Must See: “Music’s Top 40 Money Makers”

Published: Friday 9th Mar 2012 by David


Since as far as anyone can remember,the amount of money an act makes holds just as much as interest as the music that brings that money in.

So, in a bid to quench the nosy thirsts of fan boys/girls the worldover, Billboard have released their list of Music’s Top 40 Money Makers.

Focusing only on US income, the list takes into account how much each act made in 2011 from publishing, touring and recorded music sales and does not  include finances made from sponsorship or endorsement deals.

It is also worth noting that the list accounts for net earnings and not gross revenue, and so to some extent differs from Forbes annual list.

Peep the top ten below…

1 Taylor Swift
$35,719,902

After wrapping the final leg of her Fearless tour, Taylor Swift’s blockbuster success two years ago left music industry observers wondering what she could possibly do for an encore.

The pop-country superstar answered them with her smash Speak Now album and accompanying tour, which jetted through Asia and Europe in addition to making its way across North America. Grossing $88.5 million in the U.S. alone, the tour netted Swift a remarkable $29.8 million.

Honored as Billboard’s Woman of the Year in December, she racked up U.S. album sales of 1.8 million units last year-led by booming business for late 2010′s Speak Now, which sold 967,000 units and digital single track sales of 7.8 million. Songwriting royalties were another highly beneficial source of income, given that Swift wrote all 14 Speak Now tunes herself.

2 U2
$32,116,315

U2′s monumental 360° tour finally wrapped in 2011 with a $91.5 million Boxscore for the year, including a return trek through North America originally scheduled for 2010 but postponed due to Bono’s back surgery. Fewer than 10% of the tickets had to be refunded, and those returns were quickly scooped up.

The total Boxscore tally of $736 million stands as an amazing record, and the attendance of 7.3 million concert-goers (another record) led to merchandise sales approaching $50 million, according to Billboard estimates (but not included in calculating the Money Makers tally). Merch sales and fan club revenue were maximized under synergies created through the band’s long-term, multirights deal with Live Nation, and the 360° tour marked an impressive testament to the ability of both sides to deliver. U2 also sold a significant amount of recorded content, including 1.4 million digital tracks, since the tour drew fans’ attention to catalog favorites.

Combining digital and physical units, however, U2 moved the least number of albums among the top 10 Money Makers. Today’s music business is all about the live thing, and U2 stands high on the mountaintop in that regard.

3 Kenny Chesney
$29,837,103

Kenny Chesney rejuvenated himself by taking time off from touring in 2010, and fans responded by turning out in record numbers to see him last year. Promoted nationally by TMG/AEG Live, Chesney captured his sixth top package honor at the 2011 Billboard Touring Awards for his Goin’ Coastal concert swing, his eighth consecutive tour to sell more than 1 million tickets.

As with most leading country live acts, Chesney also sells a healthy amount of recordings while touring: more than 650,000 physical album units (buoyed by hit-laden 2010 album Hemingway’s Whiskey) and 4.3 million-plus digital tracks. Chesney’s fans worship his romantic, hard-drinking lifestyle, so he derives additional revenue streams from various merchandise, a laid-back clothing line, ringtones, DVDs and even a sponsorship deal with the beverage firm that makes Corona. (No surprise, given that Chesney wrote the No. 1 country hit “Beer in Mexico.”)

4 Lady Gaga
$25,353,039

Topping the Money Makers list in 2011, the theatrical chanteuse enjoyed a near-repeat of her previous stellar year. Defined by the May launch of yet another full-length opus, Born This Way, the album sold 1.1 million units during its first week, marking the biggest single sales frame for an album release in 2011. Combined with her previous sets The Fame and The Fame Monster, Gaga moved 2.8 million albums last year.

Meanwhile, Born This Way spawned four singles that all reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and helped the singer move 12.7 million digital tracks.

Despite holding off on another traditional tour when her 19-month Monster Ball trek wrapped last May, Gaga’s Boxscore revenue equaled $51.4 million in 2011, after reaping $70.4 million the year before. Expect Born This Way to keep delivering in 2012, with the Born This Way Ball ready to roll overseas in April.

5 Lil Wayne
$23,178,722

Lil Wayne’s first full year back in the market after serving eight months for attempted gun possession in New York proved a lucrative stretch. For the week ending Sept. 6, ninth studio set Tha Carter IV debuted atop the Billboard 200, racking up the year’s second-biggest sales week with 964,000 units sold. The tally also gave Wayne the best sales week by a male artist since his own Carter III topped the charts with 1 million units in June 2008 and accounted for nearly a third of his total 2.7 million sales for that year.

(Only Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, offered at a special 99 cent price for two days at AmazonMP3 during its first week, had a better debut than IV in 2011.) Wayne also moved 12.3 million digital tracks, driven by Hot 100 top 10s like “6 Foot, 7 Foot” and “She Will,” and continued to prove himself on the road. His I Am Still Music tour grossed $44.7 million from 67 shows and 695,291 tickets sold.

Then there’s the fortune he earned as founder of Young Money Entertainment, label home of Nicki Minaj, Drake, Tyga and others, but that’s a different list.

6 Sade
$16,382,809

Just as fans clamored for a return to the recording studio in 2010-causing her Soldier of Love to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 502,000 units sold-followers of the sultry singer and her smooth jazz band also lined up last year for Sade’s first North American tour since 2001.

The 59-date, Live Nation-produced arena trek claimed 10th place on Billboard’s Top 25 Tours listing. With John Legend opening all U.S. dates, the tour ultimately posted $45.7 million in revenue that resulted in a cool $15.4 million take for the group.

Longtime collaborator Sophie Muller served as creative director and Baz Halpin (Pink!, Tina Turner) handled production and lighting design for the critically acclaimed live shows, which featured a massive LED screen showing videos and dazzling images behind the band.

While an official release date hasn’t yet been announced, Muller stayed busy last year editing a film version of the tour that may appear on cable and DVD soon.


7 Bon Jovi
$19,813,232

Guided by the business acumen and savvy musical instincts of charismatic frontman Jon Bon Jovi, the New Jersey rock phenom has been a brand and a band on fire for much of the past decade. The Circle tour, marking the most ambitious trek in the band’s 30-year history, wrapped last summer with a final tally of $265 million, the sixth-largest-grossing tour of all time.

Aside from its prized catalog of hits, the band releases chart-topping new material as well: During the most recent round of live gigs, Bon Jovi put out its first greatest-hits package and new studio album The Circle, each cross-marketed on the AEG Live-produced tour directed by BJM’s Paul Korzilius. Bon Jovi moved more than 320,000 physical CDs last year, 1.6 million digital tracks and two new DVD titles in addition to tons of branded merch, maximizing its highly familiar image and sound decades after its humble beginnings.

8 Celine Dion
$14,261,515

Celine Dion sure knows how to make a comeback. After her historic five-year residency at Las Vegas’ Colosseum at Caesars Palace ended in late 2007, the Canadian singer took a well-deserved break, then returned to the 4,000-seat venue in March 2011 for yet another stand. She grossed $40.1 million from 57 performances last year that drew nearly a quarter-million fans and booked additional Vegas dates through this August. Though Dion’s last studio album was 2007′s Taking Chances, she sold 331,000 albums in 2011, the biggest catalog item being 1997′s Let’s Talk About Love (75,000 copies). The singer also sold 956,000 digital tracks last year, with the top seller still being “My Heart Will Go On,” from 1997′s blockbuster film “Titanic” (167,000 downloads).


9 Jason Aldean

$13,409,011

Contrary to the third-time-lucky rule, it was Jason Aldean’s fourth album for Broken Bow Records, My Kinda Party, that turned him into a legitimate country superstar. Released in November 2010, Party sold 1.6 million units and 5 million tracks last year, moving 2.4 million albums and 6.6 million tracks through mid-February of this year.

“Don’t You Wanna Stay,” a duet with Kelly Clarkson, peaked atop Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in March 2011 and sold 1.5 million tracks last year. “Stay” was quickly followed by the country-rap hybrid “Dirt Road Anthem,” which reached No. 1 in July.

Aldean also matured into one of country’s most successful live acts. The My Kinda Party tour sold out arenas and amphitheaters across the country, grossed $27 million in 2011 and netted Aldean an estimated $9.1 million. His rapid ascent to the concert industry’s upper echelon helped him win the Breakthrough honor at the 2011 Billboard Touring Awards.

10 Adele
$13,081,909

Even an extreme medical emergency couldn’t interfere with Adele’s success in 2011. From the moment sophomore album 21 stormed in atop the Billboard 200 in March 2011, the singer/songwriter has been setting-and demolishing-a seemingly endless array of retail and radio feats.

Before her latest achievement-spending 23 weeks atop the chart to notch the longest-running No. 1 album in Nielsen SoundScan’s history-Adele racked up numerous other milestones. Her single “Rolling in the Deep” became the most widely crossed-over song of the past 25 years, topping rock, pop, AC, R&B/hip-hop, dance and Latin charts. In addition, she became one of only four female artists to spend at least 13 weeks at the peak of the Billboard 200, joining Judy Garland, Carole King and Whitney Houston. Adele then capped the year by winning six Grammy Awards, including album of the year. Although throat surgery sidelined her touring schedule last October, her album sales continued to soar to the tune of 6.7 million in 2011.

Notable Mentions:

22.Rihanna

$7,660,883

Though Rihanna’s sixth studio album, Talk That Talk, lagged in its first week compared with previous release Loud, which bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 207,000 units sold in December 2010 (Talk That Talk came in at No. 3 on the Nov. 30, 2011, chart with 197,000), together the two projects gave Rihanna a strong 2011.

Thanks to a slate of hits-including Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s “What’s My Name?,” “S&M” and “We Found Love”-she sold 14 million digital tracks and 1.5 million albums.

On the road, Rihanna’s exposure to the domestic market was limited: Of the shows reported to Boxscore (11), she grossed $7.1 million and sold 111,704 tickets.

14. Katy Perry

11,969,426

In 2011, Katy Perry tied Michael Jackson’s record by scoring five No. 1 singles from one album, 2010’s Teenage Dream, with such songs as “E.T.” and “Firework.” Not surprisingly, the radio ruler’s digital track sales soared above her fellow pop phenoms: With 15.2 million units moved, Perry bested Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna in the category.

Meanwhile, the singer’s California Dreams world tour kept Perry on the road for most of 2011, grossing $19.5 million domestically and netting her $6.6 million.

Perry also raised her visibility at the multiplex (with a voice spot in “The Smurfs”), on the small screen (with appearances on “How I Met Your Mother” and “American Idol”) and at awards ceremonies (with a performance at the 2011 Grammy Awards and a video of the year win at MTV’s Video Music Awards).

Perry has already started off strong in 2012: “Part of Me,” the lead single to her Teenage Dream reissue (due March 27), became the 20th song to debut atop the Hot 100 in the chart’s history.

Complete list here.

Your thoughts?

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  1. LSZ March 9, 2012

    Uhm, so why did y’all use Beyonce’s photo for the post again??? She’s not even on the Top 40 list…LOL shade!

  2. echi March 9, 2012

    yep. wrong photo. put some taylor on it. and this your wannabe on the list candidate as usual?!? huh. we know that. too bad she was preggers.

  3. T March 9, 2012

    Why is Beyonce the picture for this article??

  4. anastasia March 9, 2012

    Where is B ranked lol, so why not put the top earner’s pic? either u are a racist or u dumm as f***…

  5. Popeater March 9, 2012

    Wow, so Bon Jovi brings in 265 million in revenue, but only nets $20MM.

  6. Truth March 9, 2012

    SHADE like a b****

    WTF is BEYONCE”S pic here for?!

  7. jill March 9, 2012

    I guess TGJ loves Stan Wars? BYE

  8. Group TOP FLIGHT March 9, 2012

    Smoke and mirrors

    Bey is NOT what her camp LIES and says she is

    Don’t get me wrong, she has done well

    but NOT like they try to make it like she SHUT THE INDUSTRY DOWN #not

    She cut and pasted from
    Tina T
    Michael J
    Donna S
    Supremes
    Diana R
    _____
    _____
    _______
    their is a destiny’s child video that pretty much says as much, it said how they watched all the old videos, look at all the old mags and VOILA

    lied about writing credits, has relied on her S** APPEAL

    and has actually brought very LITTLE to the game herself

    She has done incredibly well, all the others BROUGHT something, not cut, paste and stolen from others which is what Beyonce and Co did AND it worked!

  9. I HATE MY EX March 9, 2012

    SO WHY is beyonce face up there when that b**** is not even on the top 10?
    BTW i hate my ex, DO U wanna se his d’ck???
    picturesguyshavesentus.tumblr.com/

  10. deeman March 9, 2012

    y is her picture the head photo?confused

  11. Cassidy March 9, 2012

    Rihanna never stops touring and releasing singles and albums and this is all she earned damn beyonce was earning 80mil a year!

  12. TheTruth March 9, 2012

    TAYLEGEND.com! She made all of that when she was 21 at the time! Rihanna reigned on the digital tracks front, but again PUBLISHING rights (writing credits) and touring is what brings in the BIG BUCKS. Ask Taylor!

  13. kimberly March 9, 2012

    why would anyone expect Beyonce on the list. She did not tour in 2011/2012. majority of this revenue is from tour tickets. idiot much. I as a fan didn’t even expect her to be there. smh
    Anyway a certain fanbase always calls taylor swift flop. they call her boring and flop but she is #1 and how many singles has she sold. This b**** making money on her tours like no other. I guess she doesn’t have to do much.
    Happy for katty perry. she is doing her thing and adele.
    But why is the singles queen at #22? I thought she was selling singles and her tour was a MAJOR….MAJOR….MAJOR

    congrats ladies.

  14. kimberly March 9, 2012

    btw Britney toured, where is Britney. Somebody call her. I think she is on the list but SAm did not put her on.

  15. Cassidy March 9, 2012

    Rihanna only sold 111.704 tickets haha flopppp. Beyonces i am tour sold 1.1 million tickets hahaha. LEGEND

  16. Cassidy March 9, 2012

    And the i am tour grossed over 103 million

  17. arie March 9, 2012

    Rihanna did well considering she was oversee most of 2011.

  18. MISHKA March 9, 2012

    Beyonce didn’t go on tour and they’re talking MUSIC revenues exclusively. TGJ you’re a hot mess. net

    Congrats to Taylor, Sade , Celine and Adele who are shading the talentless QUIETly.

  19. POP ROYALTY ( RUDE BOY) March 9, 2012

    ايوة بقي يا جاجا !!!!

    Go GAGA !!!! 🙂

  20. WHUT March 9, 2012

    WAIT A F****** MINUTEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I was SURE I read on this trash site stans of a certain blonde CENTENARIAN boasting their KANG doesn’t have to do JACKSHIT and the money still rakes in by the BOATLOAD!!!!!!

    THEN…WHY…HOW…WHAT…WHERE….HAVE I F****** GONE BLIND?!!!

    WHERE IS SHE DAMMIT!!!!!! WHERE IS FOSSILYONCE!!!!!

    SHE HAS TO BE ON THIS LIST!!!! SHE HAS TO BE THERE!!!

    WHEREEEEE ISSSSSSSSS SHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!

    KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!

  21. SWEETA THAN A RICE CAKE March 9, 2012

    As Usual I think Sam is throwing Stormy Cloud shade @ Rhianna. Last list that I saw had Rhianna at #7 beating out Watch the Thorne Tour. You can’t keep a good b**** down Sam, but you keep at it little grasshopper LMAO!

  22. Mari (RIP Dwayne McDuffie + Amy Winehouse +Whitney Houston) March 9, 2012

    “But why is the singles queen at #22? I thought she was selling singles and her tour was a MAJOR….MAJOR….MAJOR”

    @Kimberly

    90M WW tour gross according to pollstar, with fewer shows and lower ticket prices than the woman whose pic is seen in this thread. This list is only for what top acts netted in the US, and Rihanna didn’t even do 25 shows in the US on Loud tour. So no, the question isn’t why is Ri at #22. The question is why are you so pressed?

  23. lyric commander lee March 9, 2012

    interesting list – it really gives u a claer idea of how much money an act actually takes home regardless of how successful – was really suprised at adele’s over all take home….i thought it would be more seeing as how shes damn near everywhere but hwy i digress – britney is number 16 btw. thought katy wouldve made more – taylor is killen em i c

  24. WHUT March 9, 2012

    “why would anyone expect Beyonce on the list.”
    ————————————————————————————————————–

    *GASPS*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    THESE AREN’T the same STANS! Something in the goddamn milk aint clean AT ALL!!!

    The H.I.V we all know and loathe MAINTAINS that the “KANG” is suppose to make ANY AND EVERY list that has to do with money!!! WHO IS THIS IMPOSTER and what is your ransom fee!!!

  25. xoxo March 9, 2012

    TGJ, please do your research. lil wayne does not have the highest 1st week sales by a male artist, that belongs to eminem who sold 1.79mill in the 1st week with the marshall mathers lp. he also sold 1.2mill with the eminem show, 50 cent has sold over a million aswell.

  26. aishaaguilerakeys March 9, 2012

    Sam, which mere mortal wouldn’t want o have 7 million dollars on their account? Hell, even ur BeyBey wouldn’t spit on $ 7 million, that’s a lot. Congrats to everyone.

  27. aishaaguilerakeys March 9, 2012

    *wouldn’t want to have

  28. Teacher March 9, 2012

    kimberly
    March 9, 2012 at 1:25 pm
    why would anyone expect Beyonce on the list. She did not tour in 2011/2012. majority of this revenue is from tour tickets. idiot much. I as a fan didn’t even expect her to be there. smh
    Anyway a certain fanbase always calls taylor swift flop. they call her boring and flop but she is #1 and how many singles has she sold. This b**** making money on her tours like no other. I guess she doesn’t have to do much.
    Happy for katty perry. she is doing her thing and adele.
    But why is the singles queen at #22? I thought she was selling singles and her tour was a MAJOR….MAJOR….MAJOR

    congrats ladies.
    ________________________________

    Girl Bye! You know good and damn well you were expecting Beyonce to be on the list otherwise you wouldn’t have even came in this post….U thought she was #1 bcuz Sam had her pic up there..but that was just to make up for the fact that she wasn’t on the list…….that’s shade if u ask me…. don’t be shame….smh LOL..tryna front now Hahaaaaa!!!!!!! 😀

  29. Johnpo March 9, 2012

    taylor swift is balling.. thats my remarks.. lol

    Quick Question?? Has she took this WIFEY quiz EVERYBODY been talking bout http://goo.gl/bKOGP ..too FUNNY

  30. TAYLOR SWIFTS NUMBER 1 FAN!!! March 9, 2012

    Hahaha I love this post.
    The queen is number 1, and rightly so!!. The lssers could never!
    Taylor is ranking in the money, She has true talent.. no need to grind her p**** to make money.
    Taylor swift is one classy lady.

  31. TAYLOR SWIFTS NUMBER 1 FAN!!! March 9, 2012

    lessers*

  32. TAYLOR SWIFTS NUMBER 1 FAN!!! March 9, 2012

    Also, they should have a pic of Taylor swift up there, seeing as she’s number 1. The pic of beyonce is irrelevant to the post.

  33. Those That Cannot Do, Stan March 9, 2012

    Rather stupid B’s pic is up there if she didn’t make the list, or did she make the list and Sam just doesn’t want to report it because it’s so low? (wouldn’t be the first time)

    Whatever, congrats to Taylor Swift. People talk a lot of s*** but at the end of the day Taylor makes more money than all of them and ONLY on her music let alone any other business venture such as her new perfume. I’m proud of her, looks like she’s the threat to beat.

  34. WHUT March 9, 2012

    @Those “or did she make the list and Sam just doesn’t want to report it because it’s so low?”

    ————————————————————————————————————–

    I thought she was somewhere lower on it too but NOPE! She just ISN’T ON AT ALL!!

    IT MAKES NOT A LICK SENSE!!!!!

    The “KANG” is synonymous with these type of list!!! We all know the “KANG” has more riches than JESUS CHRIST himself so why isn’t she ON HERE!!!!!!

  35. Jay Scorpio March 9, 2012

    US INCOME ONLY!!!!! for u bytches who can’ t seem to read NET EARNINGS not GROSS so its good to say Rihanna did damn well as most of her money was made in the INTERNATIONAL market.

    Where is Beyonce and her 4CLOSURE hmm??!!!!! SMDH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  36. Bey Fan March 9, 2012

    I saw this list already, and Im wondering why Bey’s pic is up here. I thought I missed something. But thats TGJ way to start stan wars cuz they know the mention of Bey’s name causes an uproar….

    I was shocked to see Sade so high. I knew her tour was banging, just didn’t know she was kicking ass like that. Congrats to all.

  37. THE GREAT LACEFRONCE. March 9, 2012

    Where’s FLOPonce??? 🙂

    Lollllll!!!

    Taylor Swift is boring and her music is SUB PAR 😕 She will fade right along with the likes of Justin Bieber once the kids move on 😉

    tbh, Rihanna>>>>> everyone on this list

    LEGENDhanna= queen of pop 😉

  38. flawda March 9, 2012

    Beyonce isn’t going to make the list because unlike the other artist she hasn’t toured, that’s where she banks and kill these other artist.

    Common sense!

  39. HALF AMAZIN March 9, 2012

    @ THE GREAT LACEFRONCE

    You got to be bi-polar or something. You call EVERYONE a flop, including Rihanna but then some days she’s your muse. Chile, you make me LOL

    @CASSIDY
    You can’t read because that total for Rihanna’s ticket sales was for the US only dumb dumb. That total you attempted for Beyonce was worldwide. Have several seats

    Sade is a silent killer. She drops an album every decade then goes on tour. She’s a VETERAN. She’s like 55 years old. She does this s*** for fun because she’s already a legend.

  40. Kingphoenix March 9, 2012

    More bait for stan wars…I know this has been a slow week in all but really?

  41. nikoyuki March 9, 2012

    Go for Taylor, don’t care for her, but a love the picture of Queen Bey, she may not have toured but she made more then all the Ppl on the list sitting on her ass. Sorry

  42. Teacher March 9, 2012

    More proof that ‘4’ FLOPPED!!!!!!
    LOOLOLOLOLOOOOOOOOL 😀
    I thought she wrote her songs and this and that…….Proof of stealing writing credits…..Taylor made bank bcuz she actually writes her own music..b**** done got caught again for stealing…if she really wrote as much as she claims…she would be doin better….FLOPPED SINGLES, FLOP ALBUM….That’s ‘King’ Bey for you LLLLOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLL————————->

  43. Teacher March 9, 2012

    EXCUSES..Excuses..excuses……… LOOOOLLLLL

    ‘Bet it sucks to be you right now’ 😀

  44. Teacher March 9, 2012

    I thought singles and single sales didn’t matter?…..least that’s what they say when their fave can’t get a hit 😀

    #FLOP

  45. Teacher March 9, 2012

    OAN…TGJ could’ve chosen a better/cuter pic of her..cuz that aint it! Not cute at all…sorry Bey but you can’t be as fierce as Queen Rih!….u tried tho… 😀

  46. nikoyuki March 9, 2012

    But yet Bey has more in the bank then Taylor and your fav. 4 didn’t do well just like ever other rnb album put out. Because the kids only want pop s***, hot right now traces. Bey is set for life, music/tours aren’t her only money makes, try again.

  47. Tbozfan10 March 9, 2012

    Never even heard of some of the people on this list!

  48. Group TOP FLIGHT March 9, 2012

    You know NOTHING if you believe bey is set for life BWAHAWWAHAHAHA!

  49. tyra March 9, 2012

    @group top flight if beyonce aint set for what is she set for a year dont be stupit

  50. Group TOP FLIGHT March 9, 2012

    She is set to be an industry pawn for the rest of her life, now that’s for sure!

    She’ll get her crumbs but its the INDUSTRY who is banking the BULK OF ALL THAT SHE MAKES.

    You all need to grow up and learn how things actually work!

  51. ruffnsweet March 9, 2012

    Taylor Swift is boring as sh*t. I don’t get her and never will. lol

  52. WHUT March 9, 2012

    @nikoyuki “Bey is set for life”

    ————————————————————————————————————–

    IS SHE NOW??!!!!

    According to HA stans the woman PISSES OIL and SHITS RUBIES, yet I glanced ONCE AGAIN from ONE to FORTY and Maya Angelou’s GREAT GRANDMAMMY was nowhere in the F*** to be found on this list!!!

    I know she is the richest human being in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD so there MUST have been an ERROR here!!!!

    I mean this is JUST NOT RIGHT!!!

  53. Richnblack11(just like bey) March 9, 2012

    Sam why are you trying to start a stan war,,,,,YOU KNOW BY PUTTING BEY PIC UP THERE WHEN SEND THE TRASH ASS HATERS INTO AN UPROAR….AND PLUS TO THE HATERS BEY DOESN’T NEED TO BE ON THE LIST HELL SHE HAS MORE MONEY THAN ALL ON THE LIST.

  54. Richnblack11(just like bey) March 9, 2012

    WILL

  55. LoL Smiley March 9, 2012

    BRITNEY # 16

  56. Teacher March 9, 2012

    Where is @RatedX guess she was right after all…….

  57. Teacher March 9, 2012

    Guess she was ‘inspired’ too much to do something originial

  58. JohnVidal (RIPWhitney-true great) March 9, 2012

    WOW GO CELINE Dion!
    I mean her last album was released in 2007 and she still sold 331,000 albums in 2011 in the USA ALONE. hahaha that´s what true greats do. You know real albums sellers. Itunes generation idols can´t stand a chance
    This woman has to be the one who earned more along with madonna in the last decade. I mean every single year among the 10 biggest money makers. And both being out of her peak in this last decade. Just slaying like only Whitney and Mariah can do too. NOBODY else (among women)

  59. Richnblack11(just like bey) March 9, 2012

    congrats to all the women on the list

  60. WHUT March 9, 2012

    “Richnblack11(just like bey)”

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! GURLLLLLLL with earnings on STEADY decline you may have to drop the first part of your name soon!!!

    “Black11(Just like Bey)” Hop to it BUM!

    KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

  61. gaaglooo! March 9, 2012

    Hahahahaha………….. @ Gaga’s haters!!!!! Eat-it C****!!:-)))

    Félicitations à tous!!!

  62. Grammy dammy sammy March 9, 2012

    Lol @ thatmessyjuice the Queen was inevitably gonna be the hot topic of the post anyways.

    I bet rhiflop never knew what the interior of a wrangler looked like till the Carters took mercy on her impoverished soul. Bey better not let rhiscout anywhere near her motor home, riherpes might contact Royal Blue Ivy’s domain

    After all that whoring, 7mil? Puppetary is bad business …. For the object of 21st century s** slavery 😉

  63. Richnblack11(just like bey) March 9, 2012

    Beyonce Knowles is a pop superstar who’s net worth is estimated at $300 million. In the early 90’s, the TV show Star Search was a revolving door of up-and-coming pop stars like Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. We’ve all seen the footage of little Britney choking on her smile as Ed McMahon announces her defeat. Another of today’s superstars also got her start as a loser on Star Search, this time as a member in the rapping-and-dancing troupe Girl’s Tyme.

    why would i change my name…….

  64. fatu sankoh March 9, 2012

    thx sam for putting our bey picture up their you make my day god bless bey did not tour

  65. Richnblack11(just like bey) March 9, 2012

    @Grammy dammy sammy
    Thats what I said.,…..only 7 mil i know it said us only but 7mil and she didn’t make no more than 20 overseas….THAT TITANIC SHIP KEEP SINKING NOW THATS THE KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

  66. Onyx March 9, 2012

    I would love to be in da list.

  67. PYTFROMAL March 9, 2012

    @ruffnsweet-Taylor is a horrible singer and her songwriting is one-dimensional imo, however, she makes sugary pop songs that the kids like, similar to Justin Bieber. Great PR can make anyone a star.

    OMG. U2 doesn’t even need to make albums. Their tours always do very, very well.

    Touring(Bon Jovi, U2, Sade) and songwriting are the big money makers in the music industry. If I had to guess before reading the list, I would think that Adele would be in the top 5 and not Wayne figuring she had such a massive year last year.

  68. StaNn March 9, 2012

    copy n paste!

  69. TAYLOR SWIFTS NUMBER 1 FAN!!! March 9, 2012

    @PYTFROMAL
    Taylor Swift isn’t an horrible singer! She’s an okay singer, and always sings live. Her songs are good aswell, which are her own, as she writes them.. unlike many artists. Shes an all rounded artist who writes, plays an instrument and sings. Shes full of talent. Probs the people who knock her, are just not country music fans.

  70. I’mjustsayin March 9, 2012

    @Arie

    Rihanna did well considering she was oversee most of 2011.

    But her entire US Leg of the tour was in 2011. She just failed in the U.S, it is not our fault
    @Teacher

    What excuses? Bey did her four nights thing and that was it, no tour which is where you make the real money. Rihanna on the other hand had two cds a tour _ number 1 singles slaved her life away in 2011 yet she can’t even crack the top 20 please, the navy is the last person to talk

  71. Joe March 9, 2012

    Another day, another list that Queen Taylor tops.

    Bow b******!!!!

  72. Teacher March 9, 2012

    I’mjustsayin
    March 9, 2012 at 6:35 pm
    @Arie

    Rihanna did well considering she was oversee most of 2011.

    But her entire US Leg of the tour was in 2011. She just failed in the U.S, it is not our fault
    @Teacher

    What excuses? Bey did her four nights thing and that was it, no tour which is where you make the real money. Rihanna on the other hand had two cds a tour _ number 1 singles slaved her life away in 2011 yet she can’t even crack the top 20 please, the navy is the last person to talk
    ___________________________________________

    Rih’s on the list so I CAN talk….Beyonce did the 4 nights…guess that wasn’t as big as yall made it out to be…..FLOP….. had an abum out and if you asked her she would say that she wrote the majority of it….where her money at from songwriting? Lyin and stealin don’t get you racks…LOL…. I guess when you have a FLOP album and FLOP singles you makes no money…….I Thought this didn’t really matter to y’all LOL….. some of y’all maaaD LLLLOLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLl 😀

  73. Richnblack11(just like bey) March 9, 2012

    @Teacher
    SHUT THE HELL UP AND WORRY ABOUT THAT SINKING TITANIC SHIP

  74. queen A March 9, 2012

    because beyonce is run this f***in list ,,,,that the reason why they put Queen B pic …

    Deal with that hater 00100

  75. 19 is Underrated March 10, 2012

    POP ROYALTY ( RUDE BOY)

    LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    But, not that.

    ايوة بقى يا جاجا !!!!
    Less go GaGa, man!

    أييييييييييوة يا حبيبتي
    Yeeeeeeeeeh baby!

    دانتي حا تكسّري الدنيا
    You’re gonna break ’em records!

    I remember the first time Beyonce spoke arabic, she was singing along Fayrouz!

  76. KatyCat March 10, 2012

    Yass!!! Katy slay those b******!!

  77. Teacher March 10, 2012

    Richnblack11(just like bey)
    March 9, 2012 at 9:13 pm
    @Teacher
    SHUT THE HELL UP AND WORRY ABOUT THAT SINKING TITANIC SHIP
    _______________

    LOL DON’T BE MAAD 😀 …. sinking ship? Queen Rih has a successful album… 2.4m in 3 mnths>>>>2.5m in 8 mnths….AND at least 1 HUGE successful single….can’t say the same about sm1…..FLOP ALBUM..FLOP SINGLES & VIDEOS……ummm I’d say that I’m not the one who needs to be worried……I’ll leave that to you FLOPS!

  78. 19 is Underrated March 10, 2012

    @KatyCat

    I’m sorry but I REALLY have to say it:

    KING B + CC: Queen of Crunk&B + Monster GaGa + Adele

    are pretty enough to S*** on
    ReHab, >>Kaki<<, Taylor Bwitch AND Lautner, Dicki Garbaj, Selena Cums, Justin Creeker, Bit$ha #COMBINED + Any other femmy/pinky/ice-creamy b**** in the game.

    OKAY HONEY??

  79. 19 is Underrated March 10, 2012

    @KopyCat

    and don’t forget that your fave will N.E.V.E.R. reach 450$ million if she did the same with every f*****’ album she releases:

    Milking the S*** out of it:

    *|*

  80. 19 is Underrated March 10, 2012

    Anybody wants to know why the hell is Beyonce’s picture on the top??

    Because SHE made the biggest money in 2011. Yes.

    If you read carefully, the list is for the top40 mm artists OUT OF MUSIC ONLY

    Beyonce released her perfume, HOD is still working good, sold a good album, and everything was right! Don’t forget her WW income, 35$mill in 2011.

    So PLEASE shut your stupid asses the f*** up, because there’re more than 1999 reasons to put beyonce’s pic “on top”

  81. ashley March 10, 2012

    The only list that really matters with things like this is the Forbes list.

  82. ThatBoyLuke March 10, 2012

    What’s the point of just using US earnings? You should have used TOTAL earnings… You arn’t even American so i don’t get it.

  83. IV. March 10, 2012

    poor Bey and her dumb ass fans making excuses.

  84. Rob March 10, 2012

    When all is said and done Taylor Swift or Adele are going to be the biggest selling artists of this decade not Beyonce. Hell, Taylor has already outsold her, Bey’s not the baddest. That’s why she has to sell every product under the sun including diaper cream. Sorry hive.

  85. LITTLE MONSTER March 11, 2012

    Things have changed! Lady Gaga is now the TOP!

  86. RICK March 11, 2012

    Just goes too show
    the QUEEN IS STILL ON TOP
    HER PIC IS USED BCOZ SHE IS THE BEST
    @ROB KEEP DREAMING B****
    TAYLOR SWIFT OUTSOLD WHO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
    HA HAAAAAAAAA LOL
    LIES AND MORE LIES YET AGAIN I SEE WITH U ALL HATERZZZ
    ANYTHING BEYONCE BRINGS IN THOSE NUMBERS
    KEEP ON HATING
    KING B IS STILL REIGNING

  87. KIDD B. Kanye April 23, 2012

    MAybe secretly mother scored bigg is this factual and second Beyonce should have been on there due to past statements and reports on sales in the past wowzerz!!!!!!

  88. NX127 July 7, 2012

    grats to b

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