Billboard's 2018 Money Makers

1. U2

Soundtrack | Morning Joe

U2 has been perhaps the biggest music act in the world since the late 1980s to the current day. They take prominent stands on human rights issues, expressed through their lyrics and other public statements and actions. The band's lead singer, Bono, has become quite prominent in charity movements ...

2. Garth Brooks

Soundtrack | Frequency

Troyal Garth Brooks is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the country music single and album charts, multi-platinum recordings and ...

3. Metallica

Soundtrack | Mission: Impossible II

Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California by drummer Lars Ulrich and vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, and has been based in San Francisco, California for most of its career. The group's fast tempos, instrumentals and aggressive musicianship ...

4. Bruno Mars

Soundtrack | Rio 2

Peter Gene Hernandez known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, dancer, and music video director. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, ...

5. Ed Sheeran

Soundtrack | Red Notice

Ed Sheeran is a British singer-songwriter from West Yorkshire known for his many compositions. For film soundtracks, he had performed "I See Fire" for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. He acted in Game of Thrones, Bridget Jones' Baby, The Simpsons, Popstar: Never Stop Popping and Star Wars: The ...

6. Lady Gaga

Soundtrack | A Star Is Born

Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is an American songwriter, singer, actress, philanthropist, dancer and fashion designer.

Gaga was born on March 28, 1986 in Manhattan, New York City, to Cynthia Louise (Bissett), a philanthropist and business executive, and Joseph Anthony ...

7. Billy Joel

Soundtrack | Oliver & Company

William Martin Joel is an American singer, pianist, composer and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his single and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s, having released 12 pop and rock studio albums from 1971...

8. Guns N' Roses

Soundtrack | Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. The lineup, when first signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. Guns N' Roses has ...

9. Roger Waters

Soundtrack | Pink Floyd: The Wall

Roger Waters was born on September 6, 1943 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK. He is a music artist and composer, known for Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982), The Squid and the Whale (2005) and The Big Boss (1971). He was previously married to Laurie Durning, Pricilla Phillips, Carolyn Christie ...

10. Coldplay

Soundtrack | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1996. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University College London and began playing music together from 1996 to ...

11. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Soundtrack | The Silence of the Lambs

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida formed in 1976. The band was part of Southern rock but also at the forefront of the heartland rock movement, alongside artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and John Mellencamp who arose in the late 1970s and...

12. The Weeknd

Soundtrack | The Idol

Abel Tesfaye, professionally known as 'The Weeknd' is a Canadian singer born February 16, 1990 in Toronto. Best known for his performances in his latest album 'Starboy' (2016), and numerous other productions including 'Kissland' (2013), Beauty Behind the Madness (2015) which included the mega-hit; ...

13. Kendrick Lamar

Soundtrack | Black Panther

Kendrick Lamar is a hip-hop artist from Compton, California. He's signed with Dr. Dre's label, Aftermath. Kendrick also has his own label, known as 'Top Dawg Entertainment', with includes artists such as Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q and Ab Soul. Kendrick's major label debut album, 'good kid m.A.A.d city' ...

14. Red Hot Chili Peppers

Soundtrack | Twister

Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk rock and psychedelic rock. Currently, the band consists of founding members vocalist ...

15. Luke Bryan

Actor | Luke Bryan: One Margarita

From his early days in Nashville as a songwriter to his current status as one of country music's reigning superstars, Luke Bryan's career has been populated by songs that have had a lasting impact. Country Aircheck declared him the Most Heard Artist of the Last Decade, an honor he earned with such ...

16. Florida Georgia Line

Soundtrack | The Do-Over

Florida Georgia Line is known for The Do-Over (2016), Bebe Rexha feat. Florida Georgia Line: Meant to Be (2017) and Something Here.

17. Paul McCartney

Soundtrack | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Sir Paul McCartney is a key figure in contemporary culture as a singer, composer, poet, writer, artist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and holder of more than 3 thousand copyrights. He is in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for most records sold, most #1s (shared), most covered song, "Yesterday," ...

18. Jay-Z

Soundtrack | The Harder They Fall

Jay-Z was born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Carter was a school friend of The Notorious B.I.G.. He first started releasing records in the late 1980s. In 1990, he appeared on records by his close friend, Jas ("The Originators") and Original Flavor ("...

19. Eric Church

Soundtrack | The Do-Over

Eric Church was born on May 3, 1977 in Granite Falls, North Carolina, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for The Do-Over (2016), Eric Church: Record Year (2016) and Eric Church - Mr. Misunderstood (2015). He has been married to Katherine Blasingame since January 8, 2008. They have two ...

20. Bruce Springsteen

Soundtrack | Blinded by the Light

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born September 23, 1949 in Long Branch, New Jersey, USA. His father, Douglas Frederick Springsteen, worked as a bus driver, and was of Irish and Dutch ancestry. His mother, Adele Ann (Zerilli), worked as a legal secretary, and was of Italian descent. He has an...

21. Chris Stapleton

Soundtrack | The Predator

Chris Stapleton was born on April 15, 1978 in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for The Predator (2018), The Midnight Sky (2020) and The Do-Over (2016). He has been married to Morgane Stapleton since October 27, 2007. They have five children.

22. Dead & Company

Self | Nugs.Net Live Stash

23. Neil Diamond

Soundtrack | The Jazz Singer

Neil Leslie Diamond was born in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City, on January 24, 1941. His father, Akeeba "Kieve" Diamond, was a dry-goods merchant. Both he and wife Rose were Jewish immigrants from Poland. The Diamond family temporarily relocated to Cheyenne, Wyoming, because of...

24. Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Soundtrack | Men in Black³

Trans-Siberian Orchestra is known for Men in Black³ (2012), Instant Family (2018) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).

25. John Mayer

Soundtrack | The Bucket List

John Mayer was born on October 16, 1977 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for The Bucket List (2007), Vengeance (2022) and Vampire Academy (2014).

26. Céline Dion

Soundtrack | Titanic

Hailing from the small town of Charlemagne, Québec, Céline Dion has become one of the all-time greatest singers. Céline was born in 1968, the youngest of 14 children. Early in childhood, she sang with her siblings in a small club owned by her parents. From these early experiences, Céline gained the...

27. Future

Soundtrack | Fast & Furious 7

Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn (born November 20, 1983), better known by the stage name Future, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his mumble-styles vocals and prolific output, Future is considered a pioneer of the use of melody and vocal effects in modern trap music...

28. Bon Jovi

Soundtrack | Spaceballs

Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John Such quit the band in 1994, and longtime guitarist and co-songwriter ...

29. Imagine Dragons

Soundtrack | The Host

Imagine Dragons is an alternative-rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. Band members include frontman Dan Reynolds, bassist Ben McKee, guitarist Wayne Sermon, and drummer Daniel Platzman. As of 2015, they have released two studio albums. Their first, "Night Visions", was released in September of 2012 ...

30. Britney Spears

Soundtrack | Crossroads

Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981 in McComb, Mississippi & raised in Kentwood, Louisiana. As a child, Britney attended dance classes, and she was great at gymnastics, winning many competitions and the like. But, most of all, Britney loved to sing. At age 8, Britney tried out for The ...

31. New Kids on the Block

Soundtrack | It

New Kids on the Block is known for It (2017), Free Willy (1993) and It Chapter Two (2019).

32. Tim McGraw

Soundtrack | The Blind Side

Tim McGraw has sold more than 90 million records worldwide and dominated the charts with 46 worldwide No. 1 singles and 19 worldwide No. 1 albums. He's won 3 Grammy Awards, 21 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards. His iconic career achievements include being named ...

33. Queen

Soundtrack | Flash Gordon

Queen were one of the longest-lasting and most commercially successful bands to emerge from the British heavy rock scene of the early 1970s, but unlike their contemporaries such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, they soon became just as popular with pop fans as fans of hard rock and ...

34. Zac Brown Band

Soundtrack | I Am Number Four

Zac Brown Band is known for I Am Number Four (2011), The Do-Over (2016) and Vacation (2015).

35. J. Cole

Soundtrack | Project X

Jermaine Cole (a.k.a. J.Cole) was originally born in Germany. But his origins are from North Carolina/Charlotte and he never hides it. He was signed by Jay-Z as the first artist for his record label Roc Nation. He dropped his first mix tape there, 'The Warm Up' and it had received great reviews ...