While her smash hit album, 1989, came out more than two years ago, Taylor Swift is still dominating the music industry. The 26-year-old singer topped Forbes’ annual list of the year’s highest-paid musicians, beating out other juggernauts like rival, Katy Perry, and legendary pop icon, Madonna. The top of list is notably occupied by women, with many of the slots owned by solo female acts. This trend continues from last year, as the aforementioned Perry, claimed the number one spot back in 2015. Absent from the top of the list, is Beyonce, whose latest tour wasn’t factored into consideration. Forbes analyzed income before Bey kicked off her massive worldwide trek earlier this year. The star would have likely jumped up from her 17 spot, which she currently occupies.
An interesting ranking, is that of British boy band, One Direction. The former X Factor product, clawed their way to runners up, and likely for one last time, as the group is currently on a definite hiatus. Speaking of brits, Adele comes in at number three, after releasing her titanic and much-anticipated album, 25, in November of last year. The record has since been certified diamond, a seemingly impossible feat in this digital age. For an extensive list of the highest-paid musicians of 2016, follow us after the jump. To see what gave them the dough, check out Forbes’ official announcement via their website.
