The Ultimate List of Pop Music Artists

From Ariana Grande to Justin Bieber, find out which pop music artists are currently dominating the charts.

The Beatles

Formed in Liverpool in 1960, The Beatles revolutionized popular music and became the biggest band of all time. Their hits include “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” “Hard Day’s Night,” “Help!”, “Yesterday,” and “Let It Be.” The four members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley is often referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll” or simply “the King”. He was an American singer, musician, and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known by the single name Elvis. One of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll” or simply “the King”. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines that coincided with the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, made him enormously popular—and controversial. In November 1956, he made his television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. During his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and recordings sales. He won three competitive Grammys, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Dubbed the “King of Pop”, he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Jackson’s contributions to music, dance, and fashion along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.

The eighth child of the Jackson family, Michael made his professional debut in 1964 with his elder brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5. He began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown Records. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. His music videos, including those for “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, and “Thriller” from 1982 onward, reinforced his position as an international icon.

Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone (/tʃɪˈkoʊneɪ/ chi-KOHN-ay; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman. Referred to as the “Queen of Pop” since the 1980s, Madonna is known for pushing the boundaries of songwriting in mainstream popular music and for the imagery she uses onstage and in music videos. She has frequently reinvented her music and public image while maintaining autonomy within the recording industry. Although having sparked controversy, her works have been praised by music critics. Referred to as an icon of pop culture, Madonna has been commonly named a global gay icon and one of the best-selling female recording artists of all time by Guinness World Records.

Whitney Houston

No artist in the history of pop music has achieved greater success than Whitney Houston. A remarkable vocalist with a tremendous range, Whitney was able to cross over from the R&B world to the pop charts with ease, and her ability to connect with listeners made her one of the most successful recording artists of all time. With a voice that was both powerful and vulnerable, Whitney won over critics and fans alike, selling more than 200 million records during her career.

Born in 1963 in Newark, New Jersey, Whitney Houston began singing in church as a child and went on to study acting at New York’s High School for the Performing Arts. Her mother, Cissy Houston, was a well-known background vocalist who had worked with everyone from Aretha Franklin to Elvis Presley, and her cousin Dionne Warwick was one of the most successful pop singers of the ’60s. It wasn’t long before Whitney began appearing on records herself, singing backup on tracks by Chaka Khan and Jermaine Jackson; she also landed a modeling gig with Wilhelmina Models.

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1969 or 1970) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence with her self-titled debut album in 1990. Carey is the best-selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold worldwide. Carey has had number-one singles in the United States (including eighteen as a co-writer), as well as record-breaking singles worldwide, including “One Sweet Day”, “Fantasy”, “Always Be My Baby”, “We Belong Together” and “Don’t Forget About Us”. She has garnered 19 number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (the second most by a female artist after Madonna), as well as 28 top ten hits (the third most by a female artist). Throughout her career, Carey has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. According to RIAA, she is the second highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 64.5 million album units.

Celine Dion

Celine Dion is a Canadian singer and one of the bestselling artists of all time. She has released numerous hit songs throughout her career, including “My Heart Will Go On”, “Because You Loved Me”, and “Beauty and the Beast”. She has won five Grammy Awards, eight World Music Awards, and numerous other awards. Dion is known for her powerful vocal abilities and her ability to connect with her fans.

Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, she appeared in stage productions and television series, before signing with Jive Records in 1997. Spears’s first two studio albums,… Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!… I Did It Again (2000), were global successes and made her the best-selling teenage artist of all-time. They yielded the singles “…Baby One More Time”, “Oops!… I Did It Again”, “Stronger”, and “I’m a Slave 4 U”, which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2001, Spears released her self-titled third studio album, Britney, and played the starring role in the film Crossroads (2002). She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone (2003), which yielded the worldwide success of the single “Toxic”.

In 2007, Spears’s much-publicized personal issues sent her career into hiatus. Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released that same year to critical and commercial success. Later that year she experienced a career renaissance with her sixth album Circus (2008), which included global hit singles “Womanizer” and “Circus”. Her seventh album Femme Fatale (2011) became one of the best-selling albums of the year throughout Europe and Oceania. Throughout her career she has sold over 100 million records worldwide making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Forbes reported that Spears was the highest paid female musician of 2012, with earnings of $58 million.

One of Spears’s originating influences was rhythm and blues artist Shirts Brown; afterwards as a teenager she also drew inspiration from Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston…

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is one of the most popular pop music artists of our time. She first rose to fame with her debut album, The Fame, in 2008. Since then, she has released four more studio albums, all of which have been certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America. Her most recent album, Joanne, was released in 2016. Gaga has also won numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards and an Oscar for her song “Shallow” from the film A Star Is Born.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Bieber’s popularity exploded in early 2010 after his YouTube videos went viral. He released his debut studio album, My World 2.0, in March 2010. It contained the worldwide hit single “Baby”. His second studio album, Under the Mistletoe, was released in November 2011 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.