Madonna Tops ‘Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Musicians List, With Lady Gaga At No. 2

Sam Lansky | November 19, 2013 12:33 pm

Uh-oh — this probably won’t help quash their beef. Forbes has just released their millionth rich-people list of the year, this one of the world’s highest-paid musicians — and surprise! The Queen of Pop is still at the top, with Madonna earning $125 million last year, primarily from her MDNA Tour, which brought in $305 million.

Coming up in the No. 2 slot? Lady Gaga pulled in $80 million last year — just 2/3 of Madonna’s take — largely from the $160 million grossed by touring, a figure which likely would have been higher if Gaga’s Born This Way Ball hadn’t been cut short by Mother Monster’s injury

Dudes round out the top 5, with Bon Jovi at No. 3 with $79 million, Toby Keith (blurgh) at No. 4 with $65 million and Coldplay at No. 5 with $64 million. Good job, gentlemen.

As Forbes notes, touring is the primary moneymaker for all of these top-performing artists, so get back on the road, kids — there’s paper to stack.

[via Forbes]