Sold! The artists with the most valuable back catalogues

As background music experts, we understand the value of music. And, seemingly, so do some of the world’s biggest artists – with many opting to trade the rights to their tunes for an early pay day. Icons can save a hefty amount in tax by capitalising sooner rather than later.

Today, more and more musicians from eras gone by are cashing in, as well as those still topping the charts, making hundreds of millions selling the rights to their songs. Most recently, legendary band Pink Floyd have sold their recording catalogue, neighbouring rights, name and likeness rights (but not the publishing rights) to Sony for $400 million.

But which artists are making the most from their back catalogue sales?

To find out, we looked at reports of how much back catalogues were sold for, covering some of the biggest names in music history. We also looked at trends in the rankings to identify how factors like gender, age and time in the industry can affect the value of these bumper sales.

So, what did we find?

The artists who have sold their back catalogues for the highest amount of money are predominantly men, with just one female artist - Tina Turner - securing a spot in the top five most expensive back catalogues of all-time.

It's still more common for older artists to cash in, even though some younger artists like Katy Perry are doing so. Some suggest this is because they're able to make more from selling off their music than they can through royalties, like when their tunes are played on the radio or in stores.

Topping the list is the sale of Queen's back catalogue. According to Variety, Sony acquired Queen’s storied back catalogue, alongside merchandise and a selection of other business deals. The only part of the band’s revenue that they will retain will be from live performances.

Second on the list is the 'King of Pop', Michael Jackson. Although the figure is disputed, it's reported that Sony Music Group paid at least $600m for just half of his catalogue, meaning the singer's musical assets are worth more than $1.2bn (£950m).

Music icon Bruce Springsteen is third place on the chart, selling his catalogue of 300 songs for a hefty estimated $500 million, including classics like Born in the USA and Born to Run.

Fourth place is the most recent sale - Pink Floyd. According to Music Business Worldwide, the legendary rock veterans’ deal with the music giant is set to include the band’s recording catalogue, neighbouring rights, and name and likeness rights. However, the band’s publishing rights were not included in the deal.

Fifth place is tied four ways between Phill Collins (alongside Genesis bandmates Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks), Bob Dylan, Tina Turner and KISS, each selling their song rights for a reported $300 million. Pophouse CEO Per Sundin says the goal of purchasing Kiss' back catalogue was to expose it to new generations — which he believes sets Pophouse apart from other acquisitions of music catalogues.

The three Genesis musicians have been active for over 55 years and, although the artists are all in their 70s, their popularity continues.

Bob Dylan’s back catalogue was sold to Universal Music Group in 2020. It’s reported 600 of his songs were included in the sale, including Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door and Like a Rolling Stone. Dylan has continued to make music following the sale of his back catalogue and embarked on a tour in 2021.

The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner, sold her catalogue of music spanning five decades in 2021.  

Aside from Michael Jackson, the only other artist in the top ten whose back catalogue was sold after their death is David Bowie. He passed away in 2016, and his music was sold to Warner Chappell Music for a reported $250 million. The catalogue included music from his five decades of work – including the album Toy, which was released posthumously.

Royalties vs Rights

One of the biggest deciding factors for artists considering cashing in on the rights to their music is whether the lump sum payment outweighs the royalties they receive whenever their songs are streamed.

Streaming music isn’t free – for personal listeners or businesses boosting buying habits with tailored tunes (it’s true – the behavioural science behind music proves playlists influence customers). While solo streamers pay for popular music platforms, businesses must also own a music license to play in public.

So, musicians make money each time their songs are streamed, whatever the setting. The question, therefore, is whether these regular royalties are more or less valuable than a one-off sale of their rights.

And as we’ve found in our study, this is likely to be influenced by age, personal circumstance and how much record labels and investors are willing to pay!

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