Why is it that when singers pass away their albums get very hard to find?

[Hawkee]

In the music world I have noticed this trend that I don't know why it's becoming a huge fad today. Every time a famous singer passes away the whole album catalog of that singer becomes very hard to find and I would like to know why this is? Is it because people buy the singer's albums for them to honor the singer who passed away or is it because people think that these albums will be collector's items in the near future? Take for example when Natalie Cole passed away all her albums went out of print and now are becoming rare collectors items and the only Natalie Cole albums that you can find are her final albums that she released on Verve Records. I also noticed the exact same thing happened when Prince died and the only albums that you can find of Prince are his greatest hits albums and the Purple Rain soundtrack. And what I can tell you is that these Prince albums will be huge collector's items in the music world for any fan. But when Michael Jackson passed away the entire Michael Jackson Epic Records catalog went to the bargain bins of stores and now the only albums that are hard to find are Jackson 5 albums. And the same thing happened with Amy Winehouse's albums and Whitney Houston's albums also went to the bargain bins too. And the only album that's hard to find of Whitney Houston is an two cd special edition of her 1985 debut album
Has anyone noticed this trend in the music world today?
Bestie

[JO Sweet Heart]

People buying what they can find of a well known act after they have gone forward in my opinion is to be expected, but even when that isn't the case, sadly most albums have to be purchased online since they are not in the stores as much as they used to be anymore.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

P.S. My newest favorite is someone that I sadly did not discover until after their going forward last fall and everything from them that I have been able to find came from either one online place or another, I love the late beautiful precious Billy Joe Royal SO much!!!

[1990 UM fan]

My best friend and I had the same talk about this. I think it has to do with the record companies holding the deceased musicians' music hostage. You are right, when Michael Jackson died, they reissued all of his albums and you could find most of them at Target, Walmart and other stores. I think part of that is because he was "larger than life" and a big figure in music, but so was Prince, yet most of his albums are hard to find now, being out of print or extremely expensive. I cannot even find the US edition of Diamonds and Pearls here in the states for a decent price, and that's my favorite album of his. I did manage to snag 1999, Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day, but I really want D&P along with Lovesexy, Parade, The Gold Experience, Love Symbol Album, etc. I regret not grabbing Come when it was listed on eBay. I had "watched" it, but it left before I could make up my mind. I still hope that Prince's albums will get some kind of re-release like MJ's albums were.

[ABlairican Pie]

This is frustrating, because I can't find ANY albums anywhere!!! I miss record stores.

[Hawkee]

Another music artist who's albums have become hard to find who is recently gone is Aretha Franklin and as soon as it was announced that Aretha had passed away all her albums went out of print and now the only Aretha Franklin albums are lots of greatest hits albums and the only album that you can find of Aretha Franklin is her recent album that came out last year called Brand New Me and it tells me that Arista Records and Atlantic Records will rerelease Aretha's albums on CD later on
Bestie

[JO Sweet Heart]

^^^ Try Ebay. Although I won't be surprised if those willing to give up what they have of her over there will only ask for more money.

God bless you always!!!

Holly