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

Mick Jacobs
85.4k votes 4.4k voters 20.1k views 443 items

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
1,690 567
Freddie Mercury is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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
1,435 633
John Lennon is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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
1,172 533
Jimi Hendrix is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

4
1,295 605
David Bowie is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

5
1,301 609
Kurt Cobain is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

6
1,299 614
Michael Jackson is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

7
1,131 524
Johnny Cash is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

8
1,033 472
Bob Marley is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

9
1,185 581
Prince is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

10
983 470
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 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
871 516
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?
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
936 609
Tupac Shakur is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

13
763 481
Tom Petty is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

14
767 498
Jim Morrison is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

15
711 474
Marvin Gaye is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

16
662 471
George Harrison is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added 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

17
621 458
Ray Charles is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

18
648 485
Whitney Houston is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

19
577 469
Janis Joplin is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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 acid rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo ...more

20
547 441
Buddy Holly is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

21
531 449
Selena is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

22
559 479
The Notorious B.I.G. is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

23
642 568
Amy Winehouse is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

24
484 404
B.B. King is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added 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

25
518 448
George Michael is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

26
439 392
Otis Redding is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added 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

27
430 391
Aaliyah is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

28
492 478
Chester Bennington is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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. He was originally the lead vocalist for Sean ...more

29
144 76
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Valdave added Symphony Edition, Classical Anthology, Eternal Classics Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, baptised as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. Mozart showed prodigious ability from his ...more

30
443 432
Chris Cornell is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
benq1787 added 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

31
353 346
James Brown is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added Live at the Apollo, Star Time, Funky Christmas James Brown is a film score composer.

32
362 358
John Denver is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

33
352 350
Roy Orbison is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added 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

34
371 377
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?
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
348 351
Etta James 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 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

36
360 367
Chuck Berry is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Dimos Dicoudis added 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

37
110 61
Frank Sinatra is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Valdave added Christmas With the Rat Pack, In the Wee Small Hours, Christmas Songs by Sinatra Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer, actor, director, and producer. Beginning his musical career in the swing era as a boy singer with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, ...more

38
110 64
Bon Scott is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Valdave added The Early Years 1967-1972, With the Spektors and the Valentines, Round and Round: The Forgotten Years Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until 1980. He ...more

39
292 308
Sam Cooke is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

40
299 318
Eazy-E is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

41
284 335
Donna Summer is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

42
303 383
Jim Croce is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

43
80 53
Louis Armstrong is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Valdave added Hot Fives and Hot Sevens, American Freedom, C'est si bon Louis Armstrong, nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and an influential figure in jazz music. Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an "inventive" trumpet ...more

44
72 52
Randy Rhoads is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Valdave added Randall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. He died in a plane accident while on tour with Osbourne in Florida in ...more

45
75 57
Karen Carpenter is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Valdave added Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo Carpenters. Although her skills as a drummer earned admiration from drumming ...more

46
64 43
Johann Sebastian Bach is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Valdave added Die kompletten Werke von Johann Sebastian Bach, The Organ Works, Bach Edition Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and ...more

47
243 330
Jerry Garcia is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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, which came to prominence during the counterculture era. Though ...more

48
244 334
Leonard Cohen is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
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

49
69 56
Ronnie Van Zant is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Valdave added Ronald Wayne "Ronnie" Van Zant was an American lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and a founding member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was the older brother of current lead ...more

50
73 63
Nat King Cole is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list Which Artist Would You Bring Back From The Dead To Write One More Song?
Valdave added Merry Christmas, The Magic of Christmas, The Nat King Cole Christmas Album Nathaniel Adams Coles, known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. He was widely noted for his soft, baritone voice, ...more