The Beatles. Death is a career move.
A new Beatles song with Lennon's voice won a Grammy, and the dead are now the most valuable artists in music.
THE GIST ON THE BEATLES: "Death Is a Career Move"
What did the Beatles release?
The Beatles released a new song with John Lennon's voice on it three years ago. Lennon died in 1980, and last year that song won a Grammy, because death is a very good career move.
How did they do it?
Lennon recorded a demo of Now and Then on a cassette in 1977. The other Beatles tried to finish it in 1995, but the recording was too noisy.
Peter Jackson, who directed Lord of the Rings, had a team build an AI tool for the Beatles documentary that could isolate vocals from an old recording. They used the same tool to extract Lennon's voice.
Are other bands doing it?
The Rolling Stones tried a different version of the trick last month. The music video uses AI to de-age Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood by 50 years. Two of the biggest bands in rock history are using AI to defeat time.
Why are the dead so valuable?
This is the new model. In 2025, ten of the top 13 highest paid musicians on the Forbes list were dead. Michael Jackson's estate earned 105 million. John Lennon earned 12 million.
The catalogue becomes more valuable than the artist who made it. Labels have become investment funds for the dead. Living artists compete with legends who never get tired, never go out of fashion and never release a bad album. And now they never stop releasing. Do you even listen to the living?
Is AI finishing a dead artist's song fine?
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Quick answers
How was Lennon's voice used on Now and Then?
An AI tool built for the Beatles documentary isolated his vocal from a 1977 cassette demo.
What did the Rolling Stones do?
Their music video uses AI to de-age Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood by 50 years.
How many top earners are dead?
Ten of the top 13 highest paid musicians on Forbes list in 2025, according to Huw.
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