It might be the huge paychecks earned by youngsters like One Direction that make most headlines, but in 2013 it was Madonna who raked in the most mind-boggling amount of money. At €93 million, she was over €33 million ahead of her nearest 'rival' Lady Gaga (who has borrowed more than a few tricks from the Material Girl's playbook). 

The annual figures from Forbes reveals some veteran performers continue to earn big, with Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John also making the top ten. Well-established musicians such as Gaga, country star Toby Keith, Coldplay and Beyoncé also continue to attract crowds, while Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift are the youngest stars to make the top ten. One Direction, in comparison, only figure it in at at number twenty.

Live music is cited as the key income source for musical superstars these days, with a vast majority of the highest earners enjoying bank balance boosts as a direct result of major world tours. Last year's biggest earner Dr. Dre continues to benefit from the huge royalties from his association with Beats headphones, although he dropped to 21st place this year with a still staggering €30 million.

Forbes do point out one quirk of the list, however. As only living musicians are eligible for inclusion, 2013's true biggest earner is excluded: Michael Jackson earned almost €120 million.

You can see the top ten list of 2013's biggest musical earners below (dollar figures adjusted to Euro):

1. Madonna – €93 million

2. Lady Gaga – €60 million

3. Bon Jovi – €58.8 million

4. Toby Keith – €48.4 million

5. Coldplay – €47.6 million

6. Bruce Springsteen - €46.1 million

7. Justin Bieber – €43.2 million

8. Taylor Swift – €41 million

9. Elton John – €40.2 million

10. Beyoncé – €39.4 million