Top 10 Most Popular Artists Of All Time
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| Top 10 Most Popular Artists Of All Time (Updated) |
Around 6,500 songs and chart records were analysed by Liberty Games to reveal the most popular artists in history, and Madonna came in at number one!
According to Liberty Games, Madonna is the most popular artist of all time. This isn't just some daring statement made by an overly-enthusiastic Madonna mega fan though, this result was conceived from hard analysis, as cited by Louder Sound.
From analysing over 6,500 songs from the top 100 Billboard charts, starting from 1959 all the way to the present day, the games retailer produced a list ranking the most successful performers in history. Their popularity was ranked by how many times they appeared in the chart, with Madonna holding the highest amount on a total of 34 times.
Coming in at a close second was The Beatles, who made their mark on the Billboard chart on 30 occasions. In joint third place was Mariah Carey and Elton John with 26 appearances.
Unfortunately, aside from The Beatles and Elton John, rock music doesn't hold much weight on the list, with the majority of the spots filled by pop artists, including Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Elvis Presley did manage to make an appearance however, coming in at the joint 6th position, alongside Janet Jackson and Rihanna. Check out the detailed list below. Stay tuned!
List of top 10 most popular artists of all time
#10. Britney Spears: 16
#9. Kelly Clarkson: 17
#8. The Beach Boys: 18
#7. Drake, Whitney Houston & Pink: 19
#6. Rihanna, Elvis Presley & Janet Jackson: 21
#5. Michael Jackson: 22
#4. Taylor Swift & Stevie Wonder: 24
#3. Elton John & Mariah Carey: 26
#2. The Beatles: 30
#1. Madonna: 34
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Who are the most popular artist in the world of all time?
#1. Madonna: 34
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| Madonna is the most popular artist of all time |
Yes, it is Madonna, our Queen of Pop. Madonna had decades of pushing pop hits up the Billboard charts, each one further fueling her rise up this list. She's one of the few artists that constantly reinvents her image and message to stay relevant or exciting. Perhaps more important than any of this is her constant touring, which is additional marketing.
Business activities that help promote her music is the fact that she's a Golden Globe winning actress, owner of Maverick Records, has authored a handful of children's books, is a fashion designer, and owns several health clubs. In music, attention is a huge currency and Madonna knows how to get it.
| Madonna is the highest grossing solo artist of all time, the most-touring female musician ever, and the best-selling female recording artist of all time, globally. In the USA, she's only second behind Barbara Streisand. |
Related: Top 20 Most Played Female Artists of The 21st Century
#2. The Beatles: 30
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| 'Let It Be' - The Beatles |
The Beatles were only active as a band from 1960 to 1970, but they are the second most popular artists of all time. If you add in their solo material, nobody will ever beat them. A huge part of their success was leading the "British Invasion" of British pop and rock into the United States. Their art evolved with each release as did their controversies.
They hold all the awards, have starred in films, broke many records, and one of their songs is the most covered ever. The Lennon-McCartney songwriting duo will likely never be topped. Beyond the pop appeal, they were truly some of the best musicians to ever walk the earth. They're so good that kids these days think it's cool to dislike them.
 Full lyrics of 'Let it be' - The Beatless |
#3. Elton John & Mariah Carey: 26
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| Elton John |
Elton John holds the record for bestselling single of all time with 1997's “Candle in the Wind.” Another child prodigy—at 3 years old he could play “The Skater's Waltz” by ear—Sir Elton John has been releasing music since 1969. From 1972–1975, he had seven #1 albums, including “Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” and “Caribou.”
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| Mariah Carey |
The artist has the same statistic with Elton John is Mariah Carey, the voice of 'All I wish for Christmas is you'. Mariah Carey is known as the Songbird Supreme for good reason. She has an unbelievable five octave vocal range and can reach the whistle register, which very few can do. From her very first album, she's been breaking records and consistently winning with every release. Funnily, a huge part of her success has been her main Christmas single running up the charts year after year.
 Lyrics of 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' by Mariah Carey |
#4. Taylor Swift & Stevie Wonder: 24
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| Taylor Swift. Photo: NME |
With sales of over 200 million records worldwide, Taylor Swift is one of the world’s best selling musicians. She also has 32 American Music Awards (the most wins by an artist), and 23 Billboard Music Awards (the most wins by a woman) to her credit. Some of her well-known songs include We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Knew You Were Trouble, Shake It Off, Blank Space, and Bad Blood.
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| Stevie Wonder |
How can we not include Stevie Wonder on this list? Stevie was born on May 13, 1950. Stevie is largely considered one of the most influential singers and musicians of all time. With classic songs including “Superstition”, “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” and many more, Stevie has released many studio albums and many live albums. Stevie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. It’s hard to put into words, to sum up his musical career, a legendary musician and artist that will never be forgotten.
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#5. Michael Jackson: 22
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| Michael Jackson. Photo: CGTN America |
Nobody needs an introduction to Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. He's easily the greatest entertainer of all time and one of the most influential humans of the 20th century. From the Jackson 5 to his solo career, he literally spent his entire life making some of the best music to ever be recorded, leading to him being the most-awarded musician of all time.
Jackson's album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time (if you don't count the one greatest hits album that beats it). Before his run ended, his wealth was so staggering that he owned The Beatles catalog, was being sued and accused of everything under the sun constantly, and his concerts were spectacles the likes have never been achieved since.
| Michael Jackson's estate still brings in around $825 million a year, the highest amount for any celebrity of any kind. He once won 8 Grammys in one ceremony, tied for the record with the band Santana. During the Thriller years he had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at $2 per sale. |
#6. Rihanna, Elvis Presley & Janet Jackson: 21
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| Rihanna |
Although it’s been a few years since since Rihanna dropped a new single, don’t forget that she’s one of the biggest artists ever in terms of chart performance. Billboard has actually confirmed that: On their new Greatest Of All-Time Hot 100 Artists chart, Rihanna finds herself in the top 10.
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| Elvis Presley |
Elvis Presley was the king of rock ‘n’ roll music and turned it into something much greater. He fused different music types and created the leading rock ‘n’ roll sound we know today—rockabilly. This music genre became widely popular and turned Elvis Presley from a nobody to a national sensation. His music and stage presence are what made Presley so special. If you’ve seen his performances, you’ve probably already fallen in love with Presley’s dance moves.
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| Janet Jackson |
As a black female and one of the best-selling musicians of all time, Janet Jackson was pivotal in changing the relationship between music labels and black artists. She paved the path for better recording deals and distribution rights and broke through salary ceilings for an entire generation of entertainers.
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#7. Drake, Whitney Houston & Pink: 19
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| Drake is No. 1 on Billboard’s year-end Top Artists chart for 2 times |
Drake was No. 1 on Billboard’s year-end Top Artists chart for a second time, while 2021 marks the fifth straight year that a male artist has led the tally. Post Malone was tops in both 2020 and 2019, while Drake was the top artist for the first time in 2018 and Ed Sheeran ruled in 2017. The 35-year-old Drake is the year’s top artist not just thanks to the success of the pop and hip-hop superstar’s latest Billboard 200 No. 1 album, Certified Lover Boy (his 10th No. 1), and its accompanying hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart; he also reigns supreme via the continued presence of his catalog of previously released albums on the Billboard 200.
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| Whitney Houston |
With over 200 million album, single, and video sales throughout her career, Whitney Houston brought superstardom to a new level. The first female artist to enter the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #1 with her second album “Whitney”—and the only artist to have eight consecutive platinum albums—Houston's many records still stand nearly seven years after her sudden and unexpected death in 2012.
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| P!nk |
P!nk is the most played female artist of the 21st Century in the UK, topping a chart made up of some of the most iconic women in music. P!nk’s solo career began with her debut album Can’t Take Me Home in 2000, which was an instant hit in the UK where it sold over 400,000 copies and was BRIT Certified Platinum. Yet it was her second album, the 6x Platinum Missundaztood from 2001, which established her as a global pop icon, selling 12 million units worldwide and featuring hit singles “Get The Party Started” and “Just Like A Pill”. Since then, her studio albums have received a total of 13 Platinum awards in the UK and at the 2019 BRIT Awards she was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Music.
 Full Lyrics of "Try" by Pink |
#8. The Beach Boys: 18
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| The Beach Boys |
The Beach Boys rode the wave of the California Sound of surf-rock and then evolved into more personal themes as their fan base also matured. Their music's orchestrations and arrangements became so complex that, like the Moody Blues, they couldn't perform it faithfully live on stage.
Their vocal harmonies were recorded in one take early on and are absolute perfection that few achieve today. They're one of the few bands that found success before the British Invasion and maintained it during and after that period. These guys were deeply spiritual and if you listen closely you can hear it in the lyrics.
#9. Kelly Clarkson: 17
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| Kelly Clarkson |
Singer Kelly Clarkson is the type of person everyone feels like they know. She’s a celebrity, but it feels like she’s also one text message away. It’s an amazing quality for someone who has legions of fans, her own talk show (The Kelly Clarkson Show), a starring role on one of the most successful competition shows (The Voice), and millions of song streams and sales. Even between these 13 songs below, there are billions of views.
#10. Britney Spears: 16
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| Britney Spears in her music video for 'Baby One More Time' |
Last but not least, it is Britney Spears who changed the way we saw pop music, starting with her first single, 1998's "...Baby One More Time," which capped off the last millennium by going 14 times platinum in the U.S. alone. She's a pop icon, not just here in the States — where she's reportedly sold over 70 million albums, singles, and songs — but across the world. Amidst the boy band explosion of the late '90s, early '00s, Spears was the girl who managed to break into the boys club and give young adults who weren't girls, but not yet women, a voice. Even more important, she was the girl to show that there was power in that voice.
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