One common assumption we make is that the person who sings a song must be the same person who wrote it. But, as evidenced by the iconic, meme-worthy feud between rappers Drake and Meek Mill – this is not always the case. Songwriters and singers aren’t always one in the same.
It’s unclear who makes more money—songwriters or singers. People at Pop Song University argue that, in the long term, songwriters make more than singers. This is because, in addition to royalties, they get paid per song. And, the better the songwriter’s reputation for crafting a hit, the more per song he or she gets paid.
That’s not to say that singers can’t also be famous songwriters, of course! From Joni Mitchell with her iconic Reprise Records hit “Woodstock'”, to songwriter Carole King, who has had hundreds of songs reach the Billboard Hot 100, the names you’ll see on this list are all pop culture favorites who have made themselves famous for their art, both pen-to-paper and vocally. Needless to say, they also collect a pretty penny from all those royalties.
