The World’s Highest Paid Musicians of 2019

1. Taylor Swift

Soundtrack | Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Taylor Alison Swift is a multi-Grammy award-winning American singer/songwriter who, in 2010 at the age of 20, became the youngest artist in history to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 2011 Swift was named Billboard's Woman of the Year. She also has been named the American Music Awards...

2. Ye

Soundtrack | The Great Gatsby

Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer. His musical career has been marked by dramatic changes in styles, incorporating an eclectic range of influences including soul, baroque pop, electro, indie rock, ...

3. Ed Sheeran

Soundtrack | Red Notice

Ed Sheeran is a British singer-songwriter from West Yorkshire known for his many compositions. For film soundtracks, he had performed "I See Fire" for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. He acted in Game of Thrones, Bridget Jones' Baby, The Simpsons, Popstar: Never Stop Popping and Star Wars: The ...

4. Eagles

Soundtrack | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s in North America.

Founding members-were recruited by ...

5. Elton John

Soundtrack | Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Sir Elton John is one of pop music's great survivors. Born 25 March, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (...

6. Beyoncé

Soundtrack | Dreamgirls

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas. Her mom, Tina Knowles designs their glittering costumes & her dad, Mathew Knowles manages Destiny's Child. Solange, her sister (they're 4 years apart) has released her debut album. She dances with her big sister during DC-3 ...

7. Jay-Z

Soundtrack | The Harder They Fall

Jay-Z was born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Carter was a school friend of The Notorious B.I.G.. He first started releasing records in the late 1980s. In 1990, he appeared on records by his close friend, Jas ("The Originators") and Original Flavor ("...

8. Drake

Actor | Degrassi: The Next Generation

Aubrey Drake Graham was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Dennis Graham, an African-American musician born in Memphis, Tennessee, and Sandi (Sher) Graham, a Canadian Jewish educator. As a young man, Drake appeared in several commercials, for such retailers as Sears and GMC. In 2001, Drake rose ...

9. Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Actor | Get Him to the Greek

Sean "Diddy" Combs has cemented himself as one of the most successful entrepreneurs and cultural icons of all-time. Standing as a respected symbol of relentless ambition, for three decades Combs' unrivaled influence is only matched by an unparalleled ability to innovate, evolve, and consistently ...

10. Metallica

Soundtrack | Mission: Impossible II

Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California by drummer Lars Ulrich and vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, and has been based in San Francisco, California for most of its career. The group's fast tempos, instrumentals and aggressive musicianship ...

11. Rihanna

Actress | Battleship

Rihanna was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988 in Bridgetown, St. Michael, Barbados to Monica Braithwaite, an accountant & Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor. Her mother is Afro-Guyanese and her father is of Afro-Barbadian and British Isles ancestry. Rihanna lived the life of a normal ...

12. Travis Scott

Soundtrack | Tenet

Jacques Bermon Webster II (born April 30, 1991), better known by his stage name Travis Scott (formerly stylized as Travi$ Scott), is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. His stage name is the namesake of a favorite uncle combined with the first name of one of his inspirations, Kid Cudi ...

13. Justin Timberlake

Soundtrack | Trolls

Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Lynn (Bomar) and Randall Timberlake, whose own father was a Baptist minister. At the age of 11, he appeared on the show Star Search (1983), and even though he didn't win, it didn't dampen his ambitions. He also ...

14. Katy Perry

Actress | The Smurfs

Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson on October 25, 1984 in Santa Barbara, California to Mary Christine Hudson (née Perry) & Maurice Keith Hudson. She has a big sister named Angela & a little brother named David, and has English, Portuguese, German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. Her ...

15. Pink

Actress | Thanks for Sharing

Pink was born Alecia Beth Moore in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and was later raised in Philadelphia. Her parents, Judith Moore (née Kugel), a nurse, and Jim Moore, a Vietnam veteran, divorced when she was very young. Her mother is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family, while her father has Irish, German, ...

16. BTS

Soundtrack | Eternals

BTS also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Entertainment. The name subsequently became a backronym for Beyond the Scene in July 2017. On June 12, 2013, they performed the song "No More Dream" from their initial album 2 Cool 4 Skool to commemorate ...

17. Billy Joel

Soundtrack | Oliver & Company

William Martin Joel is an American singer, pianist, composer and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his single and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s, having released 12 pop and rock studio albums from 1971...

18. Bruno Mars

Soundtrack | Rio 2

Peter Gene Hernandez known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, dancer, and music video director. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, ...

19. Eminem

Soundtrack | 8 Mile

Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Deborah R. (Nelson) and Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr., who were in a band together, Daddy Warbucks. He is of English, as well as some German, Scottish, and Swiss-German, ancestry. Marshall spent his early childhood being shoved ...

20. Jimmy Buffett

Soundtrack | Jurassic World

Jimmy Buffett was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi and grew up living beside the the Gulf of Mexico. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi he worked his way to success in the music industry. His hits in the 1970s including "Margaritaville" and "Come Monday". He struck a chord ...

21. Fleetwood Mac

Soundtrack | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. The band has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling bands. In 1998, select members of Fleetwood Mac were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received the Brit ...

22. Paul McCartney

Soundtrack | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Sir Paul McCartney is a key figure in contemporary culture as a singer, composer, poet, writer, artist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and holder of more than 3 thousand copyrights. He is in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for most records sold, most #1s (shared), most covered song, "Yesterday," ...

23. Ariana Grande

Soundtrack | Don't Look Up

Ariana Grande was born Ariana Grande-Butera on June 26, 1993 in Boca Raton, Florida to Joan Grande, a chief executive officer for Hose-McCann Communications & Edward Butera, a graphic designer, photographer, artist and Ibi Designs Inc. owner/founder. She starred in the 2008 musical, 13 before ...

24. The Chainsmokers

Soundtrack | The Duff

The Chainsmokers is known for The DUFF (2015), The Chainsmokers Feat. Halsey: Closer (2016) and The Chainsmokers Feat. Bebe Rexha: Call You Mine (2019).

25. Guns N' Roses

Soundtrack | Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. The lineup, when first signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. Guns N' Roses has ...

26. Jennifer Lopez

Producer | Hustlers

Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969 in The Bronx, New York City, New York to teacher Lupe López and computer specialist David López. The two Puerto Ricans were brought to the continental United States during their childhoods and eventually met while living in New York City. Their ...

27. Luke Bryan

Actor | Luke Bryan: One Margarita

From his early days in Nashville as a songwriter to his current status as one of country music's reigning superstars, Luke Bryan's career has been populated by songs that have had a lasting impact. Country Aircheck declared him the Most Heard Artist of the Last Decade, an honor he earned with such ...

28. The Rolling Stones

Soundtrack | Pirate Radio

The Rolling Stones are the legendary British rock band known for many popular hits, such as Paint it Black, Lady Jane, Ruby Tuesday, and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. Almost everyone who attended their shows is quick to comment on their ability to start you up and shake your hips. Their song "...

29. The Weeknd

Soundtrack | The Idol

Abel Tesfaye, professionally known as 'The Weeknd' is a Canadian singer born February 16, 1990 in Toronto. Best known for his performances in his latest album 'Starboy' (2016), and numerous other productions including 'Kissland' (2013), Beauty Behind the Madness (2015) which included the mega-hit; ...

30. Marshmello

Soundtrack | The Old Guard

Marshmello is known for The Old Guard (2020), Bright (2017) and Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021).

31. DJ Khaled

Actor | Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

DJ Khaled was born on November 26, 1975 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), Bad Boys for Life (2020) and Charlie's Angels (2019).

32. Lady Gaga

Soundtrack | A Star Is Born

Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is an American songwriter, singer, actress, philanthropist, dancer and fashion designer.

Gaga was born on March 28, 1986 in Manhattan, New York City, to Cynthia Louise (Bissett), a philanthropist and business executive, and Joseph Anthony ...

33. Dave Matthews

Actor | Just Go with It

David John Matthews is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record label owner. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band (DMB). Matthews was born in Johannesburg, and moved frequently among South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United ...

34. Calvin Harris

Soundtrack | The Do-Over

Calvin Harris was born on January 17, 1984 in Dumfries, Scotland, UK. He is a music artist and composer, known for The Do-Over (2016), Shazam! (2019) and The Fate of the Furious (2017). He has been married to Vick Hope since September 10, 2023.

35. Kendrick Lamar

Soundtrack | Black Panther

Kendrick Lamar is a hip-hop artist from Compton, California. He's signed with Dr. Dre's label, Aftermath. Kendrick also has his own label, known as 'Top Dawg Entertainment', with includes artists such as Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q and Ab Soul. Kendrick's major label debut album, 'good kid m.A.A.d city' ...

36. Zac Brown Band

Soundtrack | I Am Number Four

Zac Brown Band is known for I Am Number Four (2011), The Do-Over (2016) and Vacation (2015).

37. Shawn Mendes

Soundtrack | Sing 2

Shawn Peter Raul Mendes was born on August 8, 1998 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Karen (Rayment), a real estate agent, and Manuel Mendes, a businessman. His father is of Portuguese descent (from Lagos) and his mother is English (with deep roots in Dorset). He has a sister, Aaliyah. Shawn was ...

38. Céline Dion

Soundtrack | Titanic

Hailing from the small town of Charlemagne, Québec, Céline Dion has become one of the all-time greatest singers. Céline was born in 1968, the youngest of 14 children. Early in childhood, she sang with her siblings in a small club owned by her parents. From these early experiences, Céline gained the...

39. U2

Soundtrack | Morning Joe

U2 has been perhaps the biggest music act in the world since the late 1980s to the current day. They take prominent stands on human rights issues, expressed through their lyrics and other public statements and actions. The band's lead singer, Bono, has become quite prominent in charity movements ...

40. Migos

Soundtrack | Mile 22

Migos is known for Mile 22 (2018), Bright (2017) and American Honey (2016).