It has to be Taylor Swift, right?
There’s no way any other artist earned more money in 2015, right?
Well… maybe. Courtesy of Forbes, here is a look at the 10 highest-earning women in music over the past calendar year, in reverse order.
Ready to see who sits on top? The answer may surprise you…
Rihanna: $26 million
She didn’t release an album and she only played nine live events. So it’s actually impressive she even cracked the Top 10.
Mariah Carey: $27 million
This is all about Mariah Carey’s Las Vegas residency. She’ll be doing it again in 2016, so we might as well put her on next year’s list as well.
Miranda Lambert: $28.5 million
Lambert made money off partnerships with Red55 Wine, Pink Pistol and Dixie Darlin, along with her own line of clothing and pet accessories.
Jennifer Lopez: $28.5 million
She only played five shows, but she raked it in as judge on American Idol and also acted in The Boy Next Door.
Britney Spears: $31 million
he collaborated with Iggy Azalea, but this figure almost entirely stems from her Las Vegas residency. Britney also cashes in on The Intimate Britney Spears, a lingerie line that sells around the world.
Beyonce
Endorsement deals with Pepsi, L’Oréal and her own Heat fragrance padded Beyonce’s bank account this year. She also toured with husband Jay Z.
Lady Gaga: $59 million
Lady Gaga played 66 shows during this period. And the artist also cashed in from deals with Versace and MAC, along with her own Fame fragrance.
Fleetwood Mac: $59.5 million
Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie are the high-profile women at the front of this iconic band. They helped the group play 86 concerts in 2015.
Katy Perry: $135 million
Look who’s number-one! By a huge margin! Over her arch rival! Perry played 126 shows as part of her Prismatic World Tour and also has deals with Coty, Claire’s and Covergirl.