Katy Perry Emerges as The Highest Earner Among Women in Music - Forbes

She didn't make as many headlines, nor sell as many albums, but Katy Perry handily beat Taylor Swift to become the highest-earning woman in music this year, according to Forbes.

Perry, 31, earned $135 million in the past 12 months, thanks to a huge worldwide "Prismatic" tour and endorsement deals with beauty companies like Coty and CoverGirl, Forbes estimated in a ranking released Wednesday.

Swift, 25, was a distant second, with an estimated $80 million, despite some 8.6 million sales globally for her "1989" hit album and the start of a world tour.

Perry's latest album, "Prism," has sold 4 million copies worldwide since its release in 2013, and the "Roar" singer has been touring for most of the year.

British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac placed third with $59.5 million, although only two members of its five-person lineup are women. Nevertheless, the return of 1970s veterans Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie was seen as a key to the success of the band's yearlong tour, "On With the Show," Forbes said.

Lady Gaga ranked fourth with $59 million — a long way behind her 2011 peak of $90 million, when she was grabbing headlines with outrageous stunts and costumes.

Last year's top earner, Beyonce, slipped to fifth place with an estimated $54.5 million.

The Forbes list measures estimated pretax income from June 2014 to June 2015 and includes earnings from albums, touring, endorsements and other commercial deals.

Source - VOA