Karl Martin Sandberg, or more famously known as Max Martin, is a Swedish songwriter, record producer and singer. Too many his face is unfamiliar, as he has made most of his fortune behind the scenes. He rose to fame in the 1990’s after being the man behind major hits such as Britney Spears’s “…Baby One More Time” (1998), NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me” (2000), and The Backstreet Boys’s “I Want It That Way” (1999). Martin is a one of the most successful songwriters in the business, haven written or co-written over 20 Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits, most of which he has also produced or co-produced, including Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”, Maroon 5’s “One More Night”, Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”, and The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face”.
With 22 number one singles, Martin ranks as the 3rd songwriter with the most number-one singles on the chart, behind only John Lennon (26), and Paul McCartney (32), speaking of great company to be among. Martin has won the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Songwriter of the Year award a record-breaking 11 times, 1999 through 2001, and from 2011 through 2013. Other songs written or co-written by Max Martin include: “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi, “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet A Woman” by Britney Spears, “Last Friday Night” and “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry, “Raise Your Glass” by P!nk, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “22” by Taylor Swift. What a talent!
$500 million
Selling more than 300 million records, Elton John is one of the best-selling music artists in the world. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits. His single "Candle in the Wind 1997", in dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales, has sold over 33 million copies around the world and is the best-selling single in history.. He has also composed music, produced records, and occasionally acted in some films.
He learned to play piano early on, and formed Bluesology. In 1967, John met his songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, after they had both answered an ad looking for writers. For years they wrote songs for other artists. His debut album, Empty Sky, was released in 1969, and after that, his first hit single "Your Song" quickly reached the top ten. After decades of success, John has also gone on to have success in musical films and theatre, composing the music for The Lion King, Aida and Billy Elliot the Musical.
$900 million
Jay-Z began his musical career in the mid 1990s, after which he released his debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996, to worldwide critical and commercial success. He released this album just a year after founding the record label Roc-A-Fella Records. His following albums have also received great recognition.
Jay-Z is considered one of the world's best-selling artists. He is tied with Kanye West for the most Grammys received by a rapper - 21. He holds the record for the most number-one albums by an artist on the Billboard 200, and has recorded four number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. They also ranked Jay Z as the biggest artist of the 2000s, while Rolling Stone named him one of the 100 greatest artists of all time. Jay Z made history as the first rapper to be honored at the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in 2017, and to receive the "Salute to Industry Icons Award" at the 60th Grammy Awards.
$160 million
The incredibly wealthy American rapper, Ice Cube (born O'Shea Jackson) has a fortune of $160 million. The rapper, director, producer, actor and songwriter started as a member of the hip hop group N.W.A., and is considered one of the fathers of gangsta rap. Ice Cube left N.W.A in 1989, and went on to have an extremely successful solo career, releasing defining albums of the 1990s. Both 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted', released in 1990, and 'Death Certificate', released in 1991, were certified Platinum.
After the release of his second album, Ice Cube tried out his luck in film, and starred in the popular 1991 movie 'Boyz n the Hood'. He went on to act in several other popular films, including 'Barbershop', 'Ride Along', the 'Friday' movie series, the 'XXX' film series, and most recently, 'Straight Outta Compton', in 2015. He has often been said to be one of the best rappers of all time, which is already an honor in and of itself, considering the amount of talent out there.
$870 million
Herb Alpert is a record industry executive, he is the "A" of A&M Records, a recording label he and business partner Jerry Moss founded, and eventually sold to PolyGram. Alpert has also created expressionist paintings and sculptures over two decades, which are displayed publicly. Alpert and his wife, Lani Hall, are philanthropists through the operation of the Herb Alpert Foundation.
His musical career include five number one albums and 28 albums total on the Billboard Album chart. He also has nine Grammy Awards, fourteen platinum albums, and fifteen gold albums. He has has sold over 72 million records worldwide. Alpert is also the one and only artist to get to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as a vocalist ("This Guy's in Love with You", 1968), and an instrumentalist ("Rise", 1979).