Music is big business, and while singing and playing in a band can make you rich and famous – working as producer, dancer, or lyricist can be even more lucrative.
Every year The Sunday Times publishes its highly anticipated “Rich List” of all the wealthiest people in Britain.
As a preview, the publication released a snippet of some of the rankings, listing who accrued the largest musical fortunes in the UK.
This includes individual dancers, singers, bands, and music producers.
The Sunday Times did not say why it split some bands’ musical fortunes up into individual rankings.
Even though Adele is one of the most popular music artists of all time, in Britain she still fails to even remotely top the top 10 richest music-related people with £125 million.
Business Insider took a look at some of the largest musical fortunes in Britain.
T=8. Michael Flatley — £200 million. The dancer, choreographer, and musician became famous in the 1990s for his Irish dance shows Riverdance and the Lord of the Dance.
T=8. Ringo Starr — £200 million. The former drummer for The Beatles amassed a huge fortune during and after his time with the band through royalties and personal music projects.
7. Olivia and Dhani Harrison — £210 million. When one of The Beatles guitarist George Harrison died in 2001, he bequeathed his fortune to his wife and only child Dhani (pictured).
6. Keith Richards — £235 million. The Sunday Times ranked the members of the Rolling Stones separately. However, the band's guitarist has accrued a fortune that nearly reaches that of lead singer Sir Mick Jagger.
5. Sir Mick Jagger – £250 million. Jagger is one of the most famous musicians in the world and rakes in millions from royalties and major tours with the band The Rolling Stones. His fortune was further added to when he inherited his long term partner L'Wren Scott's estate when she died in 2014.
4. Sir Elton John — £290 million. The music legend continues to top up his massive wealth through his own music, appearances, and composing. He has won dozens of Ivor Novello and Grammy awards as well as many others.
3. U2 — £548 million. The Sunday Times did not split up the band's total fortune into individual rankings. They are one of the most successful bands in the world. The Sunday Times says "their royalty income has also been largely tax-free since they moved operations to the Netherlands in 2005."
2. Lord Lloyd-Webber — £740 million. Lloyd-Webber is one of the most revered composers and theatre directors in the world. His West End shows, such as The Phantom of the Opera, and Cats remain near permanent fixtures in London and are toured across the world.
1. Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell — £780 million. The singer and songwriter has amassed a huge fortune from his time in The Beatles and numerous successful solo projects and tours. He's married to American heiress Nancy Shevell, who has her own fortune from a £150 million from a stake in her father’s trucking company.
