Rolling Stone
magazine
has unveiled its ranking of the highest paid musicians of the year 2021. Unsurprisingly, we find the biggest names in the industry.
At the top of the rankings is Bruce Springsteen, who has raised $590 million in the past twelve months.
He is followed by Jay-Z, at 470 million dollars, then Paul Simon - without Garfunkel - who completes the podium with 260 million dollars.
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The calculation of the American magazine takes into account all the income of the artists.
The members of this top 10 have diversified their sources of profits, or sold part or all of their catalog.
Bruce Springsteen is the best example, he who concluded in December a record sale with Sony Music to the tune of 500 million dollars.
Only one woman in the top 10
Seven of the ten members of the ranking have ceded some or most of the rights to their catalog to their record companies or investment funds.
In addition to Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon, this is the case of Ryan Tedder, singer of the group One Republic (5th in the ranking, 200 million), the Red Hot Chili Peppers (6th, 145 million), singer of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham (100 million), the group Mötley Crue (95 million), and country singer, Blake Shelton (83 million).
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Only one woman slips into the top 10. It is Taylor Swift, in tenth place.
The singer has raked in $80 million from re-recorded versions of her albums
Fearless
and
Red
, as well as sales of her albums
Folklore
and
Evermore
, both released in the second half of 2020.
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She is one of three musicians who do not derive their income from the sale of her catalog.
Jay-Z, who hasn't released a record since
Everything Is Love
with his wife Beyonce in 2018, is earning more than substantial income thanks to his Armand de Brignac champagne brand.
Kanye West, ranked at the foot of the podium, can count on his collaboration with Adidas, and the sales of his Yeezy shoes.
The release of his album
Donda
in August, number one in sales for several weeks, also contributed to his excellent results (250 million dollars).
Catalog sales, voted product of the year
Marginal until now, catalog sales have become commonplace since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Whether it's a consequence of the cessation of tours or to secure a substantial jackpot, some of the biggest names in rock such as Neil Young or David Crosby have taken the plunge.
Quoted by
Rolling Stone
, the founder of the Round Hill Music label Josh Gruss, a specialist in the practice, explains that
"these are almost works of art - there are a limited number of real hit songs from the past, of very high quality - and there is a kind of frantic race to own these rights.
This is a very steady stream of income, which makes them very attractive for investment.”
The complete ranking of the highest paid musicians of the year 2021, in dollars:
Bruce Springsteen - 590 million
Jay-Z - 470 million
Paul Simon - 260 million
Kanye West - 250 million
Ryan Tedder - 200 million
Red Hot Chili Peppers - 145 million
Lindsey Buckingham - 100 million
Motley Crue - 95 million
Blake Shelton - 83 million
Taylor Swift - 80 million