Dr Dre named highest earning music star

Los Angeles - Dr Dre has been named music's highest earning star.

The hip-hop producer topped Forbes magazine's annual list of the 25 Highest-Paid Musicians of 2012, earning $110m.

However, the biggest chunk of his earnings came not from music but his Beats by Dre headphones business, earning him $100m pretax, when he sold a 51% stake in the company.

The rest of the musicians in the top five were all from the UK and Ireland, and made most of their money from touring.

Former Pink Floyd rocker Roger Waters took second spot on the list, earning $88m, almost entirely from his The Wall Live tour.

Highest grossing tour in history

Elton John took third, accruing $80m, from over 100 shows in the period in which the figures were calculated.

U2 managed to take fourth spot, with $78m from the end of their 360 tour - which over the three years it ran was the highest grossing in history, earning $736m in total.

British boy band Take That rounded out the top five, making $69m, thanks to their huge Progress tour, which saw them reunite with original band member Robbie Williams. The group grossed $61m for eight dates at London's Wembley Stadium alone, the biggest single-stadium stand recorded at that point.

Other stars making the list include Toby Keith and Justin Bieber, who tied in tenth spot, earning $55m each.

Forbes 25 Highest-Paid Musicians of 2012:

1. Dr Dre - $110m
2. Roger Waters - $88m
3. Elton John - $80m
4. U2 - $78m
5. Take That - $69m
6. Bon Jovi - $60m
7. Britney Spears - $58m
8. Sir Paul McCartney - $57m
8. Taylor Swift - $57m
10. Justin Bieber - $55m
10. Toby Keith - $55m
12. Rihanna - $53m
13. Lady Gaga - $52m
14. Foo Fighters - $47m
15. P. Diddy - $45m
15. Katy Perry - $45m
17. Kenny Chesney - $44m
18. Beyoncé - $40m
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers - $39m
20. Jay-Z - $38m
21. Coldplay - $37m
22. Adele - $35m
22. Kanye West - $35m
24. Michael Bublé - $34m
25. Sade - $33m