Earlier this year, up-and-coming American rapper Pop Smoke was killed at 20, cutting short a promising career and breaking the hearts of his loyal fans. On July 12, his posthumous debut album ‘Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon’ debuted at No 1 on the Billboard 200, beating out the soundtrack ‘Hamilton: An American Musical’, which surged up to the No 2 spot. Posthumous releases aren’t new, as artist estates decide to put out unreleased music, letting tragedy give way to art. We took a look back at some of the biggest posthumous releases in history.
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The Notorious B.I.G. - 'Life After Death': It was his second album but also his last. Biggie’s double album ‘Life After Death’, a sequel to his debut record ‘Ready to Die’, released in 1997. Two weeks before its release, Biggie was fatally shot four times in a drive-by killing. ‘Life After Death’ featured guest artists such as 112, Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim, Mase, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Puff Daddy. It received two Grammy Award nominations.
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Amy Winehouse - 'Lioness: Hidden Treasures': The album released less than five months after Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning aged 27. It was a posthumous compilation from the English singer-songwriter, featuring unreleased tracks and demos. It was compiled by producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, alongside Winehouse’s family, who listened to thousands of hours of Winehouse’s vocals. The material on it was recorded between 2002 and 2011.
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Tupac Shakur - 'The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory': Tupac’s album ‘Don Killuminati’ was released under the stage name Makaveli. It released two months after the shooting of the influential rapper, which left him dead aged 25. Many speculated — and continue to speculate — that Tupac was still alive, as seven of his 11 platinum albums released posthumously.
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Bob Marley & The Wailers - 'Confrontation': Did you know that ‘Buffalo Soldier’ released after Bob Marley died? In 1983, two years after Marley lost his life to skin cancer at the age of 36, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their 12th album, ‘Confrontation’. It was compiled out of demos and unreleased material. The most famous song on the album became ‘Buffalo Soldier’, still considered one of Marley’s best-known tracks.
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Mac Miller - 'Circles': Rapper Mac Miller was working on his sixth studio album, ‘Circles’, before he died aged 26 in September of 2018 of an accidental drug overdose. ‘Circles’ released in January 2020, and was quickly lauded by critics in Rolling Stone, Complex, Billboard and Exclaim! as one of the best albums of the year.
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Juice WRLD - 'Legends Never Die': Up-and-coming emo rapper Juice WRLD died at the age of 21 from a seizure induced by a drug overdose in December of 2019. On July 10, his third studio album — and first posthumous release — ‘Legends Never Die’ released, featuring artists Marshmello, Halsey and more. Shortly after Juice WRLD’s death, reports emerged that he had recorded at least 2,000 songs prior to his death.
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Janis Joplin - 'Pearl': Psychedelic rock star Janis Joplin died at the age of 27 from an accidental heroin overdose. Her fourth album, ‘Pearl’, released within four months of her death. It topped the Billboard charts and held the No 1 spot for nine weeks, going quadruple platinum. Joplin is still considered one of the best-selling artists of all time.
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Joy Division - 'Closer': The band’s second and final album released two months after 23-year-old frontman Ian Curtis died by suicide in 1980. It’s considered Joy Division’s greatest work by many, and its dark themes felt reflective of Curtis’ frame of mind. It’s frequently featured on best-of lists.
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Nirvana - 'MTV Unplugged in New York': Nirvana’s most successful posthumous release, ‘MTV Unplugged in New York’, won the Best Alternative Music Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. The 2014 album released seven months after frontman Kurt Cobain died by suicide aged 27. It features stripped back versions of the band’s music, bringing fans closer to Cobain. It’s still considered one of the greatest live albums of all time.
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Ray Charles - 'Genius Loves Company': It was recorded and completed before his death, but ‘Genius Loves Company’ (2004) released two months after Ray Charles passed away at 73 due to complications from liver failure. The album, which featured Norah Jones, Van Morrison, BB King, Natalie Cole, Willie Nelson and more, won nine Grammy awards, including Album of the Year.
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Selena - 'Dreaming of You': Selena’s death was a huge shock to the public in 1995, when her manager Yolanda Saldivar fatally shot her. The singer was 23. Her posthumous album ‘Dreaming of You’ was a commercial and critical success, topping the charts in America. It was the first predominantly Spanish-language album to go to No 1 on the Billboard 200.
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