James Taylor – $60 million
Greatest Hits: Paint It Black, Night Owl
Five Grammys were awarded to singer-songwriter James Taylor, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him in 2000. He’s one of the best artists ever to sell 100 million albums worldwide. He had his breakthrough with the “Fire and Rain” album, followed by Carole King’s cover of You’ve Got a Friend.” He also covered several popular songs, including How Sweet It Is,” “HandyMan,” and “Sweet Baby James.” His first U.S. number-one album was not released until 2015 with Before This World release.
James Taylor – $60 Million
Carole King – $70 million
Greatest Hits: It’s Too Late, Nightingale, Jazzman
Carole King was one of the most popular and lucrative female songwriters ever, from 1950-2000. She wrote or co-wrote 118 Billboard Hot 100 hits. And America alone is that. She wrote sixty-one hits, making her the most popular female songwriter there, too, reaching the UK charts. She has released several albums, including Writer and Tapestry, her breakthrough being the latter. For nearly four months in America, Tapestry remained in the charts and stayed on the charts six years later. In 2012, she received a Hollywood Star.
Carole King – $70 Million
