Pink Floyd and its members have reached a deal to sell their entire discography rights to their name and likeness to Sony for $400 million. The legendary British rock band has sold essentially everything, except for the rights to their songwriting.
The deal has been labeled by many music industry watchers and insiders as one of the largest in the music industry in recent years. Perhaps even more surprising is that Pink Floyd members could actually agree on something after decades of feuding between the legendary rockers.
As expected, however, it was also reported that the deal was complicated by controversial comments and actions from the band’s co-founder and bassist, Roger Waters.
A 5-decade feud almost made Pink Floyd’s deal with Sony impossible
Rock ‘n’ Roll is a complicated genre and is definitely one plagued with famous feuds between legendary musicians. However, few rock ‘n’ roll feuds compare to Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and David Gilmour five-decade feud.
The two British rockers were not on good terms prior to the creation of their magnum opus, 1973’s The Dark Side of The Moon. This feud spans many issues, such as who did what on the band’s records, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The two almost kept the feud alive last year before Roger Waters re-released his own version of the record, which was described as confrontational by fans and critics alike because it was meant to “readdress the political and emotional message of the whole album.”
The band had been looking to sell their assets for a while
Pink Floyd is one of the most recognizable rock bands in the world, and, as such, the band had been looking to make a profit out of their work and status. In 2022, Variety reported that the band was looking to sell its assets for almost $500 million.
Initially, it was reported that potential buyers were reluctant to buy Pink Floyd’s catalog after an interview Roger Waters did with Rolling Stone magazine. Waters made very controversial remarks about Israel, Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in the interview.
Some of the most controversial extracts from this interview included Waters saying that Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine was not “unprovoked.” However, Waters’ controversial actions did not end there.
After a March 2023 publication of Variety claimed the deal to sell their catalog was dead, Roger Waters got into trouble with Berlin police over a Nazi-style uniform he wore at a concert there. He later won a legal battle allowing him to perform in Frankfurt but was described by the city of Berlin as “one of the most widely known antisemites” in the world.
Despite Waters’ controversial nature, the band was able to complete the sale of their music catalog to Sony, making it one of the most lucrative music deals ever. It is worth remembering that it includes albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, and Wish You Were Here.
