After years of contentious negotiations and in-fighting, Pink Floyd has offered the rights to their complete music catalogue, title, and likeness to Sony Music for a reported $400M.
The landmark deal, finalised this week, grants Sony rights to the band’s merchandise and media spin-offs, whereas the songwriting copyrights will stay with the band members.
The British rock legends, whose groundbreaking albums like The Darkish Aspect of the Moon, Want You Had been Right here, The Wall, and Atom Coronary heart Mom have collectively offered over 250 million information worldwide, agreed to the deal following a tumultuous interval of negotiations. The band is the newest addition to Sony Music’s spectacular roster, which already contains Queen, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen, all of whom have equally offered their catalogues.
Pink Floyd’s legacy has been mired in disputes, notably between surviving members, together with outspoken bassist Roger Waters and guitarist-keyboardist David Gilmour. A tax dispute and Waters’ controversial political feedback delayed a deliberate $500M sale two years in the past, with potential patrons like Hipgnosis, Warner Music, and BMG being unnoticed of the deal. Waters has courted controversy with statements on Israel, Palestine, and Ukraine, prompting BMG to sever ties with him earlier this yr.
The ultimate deal was not with out problems, involving Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason, and the estates of late keyboardist Richard Wright and founding frontman Syd Barrett. Gilmour expressed aid over the sale, telling *The Washington Publish* that he needed to keep away from burdening his youngsters with the band’s legacy and that he had grown weary of managing it after practically 4 many years of disputes.
As Pink Floyd strikes ahead below Sony’s administration, the band stays a cultural icon. They proceed to garner thousands and thousands of listeners on streaming platforms like Spotify, and their affect in music historical past endures. Final yr, the group celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of *The Darkish Aspect of the Moon* with a particular field set, and whereas their final studio album, *The Countless River*, was launched in 2014, their music stays as related as ever.
David Gilmour, who has been touring together with his Luck and Unusual Tour, expressed little concern over the long run use of Pink Floyd’s picture, stating, “I’ll be dead. Who gives a s*** what anyone does?” With this monumental deal, the band closes a chapter on many years of musical legacy, leaving it within the palms of Sony Music for future generations to expertise.
