Rihanna Made More Money Than Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, and Drake This Year
Want to feel insecure about your financial situation? Then check out Forbes’ annual list of highest-paid musicians.
This year’s ranking, which was released Wednesday, featured a diverse mix of new and old-school artists. Taylor Swift topped the list—surprise, surprise—earning $170 million within the past year. One Direction came in at No. 2 with $110 million, followed by Adele with $80.5 million, and Madonna with $76.5 million.
Rihanna rounded out the top 5, raking in a whopping $75 million, thanks in large part to her wildly successful ANTI World Tour, her collaboration with Puma, as well as her endorsement deals with Dior, Samsung, and Stance. It’s a pretty impressive increase for the 28-year-old singer, who took in only $26 million last year.
Other notable musicians on the list include aging rock bands AC/DC at No. 7 with $67.5 million and the Rolling Stones (No. 8) with $66.5 million, with didn’t-know-he-was-still-around country star Garth Brooks (No. 6) vaulting above both of them at $70 million. Calvin Harris landed at the No. 9 spot with $63 million, followed by Puff Daddy with $62 million.
Power couple Jay Z and Beyoncé took home almost the same amount of money in 2016; Bey earned $54 million, Jay $53.5 million, putting them at No. 17 and No. 18, respectively. Dr. Dre and Katy Perry tired for the No. 25 position, with $41 million each. Drake closed out the list at No. 30 with $38.5 million.
Forbes’ ranking measures income from June 1, 2015, to June 1, 2016 before deducting management fees and taxes. The figures are based on data received from Pollstar, Nielsen, and the RIAA, as well as information from managers, agents, lawyers, and some of the celebrities listed.
