Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Forbes Reveals 2017’s Top Grossing Country Artists

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Six months have already gone by and 2017 has been a roller coaster ride with so many successful country music stars making bigger names in the industry. As the competition grows fiercer, it seems that neither the classic or modern country artists are just about to throw in the towel in the battle of whose songs drew in the most hits in the jackpot.

Without further ado, Forbes finally revealed its yearly ranking of the top-earning musicians for the Country genre. Widely recognized as “the magazine authority on all things involving finance and business”, Forbes assembled this year’s list by combining independent research on pretax income estimates from June 1 2016 to June 1 2017. The accumulated data was combined with a comparison of Nielsen’s record sales data and compiled Pollstar touring numbers.

The list revealed that its highest ranked performers raked majority of their earnings from concert sales.

1. Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks emerged as the artist who garnered the most income for his performances. He earned a whopping $60 million mostly from his record-breaking world tours. He also had a fully booked schedule from his back-to-back shows in multiple major cities. Making it to the top spot for highest grossing country singer is a testament that Brooks had surpassed fellow top-earner Dolly Parton, who holds the longest running career in the country industry.

 

2. Kenny Chesney

Chesney follows the list with $42.5 million cash drawn into his bank account. He was a real crowd pleaser in all of his tours and appearances. Aside from jam-packed performances left and right, the country singer appeared in commercial endorsements for Corona and Apple, to name a few.

 

3. Luke Bryan

At number three is Luke Bryan, who reportedly raked in $42 million for 2017. Unlike his fellow country singers who made it in the list, part of his gigantic income was traced back from his HFE clothing line, which was sold by Buck Commander, his co-owned company with Willie Robertson from Duck Dynasty, and Cabela’s.

 

4. Dolly Parton

The lovely and bodacious Dolly was the only female country artist to make it in this year’s list. Thanks to her theme park, Pigeon Forge in Tennessee, the country legend was able to add in a total of $37 million to her earnings in the previous year.

 

5. Toby Keith and Florida Georgia Line

Tied at $34.5 million are Toby Keith and Florida Georgia Line. Forbes attributes the financial success of both artists after they have taken their music to the next level by incorporating the mainstream combination of country and pop.

 

6. Jason Aldean

Based on his tour records, Forbes estimated that the Aldean made over $1 million for every city where he performed and promoted his latest album, They Don’t Know. Currently standing on 6th place, Aldean was able to accumulate about $32.5 million this year.

 

7. Blake Shelton

While Shelton isn’t big on tours and album releases like his contenders, he owes his $31.5 million earning to his big role as one of the judges and mentors on the hit singing contest, The Voice.

Compared to 2016’s top grossing artists where only five made it to the $30 million mark, 2017 evened out the plane by letting money rain of a couple more artists.

Did your favorite artist make it to the list? Yes? No? Well, if they didn’t, they can always try harder next year.

Latest Stories

Carrie Underwood defends her decision during a heartfelt moment on American Idol, advocating for the show's first Easter faith special.

Carrie Underwood Fought for American Idol’s Easter Episode When Others Said It Was “Inappropriate”

For the first time in its 23-season history, American Idol aired a fully faith-based Easter special. It was bold and heartfelt—and according to a report from The Sun, it almost ...

Pope Francis smiles and waves in his traditional white robes during one of his final public appearances before his passing at age 88.

Pope Francis, the First Pope from the Americas, Dies at 88 After Easter Weekend

Just one day after delivering his final Easter address and meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, Pope Francis, the first pope from the Americas and a defining spiritual voice ...

Jelly Roll cracks up alongside Luke Bryan and Jennifer Hudson while sharing a hilariously embarrassing onstage story on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Jelly Roll Overshared on National TV Telling Jennifer Hudson He Once Pooped His Pants While Performing on Stage

There’s oversharing, and then there’s Jelly Roll on The Jennifer Hudson Show, telling a national audience he once trusted a fart onstage and paid the price. It happened on April ...

Luke Bryan delivers an emotional Easter performance of “Jesus' Bout My Kids” on American Idol, capturing the raw heart of a father’s prayer.

Luke Bryan Sang “Jesus’ Bout My Kids” on Easter and Brought Real Emotion to American Idol

Luke Bryan has spent the last seven seasons of American Idol being the jokester, the crowd-pleaser, the guy who hands out compliments with a grin and a wink. But on ...

Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake perform “Hard Fought Hallelujah” on American Idol’s “Songs of Faith” Easter special, bringing emotion and testimony to the stage.

Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah” on Idol Felt Like a Personal Testimony

Easter Sunday on American Idol brought faith to the forefront, but when Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake took the stage to sing “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” it stopped being a TV ...

Carrie Underwood sings “How Great Thou Art” on Easter Sunday during American Idol’s “Songs of Faith” special, delivering a soul-stirring moment.

Carrie Underwood’s Easter Performance of “How Great Thou Art” Was Nothing Short of Heavenly

Some performances raise goosebumps, and then the rare few feel like they could raise the dead. On Easter Sunday, American Idol turned primetime into sacred time. Carrie Underwood stood in ...

George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Jimmy Buffett light up the stage with a legendary "Margaritaville" performance that became a timeless Texas moment.

Nothing Beats George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Jimmy Buffett Singing “Margaritaville” Together on One Stage

Some nights, something happens on stage that you can’t rehearse, can’t recreate, and definitely can’t plan. In May 2004, three of music’s most iconic voices—George Strait, Alan Jackson, and the ...

Jeannie Seely proudly holds her CMA award, celebrating her triumph with "Don't Touch Me"—a hit she nearly lost to more connected country stars.

Jeannie Seely Almost Lost One of Her Biggest Hits to a Country Singer With Bigger Connections

In Nashville, a great song doesn’t always land in the right hands. Sometimes it gets stolen. Sometimes, it gets buried. And sometimes, if you’re lucky—and tough—it finds its way back ...

Side-by-side of Sutton Foster and Loretta Lynn, highlighting Foster’s casting as the country legend in the new Broadway musical Coal Miner’s Daughter.

Meet the Broadway Star Taking On the Role of Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter Musical

It takes more than a voice to play Loretta Lynn. It takes guts. It takes someone who understands what it means to grow up with nothing, to speak your mind ...

Willie Nelson performs “Georgia on My Mind” live in Macon, Georgia, at age 91, seated with his iconic guitar and red bandana as the crowd rises in reverent applause.

Willie Nelson Sang Georgia on My Mind and the Crowd Gave Him a Standing Ovation

When Willie Nelson took the stage in Macon, Georgia, on April 13, it didn’t feel like another tour stop. It felt like something sacred—something that only happens when a living ...

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.