George Strait is often referred to as the “King of Country” as one most influential and popular country artists of all time. He is credited with the development of the neotraditionalist country style. He first gained success with his first single “Unwound” in 1981. Since then, he has sold 100 million records worldwide.
The singer-songwriter is still active to this day. He last started touring in 2012 with The Cowboy Rides Away Tour. And given all the money he has, it’s safe to say he’s living comfortably with Norma, his high school sweetheart whom he eloped in Mexico within 1971. Strait currently holds the record for having the most number-one albums and singles, gold albums, platinum albums, and multiplatinum country music albums in history.
Mick Jagger is easily one of the most famous rock stars of the past century. As the lead vocalist of the band and one of the founding members of the Rolling Stones, his songwriting partnership with Keith Richards has been one of the best collaborations in the history of rock n’ roll.
Mick Jagger has been a celebrity in every sense of the word over the years. In 1989 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004, the UK Music Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was knighted for his service to popular music. In addition to his success within the band, he’s also had a successful solo career, topping the charts with 13 singles.
Since the ‘70s, Bruce Springsteen has been a voice for the working class. Many of his fans have nicknamed him “The Boss.” He is often credited as one of the originators of the heartland rock style musical style. His lyrics are poetic, his music really kicks and he’s an amazingly energetic performer too.
In his career over six decades, he’s released 20 studio albums and topped the Billboards charts numerous times. He’s sold over 150 million records worldwide and 64 million in the United States. In 1999, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2016 he was awarded by Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Shakira, the Colombian singer-songwriter, has been recording since she was just 13 years old. While she rose to prominence mainly in Hispanic countries, she started her career in the English-speaking market with her fifth album Laundry Service which has sold 13 million copies worldwide. Her success helped pave the way for more Latin artists.
Shakira has continued to produce both English and Spanish albums over the years. Shakira’s English albums, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, She Wolf, and Shakira were all certified either gold, platinum or multiplatinum all over the world. On top of that, she’s had numerous number one hits like “La Tortura” and “Hips Don’t Lie.”
Beyonce rose to prominence as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child but it wasn’t long before she launched a successful solo career as well. Already, Destiny’s Child was becoming one of the best-selling girl groups of all time and so it was no surprise that her solo album Dangerously in Love ended up having two singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
Both "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy" topped the Billboard’s charts. After Destiny’s Child disbanded, she continued to pump out chart-topping albums, becoming one of the world's best-selling recording artists. She has sold over 120 million records worldwide. In 2014, she was named the highest-earning black musician of all time.
Toby Keith was a country music singer and songwriter. He has released 19 studio albums and numerous compilation albums. His big break, though, was the 1999 single "How Do You Like Me Now?!" which became the number-one country song in 2000. Following that release, he found further success.
Keith's next three albums would be certified platinum four times. He would go on to sell 40 million albums worldwide with 61 charted singles. His longest-running number-one hit was "Beer for My Horses," which included a duet with Willie Nelson. Over the years, he won numerous awards from the Country Music Association Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards. Keith passed away from stomach cancer in February 2024, but he will forever be a country music great.
Shania Twain may not be impressed much but that doesn’t mean we aren’t impressed by just how rich she is. The Canadian sing-songwriter has sold over 100 million records, which makes her the best-selling female artist in country music, as well as one of the best-selling female music artists, period.
Among her other titles, Twain is often referred to as the “Queen of Country Pop,” and arguably paved the way for artists like Taylor Swift to make it big. But success was not instant, as she rose to fame only after her second album “The Woman in Me.” Among her most successful singles were "You're Still the One", "From This Moment On", and "That Don't Impress Me Much."
Celine Dion is another Canadian singer with a similar net worth as Shania Twain. Known for her strong vocals, she achieved the height of her success from her single from the film Titanic “My Heart Will Go On.” But she was doing exceedingly well even before that with her albums like Falling Into You and Let’s Talk About Love.
Both those albums have been certified Diamond in the United States and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. In addition to her theme song from Titanic, she’s had numerous international singles like “The Power of Love,” “Because You Loved Me,” and “I’m Still Your Angel.” Now one of the best-selling female music artists of all time, she has sold over 200 million records.
Barbara Streisand has been singing for over six decades now, beginning her career at nightclubs and Broadway. Her debut album, The Barbara Streisand Album, won Grammy Award for Album of the Year. And since them, she’s ended up in the US Billboard 200 charts with 11 different albums which is a record for a female artist.
She’s had five number one singles including "The Way We Were", "Evergreen," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)," and "Woman in Love." In terms of total sales, she’s sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the best=selling music artists of all time.
Johnny Mathis has certainly made a splash over the years but unlike many successful artists, most of that success doesn’t come from just one song it comes from whole albums. Many of his albums have achieved gold or platinum status, and he’s made 73 Billboard charts to date – and that’s astonishing.
For his achievements in the industry, Mathis has earned both the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for three recordings. If you’ve never listened to his music, it’s a mix of R&B, blues, country, pop, blues and soft rock, which basically gives it mass appeal because chances are you like one of those styles.
George Harrison is the first Beatle on the list but was not the richest of them. The lead guitarist of the Beatles has often been referred to as “the quiet Beatle.” He certainly proved himself to be a tad more modest than John and Paul, anyway. While most of the Beatles’ catalog was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, George Harrison definitely contributed to the writing as well.
His hit songs with the Beatles have included “Here Comes the Sun,” “Something,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Taxman.” As a solo artist, he’s also had plenty of hits such as “What is Life?” and his most successful single “My Sweet Lord.” He’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice – as a Beatle and for his solo career in 2004.
Jon Bon Jovi of New Jersey is not only one of the richest songwriters but he’s also proven himself as one of the best. In 2009, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. On top of this, he was ranked as number 50 on Billboard’s Power 100. And this is all as a solo artist. For his band Bon Jovi, he has even more achievements to his name.
As a band, Bon Jovi achieved worldwide recognition for their album Slippery When Wet which ended up selling over 20 million copies and has three top ten singles. Thus far, they’ve released 16 studio albums and sold more than 130 million records, which makes them one of the best-selling rock bands in history.
Gloria Estefan is a Cuban singer-songwriter who started her career in the group Miami Sound Machine. Her song “Conga” made her an international success and would become her signature song. Their first number one hot, however, was “Anything for You.” Her success paved the way for artists like Selena, Ricky Martin and Shakira.
Gloria Estefan has received three Grammy Awards in her lifetime, and she also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Additionally, she has earned multiple Billboard Awards and been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her career sales are estimated at over 75 million records sold.
Dolly Parton is one of the most prolific songwriters in history. She’s estimated herself as having written over 3,000 songs in her lifetime. And of those songs, at least 450 of them have been recorded. The country singer-songwriter released her debut album Hello, I’m Dolly in 1967, which paved the way for her success.
She has sold over 100 million records to this date. Out of her catalog of songs, Parton has had 25 of them reach the number one spot on the Billboard country music charts. Her most notable song would have to be "I Will Always Love You,” which reached the top of the country charts twice. Parton has earned She has garnered 11 Grammy Awards and 50 nominations, and in 1999, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Mariah Carey is a singer-songwriter with two unofficial titles: "Songbird Supreme" and the "Queen of Christmas." She achieved near-instant success with her debut album Mariah Carey. Her first five singles reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 including “Emotions” and “Vision to Love.” She would gain worldwide recognition with her albums Music Box, Merry Christmas, and Daydream.
Mariah Carey’ singles "Hero," "Without You," “Fantasy,” "All I Want for Christmas Is You," "Always Be My Baby," and "One Sweet Day” all topped the US Billboard Hot 100 decade-end charts. Thus far, Mariah Carey has reached a total 220 million records sold worldwide with 19 of her songs on the Billboard Hot 100.
Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus are a songwriting duo from Sweden who were from the band ABBA and later composed music for the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia! They wrote the music for ABBA from 1972 to 1982, working on eight studio albums while achieving global success.
ABBA, if you weren’t aware, was a palindrome of everyone in the band’s first name. They became one of the best-selling bands in popular music and have sold as many as 385 million records worldwide. The musical Mamma Mia! Is based on the songs the group wrote and incorporates them into the story.
The late Bing Crosby was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. He is said to have recorded more than 1,600 songs in his time. In 1931, he made his solo radio debut on a weekly broadcast called 15 Minutes with Bing Crosby.
While Bing Crosby did not write most of his songs, he had written some of them, hence his position on the list. Those songs have included “From Monday On,” “I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You,” “My Woman,” and “Love Me Tonight.” He is said to have sold over 1 billion records over the years.
Madonna is unquestionably the “Queen of Pop.” As one of the most influential musical artists of the 20th century, there’s been no one exactly like her, nor anyone that has managed to stay relevant for as long. Continuing to push boundaries as an artist and express herself in new and interesting ways, her career has been highly successful the whole way through.
She rose to fame through her very first album and has sold over 300 million records worldwide. She’s the most successful solo artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 and she holds the world record for best-selling female music artist of all time. Rolling Stone has named her as one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
The Irish singer-songwriter of the band U2 has provided most of the band’s lyrics over the years. After their debut album Boy, Bono began writing more politically-charged songs, such as for the album War, which features the songs "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)."
The band has sold as many as $170 million records worldwide. They have released 14 studio albums and earned 22 Grammys. In 2005, they were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was the first year of their eligibility. That same year, he was also named as one of Time’s Persons of the Year.
Dr. Dre began the meat of his career in 1992 with his debut studio album The Chronic. That album made him one of the best-selling artists of 1993 and earned him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for his single “Let Me Ride.” That same year, he produced Snoop Dogg’s debut album “Doggystyle.”
After the ‘90s, he began focusing on producing other artists. He signed with Eminem in 1998 and 50 Cent in 2002. While most of the writing for his songs comes from ghostwriters, he maintains that ultimately he was in total control of his lyrics and the themes present in the songs.
John Lennon was arguably the most important Beatle of all. He was the founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player of the band. Together, he and Paul McCartney had the most successful songwriting partnership in history, a partnership that began in 1956, when their band was called the Quarrymen.
John Lennon had 25 number one singles in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Rolling Stone has ranked him the 5th greatest singer and 38th greatest artist of all time. In 1997, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and he was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Beatles member and solo artist. He is said to have sold the equivalent of 73 million albums on his own.
If Madonna is the “Queen of Pop,” Michael Jackson is undoubtedly the “King of Pop.” Another one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, he began his music career way back in 1964 as a member of the Jackson 5. In 1971, he began a solo career at Motown Records, but his real success began in 1979.
Michael Jackson’s first debut solo album was Off the Wall which included hits like “Beat It,” “Thriller and “Billie Jean.” While he has remained a controversial figure over the years that doesn’t seem to have affected his record sales much. He’s sold a total of 89 million certified albums in the United States. Additionally, he’s the most awarded solo music artist in history.
Sean Combs, also known as Diddy or P Diddy or whatever you want to call him, is a rapper and songwriter that has earned success for himself and helped others achieve success as well: artists like Usher, Mary J. Blige and B.I.G. Combs has garnered a total of three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards.
Combs has earned his success from his very first album No Way Out, which has been certified platinum seven times. His following albums, Forever, The Saga Continues…, and Press Play were all successful as well. Sean Combs has sold around 12 million records thus far and that number will continue to grow.
Herb Alpert was an American trumpeter that led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Over the years, he’s achieved immeasurable success. He’s released 28 albums with five of them at the number one position on the Billboard charts. Out of his albums, 14 of them have reached platinum and 15 of them have gone gold.
In total, he’s sold over 75 million records and won nine Grammy Awards. He also has a record few can claim to, he’s the only musician to hit the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 as both a vocalist ("This Guy's in Love with You") and as an instrumentalist (“Rise”). The only other person to achieve this was Barry White.
Jimmy Buffett is a singer-songwriter known for island escapist music with hit songs like “Margaritaville,” and “Come Monday.” He is said to have sold more than $20 million records, which is not the highest on his list but with his other business ventures, he has been able to earn plenty more.
Currently, he owns a restaurant chain known as Margaritaville Café for one thing. Additionally, he has written several books. As a published author, he has written three number one bestsellers, which include Tales from Margaritaville and Where Is Joe Merchant? He also has two children’s books: The Jolly Mon and Trouble Dolls.
Taylor Swift is famous—and quite wealthy—for her songwriting chops. Not only is she about to release her eleventh studio album (fifteenth, if you include her recordings!), where she will acquire millions in album and merch sales and streaming royalties, but she also makes her bag by writing for other artists. She wrote certified bops like "Better Man" for Little Big Town, "Babe" for Sugarland (both of which she recorded herself for Red (Taylor's Version)), and of course, the infamous "This is What You Came For" for Rihanna and Calvin Harris—where you can clearly hear her vocals throughout.
Combined with the $4.1 Billion Swift is expected to make from The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift is quickly becoming the richest and most powerful woman in the world. Take that, Brads and Chads!!
Andrew Llyod Webber is one of the most famous musical songwriters and composers of our time. He’s written 21 musicals in his time and several of them have been running for decades or longer. Some of his most notable musicals include Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Having received a knighthood in 1992, it’s no question that Andrew Llyod Webber is one pf the most respected men in the business. He’s received six Tony Awards, three Grammys, seven Olivier Awards, 14 Ivor Novello Awards, an Emmy and even an Academy Award – and that’s not even all of his honors.
Paul McCartney is the richest Beatle with his $1.2 billion net worth. He co-wrote, played bass, and provided lead vocals for the Beatles, and he’s also had a successful solo career. After the Beatles broke up, he almost immediately started his solo career in 1970 with his debut album McCartney and then formed a new band called Wings.
Wings became one of the most successful bands of the 1970s with more than a dozen of number one hit songs and albums. Altogether, McCartney has written or at least co-written 32 songs that have topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts. He has 18 Grammy Awards, has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, for the Beatles and as a solo artist, and he has a knighthood. He is estimated to have sold over 100 million albums and 100 million singles.
Jay-Z is considered to be one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history. As the CEO of Def Jam Recordings, he’s helped bring success to even bigger artists like Rihanna and Kanye West. His debut album was Reasonable Doubt which was met with critical acclaim. He went on to release 12 additional studio albums.
In terms of accolades, Jay-Z has more Grammys than any rapper in history, having won 23 of them. Thus far, Jay-Z has sold over 125 million records. Now a billionaire, he has founded numerous businesses as well including a clothing retailer called Rocawear and a luxury sports bar chain called 40/40 Club.
Rihanna is a Barbadian singer who writes many of her own songs although she has certainly had help. She rose to fame with her first two albums “Music of the Sun” and “A Girl Like Me,” which peaked on the top ten of the US Billboard 200 chart. She’s also had 14 number one singles and 31 top ten singles in the US alone.
Thus far, she has sold over 250 million records worldwide. Additionally, she has received plenty of accolades. She has nine Grammy Awards and 13 American Music Awards. She also holds six Guinness World Records which includes the record for Most Streamed Album On Spotify By A Female Artist and Richest Female Musician.
Kanye West may have one of the biggest egos on the planet and its probably due to the fact that he’s the richest songwriter on the planet, among other things. Kanye West was a success from his debut album The College Dropout, which was met with both critical and commercial success.
As one of the world’s best-selling artists, he has sold over 160 million records worldwide and won 22 Grammys. Forbes has estimated his net worth to be around $1.8 billion, which places him at the top of our list of the richest songwriters of all time. Rolling Stone has also named him as one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
