Katy Perry Beats Taylor Swift, Tops Forbes' 2015 List of World's Highest-Paid Musicians

Plus, find out where "Shake It Off" singer's boyfriend Calvin Harris ranks financially

By Rebecca Macatee Dec 08, 2015 6:56 PMTags
Katy Perry, Taylor SwiftGetty Images

You won't catch Katy Perry dancing along with Taylor Swift's squad onstage, but that's OK: She's been busy with her own tour—and making bank!

The "Dark Horse" singer's Prismatic World Tour helped Perry to pull in a staggering $135 million over the past year, making her the world's highest-paid musician in 2015, per Forbes. Her rumored rival Swift only came in at No. 4  on this list, earning a reported $70 million between June 2014 and June 2015.

One Direction and Garth Brooks also out-earned the "Shake It Off" singer, but don't feel too bad for Swift: Per Forbes, her 1989 World Tour is grossing $4 million per city which makes her "a top contender for the No. 1 spot on our list next year."

SPW / Splash News

Swift's boyfriend Calvin Harris is doing OK himself in the financial department. Although the Scottish DJ/Armani model doesn't earn quite as much as the pop star, he raked in an estimated $66 million last year, putting him at No. 6 on Forbes' list.

Almost all the musicians on the list earned a significant chunk of change from their non-musical endorsements. Perry, for example, has deals with Claire's, Coty and Covergirl; Swift is the face of multiple campaigns as well, including Keds and Diet Coke.

Courtesy Forbes

"Music has changed," Perry told Forbes in an interview earlier this year for their Celebrity 100 cover story. "The record is that launching pad for all kinds of other creative branches."

Other artists who qualified for Forbes' list include Justin Timberlake ($63.5 million) and Diddy ($60 million). For the complete list and financial breakdown of World's Highest Paid Musicians of 2015, visit Forbes.com.