How Musicians REALLY Became Billionaires

What if the biggest fortunes in music had very little to do with music?

This week on Listener Land, we explore the surprising ways some of the world’s biggest artists built fortunes far beyond the recording studio. From billion-dollar business empires and iconic brands to investments that changed careers forever, we uncover the stories behind the money.

Along the way we also dive into some incredible music history, including why Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” kept its very first vocal take, the unbelievable story of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, why Slash never played one of rock’s most memorable guitar solos, and plenty of fascinating music facts you may never have heard before.

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00:00 Preview
00:53 Welcome to Listener Land
00:56 How Musicians REALLY Became Billions
01:36 The Singer Who Built a Billion-Dollar Empire
03:39 Gene Simmons Would Sell Anything
05:06 Dolly Parton's Secret Business Success
05:18 The Iron Maiden Pilot You Didn't Know About
06:03 Dr Dre's $3 Billion Payday
07:10 The Musician Behind Your Phone Ringtones
07:57 Willie Nelson's Unexpected Business
08:21 Jay-Z's Smartest Investment
09:21 Kenny Rogers' Fried Chicken Fortune
10:27 Neil Young's Strangest Investment
10:59 Rod Stewart's Glastonbury Controversy
13:04 The Village People Story Nobody Knows
15:15 The Return of Jimmy Nail
17:10 The First Video Played on MTV Europe
18:27 The Incredible Story Behind Werewolves of London
21:21 Why Christina Aguilera Kept the First Take
24:10 Johnny Marr's Biggest Regret
27:01 David Bowie Smuggled WHAT?!
28:14 The Slash Guitar Solo That Never Happened
29:26 Final Thoughts

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