10 Best Posthumous Rock Music Releases
2. Pearl - Janis Joplin
Richey Edwards was 27 years old when he disappeared, making him a part of one of music's most infamous groups.
The 27 Club is the glib name for a collection of famous artists who all died before their 28th birthday. One of the one first major names to join was Janis Joplin.
As the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company, Joplin rose to international prominence thanks to her electric performance at the 1967 Monterrey Pop Festival.
Over the next three years, the young star went from nobody to idol. Her meteoric rise to stardom came to an abrupt end when, on October 4th 1970, she passed away due to a heroin overdose.
Just two months after this tragic news broke, Joplin's final studio album was released. Pearl had a more refined sound than what her fans were used to, offering up a bittersweet glimpse at what might have been had the singer lived.
Pearl has sold over four million records and contains the excellent songs Mercedes Benz, Cry Baby, and Me and Bobby McGee. It assured everyone that Joplin was one of a kind and that her death was truly a great loss.