UK rock band Genesis tops list of highest paid artists of 2022

Genesis landed atop a top 10 list of the highest-paid entertainers of 2022, bolstered by a massive catalog sale last fall, as well as revenues earned from touring and streaming.

The musical ensemble of Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford were named to the top spot of the Forbes list with $230 million in revenue after they sold their catalog to Concord Music Group in September for a total of $300 million, Daily Mail reports.

The $230 million total also included streaming totals from Collins' work as a solo artist, according to the outlet.

Coming in second on the list was Sting with $210 million, after The Police front man sold his full catalog to Universal Music Group for $300 million prior to fees, Forbes reported. 

Tyler Perry was third on the list with $175 million, as the multi-talented entertainer garnered the total from multiple proceeds from his films, BET shows and Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios. Perry, who made the 2021 list, is the only entertainer in the top 10 who is a billionaire, the outlet reported.

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were at number four with $160 million, with the majority of revenue coming from a deal they inked with Paramount for $935 million over a six-year span. The creative tandem also made money from an HBO Max deal as well as their musical The Book of Mormon. 

The Simpsons co-creators James L. Brooks and Matt Groening were in fifth place with $105 million, stemming from their April 2019 streaming deal in which 30 seasons of the iconic animated series was transferred to Disney+ from FX, according to Forbes.

A-list stalwart Brad Pitt landed at sixth on the list with an estimated $100 million after he sold the major stake in his production company Plan B late last year. Pitt's work in front of the cameras, in movies such as Babylon, Bullet Train and The Lost City, made him an estimated $30 million.

Musical icons the Rolling Stones landed in the seventh spot on the list with $98 million off of a $136 million gross from touring revenues and royalties from their enormous catalog. The iconic group fronted by Mick Jagger averaged $8.5 million nightly on a 15-date European tour last year.

Filmmaker James Cameron was in eighth with $95 million from his income from the smash film Avatar: The Way of Water, which has made more than $2.2 million worldwide. The outlet quoted sources who said that Cameron's deal for the highly-anticipated motion picture was 'back-end-heavy with bonuses' for milestones at the box office.

Taylor Swift was the only female entertainer on the list, coming in ninth place with $92 million in income stemming from the proceeds from her album sales and streaming revenues. Swift has a strong chance of making the 2024 list after an unprecedented demand for tickets for her 52-date Midnights tour this past fall.

Popular rapper Bad Bunny rounded out the top 10 with $88 million from two tours: The World's Hottest Tour and El Último Tour Del Mundo. The Puerto Rico native added to his bottom line with lucrative endorsement deals with companies including Adidas, Corona and Cheetos. 

Forbes put together the top 10 list with information including pretax 2022 earnings sans representation fees, and data from multiple sources such as Nielsen BookScan, Luminate, Pollstar, IMDBPro and Variety Insight, and interviews with industry experts.