One of the largest industries in the entertainment world after the movie industry is the music industry, and this industry created some of the richest musicians ever.

It is filled with different types of musicians, known for their unique sound and music genre. And as these musicians are, they also have their fans who love their music. 

The exciting thing about music is that: you can have more than one favorite singer depending on what song changes or gets you in the mood. Today, you could love an RnB musician, and tomorrow, switch your preference to Rock n’ roll. 

As you do this, you are indirectly funding the pockets of these people. Because the more the units they sell, the richer they become. That is why musicians are part of the wealthiest people in the world. 

Although some of these musicians are known to have other businesses outside music, they still make a huge amount of money from their singles or records. Also, a pretty good majority of them are artists either signed to a record label or running theirs. 

So, if you’ve always wondered who the richest musicians in the world are – man or woman, this article will get you through a list with their net worth.  

The 20 World’s Wealthiest Music Artists:

1. Kanye West

Kanye Omari West is the richest singer in the world. He is worth over $1.8 Billion as of 2021. 

The American rapper and singer is also a businessman and a fashion designer. 

He came into the limelight in the early 2000s as one of Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records producers. He dropped this debut album in 2004, and ever since then, gained status as one of the most influential people to contribute to the growth of hip-

Kanye West is also one of the world’s best-selling and successful artists of all time, with several awards and over 160 million records sold globally. 

2. Rihanna

Rihanna is also one of the many names to list when it comes to those who have contributed mainly to hip-hop. She is the second richest musician in the world, with a net worth of $1.7 Billion. 

Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in 1988, the Barbadian singer has made so much money from music, acting, and fashion designing. She is also a businesswoman with her own beauty brand, Fenty Beauty. 

Rihanna also tops the list of the best-selling artists of all time, with over 250 million records sold worldwide. Furthermore, some of her songs and albums have been listed as #1 across different platforms. 

3. Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the richest singers in the world, with a net worth of $1.28 Billion. He is a British composer and musical theatre impresario who has had his musicals run for many years (many decades). 

Andrew, born in 1948, is a legacy. He had parents who were full-time into music – his mother was a pianist and violinist while his father was an organist and a composer. 

He is also called the King of Broadway with over 20 world-recognized hits, including The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, and many others. He currently profits off his soundtracks, merchandise, ticket sales, and film adaptations. 

4. Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney is another rich English musician, singer, and songwriter. He also takes an interest in film production. He is a world-renowned co-lead vocalist and bassist, and he once played for the famous rock band, The Beatles. 

Paul became one of the greatest singers in the world after his partnership with John Lennon. Following that, he collaborated with other popular music artists like Michael Jackson, Elvis Costello, and Stevie Wonder. 

The 79-year-old self-taught musician is very versatile – he is mainly known for his wide tenor range. Currently, he is worth $1.2 Billion (he earns $54 million every year).

5. Jay Z

Born Shawn Corey Carter in 1969, Jay Z remains one of the iconic figures of the new world’s hip-hop artists. The American rapper, songwriter, and record producer are also one of the richest musicians, with a net worth of $1 Billion as of 2021. 

Jay-Z’s career began when he found his record label in 1995, Roc-A-Fella Records. Ever since he has released several albums and singles – his albums contributed mostly to his successes; however, as a media proprietor, he invested in other successful businesses. 

Jay Z also has a clothing retailer, a sports bar, a tech company (Aspiro/Tidal), and the entertainment company Roc Nation.

6. Herb Alpert

One of the oldest living legends and the richest musicians is Herb Alpert. He gained massive popularity in the 60s for his trumpeting as he led Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Bass. He started a record label during that same time with his partner, Jerry Moss, and together they found A & M Moss. 

Herb Alpert has had huge successes for his work in Jazz, Latin, Funk, Pop, and R&B. 5 of his recorded albums were #1 on Billboard, with about 14 albums Platinum-certified and 15 albums Gold-certified. With over 72 million records sold globally, he is one of the best-selling artists of all time. 

The 86-year-old singer is $850 Million. 

7. P.Diddy

Over the last three decades, one of the many iconic names in the music industry is P.Diddy. Born Sean Combs on November 4^th, 1969, P.Diddy is an American rapper, record producer, businessman, and talents director. 

P.Diddy (also called Puff Daddy, Puffy or Diddy) first interned at Uptown Records, where he helped develop artists like Mary J. Blige. Years later, he started his own record label, Bad Boy Records introducing acts like Usher and The Notorious B.I.G.

While he was commercially successful in his talents management, he dropped albums that won the Grammys and MTV Video Music Awards. His current net worth is $740 Million. 

8. Celine Dion

Celine Marie Dion is also one of the richest musicians in the world, notably known for her powerful and technical vocal skills. The Canadian-born singer has explored different genres of music, including R&B, Rock, and Classical. 

Celine Dion has had some of her songs produced in Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Latin, etc. Undoubtedly, she is one of the best recording artists the world has ever had. 

With so many awards and honors to her name, she is also recognized as one of the world’s most influential and successful people. From over 200 million records sold globally, she is estimated to be worth $800 Million. 

9. Dr. Dre

Andre Romelle Young, also known as Dr. Dre, is also a legacy – his father once had an R&B Group. The fuel for music has been burning in him since he was young, which is why he is one of the most influential hip-hop artists in the world today. 

Dr. Dre is an American rapper, record producer, and businessman. He co-founded Death Row Records before starting his own entertainment company, Aftermath Entertainment. 

He is also the CEO of Beats Electronics. 

Dr. Dre’s portfolio was the best-selling music artist in America in 1993. He has also won numerous Grammys in his lifetime. He is estimated to have a net worth of $820 Million. 

10. Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Music is a popular country musician that has made numerous impacts in her life through music. However, the American singer and multi-instrumentalist is also a businesswoman, actor, humanitarian, and entertainer. She is indeed one of the many successful people in the world. 

Dolly Parton has always had huge successes with her albums. Some of her albums are currently Platinum- and Gold-certified by the RIAA. She has also explored other music genres like Bluegrass and Gospel with instruments such as Guitar, Banjo, Piano, Violin, and many others. 

The American singer has an estimated net worth of $650M from over 100 million records sales worldwide. 

11. Madonna

Listing some of the influential people in pop culture and Madonna is one of them. She is often called “Queen of Pop” by her fans. She has celebrated many successes due to her music production versatility and top-notch presentation. 

Born Madonna Louie Ciccone on August 16^th, 1958, she is an American singer, actor, and songwriter. Although she started her career as a modern dancer in 1978, she soon became a guitarist, vocalist, and drummer for a band. 

In 1983, Madonna released her first studio album, which gained her mass popularity. Also, some of her movies like “Desperately Seeking Susan” and “A League of Their Own” enhanced her popularity further. 

She is one of the richest musicians with an $850M net worth. 

12. Beyonce

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, also known as Beyoncé, is definitely on the list of the wealthiest singers in the world. The American-born singer, songwriter, and actress is one of the many icons of the music industry and is widely known for her work in R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop, and Soul music. 

Beyoncé officially started her career in 1997 after participating in numerous singing and dancing competitions. She was formerly the lead singer of the 90s music group Destiny Child. 

Married to another music icon, Jay Z, Beyoncé has had significant successes with numerous awards, nominations, and recognitions to her name. 

She is worth $440M. 

13. Julio Iglesias

Most people who love Spanish songs cannot go a day without Julio José Iglesias songs. The Spanish singer still remains the most commercially successful continental European singer and one of the top record sellers of all time. With over 100 million records sold globally, Julio earns a spot on the richest musicians list. 

For his numerous performances, Julio Iglesias is widely known all around Europe, America, and three other continents. He holds the title of having 5000 concerts in his lifetime, with over 60 million people in attendance in total.  

Julio Iglesias’s net worth is estimated to be about $600 Million. 

14. Sean Paul

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques is one of the names to mention when listing the richest rappers in the music industry. The Jamaican singer and producer is very versatile, having explored genres such as Hip-Hop, Reggae Fusion, Hip-House, Reggae, Dance-Pop, and Reggae. 

Sean Paul started his music career in 1995, and since then, he has dropped some award-worthy albums and singles. He has had many features, including Sia, Dua Lipa, Anne-Marie, J Balvin, The Saturdays, and Beyoncé. He remains one of the prolific artists of all time. 

Sean Paul has an estimate of $25 Million as his net worth. 

15. Victoria Beckham

The popular wife of the famous former English footballer, David Beckham, Victoria, is also on the list of the richest singers the world has. The English-born singer, songwriter, Tv personality, and fashion designer came to the limelight in the 1990s with her girl group, Posh Spice. 

With Posh Spice, she had a major commercial success, having sold over 100 million records globally. This group also happened to be the best-selling female group in the world. She later had a reality show that took the audience to different days of her life. 

Victoria and David Beckham share a joint net worth, estimated to be over $450 Million. 

16. Bono

Paul David Hewson, popularly called Bono, is one of the wealthiest Irish singers and songwriters. He is known to be the primary lyricist and lead vocalist of the rock band group U2. He explores music genres such as Rock, Post-Punk, and Alternative Rock. Most of his lyrics were greatly inspired by his religious beliefs and personal experiences. 

Bono, as fondly called, has ventured into different types of businesses apart from music and regards himself today as a venture capitalist and a businessman. With massive successes all around, he has a net worth of roughly $700 Million. 

17. Gloria Estefan

The Miami Sound Machine’s lead singer, Gloria Estefan, takes a spot on the richest singers in the world list with a net worth of $500 Million. The Cuban-American singer and songwriter was one of the fastest-growing musicians in the 70s after joining the Miami Latin Boys band. 

In the 80s, she had a hit song, “Conga,” which greatly propelled her. Later, she had another hit song with the band “Anything for You,” which gave her a better platform to explore different genres, including Latin Pop, Dance-Pop, and Tropical music. 

Gloria is known to be the artist who paved the way for Latin artists.

18. Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand’s versatility earned her a place on the richest singer list. She is an American singer, filmmaker, and actress who has had great success in various entertainment industry fields. 

With over six decades of consistency, progress, and hit songs, she has received numerous awards from Grammy, Emmy, and many others. Her genres included Broadway, Traditional Pop, and Disco.

Even though she started performing at a nightclub, she soon rose to prominence and got signed under Columbia Records. Some of her albums and singles topped Billboard, and over 150 million records sold worldwide. 

Barbra Streisand has an estimated net worth value of $400 Million. 

19. Toby Keith

Another famous country singer with a considerable net worth is Toby Keith. He is also one of the wealthiest singers, with an estimated value of $365 Million. His commercial success came right from his studio albums – his first four were the most fantastic hits package. He also had singles that were number one on Billboard, giving him more recognition.

Some of his albums have also been certified Gold and Platinum in the United States. Altogether, he has had over 40 million album sales. 

Toby Keith is also a songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman. He has run different businesses over the last two decades. 

20. Shania Twain

One last name to the top 20 richest singers in the world list is Shania Twain. The Canadian singer and songwriter is one of the most successful women in the music industry. She is currently one of the best-selling music artists of the century, with over 100 million records sold. 

She is remarkably known for her work in the country music genre, which earned her the title: “Queen of Country Pop.” On several occasions, her songs and albums have topped the Billboard – in fact, and she was named “90s Country-Pop Crossover Stars.”

Shania Twain has an estimated net worth value of $400 Million, according to Forbes. 

Conclusion

Finding out some of the richest musicians in the world is one of the exciting things to do. Now, you know the people on the list and the net worth value of each of them. While some of these musicians didn’t make off money only from music, a considerable part was singing or songwriting. And as these artists spread across different genres, you can quickly tell what the majority of the music audience loves.