Queen’s music catalog could sell for over $1 billion

LONDON

The songs of Queen are known the world over, and the band’s body of work might soon sell for a staggering sum.

The band is reportedly in the early stages, which could include everything from their 1973 self-titled debut through their 1995 album, “Made in Heaven,” Queen’s15th and final album following the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991.

Their catalog also includes 10 live albums and two soundtracks (Flash Gordon, Highlander).

Several major music companies, including Universal Music Group and Disney Music Group, which owns the band’s catalog in North America, have been vying for the acquisition, according to a report.

The report added that the sale could surpass $1 billion and that the deal is “expected to close within one month.”

If the deal goes through, it would mark the biggest artist catalog sale in history, surpassing Bruce Springsteen‘s $500 million sale of his masters and publishing to Sony in 2021.

The amount would be split between the three surviving members of Queen, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon, along with the estate of Freddie Mercury.

The billion dollar total for Queen’s music is surely that high thanks in part to the 2018 Oscar-winning film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which told the story of the band’s inception with a focus on late frontman Freddie Mercury, thereby inspiring a resurgence in popularity of the band’s music.

This year, Queen will embark on their 22-date Rhapsody Tour with singer Adam Lambert in North America. Following Queen and Lambert’s European and U.K. tour in 2022, the new string of dates will kick off on Oct. 4 at the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, and conclude in Los Angeles at the BMO Stadium on Nov. 12.