Dr Dre Tops Music 2014 Earnings Chart

We guess nobody Beats Dr Dre at knowing how to strike a good deal.

The former NWA member and hip hop star was revealed to be the biggest earning music star in 2014, far outstripping the rest of the competition as he took home a huge $620m (£394m) - primarily due to the $3bn sale of Beats Music, the company he co-founded, to Apple. He rose from 21st last year to take the top spot, well ahead of second-placed Beyoncé, who earned $115m (£73m). Touring staples The Eagles, Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen rounded off the top five, with teen whippersnappers Justin Bieber and One Direction following just behind. Calvin Harris was the top earning DJ, coming in at No.9 with $66m (£42m).

The figures were calculated over a June 2013 to June 2014 fiscal year by Forbes magazine, with earnings from recordings, touring, sponsorship, merchandise and other business ventures all included. Last year's top two Madonna and Lady Gaga both tumbled down, although this was unsurprising, given it was a quiet year for both; expect her Madgesty to be challenging again this time next year.

Check out the top 30 below.

1. Dr Dre ($620 million)
2. Beyoncé ($115 million)
3. The Eagles ($100 million)
4. Bon Jovi ($82 million)
5. Bruce Springsteen ($81 million)
6. Justin Bieber ($80 million)
7. One Direction ($75 million)
8. Paul McCartney ($71 million)
9. Calvin Harris ($66 million)
10. Toby Keith ($65 million)
11. Taylor Swift ($64 million)
12= Jay Z ($60 million)
12= Diddy ($60 million)
12= Bruno Mars ($60 million)
15. Justin Timberlake ($57 million)
16. Pink ($52 million)
17. Michael Bublé ($51 million)
18. Rihanna ($48 million)
19. Rolling Stones ($47 million)
20. Roger Waters ($46 million)
21. Elton John ($45 million)
22. Kenny Chesney ($44 million)
23. Katy Perry ($40 million)
24= Jason Aldean ($37 million)
24= Jennifer Lopez ($37 million)
26= Miley Cyrus ($36 million)
26= Celine Dion ($36 million)
28. Muse ($34 million)
28. Luke Bryan ($34 million)
30= Lady Gaga ($33 million)
30= Drake ($33 million)

(Image: Rex)