Dead musicians live longer

Frank Zappa passed away 22 years ago. But nonetheless his 100th album has been released - definitely the last one. "Dance Me This" is the final product of a studio session with experiments on a synclavier, accompanied by Mongolian larynx singing - a curiosity for fans that is, however, unlikely to storm the charts. In some cases, unreleased music by deceased stars can turn into a gold mine.

He departed in 2009, but his voice is more alive than ever before: "Xscape" was released as his second posthumously published album in 2014, following "Michael" in 2010. Eight unpublished titles have been pimped by star producer Timbaland, accompanied by popular duet voices ranging from Mary J. Blige to D'Angelo. "Xscape" is unlikely to remain the King of Pop's last album.

Elvis Presley beats all records: At the time of his death in 1977 he had sold 600 million LPs - and today he's up to nearly two billion. His home, Graceland, is a popular pilgrimage site visited by fans from all over the world. When the "Elvis 30 #1 Hits" album landed in stores on the 25th anniversary of his death in 2002, it skyrocketed to the top of the charts in more than 17 countries.

Paco de Lucía, the grand master of the flamenco guitar, decisively shaped that genre during the 20th century. When the Spaniard died of a heart attack at the age of 66 in February 2014, he still had a lot of plans: Among other things, he was working on his first studio album in 10 years, dedicated to the popular copla tradition of his home country. "Canción Andaluza" was released in April 2014.

When Bob Marley's LP "Confrontation" was released in 1983, the world's best-known reggae musician had already been dead for two years. His widow, Rita, had come across some unpublished material which she then completed with Marley's band The Wailers. "Buffalo Soldier," a musical monument dedicated to Afro-American soldiers in the Civil War, went on to become one of his greatest hits.

Janis Joplin died in October 1970 of an overdose of heroin, thus joining the"27 Club" of music stars who died at the young age of 27. Death struck the singer right in the middle of producing her new Album, "Pearl," which was later released. "Pearl," her most successful record, contained an ominous song entitled "Buried Alive in the Blues."

"Thanks Gilbert, your audience will never forget you," reads the inscription on his tombstone. Fans continue to flock to Paris's Père Lachaise Cemetery to honor one of the biggest stars of French chanson, Gilbert Bécaud. His widow published the double album "Immortal - His Greatest Chansons" on the 10th anniversary of his death.

"Out Among the Stars" was released 11 years following the death of the "Man in Black," with songs written 30 years before - during the 1980s when both the country scene and his record label had seemingly lost interest in him. His son, John Carter Cash, announced there was more than enough material to fill another five albums.

American pianist and singer Nat King Cole died in 1965, only to be brought back to life by his daughter Natalie in 1991. "Unforgettable" is the title of the posthumously produced duet in which she joined her deceased father in song. The duet forms part of the LP "Unforgettable…with Love" with well known songs from her famous dad. It went on to sell 14 million copies and scoop up seven Grammys.

In the wake of her death in 2011, fans continued to snap up the albums of Amy Winehouse. In spite of her drug excesses, the soul singer had been highly productive during her short-lived career, leaving behind enough material to fill an additional album. "Lioness: Hidden Treasures" immediately landed on top of the British charts. A part of the profits went to a youth foundation named after her.

After British musician Marc Bolan died in a car accident in 1977, posthumous releases of his glam rock music filled the coffers for many others. His album "You Scare Me to Death" was released in 1981 with songs that the T-Rex frontman composed way back in 1966. The title track had originally been intended as a TV commercial for peppermint drops.

The world was shocked when former Beatle John Lennon was assassinated in 1980. It took his widow Yoko Ono three years to pick up on the project which they had been working on side by side, "Milk and Honey" - the successor to "Double Fantasy." It proved a monumental release laden with emotion and unfinished vocals by Lennon. The album came in at 11 in the charts.