# Forbes list of the world's highest-paid musicians

The highest-paid musicians in the world have been reported annually by Forbes since at least 1987. For measurement, the magazine used pretax earnings—before deducting fees for agents, managers or lawyers. Most of the lists were estimated within a June-to-June scoring period, except for 1999, 2021, and 2022 when a calendar year period was used instead.
U2 became the annual highest-paid musician five times, more than any other act. They were also the highest-paid music group in a record eight different years. Michael Jackson became the first musician to earn over $100 million in a year (1989), and has become the highest-paid male soloist a record seven times. Dr. Dre currently holds the record for the highest annual earnings for a musician, collecting $620 million in 2014, mainly through the sales of his headphone-manufacturing company, Beats Electronics.
Madonna is the first woman in music to earn $100 million for a year (2009) and has become the highest-paid female musician a record 11 times. Taylor Swift remains the female musician with the highest annual earnings ever with $185 million in 2019, breaking previous record set by herself in 2016 with $170 million.

## Highest-paid musicians by year

Key :
| * | Indicates the year's highest-paid celebrity (all fields of entertainment) |
Highest-paid musicians of the year :
| Year | Musician | Nationality | Earnings | Adjusted earnings (in 2023 dollar) |
| 1987 | Bruce Springsteen | United States | $56 million | $150 million |
| 1988 | Michael Jackson * | United States | $97 million | $250 million |
| 1989 | Michael Jackson * | United States | $125 million | $307 million |
| 1990 | Michael Jackson | United States | $100 million | $233 million |
| 1991 | New Kids on the Block * | United States | $115 million | $257 million |
| 1992 | New Kids on the Block | United States | $62 million | $135 million |
| 1993 | Guns N' Roses | United States | $53 million | $112 million |
| 1994 | Pink Floyd | United Kingdom | $62 million | $127 million |
| 1995 | The Beatles | United Kingdom | $130 million | $260 million |
| 1996 | The Beatles | United Kingdom | $130 million | $253 million |
| 1997 | The Beatles | United Kingdom | $98 million | $186 million |
| 1998 | The Rolling Stones | United Kingdom | $57 million | $107 million |
| 1999 | Backstreet Boys | United States | $60 million | $110 million |
| 2001 | The Beatles | United Kingdom | $70 million | $120 million |
| 2002 | U2 | Ireland | $69 million | $117 million |
| 2003 | The Rolling Stones | United Kingdom | $66.5 million | $110 million |
| 2004 | Bruce Springsteen | United States | $64 million | $103 million |
| 2005 | Madonna | United States | $50 million | $78 million |
| 2006 | U2 | Ireland | $110 million | $166 million |
| 2007 | The Rolling Stones | United Kingdom | $110 million | $162 million |
| 2008 | The Police | United Kingdom | $115 million | $163 million |
| 2009 | Madonna | United States | $110 million | $156 million |
| 2010 | U2 | Ireland | $130 million | $182 million |
| 2011 | U2 | Ireland | $195 million | $264 million |
| 2012 | Dr. Dre | United States | $110 million | $146 million |
| 2013 | Madonna * | United States | $125 million | $164 million |
| 2014 | Dr. Dre * | United States | $620 million | $798 million |
| 2015 | Katy Perry | United States | $135 million | $174 million |
| 2016 | Taylor Swift * | United States | $170 million | $216 million |
| 2017 | Diddy * | United States | $130 million | $162 million |
| 2018 | U2 | Ireland | $118 million | $143 million |
| 2019 | Taylor Swift * | United States | $185 million | $220 million |
| 2020 | Kanye West | United States | $170 million | $200 million |
| 2021 | Bruce Springsteen | United States | $435 million | $489 million |
| 2022 | Genesis | United Kingdom | $230 million | $239 million |

### Group

Highest-paid music groups of the year :
| Year | Music group | Nationality | Earnings | Adjusted earnings (in 2023 dollar) |
| 1987 | U2 | Ireland | $37 million | $99 million |
| 1988 | U2 | Ireland | $42 million | $108 million |
| 1989 | Pink Floyd | United Kingdom | $56 million | $138 million |
| 1990 | The Rolling Stones | United Kingdom | $88 million | $205 million |
| 1991 | New Kids on the Block * | United States | $115 million | $257 million |
| 1992 | New Kids on the Block | United States | $62 million | $135 million |
| 1993 | Guns N' Roses | United States | $53 million | $112 million |
| 1994 | Pink Floyd | United Kingdom | $62 million | $127 million |
| 1995 | The Beatles | United Kingdom | $130 million | $260 million |
| 1996 | The Beatles | United Kingdom | $130 million | $253 million |
| 1997 | The Beatles | United Kingdom | $98 million | $186 million |
| 1998 | The Rolling Stones | United Kingdom | $57 million | $107 million |
| 1999 | Backstreet Boys | United States | $60 million | $110 million |
| 2001 | The Beatles | United Kingdom | $70 million | $120 million |
| 2002 | U2 | Ireland | $69 million | $117 million |
| 2003 | The Rolling Stones | United Kingdom | $66.5 million | $110 million |
| 2004 | The Rolling Stones | United Kingdom | $51 million | $82 million |
| 2005 | Eagles | United States | $45 million | $70 million |
| 2006 | U2 | Ireland | $110 million | $166 million |
| 2007 | The Rolling Stones | United Kingdom | $110 million | $162 million |
| 2008 | The Police | United Kingdom | $115 million | $163 million |
| 2009 | Rascal Flatts | United States | $60 million | $85 million |
| 2010 | U2 | Ireland | $130 million | $182 million |
| 2011 | U2 | Ireland | $195 million | $264 million |
| 2012 | U2 | Ireland | $78 million | $104 million |
| 2013 | Bon Jovi | United States | $79 million | $103 million |
| 2014 | Eagles | United States | $100 million | $129 million |
| 2015 | One Direction | United Kingdom / Ireland | $130 million | $167 million |
| 2016 | One Direction | United Kingdom / Ireland | $110 million | $140 million |
| 2017 | Coldplay | United Kingdom | $88 million | $109 million |
| 2018 | U2 | Ireland | $118 million | $143 million |
| 2019 | Eagles | United States | $100 million | $119 million |
| 2020 | Jonas Brothers | United States | $68.5 million | $81 million |
| 2021 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | United States | $116 million | $130 million |
| 2022 | Genesis | United Kingdom | $230 million | $239 million |

### Male

Highest-paid male solo musicians of the year :
| Year | Musician | Nationality | Earnings | Adjusted earnings (in 2023 dollar) |
| 1987 | Bruce Springsteen | United States | $56 million | $150 million |
| 1988 | Michael Jackson * | United States | $97 million | $250 million |
| 1989 | Michael Jackson * | United States | $125 million | $307 million |
| 1990 | Michael Jackson | United States | $100 million | $233 million |
| 1991 | Michael Jackson | United States | $60 million | $134 million |
| 1992 | Michael Jackson | United States | $51 million | $111 million |
| 1993 | Prince | United States | $49 million | $103 million |
| 1994 | Garth Brooks | United States | $41 million | $84 million |
| 1995 | Michael Jackson | United States | $67 million | $134 million |
| 1996 | Michael Jackson | United States | $90 million | $175 million |
| 1997 | David Bowie | United Kingdom | $63 million | $120 million |
| 1998 | Master P | United States | $56.5 million | $106 million |
| 1999 | Lou Bega | Germany | $6 million | $11 million |
| 2001 | Dr. Dre | United States | $35 million | $60 million |
| 2002 | Elton John | United Kingdom | $30 million | $51 million |
| 2003 | Paul McCartney | United Kingdom | $59 million | $98 million |
| 2004 | Bruce Springsteen | United States | $64 million | $103 million |
| 2005 | Prince | United States | $49.7 million | $78 million |
| 2006 | Bruce Springsteen | United States | $55 million | $83 million |
| 2007 | Elton John | United Kingdom | $53 million | $78 million |
| 2008 | Toby Keith | United States | $48 million | $68 million |
| 2009 | Bruce Springsteen | United States | $70 million | $99 million |
| 2010 | Bruce Springsteen | United States | $70 million | $98 million |
| 2011 | Elton John | United Kingdom | $100 million | $135 million |
| 2012 | Dr. Dre | United States | $110 million | $146 million |
| 2013 | Toby Keith | United States | $65 million | $85 million |
| 2014 | Dr. Dre * | United States | $620 million | $798 million |
| 2015 | Garth Brooks | United States | $90 million | $116 million |
| 2016 | Garth Brooks | United States | $70 million | $89 million |
| 2017 | Diddy * | United States | $130 million | $162 million |
| 2018 | Ed Sheeran | United Kingdom | $110 million | $133 million |
| 2019 | Kanye West | United States | $150 million | $179 million |
| 2020 | Kanye West | United States | $170 million | $200 million |
| 2021 | Bruce Springsteen | United States | $435 million | $489 million |
| 2022 | Sting | United Kingdom | $210 million | $219 million |

### Female

Highest-paid female musicians of the year :
| Year | Musician | Nationality | Earnings | Adjusted earnings (in 2023 dollar) |
| 1987 | Madonna | United States | $47 million | $126 million |
| 1988 | Madonna | United States | $46 million | $119 million |
| 1989 | Madonna | United States | $43 million | $106 million |
| 1990 | Madonna | United States | $62 million | $145 million |
| 1991 | Madonna | United States | $63 million | $141 million |
| 1992 | Madonna | United States | $48 million | $104 million |
| 1993 | Madonna | United States | $37 million | $78 million |
| 1994 | Barbra Streisand | United States | $57 million | $117 million |
| 1995 | Barbra Streisand | United States | $63 million | $126 million |
| 1996 | Mariah Carey | United States | $32 million | $62 million |
| 1997 | Celine Dion | Canada | $65 million | $123 million |
| 1998 | Celine Dion | Canada | $55.5 million | $104 million |
| 1999 | Shania Twain | Canada | $48 million | $88 million |
| 2001 | Britney Spears | United States | $38.5 million | $66 million |
| 2002 | Mariah Carey | United States | $58 million | $98 million |
| 2003 | Cher | United States | $33.1 million | $55 million |
| 2004 | Celine Dion | Canada | $28 million | $45 million |
| 2005 | Madonna | United States | $50 million | $78 million |
| 2006 | Celine Dion | Canada | $40 million | $60 million |
| 2007 | Madonna | United States | $72 million | $106 million |
| 2008 | Beyoncé | United States | $80 million | $113 million |
| 2009 | Madonna | United States | $110 million | $156 million |
| 2010 | Beyoncé | United States | $87 million | $122 million |
| 2011 | Lady Gaga | United States | $90 million | $122 million |
| 2012 | Britney Spears | United States | $58 million | $77 million |
| 2013 | Madonna * | United States | $125 million | $164 million |
| 2014 | Beyoncé | United States | $115 million | $148 million |
| 2015 | Katy Perry | United States | $135 million | $174 million |
| 2016 | Taylor Swift * | United States | $170 million | $216 million |
| 2017 | Beyoncé | United States | $105 million | $131 million |
| 2018 | Katy Perry | United States | $83 million | $101 million |
| 2019 | Taylor Swift * | United States | $185 million | $220 million |
| 2020 | Ariana Grande | United States | $72 million | $85 million |
| 2021 | Taylor Swift | United States | $52 million | $58 million |
| 2022 | Taylor Swift | United States | $92 million | $96 million |

## Highest-paid musicians by decade
### 2010s

Top 10 highest-paid musicians of the 2010s decade :
| Rank | Musician | Nationality | Earnings | Adjusted earnings (in 2023 dollar) |
| 1 | Dr. Dre | United States | $950 million | $1,132 million |
| 2 | Taylor Swift | United States | $825 million | $983 million |
| 3 | Beyoncé | United States | $685 million | $816 million |
| 4 | U2 | Ireland | $675 million | $804 million |
| 5 | Diddy | United States | $605 million | $721 million |
| 6 | Elton John | United Kingdom | $565 million | $673 million |
| 7 | Jay-Z | United States | $560 million | $667 million |
| 8 | Paul McCartney | United Kingdom | $535 million | $638 million |
| 9 | Katy Perry | United States | $530 million | $632 million |
| 10 | Lady Gaga | United States | $500 million | $596 million |