"Queen of Pop" Madonna becomes "Queen of Cash"

The Queen of pop Madonna has become the “Queen of cash” after being named the highest earning female artist in the world. US pop sensation and heart throb of millions, the super sexy Madonna hit the top spot on Forbes.com's list of the Top 20 Cash Queens of Music, after earning $72 million between June 2006 and June 2007.

Out of the total earned $72 million, $260 million she earned only from her Confessions tour. The forty-nine-year-old material girl’s fortune includes record sales, her deal with fashion retailer H&M along with the payment she received from broadcasters NBC for rights to air her Wembley Stadium performance.

The second highest earning female artist in Forbes’ list is Barbra Streisand, who raked in $60 million, thanks to her comeback tour of North America and Europe, which was her first since announcing her retirement in 2000.

The Canadian singer Celine Dion ranked third in Forbes’ “Cash Queens Of Music”, who earned $45 million during the measured 12-month period. Her immensely successful “A New Day” concert series at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas has likely helped her earning that much money.

Colombian singer Shakira and R&B diva Beyonce ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in the list. Shakira’s massively successful album 'Oral Fixation Volume 2' and single Hips Don't Lie last year helped her earn $38 million, while Beyonce earned $27 million.

Gwen Stefani earned sixth position in the list with $26 million, followed by Christina Aguilera with $30 million, country singer Faith Hill with $19 million and country rock band The Dixie Chicks with $18 million. Mariah Carey is on the tenth spot with $13 million.

Troubled pop star Britney Spears was ranked No. 14 on the list. She made $8 million from royalties on old songs and from sales of her perfume, “Curious,” which totaled $55.4 million in 2006.

Madonna, the raging beauty, is an American pop singer, musician, record and film producer, dancer, actor, and children's author. Referred to as the ‘Queen of Pop’, she is noted for her innovative music videos, elaborately mounted stage performances, and use of political, sexual, and religious themes and imagery in her work.

In 2000, The Guinness Book of Records credited Madonna as the most successful female recording artist of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of 120 million albums.
As a singer, she has won great accolades; success in acting has been varied, but mostly heavily panned by critics. She was presented with a special Razzie award in the year 2000 as ‘Worst Actress of the Century’.

The hot and sultry beauty has always been in headlines due to her controversial acts on the stage. The multi-Grammy Award winning artist last year sparked controversy during her Confessions Tour when she used religious symbols such as the crucifix and crown of thorns in her performance of "Live to Tell." She also has received criticism from animal rights groups for wearing fur coats and in the past, was criticized for renting out her house for hunting parties.

On December 22, 2000, Madonna married British director Guy Ritchie, whom she had met in 1999 through mutual friends, Sting and his wife Trudie Styler. Madonna gave birth to a son, Rocco John Ritchie, on August 11, 2000. She currently resides in Wiltshire, England with Ritchie and her three children, Rocco, an adopted son David Banda and a daughter Lourdes, fathered by her personal trainer, Carlos Leon.