World’s Highest Paid Musicians: Dr. Dre Tops Forbes Top 30 List; See Who Else Made the Cut
Although most people look to Forbes for their annual lists of billionaires, along with their rankings, they also boast many other lists, which includes the Forbes List of the world's highest paid musicians. So who in the recording industry makes the most dough? Let's just take a look.
This list is not just money made from music contracts, but the musician's entire lineup of accomplishments including entrepreneurial endeavors, touring, recorded music, merchandise, publishing, endorsements and more. These are also gross amounts from June 2013 through June 2014, before paying taxes, managers, agents and lawyers.
Starting off, the Top 10 earners pull in a gross amount of $1.4 billion a year. But the most impressive stat from the figure is the No. 1 top contender. His impressive haul accounted for nearly half that amount and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Latina Jennifer Lopez may not have made the Top 10, but she was on the list at No. 24.
Taylor Swift just missed the Top 10, pulling in an impressive $64 million this year that adds to her industry-leading career total. The singer/songwriter's world tour should soon boast her earnings well past that mark though.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Toby Keith ($65 million), Calvin Harris ($66 Million) and Paul McCartney ($71 million). Of those three, McCartney is the only one who made his fortune this year strictly from his musical ventures, performing in cities that grossed more than $3.5 million each.
The British pop rock group One Direction pulled in $75 million at No. 7 on the list. The group's earnings come from a strong album release, live performances and Pepsi endorsement deals.
Coming in just ahead of them though is Canadian pop star Justin Bieber at No. 6 with $80 million, which spiked from his tour. But that wasn't enough to beat legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen at $81 million, who grossed more than $4 million per night on his tour.
But no matter where you go, the original "Living on a Prayer" superstars Bon Jovi are almost always going to make an appearance in a top 5 list for musicians. The group pulled in $82 million touring this year, but that was a far cry from The Eagles $100 million in touring revenue.
At No. 2 on the list is the Queen B herself, Beyonce, pulling in a staggering $115 million from touring and multiple endorsements and entrepreneurial ventures. Her husband Jay-Z was also on the list at No. 12 with $60 million, which tied Diddy's and Bruno Mars' gross.
That brings us to the crème de la creme of musical payouts. The ultimate earner for all of music history, Dr. Dre. With revenue from his musical and entrepreneurial efforts, his strong payday came at the hands of his "Beats by Dre" brand when Apple bought him out. This year's earnings for the rap impresario came in at a staggering $620 million.
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