Forbes magazine released its list of the world's highest-paid DJs to much fanfare last week, and the results had social media buzzing - and rock 'n' roll stars wondering if they chose the wrong genre in which to make their living.
Here's the rundown of who is who, and who made what.
1 Tiësto ($22 million). The man to beat is hugely popular Dutch performer Tijs Michiel Verwest, the 43-year-old dynamo of dance music. Since 2001, Tiësto has never been ranked lower than No. 3 on DJ magazine's list of the Top 100 DJs.
2 Skrillex ($15 million). An astonishingly quick rise to fame - the reigning king of dubstep played Victoria's Sugar nightclub last year, if you can believe it - has made 24-yearold Sonny Moore a left-field superstar, if not one of the biggest names in music today.
3 Swedish House Mafia ($14 million). The trio of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso has collaborated with everyone from Canadian siren Deborah Cox to hiphop producer Pharrell Williams. Though the supergroup remains one of the most dependable names around, it will disband amicably this year.
4 David Guetta ($13.5 million). Guetta was the crossover sensation of 2011, thanks to collaborations with a heap of pop and rap artists, from Usher to Nicki Minaj. The French DJ is now arguably the world's most popular electronic dance music artist.
5 Steve Aoki ($12 million). The son of Benihana founder Rocky Aoki and brother of actress Devon Aoki is the only legitimate surprise on this list, perhaps because he's more attuned to the underground. Nonetheless, the 34-year-old California native wins raves for being a master remixer.
6 Deadmau5 ($11.5 million). One of Canada's biggest exports, Deadmau5 (real name: Joel Zimmerman) has become the controversial voice of mainstream dance music. Thanks to the costume mouse head he wears on stage, he is among the most recognizable in popular music today.
7 DJ Pauly D ($11 million). The Jersey Shore cast member is paid handsomely for his club dates, it seems. Pauly D is clearly more of a personality than performer, which makes his $11-million take all the more impressive.
8 Kaskade ($10 million). California-based Ryan Raddon has quietly made a name for himself since 2003. In the past year, he became a headlining arena act, commanding an estimated $200,000 per night.
9 Afrojack ($9 million). A young star on the rise - Nick van de Wall turns 25 in September - Afrojack wasn't a presence until last year, when the Give Me Everything, his collaboration with Pitbull, topped the charts in a dozen countries.
10 Avicii ($7 million). Stockholm sensation Tim Bergling earned a Grammy nomination in 2011 for Sunshine, his collaboration with David Guetta. The track was one of 11 he released last year alone.
Mike Devlin
