Forbes recently released its first annual Cash Queens of Music list of the top-earning female musicians, and Madonna is queen of the hill, banking $72 million. Forbes examined concert grosses, merchandising revenue, album sales, and revenue from ancillary business such as clothing lines, fragrance deals, and endorsements.

Forbes tracked the revenue of “active” artists who released albums or films or toured between June 2006 and June 2007 to compile its list of twenty artists.  Most surprising member of the list has to be Britney Spears who’s ranked at fourteen (but number one in our hearts), earning $8 million despite not doing much of anything significant the past couple years besides leapfrogging from one calamity to another. Forbes noted the strong sales of her perfume, Curious, that grossed $55.4 million in 2006.
 
Here’s the list:
01. Madonna, $72 million
02. Barbara Streisand, $60 million
03. Celine Dion, $45 million
04. Shakira, $38 million
05. Beyonce, $27 million
06. Gwen Stefani, $26 million
07. Christina Aguilera, $20 million
08. Faith Hill, $19 million
09. The Dixie Chicks, $18 million
10. Mariah Carey, $13 million
11.  Hillary Duff, $12 million
11.  Avril Lavigne, $12 million
11.  Martina McBride, $12 million
14.  Britney Spears, $8 million
15.  Nellie Furtado, $7 million
15.  Carrie Underwood, $7 million
17.  Fergie, $6 million
18.  Jennifer Lopez, $6 million
18.  Sheryl Crow, $6 million
20.  Norah Jones, $5.5 million
[Forbes]