Top 40 moneymakers in 2011

[Trevoire520]

I just don't get why any person needs that much money to begin with. In a system, all they do is fuck up the balance for other people.

This. The balance of wealth in the world is so completely fucked up it's unreal. There's people who could literally stand on top of a skyscraper and empty big black bags of money onto the street and not feel a significant hit on their bank balance. At the same time there's people who literally cant afford to keep a roof over their head or food on the table because of the poor decisions of the rich. Rich people never suffer for their own mistakes, they pass on the responsibility to those who can't afford it. It's fucked up.

 

[Jind]

While I hope this does not become a discussion of the fair and equitable distribution of wealth, I'll only say God bless em for having the talent (while some may feel that's debateable) and the guidance (if they don't have the talent, they certainly have someone behind them with a talent for the business end of the equation) to turn what at one time started as the same passion we all share for music into a profitable career. While some may envy the money these folks are making, imagine the number of people that would be without jobs, without paychecks if not for these successful artists.

Just watch this series of videos from the Rush "Snakes & Arrows" Tour and see the number of people that are benefiting from one bands success. While the salaries of all those involved certainly vary from the lower end to the higher end, a successful touring act provides for the economic needs of a large population of people. Now imagine all that work happening from city to city and all the local help that is employed if even for one day from town to town. I don't know about you, but in these times where steady work is tough to find, I'm all for any business that has a steady need for employees and large touring acts certainly need large numbers to setup and breakdown so that they can do it all again the next day.

Do we have issues having dire effects on the poor of this world - we most certainly do, but I think the big problems lie elsewhere than at the feet of a successful artist or band, one that somewhere in the organization has at least one intelligent person that was able to turn passion into success. I think that's a dream we all share.

Ok, enough of the serious talk. I've never been an envious person, especially against successful musicians as I always hoped I'd someday be one. As thats not likely to happen in this lifetime, it's fortunately I have marketable skills to fall back on to at least make a living, to keep a roof over my families head, food on the table, and to tuck a little away in savings (emphasize the word little ).

RUSH S&A Tour - Concert Tech Documentary - Part 1/6 (the whole series is pretty interesting to watch for those not familiar with what it takes to get a show from town to town)



Not a debate, just another opinion and as always individual mileage may vary.

 

[MindMunch]

I´m surprised that there´s no Katy Perry on that list.

The one that I was super surprised about was Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi made a very long world tour. Here they sold out a huge stadium. I don´t like their music, but I´ve read on the news that their gig lasted 3 hours. I totally respect them for that.

 

[aortizjr]

I though rhianna would be way higher - she is nearly on a par with gaga in england i think

This list only takes into account US earnings. So income in the UK wouldn't count in this case.

I think the same goes for Michael Jackson, he is much much bigger outside the US.

Also this list does attempt to reflect net income (which means what they actually take home). It takes into account manager fees, venue fees, label fees, etc. etc. based on average rates.

I am just glad some folks are making money in this industry. I am sure not haha. My music only almost covers my gearlust and burritos.

 

[GearMan2point0]

no unity.....when rock bands or metal bands, alternative, pop rock and etc get together, they write the music together. write a cool riff, then add drum beat and bass and they all collaborate and extend off those ideas together, making unity. I have seen a rap and pop album be made before. A dude puts together a nice cool beat, and the singer whether it's Jay-z, Eminem or Lady Gaga, put their lyrics over it. rap...just talk over it, and pop...well Kanye West for example get a shit load of auto tune over mediocre lyrics and gets millions for it. Just about anyone could do that, but why aren't they getting millions. The system is screwed up by far. Nickelback, I say has unity and spirit because they write together, and I have found that many country artist don't even write their own lyrics and yet they call themselves musicians/ song writers. Yeah they can sing and play for their style, but really? I hear lyrics about their dog, tractor, badonkidonks and etc...I have to say that lyrics are suppose to be art and metaphorical, which is just my opinion, no need to discuss that. Rap they just do that, they throw a beat at the rapper and he is like "Oh, I feel dat" and then he just talks over it in rhythm and they think its coherent. I believe different, as I do respect rap, but only old school rap where the lyrics meant something, just like Eminems new album, where the lyrics were good and most of Eminems lyrics have meaning. But licking lolipops and my tractor is sexy, or my lovely lady lumps, or poker face or whatever. yeah it's hit for a big crowd, but you won't hear those songs in 10 years, where we still today listen to Stair way to heaven, Enter Sandman, Unholy Confessions etc...which are classics that will never die out like a rap or pop album that is over played. In the end.....the classic music that is art will last longer and get much more money because it will gradually be being sold over years to come while Heartless by Kanye West was only a hit for a year and may have been "in" and sold a lot within that year, but it is overplayed and that song will die out. Just my two cents on this whole ordeal

 

[nialldoran]

Interesting list though, it is good to see bands on there who write and play together where members are valued and arent some disposible no face sesssion musicians who put one foot wrong and get fired. even bands like nickleback who im not a fan of, its good to see them make the list,

the two i think annoyed me most on the list was bieber cause of how young and unexperianced he is, that it doesnt seem like he's paid enough dues to be that wealthy and "respected" (even if it is by 12 year old girls), the other was glee cause i look at glee in the same way as american idol or x-factor, to an extent, cause although they may be able to sing etc, its all covers of songs people already know so its familiarity that makes people comfortable, and the fact that its just a long dramatised advertising campagin for two albums per season, that they know they are guna make money from, regardless of talant or anything, its just the familiarity i think that people buy into it, thats all my opinion of course

 

[StefTD]

so many bands I never ever heard of before, ok country isn't big in Germany but
who the fuck is Glee or Lady Antebellum???
And yes, pretty surprised that Kate Perry isn't there, she's really big in Germany
they played there songs at least as often as they played Lady Gaga imho.

 

[Brandon E.]

Lol I can't believe Bon Jovi almost beat Gaga

 

[Trevoire520]

i look at glee in the same way as american idol or x-factor, to an extent, cause although they may be able to sing etc, its all covers of songs people already know so its familiarity that makes people comfortable, and the fact that its just a long dramatised advertising campagin for two albums per season, that they know they are guna make money from, regardless of talant or anything, its just the familiarity i think that people buy into it, thats all my opinion of course

Really? Have you heard the amount of autotune on that shit?

 

[Virgil.]

glad to see a rich hermaphrodite. $30 mil.... guess that's god's way of making up for it.

 

[nialldoran]

Really? Have you heard the amount of autotune on that shit?

yeah i know they use auto tune in both glee and i think it was the x-factor or something that was recently outed for using it, but i just meant it as an example that they could be completely talentless and not be able to string a melody together but because of familiarity and the long campagin leading to releases, people will still buy the albums

 

[Ryuno]

Hell yeah Gaga-tan. Haters be hatin'.
Also Katy Perry would make a lot of money if she went groove/djent.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFssHF9jp4Q&feature=fvwrel[/ame]

 

[Erkan]

^

Haha awesome

 

[mva801]

time to start a country band.

No kidding.

Good to see Tom Petty up at number 11. His bass player lives out here and is good friends with the guy who owns the studio I work at. Hung out with him the other day. Super nice guy.

 

[Sloan]

Personally I'm amazed at all the artists that are not even on my radar, as in I didn't even know they were touring. Especially Muse, who the fuck cares about that shit?

 

[ahjteam]

I honestly thought these artists made much more.. I figured the lower 40 would be making XX,000,000, and higher making more like XXX,000,000 ish...

Let's take Bon Jovi as an example...

Total Gross: $146,507,388 Number of Shows: 69
Total Attendance: 1,591,154 Number of Sell-Outs: 69

average ticket price:
146 507 388 / 1 591 154 = 92,08 dollars

average gross income per gig:
146 507 388 / 69 = 2 123 295 dollars


"Bon Jovi racked up overall album sales of 786,000 units (including more than 100,000 digital albums) and more than 2 million digital tracks, a by-product from years of radio hits."

So if going by the iTunes gross pricing; album á ~$10 & digisingle á $1:
7 860 000 from albums + 2 000 000 from singles = about 11 million


Add merchandise, TV performances, lisencing and other various stuff and you have about 10-20 million more.

When talking about just millions:

146 + 11 + 20 = 177 million total gross income

If the band has net income of 30 million, they make about 15% of the whole cake.

 

[Mago]

Interesting,thnx!
Although I also don't know all the artists on that list.
I also never understood why there was THAT FUCK MUCH money involved...never understood that for athletes too though.
Tiger Woods getting Millions for thrashing around, Soccer players for chasing a ball, and I guess NBA and NFL also pays quite well.
Never understood why these guys get THAT FUCKIN MUCH MORE money than every single firefighter or policemen.
Well, actually I understand why...I just think this system is fucked up

 

[thefyn]

time to start a country band.

A lot of the country sales are high because not many of those fans download music like orrible metal fans do.

They actually buy the itunes, cd's etc.

 

[mva801]

A lot of the country sales are high because not many of those fans download music like orrible metal fans do.

They actually buy the itunes, cd's etc.

That and country is WAY more popular than metal in America.

It's kinda weird looking at the ratio of digital to physical sales. some bands have significantly higher digital sales, and others, like Rihanna, have higher physical album sales.

 

[JeffTD]

Guys, country has it's own goddamn TV channel in the US - CMTV. The fanbase is HUGE. Virtually all of the south.

Not to mention 'Christian' artists come with a sort of built-in audience.