Top 10 Songs That Got Popular Again After The Singer Died

#10: “Lucid Dreams”

Juice WRLD

The death of leading emo and SoundCloud rap star Juice WRLD left reverberations that are still being felt to this day. His overdose at the age of just 21 years old was one of the defining musical tragedies of the 2010s, cutting short a career that had barely started. In the wake of his passing, his 2018 track “Lucid Dreams” received a pretty major bump in popularity. Despite peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 during its initial release cycle, the song eventually climbed back to number 8 in the aftermath of Juice WRLD’s death. To his fans, it is regarded as one of his most poignant works.

#9: “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”

Whitney Houston

Following the pop balladry of her self-titled debut album, Whitney Houston made a full-on pivot into pop music with her sophomore effort. Right at the forefront of this move was the stand-out single “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”, which went on to become a number-one hit in several countries. When Houston passed away in 2012, the track, along with several of her biggest hits, returned to the charts. The song climbed back to number 25 in the US and number 20 in the UK, making Houston one of the few artists to land in the top-40 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four decades.

#8: “Back to Black”

Amy Winehouse

To this day, the impact and legacy of Amy Winehouse’s career are still being felt. In that short span of time, she arguably influenced more future artists than any other female singer in the UK during that period. The title track from her critically-adored second album “Back to Black” was an instant hit with her fans, peaking at number 25 on the UK charts. Winehouse’s declining health and her substance abuse disorder issues sadly deprived us of a third album. When she sadly passed at the age of 27, “Back to Black”, like several of her other songs, re-entered the charts at a new peak of 8.

#7: “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”

Jimi Hendrix

Despite being released just two years prior in 1968, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience would only truly hit its commercial potential in 1970. The death of Jimi Hendrix was a true gutpunch to the worlds of rock and roll and even many progressive genres. At 27, he was only scratching the surface of his true ability, and “Voodoo Child” was without question one of his most explosive moments on the guitar. It went on to be re-released by his label, becoming his only UK number one hit single in the process.

#6: “When Doves Cry”

Prince and the Revolution

The sheer number of albums that Prince released during his lifetime is astounding. The Purple One’s work ethic was truly on another level and the fact that he supposedly still has a vault full of unreleased music should come as no surprise. “When Doves Cry” was Prince’s first-ever chart-topping single in the US, becoming one of his signature compositions. When the legendary funk and pop superstar passed away in 2016, it shot back into the top-10 - peaking at number 8. It’s the type of track that has a timeless sound, making it as catchy and infectious today as it was in the 1980s.

#5: “Thriller”

Michael Jackson

Out of the many hits that Michael Jackson scored over the years, there’s just something special about “Thriller”. Whether it’s the fact that MJ wasn’t even convinced that releasing it as a single would be worthwhile, or the iconic video that eventually came with it. All in all, “Thriller” was a real cultural moment. It initially hit number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, while reaching number one in a host of other countries. So when Jackson’s death in 2009 caused many of his old songs to re-chart, “Thriller” climbed up the Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart and peaked at number two. It also has a habit of returning to the charts every few years around Hallowe’en, a testament to its enduring appeal.

#4: “Heroes”

David Bowie

By the time David Bowie had outgrown his glam-rock era and effectively kicked his addictions, he proved his continuing artistic growth when he wrote and released his seminal hit “Heroes”. Despite its clear quality, though, the song was not an initial success commercially, failing to chart in the US at all. Over the years, it would go on to be regarded by many as one of his greatest, if not his greatest, songs. Following Bowie’s death in 2016, it spent two weeks on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart in the US, peaking at number 11. It also hit number 12 on the UK Singles Charts. In the end, the track’s commercial success did it justice.

#3: “My Sweet Lord”

George Harrison

While most people were fixated on arguing over whether John Lennon or Paul McCartney would have the biggest post-Beatles commercial splash, nobody saw George Harrison coming. His “All Things Must Pass” album was adored by fans and critics alike when it came out, spawning several hit singles. In other words, “The Quiet Beatle” had officially emerged from his shell. “My Sweet Lord” was a standout commercial performer, hitting the top spot on the Billboard charts in 1970. When Harrison passed away in 2001, the song began selling again, reaching the number-one position on the UK Single Charts, regaining the position it had held three decades prior.

#2: “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Queen

There might not be a more ambitious song that achieved as much mainstream success as Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Built using a small army of vocal overdubs and elaborate chord progressions, the song was a true mega-hit for the band, spending nine weeks atop the UK charts. It also peaked at number 9 in the US. However, when Freddie Mercury’s battle with AIDS culminated in his death in 1991, the song had a major resurgence, climbing back to number 1 in the UK and hitting number 2 in the US. It’s a feat of bombastic rock and roll that has not been surpassed in the time since. In fact, something this huge in scope has rarely even been attempted.

#1: “Imagine”

John Lennon

When John Lennon was gunned down in 1980 by Mark David Chapman, the world truly came to a standstill. It was a senseless murder that brought everyone together in celebration of this man’s genius and the music he had left behind. Out of all of the songs to hit the radio waves once more, none of his compositions felt quite as impactful as “Imagine”. It was already a huge hit when it initially came out, but the fact that it rose to number 1 on the UK Singles chart posthumously in 1981 was a surprise to no one. It held that spot for four weeks as fans of The Beatles and Lennon’s solo catalogue mourned the loss of their hero.

But what other songs do you remember that had a major resurgence in the wake of their singer’s death? Let us know in the comments below.