Katy Perry Beats Taylor Swift for No. 1 Spot on Forbes' World's Highest-Paid Women in Music 2015 List

Find out how much they all made over the past year and how much they earned the previous round

By Corinne Heller Nov 05, 2015 8:05 PMTags

Katy Perry is the new most expensive queen of music.

The 31-year-old pop star is No. 1 on Forbes' new list of the world's highest-paid women in music in 2015 with estimated annual earnings of a whopping $135 million. She made most of her money from her 126-show Prismatic world tour, which ended in October, and endorsement deals with Covergirl, Coty and Claire's Accessories. Perry placed fifth last year, with $40 million. That's a $95 million pay raise!

Coming in at second place on the list is last year's No. 2, Taylor Swift. Over the past year, the 25-year-old banked $80 million, less than two-thirds of what Perry earned, via sales of her 2014 album 1989 (which she famously refused to put on Spotify), and tickets for her 1989 world tour. Forbes' 2014 list had shown her estimated annual earnings to be $64 million.

Swift recently wrapped up the U.S. leg of her tour on Halloween in Tampa, Florida, where she sang a duet of "Let It Go" with Frozen star Idina Menzel, one of several celebrity guests the country-turned-pop star has brought onstage at her shows.

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Beyoncé, 34, who topped Forbes' 2014 list with $115 million in annual earnings, placed fifth on the magazine's 2015 roster with $54.5 million. In 2014, the singer wrapped up her Mrs. Carter Show world tour and then toured with husband Jay Z for their On the Run tour.

Other female artists who made Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid women in music 2015 list include Lady Gaga, 29, Jennifer Lopez, 46, and Miranda Lambert, 31.