The Highest-Paid Musician for 2012 Isn’t Who You Think

by Nate Wooley | November 28, 2012 4:18 pm

[1]The musician making the most this year is none other than Dr. Dre.

Forbes has put together a list of the top-earning musicians of 2012[2]. Along with Dr. Dre are stars of hip-hop, pop and rock music from many eras.

The hip-hop pioneer brought in $110 million this year. Not that Dre hadn’t made some money before this — his time with N.W.A and World Class Wreckin’ Crew treated him well. But in 2012, Dre managed to sell a 51% stake in his Beats headphone business. That alone brought him $100 million.

Here’s the top 10 from the list[3]:

  1. Dr. Dre[4] — $110 million
  2. Roger Waters[5] — $88 million: The former Pink Flord songwriter is touring behind The Wall
  3. Elton John[6] — $80 million: A set of shows in Las Vegas and another tour helped him in 2012
  4. U2[7] — $78 million: The final legs of a 3-year tour helped the Irish band to success
  5. Take That[8] — $69 million: The boy band went on a reunion tour and raked it in
  6. Bon Jovi[9] — $60 million: A world tour boosted the New Jersey band
  7. Britney Spears[10] — $58 million: Britney earned millions from endorsements and a partnership with Elizabeth Arden
  8. Paul McCartney[11] — $57 million: A few dozen shows and his Beatle’s royalty checks helped Sir Paul cash in
  9. Taylor Swift[12] — $57 million: Her tour this year grossed more than $1 million per show
  10. Justin Bieber[13] — $55 million: The 18-year-old cashed in with his tour and his tech investments

You can see the entire list of the 25 highest-paid musicians at Forbes[14].

Other entertainers in the news:

Endnotes:

  1. [Image]: https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dr-dre.jpg
  2. the top-earning musicians of 2012: http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2012/11/28/the-worlds-highest-paid-musicians-2012/
  3. from the list: http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2012/11/28/the-worlds-highest-paid-musicians-2012/
  4. Dr. Dre: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/1-dr-dre-110-million/
  5. Roger Waters: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/2-roger-waters-88-million/
  6. Elton John: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/3-elton-john-80-million/
  7. U2: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/4-u2-78-million/
  8. Take That: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/5-take-that-69-million/
  9. Bon Jovi: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/6-bon-jovi-60-million/
  10. Britney Spears: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/7-britney-spears-58-million/
  11. Paul McCartney: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/8-paul-mccartney-57-million-tie/
  12. Taylor Swift: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/8-taylor-swift-57-million-tie/
  13. Justin Bieber: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45kldk/10-justin-bieber-55-million-tie/
  14. entire list of the 25 highest-paid musicians at Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2012/11/28/the-worlds-highest-paid-musicians-2012/
  15. Bobby B Denies DUI Charge: https://investorplace.com/2012/11/bobby-b-denies-dui-charge/
  16. Justin Bieber Booed By His Own Countrymen: https://investorplace.com/2012/11/justin-bieber-booed-by-his-own-countrymen/
  17. Robert Pattinson Snags $12 Million Endorsement Deal: https://investorplace.com/2012/10/robert-pattinson-snags-12-million-endorsement-deal/

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