Forbes has, yet again, released a mind-blowing list of the highest-paid performers in the 2012 music industry. This year’s chart topper was Dr. Dre, coming in hot with a whopping $110 million.
According to Consequence of Sound, although Dr. Dre is an accomplished rapper, most of his revenue, unsurprisingly, come from his headphones line. From his line, Beats by Dre, the artist picked up a $100 million before taxes. Though Dr. Dre made us all feel terribly poor this year, that doesn’t mean there aren’t many musicians snapping at his boot heels. Below is a list of the 25 highest-paid performers of 2012 which will make your jaw drop.
Highest-Paid Musicians of 2012:
01. Dr Dre – $110 Million
02. Roger Waters – $88 Million
03. Elton John – $80 Million
04. U2 – $78 Million
05. Take That – $69 Million
06. Bon Jovi – $60 Million
07. Britney Spears – $58 Million
08. Paul McCartney – $57 Million (tie)
08. Taylor Swift – $57 Million (tie)
10. Justin Bieber – $55 Million (tie)
10. Toby Keith – $55 Million (tie)
12. Rihanna – $53 Million
13. Lady GaGa – $52 Million
14. Foo Fighters – $47 Million
15. Diddy – $45 Million (tie)
15. Katy Perry – $45 Million (tie)
17. Kenny Chesney – $44 Million
18. Beyoncé – $40 Million
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers – $39 Million
20. Jay-Z – $38 Million
21. Coldplay – $37 Million
22. Adele – $35 Million (tie)
22. Kanye West – $35 Million (tie)
24. Michael Bublé – $34 Million
25. Sade – $33 Million