Top Earning Female Musicians 2012

The ladies of the music industry really raked in the cash this past year, the top five bringing in a total of over $265 million. And the number one spot might come as a surprise to some. We say, nice comeback!

Here are the top five women, in reverse order:

5. Katy Perry—$45 million. Her third album, Teenage Dream, was a smashing success, gaining her the No. 1 billboard spot for five of its released singles. Katy’s quickly become an American icon and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Her next album (yet to be announced) is planned for a 2013 release.

4. Lady Gaga—$52 million. Lady Gaga gained acclaim for her debut album, The Fame, in 2008, and has since released two more albums. She’s also an activist and advocate for LGBT rights and immigration, as well as a powerful ally for other philanthropic endeavors and relief funds. Her fourth album, Artpop, is due out in 2013.

3. Rihanna—$53 million. The Barbados-born star has released seven albums, the latest of which is Unapologetic. If she started as a “teen pop” princess, she’s certainly surpassed that image now; she’s adopted a “bad girl” look and her music has an edgier feel to it than it used to.

2. Taylor Swift—$57 million. Barely missing the top spot, Taylor is also the youngest artist on the top five list. The country pop singer released her debut album in 2006 at just 17 years old and has since moved on to become a musical powerhouse. Her most recent album, Red, was just released, the fourth in her career. It’s opening sales topped any in the past decade at 1.21 million, and she’s now the only female artist to have over a million opening sales two weeks in a row.

1. Britney Spears—$58 million. She was America’s Sweetheart at age seventeen, and after her first two hits she was labeled the “Princess of Pop.” She hit hard personal times after her fourth album and struggled to control her erratic behavior and hospitalizations. But she’s back in the biz these days, and released her seventh album in 2011. Despite her past troubles, Britney seems to be getting a handle on her personal life and as a result her career’s coming back to life.