This year we’ve already seen the million dollar fortunes of the highest paid Aussie musicians, the world’s best paid DJs, and the rappers that actually have the bank balances they brag about in their rhymes.
Now comes the big one, the highest paid musicians of 2013 – across the board, and along with the usual list of exorbitantly earning pop stars and musical mainstays, the list of the highest paid musicians of 2013 also offers some surprising results.
Such as the fact that Australian-bound sci-fi power prog trio Muse make as many millions as Rihanna, The Red Hot Chili Peppers made more than The Rolling Stones in the last 12 months, and the fact that country music is still super-lucrative.
The roll-call of music’s highest earning figures comes courtesy of business bible Forbes, and if you’ve been tracking previous coverage, you might already know the matriarch that has unseated last year’s highest paid musician: rap mogul and Beats entrepreneur Dr Dre with a fortune of $110 million.
Already named as the year’s highest paid celebrity, 55-year-old Queen of Pop Madonna is the clear winner by a significant margin, with a staggering US$ 125 million earned between June 2012 and June 2013.
Interestingly, the material girl, sometimes actor, and merchandise mogul, comes out on top despite the latest album in her 40-year-old discography, last year’s MDNA, was the weakest selling of her career (shifting ‘just’ 1.8 million units worldwide). Instead, Madge made her Scrooge McDuck-sized fortune through her touring and brand power.
The accompanying MDNA world tour generated the most revenue of any other in 2012, raking in $228 million by the end of the year, and by 2013 eventually grossed an estimated $305.2 million from 88 sold out shows. [There’s] some surprising results. Such as the fact that sci-fi power prog trio Muse make as many millions as Rihanna…
Meanwhile, Madonna’s own Material Girl and Truth Or Dare line of clothing and fragrances and merchandise kept the millions rolling in, as well as her personalised fitness centre franchise, Hard Candy. The US$125 million also edges Madonna’s previous income record by $15 million, (peaking back in 2009 with $110 million), as Forbes points out.
But even more satisfying for Madonna than peering at the queue of zeroes at the end of her bank statements would be who she leaves behind in the monetary dust at #2, Lady Gaga; the pop sensationalist who Madonna has criticised of mimicking her – from music to conical bra image.
The woman born Stefani Germanotta took an income of US$80 million for the 2012/2013 period, thanks to the huge revenue from Gaga’s tours, one of the highest grossing tours of last year and an enormous following; her social networking site, Little Monsters, has 26 million followers, that’s more than the population of Australia.
Not far behind Gaga, coming in bronze position, is Bon Jovi with earnings of $US 79 million whose extensive Because We Can World Tour has raked in big bucks for the band this year, even with their strategy of offering cut-rate budget tickets to their arena shows, a plan they employed for their Australian tour, which rolls out next month.
The importance of massive arena tours in generating profits was underscored by several other musicians on the list, including Country music star Toby Keith (with US$65 million), Coldplay (US$64 million), and Bruce Springsteen, with the Wrecking Ball World Tour has been one of the must successful of 2013, grossing $25 million for the Boss and promoters Frontier Touring over his recent Easter visit (so little surprise that Springsteen and Frontier are repeating the trick with an expanded national tour next February).
While some musicians are hitting the road to balloon their bank accounts, others find revenue sources primarily outside of music. Case in point, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs – who easily tops the pool of the world’s highest paid rappers with a cool $US 50 million to his name. A figure drawn from his Bad Boy record label, Blue Flame agency, the Sean John clothing line, and an agreement with Diageo’s Ciroc vodka that draws in a huge part of his cash flow, while he’s also in talks with Time Warner and Comcast over a US cable channel deal.
Just as lucrative as the rap game is the booming EDM scene, as proven by the appearance on the list of Scottish producer/high-profile collaborator Calvin Harris and Dutch superstar DJ Tiësto; two of the world’s highest paid DJs that pocket exorbitant amounts of cash with minimal overheads (Laptop? Check. Plane ticket for one? Check), rubbing shoulders with traditionally big earners like Paul McCartney (US$47 million) and Australia-storming pop singer Pink (US$ 32 million).
It may go without saying, but the earnings only apply to living musicians notes Forbes. Why? Because otherwise sitting at the top slot, beating Madonna by some $35 million, would be the deceased King of Pop, Michael Jackson and his posthumous 2013 fortune of US$ 160 million.
Which offers a morbid, grisly truth; sometimes the most profitable part of a career is in the literally ending of it.
The Highest Paid Musicians Of 2013
According to Forbes
1- Madonna – US$125 million
2- Lady Gaga – US$80 million
3- Bon Jovi – US$79 million
4- Toby Keith – US$65 million
5- Coldplay – US$64 million
6- Bruce Springsteen – US$62 million
7- Justin Bieber – US$58 million
8- Taylor Swift – US$55 million
9- Elton John – US$54 million
10= Beyonce – US$53 million
10= Kenny Chesney – US$53 million
12- Diddy – US$50 million
13- Paul McCartney – US$47 million
14- Calvin Harris – US$46 million
15- Jennifer Lopez – US$45 million
16- Roger Waters – US$44 million
17= Muse – US$43 million
17= Rihanna – US$43 million
19= Jay Z – US$42 million
19= One Direction – US$42 million
21= Dr Dre – US$40 million
21= Red Hot Chili Peppers – US$40 million
23= The Rolling Stones – US$39 million
23= Katy Perry – US$39 million
25- Tim McGraw – US$33 million
26= Pink – US$32 million
26= Tiësto – US$32 million
