Beyonce jumped from No. 5 last year to clinch the top spot in Forbes magazine’s annual list of the highest-paid female musicians.
Her critically lauded album “Lemonade,” the singer’s sixth No. 1 hit, and her subsequent Formation World Tour accounted for the bulk of the estimated $105 million that the 36-year-old earned between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017, said Forbes. This is nearly twice her $54 million last year or her $54.5 million the year before that.
Coming at No. 2 for the second year in a row is English singer Adele, 29, who brought in an estimated $69 million, thanks in part to her first significant tour since 2011. Last year’s chart-topper, Taylor Swift, 28, scored $44 million to reach No. 3.
Repeating at No. 4 is 49-year-old French-Canadian singer Celine Dion ($42 million), who returned to her Las Vegas residency after taking a break to mourn the January 2016 death of her husband, producer-manager Rene Angelil. Bronx native Jennifer Lopez, 48, who likewise has a Vegas concert series, reached No. 5, with $38 million.
Newcomers since last year’s list are country-music icon Dolly Parton (No. 6, $37 million), 71, primarily from concerts and her Dollywood theme park, and legendary singer Barbra Streisand (No. 10, $30 million), 75, whose 14 shows last year sold $46 million in tickets; she also has a Netflix special that starts streaming Wednesday.
Dropping off the list this year were Madonna and country star Shania Twain.
To compile the list, Forbes looked at pretax income from concerts, record sales, publishing, endorsements and other business ventures, using data from Nielsen SoundScan, Pollstar and RIAA, and information from industry sources.
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1. Beyonce ($105 million)
2. Adele ($69 million)
3. Taylor Swift ($44 million)
4. Celine Dion ($42 million)
5. Jennifer Lopez ($38 million)
6. Dolly Parton ($37 million)
7. Rihanna ($36 million)
8. Britney Spears ($34 million)
9. Katy Perry ($33 million)
10. Barbra Streisand ($30 million)