List of most expensive albums

Last updated
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)'s billboard for its 50th anniversary. An early example of an expensive album. Sgt. Pepper's 50th Anniversary Billboard in London.jpg
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)'s billboard for its 50th anniversary. An early example of an expensive album.

The following is a list of the most expensive albums made with a recorded sum of over $1 million, sorted by the most money spent in promotional campaigns and album covers. The recording process traditionally requires an investment in studio time and skilled record production labor, and the process can be expensive. [1]

Contents

In the late 1950s, the cost of producing pop albums runs from $3,000 to $7,000. [2] The average cost of producing an album climbed to $15,000 in the 1960s. [3] Early examples of record-breaking expensive albums include Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) with a reported sum of £25,000, [4] [lower-alpha 1] alongside Tommy (1969) and Pet Sounds (1966) each with a cost of $70,000, [6] [7] as well as unfinished album Smile whose single "Good Vibrations" (1966) alone had a budget between $50,000 and $75,000, [lower-alpha 2] more than most entire albums cost in those days. [9] Multiple albums were budgeted with a cost between $350,000 and $500,000 by late 1970s, [10] whereas popular rock albums had an average of $100,000 and as high as $500,000 by the midpoint of the decade. [11] [lower-alpha 3] Some albums were produced on a $1 million budget by 1981. [10] Accountant John McClain gave an estimated cost of $2.5 million for a Michael Jackson record in 1987. [14] Nowadays, according to IFPI, production costs for popular albums are "generally budgeted for at least $200,000, and if much studio time is used, costs can soar well past $350,000". [1] Some artist's sponsorships covered the cost of producing the album, most notoriously Mariah Carey between the Bahamas Board of Tourism with her album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009). [15] [16]

The first album to cost over $1 million is believed to be Tusk (1979) by Fleetwood Mac. [17] Chinese Democracy (2008) by Guns N' Roses, once included as the most expensive record in the Guinness World Records , probably cost over $1 million per year during its recording sessions from 1998 to 2006. [18] With a cost between $30 and $40 million, Michael Jackson's Invincible (2001) remains the most expensive album ever produced. [19] [20] [21] Both Michael Jackson and Kanye West have multiple appearances, with at least four each.

List of albums by recorded costs

ReleasedAlbumArtistRecordedApprox cost Adjusted cost
(in 2023 dollars)
Ref.
2001 Invincible [lower-alpha 4] Michael Jackson 1997–2001$30–40 million$51,621,876/$68,829,167 [19] [21] [20]
2008 Chinese Democracy Guns N' Roses 1998–2007$13 million$18,396,909 [23]
1995 HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Michael Jackson 1979–1995$10 million$19,995,632 [24]
1991 Dangerous Michael Jackson 1989–1991$10–8 million$22,369,900/$17,895,920 [25] [26] [27]
2001 Victoria Beckham Victoria Beckham 1999–2001£5 million£8,797,307 [28]
1987 Hysteria Def Leppard 1984–1987$5–4.5 million$13,409,490/$12,068,541 [29] [30] [31]
1999 The Life of Chris Gaines [lower-alpha 5] Garth Brooks $5 million$9,145,026 [31] [33]
2009 Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel Mariah Carey 2009£4 million£5,707,937 [15]
2002 Untouchables Korn 2001$4 million [lower-alpha 6] $6,775,948 [35]
1988 Non Stop Julio Iglesias $3 million$7,728,756 [36]
2010 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Kanye West 2009–2010$3 million$4,191,668 [37]
2015 Once Upon a Time in Shaolin Wu-Tang Clan 2007–2013$3 million$3,856,240 [38]
2003 Deftones Deftones 2002$2.5 million$4,140,738 [39]
1987 Bad Michael Jackson 1985–1987$2 million$5,363,796 [40]
2005 Late Registration Kanye West 2004–2005$2 million$3,120,123 [41]
2010 Superficial Heidi Montag 2007–2009$2 million$2,794,445 [42]
2002Sun With Love Ho Yeow Sun $1.6 million [lower-alpha 7] $2,710,379 [43]
1982 Rock in a Hard Place Aerosmith 1981–1982$1.5 million$4,735,862 [44]
1990 Charmed Life Billy Idol 1989–1990$1.5 million$3,498,217 [45]
1993 Aries Luis Miguel 1992–1993$1.5 million$3,163,787 [46]
2011 Watch the Throne Kanye West
Jay-Z
2010–2011$1.5 million$2,031,657 [47]
2013 Yeezus Kanye West 2012–2013$1.5 million$1,962,000 [47]
1979 Tusk Fleetwood Mac 1978–1979$1.4 million$5,877,304 [48] [49]
2012 Cruel Summer GOOD Music 2011–2012$1.3 million$1,725,294 [47]
1979 The Long Run Eagles 1978–1979$1 million$4,198,074 [50]
1981 For Those About to Rock We Salute You AC/DC 1981$1 million$3,351,391 [51]
1982 Donna Summer Donna Summer 1981–1982$1 million$3,157,241 [52]
1988 Brian Wilson Brian Wilson 1987–1988$1 million [lower-alpha 8] $2,576,252 [53] [54] [55]
1989 The Seeds of Love Tears for Fears 1986–1989$1 million$2,457,987 [56]
1991 Metallica Metallica 1990–1991$1 million$2,236,990 [57]
1995 The Woman in Me Shania Twain 1994–1995$1 million [lower-alpha 9] $1,999,563 [58]
1998 He Got Game Public Enemy 1997–1998$1 million$2,576,252 [60]
1999 Ricky Martin Ricky Martin $1 million$1,829,005 [61]
2002 One by One Foo Fighters 2002$1 million$1,693,987 [62]
2005 One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back The Darkness 2005$1 million$1,560,061 [63]

List of albums by promotional budget/campaign cost

One of several 30-foot statues placed around Europe to promote the HIStory World Tour--the accompanying tour for Michael Jackson's HIStory (1995). Michael Jackson sculpture.jpg
One of several 30-foot statues placed around Europe to promote the HIStory World Tour—the accompanying tour for Michael Jackson 's HIStory (1995).
ReleasedAlbumArtistRecord labelBudget
expenditure
Adjusted cost
(in 2023 dollars)
Ref.
1995 HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Michael Jackson Sony / Epic Records $30 million$49,989,081 [64] [65]
2001 Invincible [lower-alpha 4] Michael Jackson Sony / Epic Records$25 million$43,018,230 [19] [20] [66]
2013 Artpop Lady Gaga Interscope Records $25 million$32,700,000 [67]
1999 Brand New Day Sting A&M Records $19 million$34,568,198 [68]
1999 The Life of Chris Gaines [lower-alpha 5] Garth Brooks Capitol Records $15 million$27,435,078 [31] [33]
2000 1 The Beatles Apple Records / EMI £11 million£19,697,070 [69]

Overview

Michael Jackson's HIStory (1995) has the most extensive marketing campaign in popular music history, [70] spent by a record label. Up to that point, a label might spent an average of $2 million in promotional campaigns for artists such as the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Madonna, per release. [24] The lattermost, had the biggest Warner Records promotional campaign for an album up to the release of Like a Prayer (1989) with $2 million. [71] In contrast, according to Hank Bordowitz in Dirty Little Secrets of the Record Business (2007), mounting a successful promotional campaign for radio stations can cost between $250,000 and $1 million per song. [72]

Examples of associated campaigns outside record label's efforts include Born This Way (2011) by Lady Gaga, with a reported sum of $3 million provided by Amazon, [73] and Rihanna's sponsorship with Samsung for $25 million which covered the release of her album Anti (2016) and its tour. [74]

List of album covers/packaging by cost

This is a list of record-breaking historical expensive album covers or CD packaging.

Notes

  1. Also cited with a cost at $100,000. [5]
  2. Also cited with a cost at $25,000. [8]
  3. By this point, Queen's A Night at the Opera (1975) began to be advertised as "the most expensive album ever made", [12] although the estimated cost was only £40,000 and such a label was later denied by the band. [13]
  4. 1 2 Other sources give a total cost of $65 million. [22] Most likely divided in the reported budget of $30–40 million and $25 million for promotional purposes.
  5. 1 2 Overall cost was at $20 million, which includes promotion and recording. [32]
  6. Recording the album alone only cost $700,000. [34]
  7. Recorded sum of production cost. At least $8 million was spent on the album. [43]
  8. Another sum cited has been $800,000.
  9. Another sum cited has been $750,000. [58] Then most expensive country album ever made. [59]
  10. Also cited with a cost at £3,000. [77]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beatles</span> English rock band (1960–1970)

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways. The band also explored music styles ranging from folk and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Jackson</span> American singer (born 1966)

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreography became a catalyst in the growth of MTV, enabling her to rise to prominence while breaking gender and racial barriers in the process. Lyrical content which focused on social issues and lived experiences set her reputation as a role model for youth.

<i>Please Please Me</i> 1963 studio album by the Beatles

Please Please Me is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Produced by George Martin, it was released in the UK on EMI's Parlophone label on 22 March 1963. The album is 14 songs in length, and contains a mixture of cover songs and original material written by the partnership of band members John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. These videos are typically shown on music television and on streaming video sites like YouTube, or more rarely shown theatrically. They can be commercially issued on home video, either as video albums or video singles. The format has been described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip", "film clip", "video clip", or simply "video".

<i>Let It Be</i> (album) 1970 studio album by the Beatles

Let It Be is the twelfth and final studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 8 May 1970, almost a month after the group's public break-up, in tandem with the documentary of the same name. Concerned about recent friction within the band, Paul McCartney had conceived the project as an attempt to reinvigorate the group by returning to simpler rock 'n' roll configurations. Its rehearsals started at Twickenham Film Studios on 2 January 1969 as part of a planned television documentary showing the Beatles' return to live performance.

<i>Thriller</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Michael Jackson

Thriller is the sixth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released on November 29, 1982, by Epic Records. It was produced by Quincy Jones, who had previously worked with Jackson on his 1979 album Off the Wall and who would later produce his 1987 album Bad. Jackson wanted to create an album where "every song was a killer". With the ongoing backlash against disco music at the time, he moved in a new musical direction, resulting in a mix of pop, post-disco, rock, funk, synth-pop, and R&B sounds. Thriller foreshadows the contradictory themes of Jackson's personal life, as he began using a motif of paranoia and darker themes. Paul McCartney appears on "The Girl Is Mine", the first credited appearance of a featured artist on a Michael Jackson album. Recording took place from April to November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, with a budget of $750,000.

<i>Bad</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Michael Jackson

Bad is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987, by Epic Records. Written and recorded between 1985 and 1987, Bad was Jackson's third and final collaboration with the producer Quincy Jones. Jackson co-produced and composed all but two tracks, and adopted an edgier image and sound, departing from his signature groove-based style and falsetto. Bad incorporates pop, rock, funk, R&B, dance, soul, and hard rock styles, and incorporated new recording technology, including digital synthesizers. The lyrical themes include media bias, paranoia, racial profiling, romance, self-improvement, and world peace. The album features appearances from Siedah Garrett and Stevie Wonder.

<i>Abbey Road</i> 1969 studio album by the Beatles

Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 26 September 1969. It is the last album the group recorded, although Let It Be was the last album completed before the band's break-up in April 1970. It was mostly recorded in April, July, and August 1969, and topped the record charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom. A double A-side single from the album, "Something" / "Come Together", was released in October, which also topped the charts in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here Comes the Sun</span> 1969 song by the Beatles

"Here Comes the Sun" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. It was written by George Harrison and is one of his best-known compositions. Harrison wrote the song in early 1969 at the country house of his friend Eric Clapton, where Harrison had chosen to play truant for the day to avoid attending a meeting at the Beatles' Apple Corps organisation. The lyrics reflect his relief at the arrival of spring and the temporary respite he was experiencing from the band's business affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Together</span> 1969 single by the Beatles

"Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on their 1969 album Abbey Road and was also released as a single coupled with "Something". The song reached the top of the charts in the United States and Australia, but peaked at No. 4 in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Band on the Run (song)</span> 1974 single by Paul McCartney and Wings

"Band on the Run" is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, the title track to their 1973 album Band on the Run.

<i>Yesterday and Today</i> 1966 American studio album by the Beatles

Yesterday and Today is a studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released in the United States and Canada in June 1966, it was their ninth album issued on Capitol Records and twelfth American release overall. Typical of the Beatles' North American discography until 1967, the album contains songs that Capitol had withheld from its configurations of the band's recent EMI albums, along with songs that the group had released elsewhere on non-album singles. Among its 11 tracks are songs from the EMI albums Help! and Rubber Soul, and three new 1966 recordings that would appear on Revolver in countries outside North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul McCartney</span> English musician and member of the Beatles (born 1942)

Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre–rock and roll pop to classical, ballads, and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in modern music history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Jackson</span> American singer (1958–2009)

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Known as the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. During his four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres. Through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated street dance moves such as the moonwalk, which he named, as well as the robot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Jackson videography</span>

American singer Michael Jackson (1958–2009) debuted on the professional music scene at age five as a member of the American family music group The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still part of the group. Jackson promoted seven of his solo albums with music videos or, as he would refer to them, "short films". Some of them drew criticism for their violent and sexual elements while others were lauded by critics and awarded Guinness World Records for their length, success, and cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural impact of Michael Jackson</span>

American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson (1958–2009) is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th and 21st century, and one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time. Often referred as the "King of Pop", his achievements helped to complete the desegregation of popular music in the United States and introduced an era of multiculturalism and integration that future generations of artists followed. His influence extended to inspiring fashion trends and raising awareness for social causes around the world, during his life Jackson was received by over 30 different world leaders.

References

  1. 1 2 Waldfogel, Joel (2020). Digital Renaissance. Princeton University Press. p. 34. ISBN   978-0-691-20864-0 . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  2. "A.&R. Impact". Billboard . September 21, 1959. p. 64. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  3. "Federal Excise Tax Structure". United States House Committee on Ways and Means. 1994. p. 881. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  4. Moore, Allan F. (1997). The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Cambridge University Press. p. 57. ISBN   978-0-521-57484-6 . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  5. Loker, Bradford E. (2009). History with the Beatles. Dog Ear Publ. ISBN   978-1-60844-039-9 . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  6. Best, Kenneth (1992). Eight Days a Week: An Illustrated Record of Rock 'n' Roll. Pomegranate Artbooks. ISBN   978-1-56640-026-8 . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  7. Horning, Nicole (2018). Pop Music: Chart-Toppers Throughout History. Greenhaven Publishing. p. 31. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  8. Wolgamott, L. Kent (March 23, 2005). "Brian Wilson polishes his early masterpiece". Lincoln Journal Star . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  9. Patrick Bell, Adam (2018). Dawn of the DAW: The Studio as Musical Instrument. Oxford University Press . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Selz, Thomas D.; Simensky, Melvin (1983). "Entertainment Law: Legal Concepts and Business Practices". 1. Shepard's/McGraw-Hill. Retrieved September 6, 2023.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. Dominick, Joseph R. (1983). Dominick:Mass Media Basics. Addison-Wesley. ISBN   978-0-201-10251-2 . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  12. Taruskin, Richard (1983). Music in the Late Twentieth Century: The Oxford History of Western Music. Oxford University Press. p. 328. ISBN   978-0-19-979600-7 . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  13. Blake, Mark (2011). Is This the Real Life?: The Untold Story of Queen. Hachette Books. p. 328. ISBN   978-0-306-81973-5 . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  14. "Corporate Profile". Black Enterprise . Vol. 18, no. 4. November 1987. p. 57. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Piercy, Nigel F. (2016). Market-Led Strategic Change: Transforming the Process of Going to Market. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   978-1-135-05023-8 . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  16. Harlow, John (August 30, 2009). "Mariah Carey has the perfect sales pitch" . The Times . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  17. Coffman, Tim (June 4, 2023). "The first album that cost over $1million to make". Far Out . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  18. "Nobody Stayed The Course". Billboard . Vol. 118, no. 51. December 23, 2006. p. 32. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 Vineyard, Jennifer (July 2, 2002). "Michael Jackson Shocks Al Sharpton By Calling Tommy Mottola A Racist". MTV. Archived from the original on November 16, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
  20. 1 2 3 "Jackson". Vanity . Vol. 66. 2003. p. 447. Retrieved September 6, 2023. Sony advanced Jackson approximately $40 million to make it. In addition, Sony spent $25 million to market it
  21. 1 2 Branigan, Tania (September 8, 2011). "Jackson spends £20m to be Invincible". The Guardian . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  22. "Jackson". King . 2008. p. 44. Retrieved September 6, 2023. Michael Jackson and Rodney Jerkins At $ 65 million , Invincible is the most expensive album ever made
  23. Leeds, Jeff (March 6, 2005). "The Most Expensive Album Never Made". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  24. 1 2 Grover, Ronald (July 3, 1995). "A Michael Jackson Thriller For Sony". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  25. Fabrikant, Geraldine (March 16, 1992). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Michael Jackson's Latest In Shade of His Greatest". The New York Times . Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  26. Weiss, Jeff (August 7, 2016). "Michael Jackson: Dangerous Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  27. Citron, Alan; Cerone, Daniel (November 14, 1991). "There Are No Limits in Michael Jackson's World of Make-Believe". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  28. Neild, Carol; Carysforth, Carol; Neild, Mike (2004). Business. Pearson Education. p. 96. ISBN   978-0-435-40138-2 . Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  29. Billoard Staff (August 3, 2012). "Def Leppard, 'Hysteria' at 25: Classic Track-By-Track". Billboard . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  30. Newman, Melinda (August 1, 2017). "Def Leppard's 'Hysteria' Turns 30: An Oral History of the Album's Painful Path to Victory". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  31. 1 2 3 Cormier, Roger (July 8, 2014). "15 Albums That Cost a Fortune to Make". Mental Floss . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  32. Mcphate, Tim (June 28, 2017). "Kanye West, the Beatles: 5 expensive albums by GRAMMY winners". Grammy.com . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  33. 1 2 Leyfield, James. "10 of the most expensive albums ever made". Yahoo!. p. 8. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  34. Enis, Eli (June 11, 2021). "7 Things You Didn't Know About Korn's 'Untouchables'". Revolver . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  35. Pareles, Jon (June 9, 2002). "SPINS; To One Part Rap and One Part Metal, Add Melody". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  36. Pareles, Jon (June 1, 1988). "Iglesias hopes $3 million album pays off". The Desert Sun . p. C15. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  37. "Def Jam Records Has Reportedly Spent $3 Million On Kanye West's New Album". HipHopDX . September 17, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  38. "Most valuable album". Guinness World Records . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  39. "DEFTONES Turntablist Explains Why New Album Cost $2.5 Million To Make". Blabbermouth.net. June 2, 2003. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  40. Holden, Stephen (September 13, 1987). "Pop Review; The Dark Side of Peter Pan". The New York Times . Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  41. J. Freedom du Lac (August 31, 2005). "Bragging Rights: Kanye West's 'Late Registration'". Washington Post . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  42. Stack, Tim (January 13, 2010). "Heidi Montag says new album cost almost $2 million, left her broke, is as good as 'Thriller'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  43. 1 2 Zaccheus, Melody (April 9, 2017). "City Harvest case: The rise and fall of a superstar pastor". The Straits Times . Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  44. Kramer, Joey (2010). Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top. HarperOne. p. 134. ISBN   978-0-06-156662-2.
  45. Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. p. 516. ISBN   978-1-85828-457-6 . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  46. Burr, Ramiro (11 July 1993). "Luis Miguel meets his challenges". San Antonio Express-News .
  47. 1 2 3 Setaro, Shawn (September 17, 2020). "What We Learned From Reading Over 100 Pages of Kanye West's Record Contracts". Complex . Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  48. "1978". The Mix. 12: 100. 1988. Retrieved September 6, 2023. we spent $ 1.4 million making Tusk
  49. Golsen, Tyler (June 11, 2023). "The Fleetwood Mac songs that only feature Lindsey Buckingham". Far Out . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  50. "Slipped Discs". New York . Vol. 12, no. 32. August 13, 1979. p. 10. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  51. Rampton, Mike (November 7, 2020). "The most expensive rock and metal albums of all time". Kerrang! . Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  52. Pickard, Wayland (1992). Complete Singer's Guide: To Becoming a Working Professional. Pickard Publishing. p. 150. ISBN   978-0-9623458-0-7 . Retrieved September 9, 2023. a Donna Summer album done with Quincy Jones a few years ago took a year to record and cost over a million dollars to produce
  53. McCulley 1997 , p. 188
  54. Dillon 2012 , p. 259
  55. Love 2016 , p. 524
  56. Harrington, Richard (October 22, 2004). "A 'Happy Ending' for Tears for Fears". Washington Post . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  57. "Timeline Metallica". MTV. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  58. 1 2 Eggar, Robin (2010). Shania Twain: The Biography. Gallery Books. p. 214. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  59. Wheeler, Jill C. (2001). Shania Twain. Abdo Pub. p. 40. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  60. Grierson, Tim (2015). Public Enemy: Inside the Terrordome. Omnibus Press . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  61. Tracy, Kathleen (1999). Ricky Martin: Red-hot and on the Rise!. Kensington Publishing . Retrieved September 9, 2023. the album had cost more than a million dollars to produce , but Sony believed they would make back ten times that much or more
  62. Wall, Mick (2017). Foo Fighters: Learning to Fly. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 188. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  63. Taysom, Joe (February 19, 2022). "From Kanye West to The Beatles: The 10 most expensive albums ever made". Far Out. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  64. Strauss, Neil (November 25, 1996). "Michael Jackson's 'HIStory' shows the growing stature of global marketing" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on April 18, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  65. Strauss, Neil (June 29, 1995). "The Pop Life" . The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  66. Philips, Chuck (July 9, 2002). "Power, Money Behind Jackson's Attack on Sony, Insiders Say" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  67. Suddath, Claire (November 19, 2013). "Lady Gaga's $25 Million Art Machine Can't Buy a Real Hit" . Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  68. Spurgeon, Christina (2007). "Advertising and New Media". Taylor & Francis. p. 40. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  69. Miles, Barry; Badman, Keith (2001). "After the break-up, 1970-2001". Omnibus Books. p. 681. Retrieved September 9, 2023. The adverts are part of an £ 11 million Beatles 1 promotional budget , paid for by EMI
  70. J. Freedom Du Lac (September 22, 1995). "Numbers Game Michael Jackson's Album 'History' Is Not As Popular As The Music Industry Suggests". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  71. Bakker, Machgiel (March 18, 1989). "The Media Scramble For 'Like A Prayer'" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 6, no. 2. p. 26. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  72. Bordowitz, Hank (2007). Dirty Little Secrets of the Record Business. Chicago Review Press. p. 76. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  73. Corner, Lewis (June 3, 2011). "Lady GaGa 'Born This Way' promotion cost Amazon $3m". Digital Spy . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  74. Novellino, Teresa (October 30, 2015). "The irony of Rihanna's $25M sponsorship with Samsung". American City Business Journals . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  75. Kay, Hilary (1992). Rock & Roll Memorabilia: A History of Rock Mementos, with Over 600 Illustrations. Simon & Schuster. p. 124. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  76. Friede, Goldie; Titone, Robin; Weiner, Sue (1980). The Beatles A to Z. Methuen Publishing. p. 90. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  77. 1 2 Ozturk, Selen (May 6, 2022). "When a concept album became a problem: Reconsidering the Beatles' 'SGT. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'". PopMatters . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  78. Doggett, Peter (2011). The Man Who Sold The World: David Bowie And The 1970s. Random House. p. 175. Retrieved September 9, 2023.

Book sources

Further reading