From RollingStone.com: U2, Stones, Green Day make our annual list
Side businesses and endorsements were another lucrative source of income, and the king of that approach is Jimmy Buffett (No. 7, $44 million), who not only grossed $41 million on his annual amphitheater tour but also earned around $15 million from his ten Margaritaville restaurants (which also sell merchandise such as Parrothead hats), a deal with Sirius Satellite Radio and other ventures. Buffett also owns his own record label, Mailboat Records, enabling him to earn as much as $5 royalty per record sold, as compared to the standard $1 to $2.50. "Jimmy Buffett is a cottage industry by himself," says Arfa. Says Guerinot, "It’s a lifestyle thing. It’s every thirty-eight-year-old with a BMW spending his seventy-five dollars on a ticket."
[b:c34d813d24]Rock’s Top Thirty Moneymakers[/b:c34d813d24]
U2 $154.2 million
The Rolling Stones $92.5 million
Eagles $63.2 million
Paul McCartney $56 million
Elton John $48.9 million
Neil Diamond $44.7 million
Jimmy Buffett $44 million
Rod Stewart $40.3 million
Dave Matthews Band $39.6 million
Celine Dion $38.5 million
Kenny Chesney $31.5 million