^ MJ is the highest paid (dead or alive) this year but Forbes combined her earnings from June 1, 2013 through June 1, 2014 and estimated it at 114 that is what they are reporting for this year. I would like to know the real total she has earned for just this year. Although they are combining two years worth (thats still making bank and I am not hating on that) however, there are artists that have made more than that, that are still alive. Madonna made 150 in just one year and acts like U2 get paid close to that amount in just one year's worth.

NaughtyKitty said:

Musicslave said:

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This is a good example of contrived hype for the Beehive citizens to consider. The HBO Special featuring the "On The Run" Tour was not a success. The numbers were abysmal by television industry standards. There were a FEW articles on the disappointing numbers. If I recall one article had written that even old reruns of "The Big Bang Theory" had more viewers than the first live showing of the concert. This really doesn't matter because I'm sure they were well paid regardless of the eventual viewership. I just wanted to point out an example of undeserved industry hype.

I totally agree. I would say that she is probably the most hyped up and talked about female singer of this year, and that's all thanks to her powerful and well paid PR machine making sure she stays being talked about in the media while making her seem like this larger than life person who has achieved world domination.

Absolutely! And if we take a closer look at the receipts. She has not had any number one hit singles this year nor has she had the biggest selling album out this year. No one is denying Beyonce is rich and successful but c'mon her PR needs to quit the b.s it is getting ridiculous now.

Am I the only one to notice that Shania Twain isn't mention like she should be? Her impact in 1998 cannot be overlook.

TonyVanDam said:

Am I the only one to notice that Shania Twain isn't mention like she should be? Her impact in 1998 cannot be overlook.

Good catch! I was about to comment on 1998 but I forgot about Shania Twain, she is definitely the one that ruled that year, Come on Over ended up as the biggest selling solo female album of all time. Madonna also had a good year in 1998, even though her radio airplay was far from her peak and the singles made less impact, the album itself got accolades and the general attitude towards her was more positive. Otherwise 1998 was not a good year for solo females, that was the first year when the divas started to fade, both The Velvet Rope & Butterfly released late 1997 underperformed and their promotion was cut short, both Alanis & Jewel hugely disappointed with their sophomore efforts and Whitney's My Love Is Your Love started weak due to the massive disappointment with When You Believe (but in 1999 she would score a couple of big hits and her album would match the same diva level at the time with 4x Platinum).

The other years I would comment on is 1992, Mariah was nowhere near as successful as with her debut or in the following years, Emotions did only half of what her debut sold. But I guess 1992 was not a solo female year either until The Bodyguard juggernaut arrived, it was also the time when Madonna's chart-honeymoon phase ended.

1996 surely belonged to Alanis Morissette even if Mariah broke chart records with Daydream, she totally defined that year, I guess they just didn't want to add the same era to two separate years. Even Jewel had the same amount of hits from her debut as Daydream...

And this list really highlights that Madonna stopped being "the" biggest female a long time ago, she was consistent till 2003 of course and lasted the longest but after Like A Virgin there was always that someone who was bigger and more successful. I would even say that giving 1986 to her is generous since that's the year when Whitney Houston's debut exploded and in the end it even outsold Like A Virgin and doubled the sales of True Blue!

LiveToTell86 said:

TonyVanDam said:

Am I the only one to notice that Shania Twain isn't mention like she should be? Her impact in 1998 cannot be overlook.

Good catch! I was about to comment on 1998 but I forgot about Shania Twain, she is definitely the one that ruled that year, Come on Over ended up as the biggest selling solo female album of all time. Madonna also had a good year in 1998, even though her radio airplay was far from her peak and the singles made less impact, the album itself got accolades and the general attitude towards her was more positive. Otherwise 1998 was not a good year for solo females, that was the first year when the divas started to fade, both The Velvet Rope & Butterfly released late 1997 underperformed and their promotion was cut short, both Alanis & Jewel hugely disappointed with their sophomore efforts and Whitney's My Love Is Your Love started weak due to the massive disappointment with When You Believe (but in 1999 she would score a couple of big hits and her album would match the same diva level at the time with 4x Platinum).

The other years I would comment on is 1992, Mariah was nowhere near as successful as with her debut or in the following years, Emotions did only half of what her debut sold. But I guess 1992 was not a solo female year either until The Bodyguard juggernaut arrived, it was also the time when Madonna's chart-honeymoon phase ended.

1996 surely belonged to Alanis Morissette even if Mariah broke chart records with Daydream, she totally defined that year, I guess they just didn't want to add the same era to two separate years. Even Jewel had the same amount of hits from her debut as Daydream...

And this list really highlights that Madonna stopped being "the" biggest female a long time ago, she was consistent till 2003 of course and lasted the longest but after Like A Virgin there was always that someone who was bigger and more successful. I would even say that giving 1986 to her is generous since that's the year when Whitney Houston's debut exploded and in the end it even outsold Like A Virgin and doubled the sales of True Blue!

In the US, maybe, but if this list was from the UK, Madonna would be a lot more prominent and Mariah Carey would only maybe have one or two spots.

mancabdriver said:

HOLD IT!

Surely Adele should have got 2011?

- biggest album of the decade

- 3 #1s

- dominating the Grammys

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Agreed. She owned that year but also a good portion of the following year due to the great shelf life of "Rolling In The Deep" and the subsequent singles. It's not like she released it at the tailend of the year either. "21" came out early that year, January (UK) and February (US). Unlike Michael Jackson's, "Thiller" that was released late in the year of '82 (November I think) and enjoyed most of its success throughout '83 and beyooond

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I could've sworn the "janet." album and tour was still pretty dominant in 1994 too.

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Oh yeah, and what about Norah Jones? "Don't Know Why" and album "Come Away With Me" was huge for her in 2002.

[Edited 10/23/14 7:05am]

VH1 was referring to the female artists who are considered Pop stars. Which is why Adele, Lauryn hill, & Shania Twian are exculeded.

HAPPYPERSON said:

Qazz said:

Janet was NOT the "most dominating female star" of 2001, which is why she isn't credited as such. That year belonged to JLo and Alicia Keys.

LiveToTell86 said:

it just proves how much competition there was in the late 80s/90s.some of these years could easily be replaced by one of the other ladies.i cant get with lauryn not getting the year her album dominated and while the power of the bodyguard cant be denied its hard not to give 93 to janet.the mid and late 00s who was there other than beyonce and rhianna?

MotownSubdivision said:

HAPPYPERSON said:

VH1 was referring to the female artists who are considered Pop stars. Which is why Adele, Lauryn hill, & Shania Twian are exculeded.

What defines pop music though? If the music is popular enough to play on Top 40 radio regardless of its sound, wouldn't that make it pop music?

shania twain is country but the other 2 dominated the pop charts. if adele is not pop what is she.

lowkey said:

This actually makes me realize something. Maybe the do pit female singers against each other more. I never see lists like this for male singers (Whether rock, pop, metal, country, reggae etc)

Qazz said:

BlackCat1985 said:

I love Brandy but I kinda agree with everyone saying Lauryn should have got in 1998. Miseducation sold more copies than Brandy's Never Say Never. Also, Miseducation was a number one album while Never Say Never charted at no.2. Brandy was still very popular during this period as well but that was Lauryn's year for sure.

BlackCat1985 said:

BlackCat1985 said:

BlackCat1985 said:

BlackCat1985 said:

alphastreet said:

BlackCat1985 said:

What the hell do you have against Janet? Like damn there's no denying how huge the woman was during that era. I also believed that Janet should have taken 1993-94. As for Shania. She is no Queen of pop! She is a country star period. And thats coming from someone who actually admires Shania. Some of these other women shouldn't have even been mentioned. Like Xtrina A., Miley fucking Cyrus (really), Brandy, Lady Gaga, and Paula Abdul. The only women who should have been listed where Whitney, Janet, Mariah, and Madonna.

Janet did amazing that year and peaked in popularity, but Whitney's bodyguard sales were on fire, pale in comparison to anything released that year. Dream lover also was number 1 for 8 weeks like that's the way love goes and became Mariah's biggest seller of her career, plus hero was huge too. Janet is easily #3 statistically or #4 if you want to count Toni Braxton's debut that sold slightly more than the janet. album. Anyways it's all numbers and she still inspired, they all did so why all the shade

yeah but its not just about sales. there is no way shape or form mariah was bigger than janet during the janet. era. the album,movie,tour she was everywhere. the bodyguard dominated but it started in 92.toni did not outsell the janet. album. 93 was during the soundscan era, billboard recently released the biggest selling albums in the soundscan era and toni's album did not outsell janet, mariah's album was slightly ahead, they both sold over 7 million, toni did not. sometimes numbers dont tell the whole story, anybody who was in america and old enough would know that lauryn hill dominated the year her album came out , whitney dominated 92-93, and janet dominated 93-94. if it was all about sales i dont think beyonce has ever had the biggest selling album of any year during her career but you cant say she wasnt the top female artists during those eras.

lowkey said:

I would place Whitney in 1992 and Janet in 1993. Sales is not the only popularity indicator but it is still a factor. Janet was big in the 90's but even her biggest selling albums did not sell more than her peers. Saying that does not mean someone is trying to bash her but there is simply no getting around that fact!

mjscarousal said:

mjscarousal said:

I would place Whitney in 1992 and Janet in 1993. Sales is not the only popularity indicator but it is still a factor. Janet was big in the 90's but even her biggest selling albums did not sell more than her peers. Saying that does not mean someone is trying to bash her but there is simply no getting around that fact!

but when you say things like she didnt sell as much as her peers thats very misleading. as was just proven with the janet. album compared to mariah's album that year the sales were very close yet one album is undercertified while the other is way overcertified.its easy to throw out these gigantic numbers for worldwide sales since there is no official tracking. i may be wrong but i highly doubt an album that sold a little over 7 million in the us went on to sell over 30 million worldwide.im not saying you are trying to bash janet it just seems like its a natural reaction to diminish whatever she's accomplished. i really think its a jackson thing,people just naturally dont wanna accept that one of mj's siblings was really successful. RN was the top selling album of 1990, that means she outsold whichever peers had albums out at that time.she didnt release as many albums in the 90s as mariah yet she was billboard's #2 artist of the decade.

lowkey said: