Johnny Cash – $60 million
Greatest Hits: I Walk the Line, Folsom Prison Blues
Johnny Cash, selling over 90 million albums worldwide, is one of the most successful singers. He was inducted into Country Music’s Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll’s Hall of Fame, and Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Known for hard-edged music. “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash” was his opening line. He’d make a simple introduction before each concert, shirking the showboat popular in the rock genre. In Walk, the Line, distributed by 20th Century Fox, Cash’s legacy was remembered.
Joni Mitchell – $50 million
Greatest Hits: Woodstock, Big Yellow Taxi
The Blue Album by Joni Mitchell is one of the greatest. She is a pianist, guitarist, and poet. She mixed folk, pop, jazz, and rock elements in her music and started singing in the streets and small bars. She was active in the Baby Boom counterculture, with regular advocacy and demonstrations. Her “Big Yellow Taxi” songs, “Woodstock,” and “Both Sides were among her biggest hits, now all released by Reprise Records. Noted also for her adaptability. She many times changed her look and voice to become a pop and electronic influence.