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Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars

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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

[edit]

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.[1] 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.[1] 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.[2][3]

Criteria

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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.[2] 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.[1]

List of artists

[edit]

By year

[edit]
Madonna was the first artist to repeat as a year's Greatest Pop Star: 1985 and 1989.[4]
Taylor Swift was the first artist to be named named the Greatest Pop Star three times (2015, 2021, and 2023).
Bad Bunny was the first male artist to be named the Greatest Pop Star twice (2022 and 2025).

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.[1][5]

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".[1] 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 Juice Newton Rick Springfield [6]
1982 John Cougar Mellencamp Men at Work Chicago [7]
1983 Michael Jackson Duran Duran David Bowie [8]
1984 Prince Madonna Tina Turner [9]
1985 Madonna Whitney Houston Aretha Franklin [10]
1986 Whitney Houston Miami Sound Machine Aerosmith [11]
1987 Bon Jovi
  • Michael Jackson
  • U2
  • Whitney Houston
 Debbie Gibson Herb Alpert [12]
1988 George Michael Guns N' Roses George Harrison [13]
1989 Madonna Paula Abdul The B-52s [14]
1990 Janet Jackson Wilson Phillips Bonnie Raitt [15]
1991 Mariah Carey Boyz II Men Amy Grant [16]
1992 Nirvana
  • Boyz II Men
  • Whitney Houston
  • Guns N' Roses
 TLC Eric Clapton [17]
1993 Janet Jackson
  • Mariah Carey
  • Whitney Houston
  • Dr. Dre
 Snoop Doggy Dogg Meat Loaf [18]
1994 Boyz II Men Sheryl Crow Eagles [19]
1995 TLC Hootie & The Blowfish The Beatles [20]
1996 Alanis Morissette[a][21] Fugees Keith Sweat [22]
1997 Puff Daddy Spice Girls Will Smith [23]
1998 Backstreet Boys The Chicks Brian Setzer [24]
1999 Britney Spears Eminem Cher [25]
2000 NSYNC Nelly Santana [26]
2001 Jennifer Lopez Alicia Keys Shaggy [27]
2002 Eminem Avril Lavigne Kylie Minogue [28]
2003 Beyoncé 50 Cent Johnny Cash [29]
2004 Usher Kanye West Green Day [30]
2005 Kanye West Fall Out Boy Mariah Carey [31]
2006 Justin Timberlake Ne-Yo Nelly Furtado [32]
2007 Rihanna
  • Fergie
  • Kanye West
  • Justin Timberlake
 Amy Winehouse Timbaland [33]
2008 Lil Wayne Katy Perry Kid Rock [34]
2009 Lady Gaga Drake Jason Mraz [35]
2010 Katy Perry Nicki Minaj Sade [36]
2011 Adele
  • Katy Perry
  • Lady Gaga
  • LMFAO
 Lana Del Rey Jennifer Lopez [37]
2012 Rihanna
  • Maroon 5
  • Taylor Swift
  • Adele
 One Direction Madonna [38]
2013 Miley Cyrus Lorde Daft Punk [39]
2014 Beyoncé Iggy Azalea John Legend [40]
2015 Taylor Swift Fetty Wap Justin Bieber [41]
2016 Justin Bieber
  • Rihanna
  • Beyoncé
  • Drake
 The Chainsmokers Mike Posner [42]
2017 Ed Sheeran Cardi B Kesha [43]
2018 Drake Dua Lipa Lil Wayne [44]
2019 Ariana Grande Lil Nas X Jonas Brothers [45]
2020 BTS
  • The Weeknd
  • Dua Lipa
  • Taylor Swift
 Roddy Ricch Black Eyed Peas [46]

^ 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.[22] A shorter blurb on Morissette remains on the main Greatest Pop Star landing page.[1]

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[47] Lil Nas X[48] Adele[49] Doja Cat[50] The Weeknd[51] BTS[52] Drake[53] Justin Bieber[54] Dua Lipa[55] Bad Bunny[56] Olivia Rodrigo[58] Willow[59]
2022 Bad Bunny[5] Harry Styles[60] Taylor Swift[61] Beyoncé[62] Drake[63] Lizzo[64] Doja Cat[65] Jack Harlow[66] Future[67] Nicki Minaj[68] Steve Lacy[70] Sam Smith[71]
2023 Taylor Swift[72] SZA[73] Beyoncé[74] Ice Spice[75] Morgan Wallen[76] Karol G[77] Olivia Rodrigo[78] Bad Bunny[79] Doja Cat[80] Drake[81] Peso Pluma[83] Miley Cyrus[84]
2024 Kendrick Lamar[85] Sabrina Carpenter[86] Taylor Swift[86] Chappell Roan[86] Charli XCX[86] Ariana Grande[86] Beyoncé[86] Post Malone[86] Billie Eilish[86] Jelly Roll[86] Shaboozey[86] Hozier[86]
2025 Bad Bunny[88] Taylor Swift[89] Lady Gaga[89] Kendrick Lamar[89] Sabrina Carpenter[89] KPop Demon Hunters cast[89] Tate McRae[89] Morgan Wallen[89] Doechii[89] Tyler, the Creator[89] Olivia Dean[89] Clipse[89]

21st century

[edit]
Beyoncé was named the Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century.
Drake was the highest-ranked male act on the Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century list.

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.[2] The full ranked list of the 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st century are as follows:[91][92]

  1. Beyoncé
  2. Taylor Swift
  3. Rihanna
  4. Drake
  5. Lady Gaga
  6. Britney Spears
  7. Kanye West
  8. Justin Bieber
  9. Ariana Grande
  10. Adele
  11. Usher
  12. Eminem
  13. Nicki Minaj
  14. Justin Timberlake
  15. Miley Cyrus
  16. Jay-Z
  17. Shakira
  18. The Weeknd
  19. BTS
  20. Bruno Mars
  21. Lil Wayne
  22. One Direction
  23. Bad Bunny
  24. Ed Sheeran
  25. Katy Perry

Honorable mentions

[edit]

The 26th through 50th greatest pop stars on the 21st century were listed alphabetically as honorable mentions.[2]

Statistics

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Female musicians dominated Billboard's Greatest Pop Star lists, showing the omnipresence of women within popular music in post-Madonna era.[1] 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

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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.[93][94][95] 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.[96]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Anderson, Trevor; Atkinson, Katie; Flores, Griselda; Kaufman, Gil; Lipshutz, Jason; Lynch, Joe; Mitchell, Gail; Unterberger, Andrew; Werthman, Christine (November 26, 2024). "The Greatest Pop Stars By Year: 1981–2025 (Updated Staff Picks)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Unterberger, Andrew (August 14, 2024). "The 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century: Honorable Mentions". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  3. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 16, 2024). "Best Pop Singers, Rappers & Groups of 21st Century". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  4. ↑ Grein, Paul (April 3, 2020). "20 Fun Facts About Billboard's 'Greatest Pop Star by Year' Selections". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Flores, Griselda (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 1 — Bad Bunny". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  6. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1981: Blondie". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  7. ↑ DiGiacomo, Frank (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1982: John Cougar Mellencamp". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1983: Michael Jackson". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  9. ↑ Mitchell, Gail (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1984: Prince". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  10. ↑ Johnston, Maura (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1985: Madonna". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  11. ↑ Mitchell, Gail (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1986: Whitney Houston". Billboard.
  12. ↑ Shipley, Al (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1987: Bon Jovi". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  13. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1988: George Michael". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  14. ↑ Lynch, Joe (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1989: Madonna". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  15. ↑ Werthman, Christine (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1990: Janet Jackson". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  16. ↑ Scarano, Ross (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1991: Mariah Carey". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  17. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1992: Nirvana". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  18. ↑ Williams, Stereo (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1993: Janet Jackson". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  19. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1994: Boyz II Men". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  20. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1995: TLC". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  21. ↑ "The Greatest Pop Star By Year: 1996". Billboard. February 3, 2026. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  22. 1 2 "The Greatest Pop Star by Year". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  23. ↑ Scarano, Ross (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1997: Puff Daddy". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  24. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1998: Backstreet Boys". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  25. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 1999: Britney Spears". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  26. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2000: *NSYNC". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  27. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2001: Jennifer Lopez". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  28. ↑ Lynch, Joe (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2002: Eminem". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  29. ↑ Anderson, Trevor (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2003: Beyoncé". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  30. ↑ Scarano, Ross (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2004: Usher". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  31. ↑ Williams, Stereo (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2005: Kanye West". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  32. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2006: Justin Timberlake". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  33. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2007: Rihanna". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  34. ↑ Shipley, Al (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2008: Lil Wayne". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  35. ↑ Hughes, Hilary (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2009: Lady Gaga". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  36. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2010: Katy Perry". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  37. ↑ Anderson, Trevor (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2011: Adele". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  38. ↑ Johnston, Maura (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2012: Rihanna". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  39. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2013: Miley Cyrus". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  40. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2014: Beyoncé". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  41. ↑ Lynch, Joe (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2015: Taylor Swift". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  42. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2016: Justin Bieber". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  43. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2017: Ed Sheeran". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  44. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2018: Drake". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  45. ↑ Weiner, Natalie (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2019: Ariana Grande". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  46. ↑ Nazareno, Mia (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2020: BTS". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  47. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 1 — Taylor Swift". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  48. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Denis, Kyle (December 16, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 2 — Lil Nas X". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  49. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (December 15, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 3 — Adele". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  50. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (December 15, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 4 — Doja Cat". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  51. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (December 14, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 5 — The Weeknd". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  52. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Nazareno, Mia (December 14, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 6 — BTS". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  53. ↑ Panaligan, E. J. (December 13, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 7 — Drake". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  54. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Blanchet, Brenton (December 13, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 8 — Justin Bieber". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  55. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Braca, Nina (December 10, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 9 — Dua Lipa". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  56. ↑ Cobo, Leila (December 10, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 10 — Bad Bunny". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  57. ↑ "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: Introduction & Honorable Mentions (Staff List)". Billboard. December 8, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  58. ↑ Unterberger, Larisha Paul,Andrew (December 9, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: Rookie of the Year — Olivia Rodrigo". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  59. ↑ Unterberger, J'na Jefferson,Andrew (December 9, 2021). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: Comeback Artist of the Year — Willow". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  60. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Aniftos, Rania (December 16, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 2 — Harry Styles". Billboard.
  61. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (December 15, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 3 — Taylor Swift". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  62. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Gracie, Bianca (December 15, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 4 — Beyoncé". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  63. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Mamo, Heran (December 14, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 5 — Drake". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  64. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Denis, Kyle (December 14, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 6 — Lizzo". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  65. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Jefferson, J'na (December 13, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 7 — Doja Cat". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  66. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Armstrong, Megan (December 13, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 8 — Jack Harlow". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  67. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (December 12, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 9 — Future". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  68. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Turner-Williams, Jaelani (December 12, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 10 — Nicki Minaj". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  69. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (December 8, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: Introduction & Honorable Mentions (Staff List)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  70. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Catlin, Caleb (December 9, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: Rookie of the Year — Steve Lacy". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  71. ↑ Daw, Stephen (December 9, 2022). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: Comeback Artist of the Year — Sam Smith". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  72. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (November 26, 2024). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 1 — Taylor Swift". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  73. ↑ Denis, Kyle (December 15, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 2 — SZA". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  74. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Aniftos, Rania (December 14, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 3 — Beyoncé". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  75. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Mamo, Heran (December 14, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 4 — Ice Spice". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  76. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (December 13, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 5 — Morgan Wallen". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  77. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Roiz, Jessica (December 13, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 6 — Karol G". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  78. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Lipshutz, Jason (December 12, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 7 — Olivia Rodrigo". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  79. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Raygoza, Isabela (December 12, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 8 — Bad Bunny". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  80. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Denis, Kyle (December 11, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 9 — Doja Cat". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  81. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Mahar, Meghan (December 11, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 10 — Drake". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  82. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (December 8, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: Introduction & Honorable Mentions (Staff List)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  83. ↑ Flores, Griselda (December 8, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: Rookie of the Year — Peso Pluma". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  84. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (December 8, 2023). "Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: Comeback Artist of the Year — Miley Cyrus". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  85. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (December 23, 2024). "Billboard Staff's Greatest Pop Stars of 2024: No. 1— Kendrick Lamar". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  86. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Unterberger, Andrew (December 23, 2024). "Billboard Staff's 10 Greatest Pop Stars of 2024 (Full List)". Billboard.
  87. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Denis, Kyle (December 10, 2024). "Billboard Staff's Greatest Pop Stars of 2024: Honorable Mentions". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  88. ↑ Raygoza, Isabela (January 30, 2026). "Billboard Staff's Greatest Pop Stars of 2025: No. 1 — Bad Bunny". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  89. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Unterberger, Andrew (January 30, 2026). "Billboard Staff's 10 Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 (Full List)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  90. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew; Denis, Kyle (January 15, 2026). "Billboard Staff's Greatest Pop Stars of 2025: Honorable Mentions". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  91. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (October 16, 2024). "Best Pop Singers, Rappers & Groups of 21st Century". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  92. ↑ Bond, Nick (November 27, 2024). "Winners and losers in ranking of greatest pop stars of the 21st century". News.com.au.
  93. ↑ "Swiftie racism against Beyoncé after Billboard ranking controversy, #SwiftieRacism trends on X". The Express Tribune. November 29, 2024. Archived from the original on November 30, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  94. ↑ "Taylor Swift's Fans Make Racist Comments For Beyonce, Internet Calls Out #SwiftieRacism". The Times of India. November 29, 2024. Archived from the original on November 29, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  95. ↑ Jennn, London (November 28, 2024). "Beyoncé's Beehive Swarms Racist Taylor Swift Fans Over Top Pop Nod". AllHipHop. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  96. ↑ "Taylor Swift fans enraged as Billboard uses Kanye's 'Famous' naked clip in her tribute video; apology issued". The Economic Times. November 28, 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
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