Garth Brooks Is Country’s Top Earner in 2015
Touring revenue easily trumps sales in Forbes‘ list of the 30 Top Earning Musicians of 2015, which puts pop star Katy Perry at the very top of the list and Garth Brooks in the Number Three spot (behind One Direction) with earnings of $90 million.
Though his album Man Against Machine didn’t match his early Nineties sales domination, Brooks’ comeback tour has been a blockbuster affair with multiple nights in every city grossing more than $1 million per show. With numerous concert dates booked in Florida, Maryland and South Carolina through the first part of 2016, Brooks exhibits no signs of slowing down next year.
The next country artist to show up is Toby Keith, several spots down the list at Number 16 with $53 million in earnings. Though his music and assorted entrepreneurial ventures regularly put him on the top earners lists, Keith was bested this year by classic rockers like the Rolling Stones and pop stars like Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé — though one spot ahead of former Beatle Paul McCartney.
A trio of male country artists who mounted huge tours is in the $40 million club, led by Jason Aldean at Number 19 with $43.5 million. Luke Bryan is up next, followed by Kenny Chesney. Close behind is Tim McGraw, who tied with Foo Fighters at Number 24. Rounding out the country stars on the list is Florida Georgia Line, who come in at Number 27 with $36.5 million.
No female country artists made the list this year, but Forbes does note that both Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton earned more than $25 million in the last year.