For years now, people have been lamenting the death of the recording industry. True, record sales continue to dwindle by the year, but a lot of musicians are making do in the meantime via concert and merch sales, among other sources. You don't believe us? Just check out Forbes Magazine's annual Celebrity 100 list, which ranks the most powerful people in the entertainment business via their money and fame.
Unsurprisingly, media sensation Lady Gaga topped the list, which factors in the earnings during the last calendar year. Considering her batshit-crazy outfits, cover art, wild videos and the hype leading up to her Born This Way album, the singer has been on the tip of most people's tongues for quite some time. According to the report, she brought in $90 million over the last year.
Monetarily, that's nothing compared to Irish rock legends U2 though, who stand as the top-earning musicians in the list. Bono and the boys raked in $195 million over their U2 360 Tour. That could buy a ton of sunglasses and malfunctioning lemon set pieces! This is the second year running that the group were the top musical earners.
Other notable rockers include Bon Jovi, who brought in $70 million, while our boy Justin Bieber made $53 million. Yes, it sucks that people aren't always paying for music anymore, but, at least for the big guys, the recording industry hasn't hit rock bottom just yet.
You can check out the complete Celebrity 100 list here and see the top-earning musicians listed below.
Top-Earning Musicians:
U2 - $195M
Bon Jovi - $125M
Elton John - $100M
Lady Gaga - $90M
Paul McCartney - $67M
Black Eyed Peas - $61M
Justin Bieber - $53M
Toby Keith - $50M
Usher - $46M
Taylor Swift - $45M
Katy Perry - $44M
Brad Paisley - $40M
Beyoncé - $35M
Tim Mcgraw - $35M
Muse - $35M
Unsurprisingly, media sensation Lady Gaga topped the list, which factors in the earnings during the last calendar year. Considering her batshit-crazy outfits, cover art, wild videos and the hype leading up to her Born This Way album, the singer has been on the tip of most people's tongues for quite some time. According to the report, she brought in $90 million over the last year.
Monetarily, that's nothing compared to Irish rock legends U2 though, who stand as the top-earning musicians in the list. Bono and the boys raked in $195 million over their U2 360 Tour. That could buy a ton of sunglasses and malfunctioning lemon set pieces! This is the second year running that the group were the top musical earners.
Other notable rockers include Bon Jovi, who brought in $70 million, while our boy Justin Bieber made $53 million. Yes, it sucks that people aren't always paying for music anymore, but, at least for the big guys, the recording industry hasn't hit rock bottom just yet.
You can check out the complete Celebrity 100 list here and see the top-earning musicians listed below.
Top-Earning Musicians:
U2 - $195M
Bon Jovi - $125M
Elton John - $100M
Lady Gaga - $90M
Paul McCartney - $67M
Black Eyed Peas - $61M
Justin Bieber - $53M
Toby Keith - $50M
Usher - $46M
Taylor Swift - $45M
Katy Perry - $44M
Brad Paisley - $40M
Beyoncé - $35M
Tim Mcgraw - $35M
Muse - $35M
