What led to Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' surpassing her debut album 'Renaissance' in its first week?

 This week's Five Burning Questions examines Beyoncé's impressive debut with 'Cowboy Carter', setting a new high standard.

Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' album dominated conversations last week for a good reason: It was well on its way to achieving the highest single-week sales for an album in 2024 by a significant margin. This highly-anticipated country-infused project, the second part of Beyoncé's planned Renaissance trilogy, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with 407,000 units sold in its first week. This impressive figure easily surpassed the 251,000 units sold by Future & Metro Boomin's 'We Don't Trust You' upon its release, previously holding the top spot for the year. Additionally, 'Cowboy Carter' outperformed Beyoncé's own 'Renaissance Act I', which sold 332,000 units in its debut week, marking her best album launch since 'Lemonade' garnered over 650,000 units in 2016.

Diamonds and Pearls Deluxe, Prince's jewelry box

Following 1999 and Sign'Of'The Times, Diamonds And Pearls, the bestseller from Prince & The New Power Generation, will be released in a Super Deluxe box set this autumn.

With six singles that achieved massive international success, including the hits "Gett Off", "Cream", Diamonds And Pearls, Prince's thirteenth album, and the first co-credited to The New Power Generation, triumphed around the world and became multi- platinum in the US and UK, where it remains the best-selling album of his career, excluding film soundtracks.

 

 

October 27, Paisley Park Enterprises in collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records will release its reissue, among other things. The original album remastered for the first time, 47 bonus tracks and a new concert lasting more than two hours from Prince's vault. In its entirety, the box set contains 75 audio tracks spread over 7 CDs or 12, 180 gram vinyls.

The box set features a newly remastered version of the album and 15 remixes and B-sides from this period, including the previously unreleased "Gett Off (Damn Near 10 Min.)". The Super Deluxe Edition also features 33 previously unreleased tracks from Prince's vault, including alternate versions of outtakes from the album, songs Prince had given to other artists and compositions recorded on the road in 1990.

Prince & The NPG unveiled the Diamonds And Pearls tour on January 11, 1992 at Glam Slam, the Minneapolis club owned by Prince. This never-before-seen live performance was mixed from 24-track master tapes and is also presented in 2K video version on Blu-ray, accompanying both Super Deluxe formats with stereo, 5.1, Dolby True HD and Dolby ATMOS audio. The Blu-ray also includes Prince & The New Power Generation's performance at the Special Olympics at the Metrodome in Minneapolis in July 1991 (in stereo, 5.1 and ATMOS), as well as the sound check of this same performance. The Blu-ray is completed by the Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection, a collection of music videos released on VHS and LaserDisc in 1993 and long out of sale.

Universal Music Buys Majority Stake in Afrobeats Label Mavin, Home to Rema’s ‘Calm Down,’ Ayra Starr and More

 

Universal Music Group has announced a majority investment in the Nigeria-based Afrobeats powerhouse label Mavin Global (Mavin). The label, based in Lagos, is home to such hits as Rema’s “Calm Down” — the Selena Gomez-featuring remix of which was No. 12 on Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers chart and is the most-viewed video on YouTube by an African artists — and other artists including Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Johnny Drille and more. The deal remains subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close later this year.

Founded in 2012 by artist-producer-executive Michael Collins Ajereh (aka Don Jazzy), Mavin has played a pivotal role in breaking Afrobeats artists within Africa, and beyond. 

 

Other top artists on the label include Crayon, Magixx, Bayanni, Boyspyce, DJ Big N and Lifesize Teddy. Ayra Starr’s track “Rush” was nominated for the inaugural Best African Music Performance Grammy and its music video is the most viewed music video by a female Nigerian artist on YouTube.

The Mavin team in Nigeria will be supported by UMG’s global network of labels and businesses. Currently distributed internationally (excluding Africa) through Virgin Music Group with Rema, Mavin and its roster are already integrated into UMG’s unrivalled network, with multiple signings across U.S. labels, including Republic partnering for Ayra Starr, and Interscope for Lifesize Teddy.

 

According to the announcement, Mavin will maintain autonomy over its strategy and future talent development. As part of the agreement, founder and CEO Don Jazzy and COO Tega Oghenejobo will continue leading the company. The “mission” is anchored in two initiatives: Mavin’s Artist Academy, which trains new talent in music and performance skills and builds connections within the roster, and their executive leadership program, which seeks to develop the next generation of music industry talent in Africa.

In 2022 Africa represented the fastest growing continent for recorded music consumption, with Sub-Saharan Africa growing at 34.7% year on year, according to the IFPI, the only region to grow more than 30% that year. In the first half of 2023 streams of Afrobeats in the US market increased by 34% year on year.

Michael Ajereh said: “I’m proud of the artists, careers and brand we’ve built that have made Mavin the force it is today. In this historic partnership with UMG, we will continue that mission in Africa and across the globe.”

Tega Oghenejobo said: ” With our proven history of collaborations within the UMG family, we have a strong belief that they are the ideal partner for the next phase of our growth, given the diversity and potential of our business. UMG is home to some of the world’s foremost music entrepreneurs and artists, making them a perfect match for our aspirations. By collaborating with UMG, we are dedicated to cultivating a vibrant creative environment that propels African music to new heights on the global stage.”

Lucian Grainge, Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Group, said, “Our criteria for identifying partners is straightforward:  great artists, great entrepreneurs, great people.  With Don Jazzy, Tega, the Mavin Global team and their artist roster, we’ve found ideal partners with whom to grow together.  Mavin’s brilliant artists have been catalysts in the transformation of Afrobeats into a global phenomenon and we’re thrilled to welcome them into the Universal Music Group family.”

According to the announcement, TPG has fully exited the business, while Kupanda Capital will a remain minority investor and strategic adviser. UMG was advised by Freshfields, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie and Bowmans. Mavin was represented by Shot Tower Capital in the transaction and Reed Smith LLP and Olaniwun Ajayi LP served as legal advisers.

U won’t dig Marvin’s garden Viv rejects $20 bil bid

 

Vivendi Universal’s showbiz assets are in play even as the conglom Thursday dismissed a recent $20 billion offer that was led by Marvin Davis and orchestrated by former Universal and Fox exec Brian Mulligan.

A sale of the entertainment division is “not on the agenda,” Vivendi said. It didn’t add “at that price” — but price is clearly a key issue, and Viv U wants to jack it up.

Some Wall Streeters and Hollywood execs called the offer fair, even rich, and were energized by the high valuation they said it placed on their own businesses.

Others see bigger numbers. One top media exec called the bid “lowball.”

Young Female Artists Taking Control of Their Musical Rights

 

An article in The Guardian highlights a growing trend among young female artists, including Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, and Zara Larsson, in taking control of their musical rights. 

In an interview with SVT Kultur, Zara Larsson emphasizes the importance of owning her music, viewing it as an investment in herself and her future.

 
Zara Larsson recounts purchasing the rights to her music from Ola Håkansson, CEO of TEN Records, and establishing her own record label, Sommer House Records. This move has not only provided her with a sense of self-investment but also security for the future.

Expressing her strong attachment to her songs as an artist, Larsson underscores the need for control and ownership over her music. She draws parallels with Taylor Swift's efforts to re-record her first six albums in a quest to regain full control over her music after a dispute with her former record label. 

Larsson describes the situation faced by Swift as a "privacy-invading nightmare" and hopes that more artists will have the opportunity to own their music in the future.

Normani Debut Solo Album Dopamine

 The former Fifth Harmony singer has not yet revealed the release date for her new album. 

However, Normani has recently announced the title of her debut solo studio album as "Dopamine." The album is still pending a confirmed release date. 

Normani rose to fame with Fifth Harmony in 2012, and was part of the girl group's albums including "Reflection," "7/27," and "Fifth Harmony." Her first solo single, "Love Lies," featuring Khalid, was released on Valentine's Day in 2018. Subsequently, Fifth Harmony announced an indefinite hiatus. 

Normani's solo music journey continued with tracks like "Motivation," "Diamonds," "Bad to You," "Wild Side," "Fair," and "New to You." She also made an appearance in Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar's "Family Ties" music video. 

Normani's "Motivation" visual was ranked No. 2 in "The 20 Best Music Videos of 2019."

Here’s a running list of artists who have sold some or all of their song catalogues to a new breed of company. (Updated as required)

 

The music world is being shaken by the actions of a growing group of companies which are buying up the song catalogues of successful artists. The artist gets a huge infusion of cash upfront which takes away financial pressure for the rest of their lives. They also enjoy certain (and potentially enormous) tax advantages, too, thanks to certain capital gains laws. It’s then up to these companies to exploit the value in these songs in order to make their money back and turn a profit.

These companies have names like Concord Music, Primary Wave, Round Hill, Eldridge Industries, Round Hill Music, and most notably, Hipgnosis, which is run by Quebec-born Merck Mercuriadis. They’ve spent BILLIONS on acquiring song catalogues over the last two years or so.

For a deeper dive into the situation, you can read my Global article on the subject here. This article from Variety also goes deep into these sales.

Who has cashed out and for how much? Here’s a running list that I’m updating as new deals are announced via news stories and press releases.

1. Bob Dylan (100% of his publishing catalogue to Universal Music Publishing) est. US$300-400 million. UPDATE: On January 24, 2022, Sony acquired his master recordings. That’s worth another ~US$200 million.
2. Neil Young (50% of his career catalogue to Hipgnosis), est. US$150 million
3. Stevie Nicks (a majority stake in her songs to Primary Wave), US$100 million
4. Imagine Dragons (everything they’ve done up until now), US$100 million
5. Whitney Houston (her entire catalogue to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
6. David Crosby (everything he’s done to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed.
7. Disturbed (entire catalogue to Primary Wave), price undisclosed
8. The Killers (all releases up until 2020 to Eldridge Industries), price undisclosed
9. Lindsey Buckingham (his Fleetwood Mac songs along with his solo material), price undisclosed
10. Barry Manilow (entire catalogue to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed
11. Richie Sambora (everything he did with Bon Jovi to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed
12. Dave Stewart (everything he’s done with Eurthymics and beyond to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed
13. Blondie (197 songs to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed
14. Chrissie Hynde (everything she did with The Pretenders to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed
15. Air Supply (a portion of their catalogue to Primary Wave), price undisclosed
16. Culture Club (a portion of the band’s publishing and master recording income to Primary Wave), price undisclosed
17. Devo (a chunk of their catalogue to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
18. Jim Vallance, Bryan Adams’ songwriting partner (his share of songs he wrote with Adams to Round Hill), price undisclosed
19. Ryan Tedder, songwriter for OneRepublic and others (to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed
20. Shakria (100% of 145 songs to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed
21. KT Tunstall (50% of her catalogue to Primary wave), price undisclosed
22. Mick Fleetwood (his share of Fleetwood Mac songwriting to BMG), price undisclosed.
23. Ed Roland (all the music he wrote for Collective Soul to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
24. Bob Rock (100% of his rights to Metallica’s black album and four Michael Buble albums to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed
25. Sun Records (including all the masters from Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis to Primary Wave), US$30 million.
26. Massive Attack (two-thirds of their catalogue to Round Hill), price undisclosed.
27. Silverchair (entire catalogue to Sony), price undisclosed.
28. Beach Boys (EVERYTHING. All IP to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists), price undisclosed.
29. David Crosby (everything from his solo career, CSN, The Byrds, and more to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists), price undisclosed.
30. Glenn Tipton, guitarist with Judas Priest (50% of his song catalogue to Reach Music) price undisclosed.
31. Carole Bayer Sager, songwriter (catalogue to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed.
32. Linda Ronstadt (catalogue to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Arists), at least US$50 million.
33. Paul Simon (everything to Sony Music Publishing), price undisclosed.
34. Patrick Leonard, one of Madonna’s collaborators (everything to Primary Wave), in a “multi-million-dollar deal.”
35. Red Hot Chili Peppers (all pre-2020 material to Hipgnosis), US$140 million.
36. Andrew Watt, Grammy Award-winning songwriter for Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, and others (105 songs to Hipgnosis), in an “eight-figure deal.”
37. David Guetta (catalogue to Warner Music), US$100 million.
38. Chris Issak (50% stake in master recordings to Primary Wave), in a “multi-million-dollar deal.
39. Prince’s estate, (almost 50% stake of rights to name and likeness, masters, and publishing to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
    
40. Christine McVIe of Fleetwood Mac (115 songs to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed. This means four out of five members of the band have now sold their catalogues.
41. Trevor Rabin (3,528 film cues and songs to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
42. The O’Jays (532 studio recording to Round Hill Music), price undisclosed.
43. Tina Turner (a huge chunk of her stuff to BMG), price undisclosed.
44. The Weeknd, Drake, Justin Bieber (a whack of hit songs to Kilometre Music group), price undisclosed.
45. Bing Crosby (LOTS of stuff to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
46. Gerry Goffin (a stake to Primary Wave), US$20 million.
47. Luther Vandross (a stake to Primary Wave), US$40 million.
48. Mike Scott of The Waterboys (a stake to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
49. Jeff Porcaro, the late drummer of Toto (catalogue to Primary Wave), US$30 million
50. Motley Crue (recordings catalogue to BMG), US$90 million.
51. Jim Peterik of Survivor and 38 Special (a big stake in songs like “Eye of the Tiger” to Primary Wave), US$20 million.
52. James Brown (a stake in his publishing to Primary Wave), estimated at US$90 million.
53. Bruce Springsteen (300 songs, 20 studio albums, 23 live albums and more to Sony), estimated at US$500 million.
54. ZZ Top (their “entire music interests” to both BMG and KKR), estimated at US$50 million.
55. David Bowie (his entire catalogue to Warner-Chappell), US$250 million.
56. John Legend (his music catalogue to BMG and KKR), price undisclosed.
57. Christian singer-songwriter Matt Redman (a partnership with Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
58. Nancy Wilson of Heart (a “significant share” song catalogue to Round Hill Music), price undisclosed.
59. Paul Rodgers, famous for his time in Free and Bad Company (a stake in his publishing catalogue to Primary Wave), US$20 million
60. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America (their entire catalogue, including songs like “Horse with No Name” to Primary Wave), US$40 million.
61. Kenney Chesney (80% of recorded music royalties from 2014-2017 to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed.
    
62. Travis Tritt (publishing catalogue to Reservoir), price undisclosed.
63. Luis Fonsi, the “Despacito” guy (publishing catalogue to HarbourView Equity Partners), perhaps for as much as US$100 million.
64. Murda Beatz (producer for Drake and Migos, 285 songs) to Kilometre Music Group), price undisclosed.
65. Def Leppard (an “additional stake” in their music publishing catalogue to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
66. Robbie Robertson of The Band (publishing, name/image/likeness, and recorded music interests to Iconoclast), price undisclosed.
67. The estates of Layne Staley and Mike Starr (both now-dead members of Alice in Chains, catalogue stakes in the band’s songs to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
68. And the rest of Alice in Chains’ music (everyone else, selling to Round Hill) in a deal rumoured to be US$50 million.
69. James Newton Howard, movie composer (all music income and copyrights to Multimedia Music), price undisclosed.\
70. Sting (entire music catalogue to Universal Music Publishing), >US$300 million.
71. John Lee Hooker (all music interests to BMG), price undisclosed.
72. Jason Aldeen (90% of music catalogues plus masters to Spirit Music Group), >US$100 million.
73. Neil Diamond (complete song catalogue and all master recordings to Universal), possibly north of US$300 million.
74. Lionel Hampton, Thelonious Monk, and other jazz greats (catalogues of Regent Music and Jewel Music to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
75. Leonard Cohen (278 songs, including “Hallelujah,” which has been covered over 300 times to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed.
76. Martina McBride (master royalties to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
77. The estate of Nat King Cole (catalogue to Iconic Artists Group), price undisclosed.
78. Swedish House Mafia (catalogue and masters to Pophouse), price undisclosed.
79. Bob Dylan’s share of the Traveling Wilburys catalogue (to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
80. Country songwriter Ashley Gorley (catalogue to Sony and Domain Capital), possibly US$40 million.
81. Justin Timberlake (everything to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed, although the rumour is US$100 million.
82. Julian Casablancas of The Strokes (his Strokes stakes to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
83. Tom Whitlock, composer of “Danger Zone” and other movie music (sale of Primary Way), price undisclosed.
84. Frank Zappa (recordings, song catalogue, 1,000+ hours of audio and video to Universal Music), price undisclosed.
85. Simple Minds (“key music interests” to BMG), price undisclosed.
86. Jean-Michel Jarre (entire publishing catalogue to BMG), price undisclosed.
87. Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, and The Cult (publishing and recorded music rights to Reservoir), price undisclosed.
88. Brad Paisley (music catalogue to HarborView Equity Partners). The rumoured price is US$25 million.
89. Lady A (music catalogue to HarborView Equity Partners) price undisclosed.
90. Deryck Whibley, the chief songwriter of Sum 41 (publishing and recorded music catalogue to HarbourView Equity Partners), price undisclosed.
91. Chuck D of Public Enemy (a chunk of his share in PE songs to Reach Music Publishing), price undisclosed.
92. Future (612 songs to Influence Media Partners), selling price in the “eight figures.”
93. Avicii (75% of the late artist’s masters and publishing to Pophouse Entertainment), price undisclosed.
94. Genesis–Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford–(rights to Concord), for an estimated US$300 million.
95. Blake Shelton (rights to his recording catalogue to Influence Media Partners), price undisclosed.
96. Joey Ramone (publishing catalogue to Primary Wave), at least US$10 million.
97. Louis Prima (recording and publishing catalogue to Reservoir), price undisclosed.
98. Huey Lewis and the News (the band’s entire catalogue to 1994 to Primary Wave), at least $20 million.
99. Country songwriter Ashley Gorley (catalogue to Domain Capital), around $40 million.
100. Harry Nilsson (entire catalogue to BMG), price undisclosed.
101. Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill of Boy Meets Girl (about 60 hit songs they wrote for Whitney Houston), estimated US$50-100 million.
102. Iggy Azalea (recorded works and publishing to Domain Capital), a reported “eight-figure deal.”
103. Peter Frampton (a whack of his stuff to BMG), price undisclosed.
104. Keith Urban (master recordings catalogue to Litmus music), price undisclosed.
105. Justin Bieber (interests in his publishing and recorded music catalogue to Hipgnosis), a reported US$200 million.
106. Producer Steve Lillywhite (his share of royalties from albums by U2, Dave Matthews, the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, The Killers, Peter Gabriel, Morrissey, and a ton of others to Round Hill), price undisclosed.
107. Dr. Dre (catalogue assets to Universal Music and Shamrock holdings), estimated US$200 million.
108. Robbie Krieger and the estate of Ray Manzarek of The Doors (music publishing catalog, recordings, trademarks, and merchandise rights and income, among other things to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
109. Yes (everything relating to their Atlantic output to Warner), price undisclosed.
110. Justin Bieber (catalogue to Hipgnosis) for an estimated “nine-figure deal.” I’ve seen US$200 million thrown around.
111. Dion (catalogue to Reservoir), price undisclosed.
112. TMS, the British songwriting team (catalogue to Hipgnoisis), price undisclosed.
113. Stevie Van Zandt (music publishing, music catalogues, and a portion of his name and likeness rights), a “multi-million dollar deal.”
114. Tobias Jesso Jr, Grammy songwriter of the year (catalogue to Hipgnosis, numbering “around 40” hit songs), price undisclosed.
115. Christorpher Cross (full catalogue to Seeker music), price undisclosed.
116. Warren Cuccurullo of Duran Duran and Missing Persons along with a ton of other artists with song going back to the 1950s (catalogues to Mojo Music and Media), price undisclosed.
117. John Sebastian (catalogue sold to AMR Songs), price undisclosed.
118. Emmy-winning composer Sean Callery (catalogue and income streams from tons of TV and movie work), price undisclosed.
119. Midge Ure, Ultravox frontman and co-writer of “Do They Know It’s Christmas” (entire catalogue to MusicBird), price undisclosed
120. Corey Hart (music publishing catalogue of approximately 200 songs to Peer Music), price undisclosed..
121. Erika Ender, co-writer of “Despacito” among others (catalogue to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed.
122. Sarah McLachlan (majority stake in catalogue to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
123. Emmy-winning composer Trevor Morris (catalogue and income streams to Multimedia Music) in an “eight-figure deal.”
124. Composer David Foster (writer’s share of catalogue to Hipgnosis), price undisclosed.
125. Judas Priest (everything relating to their first two albums to Reach Music Publishing), price undisclosed.
126. Charlotte Caffey, lead singer and primary songwriter of the The Go-Go’s (masters and publishing to Seeker Music), price undisclosed.
127. Songwriter Jamie Hartman, who was written songs for Backstreet Boys, Lewis Capaldi, Calvin Harris, and many others (music publishing rights to Cutting Edge Media Music), in an eight-figure deal.
128. Timbaland (additional interests in his publishing catalogue sold to Anthem), price undisclosed.
129. Grammy Award-winning songwriter Shane McAnally (catalogue to CTM Outlander), price undisclosed.
130. The Hollies (back catalogue to BMG), price undisclosed.
131. Paul Simon (a “substantial” portion of his catalogue to BMG, price undisclosed.
132. The estate of Joe Cocker (some kind of agreement with Iconic Artists), price undisclosed.
133. George Brown of Kool & The Gang (catalogue deal with Primary Wave), in a “multi-million-dollar deal.”
134. Logic (catalogue to Influence Media) in an “eight-figure deal.”
135. Grammy Award-winning songwriter Fraser T. Smith, who whose material has been recorded by Adele, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Drake, Florence + The Machine, Gorillaz and Sam Smith (catalogue to CTM Outlander), price undisclosed.
136. Cher (a “range of music assets to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artist’s Group), price undisclosed.
137. Veteran movie and TV composer J. Peter Robinson (catalogue to Multimedia Music), mid-to-high seven figures.
138. The late Dan Fogelberg (catalogue deal with Iconic Artists). price undisclosed.
139. Giorgio Moroder, producer and electronic music pioneer (producer royalties and more to Iconoclast), price undisclosed.
140. Tom Higgenson, frontman for Plain White T’s (a portion of his publishing catalogue including “Here There Delilah to Concord), price undisclosed.
141. Dennis DeYoung of Styx (publishing for the majority of his compositions to Primary Wave), prince undisclosed.
142. Katy Perry (a “bundle of music rights” to Litmus Music) for ~$225 million.
143. Jet (a “landmark catalogue deal” to BMG), price undisclosed.
144. The estate of Isaac Hayes (publishing and more to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.
145. Australian Dope Lemon (recordings catalogue to BMG), price undisclosed.
146. Graham Nash (catalogue to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group, which already owns the material of David Crosby and Stephen Stills), price undisclosed.
147. Enrique Iglesias (recorded music catalogue to Influence Media Partners), “valued at 9 figures.”
148. Chantal Kreviazuk (catalogue of songs–hers and tracks wrote for Gwen Stefani, Drake. Kelly Clarkson and others–to Anthem Entertainment), price undisclosed.
149. The estate of Scott Weiland (all his shares in Stone Temple Pilots songs, Velvet Revolver songs, and his solo material to Primary Wave), price undisclosed.

Special Notes:

• Hipgnosis was kind enough to send me this list of all the catalogues it has purchased to date.
• Concord is bought Round Hil. That’s a helluva merger. Read more here.
• Concord bought the music publishing catalogue of Mojo Music & Media. Read more here.

Other artists who have sold as little as a single song to big chunks of their catalogues:

1. Beyonce
2. Justin Timberlake
3. Olivia Newton-John
4. Producer/songwriter Nicky Chinn
5. Leo Sayer
6. Songwriter Alee Willis
7. Producer Bob Ezrin
8. Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues
9. Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction)
10. Tom Cochrane
11. Boston
12. Styx
13. Rihanna
14. Ariana Grande
    
15. Kendrick Lamar
16. Pat Benatar
17. Otis Redding
18. Producer/songwriter/performer Jack Antonoff
19. Producer Jimmy Iovine
20. Journey
21. Steve Winwood
22. Tom DeLonge
23. The Chainsmokers
24. Producer Brendan O’Brien
25. Bernard Edwards (Chic)
26. B-52s
27. Kaiser Chiefs
28. Mark Ronson
29. Nikki Sixx
30. Skrillex
31. Rick James
32. Korn