Beyonce Tops Billboard’s Top 50 Money Makers of 2016 List, Drake and Kanye West in List’s Top 10
Billboard released its Top 50 Money Makers of 2016 list yesterday and Beyonce proves that yes, she slays by being number one on the list of 50 artists for the past year’s highest earners in music. Bow down. The list, which dropped yesterday (July 13), quoted Beyonce as making a lucrative $62.1 million last year – $20 million more than the act coming in second on the list. Other top earners of color included Drake, Kanye West, Rihanna, and The Weeknd – to name a few.
The list ranks earner income through a cumulative total from album sales, streaming sales, publishing, and touring. Queen Bey earned the majority of her 2016 income through the Formation World Tour, which ran from April to October and amassed a whopping total of $54.7 million. The tour reportedly sold 1.2 million tickets and grossed $161 million over the course of its 32 North American dates alone. And while Beyonce might have been famously snubbed for an Album of the Year Grammy, Lemonade proved to be incredibly sweet for the artist.
Lemonade moved 2.2 million equivalent album units last year and accumulated $4.3 million in sales and $1.9 million in streaming sales. As of May 2017, it has been noted that the artist has a net worth of $350 million.
“Free Smoke” rapper Drake took the number four spot on the list with $37.3 million. Streaming sales for his 20-track LP Views earned the musician $18.1 million in streaming sales and $5.2 million in album sales. His Summer Sixteen Tour, which he co-headlined with rapper and frequent collaborator Future, earned him his second biggest payout for the year at $13.6 million. As of 2017, Forbes reports that Drake has a net worth of $90 million.
Kanye West rounded out the list’s top 10 acts, landing at number 9 with $26.1 million. Touring proved to be the “FADE” rapper’s highest stream of income last year. The Saint Pablo Tour raked in a mammoth $45 million, making the artist’s take $15.4 million. His position on the list makes him the second highest grossing rapper on the top 50 list. He’s also second behind Drake in regards to streaming-only earnings as well, with $7.6 million. Kanye was reported to have a net worth of $150 million.
In the twelfth spot on the list is ANTI singer Rihanna with $22.3 million. Most of the songstress’s earnings also came from touring. The singer put in a lot of work (pun intended) when it came to her on the road grind last year and raked in $11.2 million. Streaming was also huge for the artist, as she was able to bring in $7.6 million through streams. She also earned $1 million in publishing royalties as well. This is only a piece of the bigger net worth as the Bajan beauty reportedly has a net worth north of $230 million.
Also making the list is the rapper Future (number 17) and R&B crooner The Weeknd (number 42), earning $17 million and $9.4 million respectively.
Check out the details on these artists and the other artists that made the list of highest earners here.
Photo Credit: PR Photos
