The following is a list of the largest music deals in history signed by artists, including recording contracts and multi-rights agreements with over $50 million, as well catalog acquisitions with a reported sum of over $150 million. [b] Some figures might not be entirely accurate, as some multi-million-dollar contracts were reportedly misrepresented or exaggerated, [1] [2] [3] and many were just media estimations. Therefore, no rankings are given.
An early recorded five-figure deal in music history was reported by The Music Trades magazine in the late 1910s, made by American composer John Stepan Zamecnik. [4] The 1960s saw contracts with six-figures such as an advance deal for $143,000 to Led Zeppelin ( Atlantic Records) in 1968, then the biggest deal of its kind for a new band. [5] The 1970s saw a rise in millionaire recording contracts, starting with a deal made by The Rolling Stones in 1971, which represented "a new benchmark in industry contracts", according to Billboard, and became the largest contract ever made by that point. [6] In a short span of years, Neil Diamond signed a $4–5 million deal with Columbia Records, which was later superseded by Paul McCartney's Capitol Records and Elton John's MCA Records deals of $8 million each, as well as Stevie Wonder's 1975 deal with Motown valued at $13 million, [c] reaching a new peak in the industry. [8] [9] The 1980s saw more contracts of eight figures, including record-breaking Diana Ross's $20 million contract with RCA Records in 1980, [10] or the Rolling Stones with CBS Records for $28 million in 1983. [11] An increase of blockbuster deals began in the 1990s, with top-signing artists such as Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince each exceeding the $40–60 million marks, [12] [13] making multiple appearances in the Guinness World Records. [14] Up until 2016, only a few recording and multi-rights contracts outpaced the $100 million mark. [15] The largest music deals belong to catalog acquisitions which include songwriting and publishing rights, with an increase in the late 2010s and early 2020s. [16] [17] The Estate of Michael Jackson made the largest posthumous deals, followed by David Bowie.
Multi-million-sized music deals have often raised skepticism and been criticized in corporate terms for bi-directional disadvantages, [18] [19] [15] [20] [21] [22] including Prince's 1992 contract with Warner Bros deriving a contractual dispute. [18] Referred by a contributor from Forbes to as "the best-known and most-cited example" among misadventured contracts, [15] Mariah Carey's 2001 deal with Virgin Records marked "the first time that a major music corporation decided to cut its losses on a superstar agreement", according to The New York Times. [23]
Year | Artist | Music company | Approx deal | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Jay-Z | Live Nation | $150 million | [24] | |
2002 | Robbie Williams | EMI Records | $125 million | Labeled as the largest British record deal in history. | [25] |
2007 | Madonna | Live Nation | $120 million | Labeled as the largest contract deal in history by a female artist. | [26] [22] [27] |
1995 | Michael Jackson | Sony Music | $100 Million | [28] | |
2001 | Whitney Houston | Arista Records | $100 million | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [29] |
2001 | Mariah Carey | Virgin Records | $100–80 million | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [23] [21] [29] |
2008 | Shakira | Live Nation | $100–70 million | [30] [31] | |
1996 | R.E.M. | Warner Records | $80 million | Considered the largest contract made by a band and in music industry at that time. | [32] [12] |
1996 | Janet Jackson | Virgin Records | $80–70 million | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [33] [12] |
2008 | Nickelback | Live Nation | $70–50 million | [34] | |
1991 | Michael Jackson | Sony Music | $65–60–50 million [d] | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [12] [39] [13] [40] |
1991 | Paul McCartney | Capitol Records | $65 million | [14] | |
1992 | Madonna | Warner Records | $60 million | Considered the largest contract in music for a female pop entertainer at that time. | [12] [13] [41] |
1992 | Barbra Streisand | Columbia Records | $60–40 million | [12] [14] | |
1995 | Metallica | Elektra Records | $60 million | [12] | |
1999 | Backstreet Boys | Jive Records | $60 million | [42] | |
2022 | NBA YoungBoy | Atlantic Records | $60 million | [43] | |
1998 | U2 | PolyGram | $50 million | [44] | |
1991 | Janet Jackson | Virgin Records | $50–40–32 million | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [45] [46] [47] |
The following are contracts confirmed artists signed with respective record labels, but sums are largely based on media speculations.
Year | Artist | Music company | Approx deal | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Drake | Universal Music Group | $400 million | [48] | |
1993 | U2 | Island Records | $200 million | [2] | |
2012 | Lil Wayne | Cash Money Records | $150 million | [49] | |
2016 | Adele | Columbia Records | $130 million | Originally reported by British tabloid The Sun, but reported by others as an undisclosed amount. | [15] [50] [51] |
1992 | Prince | Warner Bros | $100 million | Undisclosed price. [2] | [18] |
2016 | Harry Styles | Columbia Records | $80 million | Sum not confirmed. | [52] |
Year | Artist | Purchaser company | Approx deal | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Bruce Springsteen | Sony Music | $550–500 million | Considered the biggest transaction ever struck for a single artist's body of work. | [53] [54] |
2020 | Bob Dylan | Universal Music Group | $400–300 million | Undisclosed price. It is a songwriting catalog agreement. | [55] [56] |
2022 |
Phil Collins Genesis |
Concord Music Group | $300 million | [56] | |
2021 | Sting | Universal Music Publishing Group | $300 million | [56] | |
2021 | Paul Simon | Sony Music Publishing | $250 million | [57] | |
2023 | Katy Perry | Litmus Music | $225 million | [58] | |
2023 | Justin Bieber | Hipgnosis Songs Fund | $200 million | [57] | |
2021 | Neil Young | Hipgnosis Songs Fund | $150 million | [56] | |
2022 | Bob Dylan | Sony Music | $150 million | Catalog agreement. | [56] |
Year | Artist | Purchaser company | Approx deal | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Michael Jackson ( Estate) | Sony Music Publishing | $750 million | [59] |
2018 | Michael Jackson ( Estate) | Sony | $287 million | [60] |
2017 | Michael Jackson ( Estate) | Sony | $250 million | [61] |
2010 | Michael Jackson ( Estate) | Sony | $250 million | [62] |
2022 | David Bowie | Warner Chappell Music | $250 million | [56] |
The following is a list of the largest music deals in history signed by artists, including recording contracts and multi-rights agreements with over $50 million, as well catalog acquisitions with a reported sum of over $150 million. [b] Some figures might not be entirely accurate, as some multi-million-dollar contracts were reportedly misrepresented or exaggerated, [1] [2] [3] and many were just media estimations. Therefore, no rankings are given.
An early recorded five-figure deal in music history was reported by The Music Trades magazine in the late 1910s, made by American composer John Stepan Zamecnik. [4] The 1960s saw contracts with six-figures such as an advance deal for $143,000 to Led Zeppelin ( Atlantic Records) in 1968, then the biggest deal of its kind for a new band. [5] The 1970s saw a rise in millionaire recording contracts, starting with a deal made by The Rolling Stones in 1971, which represented "a new benchmark in industry contracts", according to Billboard, and became the largest contract ever made by that point. [6] In a short span of years, Neil Diamond signed a $4–5 million deal with Columbia Records, which was later superseded by Paul McCartney's Capitol Records and Elton John's MCA Records deals of $8 million each, as well as Stevie Wonder's 1975 deal with Motown valued at $13 million, [c] reaching a new peak in the industry. [8] [9] The 1980s saw more contracts of eight figures, including record-breaking Diana Ross's $20 million contract with RCA Records in 1980, [10] or the Rolling Stones with CBS Records for $28 million in 1983. [11] An increase of blockbuster deals began in the 1990s, with top-signing artists such as Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince each exceeding the $40–60 million marks, [12] [13] making multiple appearances in the Guinness World Records. [14] Up until 2016, only a few recording and multi-rights contracts outpaced the $100 million mark. [15] The largest music deals belong to catalog acquisitions which include songwriting and publishing rights, with an increase in the late 2010s and early 2020s. [16] [17] The Estate of Michael Jackson made the largest posthumous deals, followed by David Bowie.
Multi-million-sized music deals have often raised skepticism and been criticized in corporate terms for bi-directional disadvantages, [18] [19] [15] [20] [21] [22] including Prince's 1992 contract with Warner Bros deriving a contractual dispute. [18] Referred by a contributor from Forbes to as "the best-known and most-cited example" among misadventured contracts, [15] Mariah Carey's 2001 deal with Virgin Records marked "the first time that a major music corporation decided to cut its losses on a superstar agreement", according to The New York Times. [23]
Year | Artist | Music company | Approx deal | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Jay-Z | Live Nation | $150 million | [24] | |
2002 | Robbie Williams | EMI Records | $125 million | Labeled as the largest British record deal in history. | [25] |
2007 | Madonna | Live Nation | $120 million | Labeled as the largest contract deal in history by a female artist. | [26] [22] [27] |
1995 | Michael Jackson | Sony Music | $100 Million | [28] | |
2001 | Whitney Houston | Arista Records | $100 million | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [29] |
2001 | Mariah Carey | Virgin Records | $100–80 million | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [23] [21] [29] |
2008 | Shakira | Live Nation | $100–70 million | [30] [31] | |
1996 | R.E.M. | Warner Records | $80 million | Considered the largest contract made by a band and in music industry at that time. | [32] [12] |
1996 | Janet Jackson | Virgin Records | $80–70 million | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [33] [12] |
2008 | Nickelback | Live Nation | $70–50 million | [34] | |
1991 | Michael Jackson | Sony Music | $65–60–50 million [d] | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [12] [39] [13] [40] |
1991 | Paul McCartney | Capitol Records | $65 million | [14] | |
1992 | Madonna | Warner Records | $60 million | Considered the largest contract in music for a female pop entertainer at that time. | [12] [13] [41] |
1992 | Barbra Streisand | Columbia Records | $60–40 million | [12] [14] | |
1995 | Metallica | Elektra Records | $60 million | [12] | |
1999 | Backstreet Boys | Jive Records | $60 million | [42] | |
2022 | NBA YoungBoy | Atlantic Records | $60 million | [43] | |
1998 | U2 | PolyGram | $50 million | [44] | |
1991 | Janet Jackson | Virgin Records | $50–40–32 million | Considered the largest contract in music at that point. | [45] [46] [47] |
The following are contracts confirmed artists signed with respective record labels, but sums are largely based on media speculations.
Year | Artist | Music company | Approx deal | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Drake | Universal Music Group | $400 million | [48] | |
1993 | U2 | Island Records | $200 million | [2] | |
2012 | Lil Wayne | Cash Money Records | $150 million | [49] | |
2016 | Adele | Columbia Records | $130 million | Originally reported by British tabloid The Sun, but reported by others as an undisclosed amount. | [15] [50] [51] |
1992 | Prince | Warner Bros | $100 million | Undisclosed price. [2] | [18] |
2016 | Harry Styles | Columbia Records | $80 million | Sum not confirmed. | [52] |
Year | Artist | Purchaser company | Approx deal | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Bruce Springsteen | Sony Music | $550–500 million | Considered the biggest transaction ever struck for a single artist's body of work. | [53] [54] |
2020 | Bob Dylan | Universal Music Group | $400–300 million | Undisclosed price. It is a songwriting catalog agreement. | [55] [56] |
2022 |
Phil Collins Genesis |
Concord Music Group | $300 million | [56] | |
2021 | Sting | Universal Music Publishing Group | $300 million | [56] | |
2021 | Paul Simon | Sony Music Publishing | $250 million | [57] | |
2023 | Katy Perry | Litmus Music | $225 million | [58] | |
2023 | Justin Bieber | Hipgnosis Songs Fund | $200 million | [57] | |
2021 | Neil Young | Hipgnosis Songs Fund | $150 million | [56] | |
2022 | Bob Dylan | Sony Music | $150 million | Catalog agreement. | [56] |
Year | Artist | Purchaser company | Approx deal | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Michael Jackson ( Estate) | Sony Music Publishing | $750 million | [59] |
2018 | Michael Jackson ( Estate) | Sony | $287 million | [60] |
2017 | Michael Jackson ( Estate) | Sony | $250 million | [61] |
2010 | Michael Jackson ( Estate) | Sony | $250 million | [62] |
2022 | David Bowie | Warner Chappell Music | $250 million | [56] |