Taylor Swift made $92 million in 2022, which placed her at No. 9 among “The World’s 10 Highest Paid Entertainers” as reported by Forbes.
The report said the 33-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter’s back catalog comprised “an estimated 70 percent of her pay, including profits from streaming and album sales. (Universal Music Group, which gets three percent of its revenue from Swift, sold $50 million worth of physical albums in 2022, according to a JPMorgan analyst report).”
STING
The big surprise, however, is that Nos. 1 and 2 on the top earners’ list were senior-citizen rock acts Genesis ($230 million) and Sting ($210 million), respectively.
Much of the cash earnings of Genesis — a progressive rock band formed in 1967 by Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, and Tony Banks (all three are now 72 years old), which recently reunited to go on tour, excluding former member Peter Gabriel — came from a $300-million music rights sale to Concord Music Group in September 2022.
MICK Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones.
The deal, said Forbes, “comprised publishing rights and a selection of recorded music income streams from the group, as well as solo income streams from Collins (including his hit song “In the Air Tonight”) and bandmates Banks and Rutherford. Touring and recorded music royalties rounded out their income.”
MIKE Rutherford, Phil Collins, and Tony Banks of Genesis.
The 71-year-old Sting — who has remained active touring — earned $300 million before fees, reported Forbes, “by selling his entire musical output, both solo and with The Police, to Universal Music Group in February 2022.”
To recall, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen both cashed in on their back catalogue when Sony bought them (Springsteen reportedly for $500 million).
BAD Bunny
The Rolling Stones took the No. 7 spot with $98 million — the bulk from a $136-million-grossing tour and record royalties. Currently composed of Mick Jagger (79), Keith Richards (79), and Ron Wood (75), the band (along with touring musicians) made over $8.5 million per night on a 15-city tour across Europe last summer, according to concert tracker Pollstar.
TAYLOR Swift
At No. 10 on the list with earnings of $88 million is Bad Bunny, a 28-year-old Puerto Rican rapper, currently famous for combining reggaeton (a mix of Caribbean reggae and mainland rap) with Latin trap (a hip-hop subgenre with roots in the southern US). The report said “the lion’s share of his income came from two tours: El Último Tour Del Mundo, performed in arenas, and The World’s Hottest Tour, his first time playing in the biggest possible stadiums. Endorsements with the likes of Corona, Cheetos, and Adidas were icing on the cake.”
ELY Buendia
No such list has been compiled so far in the Philippine setting, though it’s safe to assume that Ely Buendia could land at No. 1 — given his talent fee from the recent Eraserheads reunion concert (a lot more than his three bandmates, according to a source), plus he’s also making extra money from touring as a solo act (with other band members) overseas.
More moolah (in US dollars) is coming, with the announcement of an Eraserheads international tour.