Mick Jagger: Charity May Get Rolling Stones Catalog

As more and more artists sell their vast catalogs of music, one legendary band’s frontman said they will not be following the crowd.

ABC News reported that Bruce Springsteen sold his for a reported $500 million to Sony in 2021. Justin Bieber sold his music for $200 million. So did Neil Young, Justin Timberlake and John Legend, making millions upon millions of dollars.

But the Rolling Stones aren’t going to, at least according to Mick Jagger. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Jagger was asked if the band would sell its post-1971 catalog.

He said no.

“The children don’t need $500 million to live well. Come on,” he said, suggesting that the music library could go to a charity.

The Rolling Stones announce release date for their new album and unveil lead single, 'Angry'

US Weekly reported that Jagger owns only the Stones’ music from after 1971, since the band’s former accountant Allan Klein has the copyrights for earlier tunes including “Paint It Black” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” When Klein and the Stones split, Klein kept ownership of the music while Jagger and Keith Richards got royalties. Klein died in 2009 and his company, ABKCO Music & Records, retained the rights.

Jagger, 80, is the father of eight children: Karis, 52; Jade, 51; Elizabeth, 39; Georgia May, 31; James 38, Gabriel, 25; Lucas, 24; and Deveraux, 6, People magazine reported.

The Rolling Stones, despite being in their 70s and 80s, are still producing music. They are releasing their first new album in nearly 20 years next month, Sky News reported. They recently released the lead single, “Angry.”