If this year’s VMAs were any indication of the current pop music landscape, then it’s safe to say that women are ruling the music world. From Beyoncé’s 2013-2014 Mrs. Carter Show World Tour–which grossed close to $230 million–to Taylor Swift earning $55 million last year with the help of her album Red, women in music have been on a steep critical and financial rise over the past few years. Seeing as eight out of the top ten richest singers in the world are women, 2014 seems to be no different. From massive tours to nightly residencies, new albums to surprise albums, female singers are making millions. Below is a list of the richest female musicians of 2014 in order of net worth.
5. Gloria Estefan – $500 million
Gloria Estefan, a Cuban-born American singer-songwriter, is one of the world’s best-selling artists of all-time with an estimated 100 million records sold. Estefan has won seven Grammy Awards and is the most successful crossover performer in Latin music to date. Last year’s The Standards was one of the Amazon.com’s most preordered albums in the site’s history.
4. Mariah Carey – $510 million
Born and raised in Long Island, New York, American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey came to prominence after releasing her multiplatinum debut studio album, Mariah Carey, in 1990. Since then, Carey has won nine Grammy Awards and holds the record for the most number one singles by a solo artist. In May of this year, Carey’s latest album debuted at number three.
3. Beyoncé – $536 million
With last year’s surprise release of her self-titled studio album (her fifth consecutive number-one album in the United States) and this year’s massive co-headlining On The Run Tour with husband Jay-Z, Beyoncé is continuing to cement her legacy as the queen of pop music. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé has won 17 Grammy Awards and 15 BET Awards.
2. Madonna – $700 million
Madonna first achieved popularity in the 1980s by pushing the boundaries of popular music in her lyrical content, music videos, and overall persona. Over the course of her 35-year music career, Madonna has put out a number of commercially successful records. The pop artist performed at this year’s Grammy Awards and recently opened a fitness center in Canada.
1. Celine Dion – $800 million
The richest female musician of 2014, Celine Dion, has won five Grammy Awards over her 34-year career and holds the title of the best-selling female artist of all-time. The Canadian singer-songwriter recently ended her three-year Celine residency show at The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, where Dion had become the most profitable music act since Elvis Presley.
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