Taylor Swift Billboard’s Top Money Maker For 2011

Taylor Swift Billboard’s Top Money Maker For 2011, Country singer Taylor Swift, 22, has been named Billboard magazine’s biggest money maker, beating powerhouses U2, Lady Gaga and Adele to top the list with earnings of more than $35 million in 2011.

The Love Story singer pocketed more cash from her album sales and world tour in 2011 than Irish rockers U2, country music veteran Kenny Chesney, pop star Lady Gaga and rapper Lil Wayne, who rounded out the top five on Billboard’s annual list of 40 of music’s biggest money makers.

The list was compiled by the music magazine’s editors using data from Boxscore archives of U.S. concert gross figures, Nielsen SoundScan data for album and single sales on physical and digital platforms, and Nielsen BDS data on musical airplay on radio, downloads and online streaming sites such as Spotify.

Sade, rockers Bon Jovi, Canadian singer Celine Dion, country singer Jason Aldean and current pop music darling Adele rounded out the top 10, with earnings ranging from $32 million to $13 million.

Swift, a native of Wyomissing, Penn., kicked off her career as a teenager with a self-titled album that included her first single Tim McGraw, and has since built a strong musical career.

The singer won critics and fans with her raw, honest lyrics and themes of teenage love and life.