Top Music Artists

1. Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys' official website said she possesses an "old soul," and the hard facts seem to back up the implied claim of wisdom and experience that...

2. Britney Spears
More than any other single artist, Britney Spears was the driving force behind the return of teen pop in the late '90s. The blockbuster success of...

3. Chris Brown

4. Lil Wayne
Charismatic Southern rapper Lil Wayne began his industry ascendance as one of the Hot Boys, a short-lived Cash Money Records all-star group, and...

5. Soulja Boy

6. T-Pain
Tallahassee-based MC and vocalist T-Pain (born Faheem Najm) came up in a rap group called Nappy Headz but went pro as a solo R&B artist after he...

7. 50 Cent
Though he would later struggle with the nature of his fame as well as market expectations, 50 Cent endured substantial obstacles throughout his...

8. Kanye West
In the span of a few years, from 2001 to 2004, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for...

9. Paramore

10. Akon
Although he was born in St. Louis, Aliaune Thiam -- aka Akon -- grew up in Senegal before he and his family (including his father, jazz...

11. Rihanna
Rihanna established herself big-time in summer 2005 with her debut smash hit, "Pon de Replay," and continued to demonstrate her smash hit...

12. Avril Lavigne
Wild child Avril Lavigne hit big in summer 2002 with her spiky-fun debut song, "Complicated," shifting pop music into a different direction....

13. Linkin Park
Old-school hip-hop, traditional classic rock, and spooling electronic vibes were the initial factors behind the building of the alternative metal...

14. Beyoncé
One of the most recognizable characters in modern-day R&B, Beyoncé first rose to fame as the siren-voiced centerpiece of Destiny's Child before...

15. Timbaland
Timbaland ascended to the top of the rap industry in the late '90s, remarkably balancing his in-demand hitmaking abilities with his outlandish...

16. My Chemical Romance
Based in New Jersey, My Chemical Romance is an alternative pop/rock and punk-pop band that has been compared to Thursday and, to a lesser degree,...

17. Fall Out Boy
The four members of Chicago's Fall Out Boy came together in suburban Wilmette around 2001. Vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist/lyricist Pete...

18. Jay-Z
Embodying the rags-to-riches rap dream, Jay-Z pulled himself up by his bootstraps as a youth to eventually become the reigning rapper of New York...

19. Fergie
Like Martika, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Rahsaan Patterson, Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson got her first major break as a youngster on the television...

20. Justin Timberlake
As both a member of *NSYNC and a solo artist, Southern superstar Justin Timberlake has played a major role in the teen pop explosion of the '90s...