The Greatest Pop Stars is an annual list ranking the most important and impactful music artists in the US, selected by a panel of editors of Billboard magazine. It differs from the Billboard Year-End Top Artist chart, which ranks artists based on statistical performances on the Billboard charts. The Greatest Pop Stars list is based on a more variety of factors, such as cultural importance, industry influence and overall omnipresence over popular music. The list was first published in 2019, with retrospective annual rankings back to 1981, the year MTV premiered, which Billboard noted as the start of "modern pop stardom". In 2024, Billboard published the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century list, a ranking of 25 most important and impactful popular music artists from 2000 to 2024, with Beyoncé being listed at number one.

History In 2019, American music magazine Billboard began publishing a list of the greatest pop star of every year since 1981, with essay tributes for each artist. The first year of 1981 was chosen as "the year that forever changed modern stardom", with the premiere of MTV which established music videos as an essential element for popular music iconicity. In 2024, to mark the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, Billboard decided to make a list of the artists who have defined popular culture, music and stardom, and been the "most important and most impactful" over the period of 2000 to 2024.

Criteria The Greatest Pop Stars list is not exclusively determined using chart positions, streams or sales numbers. It also uses factors such as acclaimed works, music videos, live performances, social media presence, cultural importance, industry influence and overall omnipresence. The 21st century list are measured over the years of 2000 to 2024. Billboard used the term "pop star" in a broad definition, not only top-40 type pop music soloists, but also other popular music types of performers such as rappers, singer-songwriters, rock bands, or R&B groups.

List of artists By year

American singers Madonna, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Taylor Swift are the only female acts to top multiple years, with Swift remaining the only one to top three different calendar years. Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny is the only male act to top multiple years.

For each year's essay article, Billboard'''s staff writers also selected three honorable mentions, as well as a rookie of the year selection for "emerging pop stars then still new to the mainstream", and a comeback of the year selection for "veteran stars who had their first big year in a while". The 1996 essay is no longer hosted on Billboard's site.

Year Pop star of the year Honorable mentions Rookie of the year Comeback of the year Ref.1981 Blondie Hall & Oates Diana Ross Olivia Newton-John Juice Newton Rick Springfield 1982 John Cougar Mellencamp The Go-Go's Hall & Oates Toto Men at Work Chicago 1983 Michael Jackson The Police Lionel Richie Billy Joel Duran Duran David Bowie 1984 Prince Cyndi Lauper Bruce Springsteen Wham!/George Michael Madonna Tina Turner 1985 Madonna Phil Collins Bruce Springsteen Tears for Fears Whitney Houston Aretha Franklin 1986 Whitney Houston Madonna Janet Jackson Prince Miami Sound Machine Aerosmith 1987 Bon Jovi Michael Jackson U2 Whitney Houston Debbie Gibson Herb Alpert 1988 George Michael Def Leppard Rick Astley Michael Jackson Guns N' Roses George Harrison 1989 Madonna Janet Jackson Bobby Brown New Kids on the Block Paula Abdul The B-52s 1990 Janet Jackson New Kids on the Block Madonna Vanilla Ice Wilson Phillips Bonnie Raitt 1991 Mariah Carey Michael Jackson Garth Brooks Color Me Badd Boyz II Men Amy Grant 1992 Nirvana Boyz II Men Whitney Houston Guns N' Roses TLC Eric Clapton 1993 Janet Jackson Mariah Carey Whitney Houston Dr. Dre Snoop Doggy Dogg Meat Loaf 1994 Boyz II Men Ace of Base Janet Jackson Snoop Doggy Dogg Sheryl Crow Eagles 1995 TLC Mariah Carey Boyz II Men The Notorious B.I.G. Hootie & The Blowfish The Beatles 1996 Alanis Morissette Toni Braxton Celine Dion 2pac Fugees Keith Sweat 1997 Puff Daddy The Notorious B.I.G. Hanson Jewel Spice Girls Will Smith 1998 Backstreet Boys Shania Twain Monica Madonna The Chicks Brian Setzer 1999 Britney Spears Backstreet Boys TLC Ricky Martin Eminem Cher 2000 NSYNC Britney Spears Eminem Christina Aguilera Nelly Santana 2001 Jennifer Lopez Usher Janet Jackson Destiny's Child Alicia Keys Shaggy 2002 Eminem Ashanti Nelly Missy Elliott Avril Lavigne Kylie Minogue 2003 Beyoncé Outkast Sean Paul Justin Timberlake 50 Cent Johnny Cash 2004 Usher Ciara Maroon 5 Jay-Z Kanye West Green Day 2005 Kanye West Gwen Stefani Kelly Clarkson 50 Cent Fall Out Boy Mariah Carey 2006 Justin Timberlake Beyoncé Rihanna Fergie Ne-Yo Nelly Furtado 2007 Rihanna Fergie Kanye West Justin Timberlake Amy Winehouse Timbaland 2008 Lil Wayne Rihanna Taylor Swift Chris Brown Katy Perry Kid Rock 2009 Lady Gaga Beyoncé Taylor Swift Black Eyed Peas Drake Jason Mraz 2010 Katy Perry Lady Gaga Kesha Justin Bieber Nicki Minaj Sade 2011 Adele Katy Perry Lady Gaga LMFAO Lana Del Rey Jennifer Lopez 2012 Rihanna Maroon 5 Taylor Swift Adele One Direction Madonna 2013 Miley Cyrus Pharrell Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Bruno Mars Lorde Daft Punk 2014 Beyoncé Ariana Grande Katy Perry Nicki Minaj Iggy Azalea John Legend 2015 Taylor Swift Drake The Weeknd Adele Fetty Wap Justin Bieber 2016 Justin Bieber Rihanna Beyoncé Drake The Chainsmokers Mike Posner 2017 Ed Sheeran Kendrick Lamar Bruno Mars Taylor Swift Cardi B Kesha 2018 Drake Ariana Grande Cardi B Post Malone Dua Lipa Lil Wayne 2019 Ariana Grande Post Malone Billie Eilish Lizzo Lil Nas X Jonas Brothers 2020 BTS The Weeknd Dua Lipa Taylor Swift Roddy Ricch Black Eyed Peas

The essay on Alanis Morissette, honorable mentions, rookie, and comeback selections for 1996 are not available on Billboard's website, but are retrievable through the Internet Archive. A shorter blurb on Morissette remains on the main Greatest Pop Star landing page.

Starting in 2021, the Greatest Pop Stars list expanded to a Top 10 format.

Year Pop star of the year Second place Third place Fourth place Fifth place Sixth place Seventh place Eighth place Ninth place Tenth place Honorable mentions Rookie of the year Comeback of the year 2021 Taylor Swift Lil Nas X Adele Doja Cat The Weeknd BTS Drake Justin Bieber Dua Lipa Bad Bunny Ariana Grande Billie Eilish Bruno Mars Cardi B Harry Styles The Kid Laroi Lil Baby and Lil Durk Megan Thee Stallion Tyler, the Creator Ye Olivia Rodrigo Willow 2022 Bad Bunny Harry Styles Taylor Swift Beyoncé Drake Lizzo Doja Cat Jack Harlow Future Nicki Minaj 21 Savage Blackpink Ed Sheeran Encanto cast Gunna Karol G Kendrick Lamar Lil Baby Tems The Weeknd Steve Lacy Sam Smith2023 Taylor Swift SZA Beyoncé Ice Spice Morgan Wallen Karol G Olivia Rodrigo Bad Bunny Doja Cat Drake Gunna Jung Kook NewJeans Sabrina Carpenter Sexxy Red Shakira Travis Scott Troye Sivan Victoria Monét Zach Bryan Peso Pluma Miley Cyrus 2024 Kendrick Lamar Sabrina Carpenter Taylor Swift Chappell Roan Charli XCX Ariana Grande Beyoncé Post Malone Billie Eilish Jelly Roll Bruno Mars Drake Future GloRilla Gracie Abrams Karol G Morgan Wallen Olivia Rodrigo Tate McRae Tyler, the Creator Shaboozey Hozier2025 Bad Bunny Taylor Swift Lady Gaga Kendrick Lamar Sabrina Carpenter KPop Demon Hunters cast Tate McRae Morgan Wallen Doechii Tyler, the Creator Addison Rae Ariana Grande Benson Boone Beyoncé Blackpink Bruno Mars Chappell Roan Justin Bieber Rosalía SZA Olivia Dean Clipse

21st century Billboard launched the project on August 14, 2024, releasing a list of 25 honorable mentions. From August to December, Billboard incrementally rolled out the full ranked list. For each artist, an essay was released recapping their careers and explaining why they have "exemplified pop greatness" over the period, as well as podcast and video discussions of the chosen stars' careers and legacies. The full ranked list of the 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st century are as follows:

Beyoncé Taylor Swift Rihanna Drake Lady Gaga Britney Spears Kanye West Justin Bieber Ariana Grande Adele Usher Eminem Nicki Minaj Justin Timberlake Miley Cyrus Jay-Z Shakira The Weeknd BTS Bruno Mars Lil Wayne One Direction Bad Bunny Ed Sheeran Katy Perry

Honorable mentions The 26th through 50th greatest pop stars on the 21st century were listed alphabetically as honorable mentions.

Statistics Female musicians dominated Billboards Greatest Pop Star lists, showing the omnipresence of women within popular music in post-Madonna era. Madonna became the first act to be named the Greatest Pop Star twice (1985 and 1989). Women were also ranked highly on the 21st century list as only three men made into the top ten, with Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Rihanna appearing in the top three.

+Appearances by types of artists List Male Female Group Total Greatest Pop Stars By Year 16 21 8 45 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century 12 11 2 25

Controversy After Taylor Swift was placed at number 2 on the 21st century list, some Swifties were accused of sending racial abuse to Beyoncé, the assumed number-one pick. The hashtag #SwiftieRacism later trended on Twitter, with some Swifties facing backlash for racist behavior in the past. Various Swifties also criticized Billboard for including a clip from Kanye West's 2016 music video for "Famous", which included a nude wax figure resembling Swift, in a tribute video to Swift, although the video in question was covered in detail in the article about Kanye West. In response, Billboard'' removed the clip and apologized on social media.

References