind hit No. 1 in early 1992; “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a Gen-X anthem.

Jimi Hendrix
1942-1970

• Sales Before Death: 2.5 million, based on three studio albums, a Best Of and a live collection.
• Sales Since: 24 million discs including live sets, reissues.
• Peak: 9 a.m. performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the headliner at Woodstock.

Brian Jones
1942-1969

• Sales Before Death: Original Rolling Stones guitarist played on 10 LPs that sold 7 million.
• Sales Since: 46 million albums and record-setting 2006 tour that grossed $437 million.
• Peak: The No. 1 1965 album Out of Our Heads.

Jim Morrison
1943-1971

• Sales Before Death: 5 million Doors albums. 
• Sales Since: According to its management, the band soon will pass the 100 million mark worldwide.
• Peak: Waiting for the Sun spent four weeks at No. 1 in 1968.

Amy Winehouse
1983-2011

• Sales Before Death: Back to Black moved 2.3 million, plus 307,000 for debut Frank.
• Sales Since: In the 72 hours after her death, Back to Black shot to No. 1 on iTunes and sold 50,000 copies.
• Peak: Five Grammys in 2008.