by This year’s earnings bragging rights goes to Dr. Dre, not just in Hip Hop, but in music all together. The legendary producer and music mogul has topped the Forbes’ list of the 25 highest-paid musicians in 2012, beating out big names like Elton John, U2 and Taylor Swift.
In addition to his lengthy catalog, which includes Eminem and Snoop Dogg, most of Dre’s revenue arised from his lucrative Beats by Dre venture, which gross $110 million in pre-tax earnings according to Forbes.
Elsewhere on the list, which was dominated by veteran musicians, Pink Floyd’s bassist and singer Roger Waters was the runner up with earnings of $88 million from his lucrative The Wall Live tour, while Elton John secured the no. 3 spot with $80 million.
Hip Hop heavy weights Diddy and Jay-Z earned $45 million and $38 million respectively.
Forbes’ Highest-Paid Musicians 2012
1. Dr. Dre â?? $110 million
2. Roger Waters â?? $88 million
3. Elton John â?? $80 million
4. U2 â?? $78 million
5. Take That â?? $69 million
6. Bon Jovi â?? $60 million
7. Britney Spears â?? $58 million
8. Paul McCartney â?? $57 million (tie)
8. Taylor Swift â?? $57 million (tie)
10. Justin Bieber â?? $55 million (tie)
10. Toby Keith â?? $55 million
12. Rihanna â?? $53 million
13. Lady Gaga â?? $52 million
14. Foo Fighters â?? $47 million
15. Diddy â?? $45 million (tie)
15. Katy Perry â?? $45 million (tie)
17. Kenny Chesney â?? $44 million
18. Beyoncé â?? $40 million
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers â?? $39 million
20. Jay-Z â?? $38 million
21. Coldplay â?? $37 million
22. Adele â?? $35 million (tie)
22. Kanye West â?? $35 million (tie)
24. Michael Bublé â?? $34 million
25. Sade â?? $33 million
