The Richest in Music Singers can also be famous songwriters although songwriters and singers are not always the same person. From Joni Mitc...
The Richest in Music
Singers can also be famous songwriters although songwriters and singers are not always the same person. From Joni Mitchell to Carole King, the names you'll see on this list are all pop culture favorites who rose to fame for their artistry, both written and spoken. Needless to say, they line their pockets nicely with it all.
Neil Diamond – $175 million
Greatest Hits: Song Sung Blue, Cracklin' Rosie
Neil Diamond was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011 and 1984 and has had ten top charting singles. He has sold over a hundred albums worldwide and has thirty-eight top 10 singles. He was parodied on SNL by Will Ferrell and enjoyed the parody so much that he starred alongside Ferrell on the comedian's last show in May 2002. You could tell he has a sense of humor.
Johnny Cash – $60 million
Greatest Hits: I Walk the Line, Folsom Prison Blues
Johnny Cash has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He has sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and is one of the most famous singers. Before each concert, he would simply introduce himself by saying "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" instead of making a movie of it as usual at rock concerts. 20th Century Fox released the film about his life: Walk the Line
Biggest Hits: Woodstock, Big Yellow Taxi
Joni Mitchell is a guitarist, pianist and poet. She started out singing in the streets and small bars mixing folk, pop, jazz and rock elements into her music. She was also an activist of the baby-boom counterculture! 'Big Yellow Taxi', 'Woodstock' and Both Sides are his greatest hits. She was also a chameleon, indeed she changed her look and voice several times, becoming a pop and electronic influence.
Best Hits: Truckin', Sugaree
Jerry Garcia, was 13th on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists" list, principal songwriter of the Grateful Dead, best known for his psychedelic rock style. His biggest hit is “Tuckin'” in the album American beauty. He was known for his improvisation and his guitar solos, which he considers to be a stress reliever!
Greatest Hits: Bridge Over Troubled Water
Paul Simon wrote almost all of the duo's songs: “Mrs. Robinson”, “Sound of Silence”, and their most popular hit, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. The duo separated in 1970 and Simon, influenced by South Africa, published Graceland which would sell 14 million copies and remain his biggest solo success. He also wrote Broadway musicals; including The Capeman with poet Derek Walcott.
James Taylor – $60 million
Greatest Hits: Paint It Black, Night Owl
James Taylor is one of the best-selling artists of all time with 100 million albums sold worldwide. He received five Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He rose to fame with his album "Fire and Rain" and his Carole King cover "You've Got a Friend". “How Sweet It Is”, “Handy Man” and “Sweet Baby James” are also songs he has covered. Before This World in 2015 is his first album to be number one in the United States.
Great hits: It's too late, Nightingale, Jazzman
Carole King wrote or co-wrote 118 Billboard Hot 100 hits in America and sixty-one hits in England! The Writer and Tapestry album made her famous. Tapestry stayed on the charts for almost four months in America and stayed on the charts six years later. She was one of the most popular and lucrative female songwriters between 1950 and 2000 and finally received Hollywood stardom in 2012.
Greatest Hits: Superstition
Stevland or Stevie Wonder has sold over one hundred million records and won twenty-five Grammys and an Oscar. Besides his singing and writing prowess he also played many instruments such as harmonica and drums. He was inducted into Fame's Rock & Roll Hall as well as the Songwriters Hall and was signed to an 11-year Motown record label with Tamia. He remains today one of the most popular artists of all time.
Billy Joel – $180 million
Greatest Hits: Piano Man, Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Billy Joel has been on the scene since the 70s and has sold over 150 million records worldwide, and his Greatest Hits collection remains one of the best-selling albums in the United States. Born in the Bronx, he dropped out of high school for music and signed with Columbia Records in 1972. He would win five Grammys and be nominated 23 times!!
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