Blake Shelton Earned More Than Taylor Swift In 2021 — See His Shocking Salary

Country superstar Blake Shelton took home a HUGE paycheck in 2021. He took home so much that he ranked number…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

January 18, 2022

5:01 pm

Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton; Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC

Country superstar Blake Shelton took home a HUGE paycheck in 2021. He took home so much that he ranked number nine in Rolling Stone‘s list of the 10 Highest Paid Musicians of 2021, and beat out Taylor Swift‘s salary.

Shelton is the only country star on the list, with an estimated income of $83 million.

Rolling Stone reports that a major source of Shelton’s income in 2021 came from a “previously unreported catalog sale” of $50 million.

Additionally, the “Come Back As A Country Boy” singer earned an eight-figure salary for his role as a coach on The Voice, the release of his new album, Body Language, and the Friends and Heroes Tour, which reportedly grossed $14.5 million.

Swift is the only female artist on the list, ranking in the number 10 slot with an estimated income of $80 million.

Swift’s salary is partially thanks to the release of two albums, Red (Taylor’s Version) and Fearless (Taylor’s Version). She also had lucrative partnerships with brands such as Peloton and Starbucks.

Other artists included on the list are Mötley Crüe ($95 million), Lindsey Buckingham ($100 million), Red Hot Chili Peppers ($145 million), Ryan Tedder ($200 million), Kanye West ($250 million), Paul Simon ($260 million) and Jay-Z ($470 million).

The artist in the top spot is Bruce Springsteen with an estimated total earnings of $590 million. Springsteen made history in 2021 when he sold his copyrights and master recordings to Sony. It was the largest sale of solo catalog of all time.

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Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.