To most likely nobody’s surprise, Beyoncé was the highest-earning musical artist of 2016, according to Billboard’s annual report. Queen Bey racked up a total payday of Dhs228 million, with the bulk of her income flowing in from those elaborate and devotional “Formation” tour dates.
It’s still a little bit of a surprise to see that her income from music sales and streaming — Dhs15.7 million and Dhs6.9 million, respectively — is so measly compared to her live dates, but that falls in line with the music industry’s business woes at large.
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Who else landed on the list? Coming in at no. 2 is Guns N’ Roses, with Dhs155.3 million, and then at no. 3 is Bruce Springsteen, with Dhs155 million. If you’re looking for more regular faces in the music press, Drake is no. 4 with Dhs133.6 million, while Adele, who might be over touring in general, landed at no. 5 with Dhs139.9 million.
What’s most interesting about the Billboard list is how wildly the acts on it range. Within the top 20, you’ve got all kinds of pop culture currents moving — Justin Bieber and Rihanna on the one hand and Barbra Streisand and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on the other. Read the entire list here.
Originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com