(Larry Busacca/Getty Images for GLAAD)
All hail Madonna. The Material Girl was named the highest-paid musician of 2013 by Forbes Magazine, raking in $125 million and blowing the rest of her contenders straight out of the water.
Madge made the bulk of her money this year from her MDNA Tour, which grossed $305 million. The rest of her fortune was made thanks to healthy merch sales, her Material Girl clothing line and the debut of her Truth or Dare fragrance.
Lady Gaga came in a not-so-very-close second, making $80 million with her Born This Way Rour, which took in $168 million before it was cancelled early due to Gaga’s hip injury.
According to Forbes, if Gaga had stayed healthy she would have likely made at least $200 million on the tour, thanks to tickets and merch sales. Sales of her new album, ARTPOP, were not added into her total since it was released after the end of the scoring period, which runs from June 1st, 2012 through June 1st, 2013. But, with a comparatively low opening sales week for ARTPOP (roughly 250,000 copies sold), who knows how much that would really help boost Gaga.
Bon Jovi grabbed the third slot, earning $79 million thanks to their Because We Can Stadium Tour, which is grossing over $3 million per city. Toby Keith‘s tour and 18 newly opened restaurants helped him rank fourth with $65 million, while Coldplay, who haven’t released a proper album since 2011’s Mylo Xyloto, managed to earn $64 million and the fifth spot, thanks to their recent tour.
Bruce Springsteen snagged the sixth spot (no amount given as of now), while Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift came in at seventh and eighth respectively. The two stars earned nearly $60 million, thanks to their respective world tours and business ventures. Swift teamed up with brands like Diet Coke, Sony and Covergirl, while Bieber became a venture capitalist putting millions into new tech companies like Enflick, Tinychat and Spotify.
Elton John made $54 million to take the ninth spot, while Beyonce and Kenny Chesney tied for tenth place, earning $53 million a piece.
Although Madonna came in first, the magazine is quick to point out that if their list wasn’t strictly for the living, Michael Jackson — who pulled in $160 million this year — would have been the real highest-paid musician of 2013.
Check out Forbes’ full list of the 26 highest-paid musicians of the year below.
01. Madonna – $125 million
02. Lady Gaga – $80 million
03. Bon Jovi – $79 million
04. Toby Keith – $65 million
05. Coldplay – $64 million
06. Bruce Springsteen – N/A
07. Justin Bieber – $58 million
08. Taylor Swift – $55 million
09. Elton John – $54 million
10. Beyonce – $53 million
10. Kenny Chesney – $53 million
12. Diddy – $50 million
13. Paul McCartney – $47 million
14. Calvin Harris – $46 million
15. Jennifer Lopez – $45 million
16. Roger Waters – $44 million
17. Muse – $43 million
17. Rihanna – $43 million
19. Jay Z – $42 million
19. One Direction – $42 million
21. Dr. Dre – $40 million
21. Red Hot Chili Peppers – $40 million
23. The Rolling Stones – $39 million
23. Katy Perry – $39 million
25. Tim McGraw – $33 million
26. Pink – $32 million
26. Tiësto – $32 million
