To this day, no one has matched the raw energy of the classic punk rock band, The Misfits. Distorted guitars. Fast drum beats. Dark imagery. It’s what a band with a twisted combination of the raw style of the Ramones and the dark atmosphere of a classic B-horror movie soundtrack should be.
Founded in 1977, they were pioneers of the horror punk subgenre with songs inspired by monster movies and sci-fi flicks. As their legions of fans would describe their music, it wasn't just fast and loud, but it delivered the spooky and the macabre. Jerry Only, the band’s only remaining original member, revealed that the inspiration behind this started when he and bandmate Glenn Danzig were creating posters for slated gigs, “‘We were into horror and… everything we do is just gonna get scarier and more Halloween, and that was pretty much the catalyst that made us realise that there was more to playing music than trying to fit in. We gave up trying to be one of the crowd and I think at that point we developed an identity. And I think that’s one thing with the band that stands out quite a lot. Even people who don’t know the music know the imagery. It’s like a pop culture icon now.”
But despite the dark themes, the band possessed the energy of classic punk made alive by original vocalist, Glenn Danzig, whose distinctive voice is full of lurid character in every performance. “When you play live, for me, it’s not just a show you’re paid to be at. I want energy back from the people. I want them to leave thinking they didn’t just come to a concert, but they came to some kind of ritual. They just leave exhausted and totally exhilarated. Music should be so very primal that it goes inside your brain through your body tissue and into your mind. You go somewhere else. That’s what punk was about, to make people forget whatever it is you want to forget for two hours,” the singer turned horror filmmaker said in a New York Times interview.
Longevity and Legacy
Even though The Misfits disbanded in 1983, their music influenced a wide range of artists across genres, from punk and heavy metal to alternative rock. Metallica, Guns N' Roses, and My Chemical Romance are just some of the bands who cite them as an inspiration. Some of their songs were covered by Metallica (“Last Caress”) and Guns N’ Roses (“Attitude”).
In the ensuing years, they went through numerous line-up changes and even a messy legal battle. Despite all that, bassist Jerry Only kept the Misfits name alive and even formed new versions of the band with different sounds. In a 2003 interview, he mentioned that there were many false impressions about the band. “I didn't want the kids to think that, and I didn't know if we'd ever get our name back, but we did. And we also designed our guitars during that period of time.”
In 2016, after over 30 years apart, Only together with former members Glenn Danzig and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein reunited for a limited run of shows. This reignited interest in the band and proved their longevity in the music industry.
“Are we a horror-punk band? Of course. But do I think horror-punk can sustain itself without having great songs? No I don’t. The longevity is in the music, not the look. We’re almost finishing up our fourth decade, we’re going into our 38th year, and my job is to try to keep the band together for fifty. In that time, I’ll build my catalog to a point where I have stuff all over the place, so when people make movies in the future, they can come back to a Misfits catalog and pick a really great song that fits any application. I’m not limiting myself to being a horror-punk band. Did we father it? Sure. But we also fathered the Metallicas and the Anthraxes of this world. We have a lot of influences, and it’s based on simplicity and tasteful vocal melodies,” Only said.
Royalty Earnings
The Misfits has a 45-track catalog on Royalty Exchange that features their top hits from their successful albums “American Psycho” and “Famous Monsters.” In 2020, a music royalty investor paid $52,118 for the catalog. That was 10.5 times higher than the earnings in the last twelve months at the time of purchase.
They held it for 1.89 years after earning a total of $11,425 within the course of holding the asset. In August 2022, they sold the royalties for $75,999, earning them a 58.4% ROI.
Royalty Exchange data also reveals that the earnings from the catalog follows an upward trend since 2018, with almost equal quarterly values for both domestic and international earnings. In 2021, total earnings reached $6,123.82, up by 18% from the previous year, and by 95% from 2018.
Of all the tracks included, "Saturday Night" has earned the most in the last twelve months at the time of the most recent sale with $2,658. It is followed by "Dig Up Her Bones" with $991, which was the lone single released from their “American Psycho” album in 1997.
“Saturday Night” (or “Crying on a Saturday Night” in some listings) was released in 1999 and was sung by frontman Michale Graves who replaced Glenn Danzig. The ballad is part of their second studio album, “Famous Monsters.” Graves shared in an interview that he was motivated by Arturo Vega of the Ramones to write the song. He relates, “We were sitting outside one day, and he calls me over, and he says, ‘Michale, you need to write a beautiful song for the next record. Something beautiful. You know, think ‘50s, something that Joey Ramone would sing. Make it beautiful and horrible.’ I always remember Arturo saying that.”
Graves’ ‘50s bebop tune was heavily inspired by a musical. “I pictured this scene where Danny Zuko from Grease, when he's swinging on the swings, and he has that solo. I wanted it to kind of feel like that moment in life, that was reflected in the movie. And I just started doing the simple three chord loop that's in every single early rock and roll song and it just built into ‘Crying on Saturday Night.’"
Online streaming remains strong
International streaming is the main source of earnings in the last twelve months of the most recent sale with a total of $2,997. On Spotify, "Saturday Night" has a total of almost 46 million streams.
Why Invest in this Asset
The band continues to be active in music fests. In May 2024, they headlined the Sonic Temple Festival at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. This comes after wrapping up their series of concerts in Florida, New Jersey and Arizona the previous year.
The investor who purchased the catalog continues to earn from the royalties. The current marketplace median price (based on other catalogs within a similar Dollar Age range) is at $69,336, and the most recent buyer has already accumulated $12,934 in royalties received from the catalog in less than 2 years.
You too can earn from similar catalogs if you invest at Royalty Exchange. Check out this catalogs asset details today to see the most up to date earnings data and place an offer. Royalty Exchange also has other rock catalogs that are up for auction today, so sign up as an investor to get started.
