Paul McCartney, who is a god to many younger musicians, that Smokey Robinson was like God in his and his band members’ eyes.” Robinson is the voice and penman behind some of Motown’s greatest hits and is credited as one of the most influential and R&B tunesmiths of all time.
Robinson is an elegant, and graceful singer, and a talented writer who Bob Dylan once called his favorite poet. Once he wrote “My Girl” and “Get Ready” for Temptations the rest is history.
$365 Million
Toby Keith Covel is an American country singer, songwriter, and record producer. Hailed as a "traditionalist" in the genre, he's quiet the modern cowboy. His first four studio albums have all earned Gold or higher certification, and he's made several Top Ten singles, including his single "Should've Been a Cowboy", which topped the charts and was the most-played country song of the 90s. It's reported that the song has received over 3 million spins since its release, according to Broadcast Music Incorporated. His next three albums, Pull My Chain, Unleashed, and Shock'n Y'all, were certified 4 times Platinum.
F Throughout Keith's career he's released 19 studio albums, 2 Christmas albums, and 5 compilation albums; with a total worldwide sales of over 40 million albums. He has charted 61 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, which includes 20 number one hits (and 21 additional top 10 hits). As of today, he ranks as the 13th richest singer in the world, with a net worth of $365 million, although some report that he's net worth is actually closer to $500 million.
$15 Million
Back in 1987, Lou Reed told an interviewer "I wanted to write the great American novel, but I also loved rock & roll...I wanted to write rock & roll that you could listen to as you got older, that wouldn't lose anything, that would be timeless, in the subject matter and the literacy of the lyrics." And so it was.
before he embarked on his solo career, Reed was part of the rock n' roll band, The Velvets. Although they didn't receive much commercial success, they grew to be appreciated over time as one of the first bands to introduce "mature" topics to the genre like drug abuse, unconventional sex, and even death.
$180 Million
Dylan is famous for his witty lyrics and unrefined voice, and is widely considered one of the most prolific singers and songwriters of the last century. He's penned and performed classic songs like "Blowing in the Wind,", "Like a Rolling Stone," and "The Times They are A Changing," which have become anthems for civil rights and anti-war movements. While Dylan's song catalog seems to be never ending, he receives most of his fortune from royalty payments from contemporary artists who perform his songs.
Usually equipped with only his guitar, harmonica, and iconic voice, Dylan has released 37 albums, 13 of which hit number one on the Billboard charts. Dylan has been honored with 11 Grammy Awards, an Oscar, a Golden Globe and has also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. And of course he's been inducted is various musical Hall of Fames. It's no wonder Bob Dylan was named one of the Most Important People of the Century by “Time” magazine. At 77, Dyla and shows no signs of slowing down, and continues to tour and release albums that defy expectations.
$12 million
Irish singer/songwriter Siobhan Fahey has an impressive wealth of $12 million. Fahey rose to fame after founding the popular band, Bananarama, in 1979. Their first studio album, 'Deep Sea Skiving' made it to number 7 on the UK charts in 1983. Their third album reached number 6 in Switzerland and their foruth album, 'Wow!', released in 1987, was number one in Australia.
Some of the band's most famous songs include "Venus", "Cruel Summer", "I Want You Back", "Shy Boy", and many more. One of Fahey's other music ventures, Shakespeare's Sister, a duo made up of Marcella Detroit and herself, released a hit single called "Stay". The song was number one in the UK, Sweden and Ireland, and number 4 in the United States.