The Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century

Billboard
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MUSIC HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century

Billboard's staff counts down the 25 greatest pop stars since 2000, going deep on the music, careers and legacies of some of the most legendary artists of the last quarter-century.

  1. No. 3: Rihanna

    6 DAYS AGO

    No. 3: Rihanna

    Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staff writer Kyle Denis and senior branded content producer/writer Walaa Elsiddig to remember the iconic career of our No. 3 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Rihanna. We remember everything there is to remember about Rihanna's incredible 13-year run at the center of pop music (and fashion and social media and everything else), and how even after the eight-year wait since her most-recent album -- with no end to that in sight -- she remains a towering figure in pop culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 51m
  2. No. 4: Drake

    NOV 13

    No. 4: Drake

    Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop team's Carl Lamarre and Michael Saponara to remember the brilliant career of our No. 4 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Drake. We try to explain why even though Drake doesn't fit the most classic pop star profile, he was still able to achieve the numbers, the impact and the overall greatness to make him one of the century's most important mainstream artists -- and we recount what made his recent L so shocking, and how he might still bounce back from it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 42m
  3. No. 5: Lady Gaga

    NOV 6

    No. 5: Lady Gaga

    Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Pride editor Stephen Daw and executive digital director Katie Atkinson to remember the brilliant career of our No. 5 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Lady Gaga. We try to capture what made Gaga's turn-of-the-'10s peak so shocking, so singular and so important, and remember the winding and occasionally rocky road Mother Monster took from there to where she is today, as one of the still-vital hitmakers and marquee touring artists of all 21st-century pop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    2h 2m
  4. No. 6: Britney Spears

    OCT 30

    No. 6: Britney Spears

    Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard executive digital director Joe Lynch and senior charts/data analyst Eric Frankenberg to talk about our No. 6 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st century, Britney Spears. We talk about Britney's incomparably iconic 2000s run and the classic albums, singles, videos, performances and cultural moments that cemented her legacy -- as well as the triumphs and tragedies of her last 20 years in the limelight, and the few timing factors largely holding her back from making the list's top five. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 46m
  5. No. 7: Kanye West

    OCT 25

    No. 7: Kanye West

    Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B's Angel Diaz and Michael Saponara to talk about our No. 7 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Kanye West. We talk about how Kanye became both one of the greatest artists of his generation and one of the most all-consuming stars and celebrities -- and then, how over the past decade, he both retreated from pop stardom and did serious damage to his own legacy with some of his comments and actions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 54m
  6. No. 8: Justin Bieber

    OCT 23

    No. 8: Justin Bieber

    Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Josh Glicksman and Kristen Wisneski to talk about our No. 8 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Justin Bieber. We talk about what makes The Bieb the highest-ranked traditional male pop artist on our list, and why his rise to ubiquity was still very representative of (and impactful on) the 21st century -- while also sharing some personal memories of peak Bieber Fever and attempting to defend some of his less successful periods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 27m
  7. No. 9: Ariana Grande

    OCT 18

    No. 9: Ariana Grande

    Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staff writers Kyle Denis and Hannah Dailey to talk about our No. 9 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Ariana Grande. We make the case -- not obvious to or agreed upon by all -- that she is one of the 10 greatest pop stars of the century so far, despite being a relatively newer artist, and how everything from her deep cuts to her romantic drama to her evolving album rollout strategy to her sometimes-contentious relationship with her fans has helped make her an era-defining icon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 35m
  8. No. 10: Adele

    OCT 16

    No. 10: Adele

    Today on the Greatest Pop Stars Podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by returning guests Joe Lynch and Jason Lipshutz to talk about our No. 10 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, Adele. We debate what should weigh more on Adele's ranking on this list -- the fact that she only has four total albums to her name, or that two of them were among the biggest albums in pop music history -- while also trying to explain what made Adele such an unusual (and successful) phenomenon among 2010s pop music, and giving our hopes and predictions as to where her career may take her from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 20m
See All (17)

About

Billboard's staff counts down the 25 greatest pop stars since 2000, going deep on the music, careers and legacies of some of the most legendary artists of the last quarter-century.

Information

  • Channel
    Billboard
  • Creator
    Billboard
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    17

More From Billboard

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada