The Australian rock group is No1 on the 2009 BRW Top Entertainers List, amassing the largest fortune recorded in the annual list's 16-year history, due to a hugely successful album Black Ice and tour.

Pop Princess Kylie Minogue is a distant second, with $47 million, while children's entertainers The Wiggles, who have held the top spot for the previous years, have slipped to third place, with $45 million the same amount they earned the year before.

BRW's Jane Lindhe said it was extraordinary result for AC/DC, who earned about $12 million the previous year. ''In tough economic times people really like a release and they're willing to pay to go and see the big artists like AC/DC or Kylie Minogue,'' she said.

Ms Lindhe said The Wiggles had suffered in the US economic climate.

''They've grown, they've opened new theme parks, but what has held them back has been the US dollar.''

There are more music promoters on the list than ever before, with Pink promoter Michael Coppel leading the charge, in 18th place after raking in $6 million.

Country superstar Keith Urban is fifth at $20 million, while wife Nicole Kidman is ninth with $11 million.

Russell Crowe is fourth with $25million.

Controversial shock jocks Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O also make the list, at 33rd, with $2.8 million thanks in part to Sandilands' Australian Idol TV contract, which he has now lost.

Their Austereo colleagues Hamish Blake and Andy Lee are in 49th spot with $1.9 million.

Geoffrey Rush scraped in at 50th with $1.6 million.

Fourteen stars fell off the list, including actors Rose Byrne, Melissa George and Alan Dale, as well as rock group Silverchair and celebrity chef Donna Hay.

This year's total wealth was $469.8million compared with last year's figure of $358.8 million.

Ms Lindhe said it was a top result considering the financial crisis.

''AC/DC bought some money to the table, but generally you wouldn't pick that we've been having an economic crisis by looking at that list,'' she said.

AAP