Whacko Jacko: The "bigger in death" phenomenon

[Flat_Eric]

One thing that I can never understand is the "bigger in death" phenomenon (for want of a better description).

We saw it with John Lennon, we saw it with Elvis and to a lesser extent we saw it with people like Curt Cobain and Freddie Mercury.

And now, pundits are predicting that for the first time ever, by next week the Top 10 slots of the charts will be occupied by a single artist, namely Whacko Jacko.

It's a mystery to me because normally, you don't suddenly become a fan of a singer / musician just because they've died. Do you?

Either you like their music or you don't.

And if you do like their music, then chances are that as a fan, you'll have already bought their albums. So no need to buy them again, surely?

Just one to ponder on a Sunday morning.

- Eric

[Floydoid]

In the cases of Elvis and Lennon, they've probably shifted more units (albums, singles, DVD's etc) after death than in their lifetimes.

I find it strange too.

[Flat_Eric]

Floydoid wrote:

>>

That's probably true.

But they've done so over a period of 30-odd, so a lot of that could be down to younger fans discorvering their music in the years since.

What I'm talking about is the sudden skyrocketing in sales of an artist's music in the immediate aftermath of their death, i.e. in the days / weeks after they shuffle off this mortal coil.

Lennon was a good example - to all intents and purposes a washed-up, semi-reclusive has-been who'd done fuck-all for about 5 years, and whose singularly unspectacular comeback album ('Double Fantasy') and the accompanying single were already on their way back down the charts (not exactly having set the world on fire) when he got shot.

Then up steps Mark Chapman, pulls the trigger, and suddenly everyone and his dog loves John Lennon, 'Double Fantasy' shoots straight back up the charts and hits Number 1, sales of his back catalogue rocket, and he gets showered with ridiculous accolades like "The Greatest Musician Who Ever Lived" and other such hyperbolic nonsense.

We're witnessing a similar thing now with Michael Jackson, and I find it bizarre.

- Eric

[Floydoid]

Spot on Eric. I think only time will be a measure of this. Both Elvis and Lennon's back catalogues are still selling more than 30 years on, and if you then factor in the Beatles' back catalogue that is still selling steadily almost 40 years since the break up. That is a true mark of greatness. It will be remain to be seen if MJ's work is still held in such awe and respect 30/40 years hence.

I'm not even going to go into the topic of Jackson owning the rights to the Beatles catalogue, but it did seem that he amassed a good bit of his fortune on the back of work done by others.

[andy at handiwork]

Dying. A good career move, as they say.

[Guilbert]

>by next week the Top 10 slots of the charts will be occupied by a single artist,

Well as I look at this forum 6 of the 7 top appends are about Michael Jackson.

So in the same way WE are talking about him, others are buying his records.

[Guilbert]

btw I bet the record execs at Motown, Sony etc were jumping up and down with joy as the news of his death came out.

Jackson was pretty much washed up (no new album since 2001) so now we will see Jackson albums all selling well.

And to the record companies it is all "profit" as the only cost is the pressing cost.

[one eyed jack]

Pretty much washed up????

Where did you get that one Guilbert. Jakson wasnt an artist to bring out an album per annum. I brought out only 3 albums in a decade.

You can bet by the time the next one ever came out the sales would have been stratosphere as they usually are multi platinum releases every time he does.

Name me a Jackson album that just ever went gold?

Washed up..Thats funny. The man was far from that

[JamesW]

As Guilbert explains very well, you answered your own question Flat_Eric.

How often did you start Jackson threads when he was still alive?