The World’s Highest-Paid Country Stars

Forbes recently released their list of country acts that made the most money between mid-2014 and mid-2015. Donning a pair of cowboy boots and a Stetson can earn you big bucks, it seems, with the top earners in the genre fast catching up with the megastars of pop and rock.

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10. Blake Shelton

Having earned $28.5 million last year, Shelton is tied with his ex-wife Miranda Lambert.

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10. Blake Shelton

Playing 42 shows in the last year, Shelton has made much of his income from touring. However, he also earns from TV work, especially as a judge and coach on The Voice.

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9. Miranda Lambert

Earning $28.5 million in the last year, Miranda Lambert is the highest-earning female country singer. She just made it into the top ten, tying with Blake Shelton, who recently became her ex.

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9. Miranda Lambert

Lambert's music has been raking in the awards and the cash but she's also earning a tidy sum from partnership deals with lifestyle brand Dixie Darlin', the Red 55 Winery and others, as well as business ventures like The Pink Pistol boutique.

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8. Zac Brown Band

The Zac Brown Band made $32 million in the past year. In the week that the single 'Homegrown' was released, the song sold more than twice the number of copies as its nearest competitor.

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8. Zac Brown Band

The band has been busy, playing dozens of shows over the last year and appearing on Saturday Night Live.

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7. Florida Georgia Line

During the past five years, Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley have moved on from opening for bigger-name acts to becoming the headliners themselves. According to Forbes, they earned $36.5 million last year.

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7. Florida Georgia Line

Just the first twelve shows of their Anything Goes tour made a cool $5.9 million. They also struck a partnership with Mountain Dew in January.

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6. Tim McGraw

Married to fellow country star Faith Hill, McGraw has been dominating the scene since the early 1990s and made $38 million in the last year. His 2014 album Sundown Heaven Town shot straight to the top of the country music charts upon its release.

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6. Tim McGraw

Album sales and touring weren't the only sources of McGraw's income last year. He has endorsement deals with Pennzoil and AKG headphones and he has a supporting role in George Clooney's new sci-fi adventure Tomorrowland.

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5. Kenny Chesney

The former Mr. Renee Zellweger is a superstar in his own right and made $42 million last year. He certainly chose an apt name for his latest studio album and accompanying tour, The Big Revival.

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5. Kenny Chesney

Chesney also makes money from his rum brand, Blue Chair Bay, as well as from Costa sunglasses and Corona beer endorsement deals.

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4. Luke Bryan

In the past year, the 'Roller Coaster' singer made $42.5 million. The fact that 'Roller Coaster' and 'I See You' both made it to the top of the charts has certainly helped.

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4. Luke Bryan

Bryan's income is boosted through deals with Miller Lite and outdoor retail brand Cabela's.

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3. Jason Aldean

Aldean made a healthy $43.5 million in the past year.

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3. Jason Aldean

One of the reasons for Aldean's success is that his rock-influenced music is popular in countries like Sweden, the UK and Ireland.

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2. Toby Keith

With earnings of $53 million in the last year, the 'Beer For my Horses' singer can easily switch to champagne.

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2. Toby Keith

Keith's income hasn't only come from touring but also from his many business ventures. These include the I Love This Bar & Grill chain, Wild Shot mescal, the Show Dog-Universal Music record label and an endorsement deal with Ford.

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1. Garth Brooks

Brooks tops the list with a whopping $90 million, which is the most a country act has ever made in a year. The 'Friends in Low Places' singer is now right up there with the world's highest-paid celebrities.

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1. Garth Brooks

Since 2000, Brooks had slowed down considerably. His recent earnings have come mainly from his first world tour in more than a decade.

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