Older female artists rule earnings game

No. 1 Beyonce, 36 PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, IME, NYTIMES, REUTERS
No. 4 Celine Dion, 49 PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, IME, NYTIMES, REUTERS
No. 5 Jennifer Lopez, 48 PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, IME, NYTIMES, REUTERS
No. 6 Dolly Parton, 71 PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, IME, NYTIMES, REUTERS
No. 8 Britney Spears, 35 PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, IME, NYTIMES, REUTERS
No. 10 Barbra Streisand, 75 PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, IME, NYTIMES, REUTERS

NEW YORK • They may no longer look as youthfully radiant as, say, Taylor Swift or possess the swagger of Rihanna. But for the older women in pop music, they are still rocking and on a money roll, generating eye-popping earnings numbers that even the likes of Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande - both aged below 30 - cannot match.

This was apparent when Forbes magazine recently revealed its list of top earners for 2017 for the women in pop, with Beyonce, 36, leading the pack. While the other two names in the top 3 - Adele (No. 2) and Swift (No. 3) are aged below 30 - five of the remaining seven on the top 10 ranking are all aged 35 and above.

Here is how the veterans minted money from June 1 last year to June 1 this year.

No. 1 Beyonce, 36

Top billing: US$105 million (S$141 million)

Earnings track record: Lemonade went down easy with fans, giving Beyonce her sixth solo No. 1 album. The Formation World Tour also led to fans forming queues for tickets. Her earnings certainly would have been more impressive if Queen Bey had not taken a hiatus to await the arrival of twins in June.

No. 4 Celine Dion, 49

Top billing: US$42 million

Earnings track record: Nobody can beat the odds in Las Vegas better than the Canadian in making a comeback. She returned for a money-spinning residency in Sin City in February after taking time out following her husband's death in January last year.

No. 5 Jennifer Lopez, 48

Top billing: US$38 million

Earnings track record: The singer has a Las Vegas residency, whose entertainment pay-off ensures that everyone in that gambling haven goes home a winner. She is also sure-footed in the business arena with new show World Of Dance - she is both judge and producer.

No. 6 Dolly Parton, 71

Top billing: US$37 million

Earnings track record: The country music legend (above, with actress Lily Tomlin in black) proved her age-defying endurance in a run of 63 concerts.

Her Dollywood theme park is also a reliable crowd-puller.

No. 8 Britney Spears, 35

Top billing: US$34 million

Earnings track record: A Las Vegas residency and touring have kept her bank balance in good shape. She also embarked on a world tour, with a Singapore stopover in June.

No. 10 Barbra Streisand, 75

Top billing: US$30 million

Earnings track record: She rarely performs in public, which explains why she pulled in US$46 million in ticket sales during a 14-show stint last year.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 27, 2017, with the headline Older female artists rule earnings game. Subscribe