Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Adele had huge years in 2011, with major tours, strings of hit singles, Grammy wins and #1-hogging chart-topping albums. But when Billboard magazine compiled its 2012 list of “Music’s Top 40 Money Makers” it was Taylor Swift who ruled them all. In fact, the 22-year-old country-pop darling out-earned all of her fellow ladies combined.
According to the magazine’s calculations, Swift earned her #1 spot on the list thanks to reported earnings of $35.7 million in the 2011 calendar year. Those earnings came from a combination of revenue from the quadruple-platinum-plus sales of Speak Now and its accompanying tour, which grossed $88.5 million in the U.S. alone.
But because Swift writes her own songs, she rolled up a big chunk of change in songwriting royalties as well.
Full story: Taylor Swift tops Billboard 2012 top money makers