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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The 10 richest musicians of 2019 in the detailed ranking available here were the UK musicians and music-related entries in the Sunday Times Rich List. Andrew Lloyd Webber led with estimated wealth of £820 million. This is a UK wealth ranking—not a definitive global list, and not a ranking of musicians’ annual earnings.
Who were the 10 richest musicians in the UK in 2019?
Music Week reported the following estimates from the 2019 Sunday Times Rich List. The figures are published wealth estimates, not audited personal balance sheets. The list includes writers as well as performers, and preserves joint or family entries as the ranking presents them.
| Rank | Name as listed | Reported wealth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lord Lloyd-Webber | £820 million |
| 2 | Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell | £750 million |
| 3 | U2 | £583 million |
| 4 | Sir Elton John | £320 million |
| 5 | Sir Mick Jagger | £275 million |
| 6 | Keith Richards | £260 million |
| 7 | Olivia and Dhani Harrison | £250 million |
| 8 | Sir Ringo Starr | £240 million |
| 9 | Michael Flatley | £204 million |
| 10 | Sting | £200 million |
In its report on the ranking, Music Week’s account of the Sunday Times Rich List 2019 says the top 40 musicians accumulated reported wealth of £7.721 billion. That edition of the list covered the 1,000 richest people in Britain.
What does “richest” mean in this ranking?
Here, “richest” refers to estimated wealth, rather than money earned in a single year. A rich-list estimate is an attempt to value wealth; it should not be read as cash available in a bank account or as a verified personal balance sheet. The rankings are also shaped by their scope: this one concerns the UK list and includes writers, bands, and joint or family entries.
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Robert Watts, the Sunday Times Rich List compiler, said the list included Ed Sheeran and that he had “the potential to become the first British musician to reach billionaire status”. Watts also noted that touring remained lucrative for established acts: “Touring continues to be highly lucrative for the Rolling Stones and other long-established acts which have older fans able to pay more for tickets.” These observations provide context, but do not change what the table measures: estimated wealth in the 2019 list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the UK wealth list differs from Forbes’ 2019 earnings ranking
Another list often associated with 2019 ranks the world’s highest-earning musicians. It answers a different question: how much musicians earned over a reporting period, rather than how much wealth a rich-list publisher estimated they held. Hypebeast’s report of Forbes’ 2019 ranking puts Taylor Swift first at $185 million and says the top ten earned just over $1 billion combined. Those dollar figures are earnings, not net worth.
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Forbes China’s description of the calculation says it considered touring, music, and outside-business income, drawing on Pollstar and Nielsen Music data and interviews. Its reported top ten were:
| Rank | Artist or act | 2019 earnings reported |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylor Swift | $185 million |
| 2 | Kanye West | $150 million |
| 3 | Ed Sheeran | $110 million |
| 4 | The Eagles | $100 million |
| 5 | Elton John | $84 million |
| 6 | JAY-Z | $81 million |
| 7 | Beyoncé | $81 million |
| 8 | Drake | $75 million |
| 9 | Diddy | $70 million |
| 10 | Metallica | $68.5 million |
The two rankings should not be compared as if they measure the same thing: one is a UK rich-list estimate in pounds, while the other is a global annual-earnings ranking in dollars. They also have different scopes and treatment of groups and joint entries. A performer can earn a large amount in a given year without that annual figure being a measure of total wealth.
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