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]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Sgt._Pepper%27s_50th_Anniversary_Billboard_in_London.jpg/220px-Sgt._Pepper%27s_50th_Anniversary_Billboard_in_London.jpg)
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][a] 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,[b] 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][c] 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
editReleased | Album | Artist | Recorded | Approx cost | Adjusted cost (in 2023 dollars) |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Invincible[d] | 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 | £10,444,883 | [28] |
1987 | Hysteria | Def Leppard | 1984–1987 | $4.5–5 million | $13,409,490/$12,068,541 | [29][30][31] |
1999 | The Life of Chris Gaines[e] | Garth Brooks | — | $5 million | $9,145,026 | [31][33] |
2009 | Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel | Mariah Carey | 2009 | £4 million | £6,776,930 | [15] |
2002 | Untouchables | Korn | 2001 | $4 million[f] | $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] |
2002 | Sun With Love | Ho Yeow Sun | — | $1.6 million[g] | $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[h] | $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[i] | $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
editReleased | Album | Artist | Record label | Budget expenditure |
Adjusted cost (in 2023 dollars) |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Moon Music | Coldplay | Parlophone | $47,945,205 | $47,945,205 | [64] |
1995 | HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I | Michael Jackson | Sony / Epic Records | $30,000,000 | $59,986,897 | [65][66] |
2001 | Invincible[d] | Michael Jackson | Sony / Epic Records | $25,000,000 | $43,018,230 | [19][20][67] |
2013 | Artpop | Lady Gaga | Interscope Records | $25,000,000 | $32,700,000 | [68] |
1999 | Brand New Day | Sting | A&M Records | $18,900,000 | $34,568,198 | [69] |
1999 | The Life of Chris Gaines[e] | Garth Brooks | Capitol Records | $15,000,000 | $27,435,078 | [31][33] |
2000 | 1 | The Beatles | Apple Records / EMI | $15,068,493 | $26,660,313 | [70] |
Overview
editMichael Jackson's HIStory (1995) has the most extensive marketing campaign in popular music history,[71] 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.[72] 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.[73]
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,[74] and Rihanna's sponsorship with Samsung for $25 million which covered the release of her album Anti (2016) and its tour.[75]
List of album covers/packaging by cost
editThis is a list of record-breaking historical expensive album covers or CD packaging.
- Elvis Presley (1956) – reportedly was the most expensive album cover ever up to that point.[76]
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) – The cover, costing £25,000, was reportedly the most expensive cover design up to this time.[77][j] Most covers up that point had a cost of about £50.[78]
- Aladdin Sane (1973) – reportedly was the most expensive album cover ever up to that point.[79]
Notes
edit- ^ Also cited with a cost at $100,000.[5]
- ^ Also cited with a cost at $25,000.[8]
- ^ 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]
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b Overall cost was at $20 million, which includes promotion and recording.[32]
- ^ Recording the album alone only cost $700,000.[34]
- ^ Recorded sum of production cost. At least $8 million was spent on the album.[43]
- ^ Another sum cited has been $800,000.
- ^ Another sum cited has been $750,000.[58] Then most expensive country album ever made.[59]
- ^ Also cited with a cost at £3,000.[78]
See also
editReferences
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- ^ "A.&R. Impact". Billboard. September 21, 1959. p. 64. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ "Federal Excise Tax Structure". United States House Committee on Ways and Means. 1994. p. 881. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Loker, Bradford E. (2009). History with the Beatles. Dog Ear Publ. ISBN 978-1-60844-039-9. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Horning, Nicole (2018). Pop Music: Chart-Toppers Throughout History. Greenhaven Publishing. p. 31. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Wolgamott, L. Kent (March 23, 2005). "Brian Wilson polishes his early masterpiece". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Patrick Bell, Adam (2018). Dawn of the DAW: The Studio as Musical Instrument. Oxford University Press. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ a b 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=
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- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Corporate Profile". Black Enterprise. Vol. 18, no. 4. November 1987. p. 57. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Harlow, John (August 30, 2009). "Mariah Carey has the perfect sales pitch". The Times. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Coffman, Tim (June 4, 2023). "The first album that cost over $1million to make". Far Out. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "Nobody Stayed The Course". Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 51. December 23, 2006. p. 32. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b c "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
- ^ a b Branigan, Tania (September 8, 2011). "Jackson spends £20m to be Invincible". The Guardian. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "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
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Weiss, Jeff (August 7, 2016). "Michael Jackson: Dangerous Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Neild, Carol; Carysforth, Carol; Neild, Mike (2004). Business. Pearson Education. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-435-40138-2. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
- ^ Billoard Staff (August 3, 2012). "Def Leppard, 'Hysteria' at 25: Classic Track-By-Track". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Cormier, Roger (July 8, 2014). "15 Albums That Cost a Fortune to Make". Mental Floss. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ Mcphate, Tim (June 28, 2017). "Kanye West, the Beatles: 5 expensive albums by GRAMMY winners". Grammy.com. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Leyfield, James. "10 of the most expensive albums ever made". Yahoo!. p. 8. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ Enis, Eli (June 11, 2021). "7 Things You Didn't Know About Korn's 'Untouchables'". Revolver. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (June 1, 1988). "Iglesias hopes $3 million album pays off". The Desert Sun. p. C15. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- Manuel, Peter (1991). Essays on Cuban Music: North American and Cuban Perspectives. University Press of America. ISBN 978-0-8191-8430-6. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
A representative " crossover " production was CBS's Julio Iglesias - Stevie Wonder LP " Non - Stop " ( 1988 ) , which , costing over three million dollars to produce , was one of the most expensive LPs ever made
- Manuel, Peter (1991). Essays on Cuban Music: North American and Cuban Perspectives. University Press of America. ISBN 978-0-8191-8430-6. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "Def Jam Records Has Reportedly Spent $3 Million On Kanye West's New Album". HipHopDX. September 17, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "Most valuable album". Guinness World Records. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "DEFTONES Turntablist Explains Why New Album Cost $2.5 Million To Make". Blabbermouth.net. June 2, 2003. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ J. Freedom du Lac (August 31, 2005). "Bragging Rights: Kanye West's 'Late Registration'". Washington Post. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Zaccheus, Melody (April 9, 2017). "City Harvest case: The rise and fall of a superstar pastor". The Straits Times. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ Kramer, Joey (2010). Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top. HarperOne. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-06-156662-2.
- ^ Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. p. 516. ISBN 978-1-85828-457-6. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Burr, Ramiro (11 July 1993). "Luis Miguel meets his challenges". San Antonio Express-News.
- ^ a b c Setaro, Shawn (September 17, 2020). "What We Learned From Reading Over 100 Pages of Kanye West's Record Contracts". Complex. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "1978". The Mix. 12: 100. 1988. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
we spent $ 1.4 million making Tusk
- ^ Golsen, Tyler (June 11, 2023). "The Fleetwood Mac songs that only feature Lindsey Buckingham". Far Out. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "Slipped Discs". New York. Vol. 12, no. 32. August 13, 1979. p. 10. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Rampton, Mike (November 7, 2020). "The most expensive rock and metal albums of all time". Kerrang!. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ 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
- ^ McCulley 1997, p. 188
- ^ Dillon 2012, p. 259
- ^ Love 2016, p. 524
- ^ Harrington, Richard (October 22, 2004). "A 'Happy Ending' for Tears for Fears". Washington Post. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ "Timeline Metallica". MTV. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Eggar, Robin (2010). Shania Twain: The Biography. Gallery Books. p. 214. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ Wheeler, Jill C. (2001). Shania Twain. Abdo Pub. p. 40. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ Grierson, Tim (2015). Public Enemy: Inside the Terrordome. Omnibus Press. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ 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
- ^ Wall, Mick (2017). Foo Fighters: Learning to Fly. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 188. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Taysom, Joe (February 19, 2022). "From Kanye West to The Beatles: The 10 most expensive albums ever made". Far Out. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "Everything We Know About Coldplay's Lawsuit with Former Manager Dave Holmes". Billboard. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Strauss, Neil (June 29, 1995). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Spurgeon, Christina (2007). "Advertising and New Media". Taylor & Francis. p. 40. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ 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
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Bordowitz, Hank (2007). Dirty Little Secrets of the Record Business. Chicago Review Press. p. 76. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Corner, Lewis (June 3, 2011). "Lady GaGa 'Born This Way' promotion cost Amazon $3m". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Novellino, Teresa (October 30, 2015). "The irony of Rihanna's $25M sponsorship with Samsung". American City Business Journals. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Kay, Hilary (1992). Rock & Roll Memorabilia: A History of Rock Mementos, with Over 600 Illustrations. Simon & Schuster. p. 124. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
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- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Doggett, Peter (2011). The Man Who Sold The World: David Bowie And The 1970s. Random House. p. 175. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
Book sources
edit- Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77090-198-8.
- Love, Mike (2016). Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-698-40886-9.
- McCulley, Jerry (1997). Abbott, Kingsley (ed.). Back to the Beach: A Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys Reader. Helter Skelter. ISBN 978-1-900924-02-3.
Further reading
edit- Michael Jackson's Ups And Downs (Forbes, 2003)
- Whose Master's Voice? (1997), pag 233
- American Popular Music and Its Business: From 1900 to 1984 (1988)
- How Lady Gaga Pulled Off a $3 Million Album Launch Party With No Sponsors (The Hollywood Reporter, 2013)
- How Much Does It Cost To Make A Hit Song? (NPR, 2011)
- Rap's Most Expensive Albums (HipHopDX, 2017)
- Kanye West paid $85,000 to put Whitney Houston’s drug-ridden bathroom on the cover of Pusha T’s album (NME, 2018)