The 1980s undeniably brought the world some incredible music. Rock bands like Guns 'N Roses and Bon Jovi dominated the charts, while Michael Jackson's legendary Thriller album, which he released in 1982, remains the best-selling album of all time.
Fast-forward four decades, and the likes of Billy Joel, Madonna, and Bruce Springsteen still rule the airwaves, with a whole new generation of listeners discovering their music.
But which chart-topping stars of the 1980s managed to hold on to and boost their fortunes? Read on to discover who makes our countdown of the decade's richest music icons.
All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Belinda Carlisle shot to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the Go-Go's, one of the most prolific female rock bands of all time.
When the band split in 1985, Carlisle became the breakout star, and her chart-topping hits include Circle in the Sand, I Get Weak, and Heaven Is a Place on Earth.
The Go-Go's later went on to reunite, and today, Carlisle performs both with the band and as a solo artist. Her decade-spanning career has earned her an estimated net worth of $14 million (£10.8m).
Kim Wilde is best known for her catchy 1980s synth-pop track Kids in America, as well as hits like Chequered Love and You Keep Me Hangin' On.
With 20 UK Top 40 singles to her name, the English singer holds the record for being the most-charted British female solo act of the 1980s.
Wilde continues to make music today and is gearing up to release a new album, Closer, in 2025. She's currently sitting on a sizable estimated fortune of $20 million (£15.4m).
Huey Lewis is the lead singer and harmonica player of the pop-rock band Huey Lewis and the News.
The band shot to fame with the power ballad The Power of Love, while other hit songs include Hip to Be Square, The Heart of Rock & Roll, and Workin' For a Livin'.
In 2022, Lewis and his bandmates, who have sold 30 million albums globally, sold their music publishing rights to Primary Wave for a cool $20 million (£15.4m). The frontman's estimated net worth today is $25 million (£19.3m).
British singer-songwriter Kate Bush shot to fame in the 1980s thanks to her ethereal vocals and hits like Wuthering Heights and Cloudbusting.
In recent years, the notoriously private star has shunned the spotlight, though she experienced a revival in popularity in 2022 when her 1985 song Running Up That Hill featured in the Netflix series Stranger Things. It became the most steamed Spotify song in multiple countries, earning Bush around $2.3 million (£1.8m) in streaming revenues that year.
In a recent radio interview, Bush revealed she's plotting a comeback and is planning to release a new album soon. As for her current estimated net worth, it stands at a sizeable $40 million (£30.8m).
Cyndi Lauper, famed for her kooky style and candy-coloured hair, is synonymous with the 1980s. The eccentric starlet has sold 50 million records globally, with the catchy pop bop Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and power ballad Time After Time among her biggest hits.
Outside of her chart-topping success, Lauper wrote the music and lyrics for the award-winning Broadway musical Kinky Boots, which debuted in 2012. She won several Best Score gongs for her work on the show, which has generated over $320 million (£246m) in revenue on Broadway.
After a decade-spanning career, the 71-year-old is officially retiring from life on the road and is embarking on her farewell tour. Her estimated net worth is a plump $50 million (£38.5m).
Scottish musician Annie Lennox is arguably best known as one half of pop duo Eurythmics, one of the biggest bands of the 1980s. The Eurythmics have sold over 80 million records globally and count the likes of Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) and Thorn in My Side among their biggest hits.
Lennox launched a successful solo career in the 1990s and is also a famed philanthropist. She was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her charity work.
Her estimated net worth today stands at $60 million (£46.2m).
Tommy Lee found fame as the drummer in Mötley Crüe. The metal band released some of their biggest hits in the 1980s, including Kickstart My Heart and Dr. Feelgood, while their 1981 debut album, Too Fast For Love, went platinum.
Beyond his work with Mötley Crüe, Lee has enjoyed a solo career and found success with his rap-metal band, Methods of Mayhem.
Outside of music, the rocker has hit the headlines for his controversial personal life. Most notably, a leaked honeymoon tape filmed with his then-wife Pamela Anderson inspired the 2022 Hulu series Pam & Tommy. His wild lifestyle was also depicted in the 2019 Netflix biopic The Dirt. Scandals aside, his estimated net worth stands at an impressive $70 million (£53.9m).
Singer-songwriter Bryan Adams has sold more than 100 million records globally over the course of his long career, making him the best-selling Canadian rock artist of all time.
He released his debut self-titled album in 1980 and went on to drop some of the biggest hits of his career that decade, including Lonely Nights and Heaven. The Grammy-winning artist has also produced songs and albums for other artists and collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, such as Rod Stewart and Eric Clapton.
His total estimated fortune stands at a cool $75 million (£58m).
Saul Hudson, better known by the moniker Slash, rose to fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Guns N' Roses. He joined the group alongside bandmates Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, and Izzy Stradlin in 1985, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Slash left Guns 'N Roses in 1996 and went on to form the rock supergroup Velvet Revolver. He also released his eponymous debut album in 2010.
The rockstar reunited with Guns 'N Roses in 2016 and has performed with the band ever since. His estimated net worth is an incredible $120 million (£92.4m).
Paul Simon has an enormous back catalogue of music that spans six decades. While he's perhaps best known as one half of Simon & Garfunkel, he's also a successful solo star.
His 1986 solo album Graceland is his most popular release to date. The record has sold around 16 million copies and scooped the 1987 Grammy for Album of the Year. In 2021, Simon sold his entire music catalogue to Sony Music Publishing for an eye-watering $250 million (£192m). Despite the deal setting him up for the rest of his life (and then some), Simon, now in his 80s, still makes music.
His estimated total fortune is an incredible $200 million (£154m).
Stevie Wonder was signed to Motown Records in 1961, at the age of 11. By the time the 1980s rolled around, he'd already released hits like Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours), and Superstition.
The 1980s have been described as Stevie’s 'commercial era', and he also made two major political moves during the period. In 1980, he used his song Happy Birthday as part of a campaign to make Martin Luther King’s birthday a national holiday. Then, in 1985, he accepted the Academy Award for Best Song for I Just Called To Say I Love You in Nelson Mandela’s name, resulting in his music being banned in South Africa.
Over the course of his stellar career, Wonder has sold over 100 million records and scored 25 Grammy awards. His estimated net worth stands at $200 million (£154 million).
Axl Rose found fame and fortune as the frontman of Guns 'N Roses. The group has sold over 100 million records to date, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time.
During the 1980s, the legendary rockers released iconic hits such as Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, and, of course, their first chart-topping song, Sweet Child O' Mine. Not only is Rose a founder of Guns N' Roses, he's also the only member who has remained in the group consistently since its inception.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer reportedly boasts a $200 million (£154m) net worth today.
The 1980s marked Lionel Richie's most commercially successful decade. During this time, he released iconic hits such as All Night Long (All Night) and Hello and won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his ballad Say You, Say Me, featured in the film White Nights.
In 2021, Richie made headlines by selling his entire music catalogue to Universal Music Publishing for an undisclosed amount, though the figure was likely substantial given that he's sold over 125 million records worldwide. Beyond his music career, the music veteran currently serves as a judge on the reality TV show American Idol. He reportedly takes home a cool $10 million (£7.7m) per season for the gig.
In total, his estimated net worth stands at $200 million (£154m).
Ozzy Osbourne shot to fame as the outlandish frontman of heavy metal band Black Sabbath before launching his solo career in 1980.
His debut album, Blizzard of Ozz, featured rock-n-roll bangers like Mr. Crowley and Crazy Train and established Osbourne as a solo superstar. He's sold over 100 million records globally.
Osbourne is as famed for his eccentric personality as his music career. Along with his wife Sharon and two of their three children, he starred in MTV reality show The Osbournes between 2002 and 2005. The first season became the channel's most-viewed series ever.
The Prince of Darkness is estimated to be worth a staggering $220 million (£169m).
Although Billy Joel's career technically began in the 1970s, many of the Piano Man's biggest hits, including Uptown Girl and We Didn’t Start the Fire, were products of the 1980s.
The 75-year-old star, who has sold 150 million records globally, shows no signs of slowing down and continues to tour and release new music today.
Joel still rakes in millions each year from touring, albums, and music royalties and banked $52 million (£40m) in 2019 alone, according to Forbes. As for his total estimated net worth today, it stands at a juicy $250 million (£193m).
London-born Phil Collins began playing the drums at the age of five and started his career in 1964 as an uncredited extra in the Beatles’ film A Hard Day's Night.
He joined the rock band Genesis as the drummer in 1970 and was the lead vocalist by 1975. In the early 1980s, he launched a successful solo career and his string of smash hits that decade include In the Air Tonight, Against All Odds, and Sussudio.
Collins briefly rejoined Genesis in 2020 for a reunion tour, but the band split for good in March 2022. That same year, they sold their publishing rights and master recordings to Concord Music in a $300 million (£231m) deal. The sale also included Collins' work as a solo artist, although not the band's music from the period when Peter Gabriel was the frontman.
Collins is estimated to be worth a staggering $350 million (£270m).
Jon Bon Jovi is, of course, the frontman of the legendary rock band Bon Jovi. The band shot to fame by releasing a slew of rock-n-roll bangers in the 1980s, such as Livin’ on a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name.
Jon Bon Jovi, who penned many of the band's hits, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009. As a band, Bon Jovi, which has sold over 120 million records globally, was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
Bon Jovi doesn't solely rely on music to make his millions, though. He's boosted his fortune over the years by appearing on TV shows such as Sex and the City and Ally McBeal, and via some canny moves in real estate.
The rocker's reported net worth is a huge $410 million (£316m).
Cuban-American songstress Gloria Estefan is considered one of the pioneers of making Latin music commercially popular, having sold over 100 million records globally.
Her mega-catchy 1985 track Conga, released with her band Miami Sound Machine, became her signature song, and she went on to score further hits with Bad Boy and Anything for You. The multi-talented star has made money outside of music with acting roles in the likes of the TV series Glee and the 2022 remake of Father of the Bride. She's also penned two children's books and co-authored a Cuban cookbook with her husband and bandmate, Emilio Estefan.
Today, Gloria is estimated to be worth a jaw-dropping $500 million (£385m).
Gordon Sumner (better known as Sting) was the frontman of new wave rock band The Police until 1984 before launching a solo career the following year. Individually and with The Police, he's sold 100 million records globally.
The sandy-haired crooner's best-known hit is arguably 1983's Every Breath You Take. In fact, the 1980s anthem is still so popular that Sting, who owns 100% of the rights to the song, reportedly earns $2,000 (£1.5k) per day from its royalties.
He's also an established actor, with credits ranging from sci-fi flick Dune (1984) and the British crime movie Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) to TV shows like Ally McBeal (2001) and Only Murders in the Building (2021).
Now in his 70s, it's estimated that Sting has amassed a staggering $550 million (£424m) net worth from his long and lucrative career.
Music legend Elton John has enjoyed a hugely successful career, having released his debut album Empty Sky in 1969.
With over 300 million records sold globally, John has scored hit songs in numerous decades. His 1980s releases include hits such as I’m Still Standing and I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues.
Last year, the 77-year-old star officially retired from the road after wrapping up his final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road.
According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2024, his net worth stands at an impressive $610 million (£470m).
Irish musician and activist Bono is best known as the frontman of the rock band U2.
Since releasing their debut album Boy in 1980, U2 have gone on to sell over 170 million globally, cementing their status as one of the greatest rock bands ever. The 1980s saw the band release hits such as Sweetest Thing and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.
Bono's estimated net worth is a mammoth $700 million (£539m). In addition to his music career, the savvy businessman has profited from an investment portfolio that includes shares in social media platform Facebook. He also bought and renovated the Clarence Hotel in Dublin in the 1990s, transforming the rundown building into a luxe resort.
While Madonna has enjoyed a decade-spanning career, the 1980s were arguably the Queen of Pop's golden era. After all, this was the decade that saw her release Like a Virgin, Material Girl, Papa Don't Preach, and Like a Prayer.
The Queen of Pop has sold 300 million records worldwide and is still going strong today, having recently wrapped her latest global trek, The Celebration Tour.
Madonna has also found success on the screen and won the Best Actress Golden Globe for her performance in the 1996 movie Evita. Other acting credits include Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) and A League of Their Own (1992).
Today, the pop icon is estimated to have a staggering $850 million (£655m) net worth.
While Bruce Springsteen's success spans six decades, his biggest release to date is 1984's Born in the USA, which is one of the best-selling albums of all time, featuring hits like Dancing in the Dark and Glory Days.
To date, The Boss has sold over 150 million albums worldwide, making him one of the top-selling artists in music history. Now in his 70s, the rock 'n' roll legend shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He's currently on tour with his trusty backing group, The E Street Band.
His net worth today stands at a remarkable $1.2 billion (£924m), according to Forbes. A huge portion of his wealth comes from selling his entire music catalogue to Sony Music Entertainment in 2021 in a juggernaut deal estimated to be worth $550 million (£424m).
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