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An interesting thought experiment: How would legendary musicians of the past have done with Spotify and social media today?

Social media and streaming are relatively new inventions. UK site Money.co.uk decided to take a look at how much legendary musicians might have been able to earn had streaming and social media been around in their day. These estimates cover everything from Spotify to YouTube to Instagram.

The Top 20 Legendary Musicians Who Would Earn The Most On Spotify & Social Media 

 Celebrity Name Total Earnings ($) 
Bob Marley $1,667,878 
Elvis Presley $1,604,033 
David Bowie $1,396,461 
Frank Sinatra $1,360,528 
Johnny Cash $1,083,196 
Prince $1,016,836 
Marvin Gaye $1,011,156 
John Lennon $880,269 
Bob Dylan $818,694 
10 Aretha Franklin $740,121 
11 George Harrison $634,913 
12 Jimi Hendrix $606,315 
13 Louis Armstrong $578,815 
14 Sam Cooke $464,032 
15 Nat King Cole $434,780 
16 Etta James $433,307 
17 Dean Martin $426,737 
18 Chuck Berry $398,479 
19 Ray Charles $390,685 
20 Ella Fitzgerlad $387,371 

If you want to go deeper, read this.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37973 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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