Curtis Mayfield – $10 million
In the ‘50s and ‘60s, Curtis Mayfield was part of a band called The Impressions. The musical act received a lot of attention because of its civil rights songs. He was born in Chicago and started singing in the gospel choir. He joined the band after meeting Jerry Butler. After this, he started to write songs that came with social consciousness. “People Get Ready” received the 24th spot on the Greatest All-Time Songs list by Rolling Stone. Aside from this, he directed Super Fly as well.
Curtis Mayfield – $10 Million
Max Martin – $260 million
You might have noticed that there are not a lot of contemporary writers here. Max Martin is definitely a cut above the rest, however. He is best known for writing hit songs like “… Baby One More Time” for Britney Spears, “I Want It That Way” for the Backstreet Boys, and “It’s Gonna Be Me” for NYSNC. He has 22 songs that have earned the top spot of the Billboard Charts. Aside from writing them, he produced some of them too. He has previously worked with Katy Perry, the Weeknd, Taylor Swift, and Maroon 5.
Max Martin – $260 Million
