Adele named as UK's richest female musician ever as fortune hits £85m

Adele's fortune soared £35m from last year

Adele has been named as Britain's richest ever female musician, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

A list of the top 50 music millionaires in the UK and Ireland puts the singer's £85m fortune in 30th place - an increase of £35m compared to last year.

The only female singer with a bigger fortune on the list - which also covers Ireland - is Irishwoman Enya on £91m.

For the fifth year running Adele is also ranked top of the Young Music Rich List, covering those aged 30 and under.

The 27-year-old's fortune was boosted by the November release of 25 - her first album in four years.

The singer made her debut on the under-30s list in 2011 in ninth place, but by 2012 she had secured the top spot, a position she has held onto ever since.

Adele is now ranked at number 30 in the overall UK and Ireland music millionaires list, above Sir Cliff Richard, Gary Barlow and Kylie Minogue, and up from 43rd place last year.

She's one of just three solo women to make it onto the 2016 list.

Adele: The full story

Top 10 music fortunes

1. Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell £760m

2. Lord Lloyd-Webber £715m

3. U2 £500m

4. Sir Elton John £280m

5. Sir Mick Jagger £235m

=6. Olivia and Dhani Harrison (wife and son of the late George Harrison) £220m

=6. Keith Richards £220m

8. Ringo Starr £200m

9. Michael Flatley £198m

10. Sting £185m

Enya is the only female singer on the list with a bigger fortune than Adele

Earlier this year Adele made history for a solo artist when she picked up four Brit awards, winning best female solo artist, Brits global success award, best single for Hello and British album of the year for 25.

Her album 25 has now sold over 15 million copies.

Adele declined to put the album on music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music.

Ian Coxon, who has edited the Sunday Times Rich List for two decades, said he expected Adele's fortune to continue to grow.

"Adele is only 27 so I would see her getting in the main list of the richest 1,000 in a couple of years - she is only £15 to £20m away now," he said.

Sir Paul McCartney's fortune has increased by £30m compared to last year

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney topped the overall Sunday Times Rich List of musicians with an estimated £760m fortune.

Sir Paul is worth £30m more than last year, according to the ranking, boosted by his American heiress wife's £150m stake in her family's US trucking business.

It puts him well ahead of his nearest rival on the list, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is estimated to be worth £715m.

The Rolling Stones - with combined fortunes of £630m, up £40m on 2015, were ranked the wealthiest band in Britain and Ireland, ahead of U2 with a joint fortune of £500m.

The full Sunday Times Rich List will be published by the newspaper on Sunday.