Who is the greatest pop star of the 21st century? What’s the first name that popped into your head? Taylor Swift? Maybe Beyoncé? You aren’t the only one.
With the first quarter of the century mark coming next year (I know – crazy), Billboard has created a list of “The Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century.” And the list has everyone buzzing. Everyone is guessing who is going to reach the top of the page with a Kalshi betting market on the top spot and the top 5 spots.
Let’s break down what everyone is saying.
Billboard’s ‘Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century' so far
So far, No. 7 through No. 25 have been announced, along with a collection of 25 honorable mentions. Here’s the list:
- 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
Their honorable mentions are 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Billie Eilish, Cardi B, Carrie Underwood, Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, Future, Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson, Kendrick Lamar, Kesha, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Maroon 5, Megan Thee Stallion, Missy Elliot, Nelly, Olivia Rodrigo, P!nk, Post Malone, Sean Paul, SZA
And with only a few left, many fans are already complaining about their favorites being too low on the list. Following the announcement of Kanye West’s No. 7 spot, many listeners complained that he deserved a higher spot. Releasing two a week, they are currently at the No. 7 spot with Kanye West.
Should be top 5
— Michael (@RetiredFineBoy) October 24, 2024
It’s not too surprising given all of these celebrities have millions of fans claiming their favorite deserves the top spot. But whether they have 10 Grammys or 13 No. 1 hits, Billboard is considering more factors than just traditional metrics. In their words, they determined this list by looking at:
These Greatest Pop Stars are NOT mathematically determined by stats like chart position, streams or sales numbers. Those play a big part in our final rankings, of course — you can’t be one of the greatest pop stars of the century without great pop hits and great pop albums — but so do things like music videos, live performances and social media presence, and more intangible factors like cultural importance, industry influence and overall omnipresence. (And we’re measuring this over all 25 years of this century so far, so if you were only heard from at the beginning or the end of that period — or only had one or two big songs, albums or eras — that’s gonna significantly hinder your ranking here as well.)
Who is yet to be named on Billboard’s ‘Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century’?
Huge stars like One Direction and Katy Perry are already on the list, but who’s missing? There are quite a few that haven’t been mentioned in the top 25 or the honorable mentions. Avril Lavigne, Selena Gomez, Rihanna, Drake, and Mariah Carey are a few missing from the list.
All of these artists have made an indelible impact on the fabric of pop in the past two and a half decades but it’s hard to guess how some of these won’t make the list at all. However, prediction markets are forecasting who will land in the top 5.
According to the market on Kalshi, the artists most likely to be in the top 5 are Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Drake, and Lady Gaga. The most confidence is in Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Britney Spears. Given their impact on the 21st Century, confidence is warranted.
But who will take the top spot? For both markets, Swift is the overwhelming favorite. In the #1 market, Swift is leading with an 81% chance
As fans are excited to see who crowns this Billboard’s list, it’s clear that these pop icons have left an undeniable mark on music and culture. Whether it’s Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, or another superstar who claims the top spot, one thing is certain: the influence of pop music’s biggest names will continue to shape the industry for decades to come.
Best Billboard bets on Kalshi
Whether you’re a fan or not, Taylor Swift’s influence on pop culture is undeniable. From energizing voter registration to her massive Eras tour, she’s changed the industry and pioneered trends, making her a clear frontrunner for the number one spot on this list.
The 2-5 spots are where things get interesting. Prediction markets suggest Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Drake, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna as likely contenders. It’s surprising that Mariah Carey hasn’t already secured a spot on the list, but with such strong competition, it seems unlikely she’ll make the top five.
Honestly, it’s hard to imagine any of them missing the Top 25, given their profound impact on music and culture. Beyoncé, Drake, and Lady Gaga have consistently returned to the charts over the years, staying relevant throughout most, if not all, of the past 25 years. They seem like strong contenders for a spot. The fifth spot is a toss-up between Rihanna and Britney Spears, mainly due to their recent gaps in music releases compared to the others. But their impact on pop culture remains undebatable.
If I had to pick a potential outlier, though, it would be Spears. While she had a resurgence in 2022 with “Hold Me Closer” alongside Elton John, her last solo Top 10 hit dates back to 2013. However, while her recent musical presence may have waned, her influence and dominance in the 2000s make her potential exclusion hard to justify.
While Rihanna hasn’t released an album since 2016, her influence hasn’t waned. Her beauty empire, Fenty Beauty, her 2022 single “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which climbed to No. 2, and her 2023 Super Bowl performance have all kept her firmly at the forefront of pop culture.
Whoever doesn’t make the cut, one thing’s certain—there’s bound to be an uproar, because all five pop icons undeniably deserve their place.
