David Bowie's extensive music catalog is sold to Warner

Posted January 04, 2022 6:00 am

The Associated Press

FILE - David Bowie arrives at the Fourth Annual Black Ball Concert for "Keep A Child Alive" on Oct. 25, 2007, in New York. Warner Chappell Music has purchased the global music publishing rights to David Bowie's song catalog. The deal includes hundreds of songs such as 'Space Oddity,' 'Ziggy Stardust,' 'Fame,' 'Modern Love' and 'Let's Dance.' (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin, File) The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - The extensive music catalog of David Bowie, stretching from the late 1960s to just before his death in 2016, has been sold to Warner Chappell Music.

More than 400 songs, among them 'œSpace Oddity,'ť 'œZiggy Stardust,'ť 'œFame,'ť 'œRebel Rebel'ť and 'œLet's Dance'ť on 26 Bowie studio albums released during his lifetime, a posthumous studio album release, Toy, two studio albums from Tin Machine, as well as tracks released as singles from soundtracks and other projects, are included.

Financial details of the sale were not released. Warner Chapell is the music publishing wing of Warner Music Group Corp. Bruce Springsteen sold his catalog to Sony Music last month for a reported $500 million. Among others that have sold their catalogs in recent years, either in part or in their entirety, are Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Stevie Nicks.

David Bowie, born David Jones in London in 1947, died in January 2016 after battling cancer for 18 months. As a performer, Bowie had unpredictable range of styles, melding European jadedness with American rhythms and his ever-changing personas and wardrobes. The gaunt and erudite Bowie brought an open theatricality and androgyny to popular music that changed the very meaning of being a rock star. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Last year Warner Music Group reached a deal with the Bowie estate that gave Warner Music licensed worldwide rights to Bowie's recorded music catalog from 1968.

FILE - David Bowie accepts the lifetime achievement award at the 11th Annual Webby Awards in New York on June 5, 2007. The extensive catalog of David Bowie, stretching from the late 1960s to just before his death in 2016, has been sold to Warner Chappell Music. More than 400 songs, among them 'Space Oddity,' 'Ziggy Stardust," and 'Let's Dance" are included. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin, File) The Associated Press

FILE - David Bowie performs during a concert in Hartford, Conn., on Sept. 14, 1995. The extensive catalog of David Bowie, stretching from the late 1960s to just before his death in 2016, has been sold to Warner Chappell Music. More than 400 songs, among them 'Space Oddity,' 'Ziggy Stardust," and 'Let's Dance" are included. (AP Photo/Bob Child, File) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.