FORBES: Britney Spears is the Highest-Earning Woman in Music for 2012

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The Top-Earning Woman in Music 2012: Britney Spears
by Zack O'Malley Greenburg, FORBES Staff
12/12/12


Britney Spears earned over $50 million in 2010—$64 million, to be exact. This year, she might describe her financial gains with the words to one of her best-known songs: “Oops! I did it again.”

The 31-year-old pop star pulled in $58 million over the past year, more than any other woman in the music industry. Her latest album, 'Femme Fatale', was certified platinum in the U.S. and the ensuing tour accounted for the bulk of her bucks. Endorsements and a fragrance line with Elizabeth Arden added millions more to her coffers.

Not too bad, considering Spears’ troubles just a few years ago.





“I think people love the comeback story—Britney never really finished her run as a superstar,” says marketing guru Steve Stoute, author of The Tanning of America.

Adds music attorney Lori Landew, who helped sign Spears to her first record deal as a teenager: “Britney has an electricity that connects with audiences on screen and off, and it is that intangible quality that always seems to leave her fans, old and new, breathless.”

Spears barely edged No. 2 Taylor Swift, who earned $57 million.





The Rest of the Top 10:

3. Rihanna - $53 Million
4. Lady Gaga - $52 Million
5. Katy Perry - $45 Million
6. Beyoncé - $40 Million
7. Adele - $35 Million
8. Sade $33 Million
9. Madonna - $30 Million
10. Shakira - $20 Million

http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomal...in-music-2012/