“Hey, hey, hey” Pharrell Williams sings as the song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke breaks out. However, hey, hey, hey would be an accurate phrase to reveal the finances behind this little number. Financial earnings from songs are usually never disclosed unless a court case rolls around.
The 2013 hit “Blurred Lines” was very popular because of the melody associated with it. Marvin Gaye’s children probably weren’t very happy when they first heard this song. Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” sounds quite identical. In fact, his children are suing Thicke & Williams, claiming the song violates copyright infringement. The trial goes all the way back to 2013 when Gaye’s children first heard “Blurred Lines” and noticed a similarity to “Got to Give It Up.”
But, it’s not just “Got to Give it Up.” that’s being defended in court. Gaye’s “After The Dance” is being defended also from Thicke’s song “Love After War.”
From “Blurred Lines,” testimony revealed as little as $704,774 went to T.I. Meanwhile, Thicke and Williams both brought in over five million each at $5,658,214 and $5,153,457. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the total profit from the song added up to $16,675,690 while the remaining profit trickled to record companies.
But, that’s not all the money. Supposedly around $11 million spent during touring was used from “Blurred Lines.” Gaye’s children are going after some of this money too. They found out this information which was disclosed by Creative Artists Agency. All in all, the Gayes attorney Richard Busch is going after $40 billion. The Gayes rightfully deserve a portion of the profits. Who knows if “Blurred Lines” and “After The Dance” could’ve come out as successful as it did without the alleged influence of Marvin’s music.
What’s funny is the profit distribution based on who wrote “Blurred Lines.” The combination of Vicodin and being high didn’t help Thicke write much of the song that he namely wrote. Thicke credits Williams for writing most of the song; however, Williams said the song wouldn’t be what it is without the voice of Thicke.
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