Mark Mothersbaugh, a renowned composer known for his work on hit movies and TV shows, has an unexpected source of income: a song he wrote almost 50 years ago. 'Uncontrollable Urge,' originally featured on Devo's debut album, became the theme song for MTV's popular show 'Ridiculousness.' The enduring success of the show has turned the song into Mothersbaugh's biggest money maker, generating an estimated $1 million in royalties annually. This ironic twist is particularly satisfying for Mothersbaugh and his wife, as Devo's early videos met with resistance from MTV.
Despite a prolific career composing soundtracks for hit movies and TV shows, one of Mark Mothersbaugh's most lucrative pieces of music is a song he wrote nearly 50 years ago. The composer, who has worked on films like 'Thor: Ragnarok' and 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' and shows including 'Rugrats' and 'What We Do in the Shadows,' is also a founding member of the band Devo.
The group's debut album was released in 1978, with the Mothersbaugh-penned 'Uncontrollable Urge' serving as its first track. Though the song didn't chart particularly well when it was released, it received an unexpected second life decades later when it was made the theme song for MTV's hit show 'Ridiculousness.' The comedy show has become one of MTV's most aired programs and turned 'Uncontrollable Urge' into Mothersbaugh's main moneymaker over its more than 1,500 frequently rerun episodes. 'I would've been shocked if you told me this is the one that would become this prime source of income,' Mothersbaugh said. While 'Rolling Stone' reports that 'Uncontrollable Urge''s lifetime Spotify streaming royalties total only around $150,000, Mothersbaugh's wife and manager Anita Greenspan told the magazine that he takes home roughly $1 million per year in royalties. The success of 'Ridiculousness' is particularly satisfying to Mothersbaugh and Greenspan because of the relationship Devo had with the network. Greenspan said that 'Uncontrollable Urge''s frequent appearances on MTV are 'ironic and kind of funny.' 'In the beginning of MTV you saw a lot of Devo because they were early to make videos, but MTV started questioning the videos Devo were making. They were subversive, they didn't like them and wouldn't play them anymore,' she said. 'Now 'Uncontrollable Urge' is easily the most-played song on MTV, so it's a win.
MUSIC INDUSTRY ROYALTIES DEV0 MTV UNCONTROLLABLE URGE
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