#1: Vivendi
Move over, Sony and Time Warner. Most of the chart-topping artists you hear on the radio come courtesy of Universal Music Group, which is owned by Vivendi (PINK:VIVHY).
In fact, in the wake of Universal’s recent merger with Citigroup’s (NYSE:C) EMI Group, the company controls nearly 40% of the music market.
Universal is responsible for labels you’ve undoubtedly heard of — Island Records, Columbia Records, Def Jam Records and many more — even if you’ve never heard the name Vivendi. And if those still don’t strike a chord, how about … say … Rihanna, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, AKON, Lil Wayne and Bob Marley?
Yup, all those artists fall in the top 30 list of most-liked pages, and all belong to Vivendi. Rihanna is the most popular at the No. 5 spot with more than 64 million likes, while Eminem is a spot behind at just less than 64 million. Tally up the Facebook fans of all the artists, and the total is an eye-popping 460 million — making the parent company our winner by a landslide.
Of course, the music business and these popular artists are only one piece of the puzzle for the French telecom and media company, which also owns 60% of game maker Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI).
Vivendi stock, however, has only gained 1% year-to-date.
As of this writing, Alyssa Oursler did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
Comments are currently unavailable. Please check back soon.