Toby Keith Is Country's Cash King

Toby Keith 

Country musicians are America’s new rock stars—commercially, at the very least, according to Forbes.

Of the ten best-selling albums in the U.S. last year, three were country, and only one (Imagine Dragons’ Night Visions) could possibly be classified as rock.

These days, top country acts are even outpacing the biggest names in mainstream pop music. Luke Bryan was the No. 2 best-selling artist of 2013 behind only Justin Timberlake, while Florida Georgia Line’s crossover smash “Cruise” was the No. 4 most downloaded song, topping hits like Lorde’s “Royals” and Katy Perry’s “Roar.”

“I think country is just getting bigger in general,” says Brian Kelley, Florida Georgia Line’s co-frontman.

“Pop music isn’t really a sound, it’s just what’s popular.”

Florida Georgia Line pulled in $24 million over the past year, good for tenth on this year’s Country Cash Kings list—a staggering sum, but less than half of top dog Toby Keith’s haul. The Oklahoma-born singer banked $65 million, ranking first on our list for the second consecutive year, and has tallied $335 million over the past six.

Keith, the subject of last year’s Forbes Celeb 100 cover story, knows a thing or two about crossover hits. Fifteen years ago his single “How Do You Like Me Now” topped the country charts and peaked at No. 31 on Billboard’s broader Hot 100. These days he’s cashing in on his I Love This Bar And Grill restaurants, a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal with Ford, his own Wild Shot mescal and the acts he signs to his Show Dog label.

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