The highest paid woman in the music industry this year has been named

Wow – that’s a lot of money.

When it comes to the biggest female stars in the music industry these days there are a few names that spring to mind when you think about who might have earned the most. Between record sales, tours, advertising deals and other bits and bobs they pull in a small fortune from one end of the year to the next.

But who earns the most? We all took a guess in here and Adele was the common answer but interestingly she only earned half of what the top earner made in the last year.

It was Taylor Swift who topped the list of the highest paid females in the music industry, according to Forbes. She’s reported to have earned a whopping $170 million (€152m) between June 2015 and June 2016.

While Adele earned $80.5 million (€71m) during the same timeframe. Rounding off the top three is Madonna who earned $76.5 million (€68.8m).

Taylor separates herself from the rest because of her lucrative deals with the likes of Apple Music and Diet Coke.

Also on the list are Rihanna, who earned $75 million (€67.4m), and Beyoncé who earned $54 million (€48.5m).

Here is Forbes‘ Top 10 list of the Highest Paid Women in Music 2016:

1. Taylor Swift ($170 million)
2. Adele ($80.5 million)
3. Madonna ($76.5 million)
4. Rihanna ($75 million)
5. Beyoncé ($54 million)
6. Katy Perry ($41 million)
7. Jennifer Lopez ($39.5 million)
8. Britney Spears ($30.5 million)
9. Shania Twain ($27.5 million)
10. Celine Dion ($27 million)