James Minchin; Claude GassianYoung pop superstar Taylor Swift has topped Forbes‘ 2016 Celebrity 100 list as the highest-earning celebrity in the world after raking in $170 million over the past year, but several veteran rock artists also made their mark on the tally. AC/DC and The Rolling Stones appear in the top 20 of the list, with 67.5 million and $67 million in respective earnings from June 2015 to June 2016.
AC/DC made much of their millions from their Rock or Bust world tour. The trek was hugely successful, even though the band suffered a major lineup shakeup during the outing when longtime singer Brian Johnson was forced off the road by serious hearing issues. AC/DC bounced back quickly, as Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose has stepped in to help the Aussie rockers finish out their tour commitments.
The Rolling Stones, meanwhile, cashed in on their own lucrative tour dates, most of which were played mainly in stadiums and other large venues.
Other rock acts appearing on Forbes‘ Celebrity 100 are Bruce Springsteen at #24 with $60.5 million in earnings, Paul McCartney at #25 with $56.5 million, U2 at #30 with $55 million, Foo Fighters at #45 with $48 million, Elton John at #61 with $42 million and Jimmy Buffett at #66 with $40.5 million.
Forbes‘ Celebrity 100 list ranks the world’s best-paid celebrities based on figures from Nielsen, Pollstar, IMDb and other sources, as well as interviews with industry insiders and the artists themselves.
Check out the full list at Forbes.com.
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