In case you had any doubt that girls really do run the world, UK singer Adele has topped the ‘Young Musician Rich List’ in Britain’s leading newspaper The Sunday Times this week, leading a list that features an impressive amount of British women leading the charge in the 25th anniversary edition of the annual ‘rich list’, out April 21st.
The 24-year-old singer has topped the ‘Under 30s’ category with an estimated fortune of £30 million (AUS$43.8 million), despite taking time out in 2012 to undergo throat surgery. After the release of 2011’s 21, Adele has remained quiet on the music scene following the birth of her first child Angelo, but did pick up an Academy Award in February for her theme song contribution to James Bond flick Skyfall.
As NME reports, the under-30s rich list features a prominent number of female musicians, with Adele’s net-worth almost double that of second place holder Cheryl Cole who is worth an estimated £14 million (AUS$20.4 million), after her stint as a judge on the UK X-Factor and a founding member of girl group Girls Aloud.
Cole is followed by former X Factor winner Leona Lewis and singer-songwriter Katie Melua, who are both worth £12 million (AUS$17.5 million) a piece.
Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine is fifth on the list worth an estimated £9 million (AUS$13.1 million), making the top five richest musicians in Great Britain exclusively female. Welch is reportedly taking a year-long hiatus from her ‘machine’ with the flame-haired belter taking time off to feature on Scottish producer Calvin Harris’s 18 Months. The 24-year-old singer has topped the ‘Under 30s’ category with an estimated fortune of £30 million
In fact, nine of the Top 10 Under 30s list are female, with pop star Jonathan ‘JB’ Gill sneaking in at equal 8th position on the list with Nadine Coyle and Duffy, each with a fortune worth £6 million, while just bubbling under the Top 10, but new entrants to the list of young millionaires, are Ed Sheeran and Emeli Sandé who are worth a reported £5 million (AUS$7.3 million) each.
While Adele’s £30 million is impressive, it isn’t a patch on Sir Paul McCartney who topped the 10 richest musicians in Britain and Ireland with an estimated fortune of £680 million (AUS$992.8 million), topping a list that’s inverted to the Under 30s list – with a male-dominated run of music industry veterans.
McCartney and wife Nancy Shevell’s combined fortune is up £15 million (AUS$21.9 million) from last year. The ex-Beatle has held the position of Britain’s richest musician since the London newspaper began the rich list in 1989.
Playwright Andrew Lloyd Webber follows closely behind McCartney with an estimated worth of £620 million (AUS$917.8 million), with U2 (AUS$759.2 million) and Sir Elton John (AUS$350.4 million) coming in at three and four respectively. John’s 40th anniversary Rocket Man tour, which kicked off in Australia in December of last year, was one of the highest selling tours of last year, with a chunk of that doe ending up in the Englishman’s pocket.
Equal fifth position is taken out by Sir Mick Jagger and David and Victoria Beckham sitting at £200 million (AUS$292 million) each. The Beckhams are technically considered “musicians” on the list, even though Victoria hung up her Posh Spice platform boots long ago. While Adele’s £30 million is impressive, it isn’t a patch on Sir Paul McCartney…
Other power couples include Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon who also appear in the top 10, as well as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin who shares his fortune with wife Gwyneth Paltrow.
Jagger’s bandmate Keith Richards came in eighth on the list with £185 million (AUS$273.8 million), no doubt as a result of The Rolling Stones returning to the touring trail.
Their fortunes are set to increase even further with the announcement that the Rolling Stones are extending their world tour, starting with the band headlining Glastonbury 2013 as part of the celebrations for their 50th Anniversary, that is more than likely to hit Australia too.
In a major win for Melbourne band The Temper Trap, the five-piece have scored a coveted supporting slot at the Rolling Stones’ headline concert in London’s Hyde Park which marks 44 years since the band first played there.
Support for the outdoor performance also comes from Texan guitar prodigy Gary Clark Jr., London’s own The Vaccines, and the Aussies, who have had an enormous 2012 thanks to sophomore effort The Temper Trap, one of Australia’s best selling releases, as well as scooping the ARIA for Best Rock Album and Best Group in 2012.
You can view the list of the UK’s highest earners below:
The top 10 richest musicians aged 30 and under in Britain and Ireland according to the Sunday Times Rich List are:
1 – Adele – £30 million (AUS$43.8 million)
2 – Cheryl Cole – £14 million (AUS$20.4 million)
3 = Leona Lewis – £12 million (AUS$17.5 million)
3 = Katie Melua – £12 million (AUS$17.5 million)
5 – Florence Welch – £9 million (AUS$13.1 million)
=6. Charlotte Church – £8 million (AU$11.8 million)
=6. Jessie J – £8 million (AU$11.8 million)
=6. Lily Allen – £8 million (AU$11.8 million)
=8. Nadine Coyle – £6 million (AU$11.8 million)
=8. Duffy – £6 million (AU$11.8 million)
=8. Jonathan ‘JB’ Gill – £6 million (AU$11.8 million)
The top 10 richest musicians in Britain and Ireland according to the Sunday Times Rich List are:
1 – Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell – £680 million (AUS$992.8 million)
2 – Andrew Lloyd Webber – £620 million (AUS$105.2 million)
3 – U2 – £520 million (AUS$759.2 million)
4 – Sir Elton John – £240 million (AUS$350.4 million)
5= David and Victoria Beckham – £200 million (AUS$292 million)
5= Sir Mick Jagger – £200 million (AUS$292 million)
7 – Michael Flatley – £191 million (AUS$278.8 million)
8 – Keith Richards – £185 million (AUS$270.1 million)
9= Olivia and Dhani Harrison – £180 million (AUS$262.8 million)
9= Sting – £180 million (AUS$262.8 million)
