LOS ANGELES - POP star Madonna is still the material girl, earning US$72 million (S$102 million) in a recent 12-month period to top a Forbes.com list of female singers whom the financial website dubbed 'Cash Queens of Music'.

Madonna, who rose to recording superstardom in the 1980s as the Material Girl after her hit song of that name, beat out Barbra Streisand, who was No. 2 with annual earnings of US$60 million, and Celine Dion at US$45 million, according to Forbes.com.

The website tracked earnings in the period from June 2006 to June 2007 and said it examined concert ticket sales, merchandise revenue, album sales and earnings from ancillary products such as clothing, perfumes and endorsements.

Rounding out the top five were Colombian singing sensation Shakira at No. 4 with US$38 million and R&B singer Beyonce with US$27 million.

Country music stars also did well, with Faith Hill landing in the No. 8 slot with US$19 million and the Dixie Chicks at No. 9 with US$18 million.

Then there was Britney Spears. For all her troubles in the past year - a stint in rehab and a bitter custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, among them - the pop star still made No. 14 on the list, earning US$8 million from royalties on old songs and sales of her perfume, Curious. Her latest album, Blackout, was released late in 2007 after the period covered by the Forbes.com survey.

Late last year, Madonna ended her long relationship with Warner Music Group and reached a recording deal with concert promoter Live Nation.