Pink Floyd Sells Music Catalogue for a Staggering Amount Despite the Members Feuding

Pink Floyd
Roger Waters performs 'The Wall' in its entirety at the Wells Fargo Center. Jeff Fusco/Getty Images

Pink Floyd is the latest music artist to agree to a deal to sell their catalogue to Sony.

The deal is set to be one of the largest in recent years and has concluded despite a long war of bitter words between the band members, namely Roger Waters and David Gilmour as well as drummer Nick Mason and the estates of keyboardist Richard Wright and founding singer-songwriter Roger "Syd" Barrett.

Variety reports that the legendary rock group has gone on to sell their catalogue for $400 million. The deal that was inked includes recorded music rights but not songwriting. Additionally, the deal includes name-and-likeness, which includes merchandise, theatrical and similar rights. The artwork on their albums of their famous albums is also included in the deal the outlet reports.

Representatives for the band members and for Sony have not commented on the matter as of reporting.

Pink Floyd has one of the most distinguished catalogues in all of music. Over the years, the group put out several classic albums such as Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall and Wish You Were Here.

The "Comfortably Numb" hitmakers have had their catalogue in play for several years. Variety reports that the group almost signed a deal for $500 million in 2022, but bitter fighting within the group prevented the sale from going through.

The outlet claims that Waters' past controversial comments including that the United States is "the most evil [country in the world] of all by a factor of at least 10 times" scared off buyers and caused tension in the group. What's more, Waters compared Israel to Nazi Germany and claimed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was "not unprovoked."

Gilmour's wife, novelist Polly Samson, hit back at Waters after his comments were made public.

"You are anti-Semitic to your rotten core," Samson tweeted.

"Also a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac. Enough of your nonsense," she added.

The group is the latest big musical act to sell their catalogue to Sony. Previously, Bob Dylan and Michael Jackson's estate sold their catalogues to the music group. Rocker Bruce Springsteen also sold his catalogue to Sony for $550 million in 2021, Fast Company reports.

Jackson remains one of the biggest sales to the company with Billboard reporting that Sony bought a stake in his catalogue for $600 million. The deal includes half of the late star's publishing and recorded masters catalog.

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Pink Floyd, News, Sony
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