Madonna Makes Money

According to Reuters, pop star Madonna was ranked No. 1 by Forbes.com on a list of female singers the Web site called "Cash Queens of Music." Rankings were given according to the amount of money the artists earned between June 2006 and June 2007. Forbes.com said it looked at profits from concert ticket sales, merchandise revenue, album sales, and earnings from products such as clothing, perfumes, and endorsements. Madonna led the way with $72 million in earnings, followed by Barbra Streisand, who made $60 million during the measured 12-month period. Celine Dion was No. 3 with $45 million.

Shakira and Beyonce came in fourth and fifth place, making $38 million and $27 million, respectively.Country music's Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks also made the top 10. Hill earned $19 million and received the No. 8 ranking. The Dixie Chicks were one place below her with annual earnings of $18 million.

Besides Madonna, another pop star also made the list who is worth mentioning. Britney Spears was ranked No. 14, having made $8 million from royalties on old songs and from sales of her perfume, "Curious." Spears's newest album, Blackout, was released after the period covered by the Forbes.com survey.