The Top Pop Music Artists of 2016

A look at the top pop music artists of 2016 and how they got to the top.

Introduction

The top pop music artists of 2016 include some familiar names as well as some new faces. These are the artists that have dominated the charts this year, whether with catchy earworms or controversial lyrics.

The Weeknd

The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, is a Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer. He first rose to prominence with the release of his mixtapes in 2011, and has since released two studio albums, Kiss Land (2013) and Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), which were both certified platinum by the RIAA. The Weeknd has also won two Grammy Awards and nine Juno Awards.

Justin Bieber

Global superstar Justin Bieber follows up his 2015 album Purpose with the release of his brand new studio album, Justice. The sixteen-track project features collaborations with some of music’s hottest stars, including Chance the Rapper, Quavo, Lil Uzi Vert, and more. With production from Skrillex, Benny Blanco, and others, Justice is sure to be one of the biggest albums of the year.

Drake

Drake is a Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. He was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Canada. His real name is Aubrey Drake Graham. He first gained recognition as an actor on the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation in the early 2000s. In 2006, he released his debut mixtape Room for Improvement. He signed a recording contract with Lil Wayne’s record label Young Money Entertainment in June 2009.

Drake released his debut studio album Thank Me Later in 2010, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and contained the hit single “Find Your Love”. His second album Take Care (2011) topped the charts in several countries, was certified quadruple platinum in the US, and won two Grammy Awards. His third album Nothing Was the Same (2013) became his best-selling album to date and spawned three US number one hits: “Started from the Bottom”, “Hold On, We’re Going Home”, and “Hotline Bling”. His fourth album Views (2016) also topped the charts and broke several records.

Rihanna

Rihanna, is a Barbadian singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, she first entered the music industry by recording demo tapes under the direction of record producer Evan Rogers in 2003. She ultimately signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for its then-president, hip hop producer and rapper Jay Z. In 2005, Rihanna rose to prominence with the release of her debut studio album Music of the Sun and its follow-up A Girl like Me (2006), which charted on the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 and respectively produced the singles “Pon de Replay” and “SOS”. Her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and produced seven successful singles, including “Umbrella”, “Don’t Stop the Music”, “Take a Bow”, and her first Hot 100 number one single, “SOS”. Achieving recognition for her versatile range of vocal styles and dance-oriented rhythms at an early age, numerous critics dubbed Rihanna as a pop icon during the course of her career. She has earned numerous awards throughout her career including eight American Music Awards—more than any other artist—nine BET Awards, 28 Billboard Music Awards—more than any other artist—and was honored as BMI’s Icon at their 2017 Pop Awards.

With sales exceeding 230 million records worldwide, Rihanna is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Many of her songs have topped charts around the world including: “Work” (featuring Drake), “Diamonds”, “We Found Love”, “Stay” (featuring Mikky Ekko), among others. Rihanna has earned 14 number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart which is more than any other artist in history; she is also ranked asBillboard’s Digital Songs Chart female artist with most week at number one (41 weeks) as well as Billboard’s Radio Songs Chart female artist with most weeks at number one (24 weeks). In 2012 she was named CEO/President of Beauty for fashion retailer Forever 21 making her the youngest person ever to hold this position in any major corporation.

Adele

Adele’s massive success with her album “25” has made her the top pop artist of 2016, according to a ranking of the year’s biggest musical acts. The British singer-songwriter released her third studio album in November 2015 and it quickly became a commercial and critical success. “25” sold more than 3 million copies in the United States in its first week of release and went on to become the best-selling album of 2015. It also won Album of the Year at the 2016 Grammy Awards. Adele’s singles “Hello” and “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” both reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first artist to achieve that feat in over 20 years.

Beyonce

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (/biˈjɒnseɪ/; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child, and rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny’s Child. Managed by her father, Mathew Knowles, the group became one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the ambitious release of Beyoncé’s debut album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which established her as a solo artist worldwide, earned five Grammy Awards and featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy”.

Conclusion

The Top Pop Music Artists of 2016 according to Billboard are:

1. The Chainsmokers
2. Drake
3. Justin Bieber
4. Twenty One Pilots
5. Rihanna
6. Ariana Grande
7. Desiigner
8. Zayn Malik
9. Calvin Harris
10. Beyonce