When it comes to the music industry, there are a few artists who have managed to rake in the most amount of money in 2019. The annual Billboard Money Makers list of highest-earning musicians last year has officially come out, and there are some folks who had better years than others. Although there are countless stars who make hundreds of millions annually, Billboard measures sales from streaming, touring, sales and publishing alone.
Despite some artists such as Rihanna, Kanye West, and Taylor Swift coming up on top with over $100 million in earnings, we are purely looking at the music and music only. From the incredible Ariana Grande, The Jonas Brothers, Elton John all the way to KISS, here is just how much some of your fav musicians managed to bring in last year!
10 Justin Timberlake - $25.9 Million
Justin Timberlake has been in the industry for quite some time! The singer first started his career out as the lead singer of the 90s boyband, 'NSYNC. While he'll forever be the perfect May meme, Justin has since become one of the top-earning male musicians of all time. The singer managed to make an impressive $25.9 million from his music alone in 2019, and that's with no album! Timberlake's most recent release was back in 2018, so he managed to make quite a bit with no new music.
9 Billy Joel - $26.2 Million
When it comes to music royalty, Billy Joel will always be on our radar! The "We Didn't Start The Fire" singer reported $26.2 million in 2019. Billy made most of his money off of touring, raking in just over $23 million in that area alone. The remainder of his millions made in 2019 come from streams and publishing, which made Joel nearly $3 million. With over 50 years in the business, it seems as if Billy Joel is doing pretty darn good!
8 KISS - $26.7 Million
When it comes to icon status in the music world, one rock band certainly comes to mind and that is one other than KISS! The band released their first two albums back in 1974 and has been one of the most successful bands ever since.
In 2019, the rock group managed to make an impressive $26.7 million, most of which was made from touring. Considering the group hasn't come out with new music in quite a while, they make most of their millions through tours and performances.
7 P!nk - $30.54 Million
Believe it or not, but Pink is one of two women to have made it in the top 10 of Billboard's 2019 Money Makers. The "What About Us" singer has been in the spotlight for longer than you'd think, and for that reason, she is still making serious money. Pink made on average $30.54 million last year alone! While touring was her biggest earner, Pink also managed to make over $4 million from sales and streaming, which is quite the number.
6 Post Malone - $34 Million
Although he may be relatively new, Post Malone has certainly made his mark when it comes to the music industry. The "Circles" singer released his debut studio album back in 2016, and in just 4 years, he has managed to become one of the most successful acts, making over $34 million in just one year from his music alone. While most artists make their money from touring, Post earned a significantly large portion from streaming. With $11.3 million made in streams, Post is ranked as the most-streamed artist of last year!
5 Queen - $35.2 Million
If there is one group that should always be recognized for their musical efforts, it is none other than Queen! While Freddie Mercury certainly brought the group to life, Adam Lambert has been able to keep the legacy alive and it is clearly working out. The rock band managed to bring in a whopping $35.2 million in 2019, and a large chunk of that didn't come from touring or streaming, but sales! Physical sales are tough as is, but Queen has remained at the top of their game, making nearly $10 million in sales.
4 The Jonas Brothers - $40.8 Million
The Jonas Brothers made all of our dreams come true when they decided to make their return and reunite! The "Sucker" singers finally got the band back together and made quite a pretty penny.
Joe, Nick, and Kevin Jonas managed to bring in $40.8 million in 2019, which isn't bad for a comeback album. The boys had gone on their comeback tour, which earned them nearly $34 million, with publishing and streams coming in next as their other top-earning areas.
3 Elton John - $43.31 Million
Elton John has been making music since the late 60s, and he is not going anywhere anytime soon! The British-born artist is not only recognized as one of the best musicians alive but was also knighted by none other than the Queen of England herself. The singer finds himself at the top 3 spot and rightfully so. Elton John made a stunning $43.31 million, and it was all thanks to touring, making $39.5 million from that area alone!
2 Ariana Grande - $44.2 Million
Ariana Grande has had quite a tumultuous personal life over the last couple of years, however, it's become clear that her professional life is at an all-time high! The "Thank U, Next" singer managed to be the highest-earning female musician and second-highest earner in total. Grande made $44.20 million from both touring and streaming. Considering she released her hit album in January 2019, Ariana not only managed to score 3 Billboard Hot 100's but made a lot of money, too!
1 The Rolling Stones - $65 Million
Despite the fact that the Rolling Stones haven't released any new music since their 2016 album Blues & Lonesome, The rock band earned $65 million in 2019, they have certainly managed to make the most money than any other artist. and it is all thanks to, you guessed it, touring! Touring is without a doubt the highest earner for most musical acts, and considering The Rolling Stones legendary status, it is no surprise that people continue to buy tickets to their shows!