The UK-listed company has bought a catalog from legendary record producer and mixer Bob Rock, acquiring 100% of Rock’s producer rights for Metallica’s Metallica and Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible, Crazy Love, Christmas and To Be Loved, which in total comprise 43 songs.
Today’s announcement follows last week’s news that Hipgnosis has acquired 100% of the music publishing rights – including both publisher and writer’s share – to Shakira’s entire catalog.
Bob Rock started his collaboration with Metallica in 1990, co-producing their US diamond-certified (16x platinum) self-titled album, most commonly referred to as The Black Album.
Debuting at No.1 in 10 countries, The Black Album spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Top 200 and in December 2019 became the fourth release in history to enter its 550th week on the Billboard 200.
The Black Album was named No.255 by Rolling Stone in their 500 Greatest Albums of all Time list.
The album’s five singles Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, Wherever I May Roam, and Sad but True are among Metallica’s best-known songs.
Songs from the album have been streamed more than seven billion times across all services.
Bob Rock is also a long-time collaborator with Michael Bublé, having produced his album To Be Loved in its entirety and produced key tracks on a further three of his albums: Call Me Irresponsible, Crazy Love and Christmas.
Call Me Irresponsible, released in 2007, was a global success and was Michael Bublé’s first No.1 album after topping the charts in eight countries including the US, where it is certified platinum.
Rock’s next release with Michael Bublé, Crazy Love debuted at No.1 in both the US and UK. The album is multi-platinum all over the world including the UK, where it is 10x platinum, having sold over 3 million copies, and the US, where it is 2x platinum.
“The breadth of Bob Rock’s enormous successes are almost impossible to match by any creator in the history of music.”
Crazy Love won Michael Bublé his second Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2010. The album included the original hit single Haven’t Met You Yet, which is certified platinum in both the US and UK.
In 2011, Michael Bublé released the now classic album Christmas, a No.1 in multiple markets, including in the US where it spent five weeks at the top of the Billboard Top 200, and has sold an astonishing 12 million copies since its release in addition to being streamed more than 5 billion times across all services.
Christmas has been the highest charting Christmas album of the 2020 holiday season.
It was the No.1 album in the UK this Christmas as well as on Spotify’s Global Albums chart and it spent the last two weeks of December at No.4 on the Billboard Top 200, after re-entering the chart in early November. Rock produced five songs on the album including All I Want For Christmas Is You.
To Be Loved, released in 2013, was Michael Bublé’s fourth consecutive US No.1 album. As well as topping the charts in a further 17 countries, To Be Loved won Michael Bublé his fourth Grammy Award for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album”.
Bob Rock was represented by longtime manager Bruce Allen and lawyer Mark L. Kovinsky.
Merck Mercuriadis, Founder of The Family (Music) Limited and Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited, said: “The breadth of Bob Rock’s enormous successes are almost impossible to match by any creator in the history of music.
“From Metallica’s most famous Black Album to Michael Bublé’s Christmas, he has produced some of the biggest albums of all time that continue to be evergreen, year in and year out.
“Everyone who has worked with Bob knows he is a difference maker, which is why the artists he has produced end up making multiple albums with him which are almost always their biggest successes.
“Bob is very special and as a fellow Canadian, it is a pleasure to welcome him and his incredible productions to the Hipgnosis family.”
“I know how much Merck loves music, so it was an easy deal to put together.”
Bob Rock
Bob Rock added: “I put my heart and soul into these recordings.
“I know how much Merck loves music, so it was an easy deal to put together.”
“I’ve known Merck for years. He has a passion for music and those who make it.”
Bruce Allen
Bruce Allen said: “I’ve known Merck for years. He has a passion for music and those who make it. I look forward to working with Hipgnosis.”Music Business Worldwide
