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- February 18, 2022
Bruce Springsteen Sells Music Catalogue to Sony Music Entertainment
According to a proverbial saying out there “Life is stranger than fiction”. Yes, it’s cliché, but it’s just as true than the person you see in the mirror (Candyman doesn’t count, nice try). Better than any film ever made, IRL (in real life) as millennials would coin has got the knack for one upping itself every time. Sometimes for the better, and often times for the “meh” and unfortunately for the worse. No matter where it lies, one thing remains constant and that it never ceases to surprise. Boo!
Just like that, the world was in for a shock when New Jersey’s best and music legend Bruce Springsteen sold his music catalogue to Sony. Announcement about the acquisition was made by The Sony Music Group last December 16th. As per their statement, there were two agreements in place which covered the recorded music itself as well as its publishing rights. It was also revealed that this was a joint venture with Eldridge, a holding company based in Greenwich Connecticut. A short statement from Springsteen was also included and states “I am one artist who can truly say that when I signed with Columbia Records in 1972, I came to the right place. During the last 50 years, the men and women of Sony Music have treated me with the greatest respect as an artist and as a person. I’m thrilled that my legacy will continue to be cared for by the Company and people I know and trust.”. Though no price was included in the statement, it was reported later that the total amount was $500 million dollars as per sources.
Immediately, a lot of people came out of the wood works to express their approval, dismay and confusion about this decision by ‘The Boss’. Despite the artist himself providing a statement of confidence with this deal, a lot of people still had a trail mix of opinions. Other saw this as him selling out, while other saw this as an opportunity for his music to live on forever echoing Springsteen’s sentiment. Then there were those who looked at the price tag instead and had comments like “way to go” or “born to be paid” alluding to his rock anthem “Born in the USA”. The barrage of comments has grown since then as news agencies, and publications picked up the news. Who could blame them though?
In the end, no matter what opinions we may have about the deal. The fact remains that he approved of this. We may throw flowers or rocks at him for the decision, but the important part here that we often forget is that this is what he believes is the right thing to do. Sure, he’s a public figure, music royalty and all that but in essence he is still human. If this is what makes him happy or how he wants to cement his legacy, we must in turn respect that.
Come what may, ‘The Boss’ will forever remain an icon in our eyes. His contributions to music history, pop culture and American history will stand the test of time. His charisma, activism, wits, and musicality are uniquely his own. Yes, his catalogue might have cost a crazy amount of money, but when it comes to the man, the myth and the legend. You can never put a price tag on that.
