Music's Top 40 Money Makers 2012: Taylor Swift Is Billboard's Top Money Maker!

NEW YORK (Top40 Charts) Taylor Swift is the top act on Billboard's just-released Top 40 Money Makers list for 2012. Swift earned more than $35.7 million, 17% more than the take-home pay of last year's top-earner, Lady Gaga. U2 was second with $32 million. Kenny Chesney, Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne rounded out the top five.

The rest of the top 10 are filled by Sade, Bon Jovi, Celine Dion, Jason Aldean and Adele. Unlike most of the stars who gained huge profit from their live shows, the British pop sensation, who's forced to cancel her gig due to throat surgery, got her money mainly from the steadily-strong sales of her album "21" and its songs including "Rolling in the Deep". Sitting at No. 10, She's estimated to have sold a grand total of 6.7 million copies in album sales and pocketed $13 million cash.

Outside the top 10, there were the likes of "Glee" cast (No. 11, $12 million), Katy Perry (No. 14, $11 million), Britney Spears (No. 16, $10 million), and Rihanna (No. 22, $7 million). Justin Bieber, who rounded up the top 5 last year by collecting an estimated profit of $22 million, dropped to No. 35 by netting only $5 million in the past twelve months.

Billboard based the list on U.S. income sources from publishing royalties, tours and album sales, though they didn't take into account any sales of merchandise, sponsorships or synchronization deals. Even as this list goes public, Swift is off finishing up her Speak Now World Tour in Australia, hitting Sydney this weekend and then heading for Melbourne next week.

Billboard's top money makers of 2012:
1. Taylor Swift: $35.7M
2. U2: $32.1M
3. Kenny Chesney: $29.8M
4. Lady Gaga: $25.3M
5. Lil Wayne: $23.1M
6. Bon Jovi: $19.8M
7. Sade: $16.3M
8. Celine Dion: $14.2M
9. Jason Aldean: $13.4M
10. Adele: $13M