10. Carly Rae Jepsen
"Call Me Maybe" was perhaps one of the most polarizing songs of 2012. You either loved it or you hated it, or you loved to hate it, or you hated that you loved it. Me? I waver back and forth between the two emotions all the time. I guess I have to be in the right mood to appreciate this song, the kind of mood where you say "Fuck it, let's listen to one of the stupidest songs of all time and not care about lyrical quality." Whatever your opinion on the song, Carly Rae had one of the biggest summer jams of 2012, and one of the best-selling singles of all time. Call it luck, maybe.
9. Katy Perry
Katy Perry's like that pesky little fly that keeps buzzing around your head and won't go away. She's had an absolutely insane number of Hot 100 hits in the short span of her success, from "I Kissed a Girl" all the way up to "Dark Horse". While the jury's still out on how many of those hits she actually deserves, I have a feeling that Katy Perry won't be going away anytime soon, so we'd all better learn to sit down, shut up, and enjoy it. Unless our commentary on Katy Perry's success is witty and insightful. Then by all means, speak out.
8. Lorde
A good pick if you're looking for one of the strangest hits of 2013, Lorde's "Royals" came in at a time when it looked like even pop music listeners were getting sick of pop music. Something new, anything different, they said. Well, different is Lorde's middle name (does she even have a last name?), and she proved it with this #1 smash hit of late 2013. She's failed to follow up with similar success so far, but I see a bright future ahead for this young woman, regardless.
7. Adele
The biggest music star of 2011 was not who you'd expect at all. Adele, a British soul singer with none of the dancey pop charms that we've come to expect from pop music at that time, took the world by storm with two enduring hits in "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You". Her album 21 garnered a multitude of accolades and awards, and it cemented Adele as one of the true musicians of our generation. That is, until she dropped off the pop scene after 2012 and hasn't really done anything since. Easy come, easy go.
6. Rihanna
Rihanna's sheer volume of singles pretty much guarantees her a few #1 hits. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with only a ten-year career to boot. She started off strong with her debut single "Pon De Replay" and continued strong from there. She's a force to be reckoned with, that Rihanna.
5. Janet Jackson
Janet stands tall as being the second-most successful Jackson (sorry Jermaine), with ten Hot 100 Number ones and many others on the R&B charts. Her solo work spans over two decades and her songs still hold up today as classics.
4. Kelly Clarkson
Say what you will about American Idol, but it spawned at least one superstar and her name is Kelly Clarkson. Since her win, Kelly has been winning our hearts over and over with her relatable and catchy hits.
3. Whitney Houston
AND WEEEEEEE-EEEEEEE WILL ALWAYS LOVE HERRRRR and her endearing songs that never fail to touch our hearts and spell her success. Since 1985, Whitney has been one of the bestselling artists, selling over 200 million records worldwide. She's also inspired many performers, but has proven to be irreplaceable with her powerful, driven vocals.
2. Madonna
You can't talk about successful female performers without leaving off one of the most prolific. Madonna truly is one of the most influential women in the music industry, with her personality, her presence, and her unapologetic attitude about who she is and what she does, answering to no one. The personality pays off, with many of her songs reaching #1 on the Hot 100.
1. Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey's enduring success is undeniable, even more so than any other female performer on this list. That's not just me making an assertion, it's Billboard solidifying her presence in the music industry by giving her the Artist of the Decade award for the 90's. Wow. So far being the only woman to achieve that kind of success, Mariah stands tall with her head high as the most successful woman on the Billboard Charts.
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