24-year-old Adele made the list on the success of her second album '21', which has sold over 23 million copies worldwide, reported Ace Showbiz.
The 'Rolling in the Deep' hitmaker leads the other acts in the coveted list that includes British-Irish group One Direction and R&B superstar Rihanna.
One Direction are included in the list following the back-to-back success of their first two albums 'Up All Night' and 'Take Me Home', while Rihanna's string of sold-out shows and lucrative endorsement deals make her a shoe-in for the '30 under 30' list.
Other big names in music that made it to the Forbes list this year are pop superstar Bruno Mars, country music sweetheart Taylor Swift, and teen sensation Justin Bieber.
Pop sensation Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Kesha are among the other top female musical artists named to the '30 Under 30' list.
