Taylor Swift is No. 1 on Billboard’s “Top 40 Money Makers” List
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ABC/RICK ROWELL(NEW YORK) — Billboard has counted up just how much cash music’s biggest stars have earned over the past year to compile its “Top 40 Money Makers” list, and Taylor Swift comes out on top.
Swift’s sold-out Speak Now tour helped fill her coffers with $29.8 million, while sales of her albums and digital tracks were in the millions. Songwriting royalties also added to her total, because she wrote all of the songs on Speak Now.
Overall, Billboard estimates that Swift netted $35,719,902 in the U.S. over the past year — not counting her lucrative endorsement deals, merchandise sales or overseas earnings, which the publication didn’t make part of its equation.
Coming in second on the list is U2, thanks to their super-successful U2 360° tour, and not much due to their album sales. Of all the artists in the top 10 on the list, they actually sold the fewest number of albums and singles, proving that for bands, it’s all about concert earnings. Billboard puts Bono and the boys’ net U.S. revenue at $32,116,315.
Country superstar Kenny Chesney came in third, and Lady Gaga was fourth, with earnings of $23,353,039, thanks to her Monster Ball tour, and strong sales of her albums and singles. Rap superstar Lil Wayne was fifth, while Sade, who hit the road for her first U.S. tour in 10 years, came in sixth. Bon Jovi came in seventh with earnings of $19,813,232. Celine Dion came in eighth place. Country star Jason Aldean came in ninth, and in at 10 was Adele, with net U.S. earnings of $13,081,909.
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