These Are the Top 10 Highest Earning Musicians of 2015

Waist, Winter, Fashion, Knee, Abdomen, Thigh, Trunk, Fashion model, Long hair, Snow,

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 6 May 2016

Swifties, rejoice! Thanks to last year's wildly successful 1989 World Tour, Taylor Swift has officially come out on top as the top-earning musician of 2015.

To give some background, every year, Billboard releases a list of the top 40 (get it?) money-makers in music—and from living legends to unexpected newcomers, for the most part, every artist gets most of their cash flow from going on tour. This year, Taylor Swift totally crushed the competition, and ended up bringing in almost $35 million more than the next top earner. With the exception of Adele's crazy album sales, which earned her the #9 spot, the rest of the top artists also had world tours to thank for their revenue.

As proof, here are the top ten highest-paid musical artists of 2015—and check out Billboard's list for the rest of the 40 right here.

1. Taylor Swift: $73.5 Million in Total Revenue

Entertainment, Hand, Performing arts, Wrist, Artist, Waist, Dancer, Performance, Abdomen, Choreography,

2. Kenny Chesney: $39.8 Million in Total Revenue

3. The Rolling Stones: $39.6 Million in Total Revenue

4. Billy Joel: $31.7 Million in Total Revenue

5. One Direction: $24.2 Million in Total Revenue

Facial hair, Cool, Beard, Flash photography, Necklace, Carpet, Belt, Scarf, Body jewelry, Fashion design,

6. Grateful Dead & Company: $23.8 Million in Total Revenue

7. Luke Bryan: $23.1 Million in Total Revenue

Guitarist, Musician, Musical instrument, Music, String instrument, Plucked string instruments, String instrument, Guitar, Hat, Performing arts,

8. U2: $21.8 Million in Total Revenue

Cap, Shirt, Denim, Jacket, Fashion, Facial hair, Baseball cap, Flash photography, Leather, Leather jacket,

9. Adele: $20.5 Million in Total Revenue

Mouth, Audio equipment, Entertainment, Performing arts, Artist, Music artist, Performance, Performance art, Singer, Gesture,

10. Maroon 5: $19.2 Million in Total Revenue

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Gina Mei is a writer and editor based out of Los Angeles. When she isn't writing, reading, and lost in an Internet vortex, she can usually be found petting the nearest dog.