Los Lobos Sues For 'La Bamba' and 'Desperado' Soundtrack Royalties: 'Massive Deficiency'

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Testy Tern

Los Lobos Seek Millions in Royalties from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment Over Unpaid Soundtrack Royalties

A legendary Los Angeles rock band, Los Lobos, is taking Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment to court over allegedly unpaid royalties tied to the soundtrack recordings for the 1987 biopic La Bamba and the 1995 film Desperado. The band claims that it has been unfairly denied worldwide streaming royalties for its iconic rendition of "La Bamba," which was featured in both films.

According to Los Lobos, despite the album reaching double platinum status and topping charts in at least 15 countries, the band has never received streaming royalties outside the United States and Canada. The band says it discovered a massive deficiency in its royalty statements last March, with unpaid royalties ranging from $1 million to $2 million.

The second lawsuit centers on Los Lobos' agreement to provide soundtrack songs for Desperado in 1993. The band member Cesar Rosas wrote the composition "Canción del Mariachi" entirely, which was then released by independent record company Milan Entertainment in 2004 and again on Spotify and YouTube in 2018 with a shortened title.

Los Lobos claims that despite the song's popularity, particularly after UFC fighter Ilia "El Matador" Topuria adopted it as his walkout song and anthem, Sony Music Masterworks failed to provide any royalty statements or licensing activity reports. The band alleges that this lack of accounting is egregious and has been "well aware of the value of Topuria's endorsement."

The band is seeking damages and a new global accounting, with Los Lobos' revenue share from worldwide streams estimated at $500,000 to $750,000 based on its contract. It also wants a 24 percent cut of net revenues collected from any licensing deals related to the song.

Los Lobos, formed in East Los Angeles in 1973, has been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards and won four, solidifying its reputation as one of the most iconic Chicano rock bands in history.
 
Man, I'm so sick about this 🤯! Back in my day, we thought we were getting paid for our music, not just our songs that got used in movies and whatnot. I mean, La Bamba is a classic, you'd think Sony would know how to pay the Lobos right 🤑. But noooo, they're trying to stiff 'em like this? That's just not cool, dude.

And Desperado? Come on, that song is iconic! It's like Cesar Rosas' masterpiece or something. I don't care if Ilia "El Matador" Topuria uses it as his walkout song, that still doesn't mean Sony should be getting a free pass to screw the Lobos out of their hard-earned cash 💸.

I'm all for them fighting for what's rightfully theirs, though. 500k to 750k from worldwide streams? That's some serious dough! And a 24% cut of net revenues from licensing deals? Yeah, that sounds like fair play to me 💯.

Los Lobos is one of the most iconic bands out there, and they deserve to be treated as such 🙌. I'm rooting for them all the way, and I hope they get what's coming to 'em in the end 👊.
 
OMG 🤯 I'm so done with these record labels and their shady business practices! 🙄 Like, can't they just do the right thing? Los Lobos is getting ripped off big time over this La Bamba soundtrack 🎶💸 $1-2 million unpaid royalties?! That's insane 💸💥. And what about Cesar Rosas' song "Canción del Mariachi"? Sony Music should be paying him some serious cash for that one too! 💸👏

I mean, I get it, the band is legendary and all that jazz 🎺, but they shouldn't have to fight tooth and nail for what's rightfully theirs. It's not like they're asking for a handout or anything 🙅‍♂️. They just want to be compensated fairly for their work. And can we talk about how Ilia "El Matador" Topuria adopting that song as his walkout tune is just the icing on the cake? 🤣 Like, Sony Music should have been paying Los Lobos all along! 😒
 
I'm so frustrated for these guys 🤯! I mean, they're basically saying that their iconic song "La Bamba" was basically stolen from them...I get it, streaming royalties can be a nightmare to navigate, but $1-2 million? That's huge 💸! And the fact that Sony Music failed to provide any accounting or licensing activity reports for one of the most popular songs in UFC fight anthems? Come on! 🙄 They're basically saying they're owed 24% of all net revenues collected from licensing deals, and it's hard not to agree with them. I mean, Los Lobos has been around for ages (1973!) and they've got some serious cred 💥. It's time for Sony to step up and pay the band what they're owed 🤑.
 
OMG this is insane I mean what even is going on here?! 🤯 A legendary band like Los Lobos getting screwed over by Sony Music Entertainment? Like come on Sony! 🙄 The fact that they're only getting streaming royalties outside of the US and Canada is just not right. And now they're saying $1-2 million in unpaid royalties? That's a lot of dinero, fam 💸 I'm definitely rooting for them here. It's about time someone holds these big music companies accountable. Los Lobos has been making sick music for decades and this is the thanks they get? Not cool, Sony. Not cool at all 😒
 
Man, this is crazy 🤯! I mean, I get it, royalties can be a real pain to deal with, but $1-2 million unpaid? That's wild 💸. And what's even crazier is that they've never received streaming royalties outside the US and Canada - like, what's the point of being a global band if you're not getting paid globally 🌎. Los Lobos has been around for ages, 12 Grammys to their name, and still, this kind of thing happens? It's like, come on Sony, step up your game 💪.

And Cesar Rosas' song "Canción del Mariachi" being ignored by Sony Music Masterworks? That's just basic business practices 📊. I mean, we know Ilia "El Matador" Topuria has been using that song for his walkout, but still, a royalty statement would've been nice to see 🤔. Los Lobos wants damages and a new global accounting - yeah, they should get it 💸.
 
omg i cant believe these guys are fighting for their money lol like they should've gotten it all along!! $1-2 million is a drop in the bucket compared to what sony's making off their music 🤑 anyway, i feel for cesar rojas he wrote that song from scratch and deserves some serious cash 💸 its crazy how much these artists are missing out on from streaming royalties worldwide... maybe they should've negotiated a better deal when they first signed with sony 😒
 
I'm so fed up with these big companies not paying artists what they're owed 🤯! I mean, come on, Los Lobos is a legendary band with a ton of hits under their belt, and yet Sony's just sitting on all this money 💸? It's like they think the band members are just going to magically appear out of thin air or something 🤑. And it's not just La Bamba, either - Cesar Rosas' song for Desperado is a total banger, too 🎸! I'm all for the band getting what's rightfully theirs, whether that's millions in royalties or a sweet 24% cut of licensing deals 🤝. Los Lobos deserves it after being nominated for so many Grammys and winning four 🏆! They're not just a band from East LA, they're a cultural institution 🎶!
 
Ugh, another classic band getting screwed by the "system" 🤯💸 I mean, come on Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment, you're just gonna take advantage of these legends like this? Los Lobos has been around since '73 and they've got a ton of history and accolades under their belt. They're not even getting a fair share of the streaming royalties from "La Bamba" which is basically their claim to fame now 🎸. And it gets worse, Cesar Rosas' song "Canción del Mariachi" just became a UFC anthem and they still haven't gotten any royalties from that? Like, what even is the point of having a good lawyer if you're not gonna fight for these guys? This whole thing reeks of Sony just being super sketchy and trying to pinch pennies off their hard work 💸👎
 
omg can u believe these greedy corporations?? 🤑 los lobos has been raking it in from their iconic song but sony pictures entertainment & sony music entertainment are basically just taking all the cash for themselves?

and what's even more lowkey infuriating is that they only paid them streaming royalties in the us and canada lmao i mean, what about the rest of the world? shouldn't los lobos be reppin' their own people?? 🤷‍♂️

and can we talk about cesar rosas' "cancion del mariachi" though that song is EVERYTHING 🎶 ilia el matador topuria adopted it as his walkout song and anthem and sony music masterworks is just sitting on all the profits??

los lobos deserves so much better than this they're a LEGENDARY band with 12 grammy nominations and 4 wins lmao sony should be paying them in full 🤑
 
I'm so done with these musicians trying to cash out years later... 🤦‍♂️ I mean, come on, you had a hit song, you made some money from it, now you want more? Los Lobos should've thought about that before they just let Sony keep all the streaming royalties for themselves. It's like they're saying "oh, we didn't know our song was worth this much, can we have it?" 🤑 And what's with the 24% cut of licensing deals? That's just greedy. I'm not saying Los Lobos don't deserve some royalties, but they need to stop being so dramatic about it. Maybe they should've taken care of their finances when they had the chance instead of waiting until now... 😒
 
This situation is quite egregious, don't you think? 🤯 I mean, Los Lobos has a rich musical legacy spanning over five decades, with numerous chart-topping hits like "La Bamba" and "We Belong." It's astonishing that Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment have allegedly been withholding millions in royalties from the band. The fact that they've only been providing royalty statements outside of the US and Canada is truly problematic.

The lack of transparency and accounting from Sony Music Masterworks is, quite frankly, appalling. 🙄 I can see why Los Lobos would be seeking damages and a new global accounting, given their estimated revenue share from worldwide streams could be as high as $750,000. The band's value to the music industry cannot be overstated, especially considering their Grammy wins and influence on Chicano rock.

It's also interesting to note that Sony Music's failure to provide accurate royalty statements has potentially benefited UFC fighter Ilia "El Matador" Topuria through his adoption of Los Lobos' song. The disparity in revenue distribution is a stark reminder of the need for fair compensation and accountability in the music industry. 👏
 
Ugh, can't believe these legends are still fighting for their rights! 😩 I mean, I get it, music royalties should be paid out fairly, but come on Sony... $1 million to $2 million?! That's like, a drop in the bucket compared to what they're raking in from streaming and licensing deals 🤑. And it's not just about the money, it's about being respected as artists and knowing that your work is valued. I mean, Los Lobos has been making music for decades and has such an iconic sound... they deserve better than to be taken advantage of! 💪
 
Come on! Can't these major labels just do their math right? I mean, $1-2 million is a drop in the bucket compared to what they're making off Los Lobos' music... 🤑 They've been raking it in for decades and suddenly they're being all "oh no we didn't pay you" ?! And now they want 24% of licensing deals? That's just greedy. I need some sources on this one, though...
 
I mean, can you believe it? A legendary band like Los Lobos is fighting over $1-2 million in unpaid royalties 🤑🎸. I'm not saying they shouldn't get paid, but come on, Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Pictures – it's like they're trying to make the band go mariachi-style crazy! 😂 And what's with the shortened title for "Canción del Mariachi"? Like, if you're gonna use someone else's song, at least give them credit 🤷‍♂️. The UFC fighter Ilia "El Matador" Topuria adopting the song as his walkout anthem is like the icing on the cake – it's a total "La Bamba"-style revenge 💃🏽🎶.
 
Ugh 🤯🎵 can you believe this? 😱 Los Lobos is getting screwed 💸 over their royalties?! 🤑 I mean, they're legends 🙌, like 4x Grammys 🏆 and all that jazz 💃. And now they gotta fight Sony for the dough 💰... $500k to $750k is a lot of cash 💸! 😅 What's up with this? 🤔 Like, can't Sony get it together? 🙄 The song "La Bamba" is iconic 🔥, it's like, a staple 🎶. And now they're not getting paid fairly? 🤕 Not cool 🚫. This needs to be sorted out ASAP 💨. Los Lobos deserves their royalties! 👏
 
man 🤯 can you even imagine not getting paid for your own music? it's like they're expecting you to be some kind of superhero who just shows up and saves the day without getting any cash 💸 los lobos is literally a legendary band that's been making iconic music for decades and they still get screwed over by sony pictures entertainment and sony music entertainment 🤷‍♂️

and it gets worse, the song "la bamba" which was featured in like, two major movies is still not generating any revenue outside of the us and canada? that's wild 🌎 what's next, they're gonna expect them to give away their master recordings for free too? no way, los lobos deserves better 💯
 
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