U2, Bon Jovi Top Leads Forbes Rich List
Rock acts top highest paid musician list
Billboard has listed the top 25 highest earning musicians in the world, and U2 have come up trumps with a massive $195m earned in the past year.
U2's 360 Tour has grossed more than $700m in the past 12 months, and it seems that the band have managed to bag a significant chunk of that cash for themselves.
According to Forbes, the numbers encompass all pretax income earned from May 2010 to May 2011, before subtracting agent and manager fees. The totals were compiled with the help of data from Pollstar, RIAA and others, as well as interviews with industry insiders including lawyers, managers, concert promoters, agents and, in some cases, the musicians themselves.
Forbes also noted that some musicians were more thrifty with their income than others, noting that Gaga grossed nearly as much in 12 months of touring ($168 million) as Elton John ($204 million), but the costs of her elaborate production dug deep into her bottom line.
Forbes' list of the world's 25 highest-paidf musicians:
- U2 ($195 million)
- Bon Jovi ($125 million)
- Elton John ($100 million)
- Lady Gaga ($90 million)
- Michael Buble ($70 million)
- Paul McCartney ($67 million)
- Black Eyed Peas ($61 million)
- Eagles ($60 million)
- Justin Bieber ($53 million)
- Dave Matthews Band ($51 million)
- Toby Keith ($50 million)
- Usher ($46 million)
- Taylor Swift $45 million)
- Katy Perry ($44 million)
- Brad Paisley ($40 million)
- Tom Petty & the Heartbreaks ($38 million)
- Jay-Z ($38 million)
- AC/DC ($35 million)
- Sean "Diddy" Combs ($35 million)
- Beyonce ($35 million)
- Tim McGraw ($35 million)
- Muse ($35 million)
- Rascal Flatts ($34 million)
- Kenny Chesney ($30 million)
- Rihanna ($29 million)