Keith rakes in the green

"Country's cash king is a diversified money machine, boasting his own record label, mescal line and restaurant chain," wrote Forbes in its Dec. 29 print issue.

That would be the case if The Eagles were not included. The band's "History of the Eagles" tour earned $100 million.

Dr. Dre led the list with $620 million, overwhelming due to the sale of Beats, the company he co-founded, to Apple for $3 billion.

Taylor Swift was 11th with $64 million. "Though she missed the top ten by a hair, Swift still scored the highest annual total of her career-and figures to top it next year with her upcoming world tour," Forbes wrote.

Kenny Chesney was 22nd with $44 million earned. "The country superstar owes much of his total to stadium shows, but has diversified into liquor with his Blue Chair Bay rum," Forbes said.

Jason Alden was tied for 24 with $37 million earned. Luke Bryan earned $34 million, good for 28th.

The list was based on income from touring, recorded music, publishing, merchandise sales, endorsements and other ventures. Management, agent and attorney fees were not deducted. Earnings were calculated from June 2013 to June 2014 and based on data from Pollstar, the RIAA and Nielsen SoundScan, and on interviews with managers, lawyers, executives and some of the artists themselves.