Beyoncé Named Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century by Billboard
Kenneth Ashong 
World famous American singer and businesswoman Beyoncé has been named by Billboard magazine as the greatest pop star of the 21st century, a recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the music industry and beyond.
Beyoncé’s top spot on this iconic list has sparked a debate all over social media. While some praised the 'Lemonade' album hitmaker, others believed it should’ve been Taylor Swift (who was ranked number 2).
Beyoncé has been a strong force to reckon with in the global music industry ever since the late 1990s when she debuted from the now defunct girl group Destiny's Child.
Let’s remember that this list ranks artists throughout the 21st century, and Beyoncé has been great since the late 20th century.
Here’s a list of some of Beyoncé’s iconic achievements throughout her career:
- First artist in history to chart simultaneously at #1 on 23 different Billboard chartsMost decorated artist in Grammy’s history with 32 wins and 99 nominations
- Only artist to record a new #1 in each of these four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s & 2020s)
- Female artist with the most tours (4) grossing over $200 million each.
- First woman to have their first eight studio albums debut at #1 in the US.
- First touring artist in history to gross over $100 MILLION in three separate calendar months.
- First woman to top seven of Billboard’s multimetric song charts (Hot 100, Country Songs, Hot/Dance Electronic Songs, Gospel, Latin, R&B & Hip-Hop
Awards
Beyoncé has grabbed 32 Grammy wins (most of any artist in history) and over 800 total awards. She’s considered a generational performer.
Many netizens, however, wondered why Taylor Swift did not attain the coveted title, since she has accumulated 12 Grammys and over 500 awards, including the prestigious Artist of the Decade (AMAs). She holds numerous Billboard and chart records.
