Nothing says “reigning Queen” like releasing your worst-selling album of all-time and making more money than everyone else in the process. It’s just one of many reasons Madonna will forever remain the indisputable Queen of Pop.
Forbes has released their annual list of the world’s highest-earning celebrities—a known guilty pleasure for just about everyone you know—and the top slots are anything but surprising.
The finance magazine reports that Madge’s MDNA album was a total flop last year, selling fewer than 1 million copies worldwide, but she totally banked more than $125 million from it. That means Madonna made $10.5 million per month last year; almost $3 million a week. In the time it takes you to drive home from work, Madonna earns roughly $30,000.
Forbes credits her latest MDNA Tour as the bulk of her financial success in 2013. The 2012 tour grossed $305 million, which filled out that cushy paycheck in the gaps between merchandise sales, clothing and fragrance sales, and product endorsements.
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Trailing closely behind Madonna is Steven Spielberg and Simon Cowell, who despite manufacturing global sensation One Direction, only managed to pull in a measly $95 million. He’s not even rich enough to date Nick Gruber!
yaoming
Ugh – that Nick Gruber nobody, AGAIN!
Katbox
Who?
dvlaries
Cheer up. It can’t buy her -or anybody- class or their youth back.
krystalkleer
time to blow this BOXX apart…enjoy 🙂 http://getoffmydress.blogspot.com/2013/08/gettn-it-all-outta-boxx.html
mpwaite
Queerty why don’t you do ALL THE WORLD a favor and quit giving that lil sh*t any more fame!! He’ll be forgotten if you just leave the b@stard alone!
QJ201
This is why music acts tour. That is where the money is at.
and I’ll toss a Gaga Bone to the Madonna fans…
Gaga did have to cancel most of her 2013 tours because of her ahem, hip problem
Let’s see what Madge makes next year.
ho
Isn’t she like 60? Eewww.
mattsy
I downloaded MDNA for free, and then threw it away after listening to it twice-and I love Madonna.
whatisthis
@QJ201: Looks like we have a new Lady Gaga conspiracy, this time involving her hip surgery!
Yeah, MDNA was pretty shitty. However, Like A Prayer will always remain in my Top 25 Most Played. Love me some Madge.
BlogZilla
Touring has always been where the money is at. Records are kind of like business cards
I’ve heard samples of MDNA. The reason it hasn’t sold well is probably due to the way the market has changed. It’s a big singles market now, besides the fact people don’t like carry hard copies of DVDs around. The listening audience is very fickle and fragmented compared to years ago. Also the way the album is engineered is weird. Madonna used to have a gorgeous studio singing voice. Now she’s into this AutoTune, and vocoding which is just grotesque.
BlogZilla
@ho: Aren’t you like 14? Ewwww!! Are you mathematically challenged? She was born in 1958, so that would make her either 55 or 56 years old..
Red Meat
Lady Gaga is the most successful tour act for the current generation. When all the Madonna fans around the world are dead or too old to get up (what, like in less than 20 years about all of you will be around there no?), who do you think the new raging too-old-to-be-stanning-for-a-popstar be doing? At a Lady Gaga concert.
joehandy
Oh yes! Her coming out last night at the vma’s as a cube of cheese, changing into a white nuns habit was just INSPIRATIONAL! I understand lil’ monster that the truth must kill you, but it is what it is. Get over it.
Tackle
@: So what if she’s 60 or close to it. If someone can be 80 and put on a good show then do. And at Madonna’s age, and still being able to tour and put on strong shows is very impressive.
Matt G
@Tackle
Agreed age has nothing to do with it, Esther herself can obviously still put on a show or her ticket sales would be weaker. For her age, she’s incredibly fit and can work it out for a great show still. She also performs her huge songbook she has made over a nice long career. Lady Gaga has really 2.5 albums and a single out, she is talented and will get her herses with her mummenschanz work.But LOLOLOL “coming out last night at the vma’s as a cube of cheese”
Michael
MDNA might be her lowest selling album to date, but as of December 2012 it had sold 1.8 million copies worldwide, which is not a roaring success by typical Madonna standards, but it’s not nearly as abysmal as this article claims.
Before anyone acts cray, I am a massive Madonna fan (Girl Gone Wild is actually my all-time favorite Madonna song), but I’m not anti-Gaga either. I don’t think in order to be a fan of someone, you have to wish horrible things upon other female artists.
BrandoPolo
@Michael: MDNA ia undderated. Agree that GGW is a gem, one of her best songs ever (sounds better on a late night summer drive in a car with a really good stereo than it does in the clubs) — I’m a Sinner and Berauitful Killer also should have been hits.
Madge is the Queen. Long may she reign.
joehandy
@Red Meat: Yeah, right buddy! Artpop sold less than MDNA…Poor “little” monsters…