How 11 Songwriters Split $2 Million From ‘Uptown Funk!’

Success has many fathers. Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars‘ “Uptown Funk” has 11. The track, which is tied for the second-longest reign on the Billboard Hot 100, initially was credited to six songwriters — Ronson, Mars, Jeffrey Bhasker, Philip Lawrence, Devon Gallaspy and Trinidad James — but added the five writers of The Gap Band‘s 1979 hit “Oops Upside Your Head” after their publisher lodged a claim. Billboard estimates the song has earned $2.7 million in publishing royalties (not including TV and film synch revenue), $1.9 million of which has gone to the writers based on their respective publishing deals.

This article first appeared in the June 27 issue of Billboard.