evidence: He’s also earning like a rock star these days. Shelton raked in $83 million in 2021, thanks mostly to a catalog sale worth more than $50 million. That number puts him in the same ballpark as Motley Crue and the Red Hot Chili Peppers—both of whom benefited from selling music rights as well—and makes Shelton the highest-paid country act on the planet. Fellow television star Luke Bryan ranks second with earnings of $40 million, boosted by his American Idol gig and endorsements with brands from Bayer to Jockey. The eternal Dolly Parton, who famously held onto her copyrights and launched her own Dollywood empire among other business ventures, comes in third with $30 million. The international icon is also an emblem of country’s gender wage gap: she’s the only woman in the top ten. [...] Country Music’s 10 Highest-Paid Artists 2021 1. Blake Shelton ($83 million)