Musical artists whose publishing catalogs have commanded big bucks

Known for writing alongside artists like Elton John, Leon Russell sold the music publishing rights and future master recording income from his hit-laden catalog to Primary Wave in 2019.

In 2021, these '90s rock icons sold their hit-packed back catalog to acquisitions giant Hipgnosis for more than $100 million. 

With a catalog packed with hit songs like "Born In The USA," it's perhaps not surprising that Bruce Springsteen's music commanded a whopping $500 million in 2021, when he sold his catalog to Sony Music Group. 

No one knows exactly how much Universal Music paid for Neil Diamond's massive back-catalog, which includes more than 100 as-yet-unreleased songs, but experts estimate that it commanded at least nine figures. (read: more than 100 million dollars!) 

Sting commanded a reported $250 million for his back-catalog of songs, including his work as a solo artist and his time as the frontman of The Police, when it sold in 2022 to Universal Music. 

In early 2021, hip-shaking Colombian sensation Shakira sold 100 percent of her stake in her catalog of music, which includes chart-topping hits like “Whenever, Wherever” and “Hips Don’t Lie,” to publishing firm Hipgnosis for an undisclosed sum. Considering Shakira’s chart success, though, it’s likely that this was a multi-million dollar coup.

Following his death, the estate of rock icon David Bowie sold his publishing rights to Warner Music in a deal worth more than $250 million. 

"Tush," "Legs," and "LaGrange" are all part of a catalog that earned ZZ Top an estimated $50 million in 2021, when the iconic Texas duo sold their catalog to BMG. 

In January 2023, Justin Bieber made headlines when he sold the rights to his music to Hipgnosis Songs Capital for more than $200 million. 

This iconic '80s act sold the bulk of its catalog, including the hit "The Power Of Love" to Primary Wave Music for an estimated $20 million. 

This prolific songwriter and rock icon's catalog commanded an estimated $150 million when it was sold in 2021, and included a staggering 1,200 Neil Young tunes. 

Fleetwood Mac frontwoman and legendary solo artist Stevie Nicks made headlines in late 2020 when she sold 80 percent of the publishing rights to her music catalog to music publisher Primary Wave. Valued at $100 million, the catalog includes Nicks’s most iconic tracks, including “Dreams,” “Rhiannon,” and “Edge of Seventeen.” 

In arguably the most blockbuster catalog sale in music history, Bob Dylan transferred the publishing rights to his 600-plus songs to Universal Music Group in 2020. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the value of the catalog, which includes Dylan classics like “The Hurricane” and “Blowin’ In The Wind,” has been estimated by experts at more than $300 million. 

In what the label described as its largest single acquisition in two years, Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood sold the entirety of his catalog’s publishing rights to BMG in early 2020. The catalog includes more than 300 tracks, and the label will receive 100 percent of future royalties for Fleetwood Mac classics like “The Chain.” 

This iconic rock band, known for hits like "Dream On" and "Walk This Way," sold their entire back catalog and personal collections of memorabilia to UMG in 2022 for an undisclosed sum. 

Wanting to retain a bit more control of his life’s work than some artists, Neil Young sold the rights to his extensive song catalog to Hipgnosis in 2020 in a multi-million dollar deal. The company now controls half of the copyright — and income — from the catalog, which includes more than 1,100 original compositions.

One half of legendary ‘80s duo Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora was one of the first artists to sell their catalogs in 2020. In a deal with Music Mogul, Sambora sold his stake in hits like “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “It’s My Life,” co-written by the artist and his bandmate Jon Bon Jovi, for an undisclosed sum. The entire catalog totaled 186 tracks. 

Just like his Fleetwood Mac bandmates Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks, legendary guitarist Lindsey Buckingham sold the entirety of his catalog to Hipgnosis in a major 2020 deal. In addition to his published works, Buckingham’s deal with Hipgnosis also affords the company 50 percent of the artist’s future works. 

Ahead of the band’s 60th anniversary, surf-rock pioneers The Beach Boys inked a deal with Iconic Music Group to sell controlling interest of their intellectual property in February 2021. The terms of the deal, which provides the band’s members and their heirs with a continued interest in The Beach Boys’ future royalties, were not disclosed. 

Pretenders frontwoman and ‘80s rock legend Chrissie Hynde sold her entire stake in her publishing catalog to Hipgnosis in 2021 for an undisclosed sum. The 164-song catalog, which includes hits like “Message of Love” and “Talk of the Town,” includes all 11 of the Pretenders’ studio albums, including 2021’s Hate For Sale. 

Crooner Barry Manilow transferred the recording royalties to his entire catalog to booming publishing firm Hipgnosis in August 2020, for an undisclosed sum. Considering that Manilow has charted 50 Top-40 singles in his career, it’s likely that he scored a pretty penny in the deal, which includes 917 Manilow-penned tracks. 

In 2019, mega-producer and artist Jack Antonoff was one of the first major artists to sell his catalog to Hipgnosis Songs, which was little more than a year old at the time of the blockbuster deal. For an undisclosed sum, Hipgnosis acquired nearly 200 songs from Antonoff, who has penned hits for Taylor Swift, Lorde, and Lana Del Rey. He also has his own work, from bands like Fun. and Bleachers. 

Known for his work with artists like Amy Winehouse, Hipgnosis Songs acquired a 70 percent in British producer Mark Ronson’s catalog in April 2020. The catalog includes Winehouse hits like “Back to Black,” along with his smash-hit collaboration with Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk.” 

Decades after her husband and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain died in 1994, widow Courtney Love pioneered the sale of major catalogs. When Cobain died, Love inherited 98 percent of Nirvana’s publishing rights — remember, Kurt was the band’s key songwriter — and later sold a quarter of that interest to Primary Wave Music in 2006. 

In a massive $50 million deal, Primary Wave Music acquired a controlling stake in the catalog of late reggae legend Bob Marley in 2018. Sold by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, the deal also includes work from artists like Toots and the Maytals and U2, and others on the Blue Mountain Music label, alongside the extensive collection of Marley hits. 

Perhaps no band’s catalog has been through more turmoil than that of The Beatles. After a series of label transfers and business dealings, ATV Music acquired control of the band’s catalog in 1969. It was later sold to pop star Michael Jackson in 1985 as part of a 4000-song deal that transferred all of ATV’s catalog, including the Beatles hits, to Jackson. After decades of battling in the courts, Beatles bassist and co-founder Paul McCartney finally regained rights to the band’s catalog in 2018. 

In 2020, the estate of bluesman Ray Charles reached a deal with Primary Wave Music to acquire a majority stake of Charles’s work produced before 1964 for an undisclosed, multi-million dollar sum. The catalog includes hits like “I Got a Woman” and “Ain’t That Love,” for which Primary Wave will now be responsible for determining licensing opportunities and collecting (most of the) royalties. 

Iconic ‘80s punk band Blondie, founded by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, transferred 100 percent of their royalties to Hipgnosis Songs Fund, the U.K.-based firm that owns the catalogs of artists like Neil Young, Barry Manilow, and Shakira, in 2020. The catalog, which sold for an undisclosed sum, includes nearly 200 songs from the glam-punk pioneers. 

In what was a very public battle between the world’s biggest pop star and label executive Scooter Braun, Taylor Swift’s original masters were sold to Big Machine Label Group for $350 million. Swift’s catalog alone was later sold to Shamrock Holdings, a private equity firm, for $300 million. In a revenge plot of sorts, Swift is still re-recording songs that she lost the rights to in the deal, including “Love Story,” in order to regain control over her life’s work. 

In one of its earliest deals with a major band, Primary Wave Music acquired a “significant interest” in the pop hits of ‘80s faves Hall and Oates in 2007. Deals of the term were never disclosed, but it’s likely that the publishing company acquired more than half of the band’s interest for a sum between $25 million and $50 million.