The music industry has witnessed the emergence of some true artists who with their talent and skills have transformed the industry standards from time to time/ Surely, many of them can be considered as very popular or some can be tagged as the best of their times. While there are many to have passed the stage leaving behind their undeletable mark, here are the top 10 pop singers of all time, whose names shall stay imprinted forever, both in the minds and the hearts of the audience.
Read below to check out the whole list.
1. Michael Jackson-
Michael Jackson is one of the best pop singers of all time and is often titled the King of Pop by many. Born on 29th August 1958, the American singer, songwriter, and dancer is the owner of the best selling album of all times, titled Thriller. The album earned 30 times platinum at the start of 2016 and his other records like Dangerous and History, Bad secured the best charting albums of all times. Jackson broke the racial barrier much prevalent in the industry after he dropped his music video named Billie Jean that was aired on MTV. His music videos and other records revolutionized the pop scenario and his signature style and dance moves, especially moonwalk, sidewalk, and lean are just as famous as his clothing, the black hat, military jackets, and white sequined gloves. Moreover, Jackson is known to be the best entertainer in the history of pop music who made it to the Guinness Book of Records and is also one of the best selling solo artists of all times. The legendary artist passed away on June 25, 2009, leaving behind a void and a legacy hard to challenge.
2. Katy Perry-
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson famous by the stage name Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter, and TC judge who initially started to break her name loud and out in the music industry with her gospel music but soon drifted her image with the release of her smashing single named I Kissed a Girl in 2008, and went ahead to top her name in the charts. Born in Octoberb25, 1984, the California-born singer grew up in a conservative surrounding and both her parents were reluctant to her interest in music. Even though Katy faced a few challenges during the start of her career, she soon became one of the best-selling artists of all time. The singer has bagged four Guinness World Records, five American Music Awards, five MTV Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, 16 ASCAP Pop Music Awards, 1 Juno Award, 14 People’s Choice, 2 Myx Music Awards, 6 Teen Choice, 3 NRJ Awards, and a Brit Award. Her song Hot n Cold was nominated for the Best Female Video of the Year in 2008. In 2010, Katy released three singles and also became one of the judges in American idol. In 2011, she topped the Billboard Hot 100 for about 5 weeks and also became the first female singer to have 5 number one singles after Michael Jackson. In 2012 she made her first perfume and in 2015 she made headlines with her most-watched performance in the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
3. Lady Gaga-
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, famously known as Lady Gaga is an American singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and record producer who is known to be one of the most prominent pop icons of all time. The pop sensation kicked her journey while she was performing at an event called the Lollapalooza Festival in 2007 where she was found by the record label company Interscope, the masterminds behind which are Rob Fusari and RedOne. It was in 2008 when she dropped her first single Just Dance that became a worldwide hit and sold over 10 million that quickly made it one of the first diamond-certified singles of the millennium. She soon released more singles to have her name imprinted forever and she released Poker Face in late 2008 to once again blow up the charts. The record made her the first female solo artist to have her two singles cross over 5 million copies worldwide. Her following releases like The Fame also performed similarly and her success seemed never-ending. In 2009, Lady Gaga dropped Bad Romance that is supposedly one of the best music videos in the books of history.
4. Taylor Swift-
Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter Taylor Swift splashed in the limelight in 2006 and has since then gone on to become of the top pop singers of all times. Born on December 13, the iconic singer is most famous for writing break up songs and stormed through the scene with her country music sound. By the age of 16 she started creating a name for herself in the country music world and her hits like Love Story and You Belong With Me achieved platinum success. Taylor is a self-made star whose record Fearless released in 2008 made her achieve the Grammy. She continued to sweep in several awards with her continued hit singles and also won the Grammys for Album of the Year and the Best Pop Vocal Album. Her first single Tim McGraw became a top 10 hit on the chart of Country music and another single Our Song became the Number 1 Country music hit. Apart from this Taylor also won the Horizon Award and the Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Female Vocalist in 2007. Most recently Taylor took home the top honors at the 2020 American Music Awards and creates history after being voted as the artist of the year for the sixth time in a row.
5. Madonna-
Madonna Louise Ciccone famously known as Madonna is an American singer, songwriter, businesswoman, and actress who have been an inspiration to many renowned names like Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and others. Madonna is known to be the Queen of Pop with several chart-topping hits under her cover. The pop star has 14 studio albums like True Blue, Madonna, Like a Virgin, Ray of Light, and others under her name along with 3 soundtrack albums, 4 compilation albums, and 2 remix albums. The singing sensation is considered to be the star who has delivered the most records in the Guinness World Records, approximately 20 records. Madonna is most famous for her videos like Vogue, Like A Prayer, and Express Yourself. Her clothing sense, her style, dance moves, and her uniqueness all contribute towards her epic presence. For bringing immense versatility and continued innovation to her music and music videos, Madonna is one of the most influential figures in the pop industry.
6. Justin Bieber-
Born on March 1, 1994, Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer who is the son of the author Pattie Mallette. The dynamic star was discovered by talent manager Scooter Braun at the age of 13 after having watched his YouTube song videos. Bieber made his debut in late 2009 with his EP My World that made him the first artist to have seven sings of his debut record at the Billboard Hot 100. At just 16 years old, Justin released one of the most hit singles Baby that made him the youngest solo male act to top the chart in 47 years. Being a teen, Bieber established himself rapidly and became a teen idol. Currently, this star is the only artist to have four music videos reach more than 1 billion views and also one of the very few artists to have had three records in the Top 5 on Billboard. But with good comes bad, and this young star has faced several criticisms not just for his music but his rebellious actions as well. What came as a turning moment in his life is his collaboration with Skrillex and Diplo for Where Are U Now in 2015 where he transitioned into EDM and quickly drifted from teen pop music. This song earned Bieber the Grammy Award for the Best Dance Recording. Soon in 2015, Justin’s album Purpose became his most commercially successful record and since then he has featured on several hit collaborations including Despacito (Remix), Cold Water, Let Me Love You, and many more. Having sales records of over 150 million, Justin Bieber is one of the world’s best-selling music artists of all times, having achieved numerous awards including 15 American Music Awards, a Grammy Award, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 2 Brit awards, a record 21 MTV Europe Music Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, and three MYV Video Music Awards, all of which makes him one of the most influential artists in the world.
7. Beyonce-
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, famous with her stage name Beyonce is surely one of the most influential and talented artists to have existed. The American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, director, and businesswoman was born on September 4, 1981, who started her career in the popular pop group Destiny’s Child who had hits like No, No, No, Bills, Bills, Bills, and Say My Name under their name. Post their split in 2006, Beyonce emerged as a solo artist delivering some smashing hits like Crazy In Love, Halo, Single Ladies, Partition, Baby Boy, and several others. Over the years she has become one of the most influential celebrities and top performers of the 21st century. Beyonce is one of the world’s best-selling recording artists of all time who has sold over 118 million records worldwide. She is the most nominated artist in the Grammy Awards history and holds the rank for the second-most wins for a woman with a total count of 24. Apart from this, Beyonce is also the most awarded artist at the MTV Video Music Awards having 24 wins including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. It was in 2014 when she became the highest-earning back musician in the history of the music industry who also had her name listed in Time’s 100 most influential people in the world for the second time in a row. Beyonce has made and continues to make a commendable contribution to the entertainment industry.
8. Britney Spears-
Born on December 2, 1981, Britney Jean Spears is an American singer, dancer, songwriter, and actress who is credited for having influenced the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s which makes her the Princess of Pop. She has performed in shows like The Mickey Mouse Club, as a child before she finally signed with Jive Records in 1997 and soon became the pop superstar and also one of the most renowned pop singers of all times. The iconic lady is most famous for her songs Baby One More Time, I’m A Slave 4 U, Circus, Womanizer, Till The World Ends, and many more. With time, Britney incorporated more aesthetics and themes for her releases and she made her feature film debut in 2002 by bagging a role in Crossroads. Her best work as an executive producer is the album Blackout in 2007. Circus, 2008 and Femme Fatale 2011 are some of her most successful works that topped the US charts. So far, Britney has scored 6 Number one albums on the Billboard 200 and has four solo Number one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100. Moreover, Britney Spears became the second artist Mariah Carey to debut at Number one with two or more songs. One of the most prominent marks that contribute to her immense success is her self-made heavily choreographed videography. For example, in the image-redefining music video, I’m a Slave 4 U for which she has been handed the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. Apart from this Britney has earned a Grammy Award, 6 MTV Video Music Awards, 13 Guinness World Records, 7 Billboards Music Awards, including the Millennium Award. Spears was also ranked by Billboard as the 2000s eighth-biggest artist and is regarded as a pop icon who is one of the world’s best-selling music artists of all times with over 100 million records. She is also the most searched celebrity seven times in 12 years.
9. Rihanna-
Born on February 20, 1988, Robyn Rihanna Fenty, famous with her stage name Rihanna is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress who first entered the music industry by recording demo tapes under the guidance of the record producer Evan Rogers in 2003 before she finally bagged a contract with Def Jam recordings, after having auditioned for its then-president and rapper Jay Z. Rihanna gained popularity with the release of her first two albums named Music of the Sun in 2005 and A Girl like Me in 2006 that went ahead to become the top ten of the US Billboard 200 Chart. On her third album, Rihanna started experimenting with her sound ad infused dance-pop elements that quickly established her as a sex symbol in the industry. Her chart-topping single named Umbrella fetched her first Grammy Award and also earned her global stardom. Moving forward Rihanna continued mixing dance, pop, and R&B to her music that made her singles top the charts. Rihanna has so far collaborated with artists like Drake, Calvin Harris, and Eminem. Having a sales figure of over 250 million records worldwide, she is undoubtedly one of the best-selling artists and also one of the most influential pop stars of all time. She has earned 14 Number one’s, 30 top-ten entries, and 31 top-ten singles that have earned her 9 Grammy Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, 13 American Music Awards, and 6 Guinness World Records. Moreover, Forbes has marked her amongst the top 10 highest-paid celebrities between 2012 and 2014 and as of 2019 reports, Rihanna is the wealthiest female musicians with a worth of $600 million.
10. Bruno Mars-
Born on October 8, 1985, Peter Gene Hernandez, most popular with his stage name Bruno Mars is undoubtedly one of the greatest pop icons of all times. The American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, choreographer, and record producer rose to fame with the release of his most hit singles Nothin on You and Billionaire. His debut album Doo-Wops and Hooligans bagged the Number three rank on the Billboard 200 and also reached the top in the Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Netherlands charts. The pop icon has also received a Grammy Award for the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. He is much popular for his stage performances, a wide range of music styles that includes pop, funk, soul, R&B, rock, and hip-hop, and his retro showmanship. Being a talented multi-instrumentalist he plays a variety of instruments like bass, piano, electric guitar, drums, keyboards, and horns. Mar’s second album titled Unorthodox Jukebox became his first Number One album on the US Billboard 200 and also fetched him the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. By collaborating with Mark Ronson, Bruno topped various music charts and also won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and the Best Pop Duo/ Group Performance. So far, Mars has sold over 130 million records worldwide that makes him one of the best-selling artists and also one of the most influential pop icons of all time. Since his career launch in 2010, Bruno has released 7 Number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and as a songwriter, his name was included in the Music Week and Billboard Magazine for being one of the best songwriters of 2011 and 2013. He has received 11 Grammy Awards, 9 American Music Awards, 3 Brit Awards, 10 Soul Train Awards, and also holds 3 Guinness World Records.