BRUCE SELLS HIS OEUVRE: WHO'S NEXT? (UPDATE)

Bruce Springsteen has wrapped a $600m deal that puts the entirety of his recordings and publishing in the hands of Sony Music. We hear Sting and David Bowie are next to sell.

Sting, who has released 14 solo albums for A&M since 1985, has a similar deal with Universal Music, which would encompass records and publishing, that could be finalized by the end of the year. The David Bowie estate, which has made Warner Music home to the entirety of his recordings, is close to signing off on a publishing deal with Warner Chappell. The figure $200m has been bandied about.

As it encompasses all of his recordings and publishing, the Springsteen pact dwarfs the other nine-figure agreements consummated this year for the works of baby boomer favorites. The Boss has only ever recorded for Columbia Records, the label he signed with in 1972. He's leased his recordings to Columbia for decades and handled his own publishing, which Universal Music Publishing has administered since 2017.

The deals follow an onslaught of purchases of music that topped the charts in the 1970s and '80s: UMPG bought Bob Dylan’s songs a year ago; Sony snagged Paul Simon in April; Primary Wave just closed on a James Brown deal; and Hipgnosis secured 50% of Neil Young back in January.

Sony had announced in May that it had a hefty bankroll for a spending spree. The Springsteen collection is obviously the giant shiny gift under its Christmas tree.

The company, which had previously declined to comment on the story, issued an announcement of the deal on 12/16 that included the quote below from Springsteen and noted that Sony Pub's partner in the catalog acquisition was Todd Boehly's Eldridge.

"I am one artist who can truly say that when I signed with Columbia Records in 1972, I came to the right place," reads The Boss' quote. "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."