Randall RobertsThe main thing that the major labels have going for them, and why even the most battle-scarred of them has more “value” than budding minor labels, is due to their combined back catalog. During the fat times of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the labels weren't just selling records but buying other labels and their back catalogs. By doing so, the labels increased their revenue stream by investing in the future profits of great artists.
The library of recordings that Warner Bros. owns is, quite literally, a vault of property. All those Grateful Dead records, those Sinatra classics, Madonna CDs, Bill Haley and the Comets sides, classic Kinks recordings and Talking Heads throwdowns are distributed by Warner Brothers, which remains its executor in the digital and physical marketplace. As long as it continues to retain control over all that music, the company will be making money (as long as they don't waste it).
Want proof? The December release of Revolutions in Sound, a 240-page book that celebrates Warner Brothers Records' 50th Anniversary. It's accompanied by a beast of a USB flash drive, which contains 320 recordings from the company's vaults.
Yes, you can blame Warners for Lincoln Park and My Chemical Romance, and for every gem below are a dozen duds that vanished a week after release. But its holdings include seminal albums by the Ramones, Flamin' Groovies, Captain Beefheart, Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra, Prince, Van Halen and way more than you'll ever know.
Basically, that combined back-catalog is a Cash Cow.
More proof: check the list of 320 songs You'll have to figure out band names, though a testament to this list is how many of them are so iconic that you don't need artists names; it's a given (i.e. “Been Caught Stealing,” “Hey Man Nice Shot,” “Kiko and the Lavender Moon,” “I Wanna Sex You Up,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Go Your Own Way” ad infinitum:
50th Final USB
320 songs, 21.1 hours, 12.55 GB
001_Apple Blossom Time 2:12
002_Try A Little Tenderness 2:45
003_77 Sunset Strip 2:08
004_My Old Flame 4:22
005_Kookie Kookie 2:03
006_Sixteen Reasons 1:55
007_Cathys Clown 2:22
008_Abe Lincoln Vs Madison Ave 7:28
009_Chant To The Night 2:34
010_Ya Got Trouble 3:57
011_Lets Think About Living 2:03
012_Crying In The Rain 1:58
013_Blowin In The Wind 2:55
014_If I Had A Hammer 3:05
015_Hello Muddah Hello Faddah 2:43
016_The Lonely Surfer 2:33
017_September Song 3:08
018_Night Creature Blind Bug 4:05
019_Dollars Dance 5:05
020_Out Of Limits 2:05
021_Everybody Loves Somebody 2:43
022_It Was A Very Good Year 4:24
023_Girl Dont Come 2:10
024_Thou Shalt Not Steal 1:58
025_Good Lovin 2:30
026_Im A Fool Fix 2:45
027_Houston 2:40
028_The Vatican Rag 2:12
029_Tiny Bubbles 2:40
030_Thats Life 3:04
031_These Boots Are Made For 2:40
032_Theyre Coming To Take Me 2:10
033_Purple Haze 2:50
034_The Golden Road 2:10
035_I Had Too Much To Dream 2:57
036_Double Yellow Line 2:11
037_Just Dropped In 3:19
038_If Youre A Viper 1:59
039_Sit Down I Think I Love You 2:21
040_Pata Pata 2:59
041_59th Street Bridge Song 2:36
042_Its A Happening World 2:37
043_Never My Love 3:07
044_If Ever I Would Leave You 5:52
045_While Drifting 1:44
046_Magic Hollow 2:51
047_Some Velvet Morning 3:38
048_The All Golden 3:46
049_Crystal Liaison 3:05
050_Dont Think Twice Its Alright 3:48
051_Morning Girl 2:11
052_Tip Toe Thru The Tulips 1:58
053_Classical Gas 3:03
054_Oh Well_USB 9:00
055_Spirit In The Sky 3:59
056_But Its Alright 2:51
057_Stay With Me 3:28
058_Ive Gotta Be Me 2:54
059_Leaving On A Jet Plane 3:26
060_Box Of Rain 5:17
061_Fire And Rain 3:22
062_If You Could Read My Mind 3:48
063_Rock Gently 2:58
064_Shes A Lady 1:44
065_PF Sloan 4:02
066_Vehicle 2:54
067_Express Yourself 3:50
068_Speed King 4:59
069_Locomotive Breath 4:23
070_Stay With Me 4:38
071_Bang A Gong 4:24
072_Im Eighteen 2:57
073_Back Street Luv 3:35
074_Song To The Siren 3:25
075_Surfs Up 4:10
076_I Dont Want To Talk About 5:19
077_You Can Close Your Eyes 2:29
078_Heart Of Gold 3:06
079_Willin 2:55
080_Love Me Like A Man 3:09
081_The Poor Ditching Boy 3:01
082_Spare Me A Little Of Your 3:43
083_Summer Breeze 3:23
084_A Horse With No Name 4:07
085_Sanctuary 2:49
086_Sail Away 2:51
087_City Of New Orleans 4:29
088_On Your Way Down 3:58
089_Low Yo Yo Stuff 3:39
090_Virginia Plain 2:57
091_Smoke On The Water 5:39
092_Schools Out 3:29
093_Bertha 5:39
094_Blue Sky 5:10
095_Hello Its Me 4:37
096_Suavecito_USB 6:34
097_Waiting For The Rain 2:29
098_Andalucia 3:51
099_In My Hour Of Darkness 3:42
100_Morning Sun 4:01
101_Midnight At The Oasis 3:48
102_So Very Hard To Go 3:38
103_UMC Upper Middle Class 3:12
104_Dixie Chicken 3:52
105_China Grove 3:14
106_Ramblin Man 4:47
107_Dueling Banjos 3:15
108_Rock The Nation 3:01
109_Day Of The Eagle 4:59
110_Keep On Smilin 3:23
111_Beautiful Texas Sunshine 3:13
112_Tattler 4:17
113_Alpha Centauri 3:08
114_Hey Pocky A Way 4:01
115_Butterfat 3:02
116_Your Love 3:19
117_So In Love 5:09
118_Lets Do it Again 3:28
119_Fooled Around And Fell In 2:58
120_Dream Weaver 4:15
121_Just Us 3:47
122_Aint Misbehavin 4:03
123_Boulder To Birmingham 3:31
124_Landslide 3:17
125_Tonights The Night 3:55
126_You Make Me Feel Like 3:37
127_Let Your Love Flow 3:04
128_Popsicle Toes 4:34
129_This Masquerade_USB 8:03
130_Im A Loser 3:50
131_Slow Ride_USB 8:13
132_Excuse Me 3:03
133_Short People 2:54
134_You Light Up My Life 3:37
135_Da Doo Ron Ron 2:47
136_Sheena Is A Punk Rocker 2:49
137_Love Building On Fire 2:57
138_Sonic Reducer 3:22
139_Aint Talkin Bout Love 3:47
140_Go Your Own Way 3:39
141_The First Cut Is The Deepest 3:51
142_Dont Break The Heart That 2:54
143_How Much I Feel 4:44
144_What A Fool Believes 3:39
145_Every Kinda People 3:15
146_Sultans Of Swing 5:48
147_Lotta Love 3:09
148_King Tut 3:39
149_Bootzilla 5:36
150_Rock Lobster 6:50
151_Pop Muzik 3:19
152_I Should Have Known Better 3:50
153_Do Anything You Want To 3:50
154_Cheap Sunglasses 4:46
155_Chuck Es In Love 3:27
156_Just When I Needed You Most 4:00
157_Sailing 4:19
158_Watching The Wheels 3:31
159_One In A Million You 4:10
160_The Glow Of Love 3:40
161_Once In A Lifetime 4:19
162_Best Friend 2:59
163_Naturals Not In It 3:06
164_Freedom Of Choice 3:28
165_The Jezebel Spirit 4:54
166_Tainted Love 2:39
167_Pull Up To The Bumper 4:34
168_Genius Of Love_USB 5:35
169_While You See A Chance 5:14
170_We’re In This Love Together 3:45
171_Til I Gain Control Again 5:06
172_Pearl Necklace 4:04
173_Im Shakin 2:21
174_Amanda Ruth 3:09
175_I Melt With You 4:09
176_Only You 3:10
177_O Superman 8:23
178_IGY What A Beautiful World 6:02
179_Avalon 4:14
180_Im A Wonderful Thing Baby 5:16
181_Heat Of The Moment_USB 3:50
182_Holy Diver 5:48
183_Middle Of The Road 4:13
184_Blue Monday 7:27
185_Gone Daddy Gone 3:06
186_Swingin 3:01
187_I Guess Thats Why They 4:43
188_Aint Nobody 4:42
189_Jump 4:02
190_The Boys Of Summer 4:49
191_The Killing Moon 5:46
192_Someday Someway 2:49
193_Just A Gigolo 4:40
194_Take On Me 3:45
195_She Sells Sanctuary 4:17
196_Money For Nothing_USB 8:23
197_Slave To Love 4:18
198_Just Like Honey 3:00
199_Life In A Northern Town 4:17
200_Higher Love 5:51
201_You Can Call Me Al 4:39
202_Tutu 5:13
203_Lean On Me_USB 5:51
204_Dont Want To Know If You 3:30
205_Guitars Cadillacs 3:02
206_Alex Chilton 3:12
207_Got My Mind Set On You 3:50
208_I Want To Be Your Man 4:10
209_Always 4:47
210_To Know Him Is To Love Him 3:49
211_Chains Of Love 3:35
212_Whats On Your Mind 4:35
213_Nite And Day 4:00
214_Handle With Care 3:18
215_Love And Mercy 2:53
216_Jane Says 4:51
217_The Maker 4:13
218_Paris Texas 2:53
219_Falling 4:12
220_Like A Prayer 5:40
221_Me Myself And I 3:40
222_Love Shack 5:21
223_Veronica 3:06
224_One 4:53
225_Ill Be Your Everything 4:07
226_What I Am 3:43
227_Epic 4:51
228_OG Original Gangster 4:42
229_Been Caught Stealing 3:33
230_The Humpty Dance_USB 6:30
231_Personal Jesus 3:43
232_The Sinister Minister 4:37
233_High Enough 4:45
234_I Fell In Love 3:41
235_Heres a Quarter 2:32
236_Wicked Game 4:46
237_Crazy 5:56
238_Losing My Religion 4:26
239_Get The Message 5:19
240_I Wanna Sex You Up 4:23
241_Baby Got Back 4:21
242_Jump Around 3:37
243_KKK Bitch 2:52
244_Remedy 5:22
245_Layla 4:32
246_Tears In Heaven 4:31
247_Under The Bridge 4:24
248_Kiko And The Lavender Moon 3:35
249_Harvest Moon 5:04
250_Constant Craving 4:38
251_The Long Cut 3:20
252_Man On The Moon 5:13
253_Feed The Tree 3:28
254_Johnny Mathis Feet 3:41
255_Far Behind 4:59
256_Closer To Free 3:28
257_The Ubiquitous Mr. Love 6:17
258_Calling All Angels 5:11
259_If Thats Your Boyfriend 4:31
260_Can We Talk 4:44
261_Wish 7:30
262_Thinkin Problem 3:01
263_Delias Gone 2:18
264_You Dont Know How It Feels 4:49
265_You Wreck Me 3:23
266_Longview 3:58
267_7 Words 3:43
268_Hey Man Nice Shot 5:14
269_You Oughta Know 4:06
270_Kiss From A Rose 4:47
271_Drown 3:18
272_This Woman And This Man 4:23
273_Where Have All The Cowboys 4:25
274_Materia Primoris The X Files 3:23
275_Super Bon Bon 3:30
276_The Chanukah Song 3:44
277_Brimful Of Asha_USB 5:16
278_People Aint No Good 5:39
279_Prodigy_Breathe 5:34
280_Still Waters 6:35
281_Hot Rod Heart 3:26
282_Iris 4:28
283_The Mummers Dance_USB 6:07
284_Believe 3:57
285_One Week 2:48
286_F Hill_Breathe 4:07
287_Carry The Zero 5:43
288_Push It 2:34
289_Down With The Sickness 4:38
290_Cousin Dupree_USB 5:26
291_Just In Case 4:23
292_All You Wanted 3:36
293_Do You Realize 3:32
294_Cant Stop 4:28
295_Bandages 3:30
296_The Taste Of Ink 3:29
297_Headstrong 4:45
298_Breaking The Habit 3:16
299_Cannonball_USB 5:08
300_Boulevard Of Broken Dreams 4:20
301_Save A Horse 3:20
302_Bat Counrty 5:11
303_Back Then 4:03
304_Excerpt from The Way Up 6:20
305_Home 3:46
306_Bad Day 3:54
307_Awake 5:11
308_Fidelity 3:45
309_Everything About It Is A 3:55
310_Starlight 4:00
311_Welcome To The Black Parade 5:10
312_Colony Of Birchmen 4:20
313_What Ive Done 3:27
314_Silver Lining 3:35
315_Ave Maria 5:17
316_Back In Your Head 3:01
317_Thrash Unreal 4:14
318_Your Touch 2:42
319_Icky Thump 4:17
320_The Day That Never Comes 7:54
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