This must feel good for Mötley Crüe: The band has sold its entire recording catalog to BMG for a reported $150 million. The deal includes all their studio albums from their 1981 debut, Too Fast for Love, through their most recent LP, 2008’s Saints of Los Angeles, plus their live releases and compilations.
While Variety cites sources as valuing the deal at roughly $150 million, the publication also notes that other sources report that the dollar amount is “significantly lower.”
Either way, it’s quite a windfall for the hard-rock veterans, who were able to secure the rights to their catalog from Elektra Records in the ’90s with help from manager Allen Kovac.
Overall, Mötley Crüe have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, with seven of their LPs going platinum or multiplatinum.
“It feels amazing to be collaborating with our new partners at BMG,” said the band in a collective statement. “Their extensive track record of success in rock made them the perfect home to continue preserving and growing our musical legacy, ensuring we always stay at the top.”
Kovac added, “After working side by side with BMG for well over a decade, the relationship we have developed and success we’ve accomplished over the years made this a very easy transition to entrust with this treasured rock catalog.”
BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch stated, “This is more than just a significant transaction. It’s a new chapter for an extraordinary catalog. Few bands understand the myth and the magic of rock like Mötley Crüe do.”
Last year, in a separate deal, chief Mötley Crüe songwriter Nikki Sixx sold 100-percent of his publishing rights to Hipgnosis Songs, a company that recently paid $140 million for Red Hot Chili Peppers’ catalog.
Mötley Crüe aren’t done raking in the dough. The band is set to embark on their twice-postponed reunion tour with co-headliners Def Leppard in summer 2022. The US stadium outing runs from June 16th in Atlanta to September 7th in San Francisco, with tickets available via Ticketmaster.
Check out our video interview with Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, in which he discusses the band’s reunion, the movie The Dirt, and more, below.
