Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Black Friday
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Freddie Mercury holding a Union Jack flag
Artists Which 20th-century band are the top ‘rock’ act in 21st-century Britain?
Paul Rodgers performing with Bad Company in 1974
Artists “This business can really get tough sometimes, and you have to dig deep inside you”: The rise of rock icons Bad Company
Every Breath You Take video still
Bands Sting sued by ex-Police colleagues for a share of Every Breath You Take royalties
Richard Branson, 28 year old mastermind behind Virgin Music company. Seen here in his recording studio, The Townhouse in West London. In this set of 21 pictures , Richard is seen relaxing on his houseboat, going to work, in his recording studio The Townhouse in West London, and in the brand new Virgin Mega Store with some of the 3,000,000 worth of records and tapes in the background. Picture by Bill Rowntree, picture taken 4th July 1979. (Photo by Bill Rowntree/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)
Music Industry Richard Branson says he was in the studio when Phil Collins was recording a legendary drum solo
REM in 1987
Bands Revealed! (Some of) the lyrics to REM's It’s The End Of The World As We Know It
Def Leppard
Artists “I said, ‘Sorry, boys – you can’t turn this chorus down!’”: How Def Leppard created a mega-hit song in 10 days
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Birdy performs at the VIP Opening of the David Bowie Centre, V&A East Storehouse, on September 10, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse)
Singles And Albums Jeff Beck, Roxy Music and Miles Davis all make the list of David Bowie’s 15 favourite tracks
Drummers Listen to 11 isolated drum tracks from rock's drumming legends
max martin
Producers & Engineers "This can't be serious": Billboard reveals the top producers of the 21st century so far – and people aren't happy
Golden Ticket
Gigs & Festivals “The concert is underpriced”: Live Nation CEO seems to suggest that gig ticket prices are too LOW
10 people drummers will encounter at gigs
Drummers The 10 people drummers will inevitably encounter when playing a gig
Danny Carey
Drummers 6 of the most inspirational drummers of all time
Rush in the '70s
Artists “The high priests of conceptual rock!” Every Rush studio album ranked – from worst to best
Bob Dylan
Artists “I did like Bob Dylan, but he was a great con man!”: Lemmy Kilmister’s opinions on Dylan, the Eagles and Ozzy Osbourne
Josh Homme in the No One Knows video
Artists “Of course it was gonna be a hit! This song really is original”: Inside the making of a Queens Of The Stone Age classic
More
  • Pete Townshend on smashing - and fixing - his guitars
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • AI slop hits #1
  • The pain that birthed Don't Speak
  • Europe vs AI
  1. Artists
  2. Singers & Songwriters

The 20 richest lead singers in the world

News
By Rob Power published 10 September 2012

They strut, they scream - and they coin it in

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

20 Richest Lead Singers

20 Richest Lead Singers

Every band needs a singer. At the very least they need to be able to hold a tune in a bucket, but the very best can whip a crowd up into a frenzy and look good doing it. While the rest of the band toils away behind them, putting in the hard yards required to bring both the rock and the roll, the singer is at the front taking all the glory and, as it turns out, all the cash.

According to the folks at Celebrity Networth, these are the singers that have amassed the greatest fortunes on the back of good looks, a decent voice and hips that don't lie. The calculations that follow are based on publicly available information (including sources such as Forbes and The Sunday Times) and include salaries and real estate holdings. The final totals include deductions for taxes, manager and agent fees, and lifestyle.

It's almost enough to make you want to step behind the mic yourself...

Page 1 of 21
Page 1 of 21
Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)

Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)

Page 2 of 21
Page 2 of 21
Anthony Keidis (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Anthony Keidis (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Page 3 of 21
Page 3 of 21
Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)

Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)

Page 4 of 21
Page 4 of 21
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

Page 5 of 21
Page 5 of 21
Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)

Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)

Page 6 of 21
Page 6 of 21
Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses)

Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses)

Page 7 of 21
Page 7 of 21
James Hetfield (Metallica)

James Hetfield (Metallica)

Page 8 of 21
Page 8 of 21
Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

Page 9 of 21
Page 9 of 21
David Bowie

David Bowie

Page 10 of 21
Page 10 of 21
Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart

Page 11 of 21
Page 11 of 21
Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters)

Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters)

Page 12 of 21
Page 12 of 21
Prince

Prince

Page 13 of 21
Page 13 of 21
Dave Matthews (Dave Matthews Band)

Dave Matthews (Dave Matthews Band)

Page 14 of 21
Page 14 of 21
Phil Collins

Phil Collins

Page 15 of 21
Page 15 of 21
Sting (The Police)

Sting (The Police)

Page 16 of 21
Page 16 of 21
Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones)

Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones)

Page 17 of 21
Page 17 of 21
Elton John

Elton John

Page 18 of 21
Page 18 of 21
Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett

Page 19 of 21
Page 19 of 21
Bono (U2)

Bono (U2)

Page 20 of 21
Page 20 of 21
Paul McCartney (The Beatles)

Paul McCartney (The Beatles)

Page 21 of 21
Page 21 of 21
Rob Power
Read more
Freddie Mercury holding a Union Jack flag
Which 20th-century band are the top ‘rock’ act in 21st-century Britain?
 
 
Paul Rodgers performing with Bad Company in 1974
“This business can really get tough sometimes, and you have to dig deep inside you”: The rise of rock icons Bad Company
 
 
Every Breath You Take video still
Sting sued by ex-Police colleagues for a share of Every Breath You Take royalties
 
 
Richard Branson, 28 year old mastermind behind Virgin Music company. Seen here in his recording studio, The Townhouse in West London. In this set of 21 pictures , Richard is seen relaxing on his houseboat, going to work, in his recording studio The Townhouse in West London, and in the brand new Virgin Mega Store with some of the 3,000,000 worth of records and tapes in the background. Picture by Bill Rowntree, picture taken 4th July 1979. (Photo by Bill Rowntree/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)
Richard Branson says he was in the studio when Phil Collins was recording a legendary drum solo
 
 
REM in 1987
Revealed! (Some of) the lyrics to REM's It’s The End Of The World As We Know It
 
 
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Birdy performs at the VIP Opening of the David Bowie Centre, V&A East Storehouse, on September 10, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse)
Jeff Beck, Roxy Music and Miles Davis all make the list of David Bowie’s 15 favourite tracks
 
 
Latest in Singers & Songwriters
David Coverdale
“I was afraid. The idea of being unable to sing was horrifying”: An epic interview with Whitesnake star David Coverdale
 
 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Charli XCX attends the Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere of HBO Original Comedy Series "I Love LA" at Paramount Theatre on October 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for HBO)
"I sort of felt like I was squeezing blood from a stone”: Charli XCX reveals her post-Brat creative comedown
 
 
Amy Allen and Sabrina Carpenter at the Billboard NMPA Grammy Week Songwriter Showcase held at Nightingale Plaza on February 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images)
The "hysterical" songwriting sessions with Sabrina Carpenter that propelled Amy Allen to four Grammy nominations
 
 
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 19 -- Pictured: Young FIne Cannibals during the musical performance on May 13, 1989 (Photo by Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Fine Young Cannibals confirm that She Drives Me Crazy was recorded at Paisley Park using Prince’s gear
 
 
Taylor Jacob Collier GS Mini: featuring a brightly-coloured rosette graphic designed with the musical polymath, this beginner friendly acoustic has a bold five-string design for his signature DAEAD tuning.
Taylor teams up with Jacob Collier for signature acoustics that declare standard tuning DAEAD – and they’re accessibly priced
 
 
Sam Fender
“An incredible gesture”: Sam Fender to donate his Mercury winnings to the Music Venue Trust
 
 
Latest in News
Rick Rubin and Anthony Kiedis during Lost in Translation DVD Launch Party - Inside at Koi Restaurant in Los Angeles, California, United States. ***Exclusive*** (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
"Anthony sounds old": Rick Rubin's unusual mix feedback on 2006's Stadium Arcadium
 
 
Disclosure
“One of the greatest electronic music songs of all time”: Disclosure officially release their edit of a ‘90s club classic
 
 
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Black Friday has officially kicked off, with the likes of Sweetwater and Guitar Center dropping massive sales
 
 
Artificial intelligence music and sound concept. Represented with digital circuits and advanced algorithms in a high-tech setting, showcasing modern technological advancements and innovation
It’s now nearly impossible to detect whether a track is human or AI-made, new survey reveals
 
 
Pete Townshend of The Who Performs At Acrisure Arena at Acrisure Arena on October 01, 2025 in Palm Springs, California
“There might be hits”: Why Pete Townshend is interested in using AI
 
 
Alex Skolnick of Testament shows off his signature ESP singlecut as he performs at Belgium's Alcatraz Festival in 2024. On the right, Kiko Loureiro and Dave Mustaine of Megadeth photographed in the corridors backstage at Wembley Arena in 2015.
Alex Skolnick on the time he was on standby for Megadeth – and what to do when you can’t match a player lick for lick
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...