The Top-Earning Country Music Stars

Forbes ^ | 5/22/08 | David Randall

[OneVike]

Aside from Keith, most of the musicians on our list earned the majority of their income from successful tours. Rascal Flatts' top 10 2007 tour helped put the trio at No. 2, with $40 million in earnings. Rascal Flatts has a younger fan base than most country music stars, partly due to their significant crossover appeal.

Tim McGraw's $23 million lands him the No. 3 spot on our list. His Soul2Soul II tour with his real-life leading lady, Faith Hill, was the second highest-grossing country tour of 2007. He's hitting the road alone this year, which shouldn't be a risk, considering he sold 2.4 million copies of his latest record, Let It Go.

Kenny Chesney comes in at No. 4 with $22 million in earnings. His Flip Flop Summer tour was one of the highest-grossing concert series of 2007, second only to the Police. He's also an established songwriter--his tune "Never Wanted Nothing More" stayed on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart for 23 weeks.

At No. 5 are Brooks & Dunn, with $20 million. Country music's most powerful duo spent most of last year on the road. Their tour with Alan Jackson grossed over $14 million. While both were moderately successful singer-songwriters before joining up in 1990, the combination of their talents has led to 20 No. 1 hits and 13 albums.

For the list, Forbes considered concert grosses, merchandise revenue, album sales and income from endorsement and licensing deals. The figures represent estimates of gross earnings in the last 12 months.

The bottom line for country stars has increased in the last few years, as touring replaced album sales as the primary revenue stream. Country acts, which have always toured extensively, can realize significant income without changing their business patterns.

[OneVike]

I am big on Country music and this just proves my point that everything else pales in comparison.

[KevinDavis]

I’m a big Hank 3 fan..

[willieroe]

Article is from May 21, 2008....

[Montanabound]

Thanks. I was wondering why they kept citing 2007 tours.

[willieroe]

OneVike - did you mean to post the May 19, 2010 article?

Country Music's Top-Earning Stars

[The Comedian]

Need some 2010 stats.

That being said, Country is the only genre which expresses genuine admirable human emotion.

Loves my Toby, yo.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Tom Hawks]

Could you pull this article.

I got my sites crossed up and posted the wrong thing. I meant to post a current article about Keith a Chesney, but really messed up.

This article is 2 years old, could you please pull it.

[Vigilantcitizen]

I’m a big Hank 3 fan..

"Pop Country Sucks!"

[prisoner6]

Taylor Swift coming up fast.

Makes me want to spit! Most, if not all, of these folks have somewhat of the sound (way overproduced though) but they don't have the county heart.

Swift doesn't even have the sound. We play a couple of her songs at the stations where I work. "You Belong With Me" is on now. AAAARRRRRAAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!

It's all become country without the "o"!

Gonna hafta go listen to some Porter, Tubbs, Willis, Flatt, Axton and even some Prine (not real county either, but a dang site better than the trash that's played on the stations today) to get that danged YB2M sing-song out of my head!

prisoner6

[Tom Hawks]

OneVike - did you mean to post the May 19, 2010 article? Yes I did.

I found the article on Yahoo, but noticed it a was an article that citred Forbes. So I did a google search and did not realise I grabbbed an old article.

My bad. Thanks for finding the correct article.

[Taft in '52]

My Country/Western Top Five:

1. Stalin Kicked the Bucket--Ray Anderson, 1953

2. They Locked God Outside the Iron Curtain--Jimmy Dickins, 1952

3. I' m No Communist--Carson Robison, 1952

4. When the Atom Bomb Fell--Karl & Harty, 1945

5. Atomic Power--The Buchanan Brothers, 1946 (Fred Kirby did the best rendition, but I can't find it online)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“At No. 5 are Brooks & Dunn, with $20 million.”

I got dragged, kicking and screaming, to a Brooks & Dunn concert a number of years ago...I fell in love with them that night. :)

Anyone in Wisconsin worth their salt loves Bodeans! Sorta Country. ;)

[AK_47_7.62x39]

Nashville is just “corporate country” and is as slick, fake, marketed, controlled, insipid, flat, tasteless, hokey and worthless as anything pop music has.

There are some true outlaw country and folk people who make good music, but they aren’t going to get focused by Forbes.

Try:
Drive By Truckers
Todd Snider
Jerry Jeff Walker
Steve Earle (before he went loopy)
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Chris Knight (the BEST lyricist, in my opinion)
Robert Earle Keen
Bottle Rockets
Charlie Robison
Cody Morrow
Pat Green (earlier stuff)
Townes Van Zandt (I know, old)

There is LOTS AND LOTS of good heartland music out there not slickly produced and managed and played ad nauseum on country top 40 to the point that you want to fly into a raging fit if you hear “She’s in Love With the Boy” or Garth Brooks or whoever the latest wonder is.

Google “no depression” for some REALLY great artists.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“I’m a big Hank 3 fan..”

Me too! 6’8”

[Crapgame]

Naw, for real country, y’all need to check out some real boot-scooting music. Try some of these Texas acts on for size:

Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys
Amber Digby and Midnight Flyer
Bobby Flores
Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition
Landon Dodd and the Dancehall Drifters

Just to name a few....

[AK_47_7.62x39]

I love Texas music of all shapes and sizes.

[MamaB]

I just looked and there is a site where you can download it. It is:

http://mp3bear.com/buchanan-brothers-atomic-power

I just typed in the name of the song and singers and lots of sites popped up. Good luck.

[MamaB]

Do you like cowboy music from the present back to the 30’s?

If so, go to bostonpete.com and listen to it online. I love to listen to that kind of music while I am on the computer. Give it a try.