Michael Jackson and the Beatles Catalogue: The Deal That Made a Singer Sony’s Rival
In 1985, Michael Jackson paid $47.5 million for ATV Music Publishing. The catalogue contained nearly 4,000 songs, including most of the songs John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote for The Beatles. Jackson did not buy the studio master tapes. He bought publishing rights: the right to collect money whenever a song was broadcast, placed in a film or advertisement, or performed by someone else. A young singer bought the a
⬛ CONFIDENTIAL MysteriesLab Editorial 8/31/2026 1 min read
In 1985, Michael Jackson paid $47.5 million for ATV Music Publishing. The catalogue contained nearly 4,000 songs, including most of the songs John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote for The Beatles. Jackson did not buy the studio master tapes. He bought publishing rights: the right to collect money whenever a song was broadcast, placed in a film or advertisement, or performed by someone else. A young singer bought the asset record companies usually kept under their control.
In 1985, Michael Jackson paid $47.5 million for ATV Music Publishing. The catalogue contained nearly 4,000 songs, including most of the songs John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote for The Beatles. Jackson did not buy the studio master tapes. He bought publishing rights: the right to collect money whenever a song was broadcast, placed in a film or advertisement, or performed by someone else. A young singer bought the a
In 1985, Michael Jackson paid $47.5 million for ATV Music Publishing. The catalogue contained nearly 4,000 songs, including most of the songs John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote for The Beatles. Jackson did not buy the studio master tapes. He bought publishing rights: the right to collect money whenever a song was broadcast, placed in a film or advertisement, or performed by someone else. A young singer bought the a
In 1985, Michael Jackson paid $47.5 million for ATV Music Publishing. The catalogue contained nearly 4,000 songs, including most of the songs John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote for The Beatles. Jackson did not buy the studio master tapes. He bought publishing rights: the right to collect money whenever a song was broadcast, placed in a film or advertisement, or performed by someone else. A young singer bought the a
In 1985, Michael Jackson paid $47.5 million for ATV Music Publishing. The catalogue contained nearly 4,000 songs, including most of the songs John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote for The Beatles. Jackson did not buy the studio master tapes. He bought publishing rights: the right to collect money whenever a song was broadcast, placed in a film or advertisement, or performed by someone else. A young singer bought the a