Prince's Cultural Legacy Is Priceless, But How Much Was He Worth Financially?

Pop icon had prolific musical career, but he wasn't always a commercial success

No price tag could ever match the value of what Prince was worth culturally to this world.

The pop icon, who died Thursday at the age of 57, leaves behind an incredible musical legacy and a body of work spanning the course of over 40 years. Unlike many other artists, though, Prince didn't turn into a celebrity spokesperson. Instead of chasing endorsement deals, he focused on music—and it's reflected in his art and his bank account.

As Forbes' Zack O'Malley Greenburg writes, "...Prince's cultural clout far surpassed his financial success." The Grammy winner's only appearance on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list was in 2005, when he earned an estimated $49.7 million before taxes and fees.

Prince's album releases weren't always met with great commercial success. His first album For You, releases in 1979, didn't make much of an impact on the charts, but his self-titled sophomore album, released in 1979, went platinum. As Forbes notes, though, it wasn't until the release of his 1982 album 1999 that Prince really began to sell. Purple Rain, his 1984 album, included the iconic song of the same title which also inspired the Purple Rain movie. Subsequently, Prince won an Academy Award for playing a fictionalized version of himself in the 1984 film.

His musical career remained prolific through the years. Per the BBC, Prince went on to sell over 100 million records throughout his career across multiple genres. His recent releases didn't approach the commercial success of his earlier albums, but his tours continued to bring in big money. As Forbes notes, Prince continued to regularly gross $1.5 million per night.

"What I'd say about Prince is that obviously there isn't another artist over the past few decades who's had more of an impact. There are others I could put in that league but you know there's certainly, but he's in the top tier in terms of influence. However he just hasn't been, he was never in a comparable tier when it came to earnings. Although he often made tens of millions of dollars a year I think his high was around 50 million where somebody like Michael Jackson still makes over 100 million dollars a  year even after his death."

Prince will be remembered for his music and performances, which is ultimately worth a lot more than what might be left in the bank.

—Additional reporting by Sara Kitnick

Watch E! News at 7 p.m. tonight for much more on Prince's life and career.