Wish You Were Here: The 10 Greatest Posthumous Classic Rock Records
[Photo: Polydor Records]
[Photo: Reprise Records]
[Photo: Polydor Records]
[Photo: Swan Song Records]
[Photo: Mercury Records]
[Photo: Columbia Records]
[Photo: Capricorn Records]
[Photo: Factory Records]
[Photo: DGC Records]
[Photo: Reprise Records, Polydor Records]
Classic rock fans were abuzz last week with the news that Pink Floyd would be releasing their first new record in 20 years. The album, titled The Endless River, is to be released this October and feature posthumous 1994 recordings with founding keyboardist Rick Wright, who died in 2008. David Gilmour’s wife, and sometime Pink Floyd lyricist, Polly Samson described the record as “Rick Wright's swansong and very beautiful.”
Many of rock’s greatest musicians have shuffled off this mortal coil before their time, leaving behind unfinished albums and miscellaneous recordings. Some of these records anthologize and pay tribute to their legacy while others leave us wondering forlornly what might have been had they been able to continue creating music for years to come. From country rock pioneer Gram Parsons to grunge gods Nirvana and the legendary Jimi Hendrix, check out our list of the 10 greatest posthumous albums in rock n’ roll. Seek these records out and play them loud. You'll understand why they say that if there’s a heaven above, they must have a really great band.