The Richest Rock-And-Roll Stars To Ever Sing Behind The Mic

Jesse Prout | April 5, 2019 9:53 am

The music industry isn't as lucrative as it used to be thanks in large part to illegal downloading. But, there used to be a time when rock-and-roll music ruled the world. Nowadays, musicians have to make most of their money while touring, but it never used to be like that. Yes, people actually used to buy music.

This article will show you the richest rock-and-rollers that are still kicking, and it'll serve as a time capsule to a moment when people used to buy albums and musicians were regarded as cultural icons.

Sting Earns Almost $2000 A Day

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Ryan Miller/WireImage

Sting, or Gordon Sumner, has churned out a ton of hits over the years. He went from being the spiky-haired Police frontman to a solo career that's basically the backdrop of every Starbucks, ever.

He has an estimated net worth of $300 million and is said to earn about $2000 a day on songs that he's written but not put out himself. The Police reunion tour in 2008 grossed about $400 million in ticket sales alone which is absolutely stunning.

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Bruce Springsteen Is A Very Rich 'Working Class Man'

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Bruce Springsteen became very popular and very relatable as the "working class man." Well, you might be shocked to find out that he's probably the richest working class man you'll ever hear of with an estimated net worth around $300 million.

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He continues to deliver three-hour long concerts, and his 2012 Wrecking Ball tour grossed $368 million in ticket sales, which helps the bottom line. He's sold more than 135 million records worldwide and has won 20 Grammy awards.

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Keith Richards Makes Slightly Less Than Mick Jagger

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Keith Richards is Mick Jagger's guitarist and songwriting partner who is only SLIGHTLY less wealthy. Richards boasts a net worth of about $330 million and is one of the most famous non-lead singers on this list.

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He's ranked fourth on the list of 100 best guitarists in 2011 by Rolling Stone has fourteen of the songs he co-wrote with Mick Jagger listed on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

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Ringo Starr Still Goes On Tour

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Having a net worth of around $350 million is pretty impressive for a man who is considered to be the least popular member of The Beatles. That just shows you how influential that band really was.

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He still goes on tour with his All-Starr Band and has some real estate all over the world. But, it's probably pretty safe to say that most of this wealth is from the royalties of being one of the Fab Four.

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Mick Jagger Is Part Of The Second-Highest Grossing Tour

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The Rolling Stones are one of the most influential rock-and-roll bands of all time. They might not be getting the radio play the got in their heyday, but their live shows still bring fans from all over the world in bundles and bundles. They're the second highest grossing touring act on the planet, with only U2 pulling in more money.

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Frontman Mick Jagger's net worth is $360 million which got a little boost recently when their 2015 Zip Code Tour brought in nearly $110 million.

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Jimmy Buffet's Catchphrases Have Paid Off

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If you're wondering how Jimmy Buffet is on this list after not really having a hit on the radio in like four decades, it's because he does a lot of other things. He has a net worth towering around $450 million which is in large part due to his insane touring numbers and red-hot ticket sales.

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But, it's also largely thanks to the fact he put his name onto the Margaritaville, Cheeseburger in Paradise, and Land Shark restaurants. He also has his Five O'Clock Somewhere bars that do very well.

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Elton John Lives Like A Royal Off His Royalties

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Elton John, or as he was formerly known, Reg Dwight, is a money-making machine. He tours around the world, and still draws a sellout crown wherever he goes. His residencies in Las Vegas proved to be especially rewarding.

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His net worth is $450 million which really isn't that surprising. The royalties he gets from writing The Lion King music alone is quite lucrative. He's a big spender, though, as he once shelled out $475,000 a year for fresh flowers in his homes.

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Bono Invests His Money Wisely

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U2, as we mentioned before, is the number one touring act of all time. Their total touring revenues are upwards of $736 million and they have deals with companies like iTunes that automatically downloaded the band's songs onto every iPhone.

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Bono has a net worth of $650 million not only because of music, but because he's an educated businessman. His $90 million investment into Facebook is paying off wonderfully for him. It's hard to even imagine how much money that is now.

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Paul McCartney Is A Billionaire

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Sir Paul McCartney is the world's only billionaire rockstar. Yes, he's a billionaire. As a solo artist, he sold more than 100 million albums and let's not forget that he was a member of the most popular band of all time.

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His net worth sits around a casual $1.2 billion and reports indicate that he's even trying to buy back all of the rights to the Beatles' publishing, which is said to cost around $750 million.

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Dave Matthews Continues To Make Money Touring The Globe

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Dave Matthews from the Dave Matthews Band had seven straight albums debut at number one on the Billboard charts. During the 2000s, the Dave Matthews Band earned more money and sold more tickets than any other act in North America.

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He has a net worth of $300 million and while his songs have sort of dimmed on classic-rock radio, he still continues to sell out all over the world and provides one of the most nostalgic and fascinating shows ever.

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Gene Simmons Is A Marketing Genius

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Gene Simmons has an estimated net worth of about $300 million because he's been a branding genius. Not only has he been spitting out blood and rock-and-rolling all night for so long, but he's also raking in KISS merchandise like KISS Kredit Kards and KISS Koffins.

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Throw in a bit of reality TV show money as a little side hustle and you're safely sitting in the $300 million range. Sure, he's the KISS bassist, but his brand is so much deeper than that.

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Jon Bon Jovi Used His Money To Buy A New Jersey Mansion

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Jon Bon Jovi is the lead singer of his own band, which has sold over 130 million albums worldwide. He's also released two solo albums and even dipped his toes in the acting industry. He starred in films like Moonlight and Valentino and U-571.

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His net worth is an estimated $275 million and he lives in a $22 million mansion in New Jersey. He continues to be a high-drawing touring act around the world because of his timeless hits.

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Roger Waters Holds The Record For Best-Attended Concert

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Roger Waters, the former Pink Floyd frontman, continues to be a big-ticket touring act. Even though he was in a hot legal battle with the rest of his Pink Floyd bandmates that surely put a dent in his wallet, he still has a net worth hovering around $270 million.

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Roger Waters still holds the record for the best-attended concert ever in 1996. It drew a crowd of roughly 200,000 people and was called The Wall — Live in Berlin.

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Dave Grohl Is A Man Of Many Talents

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Dave Grohl could comfortably live off the royalties he gets from being a part of Nirvana, but his love of music wasn't going to let that happen. He's now the frontman for The Foo Fighters and continues to bring in an insane amount of money.

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His estimated net worth is $260 million which isn't that surprising considering a Foo Fighters tour pulls in a ton of money. A Foo Fighters tour is consistently one of the highest grossing tours every year.

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Phil Collins Made A Ton Off His Success In The 80s

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Phil Collins probably has one of the most infamous drum solos of all time in his "In The Air Tonight." Collins started in the band Genesis and then launched a solo career that may have peaked in the 80s, but has never lost its fanbase.

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No artist had more Top 40 hits in the 80s than Phil Collins. He has a net worth of $255 million, which is in large part due to the estimated 33.5 million albums sold in the US and an estimated 150 million worldwide.

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Eric Clapton Is A Three-Time Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer

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Eric Clapton is the only person to ever have three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was inducted for his solo career, when he was a member of the Yardbirds, and when he was a member of Cream. He's an 18-time Grammy award winner that has a net worth of $250 million.

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His staying power in the industry has been absolutely incredible. He sold out London's Royal Albert Hall for seven consecutive nights to celebrate his 70th birthday.

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Rod Stewart Has Built Up A Very Unique Audience

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Rod Stewart continues to be one of rock's most consistent best-selling artists. He travels the world and sells out the biggest venues he can find. His estimated net worth of $230 million is almost solely based on his music.

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You may forget that Stewart at one point had six back-to-back number-one hits in the U.K. He also had recent forays into jazz standards from the Great American Songbook which opened him up to an entirely different audience.

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Ozzy Osbourne Can Thank His Manager / Wife

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When you have a manager and wife like Sharon Osbourne, you're probably going to do pretty well for yourself. Ozzy Osbourne still remains very popular as the frontman for Black Sabbath (now on a reunion tour). He was fired from the band in 1979 because of a drug problem, but was able to have a very successful solo career.

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His estimated net worth sits around $230 million because he's been able to sell records and build a brand. We also can't forget about the very popular reality TV show featuring his family.

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Lars Ulrich Made A Fortune As A Drummer

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It doesn't happen too often that the drummer is the most wealthy member of a band. But, Lars Ulrich of Metallica has earned a net worth around $200 million. Most of that money is derived from his role of handling all the merchandising and image-related issues for the band.

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While Metallica continues to tour, their album sales have stayed relatively consistent, and the money that he makes from all the stuff he does behind the scenes for the band is what really drives his wealth.

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Don Henley Paid Himself More Than Any Eagle

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The Eagles formed in 1971 and have collected six Grammy awards, five American Music Awards, and six number-one albums. They are one of the best selling bands of all time, having sold more than 100 million albums.

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It's not too much of a surprise to see that one of their founding members is on this list. Henley paid himself more than other members of the band and has an estimated net worth around $200 million.