E a Billboard efetuou a sua lista dos artistas mais lucrativos dos últimos 12 meses e tem muito artista country neste top!! :) Descubram quem está no #1 (é uma jovem cantora)!!

Billboard has issued their Top 20 Money Makers of the past 12 months and there's a LOT of country artists on this top!! Find out who's at #1 (hint: it is a young female singer)!!

#20 Michael Bublé $9,027,177
#19 Tim McGraw $9,335,258
#18 Rascal Flatts $9,639,270
#17 Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band $10,017,031
#16 Britney Spears $10,090,973
While Britney Spears' seventh album, the chart-topping Femme Fatale, was released in March 2011, she spent the latter half of the year earning most of her millions. The Live Nation-sponsored Femme Fatale tour, her first concert endeavor in nearly two years, kicked off stateside in June, with Nicki Minaj in tow for North American dates. The elaborately staged trek wrapped six months later, after visiting four continents for nearly 80 shows and culminating with revenue of $21.7 million. While Spears earned $7.3 million for her half-year on the road, her 2011 album sales of 883,000 were fueled by three Femme Fatale singles, including the No. 1 "Hold It Against Me."

#15 Toby Keith $10,413,127
#14 Katy Perry $11,969,426
In 2011, Katy Perry tied Michael Jackson's record by scoring five No. 1 singles from one album, 2010's Teenage Dream, with such songs as "E.T." and "Firework." Not surprisingly, the radio ruler's digital track sales soared above her fellow pop phenoms: With 15.2 million units moved, Perry bested Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna in the category. Meanwhile, the singer's California Dreams world tour kept Perry on the road for most of 2011, grossing $19.5 million domestically and netting her $6.6 million. Perry also raised her visibility at the multiplex (with a voice spot in "The Smurfs"), on the small screen (with appearances on "How I Met Your Mother" and "American Idol") and at awards ceremonies (with a performance at the 2011 Grammy Awards and a video of the year win at MTV's Video Music Awards). Perry has already started off strong in 2012: "Part of Me," the lead single to her Teenage Dream reissue (due March 27), became the 20th song to debut atop the Hot 100 in the chart's history.

#13 Elton John $11,973,990
#12 Journey $12,313,822
#11 "Glee" Cast $12,587,771

Find out the top 10 by clicking read more!!


#10 Adele $13,081,909
Even an extreme medical emergency couldn't interfere with Adele's success in 2011. From the moment sophomore album 21 stormed in atop the Billboard 200 in March 2011, the singer/songwriter has been setting-and demolishing-a seemingly endless array of retail and radio feats. Before her latest achievement-spending 23 weeks atop the chart to notch the longest-running No. 1 album in Nielsen SoundScan's history-Adele racked up numerous other milestones. Her single "Rolling in the Deep" became the most widely crossed-over song of the past 25 years, topping rock, pop, AC, R&B/hip-hop, dance and Latin charts. In addition, she became one of only four female artists to spend at least 13 weeks at the peak of the Billboard 200, joining Judy Garland, Carole King and Whitney Houston. Adele then capped the year by winning six Grammy Awards, including album of the year. Although throat surgery sidelined her touring schedule last October, her album sales continued to soar to the tune of 6.7 million in 2011.

#9 Jason Aldean $13,409,011
#8 Celine Dion $14,261,515
Celine Dion sure knows how to make a comeback. After her historic five-year residency at Las Vegas' Colosseum at Caesars Palace ended in late 2007, the Canadian singer took a well-deserved break, then returned to the 4,000-seat venue in March 2011 for yet another stand. She grossed $40.1 million from 57 performances last year that drew nearly a quarter-million fans and booked additional Vegas dates through this August. Though Dion's last studio album was 2007's Taking Chances, she sold 331,000 albums in 2011, the biggest catalog item being 1997's Let's Talk About Love (75,000 copies). The singer also sold 956,000 digital tracks last year, with the top seller still being "My Heart Will Go On," from 1997's blockbuster film "Titanic" (167,000 downloads).

#7 Bon Jovi $19,813,232
#6 Sade $16,382,809
#5 Lil Wayne $23,178,722
#4 Lady Gaga $25,353,039
Topping the Money Makers list in 2011, the theatrical chanteuse enjoyed a near-repeat of her previous stellar year. Defined by the May launch of yet another full-length opus, Born This Way, the album sold 1.1 million units during its first week, marking the biggest single sales frame for an album release in 2011. Combined with her previous sets The Fame and The Fame Monster, Gaga moved 2.8 million albums last year. Meanwhile, Born This Way spawned four singles that all reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and helped the singer move 12.7 million digital tracks. Despite holding off on another traditional tour when her 19-month Monster Ball trek wrapped last May, Gaga's Boxscore revenue equaled $51.4 million in 2011, after reaping $70.4 million the year before. Expect Born This Way to keep delivering in 2012, with the Born This Way Ball ready to roll overseas in April.

#3 Kenny Chesney $29,837,103
Kenny Chesney rejuvenated himself by taking time off from touring in 2010, and fans responded by turning out in record numbers to see him last year. Promoted nationally by TMG/AEG Live, Chesney captured his sixth top package honor at the 2011 Billboard Touring Awards for his Goin' Coastal concert swing, his eighth consecutive tour to sell more than 1 million tickets. As with most leading country live acts, Chesney also sells a healthy amount of recordings while touring: more than 650,000 physical album units (buoyed by hit-laden 2010 album Hemingway's Whiskey) and 4.3 million-plus digital tracks. Chesney's fans worship his romantic, hard-drinking lifestyle, so he derives additional revenue streams from various merchandise, a laid-back clothing line, ringtones, DVDs and even a sponsorship deal with the beverage firm that makes Corona. (No surprise, given that Chesney wrote the No. 1 country hit "Beer in Mexico.")

#2 U2 $32,116,315
U2's monumental 360° tour finally wrapped in 2011 with a $91.5 million Boxscore for the year, including a return trek through North America originally scheduled for 2010 but postponed due to Bono's back surgery. Fewer than 10% of the tickets had to be refunded, and those returns were quickly scooped up. The total Boxscore tally of $736 million stands as an amazing record, and the attendance of 7.3 million concert-goers (another record) led to merchandise sales approaching $50 million, according to Billboard estimates (but not included in calculating the Money Makers tally). Merch sales and fan club revenue were maximized under synergies created through the band's long-term, multirights deal with Live Nation, and the 360° tour marked an impressive testament to the ability of both sides to deliver. U2 also sold a significant amount of recorded content, including 1.4 million digital tracks, since the tour drew fans' attention to catalog favorites. Combining digital and physical units, however, U2 moved the least number of albums among the top 10 Money Makers. Today's music business is all about the live thing, and U2 stands high on the mountaintop in that regard.

#1 Taylor Swift $35,719,902
After wrapping the final leg of her Fearless tour, Taylor Swift's blockbuster success two years ago left music industry observers wondering what she could possibly do for an encore. The pop-country superstar answered them with her smash Speak Now album and accompanying tour, which jetted through Asia and Europe in addition to making its way across North America. Grossing $88.5 million in the U.S. alone, the tour netted Swift a remarkable $29.8 million. Honored as Billboard's Woman of the Year in December, she racked up U.S. album sales of 1.8 million units last year-led by booming business for late 2010's Speak Now, which sold 967,000 units and digital single track sales of 7.8 million. Songwriting royalties were another highly beneficial source of income, given that Swift wrote all 14 Speak Now tunes herself.

Find out the complete top 40 list here!