James Taylor – $60 million
Greatest Hits: Paint It Black, Night Owl
In 2000, the songwriter-singer James Taylor was inaugurated by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received five Grammys. He is one of the best-selling artists of all time to 100 million worldwide albums. He had his breakthroughs with “Fire and Rain,” and the cover of “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King. His first U.S. number one album, Before This World, was released in 2015, and many popular songs, including “HandyMan” and “Sweet Baby James” from How Sweet It Is.
James Taylor
Carole King – $70 million
Greatest Hits: It’s Too Late, Nightingale, Jazzman
Carole King was one of the most popular and lucrative female writers from 1950-2000. 118 hits on Billboard Hot 100 she wrote or co-wrote. And America alone. And this is America. She wrote 61 hits and became the most popular female songwriter there, reaching the UK charts. Her latter breakthrough was several albums, including Writer and Tapestry. For nearly four months, Tapestry remained in the charts in America, and six years later remained in the charts.
Carole King