bands / musicians Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?  

Mick Jacobs
61.7k votes 2.7k voters 11.3k views 388 items Embed

List Rules Vote up the artists you would love to see do one final song.

Many of the world's greatest musicians remain highly respected even in death. The world often mourns the loss of the artist and the songs that the artist never got to write. If you go looking through your iTunes or Spotify libraries, you will likely find dozens of those dead musicians. You'll probably want to bring back more than a few, even if it's just so that they can write one more song.

In the whirlwind world of music, numerous rock stars die before their prime. Their untimely demises pose a difficult question, one that needs an answer.

We asked you, our audience, "Which artist would you bring back from the dead to write one more song?" And your answers have been both surprising and satisfying. Artists who died before ever reaching thirty, from Kurt Cobain to Aaliyah, are among your choices but a few prolific artists who had time on their side, such as Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen, also showed up in your responses. Some people believed that these legends were still capable of genius even in their old age.

While no one determined for certain which dead artist needs to make one more song, each answer still reminds us of how much these musicians continue to impact the world.

list ordered by

1
1,085 357
Freddie Mercury is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Freddie Mercury The Solo Collection, Barcelona, Mr. Bad Guy Freddie Mercury was a British singer, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona ...more

2
1,028 394
John Lennon is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
John Lennon Imagine, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Double Fantasy John Winston Ono Lennon MBE was an English singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a co-founder of the band the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of ...more

3
941 364
David Bowie is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Hunky Dory, Diamond Dogs David Bowie is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, arranger, and actor. He is also a painter and collector of fine art. Bowie has been a major figure in the ...more

4
854 337
Johnny Cash is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Johnny Cash American V: A Hundred Highways, American IV: The Man Comes Around, At Folsom Prison John R. "Johnny" Cash was a singer-songwriter, actor, and author, widely considered one of the most influential American musicians of the 20th century. Although primarily remembered as ...more

5
830 342
Jimi Hendrix is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Jimi Hendrix First Rays of the New Rising Sun, Band of Gypsys, Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...more

6
885 378
Prince is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Prince Purple Rain, Sign 'O' the Times, 1999 Prince Roger Nelson, known by his mononym Prince, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor. A major figure in popular music for over three decades, Prince is renowned ...more

7
856 384
Michael Jackson is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Michael Jackson Thriller, Bad, Off the Wall Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor. Called the King of Pop, his contributions to music and dance, along with his publicized personal ...more

8
900 414
Kurt Cobain is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Kurt Cobain 1993-09-08: Rock Against Rape Benefit, Club Lingerie, Hollywood Kurt Donald Cobain was an American musician who was best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the grunge band Nirvana. Cobain formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic in ...more

9
717 307
Bob Marley is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Bob Marley Sun Is Shining, One Love, Rainbow Country Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley OM was a Jamaican reggae singer-songwriter, musician, and guitarist who achieved international fame and acclaim. Starting out in 1963 with the group the ...more

10
692 303
Elvis Presley is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock, The Sun Sessions, From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential '60s Masters Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as "the King of Rock and ...more

11
636 349
Ludwig van Beethoven is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony Edition, Classical Anthology, Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (feat. piano: Cyprien Katsaris) Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and ...more

12
564 336
Tom Petty is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Tom Petty Full Moon Fever, Wildflowers, Highway Companion Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of Tom Petty and the ...more

Amy Lee From Evanescence Makes Children's Music Now, And It Probably Won't Bring You To Life ...

13
487 288
Whitney Houston is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Whitney Houston The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album, Whitney Houston, My Love Is Your Love Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, Guinness World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time. Houston is one of pop ...more

14
527 326
Marvin Gaye is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Marvin Gaye What's Going On, Here, My Dear Marvin Gaye was an American singer, songwriter and musician. Gaye helped to shape the sound of Motown Records, first as an in house session player in the 1960s and later as a solo artist with a ...more

15
477 304
Ray Charles is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Ray Charles The Birth of Soul, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, The Spirit of Christmas Ray Charles Robinson, professionally known as Ray Charles, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and composer, who is sometimes referred to as "The Genius". He pioneered the ...more

16
531 366
Jim Morrison is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Jim Morrison Paris Jim, Dionysus James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American singer, poet and songwriter best remembered as the lead vocalist of the Doors. Due to his songwriting, baritone voice, wild personality and ...more

17
577 416
Tupac Shakur is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Tupac Shakur All Eyez on Me, Me Against the World, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac and briefly as Makaveli, was an American rapper, songwriter, and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million records worldwide, making him one ...more

The Greatest Classic Rock Bands

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398 285
Selena is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Selena Dreaming of You, Amor Prohibido, The New Girl in Town Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, known by the mononym Selena, was an American singer, songwriter, spokesperson, actress, and fashion designer. Called the Queen of Tejano music, her contributions ...more

19
454 348
George Harrison is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added George Harrison All Things Must Pass, Cloud Nine, Living in the Material World George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter and music and film producer who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. ...more

20
372 277
B.B. King is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added B.B. King Let the Good Times Roll, Live at the Regal, Ladies and Gentleman... Mr. B.B. King B.B. King is an American blues musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No. 6 on its 2011 list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, and he was ...more

21
479 407
Amy Winehouse is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Amy Winehouse Back to Black, Frank, Lioness: Hidden Treasures Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter known for her deep vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, jazz and reggae. Winehouse's 2003 ...more

22
413 340
Janis Joplin is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Janis Joplin Pearl, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Greatest Hits Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer-songwriter who first rose to fame in the late 1960s as the lead singer of the psychedelic-acid rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as ...more

Which Extinct Species Would You Bring Back From The Dead?

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329 258
Aaliyah is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Aaliyah Aaliyah, One in a Million, I Care 4 U Aaliyah Dana Haughton was an American singer, dancer, actress, and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television ...more

24
388 337
Buddy Holly is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Buddy Holly Buddy, 20 Golden Greats, What You Been A-Missin': What You've Been A-Missin' Charles Hardin Holley, known as Buddy Holly, was an American musician and singer-songwriter, often considered one of the main figures of the rock and roll genre in the mid-1950s. Born in ...more

25
336 282
Otis Redding is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Otis Redding Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul, The Dock of the Bay, The Immortal Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a ...more

26
360 313
George Michael is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
George Michael Faith, Listen Without Prejudice, Volume 1 Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, widely known by his stage name George Michael, is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Michael rose to superstardom during the ...more

27
371 330
The Notorious B.I.G. is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die, Life After Death, Born Again Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage names The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie or Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper. Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York ...more

The 37 Greatest On-Stage Falls of All Time

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286 239
Etta James is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Etta James At Last!, Tell Mama, I'd Rather Go Blind Etta James was an American singer. Her style spanned a variety of music genres including blues, R&B, soul, rock and roll, jazz and gospel. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with ...more

29
273 229
James Brown is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added James Brown Live at the Apollo, Star Time, Funky Christmas James Brown is a film score composer.

30
273 276
Chuck Berry is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Chuck Berry The Great Twenty-Eight, Maybellene, Two Great Guitars Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene", ...more

31
266 271
John Denver is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
John Denver Rocky Mountain Christmas, Christmas Like a Lullaby, A Christmas Together Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, actor, activist and humanitarian, whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singer, ...more

32
320 356
Chester Bennington is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Chester Bennington High Rise, No Sun Today, Out of Time Chester Charles Bennington is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist of rock bands Linkin Park and Dead by Sunrise. He was originally the lead ...more

The Best Songs With Write in the Title

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296 328
Chris Cornell is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
benq1787 added chris cornell Carry On, You Know My Name, Euphoria Morning Chris Cornell is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter and rhythm guitarist for Seattle rock band Soundgarden and as former lead ...more

34
278 305
Stevie Ray Vaughan is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Stevie Ray Vaughan Couldn't Stand the Weather, In Step, Texas Flood Stephen Ray Vaughan, known as Stevie Ray Vaughan, was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. In spite of a short-lived mainstream career spanning seven years, he is ...more

35
257 284
Roy Orbison is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Roy Orbison The Essential Roy Orbison, King of Hearts, Mystery Girl Roy Kelton Orbison, also known by his nickname The Big O, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his trademark sunglasses, distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark ...more

36
232 250
Donna Summer is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Donna Summer Bad Girls, Christmas Spirit, The Summer Collection: Greatest Hits LaDonna Adrian Gaines, known by her stage name, Donna Summer, was an American singer, songwriter, and painter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the late 1970s. A five-time Grammy ...more

37
218 231
Sam Cooke is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Sam Cooke Night Beat, Shake, Touch the Hem of His Garment: 23 Gospel Gems Samuel "Sam" Cooke was an American recording artist and singer-songwriter, generally considered among the greatest of all time. Influential as both a singer and composer, he is ...more

The Best Reasons to Drink at Home

38
198 212
Eazy-E is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Eazy-E Eazy-Duz-It, It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa, Eternal E Eric Lynn Wright, better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright is affectionately called "The Godfather of Gangsta ...more

39
224 315
Jim Croce is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Jim Croce Simply the Best: Time in a Bottle: His Greatest Hits, Jim Croce Smash Hits, Singer Songwriter James Joseph "Jim" Croce was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles. His singles "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and ...more

40
182 249
Leonard Cohen is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Leonard Cohen Songs of Leonard Cohen, Songs of Love and Hate, Old Ideas Leonard Norman Cohen, CC GOQ is a Canadian singer–songwriter, musician, poet, and novelist. His work has explored religion, politics, isolation, sexuality, and personal relationships. Cohen has ...more

41
178 247
Fats Domino is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Fats Domino Here Comes... Fats Domino, This Is Fats, Essential Hits and Early Recordings Antoine "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American pianist and singer-songwriter. Domino released five gold records before 1955. He also had 35 Top 40 American hits and has a music style based ...more

42
173 256
Waylon Jennings is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Waylon Jennings Dreaming My Dreams, A Man Called Hoss, Good Hearted Woman Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Jennings began playing guitar at 8 and began performing at 12 on KVOW radio. His first band was The Texas ...more

The Best Songs with Back in the Title

43
148 209
Ben E. King is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Ben E. King Stand by Me, Anthology, Seven Letters Benjamin Earl King, known as Ben E. King, is an American soul and R&B singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me"—a US Top 10 hit in both 1961 ...more

44
179 268
Jerry Garcia is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Jerry Garcia Jerry Garcia / David Grisman, Shady Grove, Cats Under the Stars Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician who was best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead, which came to prominence ...more

45
161 249
Frank Zappa is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Frank Zappa Hot Rats, Joe's Garage Acts 1, 2 & 3 Frank Vincent Zappa was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, composer, recording engineer, record producer, and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed ...more

46
186 298
Lou Reed is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Lou Reed Transformer, Berlin, New York Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. After serving as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of the Velvet Underground, his solo career ...more

47
167 271
Gregg Allman is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Gregg Allman Laid Back, Just Before the Bullets Fly, I'm No Angel Gregory LeNoir "Gregg" Allman is an American rock and blues singer-songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist and a founding member, with his brother Duane, of The Allman Brothers Band. In the ...more

48
166 269
Muddy Waters is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Muddy Waters Anthology, Super Blues, Fathers and Sons McKinley Morganfield, known by his stage name Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician. He is often considered the "father of modern Chicago blues". Muddy Waters grew up on Stovall ...more

49
127 204
Robin Gibb is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Robin Gibb Magnet, Sing Slowly Sisters, The Titanic Requiem Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE was a British singer, songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of the Bee Gees. He gained worldwide fame with his brothers Barry and Maurice Gibb. Besides, ...more

50
121 194
Curtis Mayfield is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Curtis Mayfield Superfly, Curtis, The Anthology: 1961-1977 Curtis Lee Mayfield was an African American soul, R&B, and funk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, who was one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically ...more