The Top Ten Pop Artists of the Decade

The first decade of the 21^st century saw the rise of an incredible number of new pop artists and the lines between pop, R&B, hip-hop, and rock became blurred as artists blended their talents. Digital music downloads gave music fans the ability to grab their favorite song of the moment and made instant stars out of artists who may have previously been obscure.

Compiling a list of the top ten pop artists of the decade is challenging in that there are so many artists who deserve this recognition. And, of course, any list is purely subjective and based on my own feelings about each of these artists.

Here are the ten artists whom I feel made the biggest impact on the music of this decade. I have not ordered this list in that each artist mentioned has impacted me in a different way and it's impossible to really determine which one would rank the highest in my estimation!

Beyonce: The first time I saw Destiny's Child perform, it was clear to me that Beyonce Knowles was the star of the trio. It almost seemed unfair to the other two! Turns out I was right. Her first solo album, Dangerously in Love, which was released in 2003, sold 317,000 copies in its first week and has been certified quadruple platinum. Two more releases during the decade - B'Day in 2006 and I Am... Sasha Fierce - have only sealed her reputation.

Beyonce has also proven her mettle as an actress, starring in the 2006 hit Dreamgirls and appearing in nine other films. She is listed in the top ten of Forbes' 100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the world and tops Billboard's list of Top Female Artists of the Decade.

Justin Timberlake: AlthoughJustin Timberlake has been part of the pop culture scene since the debut of 'N Synch in 1997, he had pretty much escaped my attention. But his first solo project, Justified (2002), set him apart from the plethora of boy band members trying to make it big and became the foundation of what has been an extremely successful solo career.

Justified was significant not only for launching Timberlake's solo career, but also for setting the tone for his music. "Rock Your Body" and "Cry Me a River" proved that not only could he sing, but that he was also a capable musician. The album sold over seven million copies. His second solo album, Future Sex/Love Sounds (2006), spawned three singles, sold nine million copies, and earned him two Grammys.

Not only has Justin Timberlake proven to be a talented singer/song-writer/musician, he has shown skill as an actor, appearing in ten films. He's also become one of the most popular Saturday Night Live hosts of the decade, appearing in three episodes where he demonstrated not only his musical skill but also a stellar sense of humor. "D*** in a Box" could be the SNL moment of the decade!

Kelly Clarkson: The first decade of the 21^st century will always be remembered in pop culture for the immense popularity of American Idol. Love it or hate it, the show has had an enormous impact on pop music, not only in its showcasing of undiscovered talent, but also in its inclusion of current pop artists in the show.

Idol has launched numerous artists who have gone on to achieve great success, but of all of them, Kelly Clarkson may end up being the most enduring. Kelly, who won the first season of the show, is the highest-selling Idol alum in the history of the show, having sold over 23 million albums worldwide. She is second only to Carrie Underwood in U.S. sales, racking up 10.4 million album sales in her career.

Kelly makes this list not just because of her connection with Idol. She has a unique vocal style and is beginning to prove her mettle as a songwriter. Her concerts are energetic and fun, and she has not lost that "girl next door" quality that so endeared her to Idol viewers. But she's no pushover and is determined to do things her way despite the critics. Kelly Clarkson is my favorite artist of the decade and if I were ranking this list, Kelly would be at the top!

Lady Gaga: Once every decade or so a pop artist explodes onto the music scene, paving new ground and breaking boundaries. Lady Gaga is such an artist. With the release of her first album, The Fame, in August 2008, this fresh, innovative artist shook up the pop music scene not only with her incredible vocals, but also with her unique performing style. "Poker Face" became the anthem of 2009 and catapulted GaGa to the top of the charts.

What makes this artist so special in my estimation is her creativity. She never performs a song live the same way twice and always brings something incredible to the stage. After only two years on the pop music scene, Lady Gaga has sold over four million albums and an incredible 20 million digital singles worldwide. Going into the next decade, Lady GaGa will remain a force to be reckoned with!

Britney Spears: Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Britney Spears has overcome what appeared to be a fatal meltdown, and once again establish herself as a viable and marketable artist. I don't think there are too many people who would have predicted her remarkable success with 2008's Circus, but a string of smash hit singles and a sold-out worldwide tour have given the former Pop Princess new life.

Spears leaves the decade as she entered it, at the top of the charts and on everyone's "best of" list. In between, she fell to the depths of depression and apparently depravity. We won't forget the images of her clomping around the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2007 or of her shaven head, but maybe all this makes what she's accomplished since even more remarkable. I have never been a huge fan, but I have to say, I really admire her tenacity. Further, I think her recent music is her best ever.

Alicia Keys: This talented artist blasted onto the pop music scene in 2001 with the release of her first album, Songs in A Minor. Keys' innovative blend of soul, R&B, jazz, and hip-hop set her apart from other female artists of the era and she was rewarded with five Grammys for her debut, including Best New Artist. The album sold over 12 million copies worldwide and firmly established Keys as a pop icon.

Her debut wasn't a fluke. Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), sold eight million copies worldwide and earned her four more Grammys. She has also expanded into acting, making an impressive impact in The Secret Life of Bees a role for which she learned to play the cello!

Bruce Springsteen: Springsteen would probably chafe at being included on a list of pop artists, but his music and influences is so widespread it's impossible to put together any "best of" list for the decade without including him. I believe that Springsteen's greatest contribution to the music of this decade was his September 11-inspired album The Rising. For the first time, an artist addressed the emotions of that day, the aftermath, and the impact on America. For that alone he deserves to be included in this list.

Springsteen's career spans over 40 years. He's won 19 Grammys and has sold over 65 million albums in the U.S. alone (120 million worldwide). At 60-years old, he continues to tour and though his voice may be a bit gruffer, age has given Springsteen's material even more depth and meaning. For me, at least, he remains "The Boss!"

Mariah Carey: At the beginning of the decade, Mariah Carey was riding high. She had been named Billboard's Artist of the Decade and was arguably the most famous female artist in the world. But fame has its dark side, and in 2001, she suffered a breakdown. Her movie Glitter was widely panned and it appeared that Mariah Carey was finished. I will never forget her tentative performance on the September 11 TV special, A Tribute to Heroes. Mariah, who had not appeared in public since her breakdown, gave a gut-wrenching performance of "Hero," a highlight of the show.

Carey's return to the spotlight came with the release of The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005. "We Belong Together" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks and the album earned her a Grammy for Best Contemporary Artist.

In April 2008, Carey surprised her fans by marrying Nick Cannon, a man 19 years her junior. The marriage has settled her and given her renewed focus. In May 2009, she released her 11^th album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, featuring yet another number smash hit, "Obsessed."

Like Britney Spears, Mariah Carey has survived the decade and remains a force in pop music.

Eminem: Of all the artists on this list, Eminem is the only one who was essentially "born" in this decade. Although his first album, The Real Slim Shady, was released in 1999, it was The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) that established Eminem as the best rapper of the decade. The album sold nearly 1.8 million copies in its first week and has since been certified nine times platinum in the U.S., with international sales of 19 million copies. He remains the top-selling artist of the decade, more than qualifying him for inclusion on this list.

Michael Jackson: Throughout most of the 21^st Century, Michael Jackson made headlines not for his music, but for his legal and personal troubles. His best years seemed to be behind him and he seemed destined to become a footnote in pop music history. But with his shocking death in June 2009, his music found its way back into our psyches, and we began to understand just what we had lost.

It's ironic that Jackson died on the eve of his comeback tour. We will never know if he could have pulled off this grueling 50-date tour, but somehow, I think it might just have happened. Wouldn't it have been cool to have been able to include Michael Jackson on this list based on his stunning comeback rather than because we lost him. Still, in the weeks after his death, Michael Jackson once again ruled the charts and his sales, selling nearly 3.8 million albums and 7.6 song downloads in six weeks.