Celebrities who became overrated after death

Heath Ledger.

Marilyn Monroe

Selena

James Dean

Amy Winehouse. She only made 2 albums and the 2nd one was 5 years before her death.

R5 But you can’t deny her talent

Steve McQueen

R1 stole my thunder. The deification of a marginally attractive druggie has been hilarious to witness.

NO way about marilyn... whether overrated or not, you don't go from the world's most famous woman to total obscurity no matter what... lessen of attention sure as the years go by, but obscurity? no..

james dean? probably would have had a steve mcqueen career, successful, but not all time iconic legendary mythical...

selena? i think would have gone on to even bigger things, she was on the cusp of huge success and she really did have it all, looks, body, voice, personality, etc... and even now she would still only be in her 40's...

Naya

Jim Morrison.

Amy Winehouse.

Marilyn and all her fellow tragically dead blondes, most of who appear to have had Histrionic Personality Disorder. Anna Nicole was the last installment so we are due for a new one any day. Probably Trisha Paytas.

Paul Walker

Not overrated by any means, but isn't it interesting how all this worshipful praise of Prince and Bowie suddenly blossomed in the media after their deaths, when they'd been ignored or laughed at as has-beens for years.

R16 Just like Michael Jackson. He was thought of as a laughing stock and a freak before his death. Then he died and all the sudden everybody was his number one fan.

Janis Joplin

Kobe Bryant. My God he was only a basketball player.

Luise Rainer

Chadwick Boseman. His death was very tragic and he was certainly a man with class. But I'm sorry he was only an actor and not a fantastic one either.

RBG. The never ending, over the top tributes were insane. She was a mediocre judge and in her later life was more interested in her cultural icon status than anything else.

I strongly disagree about Marilyn. If anything, respect and admiration for her screen performances has grown over the years and her truly unique quality and charisma are more appreciated in hindsight now than they ever were during her life.

James Dean, OTOH........

John Ritter, Elvis, definitely Marilyn, for sure James Dean, River Phoenix, Aaliyah (though I was a fan), Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison.

R15 after someone dies, you look at the totality of their career. Being a has been (in your eyes, btw) means you are also a been. By saying that Bowie and Prince were overrated following their passing doesn’t just go against the opinions of critics, the sales success of their albums and their iconic statuses, it makes you look like culturally illiterate simpleton.

Pfft

R24, you are 100% correct.

My vote:

Heath Ledger

Marilyn Monroe

Jonathan Larson -- "Rent" would have flopped or just run a few months if he hadn't died right before the opening.

PRINCESS. DIANA.

Nobody was laughing at Bowie or Prince r15. Granted, they were not selling Let's Dance or Purple Rain numbers before their deaths, but they were highly respected.

Biggie Smalls and especially Tupac Shakur

Bob Marley

Bowie was never a laughing stock before he died, what the fuck kind of alternate history is this?