They put a price on Kiss: it’s worth $300 million

Kissone of the most classic members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, just sold his catalog of music, name, image and likeness, including his iconic makeup designs, to Pophouse entertainmentthe Sweden-based music investment company.

This company is the same one behind ABBA’s Voyage hologram show. Although the terms of the agreement between Kiss and the company have not yet been officially announced, Bloomberg and the agency Associated press They said the Kiss catalog was worth it “more than $300 million.”

“Our partnership will combine Kiss’ rich history and status with cutting-edge technology, allowing fans, now and in the future, to experience the band like never before,” said Per Sundin, CEO of Pophouse.

Second Variety, Launching in London in July 2022, ABBA Voyage raised more than a million dollars a week and last year, the president of Universal musicLucian Grainge, has announced plans to take the show on tour around the world.

Word recently spread that Las Vegas was a permanent destination for some sort of residency. Bjorn Ulvaeus, of ABBA, He is the co-founder of Pophouse, which in the last two years also acquired the catalogs of the late Swedish DJ-artist for millions of dollars. Avicii, the electronic music group Swedish House Mafia and, more recently, the songs of the American singer Cyndi Lauper.

Kissing avatars

Kiss premiered their upcoming digital show at the final concert of their tour End of the road in New York last year, when avatar versions of the band closed the show. Kiss’ first digital show is scheduled for 2027.

Gene Simmons The band’s bassist and vocalist said: “We have always broken new ground in popular culture and this partnership with the Swedish company will ensure that we continue to do so for years to come. Because what Pophouse is doing is breaking the rules. For this reason we already have several projects in development.”

In 2021, Bruce Springsteen He broke the record by selling his music catalog for $500 million. With that deal, the Boss broke the record of Bob Dylanwho sold it for nearly $400 million to Universal.

Kiss now join a long list of artists who have recently sold their song catalogue: Tina Turner, David Bowie, Paul Simon AND Neil Youngamong others.

But not everyone thinks the same way: Billy Joel He said he would only sell his music catalog if someone offered him $1 billion. For the singer-songwriter, his songs “are like those of children and he considers it selling them is “mercenary”‘”.

It is known that Kiss was formed by Simmons and Paul Stanley in 1973, after the two worked together in an unknown group called Wicked Lester. Then, already disguised, they signed with Casablanca Records and by the mid-1970s the band had become one of the biggest in the world.

His fantastic images, mind-blowing concerts and music have captured the imagination of millions. And for several generations.