The Control of His Music: The Journey of Elton John

 The Control of His Music: The Journey of Elton John

Elton John has always known that in order to preserve his legacy, he needed to maintain control over his musical catalog. This involved legal battles, negotiations, and strategic collaboration with key people such as his manager John Reid, as well as significant changes in the way he handled his career and the rights to his music.

The Initial Partnership with Dick James Music (DJM) and the Legal Battle

In the early years of his career, Elton John signed with Dick James Music (DJM), a label that initially helped him establish himself in the market. However, as his success grew, Elton began to realize that the contract he had signed was extremely unfavorable to him. Royalties were low, and DJM held the rights to his compositions. In 1982, Elton John filed a lawsuit against DJM, alleging that Dick James and his son Stephen had financially exploited his music. He sought to regain control of his catalog and compensation for poorly paid royalties.

This legal battle marked an important point in Elton’s career, representing a fight for independence and control over his work. However, despite the lawsuit, DJM did not relinquish control of the catalog to Elton, and in 1986, PolyGram acquired DJM, becoming the owner of the rights to his music.

The 1984 Lawsuit Against DJM and the Legal Defeat

In 1984, Elton John filed another lawsuit against DJM, seeking to recover the rights to his music catalog, which had been sold to the label without his consent. The dispute focused on the claim that the original contract, signed in the early years of his career, was abusive and unfair. However, the court ruled in favor of DJM, and Elton lost the legal battle. This meant that he did not gain the rights to his earlier compositions, leaving him without control over the songs that had been his biggest successes up until that point.

The Sale of DJM’s Catalog to PolyGram

In an unexpected move, Dick James sold DJM’s catalog, including the rights to Elton’s and Bernie Taupin’s songs, to PolyGram in 1976, without consulting the artists. This decision was a breaking point for Elton, who felt that he had lost control over his older music.

Collaboration with John Reid and the Creation of Rocket Records

By the mid-1970s, Elton John was already demonstrating his ambition to take more control over his career. It was at this time that he partnered with John Reid, who became his manager. Reid was a key figure in Elton’s decision to create his own record label, Rocket Records, in 1973. The idea behind starting a label was inspired by Elton’s desire to control not only his music but also how artists were treated and promoted within the industry.

With the support of Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon, and Steve Brown, Rocket Records allowed Elton to sign new artists and have greater freedom in creating his music without the interference of traditional record labels. The label became a reflection of Elton’s ideals and his search for greater autonomy and creative control, although he did not initially involve his name directly in the credits of the releases, leaving the company’s management to others.

Lucian Grainge and PolyGram's Acquisition

Lucian Grainge, who joined PolyGram in 1986 to launch a publishing division, played a key role in the acquisition of artists’ catalogs such as Elton John’s, recognizing the value of copyrights in the expanding CD era. Grainge was instrumental in the shift of the music industry’s approach, focusing on the exploitation and appreciation of copyrights, which became even more lucrative at the time.

The Acquisition of PolyGram and Increased Control

When PolyGram acquired DJM in 1986, Elton's catalog came under the company's control. This included not only his previously released songs but also new releases in his career. In 1998, Universal Music Group (UMG) bought PolyGram, which led to another shift in the administration of his catalog. Although UMG did not directly purchase the rights to his works, Elton was able to renegotiate terms with them, allowing him to maintain greater control over the distribution of his music and ensure that he received more equitable royalties.

The Sale of Rocket Records and Its Reasons

In 1984, after a series of financial and managerial difficulties, Elton decided to sell Rocket Records to PolyGram, which already controlled the copyright of Elton’s songs following the acquisition of DJM. The sale was seen as a way to ensure financial stability and the continued operation of the label under a larger structure. Despite the sale, Rocket Records continued to operate under PolyGram and later under Universal Music Group (UMG), after PolyGram’s acquisition in 1998. The label did not disappear immediately, but over the years, it lost its original character as an independent label and became just another part of the media conglomerate.

The sale of Rocket Records, while being a pragmatic decision by Elton, marked the end of an era of artistic independence. However, Rocket’s legacy and its contribution to Elton’s career, as well as its role in launching new artists, are still remembered as a milestone in the music industry.

The Struggle for Control and Elton John’s Legacy

Throughout his career, Elton John proved to be a strategic artist, fighting to control his work and ensure that his music was managed fairly. With the support of John Reid and the creation of Rocket Records, he established a model of artistic independence that would become an example for other artists. The disputes with DJM and the negotiations with PolyGram showed the importance of having control over one's own work and standing against abuses in the music industry.

From 1973, when Elton John founded Rocket Records, he gained greater control over his music released after that date. Although Rocket Records was absorbed by PolyGram in 1986 and later by Universal Music Group in 1998, the creation of the label marked an important step in Elton’s autonomy, enabling him to recover certain rights and improve the financial terms surrounding his music.

Throughout his career, Elton John not only created a vast body of musical work but also paved the way for other artists to seek autonomy and the protection of their copyrights.

Elton John’s Refusal to Sell His Catalog

In recent years, several renowned artists have chosen to sell their music catalogs for millions of dollars. Names like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul Simon have negotiated their copyrights, seeing the sale as a way to ensure financial stability or capitalize on the growing value of music rights in the streaming and licensing industry. These multimillion-dollar transactions have generated a lot of attention, with many artists seeking to maximize the value of their catalogs before their works lose some relevance.

However, Elton John has been notably resistant to this practice. Despite generous offers, he has refused to sell the rights to his music, opting instead to maintain creative and financial control over his work. Elton’s decision to not negotiate his catalog reflects his commitment to preserving his artistic legacy, ensuring that he and his family continue to benefit from the income generated by his music. At a time when many artists are opting to sell their works, Elton remains firm in his decision to protect his music as a personal and professional asset.