Taylor Swift Tops Billboard’s Top 40 Money Makers List!
Taylor Swift topped the Billboard Top 40 Money Makers list of 2012, earning a reported $35.7 million dollars in 2011. The magazine attributed her touring, which pulled in $29 million, and songwriting to her success. U2 was in second with $32 million. Kenny Chesney, Lady Gaga and Little Wayne rounded out the top five.
The rest of the top ten include Sade, Bon Jovi, Celine Dion, Jason Aldean, and Adele.
Billboard based the list based on U.S. income sources from publishing royalties and album and tours sales.
The complete list of Billboard’s Top Money Makers of 2012 is below.
- Taylor Swift: $35.7 million
- U2: $32.1 million
- Kenny Chesney: $29.8 million
- Lady Gaga: $25.3 million
- Lil Wayne: $23.1 million
- Bon Jovi: $19.8 million
- Sade: $16.3 million
- Celine Dion: $14.2 million
- Jason Aldean: $13.4 million
- Adele: $13 million
- “Glee” Cast: $12.6 million
- Journey: $12.3 million
- Elton John: $11.9 million
- Katy Perry: $12 million
- Toby Keith: $10.4 million
- Britney Spears: $10.1 million
- Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: $10 million
- Rascal Flatts: $9.6 million
- Tim McGraw: $9.3 million
- Michael Buble: $9 million
- Brad Paisley: $8.6 million
- Rihanna: $7.7 million
- Enrique Iglesias: $7.5 million
- The Beatles: $6.7 million
- Paul McCartney: $6.7 million
- Lady Antebellum: $6.7 million
- Keith Urban: $6.6 million
- Zac Brown Band: $6.5 million
- Rod Stewart: $6.4 million
- Usher: $6.3 million
- Foo Fighters: $6 million
- Rush: $5.8 million
- Backstreet Boys: $5.7 million
- Sugarland: $5.6 million
- Justin Bieber: $5.5 million
- New Kids on the Block: $5.5 million
- Steely Dan: $5.4 million
- Motley Crue: $5.4 million
- Kanye West: $5.4 million
- Linkin Park: $5.2 million