Rihanna has secured the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s record of the High 100 Girls Artists of the twenty first Century, with Beyoncé rating third.
The rankings have been decided based mostly on artists’ efficiency on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Scorching 100 songs chart from January 1, 2000, to December 28, 2024. Topping the record is Taylor Swift, who was just lately named the highest artist total of the previous 25 years.
Given Rihanna’s influence on the music business, her excessive placement comes as no shock. From her capacity to mix genres seamlessly to her plain chart dominance, she has constantly delivered hit after hit. Her debut single, “Pon de Replay,” reached No. 2 on the Scorching 100 in 2005, signaling the arrival of a brand new pop powerhouse.
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She shortly ascended to the highest with 2006’s “SOS,” her first No. 1, and by the top of the following decade, she had amassed 14 No. 1 hits—probably the most of any artist within the first quarter of the century and the third-most in historical past. Her versatility performed a vital position in her success, with chart-toppers spanning pop, R&B, dance, and dancehall. Moreover, her collaborations with Eminem and T.I. propelled them to No. 1 as effectively.
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Rihanna’s achievements prolong past singles. Between 2005 and 2016, she launched eight studio albums, all of which reached the highest 10 on the Billboard 200. Two of them—2012’s Unapologetic and 2016’s Anti—claimed the No. 1 spot. Whereas followers eagerly await her subsequent album, her legacy stays untouchable, with 14 No. 1 hits, 32 high 10s, and 63 complete Scorching 100 entries, guaranteeing her music stays in fixed rotation.
Beyoncé, ranked third, has additionally left an indelible mark on the business. From her early days in Future’s Baby to her evolution as a solo celebrity, she has constantly pushed inventive boundaries. Her debut solo single, “Loopy in Love,” that includes JAY-Z, dominated the Scorching 100 for seven weeks in 2003, marking the primary of her 9 solo chart-toppers, culminating in 2024’s “Texas Maintain ‘Em.”
Whereas the 2000s noticed Beyoncé crafting plain hits, the 2010s marked a shift towards inventive experimentation. She redefined album releases with the shock drop of her 2013 self-titled album, elevated visible storytelling with Beyoncé and Lemonade, and infused recent vitality into her catalog with 2022’s dance-driven Renaissance and 2024’s country-leaning Cowboy Carter.
Irrespective of the period or type, one factor remained fixed: a Beyoncé album was all the time an occasion. All eight of her customary studio albums, from 2003’s Dangerously in Like to Cowboy Carter, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. She even made historical past as the primary album by a Black lady to high the High Nation Albums chart.
READ ALSO: Beyoncé makes historical past as first Black lady to win Album of the 12 months within the twenty first century at 2025 Grammys for ‘Cowboy Carter’
Try the total record of Billboard’s High 100 Girls Artists of the twenty first Century beneath.
Taylor Swift
Rihanna
Beyoncé
Adele
Katy Perry
Girl Gaga
P!nk
Ariana Grande
Miley Cyrus
Alicia Keys
Kelly Clarkson
Mariah Carey
Carrie Underwood
Britney Spears
Billie Eilish
Nicki Minaj
Future’s Baby
SZA
Avril Lavigne
Christina Aguilera
Olivia Rodrigo
Jennifer Lopez
Mary J. Blige
Doja Cat
Dua Lipa
Kesha
Cardi B
Fergie
Ashanti
Selena Gomez
Norah Jones
Gwen Stefani
Meghan Trainor
The Chicks
Religion Hill
Madonna
Halsey
Ciara
Evanescence
Missy Elliott
Janet Jackson
Lizzo
Nelly Furtado
Lorde
Shakira
Sugarland
Aaliyah
Céline Dion
The Pussycat Dolls
Sabrina Carpenter
Camila Cabello
Demi Lovato
Sheryl Crow
Colbie Caillat
Sia
Miranda Lambert
Leona Lewis
Keyshia Cole
No Doubt
Dido
Enya
Ellie Goulding
Megan Thee Stallion
Sara Bareilles
Jessica Simpson
Shania Twain
Eve
Natasha Bedingfield
Whitney Houston
Iggy Azalea
Lana Del Rey
Amy Winehouse
Hilary Duff
Gretchen Wilson
Carly Rae Jepsen
Susan Boyle
Jordin Sparks
Ashlee Simpson
Martina McBride
Chappell Roan
Fleetwood Mac
The Band Perry
Michelle Department
Alessia Cara
Summer time Walker
Reba McEntire
Keri Hilson
Barbra Streisand
Myá
Bebe Rexha
Paramore (Hayley Williams)
Lil’ Kim
Brenda Lee
Toni Braxton
Charli XCX
Sade (Sade Adu)
Fifth Concord
Fantasia
Vanessa Carlton
Danity Kane
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