10:55 AM PST, December 12, 2012
This Colombian singer had a great 2012, bringing in $20 million on the strength of a series of lucrative live shows, continued record sales and a new fragrance called Elixir.
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No. 10 Shakira
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This Colombian singer had a great 2012, bringing in $20 million on the strength of a series of lucrative live shows, continued record sales and a new fragrance called Elixir.
No. 9 Madonna
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The Material Girl earned $30 million, mostly from a new record deal, endorsements, a shoe line, a fragrance and royalties from previous hits.
No. 8 Sade
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This Nigerian-born, Britain-bred singer-songwriter brought in $33 million during 2012, boosted by an extensive world tour that included nearly 100 show dates.
No. 7 Adele
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This British sensation earned $35 million during the year, with sales of 23 million copies of her hit album 21.
No. 6 Beyonce
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Even though Beyonce took a break from her busy schedule to care for her daughter Blue Ivy in January, she still managed to pull in $40 million during 2012 from her popular hits and non-musical ventures like her House of Dereon clothing line.
No. 5 Katy Perry
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This pop princess took in $45 million during 2012 as she continued to garner considerable airplay and earn income from other ventures including her perfume lines Purr and Meow!.
No. 4 Lady Gaga
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Lady Gaga comes in a close fourth $52 million, with revenues boosted by her world tour, record sales and her new perfume, Fame.
No. 3 Rihanna
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Rihanna raked in $53 million during the year as she toured and released successful hits Diamonds and We Found Love. The R&B star also has endorsement deals with Vita Coco and Nivea, as well as the fragrance Reb'l Fleur.
No. 2 Taylor Swift
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This country crossover star earned $57 million during 2012 from a highly lucrative road tour as well as endorsements with companies including CoverGirl and Sony.
No. 1 Britney Spears
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This 31-year-old pop star pulled in $58 million during the year, more than any other woman in the music industry. Her latest album, Femme Fatale, went platinum and her tour also brought in big bucks. Additional revenue also came from her various endorsement deals and a fragrance line with Elizabeth Arden.
Highest Paid Women in Music Revealed
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Forbes has just announced its list of the top 10 highest earning female music performers for 2012. Click through to see this year's winner as well as the breakdown of the rest of the list.