Forbes Releases Top Country Earners List; Fleet Foxes Have Eyes On the Prize

Happy Monday, BFMH readers! The July 4th holiday is just a few days away, so best stock up on your Coors Light and Oscar Meyer weenies for the big day, and get ready to wave that flag loud & proud.

Quick thought for today--If there was ever a case for today's more "rootsy" indie-rock type artists to consider going country, Forbes just made that agrument even stronger. Check out the Forbes Top 10 list of Top-Earning Musicians here.***



That's right. Our boys Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, and Toby Keith are our lone cultural warriors amongst the rest of the dreck in the Top 10. Forbes also released the list for the Top-Earning Country Stars as well, which you can check out here.

Here's the top 5:

Chesney (where he rightfully belongs):


Rascal Flatts (our favorite neo-country metrosexuals holding it down):


Toby Keith (more american than you):


Taylor Swift (Top 5 already?? interesting, Forbes. Very interesting.):


Tie for 5th w/ Brooks & Dunn & Tim McGraw (Taylor Swift more popular than these O.G.s? Come on.):




***Fleet Foxes, I'm looking at you. Forget Sub Pop, Capitol Nashville can get you PAID.

Def Leppard pours some sugar on white people at CMT awards

Late breaking news---Def Leppard to perform live at the CMT awards on Tuesday. WOW.


Damn, just when I thought the line up couldn't get any better.

So this begs the question... why would Def Leppard do this? Why go country? I think the greater question though is, why WOULDN'T they? White people are pretty much listening to anything but rock anymore these days, so why *not* go for the one remaining musical mainline into the hearts and minds of the non-rhythm craving whiteys everywhere. Stroke of genius really.

To celebrate this occasion, I'm offering up a pair of videos to celebrate Def Leppard's excellent decision making.

First up, some class old school Leppard from their more "rebellious" days:

Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar on Me
by hushhush112

And next up, some amazing new school Leppard (featuring Tim McGraw no less) that you may or may not have known existed:

Def Leppard - Nine Lives
by -slang-

Tim McGraw kinda steals the spotlight a bit, but you know what? The one armed Leppard drummer still holds it down. There. I know you were thinking it, so I had to say it.