Forbes list of the world's highest-paid musicians
| Company type | Annual ranking |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music, Entertainment |
| Founded | 1987 |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Rankings of musician earnings |
The top-earning musicians worldwide have been tracked annually by Forbes since at least 1987. The publication calculates gross pre-tax revenue—prior to subtracting commissions for agents, managers, or lawyers. Most rankings are based on a June-to-June timeframe, with the exception of 1999, 2021, and 2022 when the calendar year was applied.
U2 holds the distinction of being the highest-paid artist in a single year on five occasions and has topped the earnings list as a group eight times. Michael Jackson was the pioneer in surpassing $100 million in annual income (1989) and has been recognized as the highest-paid male solo performer seven times. In 2014, Dr. Dre established a new record with $620 million in yearly earnings, predominantly driven by proceeds from his headphone brand, Beats Electronics.
Madonna was the first female artist to achieve $100 million in annual earnings (2009) and has led as the highest-paid female musician eleven times. Taylor Swift set the benchmark for the highest official yearly income by a female artist with $185 million in 2019, exceeding her own previous high of $170 million from 2016.
Highest-paid musicians by year
| Template:Center | Denotes the top-earning celebrity across all entertainment sectors for that year |
| Year | Musician | Nationality | Earnings | Adjusted earnings (in Template:Inflation/year dollars) |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Template:Sortname | United States | $56 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1988 | Template:Sortname * | United States | $97 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1989 | Template:Sortname * | United States | $125 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1990 | Template:Sortname | United States | $100 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1991 | New Kids on the Block * | United States | $115 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1992 | New Kids on the Block | United States | $62 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1993 | Guns N' Roses | United States | $53 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1994 | Pink Floyd | United Kingdom | $62 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1995 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $130 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| Year | Musician | Nationality | Earnings | Adjusted earnings (in US$) | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $130 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1997 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $98 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1998 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $57 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1999 | Backstreet Boys | United States | $60 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2001 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $70 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2002 | U2 | Ireland | $69 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2003 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $66.5 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2004 | Template:Sortname | United States | $64 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2005 | Madonna | United States | $50 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2006 | U2 | Ireland | $110 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2007 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $110 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2008 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $115 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2009 | Madonna | United States | $110 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2010 | U2 | Ireland | $130 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2011 | U2 | Ireland | $195 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2012 | Template:Sort | United States | $110 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2013 | style="background:#FAEB86;" | Madonna * | United States | $125 million | $Template:Inflationmillion | |
| 2014 | style="background:#FAEB86;" | Template:Sortname * | United States | $620 million | ${{formatnum:Template:Inflationmillion | |
| 2015 | Template:Sortname | United States | $135million | = {{$ { format num : {{$ { inflation : US :135 :2015 } }} }}million | |
| 2016 | = style = "background:#FAEB86;"align = left | Template:Sort name * | =UnitedStates | =170million | = {{$ { format num : {{$ { inflation : US :170 :2016 } }} }}million | |
| 2017 | =style = "background:#FAEB86;"align = left | \ Diddy * | =UnitedStates | =130million | = {{$ { format num : {{$ { inflation : US :130 :2017 } }} }}million | |
| 2018 | =align = left | U2 | =Ireland | =118million | = {{$ { format num : {{$ { inflation : US :118 :2018 } }} }}million | |
| 2019 | =style = "background:#FAEB86;"align = left | Template:Sort name * | =UnitedStates | =185million | = {{$ { format num : {{$ { inflation : US :185 :2019 } }} }}million | |
| 2020 | =align = left | Template:Sort name | =UnitedStates | =170million | = {{$ { format num : {{$ { inflation : US :170 :2020 } }} }}million | |
| 2021 | =align = left | Template:Sort name | =UnitedStates | =435million | = {{$ { format num : {{$ { inflation : US :435 :2021 } }} }}million | |
| 2022 | =align = left | Genesis (band) | =UnitedKingdom | =230million | = {{$ { format num : {{$ { inflation : US :230 :2022 } }} }}million |
Group
| Year | Band | Country of origin | Revenue | Inflation-adjusted revenue (in Template:Inflation/year dollars) |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | U2 | Ireland | $37 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1988 | U2 | Ireland | $42 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1989 | Pink Floyd | United Kingdom | $56 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1990 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $88 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1991 | New Kids on the Block * | United States | $115 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1992 | New Kids on the Block | United States | $62 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1993 | Guns N' Roses | United States | $53 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1994 | Pink Floyd | United Kingdom | $62 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1995 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $130 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1996 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $130 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1997 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $98 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1998 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $57 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1999 | Backstreet Boys | United States | $60 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2001 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $70 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2002 | U2 | Ireland | $69 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2003 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $66.5 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2004 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $51 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2005 | Eagles | United States | $45 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2006 | U2 | Ireland | $110 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2007 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $110 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2008 | Template:Sort | United Kingdom | $115 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2009 | Rascal Flatts | United States | $60 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2010 | U2 | Ireland | $130 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2011 | U2 | Ireland | $195 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2012 | U2 | Ireland | $78 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2013 | Bon Jovi | United States | $79 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2014 | Eagles | United States | $100 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 2015 | One Direction |
United Kingdom / Ireland || $130million || ${{ formatnum : Template:Inflation " }} | | |||
| 2016 | One Direction |
United Kingdom / Ireland || $110million || ${{ formatnum : Template:Inflation " }} | | |||
|
2017 |
United Kingdom |
$88million |
${{ formatnum : Template:Inflation " }} | | ||
|
2018 |
Ireland |
$118million |
$147million |
||
|
2019 |
United States |
$100million |
${{ formatnum : Template:Inflation " }} | | ||
|
2020 |
United States |
$68.5million |
${{ formatnum : Template:Inflation " }} | | ||
|
2021 |
United States |
$116million |
${{ formatnum : Template:Inflation " }} | | ||
|
2022 |
United Kingdom |
$230million |
${{ formatnum : Template:Inflation " }} | |
Male
| Year | Artist | Country | Income | Inflation-adjusted income (in Template:Inflation/year dollars) |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Template:Sortname | United States | $56 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1988 | Template:Sortname * | United States | $97 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1989 | Template:Sortname * | United States | $125 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1990 | Template:Sortname | United States | $100 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1991 | Template:Sortname | United States | $60 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1992 | Template:Sortname | United States | $51 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1993 | Prince | United States | $49 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1994 | Template:Sortname | United States | $41 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1995 | Template:Sortname | United States | $67 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| Template:Sortname | United States | $70 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| Sean Combs * | United States | $130 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| Template:Sortname | United Kingdom | $110 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| Template:Sortname | United States | $150 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| Template:Sortname | United States | $170 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| Template:Sortname | United States | $435 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| Sting | United Kingdom | $210 million | $Template:Inflation million |
Female
| Year | Artist | Country | Income | Inflation-adjusted income (in Template:Inflation/year dollars) |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Madonna | United States | $47 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1988 | Madonna | United States | $46 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1989 | Madonna | United States | $43 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1990 | Madonna | United States | $62 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1991 | Madonna | United States | $63 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1992 | Madonna | United States | $48 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1993 | Madonna | United States | $37 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1994 | Template:Sortname | United States | $57 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1995 | Template:Sortname | United States | $63 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1996 | Template:Sortname | United States | $32 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1997 | Template:Sortname | Canada | $65 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1998 | Template:Sortname | Canada | $55.5 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
| 1999 | Template:Sortname | Canada | $48 million | $Template:Inflation million | |
|
2001 | align = left | Template:Sortname | align = left | United States | $38.5million | $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2002 | align = left | Template:Sortname | align = left | United States | $58million | $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2003 align = left Cher align = left United States $33.1million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2004 align = left Template:Sortname align = left Canada $28million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2005 align = left Madonna align = left United States $50million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2006 align = left Template:Sortname align = left Canada $40million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2007 align = left Madonna align = left United States $72million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2008 align = left Beyoncé align = left United States $80million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2009 align = left Madonna align = left United States $110million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2010 align = left Beyoncé align = left United States $87million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2011 align = left Template:Sortname align = left United States $90million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2012 align = left Template:Sortname align = left United States $58million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2013 style ="background:#FAEB86;" align = left Madonna * align = left United States $125million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2014 align = left Beyoncé align = left United States $115million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2015 align = left Template:Sortname align = left United States $135million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2016 style ="background:#FAEB86;" align = left Template:Sortname * align = left United States $170million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2017 align = left Beyoncé align = left United States $105million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2018 align = left Template:Sortname align = left United States $83million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2019 style ="background:#FAEB86;" align = left Template:Sortname * align = left United States $185million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2020 align = left Template:Sortname align = left United States $72million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2021 align = left Template:Sortname align = left United States $52million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
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2022 align = left Template:Sortname align = left United States $92million $ Template:Inflationmillion |
2010s
| Position | Artist | Country | Total Earnings | Earnings adjusted (in Template:Inflation/year dollars) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Dre | United States | $950 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| 2 | Taylor Swift | United States | $825 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| 3 | Beyoncé | United States | $685 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| 4 | U2 | Ireland | $675 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| 5 | Diddy | United States | $605 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| 6 | Elton John | United Kingdom | $565 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| 7 | Jay-Z | United States | $560 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| 8 | Paul McCartney | United Kingdom | $535 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| 9 | Katy Perry | United States | $530 million | $Template:Inflation million |
| 10 | Lady Gaga | United States | $500 million | $Template:Inflation million |