Song

Careless Whisper

George Michael · Make It Big · 1984

high confidence

Estimate at a glance

How much money does Careless Whisper make?

Careless Whisper by George Michael is estimated at $250K-$770K/year on the artist side, with gross track revenue and ownership context separated below.

Takeaway: Careless Whisper is one of the stronger modeled catalog earners here because replay demand and ownership context both support a durable annual range.

This song remains commercially durable because its melody, sax lead, and emotional directness make it instantly recognizable and highly replayable.

What stands out

  • Currently ranks around the top 38% of tracked songs by modeled artist-side earnings
  • Released in 1984 and still shows earnings power roughly 42 years later
  • Ranks #1 among 2 tracked songs for George Michael
  • External listening links available
  • high confidence estimate

Why the song still earns

  • Catalog streaming remains the largest recurring revenue driver.
  • Strong cultural memory keeps the song active across playlists and rediscovery.
  • Sync and retrospective use help renew audience demand.

Careless Whisper lands in the top 38% of tracked songs by estimated artist-side earnings.

The song still reads as an evergreen catalog asset roughly 42 years after release.

Last updated: July 15, 2026

artist-side split is modeled + gross track revenue is separated. Why?

The headline number is the modeled artist-side annual share for this recording when split data exists.

Modeled artist-side range $250K-$770K/year
Gross track revenue $725K-$2.2M/year
Ownership context Included below
Platform signals Listening links only
Last updated July 15, 2026
Careless Whisper by George Michael

How It Compares

Careless Whisper is compared against nearby songs in the catalog based on artist overlap, era, genre, and modeled earnings range.

Song Artist Estimated yearly midpoint
Careless Whisper
selected song
George Michael $510,000
Hello
same genre
Adele $1,205,000
Bad Guy
similar earnings band
Billie Eilish $1,000,000
California Love
similar earnings band
2Pac $1,000,000

Revenue Breakdown

Gross track revenue $725K-$2.2M/year
100% of the lead revenue lane
Artist-side share $250K-$770K/year
35% of the lead revenue lane
Label master share $238K-$732K/year
65% of the lead revenue lane

Bars reflect modeled annual midpoint ranges, not audited royalty statements.

Listen

Preview audio is not available for this song right now.

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Reader questions about Careless Whisper

How much did Careless Whisper make in total?

Careless Whisper does not have a public lifetime total, so the estimate stays focused on modeled annual earnings instead of claiming an audited career total.

How much does Careless Whisper make per stream?

Careless Whisper does not have a single public per-stream rate because payouts vary by platform, territory, subscription tier, and contract structure. The estimate here is modeled from aggregate streaming, licensing, and catalog behavior instead.

Who owns Careless Whisper?

Careless Whisper is modeled from public-facing catalog behavior and conservative rights-split assumptions, not from audited royalty statements.

Show ownership and assumptions

Careless Whisper is modeled from public-facing catalog behavior and conservative rights-split assumptions, not from audited royalty statements.

Supporting Revenue Context

Estimated gross track revenue$725K-$2.2M/year
Estimated artist-side cut$250K-$770K/year
Estimated label master share$238K-$732K/year
Estimated publishing share$75K-$231K/year
Estimated songwriter share$105K-$323K/year
MastersLikely controlled through the recording label or distributor unless a specific rights sale is known
PublishingWriter and publisher splits affect the publishing share shown here
Catalog sale statusNo specific catalog sale adjustment is modeled for this track

Assumptions: Estimate keeps the current headline range as the artist-side figure and models gross track, label, publishing, and songwriter lanes from that conservative annual range.

Notes: Careless Whisper is modeled from public-facing catalog behavior and conservative rights-split assumptions, not from audited royalty statements.

Split-aware estimate

The headline number is the modeled artist-side annual share for this recording when split data exists.

  • Gross track revenue is separated from artist-side take-home where the page has enough split context.
  • Ownership notes on masters or publishing are included and should be read alongside the revenue number.
  • All figures are conservative annual modeled ranges based on streaming behavior, cultural replay value, sync potential, and available ownership information, not public royalty statements.

Read the full methodology.

More Context

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