Taylor might be surprised but we're not -- she made the most dough in the music biz this past year. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Yes, we are all just living in Taylor Swift's sunny, upbeat -- but yes, sometimes downright "Mean" -- world.
The country/pop singer topped Billboard's
Money Makers 2012 list, with a whopping $35.7 million.
What's sort of interesting about this list, is that Swift isn't joined by Lady Gaga in the top three (Gaga's No.4), but by veteran rockers U2 and fellow country superstar Kenny Chesney.
And Sade -- yes that Sade -- is listed as No. 7 with $16.3 million. That's some serious cash for the mellow, soulful singer.
Oklahoma's Toby Keith was listed at No.15, with $10.4 million.
Why are many these acts making so much money? It's all about touring.
Here's how Billboard's bean counters explained the list:
"Country artists had another banner year, occupying 11 of the 40 slots on the list, with Swift surpassing all with U.S. earnings of $35.7 million, 17 percent more than the take-home pay of last year's top-earner, Lady Gaga."
It also cites a better "concert business" in 2011, and confirmed that taking the show on the road continues to be the music industry's major meal ticket, noting that "... touring remained the biggest source of income for the top earners in the U.S. music business..."
But not for Adele. The British songstress can claim strong sales of her smash album, "21," for her placement in the list's top 10:
"Thanks to the breathtaking sales of sophomore album, '21,' Adele made a top 10 showing despite vocal cord problems limiting her ability to perform publicly before she was forced to cancel 10 sold-out U.S. dates in the fall."
Here's the complete top 10 list of Billboard's Top 10 Money Makers 2012:
1. Taylor Swift: $35.7 million
2. U2: $32.1 million
3. Kenny Chesney: $29.8 million
4. Lady Gaga: $25.3 million
5. Lil Wayne: $23.1 million
6. Bon Jovi: $19.8 million
7. Sade: $16.3 million
8. Céline Dion: $14.2 million
9. Jason Aldean: $13.4 million
10. Adele: $13 million
Who on this list did you see in concert in the past year?
