Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars

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. == 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 was named the first Greatest Pop Star (1981). was the first artist to repeat as a year's Greatest Pop Star: 1985 and 1989. was named the Greatest Pop Star three times (2015, 2021, and 2023). The following artists are crowned the Greatest Pop Star of the year by Billboard. 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. • 1981: Blondie • 1982: John Cougar Mellencamp • 1983: Michael Jackson • 1984: Prince • 1985: Madonna • 1986: Whitney Houston • 1987: Bon Jovi • 1988: George Michael • 1989: Madonna • 1990: Janet Jackson • 1991: Mariah Carey • 1992: Nirvana • 1993: Janet Jackson • 1994: Boyz II Men • 1995: TLC • 1996: Alanis Morissette • 1997: Puff Daddy • 1998: Backstreet Boys • 1999: Britney Spears • 2000: NSYNC • 2001: Jennifer Lopez • 2002: Eminem • 2003: Beyoncé • 2004: Usher • 2005: Kanye West • 2006: Justin Timberlake • 2007: Rihanna • 2008: Lil Wayne • 2009: Lady Gaga • 2010: Katy Perry • 2011: Adele • 2012: Rihanna • 2013: Miley Cyrus • 2014: Beyoncé • 2015: Taylor Swift • 2016: Justin Bieber • 2017: Ed Sheeran • 2018: Drake • 2019: Ariana Grande • 2020: BTS • 2021: Taylor Swift • 2022: Bad Bunny • 2023: Taylor Swift • 2024: Kendrick Lamar • 2025: Bad Bunny 21st century was named the Greatest Pop Star of the 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. • 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. == 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==