Parade: Taylor Swift Made $17.2 Million in 2009
I guess this Sunday's Parade magazine includes their annual "What People Earn" salary report in it. And Taylor Swift, 20, apparently made $17.2 million last year, making her one of the celebs who brought in 450 times more money than the "regular" people in the story. But what I don't know is, is that is her take-home pay, or what she brings in overall as an artist? If it's the latter, then I would love to know how much of that goes to paying folks on her payroll and other expenses she has as an entertainer. Like recoupment at the record label, gassing up tour buses, etc. I'm sure she still deposits the biggest checks her bank has ever seen, but I doubt she is cashing a $653,846 check every other Friday. So I try not to get caught up in the numbers. But it's really hard not to. Imagine this cruel irony: Swift's bum-rusher Kanye West earned $25 million. And the not-nearly-as-famous Mark Zuckerberg, 25, who revolutionized social networking when he introduced Facebook, made $3 billion.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
Candy says:
Congrats girl!! Lovelovelove♥
Granna says:
Making all that money without being able to sing…can’t beat it! This should encourage a lot of other wannabe artist to go for it!
kbug says:
Go Taylor Swift fearless!!!!!!!!!!!
rosyz says:
I am not a fan but good for her.
Jocelyn says:
I’ve read these blogs a lot lately and I notice the same people come out in force on Taylor blogs and start things off with negativity. Then the Taylor zombies come out and defend. Then there’s the predictable bickering followed by the swiffer police showing up and deleting half of you. What’s the point? Everyone just hanging out on a Friday evening looking for a brawl? How old are all of you anyway? Makes me think that some of you were much like “the mean girls” who drove that girl to suicide.
Whether Taylor has talent or not doesn’t effect how hard she works. If you think it’s easy to do what she (or any successful, touring artist does) then I’d like to see you pull it off. Ya’ll sit back in your tattered barcaloungers and dole out criticism. You kind of have your own little Supreme Court going.
kbug says:
I hope Taylor Swift win at CMT music awards again it was fun to see her win go Taylor Swift…
kbug says:
Taylor Swift have a good tour and good CD so i thank she can do win FEARLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JP says:
Pretty good, for someone that just came out of nowhere!
Goes to show anyone can make it, if they have the right people behind them.
Velicia says:
Taylor is very consistent. I remember reading last year that she made 17 million in 2008 as well. She hasn’t really had a long term tour yet so those are excellent totals. Can you imagine if she tours for an entire year instead of splitting it up? She’d easily earn over 35 million. JP: You’re right, anyone can make it if they have the right people behind them, that’s why Taylor Swift will likely never disappear, she has the right people behind her for a long term career, couple that with the song writing and she’s good for a few decades….IF she wants that.
winter says:
all i can say about this girl was kanye was right….i used to be a fan…this girl is just a product of the music industry….
countryiscool says:
I had to laugh when I mentioned to my daughter about artist paychecks & told her what Taylor made. She said, “is that the one that can’t sing?” She doesn’t listen to much country but has heard her on a music award show & thought it appalling that she makes that kind of $$ in a field where she SHOULD be able to sing. Personally, I like some of Taylor’s songs and vids. but that is because she is studio/engineered(enhanced) and made to sound good. She is good to her fans & very well marketed.
D Trotter says:
Taylor makes dreamers everywhere take heart.
She didn’t need Disney, she didn’t American Idol, she didn’t even need the clout of an established behemoth record label to push and hype her airplay. She did it the old-fashioned way, with hard work — getting out and playing in front of people whenever and wherever she could, staying positive and believing in herself even when people told her she couldn’t.
I think it’s ridiculous that this Country values Sports and Media entertainers out of proportion to most hard-working Americans, but at least Taylor makes a better role model than Brittney Spears, Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, or most CEO’s of oil, insurance and lending institutions
Peacock Queen says:
+*+_*
D Trotter,
You said “or most CEO’s of oil, insurance and lending institutions.”
Let’s add CEO’s of coal mining companies who would rather pay the fines of over 600 safety violations than to send 29 hard-working Americans home to their families, including their little children.
D Trotter says:
Amen, PQ!
GalPal says:
Who cares! At least I am not tone teaf deaf!
thirteen is a lucky number says:
Only 17.2 million last year? I was hoping Taylor would do 20 million.
Johnny says:
She must have made more, Forbes said she made 19 million in their last list which came out June 09. That was before most of her fearless tour. Wait for the Forbes 2010 list she will be far above 20 mil.
D Trotter says:
And Taylor’sdaddy may be well off, but he IS NOT insanely rich — he’s nowhere on the Forbe’s list. He certainly can’t compete with RCA and AI and Disney. And right now he can’t match his daughter.
McKenna says:
What does Mr. Swift’s bank account have to do with anything? “IF” his having any money gave Taylor a little advantage in the beginning, so what? In the end her success isn’t based on how much money the family had. Yeah, I’m sure it may have given her a leg up or a little head start but ultimately, factored into everything it means zero. I’ve never made it a secret that I’m not a Taylor “uber” fan but I’m just shocked at the depth of anomosity towards her.
countryiscool says:
Thank you CMT for deleting the comment from someone using my name, altho people may now wonder what I’m referring to.
Peacock Queen says:
Don’t miss the point referencing Taylor’s parents. Taylor grew up in a very loving home with two well-educated parents who are devoted to their children. That is NOT Taylor’s fault that she and her brother have had that kind of wonderful life. And yes, I am certain that her parents were able to help her fulfill her dream. There is no doubt that money, connections and class will help someone get their foot in the door a lot sooner. Also, not everyone has the resources to move their entire family to another city in order to help one of their children realize a dream.
However, those who wish to criticize American Idol in an effort to diss Carrie Underwood or to build Taylor up do not seem to understand what is so great about American Idol. Parents who do NOT have the kind of resources Taylor’s family has had can still watch their children at least ATTEMPT to realize their dream by simply auditioning for a show that will put their children out there in front of millions of viewers. If they are good, it will show. And those millions of viewers get to vote for who they WANT as an artist. So it is a win-win situation.
Kellie Pickler was abandoned by her mother and her father spent most of her childhood in prison. Tim McGraw was abused by his stepfather and rejected for many years by his biological father. Jimmy Wayne was a homeless teenager on his way to a possible life on skid row until an elderly couple took him in and helped him turn his life around. These people deserve a lot of respect, and a whole lot of credit, for beating the odds and making something out of themselves. Taylor did not have those hurdles to overcome. She has many fans and deserves to be respected for making music that touches some people, but let’s not lose sight of how it may have been easier for her compared to some others, and give credit to AI for seeing that and reaching out to those who NEED that helping hand.
kbug says:
why are you be so mean about her. she didn’t do bad to you.
D Trotter says:
Very eloquently-phrased post, PQ. I agree with your opening paragraph that Taylor had the advantage of coming from a fairly affluent family which nurtured and encouraged her and believed in her potential. Taylor herself has marveled at the way Kellie has overcome such a tough beginning.
Could Taylor have achieved superstardom if she had to cope with the hardships Kellie did? Would she have been tough enough?
Good questions. When a girl is a songwriting prodigy, absolutely driven to play/write music, and possesses business sense, independence and a toughness that belies her slight build … no one could say with absolute certainty it wouldn’t have happened anyway (e.g., see Jewel’s life story). But it sure would have been a LOT harder.
McKenna is 100% correct: Taylor’s success can’t just be dismissed as the result of her family’s money.
Yes, Taylor’S parent could afford: to send her to schools that challenged and developed her potential; to buy her nice guitars; to take her to karaoke contests; to convince an old college friend with connections to give Taylor a chance to show her stuff singing the National Anthem before a Philadelphia pro sporting event; and, because her dad headed a financial advisory group that could set up its home base in any number of states, to actually MOVE to Nashville in support of his little girl’s ambitions.
But at the end of the day — and this is where McKenna and yourself differ from those who try to claim her success was “bought by Daddy” — it was still TAYLOR who had to come up with goods. She had to win the Karaoke (she did). She had to sing the anthem with a just a guitar, in front of a stadium of people (her performance got her noticed by Disney scouts. What Taylor’s dad COULDN’T DO (even if he actually had the kind of billions the fantasy writers pretend, which he doesn’t) is make her into the kind of superstar that fans go crazy over. That she had to do herself.
Her parents just did what ANY loving parents would and SHOULD do — they nurtured and supported her dreams.
What you may or may not know PQ is that both McKenna and myself were responding to such a comment, since deleted. And while I agree with you that many AI contestants have not had the advantage Taylor did in terms of solid family support, I still maintain that those who finish near the top of American Idol get Record Deals, Marketing and ready-made hype and publicity that far outweighs anything Taylor’s dad could do.
Ygrove says:
“D Trotter’ you just amaze me,If I didn’t know better I would almost go for that hype you just smothered Taylor with.I always wondered why her first single didn’t do that good on the country charts and what adjustments they had to make with the rest of her music?I thought you might know.
D Trotter says:
PQ, I don’t want to ignore your comments on American Idol.
First off, my remarks on AI are never intended to dis Carrie, one of the most redeeming results of AI. (I must confess, it is fun to remind certain people — who like to claim Taylor is a product of hype and PR — that the real monster Marketing Machines, Disney and AI, have no connection to Swift).
But you identified THE one thing that saves AI from being an irredeemable mess — the CONTESTANTS and their profiles, up front and personal. Real people, dealing with real hardships.
In general I dislike Reality shows, no matter what people are willing to do for their shot at fame. (Gee, would do stick YOUR head in bucket of maggots for a million dollars? Air your dirty linen and punch out your wife on Springer?)
But I watch AI all the time. It’s a Love/Hate thing. Even Simon.
I dislike the way the AI “audition shows” seem to revel in displaying the most awkward contestants, and the snickering of the judges at such performers is pathetic. (It’s my understanding that every contestant goes through several auditions BEFORE the TV auditions, so this is just putting people on stage to be ridiculed).
I also dislike:
“make-overs” to the contestant’s appearances, their styles, everything;
the reported control AI exercises over the top contestants and their artistic directions;
the way the AI tries to pump up the market with “new” publicity-driven sensations every year (”HERE they are, YOUR ideals!”);
and many of the antics of the judges.
But the stories of the people themselves are often moving. And some contestants maintain their dignity, despite the carnival atmosphere. This year, Crystal strikes me as a real working class gal doing AI for the sake of her baby, but she’s having none of the show’s contrived melodrama.
But is this really the way to discover genuine artists? Yes, we’ve found Carrie and Kellie and Daughtry, and what else? Adam Lambert? The show’s been on how long?
My opinion is it could run for 50 years, and they would never find anyone truly unique. They would make fun of Lyle Lovett, tell Amber Digby to try to sound more “current”, fall all over the floor laughing at Tom Waits, tell Lucinda Williams she sounds “pitchy”, and finish with Simon telling Bob Dylan there was no hope for him, try dancing.
Peacock Queen says:
DT,
I agree that the rediculing of some contestants is bad but bad television seems to make for popular television these days. No, I wouldn’t stick my head in a bucket of maggots, either. There is such a thing as dignity and class. But what would be funny about Simon telling Bob Dylan that there was no hope for him is how he would be shown to be incorrect. Simon told Jennifer Hudson the same thing, before the Grammys and the Academy Award. And that IS what is great about AI. The public gets to choose, irregardless of what the judges say, and as I said before, if a contestant is good, it will show. And they have a chance. That is the whole point. Remember Vanessa Wolf from that tiny little place in rural Tennessee? We all knew she wouldn’t survive Hollywood week, but at least we all know she is out there and striving for a better life, and hopefully someone with the money and connections and compassion for someone in her situation will help make it happen for her.
D Trotter says:
I know these things I say make no sense, but it doesn’t really matter to me. I get paid good to make up this stuff about Taylor.
ALJID says:
@ D Trotter
Ouch….
D Trotter says:
C’mon ALJID, everybody knows that post above isn’t mine, it’s from you or or one of your fellow semi-illiterates. I’ve never said anything that concise in my life, lol.
( And, duh, I wouldn’t use a sentence like “I get paid good”. Did you miss the grammar class on how to use “good”?)
kbug says:
can you just stop it now.
D Trotter says:
Peacock, your arguments for what is worthwhile about AI ring very true. The chance-of-a-lifetime given to a few hard-working folks desperately in need of a break … the voting public having the actual final say — these ARE strong positives on behalf of the show. Maybe that’s why I watch too.
Still, I am dismayed by the influence the show has in shaping audience tastes, away from the idiosyncratic and toward a Middle-of-the-Road predictability that is technically impressive but often emotionally sterile .
The artists I mentioned earlier would be too quirky to even make it to Hollywood week. Of course, none of those artists would be caught dead being on the show anyway, so mayb e all, is as it should be.
ALJID says:
Wow, we are semi-illiterates now since we don’t go gaga over the overrated Swift. Oh well, it’s just an opinion from someone who has a bad taste in music. Just my opinion of course…
ALJID says:
And don’t think that Swift’s lyrics aren’t emotionally sterile. Hell, no song from her catalog can even compare with Just A Dream or Whiskey Lullaby or Travelling Soldier. The lyrics are 95% all about boys, boys, boys. She connects with her audience in different levels, she is the most emotional singer out there, she speaks for her peers, she sells tons of records, etc. We’ve heard that. Swift has earned her awards because of the hype, not based on actual talent. And perhaps you should try to think about Swift not doing her job well as a professional singer. Your hundreds of videos on Youtube about how she is a great singer live is more of a myth. We can’t find anything that she has done justice LIVE. Oh, I see the, “She’s the most emotional singer out there..” coming right back at me. I got to watch Tammy singing Stand By Your Man at the Opry, Carrie Underwood performing Temporary Home anywhere or the Dixie Chicks coming right back at the Grammys with Not Ready to Make Nice. I guess I’ll realize Taylor Swift’s off-pitch performance of Fifteen at the CMA was better after watching those. “Oh, she had a backing audience that’s why she couldn’t here herself” will be the excuse for that one.
ALJID says:
“Hear” not “here” darn it. Why can’t I always type typo-error-free posts?
lifetime says:
taylor’s concerts are AMAZING ,WONDERFUL AND THE SINGING WAS GREAT….Taylor is a much better performer & entertainer than most country stars….Taylor’s fans got there money’s worth that’s for sure! other concerts are copying alot of what taylor has done the past year on her awsome Fearless tour like tearing away clothes with something else under which now carrie is doing on her tour….can’t she come up with something different but no she has to do what Taylor did copycat….oh well fans will see through that. Taylor has earned the right to be country superstar and that’s what she is wheather the haters like it or not!
S says:
The Enquirer has an article on their web site about Taylor. The picture they posted was taken from the floor looking up on stage. Taylor is singing and has on a short dress that shows a little too much of Taylor, if you know what I mean. Thank goodness she’s wearing underware. I’ll bet her mom would have a cow if she saw the picture.
D Trotter says:
ALJID:
1.For the sake of civility, I will refrain from supplying the answer to your last post.
2.The person I called a semi-illiterate had nothing to do with anyone’s opinion on Swift. It was addressed to THE person who used my name to make that lame counterfeit comment (using bad grammar) on 4/12 at 8:44pm. If that was indeed was you, the description is yours, too.
3.Swift’s songs have real emotions because they are about her OWN experiences. They are not about loved ones dying in battle and middle-aged meltdowns because she hasn’t had those experiences. She writes about what she knows — that’s called integrity.
Moreover, the peer group with whom she shares those real experiences are overflowing with hormone-charged emotions. Thank God SOMEONE relates to them and doesn’t dismiss them as “just kiddies”. One of those “kiddies” killed herself after being bullied by mean girls last week.
Bullied? Mean girls? Oh, yeah, like in some of Swift’s songs (”The Outside”, “Best Day”) — hmm, guess ALL her songs AREN’T about “Boys”, are they?
You criticize Taylor for singing about boys then praise Tammy’s “Stand By Your Man” — great tune, but really the ultimate “boy song”, isn’t it? Thank you, very much but I would prefer my daughter listening to Taylor sing, “Here’s to you and your temper … I take a step back, Let you go, I told you I’m not bulletproof, Now you know”.
4.The Dixie Chicks are writing from real experience –”Not Ready to Make Nice” is emotional for that reason.
Your Carrie Underwood examples are on shakier ground. She hasn’t had those experiences; so while she sings such songs with great power and bombast, a lot of fans and reviewers see them as shallow, manufactured melodrama.
You apparently believe that “real emotion” is to be found only in “mature topics’, like people dying, etc. But such topics have been manipulated into tear-jerkers for years by Hollywood (e.g.,”Love Story”) and TV (Soap operas, every fatal disease movie of the week).
Jim Malec, reviewing “Temporary Home”, praises the singing but calls the song “such a heavy-handed piece of songwriting that … it offers little emotional payoff”, because the characters aren’t real, they are “stock characters” (”This little boy … this old man”) who exist only to serve as examples for the song’s ultimate, preachy point. He concludes that because the “songwriting is so bland” that there’s “no reason for this to be a Carrie Underwood song” — it could just as easily be sung by Martina, Sara Evans … anyone. Obviously, the same comments hold true for “Just a Dream”.
But, hey, that’s just his opinion.
ALJID says:
So Romeo and Juliet in Love Story are so real..Oh..I get it…
ALJID says:
And mind you, Sara Evans doesn’t have the voice to pull off Temporary Home…Martina maybe…And if you say anyone…we’ll try Taylor Swift singing that sone. Of course sound issues will be blamed..
D Trotter says:
“Love Story”, according to interviews with Taylor, was inspired by her infatuation with a “bad boy” that nobody liked, hence the Romeo/Juliet analogy.
Yes, she dressed it up in Fairytale metaphor and tagged on a happy ending (this is called “Creative License” in poetry) but the emotional core of it was based on real experience.
Your second posts manages to trash 2 different artists in 2 and a half sentences. Other than to say Martina could sing anything ever written better than most anyone, I give up. That level of bashing is truly special.
D Trotter says:
Meant to say: “your second post manages to trash Three different artists in 2-and-a-half sentences”. Saying “maybe” Martina could sing something is an insult too.