Covid-19 rules didn’t stop Ariana Grande or Taylor Swift from making bank in 2020 along with Kanye West and Ed Sheeran – are these the top 10 highest-paid music artists ever?

Dec 6 , 2020

The Rolling Stones, Kayne West or Elton John – who is the highest-paid musician in 2020? Photos: Bang Showbiz

It’s almost impossible to choose our favourite music stars. There’s so many different genres and styles to choose from and then musicians, being the artists they are, want to evolve and experiment. Some have taken experimentation as far as starting new ventures that have earned them a huge payday beyond the world of music.

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Luckily, while they say nothing about the relative merits of these performers, Forbes are here to at least help us sort out who are the world’s current top 10 highest-paid artists.

Marshmello

The masked DJ rose to fame by releasing remixes of hit songs before launching his own singles. He released his debut album Joytime in 2016, then in 2018 joined the Kaos Dayclub and Nightclub as part of a two-year residency deal worth US$60 million, meaning his earnings for the year 2020 reached US$56 million.

The Rolling Stones

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The legendary rockers have been a big deal ever since they first formed in 1962. Since then, the band has sold over 240 million records worldwide and banked US$59 million this year alone. They managed to gross US$178 in 2019 with the first half of their “No Filter” tour.

Post Malone

The rapper quickly rose to fame in 2015 with his single White Iverson. But it was his 2018 single Congratulations that changed his career. He managed to bank US$60 million with his latest tour before the final sets were cancelled in March due to Covid-19.

Taylor Swift

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The chart-topping star transformed from country singer to pop princess with a long list of catchy hits. She has sold over 200 million records worldwide and earned several Guinness World Records. Swift’s 2019 album Lover became the highest-selling album of the year, selling 3.2 million copies and earning her US$63.5 million.

Ed Sheeran

The flame-haired singer quickly rose to fame in 2011 with his debut album +, while his second album X became the highest-selling album of 2015. However, the truly vast money came with his “Divide” world tour that banked US$775 million in 2019, the highest tour receipts in history. His total this year? US$64 million.

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The Chainsmokers

The DJ pair – Alexander Pall and Andrew Taggart – rose to fame in 2014 with their single #Selfie. The Chainsmokers earned worldwide recognition with their 2016 hit Closer with Halsey. They have since dethroned Calvin Harris as the highest-paid DJ in the world, banking US$68 million in the last year.

The Jonas Brothers

The singing trio graced Forbes’ Top 100 list for the first time in over a decade when they reunited in 2019. Together, they earned US$68.5 million, having grossed over US$1.5 million per gig before wrapping their reunion tour in February.

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Ariana Grande

Singer Ariana Grande is the highest-paid female musician in the world, having banked US$72 million in the last year. After rising to fame on the Disney Channel, she launched her music career in 2011. And her “Sweetener” world tour grossed as much as US$146 million in 2019.

Elton John

The Your Song hitmaker earned US$81 million in the past year from his “Yellow Brick Road” tour. The first half of the tour banked US$212 million before it was postponed due to the pandemic. However, John was still able to pull together a US$1 million emergency fund for those suffering from HIV to maintain their care during the pandemic.

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Kanye West

Not only is the rapper the highest-paid musician in the world, but he is the second-highest-paid celebrity of any kind behind his sister-in-law Kylie Jenner. Kanye cashed US$170 million this year thanks to his award-winning music and apparel. His Yeezy collection with sports brand Adidas is estimated to have earned US$1.3 billion in sales in 2019.

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Fame and celebrity

Older artists Elton John and The Rolling Stones are right up there too, along with DJs The Chainsmokers and Marshmello – many of them making millions from merch as well as music