• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Arts & EntertainmentMusic

Taylor Swift Is America’s Top Money-Making Musician (Even More than Adele)

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 6, 2016, 2:40 PM ET
Taylor Swift '1989' World Tour - Sydney
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 28: Taylor Swift performs during her '1989' World Tour at ANZ Stadium on November 28, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)Photograph by Mark Metcalfe—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Taylor Swift made more money in 2015 than you could imagine – even in your wildest dreams.

The pop superstar was last year’s top earning musician, according to Billboard Magazine’s annual rankings, bringing in total revenues of $73.5 million. That’s nearly twice as much as Kenny Chesney, the second highest ranking artist on the list, who brought in $39.8 million.

Swift’s domination of the charts last year kept her front of mind for … well, pretty much everyone. And that led to sold out performance after sold out performance on her epic tour in support of her album 1989. In fact, that tour brought in some $61.7 million, according to Billboard. She also cleaned up in publishing royalties, thanks to Ryan Adams’ release of a cover album version of 1989. (Swift came in 15th on the 2014 list.)

Musicians rake it in from touring, not streaming or album sales

It was, in fact, touring, that made up the majority of revenues for most artists last year. While a few entertainers made a few million on album sales, almost half the list of 40 failed to crack $1 million in album sales. Streaming revenues were even lower, with only two artists (Drake and The Weekend) making more than $1 million from services like Spotify.

The Rolling Stones came in third among the 2015 rankings, thanks largely to the $37.3 million the band pocketed from its first stadium tour in eight years. Billy Joel was fourth with $31.7 million, almost entirely from his residency at Madison Square Garden (a total of 29 shows).

Last year’s top earning artist, One Direction, fell to fifth place this year, despite the departure of heartthrob Zayne Malik.

What about Adele?

Ranking lower on the list were some artists you might have expected to earn a bit more. Adele, for instance, came in ninth with 2015 revenues of $20.5 million. What’s impressive, though, is the majority of that money came from physical album sales. Her latest album, 25, sold 5.5 million copies, bringing in $16.3 million. Swift was the second closest in the physical sales category with $7.2 million.

Even with Swift’s domination, 2015 certainly demonstrated there’s healthy demand for legacy artists. Beyond Billy Joel and The Stones rankings, there were a number of “classic” rock bands in Top 40. The Grateful Dead raised $23.8 million, Elton John took in $12.4 million, the newly reunited Fleetwood Mac had revenues of $11.3 million and Neil Diamond took in $11.1 million.

Here’s a look at the Top 10:

1) Taylor Swift – $73.5 million
2) Kenny Chesney – $39.8 million
3) The Rolling Stones – $39.6 million
4) Billy Joel – $31.7 million
5) One Direction – $24.2 million
6) Grateful Dead – $23.8 million
7) Luke Bryan – $23.1 million
8) U2 – $21.8 million
9) Adele – $20.5 million
10) Maroon 5 – $19.2 million

[playbuzz-item url=”//www.playbuzz.com/fortune/which-of-these-top-money-making-musicians-is-your-favorite”]

All totaled, 24 groups and artists had revenues of $10 million or more last year.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Court illustration of the author testifying
LawTerrorism
Salman Rushdie describes a ‘lake of blood’ as his convicted attacker faces terrorism charges tied to the 2022 stabbing
By The Associated Press, John Wawrow and Jennifer PeltzJuly 24, 2026
2 hours ago
woman yellow shirt standing in front of ring light
SuccessSocial Media
Influencer marketing isn’t an experiment anymore as companies expand their creator advertising budgets
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 24, 2026
3 hours ago
lebron
Arts & EntertainmentSports
LeBron James, the only billionaire currently active in the NBA, signs a minimum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers
By Catherina GioinoJuly 24, 2026
6 hours ago
White House officially asks permission to change name of Penn Station after hinting it will be called ‘Trump’
North AmericaInfrastructure
White House officially asks permission to change name of Penn Station after hinting it will be called ‘Trump’
By Philip Marcelo and The Associated PressJuly 24, 2026
9 hours ago
t
Arts & EntertainmentWhite House
Dodgers give Trump what looks like a World Series ring: ‘Wow. Do I have to report this? I don’t want to report this’
By Will Weissert, Darlene Superville and The Associated PressJuly 24, 2026
10 hours ago
cc
AISocial Media
Coke on its rebrand accidentally nailing Gen Z’s ‘fridge cigarette’ joke: ‘building on on the things people already know and love’
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
15 hours ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 24, 2026
12 hours ago
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
AI
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.