Forbes top earning musicians of 2014, Dr. Dre #1 $620M, Bey #2 $115M

[Travis 543]

Fifteen years ago Dr. Dre wondered aloud whether people had forgotten about him. If there was a question then, it has certainly dissipated throughout the next steps of a career filled with highlightsâ€â€most recently the sale of Beats, the company he cofounded, to Apple AAPL -0.73% for $3 billion.

 

Dr. Dre took home $620 million this year before taxes, thanks largely to that deal, making him the world’s top-earning musician of 2014. More remarkably, that number also marks the largest single-year haul of any musician, ever.

 

“It’s safe to say headphones is a good business,†said DJ Khaled, one of hip-hop’s top earners.

Dr. Dre’s payday gives him the widest margin in history between the first and second spots on our top-earning musicians listâ€â€half a billion dollars separate him from the No. 2 earner, Beyoncé, who pulled in $115 million. Her most lucrative year yet comes courtesy of her Mrs. Carter Show tour, a surprise album and endorsements with the likes of Pepsi and H&M.

 

Only one other act reached the nine-figure mark: The Eagles, who earned $100 million on the strength of their History Of The Eagles tour. Bon Jovi ranks fourth with $82 million and Bruce Springsteen rounds out the top five with $81 million; both Jersey-born rockers grossed millions per night on successful arena tours. Those three acts also benefit from staging that’s relatively simple, and therefore cheap, compared to some big pop acts.

 

“I think it’s just wise to be efficient,†Bon Jovi once told FORBES. “I know big bands where each of them has personal assistants on the road, each of them has a security guard. We don’t have a security guard. Take your own friggin’ bags!â€

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2014/12/10/the-worlds-highest-paid-musicians-of-2014/

 

The earnings are compiled from June 2013 through June 2014.

 

1. Dr. Dre - $620M

2. Beyonce - $115M

3. The Eagles - $100M

4. Bon Jovi - $82M

5. Bruce Springsteen - $81M

6. Justin Bieber - $80M

7. One Direction - $75M

8. Paul McCartney - $71M

9. Calvin Harris - $66M

10. Toby Keith - $65M

11. Taylor Swift - $64M

12. Bruno Mars, Jay-Z, & Diddy - $60M

 

Katy Perry - $40M

Miley Cyrus - $36M

Lady Gaga - $33M

[faux 2,190]

I've never heard of The Eagles and how did Justin manage to achieve that money?? I thought he's on a blackout

[Dann 354]

yas Dr. Dre take that money $$

[SexXDreams 184]

Queen Justin 

[T3ARS 4,132]

Good for them :)

[Phoenix 17,395]

$620M in one year. 

[Hellspont 1,468]

620 million is repulsive

[Whispering 18,865]

I've never heard of The Eagles and how did Justin manage to achieve that money?? I thought he's on a blackout

 

 

  Tragic

[Hellspont 1,468]

I've never heard of The Eagles and how did Justin manage to achieve that money?? I thought he's on a blackout

#5 best selling of all time look em up

[Whispering 18,865]

$620M in one year. 

 

Yep! That's why Jimmy was in the process of leaving Interscope a couple of years ago and finally left. The actual BIG money isn't in the music industry anymore. It's in products, endorsements and touring.

[monsterdreams 1,529]

How could you earn that much in a year? What I'd do

[craig 680]

I've never heard of The Eagles 

They were the biggest US music act in the 1970's. When they broke up the two main guys had good solo careers in the 80's. No surprise they are a touring force. They do country-influenced rock.

[Travis 543]

How could you earn that much in a year? What I'd do

 

He sold Beats Electronics to Apple for $3 billion

[craig 680]

The actual BIG money isn't in the music industry anymore. It's in products, endorsements and touring.

Yes. Though with Dre it's more entrepreneurship than music or celebrity. It's not that Dre stans bought the headphones because of his name. He made money is music and invested well.

[Logan 20,538]

 How much did Taylor make on the Red tour?