Taylor Swift is often referred to by her fans as “the music industry” itself, and given the influence she’s had on the world of arts and even economics over the past decade, the praise is not necessarily unearned. Still, you can’t expect the T-storm to break records by going on the highest-grossing tour in history and come out on top in every possible category all in the same year.
There may not be a single artist alive who can rival the kind of power and influence Taylor entertains over the music industry right now. Her fame actually reminds you of the days when Hollywood had stars and the power of their popularity determined the success of the medium itself. Now, in this age of social media, content creators, and hundreds of thousands of voices all shouting a different thing in the maddening din of our interconnected world, it’s not easy to single out one artist and try to outline their legacy against a sea of contemporaries.
But not Taylor Swift, now not only the wealthiest woman singer but a record-holder for the most celebrated and beloved artist in recent memory. If you were to make a list of the greatest pop stars in the last decade, or even the 21st century, your first instinct would be to start it with Taylor’s name. Well, it seems like Billboard had other ideas despite the monumental influence of Miss Americana. We knew this ranking was coming, but it still feels a bit strange, if not needless, to be comparing these two amazing artists and trying to give the crown to one of them.
Now before you go after Billboard or WGTC for reporting it with pitchforks and torches raised, it’s fair to note that Swift has been dethroned from this list by none other than the queen of pop herself, Beyoncé. I think we can all make an exception for Beyoncé. Maybe in a couple more years when we think about it again, Taylor could be hailed without a shadow of a doubt as the greatest in pop history, though good luck convincing Swifties.
Swifties are not only mad that their undefeated queen is not No. 1, but they’re once again bringing up that weird story of Beyoncé and Jay-Z working hand in hand to promote the former into the person she is today.
Of course, Taylor herself is probably more than okay with being No. 2, because she has nothing but praise for Beyoncé, whom she considers a major influence in her own illustrious career. Remember how she gushed about her when she made a surprise appearance on the Eras Tour movie red carpet?
“I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would’ve been like without Beyoncé’s influence,” Taylor wrote. “The way she’s taught me and every artist out here to break rules and defy industry norms. Her generosity of spirit. Her resilience and versatility. She’s been a guiding light throughout my career and the fact that she showed up tonight was like an actual fairytale.”
Now I don’t even want to get into that whole elaborate conspiracy theory about Kanye West, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift. Instead, here are the names of the other artists who have made it into the list thus far. At No. 3, we have Rihanna, followed by Drake, and then Lady Gaga. Britney Spears is No. 6, while Kanye, Justin Bieber, and Ariana Grande follow her, respectively. No. 10 is Adele (a serious snub if you ask me) and the rest are as follows:
25. Katy Perry
24. Ed Sheeran
23. Bad Bunny
22. One Direction
21. Lil Wayne
20. Bruno Mars
19. BTS
18. The Weeknd
17. Shakira
16. Jay-Z
15. Miley Cyrus
14. Justin Timberlake
13. Nicki Minaj
12. Eminem
11. Usher
Now, I personally believe that when it comes to pop music, Michael Jackson would’ve absolutely decimated every name on this list had he been around, but since this exclusively deals with artists who have been active in the 21st century, it’s understandable why his name isn’t on there. Then again, many other great names didn’t make it into the top 25, but you might find them in the honorable mentions article on Billboard. And if you still feel like your favorite pop star was overlooked or snubbed, you certainly wouldn’t be the first.
Published: Nov 26, 2024 05:51 pm