Artists rank high on Forbes’ list of 100 World’s Highest-Paid Superstars of 2015
Katy Perry is the highest paid musician in the world, according to Forbes new list of the 100 World s Highest-Paid Superstars of 2015. Having earned US$135 million from touring in the past 12 months,…
Katy Perry is the highest paid musician in the world, according to Forbes' new list of the 100 World's Highest-Paid Superstars of 2015.
Having earned US$135 million from touring in the past 12 months, Perry ranks third behind boxer Floyd Mayweather, who topped the list with $300 million and Mayweather’s May 2 opponent Manny Pacquiao, who came in at second with $160 million. Katy Perry’s earnings between June 2014 and June 2014 top the 12-month earnings of Rihanna and Miley Cyrus combined.
Perry played 124 shows in the last year, 75 of them taking place outside the US as her Prismatic World Tour saw her earn more than $2 million in each city, including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne with Dainty Group.
The only other musician in the Top 5 of the list is One Direction. The British boy band earned $130 million in the last 12 months, more than the Rolling Stones (who ranked 26th with $57.5m) and The Eagles (who ranked 14th with $73.5m). The now four-piece’s Where We Are tour saw them partner with Nabisco, Pepsi and Colgate; it took in 74 dates and according to Forbes, grossed seven-figures at each stop.
US country music superstar Garth Brooks, who launched his own download store GhostTunes in November, ranked 6th on the list, earning US$90 million in the last 12 months. Nine more US country acts made it into the Top 100 - ten if you count Taylor Swift - they include: Toby Keith at #32 ($53 million); Jason Aldean at #47 ($43.5 million); Luke Bryan at #48 ($42.5 million); Kenny Chesney at #49 ($42 million); Tim McGraw at #58 ($38 million); Florida Georgia Line at #61 ($36.5 million); Zac Brown Band at #74 ($32 million) and Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton each earned $28.5 million to tie at #95.
Swift, who in November is set to tour Australia for the first time since 2013, made $10 million less than Garth Brooks in the last 12 months. Ranking at #8 with total earnings of $80 million, Forbes attributes her earnings to the success of her global #1 album 1989 and her endorsement deals with Keds, Sony and Diet Coke. Swift’s ranking is tied with actor Robert Downey Jr., the highest ranking actor on the list.
Reporting from inside the Australian music business since '94.
See below for 32 artists’ rankings and earnings on the Forbes’ list. These include Beyonce, Pharrell, Calvin Harris, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Dr. Dre and Britney Spears.
3. Katy Perry - $135 million
4. One Direction - $130 million
6. Garth Brooks - $90 million
8. Taylor Swift - $80 million
14. The Eagles - $73.5 million
17. Calvin Harris - $66 million
19. Justin Timberlake - $63.5 million
21. Sean Combs - $60 Million
24. Fleetwood Mac - $59.5 million
25. Lady Gaga - $59 million
26. Rolling Stones - $57.5 million
27. Ed Sheeran - $57 Million
28. Jay Z - $56 Million
29. Beyoncé - $54.5 Million
32. Toby Keith - $53 million
35. Paul McCartney - $51.5 Million
48. Luke Bryan - $42.5 million
49. Kenny Chesney - $42 million
52. Bruno Mars - $40 Million
54. Drake - $39.5 Million
58. Tim McGraw - $38 million
60. David Guetta - $37 Million
61. Florida Georgia Line - $36.5 Million
62. Tiësto - $36 Million
73. Dr. Dre - $33 Million
74. Zac Brown Band - $32 million
79. Pharrell Williams - $32 Million
83. Eminem - $31 Million
85. Britney Spears - $31 Million
95. Jennifer Lopez, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton - $28.5 Million
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Reporting from inside the Australian music business since '94.
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