Forbes Magazine has come out with their annual list of Highest Paid Musicians for 2016, and if you've bought a concert ticket, album, cd, digital download, or merchandise from any of these people on the list, then they have you to thank for the big bucks! The criteria was based on earnings from June 2015 - June 2016, and that includes music sales, endorsements, and other commercial ventures. Below are the top 30 earning musicians, with nary a surprise on the list.

 

  1. Taylor Swift - $170 million
  2. One Direction - $110 million
  3. Adele - $80.5 million
  4. Madonna - $76.5 million
  5. Rihanna - $75 million
  6. Garth Brooks - $70 million
  7. AC/DC - $67.5 million
  8. Rolling Stones - $66.5 million
  9. Calvin Harris - $63 million
  10. Diddy - $62 million
  11. Bruce Springsteen - $65.2 million
  12. Paul McCartney - $56.5 million
  13. Justin Bieber - $56 million
  14. Kenny Chesney - $56 million
  15. U2 - $55 million
  16. The Weekend - $55 million
  17. Beyonce - $54 million
  18. Jay Z - $53.5 million
  19. Luke Bryan - $53 million
  20. Muse - $49 million
  21. Foo Fighters - $48.5 million
  22. Toby Keith - $47.5 million
  23. Bigbang - $44 million
  24. Elton John - $42 million
  25. Dr. Dre - $41 million
  26. Katy Perry - $41 million
  27. Jimmy Buffett - $40.5 million
  28. Mumford & Sons - $40 million
  29. Jennifer Lopez - $39.5 million
  30. Drake - $38.5 million

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