The 21 biggest songbook sales so far, RANKED

An ever-growing number of superstar musicians and songwriters are selling their music catalogues for megabucks as traditional record companies, upstart rights firms and investment vehicles vie for the most lucrative masters and publishing assets.

Read on to discover the big names who have already parted with their precious songbooks, and uncover the 21 biggest sales to date. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Note: our round-up comprises artists who have sold their catalogues for verified figures. Many other music icons who aren’t listed, including Blondie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Aerosmith, and The Killers, have also sold their music catalogues for undisclosed (yet undoubtedly huge) sums in recent times.

Rock band Imagine Dragons sold its music catalogue to Concord in a deal valued at over $100 million (£74m) back in 2020.

The Vegas-based band is one of the most successful rock groups of the modern era, thanks to hits such as Radioactive and Believer. To date, the band has racked up 74 million album sales worldwide, and three of its songs are among the top 100 most streamed on Spotify.

Music management company Iconic Artists Group acquired The Beach Boys’ music catalogue in a deal estimated at between $100 million (£74m) and $200 million (£148m) in 2021.

In addition to obtaining the entire song catalogue, which includes catchy tunes like I Get Around and Kokomo, the deal also included the rights to the California band’s brand. This encompasses a share of publishing royalties and revenue from licensing memorabilia, as well as control over the name ‘The Beach Boys’ and likenesses.

Red Hot Chili Peppers sold its music catalogue to UK-based music management firm Hipgnosis for more than $140 million (£103m) in May 2021.

The iconic rock band has been making music since the 1980s, and its impressive collection of hits includes Under the Bridge, Dani California and Give It Away.

The music was largely written by the band’s key members, namely singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante. Undoubtedly lucrative, the catalogue reportedly generates between $5 million (£3.7m) and $6 million (£4.4m) each year.

Berlin-based music group BMG snapped up Mötley Crüe’s music catalogue for a reported $150 million (£110m) in 2021. At the time of the deal, BMG stated it was its largest single catalogue acquisition since the company was founded in 2008.

Formed in 1981, the shock rockers of Mötley Crüe have sold an estimated 100 million albums globally throughout their decade-spanning career.

The band’s catalogue includes nine studio albums, featuring rock anthems like Girls, Girls, Girls and Kickstart My Heart.

Neil Young, who had steadfastly turned down offers to commercialise his music in the past, raised eyebrows in January 2021 when he sold 50% of the rights to his 1,180-song catalogue to Hipgnosis for an estimated $150 million (£110m). His lucrative catalogue includes folk-rock favourites like Heart of Gold and Harvest Moon.

The music veteran can rest easy, though. Hipgnosis has agreed never to license his music for ad campaigns that Young might object to.

In 2022, the songwriter asked Spotify to remove his music in protest against vaccine misinformation spread by Joe Rogan, the streaming service’s most popular podcaster. He’s since returned to the music platform.

OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder is a prolific songwriter and raked in an estimated $200 million (£148m) in March 2021 when he sold a majority share in his back catalogue to the investment company KKR.

As well as writing a string of chart-toppers for his own band, Tedder has composed or co-composed hit after hit for a long list of stars, including Beyoncé (Halo), Adele (Rumour Has It) and Ed Sheeran (Happier).

While it’s more common for older artists to cash in on catalogue sales, young musicians are also hopping on the trend. Among them is Justin Bieber, who sold 100% of his music catalogue to Hipgnosis for a juicy $200 million (£148m) in 2023.

Bieber released his debut song, One Time, in 2009 at the tender age of 15. He’s since gone on to sell 150 million records worldwide. His lucrative catalogue includes beloved pop bops like What Do You Mean? and Baby.

In 2023, music mogul Dr. Dre sold his music rights and other music income assets to Universal Music and Shamrock Holdings. The combined deals were valued in excess of $200 million (£148m).

The lucrative assets in question included artist royalties from two of his solo albums, and his share of N.W.A. royalties, as well as his producer royalties and the writer’s share of his song catalogue.

In addition to his success as a recording artist, Dr. Dre has written and produced hits for some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Eminem, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg.

Another modern-day music star who sold her catalogue is none other than I Kissed a Girl crooner Katy Perry.

Perry is one of the biggest-selling artists of all time, with iconic pop anthems Firework and California Gurls among her biggest hits.

In 2023, Perry sold her stake in her master recordings and her publishing rights for the five albums she released between 2008 and 2020 to Litmus Music in a $225 million (£166m) deal. However, Universal Music Group continues to own the masters for those albums.

In 2022, the David Bowie estate sold the late star’s entire publishing rights for a rumoured $250 million (£185m) to Warner Chappell Music, Warner Music Group’s publishing arm.

The deal includes songs from the 26 studio albums released during his lifetime and the posthumous studio album Toy. His epic song catalogue spans six decades and features hits such as Let’s Dance and Starman.

Sony made a jaw-dropping acquisition in 2021 when it snapped up Paul Simon’s entire back catalogue. Comprising more than 400 songs, the deal was valued at an estimated $250 million (£185m).

Renowned singer-songwriter Simon has penned and performed some of the greatest songs in modern history, both as a solo artist and as part of the musical duo Simon and Garfunkel. His career spans seven decades, and his catalogue includes enduring classics such as Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Sound of Silence and You Can Call Me Al.

In 2024, glam rock band Kiss sold its music catalogue, as well as its brand and likenesses, to Swedish investor group Pophouse Entertainment in a deal thought to be worth more than $300 million (£221m).

The sale marked the band’s retirement from live performances, having wrapped up its final End of the Road world tour.

Since launching the band in 1973, the music veterans have sold over 100 million records globally and are behind some of the biggest hard rock anthems of all time, including I Was Made For Lovin’ You.

Genesis frontman Phil Collins and his bandmates sold the band’s music catalogue to Concord Music in 2022 in a deal reportedly worth $300 million (£221m).

The sale also included the rights to solo works by Collins, including epic power ballads like In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now). As a solo artist alone, Collins has sold an impressive 150 million records worldwide.

The late Tina Turner, who passed away in 2023, sold her music catalogue to BMG in 2021 in a deal that was reportedly worth $300 million (£221m). The deal encompassed her entire song catalogue, which included 10 studio albums, soundtracks, compilations and the rights to her name and likeness.

The music icon sold more than 100 million records throughout her career, with Private Dancer and What’s Love Got to Do with It among her biggest hits.

Universal purchased Sting’s entire back catalogue in 2022. The $300 million (£221m) deal included both his solo work and hits with his band, The Police.

According to Universal, the award-winning Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, has sold more than 100 million albums since making his debut in the 1970s.

This is an interesting one. Eager to land a record contract with Big Machine Records back in 2005, a then-15-year-old Taylor Swift agreed to give up the rights to her first six albums. This was a decision she came to regret bitterly when her song catalogue was acquired by music mogul and sworn enemy Scooter Braun, who bought the record label in 2019.

Braun sold the masters to investment fund Shamrock Capital in November 2020 for $300 million (£221m) – without Swift’s consent. In response to the news, Swift wrote on Twitter at the time that it was “the second time my music had been sold without my knowledge”.

Swift famously began re-recording her old albums in a series known as Taylor’s Version so she could own the masters of the new recordings while diminishing the value of the originals. However, in a move that shocked the music world, this year Swift announced she’d bought back the rights to her first six albums. She reportedly paid $360 million (£266m) to regain full ownership of her music.

British rock band Pink Floyd recently sold its music catalogue to Sony for $400 million (£295m). The deal comprises recorded music rights but not songwriting, which is held by the individual writers, as well as name-and-likeness rights.

The long-mooted sale finally concluded in 2024, despite decades of feuding between band members Roger Waters and David Gilmour. Also benefiting from the sale were drummer Nick Mason, the estate of keyboardist Richard Wright and the estate of founding singer-songwriter Roger ‘Syd’ Barrett.

Pink Floyd is one of the bestselling rock groups ever, having shifted 250 million records globally.

Universal finalised “the most significant music publishing agreement this century and one of the most important of all time” at the end of 2020 when it bought Bob Dylan’s entire catalogue of 600-plus songs, including Blowin’ in the Wind and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.

Regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan’s body of work is beyond iconic, and the price tag reflects this. According to sources, Universal paid more than $300 million (£221m) for the masters.

The musician later went a step further, selling his recording catalogue to Sony Music in a deal that was finalised in July 2021. Billboard Magazine has claimed that the catalogue was worth around $200 million (£148m), bringing Dylan’s total sales to approximately $500 million (£369m).

Bruce Springsteen sold his master recordings and publishing rights to Sony in December 2021, in a deal that music industry title Billboard reported was worth $500 million (£369m).

Experts say Springsteen’s music generated around $15 million (£11m) in revenue in 2020 alone, with Sony keen to increase that figure over the coming years.

In 2024, it emerged that Sony Music Group paid at least $600 million (£443m) for half of Michael Jackson’s music catalogue, the largest deal ever made for the work of a single musician. The figures mean the late singer’s musical assets are valued at a whopping $1.2 billion (£890m).

Jackson, who passed away in 2009, was one of the bestselling artists ever and sold a staggering 400 million records throughout his career.

His 1982 album Thriller is the bestselling of all time, according to Guinness World Records, while hit songs Billie Jean and Beat It have each racked up more than one billion streams on Spotify.

And finally, Queen sold its music catalogue to Sony for a staggering $1.2 billion (£890m) in 2024. The colossal deal shattered the record set by Michael Jackson for the largest music catalogue sale in history.

The iconic rockers are among the bestselling artists of all time, and the band has sold over 300 million records.

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