The 21st century is a great time to be alive, not because it’s the age of the MCU, but because this is the century when we witnessed some of the best moments of the music industry. We saw pop music dominating the charts and people’s hearts, which also gave birth to some of this century’s most loved and successful artists. Pop artists like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Drake broke out of the mold and paved the way for many other artists to create music that speaks volumes. Somewhere between Baby One More Time and Stan, we grew up, and We Found Love became our love anthem. The 21st century gave us some of the most loved songs of all time, and these are the artists we just can’t stop talking about.
1. Beyonce:
Queen B is hands down one of the most celebrated artists of the decade, and that’s not only because of her killer moves and unmatched beauty. Beyonce is a living icon whose culturally relevant music resonates with the crowd. Her utterly powerful performances leave everyone in awe. Beyonce was best known as the lead singer of the hit girl group Destiny’s Child, which is one of the best-selling female groups of all time. The pop icon has 24 MTV Video Music Awards and 24 Grammys under her belt. At the same time, her albums Lemonade and Beyonce are included in the 100 best albums of the 21st century.
2. Ed Sheeran:
Ever had this fantasy of booking Ed Sheeran for a private romantic concert for you and your partner? And why not? He is the modern-day face of romantic songs, and Shape of You is everyone’s go-to dancehall-infused pop track. The English singer-songwriter has sold over 150 million records worldwide and is popularly accepted as one of the best-selling pop artists of this generation. His music has a subtle beauty to it and holds a depth that the audience truly cherishes. His all-time hit Shape of You was the decade’s most-streamed song on Spotify by December 2019, and as of today, his songs I Don’t Care and The A Team are also two of the decade’s biggest hits. He is referred to as one of the most prominent male pop artists on the planet who recently broke the record for the highest-grossing concert tour that previously belonged to U2.
3. Lady Gaga:
If there is a pop artist who gets the memo of defining themselves and their character through music, it’s Lady Gaga. She is the unrivaled queen of the electronic and pop genre. She also happens to be the recipient of the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Awards, all in the same year! She revolutionized pop music and infused it with her out-of-the-box personality and artistic persona. Gaga writes and produces her own music that is spread over a wide variety of genres. This is why she has an undeniable fan following. She is the first person to reach 10 million followers on Twitter, 10 million fans on Facebook, and one billion views on YouTube. Bad Romance, Poker Face, Alejandro, Paparazzi, and more are this century’s cult favorite and Gaga’s best hits of all time.
4. Justin Bieber:
Some people are just meant to be on the stage, and JB is one of those few artists who just exploded like a giant nuke on the music scene. Topping the Billboard200 charts with his debut studio album, My World 2.0, Bieber became the youngest solo male artist in 47 years to attain this feat. The 16-year-old quickly became an international sensation with all-time hits like Baby, Never Say Never, Boyfriend, Sorry, and I Don’t Care featuring Ed Sheeran. From being a teenage heartthrob, Bieber has established himself as the king of pop reinvention with several prestigious awards under his belt and a gigantic worldwide fan following. Justin Bieber has the privilege of being the youngest solo artist with seven number-one albums in the United States. It is safe to say that Justin has transformed with his music, which is why he appeals more to millennials and Gen Zs, making him a popular pop artist of this century.
5. Adele:
There is nothing purer and more realistic in the music world than Adele’s powerful voice and moving music. She is an undeniable force in today’s music industry with a fine collection of awards, number-one selling albums, and chart-topping songs. Her music moves the soul, and her exceedingly melodious songs and meaningful lyrics have landed her 15 Grammys. Songs like Hello and Rolling in the Deep took the world by storm, and her album 25 became the fastest-selling album of all time when it was released back in 2015. However, the British-born songwriter and singer’s album 21, which debuted almost a decade ago, was the absolute gamechanger. It smashed records, making Adele a bona fide megastar. She is the first female solo artist to hold the number one spot for 18 cumulative weeks in the UK and the first female artist to have two albums and two singles simultaneously in the UK top five.
6. Rihanna:
We talk about the best pop artists of the century, and we don’t mention RiRi? That’s a pop music crime! The Barbados babe popped into the music scene back in 2005, and since then, she has gone on to become the richest female musician in the world right now. According to Forbes, she is now officially a billionaire, which is all thanks to her chart-topping music and her beauty line Fenty Beauty. Rihanna’s arresting vocals, sexiness, fierceness, and catchy tunes have won her countless music awards and millions of fans. Rihanna has distributed her music over numerous genres, including dance-pop and R&B. The Caribbean queen has sold over 250 million albums with 31 chart-dominating top-ten singles. RiRi’s songs are still everyone’s go-to party tracks, and the likes of Diamonds, We Found Love, Love the Way You Lie, Umbrella, and Unapologetic are some of the decades most listened tracks.
Honorable Mentions:
Michael Jackson:
Elton John:
Mariah Carey:
Taylor Swift:
Bruno Mars:
Ariana Grande:
Conclusion:
Kids born after 1995 have witnessed the most progressive era of pop music with megastars like Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Madonna, etc., gracing us with timeless music. It’s hard to imagine that we can ever forget words to Bruno Mars’ Grenade or Bieber’s Baby. The list of the century’s best pop artists is long, but we penned down some of the most iconic singers who became international sensations in a short while. So, when you are almost 60, and your grandkids ask you about “old music,” you could say that Poker Face was always your jam, and you witnessed Beyonce and JayZ perform together on stage.
