Third Amy Winehouse album for release?

Amy Winehouse, who died on Saturday, had reportedly been working on what would have been her third album.

It is thought her parents, Mitch and Janis, will make the final decision about whether or not to go public with the music, most of which is thought to be in demo form.

The Guardian’s rock and pop critic, Alexis Petridis, told Channel 4 News he would be astonished if the album was not released.

“The music industry is about making money – and she was a big artist who sold a lot of albums at a time when sales were in freefall,” he said.

“When someone dies, there is often an appetite for more of their work.

Album sales have been decreasing in recent years, and there were reports on Sunday that sales had fallen to a 13-year low – down by over 25 per cent last week on the previous year.

“Album sales will not be at such a low next week,” Alexis Petridis predicted.

Martin Talbot, managing director of the Official Charts Company, told Channel 4 News that when an artist who is really admired dies, many people will want to buy more of their music.

“There will be demand for a third album,” he added.

The response mirrors the surge in sales in 2009 after Michael Jackson died. His estate is estimated to have generated more than $310m from album sales and spin-offs.

We’re devastated and I’m speechless, Mitch Winehouse, father of Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse first won critical acclaim after the release of her debut album Frank in 2003, but became a worldwide phenomenon with the success of Back to Black, released in 2006.

The singer’s second album went to the top of the download chart on iTunes UK just 24 hours after she died.

Back to number 1?

The Mark Ronson-produced LP was climbing up the Official Charts – re-entering at number 59 in the few hours between her death and the time that sales were counted.

Fans also bought the singles Back to Black and Rehab – which re-entered the singles chart at numbers 81 and 181 respectively.

Martin Talbot described the response as “the best tribute that can be paid to her” and said he expected her music to go even higher up the charts as time went on.

When someone dies, there is often an appetite for more of their work. Alex Petridis, music critic

But he warned that the only issue for her position in next week’s charts would be the availability of hard copies of the album.

Although downloads are taken into consideration, they only account for 20 per cent of the album’s position in the charts, with most of the remaining 80 per cent coming from CD sales. Mr Talbot said that has already proved a problem for many retailers.

“Back to Black is an old album. I have just been into a large record shop in the centre of London and they have none in stock.”

He described Back to Black as one of the greatest albums of the last 30 years and said Amy Winehouse was a “genuine musical prodigy” whose songs would stand the test of time.

When she died, many fans and celebrities paid tribute to the singer, leading to her name quickly trending on Twitter.

Some commented that her age when she died – 27 – was significant, as other musicians have died at the same age.

They include Rolling Stone Brian Jones, who drowned in a swimming pool in 1969, and guitarist Jimi Hendrix who choked to death in 1970 after mixing wine with sleeping pills.

Doors star Jim Morrison died of heart failure in 1971 and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain shot himself in 1994 – both were also 27.