AFTER months of negotiations, BMG has acquired the entire recorded-music catalog of Mötley Crüe in a deal sources say is valued at approximately US$150 million (RM630.4 million), although other sources cited a significantly lower number.
The agreement includes the iconic band’s entire recorded output spanning their 40-year career totaling nine studio albums from their 1981 debut, Too Fast for Love, through the latest release in 2008, Saints of Los Angeles, as well as several platinum-selling live albums and compilation sets.
Longtime manager Allen Kovac helped the band acquire the catalog from Elektra Records, which signed it in 1982, as part of a contract renegotiation during the 1990s.
The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, with seven platinum and multi-platinum albums, nine top 10 albums, three Grammy nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The band’s catalog has been revitalised since the 2019 Netflix biopic The Dirt introduced it to a new generation of fans.
Sources say the deal was originally expected to go to Merck Mercuriadis’ Hipgnosis Songs, which has acquired many of the group’s publishing rights from Nikki Sixx, its main songwriter.
“It feels amazing to be collaborating with our new partners at BMG. Their extensive track record of success in rock made them the perfect home to continue preserving and growing our musical legacy,” the band said in a statement.
Next year, the group is expected to kick off their long-postponed 30+ date headlining US stadium tour in June with Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. The tour will be the Crue’s first since the band’s 2014-2015 ‘farewell”’ tour, which grossed more than US$86 million (RM361.42 million).
BMG currently represents or owns rights in many of hard rock’s most elite and ground-breaking artistes including Black Sabbath, Dio, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Scorpions, Uriah Heep and many of the artistes who reflect their legacy, including Godsmack, Slash, and Bring Me the Horizon.
In the past year, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Shakira, John Lennon, Dire Straits and David Guetta, to name a few, have all had their rights and catalogues snapped up by companies seeking to cash in on the music catalogue acquisition race.
