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Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh Makes $1M per Year Thanks to MTV’s ‘Ridiculousness’ Theme

MTV's ubiquitous video series has become a huge earner for the musician, all thanks to the Devo song used as its theme.

Famously, the show saturates the network so much that in August 2020, The Ringer noted it was played on repeat for 36 hours straight. For Mothersbaugh – who has penned music for beloved series such as Rugrats and Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and scored films for directors such as Wes Anderson – the revenue from the ubiquity of Ridiculousness generates around $1 million annually, according to estimates from his wife and manager Anita Greenspan Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo performs at CBGB Music & Film Festival 2014 - Times Square Concerts on Oct. 12, 2014 in New York City.

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