Cobain Still Raking in the Money

Kurt Cobain, the acclaimed Nirvana frontman who committed suicide in 1994, vaulted to the top of Forbes' sixth annual list of top-earning dead celebrities, dethroning Elvis Presley, who had held the list's top slot since its inception, according to mp3.com. Although Nirvana's music continues to sell--1.1 million units were sold in the US in 2005, according to Nielsen SoundScan--Cobain had never before appeared on the list, as he and his former bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic had rejected licensing their songs for commercial use. That changed with Cobain widow Courtney Love's sale of a 25 percent stake in his song catalog to New York-based publishing company Primary Wave for a reported $50 million. Cobain's earnings were pegged at $50 million between October 2005 and October 2006, the period on which Forbes based its rankings. Presley wound up in the No. 2 slot with $42 million, down from last year's $45 million, while John Lennon placed fourth at $24 million. Ray Charles and Johnny Cash, whose estates have benefited from biopics and several posthumous releases, placed eighth and 10th, respectively earning $10 million and $8 million. George Harrison and Bob Marley rounded out the 13-member list at $7 million apiece.

It’s amazing how much money someone who is not living can earn annually. The fact that Cobain earned $50 million this past year is astounding. It is proof of the high quality work he did while he was still alive. I think that the fact that he died at such a young age actually was a boost to his music career. People took his lyrics even more literally after he died. Elvis is still going strong as well. His love from his fans is very evident with the fact that he made $42 million last year several years after his death. The families of these rich, once alive icons are raking in the dough. I hope that they do not take the money they are getting for granted and donate some of the money they are getting to help improve our society.