5 Artists Who Haven’t Sold Their Catalog
Artists who haven’t sold their catalog are seemingly a smaller number with every passing year. After all, there have been numerous artists in recent years who have sold their music…
Artists who haven't sold their catalog are seemingly a smaller number with every passing year. After all, there have been numerous artists in recent years who have sold their music catalog and other properties for a massive price tag.
In 2024, there four major catalog sales. In February, Rod Steward sold his catalog to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group for $100 million. In June 2023, Billboardreported Stewart was close to a catalog deal with Hipgnosis. Sale talks went on for two years only for Stewart to back out.
In April, KISS sold its catalog, name, logo and makeup rights to Pophouse for a reported $300 million. Pophouse, a Swedish entertainment and music investment firm, already had a relationship with the band and is the creative force behind the creation of the KISS Avatars.
Pink Floyd sold their recorded rights to Sony for $400 million in October. The deal also included the band's name and the band's "likeness," but the band still retained their songwriting rights.
And then, there's the sale of Queen's catalog. In June, the legendary band sold their catalog to Sony Music for a staggering $1.27 billion. The Queen/Sony catalog deal omits revenue rights for live performances, which will be retained by Brian May and Roger Taylor.
Needless to say, an artist has the potential to set their family up for multiple generations with the strategic sale of their catalog. However, there are still some artists who've opted to not sell (for now). Here are five artists who haven't sold their catalog.
1. The Rolling Stones
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesIn March 2022, Keith Richards was asked by Anthony Mason on 'CBS Sunday Morning' whether the Rolling Stones have considered selling their catalog. Richards said, "Mick and I have not spoken about it on a serious level. I don’t know if we’re ready to sell our catalog. We might drag it out a bit – put some more stuff in it!" He then bluntly added, "You only think about selling your catalog when … it’s a sign of getting old!"
2. Madonna
Paul Zimmerman/Getty ImagesIn August 2022, Madonna gave an interview to 'Variety' where she touched on the potential sale of her catalog. She told the outlet, "They're my songs. Ownership is everything, isn't it?" (Honestly, Madge isn't wrong here.)
3. Billy Joel
Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesIn April 2022, The Piano Man was rumored to be courting potential buyers for his legendary catalog. However, it seems he's changed his mind. In February 2024, he was asked by Howard Stern whether he'd considering selling his catalog now. Joel said not yet, but he would consider selling for $1 billion. Then again, he also said of his songs, "[My songs] are kind of like my kids. I gave birth to these songs. I went through a labor and a pregnancy and a birthing process, and I brough them up. I'm very attached to them."
4. John Fogerty
Adam Bettcher/Getty Images for Starkey Hearing FoundationUnlike many of his peers, John Fogerty recently regained the rights to his Creedence Clearwater Revival songs. In January 2023, Fogerty purchased the global publishing rights to the CCR catalog from Concord Records. Fogerty has been fighting to regain the rights to the CCR songs he wrote for decades. He said in a statement, "As of this January, I own my own songs again. This is something I thought would never be a possibility. After 50 years, I am finally reunited with my songs. I also have a say in where and how my songs are used. Up until this year, that is something I have never been able to do."
5. Metallica
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesIn 2012, Metallica gained full ownership of their master recordings and launched their own label, Blackened Recordings. In fact, Metallica has taken things a step further. In July 2020, 'Variety' reported that Metallica was one of multiple parties attached to Worldwired Music IP Fund, an "intellectual-property acquisition venture" with a focus on purchasing various music catalogs, particularly classic rock catalogs.
