Michael Jackson making more money than any other dead celebrity

They may not be alive, but it seems celebrities are still making tons of money six feet under.

Reuters has the results of Forbes magazine's top-earning dead celebrities list and Michael Jackson once again reigned as king, making about $170 million this past year.

Not only does that make him the top-earning dead celebrity, it also places him as the second highest-earning pop star (dead or alive), right behind U2.

According to MTV News, Jackson's high posthumous revenue comes from music sales and his share in the Sony/ATV catalog. And while $170 million sounds like more than a lot to most of us, it's a big jump down from what he made last year, $275 million.

But make no mistake, Forbes estimated Jackson may stay as number one on next year's list as well if Cirque du Soleil's Immortal show becomes successful and rakes in high ticket sales while on tour.

Elvis Presley came in as number two on Forbes' list. He earned $55 million from October 2010 to October 2011 through merchandise sales, catalog shares and Cirque's Viva Elvis. Marilyn Monroe took the third spot with $27 million while Peanuts creator Charles Schulz followed behind at number four. Rounding out the top five were Elizabeth Taylor and John Lennon with $12 million each.