In honor of Black Music Month, Essence Magazine’s online entity recently published a list of 50 Most Powerful R&B Artist of All Time. The list includes greats like Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson, but it omits legendary R&B stars such as Mariah Carey and Toni Braxton, and includes head-scratchers like Will Smith. Check out list for yourself below…
In order of appearance:
1. Aretha Franklin
2. Michael Jackson
3. Mary J Blige
4. Diana Ross
5. Whitney Houston
6. Beyonce
7. Patti LaBelle
8. Teena Marie
9. Maxwell
10. Lauryn Hill
11. Rihanna
12. Usher
13. Quincy Jones
14. Aaliyah
15. Timbaland
16. Ashford & Simpson
17. Janet Jackson
18. Sam Cooke
19. Marvin Gaye
20. Isley Brothers
21. Sade
22. Frankie Beverly & Maze
23. Alicia Keys
24. Chaka Kahn
25. Donny Hathaway
26. New Edition
27. D’Angelo
28. Etta James
29. R. Kelly
30. Anita Baker
31. Erykah Badu
32. Luther Vandross
33. James Brown
34. Teddy Pendergrass
35. TLC
36. Marvin Gaye
37. Prince
38. Gladys Knight
39. Curtis Mayfield
40. Earth, Wind, and Fire
41. Ray Charles
42. Stevie Wonder
43. Lionel Richie
44. Sean Combs
45. Jill Scott
46. Will Smith
47. Gamble & Huff
48. Boys 2 Men
49. Barry White
50. Babyface
There’s a lot wrong with this list. Yet, it was published by Essence who’s demographic is a little out of touch with the overall music landscape. Who do you think should be added, or left off of the list?
![Chance the Rapper's Wife Officially Files for Divorce After Months of Separation [#ICYMI]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/chance-rapper-divorce-kirsten-conley-bennett-2024-thatgrapejuice-464x260.png "Chance the Rapper's Wife Officially Files for Divorce After Months of Separation [#ICYMI].")
Rihanna Is R&B ?
BEYONCE RUNS THE WORLD!!
WHERES MARIAH ??! LMAOOO
I DONT THINK IT WAS IN ORDER..I THINK THEY JUST HAD 50 SCRAMBLED PICTURES ON THE WEBSITE..THEY DIDN’T SAY IT WAS IN ANY ORDER
Rihanna over Aaliyah seriously???…..
I AGREE.RIP MJ
Wow. This list is a big fail.
WHERE IS MIMIM CAREY
Why is beyonce over lauryn hill? …and rihanna shouldn’t be on the list at all. Girl bye.
HORRIBLE
I HOPE NO1 TAKES THAT LIST SERIOUSLY.
THIS LIST IS BIASED AND RACIST
ONLY BLACK PEOPLE
AND NO MARIAH CAREY???
RIHANNA – R&B LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
WHAT A JOKE!!!!
Mj forever
Rihanna over Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Sam Cooke, Prince..s*** Rihanna over any R&B artist? WTH
lots wrong with this.
Definitely disagree!
That is a rubbish list!
BIASED B******
RACISTS
ONLY BLACK PEOPLE
THE QUEEN OF R&B – MARIAH CAREY IS NOT THERE
BUT RIHANNA IS
LMAO
Rihanna is R&B ?? lord help us
THIS LIST IS B*******
MJ SHOULD BE #1 anyways
NEXT>
This sucks, have you really thought about this before you published it ?!!! HAVE NOT !!! Its clear Beyonce will and is still buying her way through !
@ MusicismyLife
June 25, 2011 at 3:03 pm
I HOPE NO1 TAKES THAT LIST SERIOUSLY
I sure as hell don’t. Why is Beyonce, Rihanna and Usher above people like Prince, Lauryn Hill and Ray Charles?
Will Smith..WTF?
Who voted on this crap?
this has to be out of order…..beyonce over patti?!?!…..Rihanna over Anita baker?!?! CTFU!! yeah this was def a “we don’t know s*** about R&b music” fail! lmao
11. RIhanna
———————————————————–
14. Aaliyah
17. Janet Jackson
29. R. Kelly
33. James Brown
42. Stevie Wonder
THAT SAYS ENOUGH!!!!
FLOP LIST
That list is whack. no offence to Bey she’s a great artist, but she doesn’t deserve to be before the likes of Janet Jackson and Marvin Gaye or even R Kelly!
CLEARLY , THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS LIST ARE BIASED AND RACIST
Mary J. Blige should be N#1 ! But a top #3 is cool too 😉
Aretha is where she should be. That is all.
And Rihanna, don’t even get me started! She doesn’t deserve to be there at all…
Is this list some kin of joke or something??
I mean, Alicia at 23?? Stevie at 42?
And then, Beyonce at 6? (are you kidding me?) Rihanna at 11?
That’s just WRONG in so many ways…… man..
B******* list. What is it based on sales, number ones?????And how is Aretha more powerful than MJ???????And how is Rihanna so far top on the list????And no Mariah Carey.
I for one won’t take this list serious.
“but it omits legendary R&B stars such as Mariah Carey ”
YESSS
TELL’EM SAM
F*** ESSENCE
Rihanna over Aaliyah. Both of them over Janet Jackson.
* kind
I saw Aretha Franklin last night…..yeah!!!!!!
Rihanna? oh ok o.O
No Mariah? – the best selling female artist of all time? Are you kidding me?
I like Will Smith and all but how did he make this list?
You have to wonder who the f*** make up these lists…..smh
@ QUEEN MARIAH >>>>> YOUR FAV you do know Mariah is half black dumb ass. I seriously doubt it racism since Alicia Keys who is also half black and Teena Marie who is white are all on the list. Mariah is clearly more pop than RnB, she should be on the list but she’s no queen of RnB that belongs to MJB according to billboard.com.
imma ahve 2 diagree with this list
I don’t really think the list was put in any particular order. i think it’s just random
mariah is 1/2 black so she should of been up here and considering she sings r&b.
WHERE THE F*** IS MARIAH?
MJB over WHITNEY O_O
Rihanna R&B O_O O_O O_O
this list is all types of f***** up!
Rihanna Isn’t R & B !! Mhmm, They Need To Redue This List!
Teena Marie is number 8
but she didn’t really have a lot of power in R&B Rick James had more power then her in R&B music and he’s not even on the list.
@ uknowumad
B****, S*** THE F*** UP
OF COURSE I NOT KNOW THAT QUEEN MARIAH IS BI-RACIAL
THE LIST MAY INCLUDE 2-3 ARTIST THAT ARE BI-RACIAL / WHITE BUT OVERALL IT CONTAINS MAINLY BLACK ARTISTS
RACISTS
BIASED B******
QUEEN MARIAH >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EVERYONE ELSE
OMG! ESSENCE YOU CAN KEEP YOUR LIST TO YOURSELVES HUNNIES.. WE DON’T CARE FOR IT.. IT’S FAKE TO THE FAKEST.. IF Y’ALL CAN MAKE SOMETHING SO BIASED.. I CAN DO THAT TOO…
I KNOW EVERYONE HAS ALREADY COMMENTED BOUT RIHANNA.. SO LET ME NOT! CAUSE I SURE CANT!!! LMAO!
This clearly isnt in order
and someone hand me the whiteout for a few of these names … #imjustsaying
at first i thought..it said 50 most powerful now..and im like there ain’t 50 doing ish right now..lol
…Uggs Giving Away Stuff After PETA called them out.. http://goo.gl/YOAJA to Get Consumers to Support them….haha got 2 pair!
LOL at Rihanna on this list. Bye.
The fact that Beyonce is above SADE. Just proves that this list is B*******.
Beyonce should be in the 20’s.
The fact that Rihanna, is even in this list at all
SMFH
WILL SMITH WHAT THE HELL THIS LIST IS A JOKE GET IT OFF
Wait, hold the f up. Stevie Wonder and James Brown are always in the top 10 on lists that includes all genres, but in their own genre their not even top 20? *FLOP LIST*
A Beyonce stan made this list.
MISSIMPARTIAL
“And how is Aretha more powerful than MJ???????”
Are you SERIOUS? Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul. MJ pales in comparison to her influence and legacy, in fact he was heavily influenced by her same with EVERYONE on this list.
And good question, where the f*** is Mariah?!
if it says of power r&b artist 2011 then I would understand but of all time this list is horrible
Number 1 Michael Jackson, Number 2 Aretha Number 3 James Brown, Number 4 Whitney Houston, Number 5 Prince, Number 6 Stevie Wonder, Number 7 Diana Ross, Number 8 Marvin Gaye, Number 7 Isley Brothers, Number 8 Patti LaBelle, Number 9 Chaka Khan, Number 10 Earth wind and fire. rudo please
the Young one’s Alica Keys, Beyonce, Usher, Mary J Blige, Rihanna should be like in 40’s and 30’s on that list.
This list is a FAIL. Why is Rihanna even in this list.
Mariah is not half black actually.
Her father was black/venezuelan, and her mother is white/irish.
Can’t wait unitl she comes back with that great music.
For the person who said Mariah is more Pop than R&B, I’m not sure how true that is. If that was the case than BB wouldn’t have listed her in the top 5 of one of the top R&B acts of the past 25 years. Also, Mariah has been doing R&B music since her first album, however, she has been huge in mainstream Pop music, therefore, that could be why she didn’t mak the list. However, she has done greatly in R&B music and a lot of her singles have had great success on the R&B chart since 1990. But for the past years, Mariah has touched down greatly in R&B and less Pop.
MARY J BEFORE PRINCE?
JOKE
DIANA ROSS AINT RNB,SHE IS DISCO
JOKE
SEAN COMBS ID DIDDY RIGHT?
I TOUGHT HE WAS A RAPPER
JOKE
WHERE IS FAITH EVANS?
JOKE
LMFAO at Timberland being on the list
i need to know what they mean by “powerful”, how the hell is rihanna no11 on that list. that’s spitting on the genre and where the hell is mariah carey?i know she went really pop mid 90s buh still, if rihanna can make the list off her skin colour, so should mariah
Mary over Whitney?
Rihanna is ranked at number 11?
Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, Prince, Luther Vandross, Gladys Knight aren’t even in the Top 20!
Will Smith?
And the biggest question: Where the hell is Mariah?
If this list isn’t lame, I don’t know which one else. RIDICULOUS!
LIKE WTF
WOW…..Can’t believe Rihanna would make this list, especially over Real R&B acts.
Maybe by “Power” They mean Worldwide appeal, but then Janet Jackson should be higher, and were is Mariah??
Im not a big R&B fan soo IDK but whatever….
DAMN at Ciara being excluded from her own damn genre, but Rihanna being on the list
ROFL
Not even her peers wanna claim her…LOLOLOLOL
this list is b*******. the fact that Rihanna got higher than alot of these LEGENDS on this list is just…i can’t
@Nichole
i hadnt read an of the comments before i left mine but it’s true mariah is more pop than rnb. in fact she influenced a whole new sound of pop with one of her collabos, i cant for the life of me , rmbr the name of it now
@ryan
That list is whack. no offence to Bey she’s a great artist, but she doesn’t deserve to be before the likes of Janet Jackson and Marvin Gaye or even R Kelly!
___________________________________________________________
i understand the other 2 but janet jackson? she’s more of a cultural icon than a music icon. this is based on a genre of music beyonce definitely comes before janet.
@carmello stop with the hate im not a beyonce fan..but u know damn well essence writer made this list …and btw why are u always hating obher in every post hating on females is for f****** and u r one
Either Aretha or Micheal would be suitable for No.1,so no complaints there
Marvin Gaye SHOULD have been higher, maybe in the top 10
Aaliyah is an irreplaceable urban icon.She should have been in the top 10 and definetely higher than 2 Jay-Z associated mainstream non-artists (I actually like Beyonce but come on now)
Janet should have been higher, MJB should be a little lower than she is and D’Angelo???Will Smith???NOOO
I hope it’s not really a countdown, as some person mentioned, and it’s just the 50 people they consider more influential in no particular order.Otherwise…
@BEY’KNIGHT, Was it hip pop???
Janet is a legend.
Well Bey’Knight Janet has the most #1’s on the BB R&B charts.. I think that’s probably what he was referring to.
MARIAH is NOT on the list, cuz she CAN’T be in ANY list…
She’s THE TOP that is OUT OF REACH of people AT ALL…
She’s not HUMAN and some people know it…
The list is unfair.If Rihanna made it in the top 50, then Rebecca Black and Justin Bieber must be on there too
well music conceders Mariah Carey a POP artist and this says R&B artist
The only one they got right was Areatha. The rest of this list=FAIL, in terms of order and artist that were left out.
This list is simply utter nonsense.
I just saw that Usher is just outside the top 10.I had a nice laugh at least!He is a very successful r n’b artist, but he’s neither largely influencial nor critically acclaimed.I still hope it’s just a list with no order as opposed to a countdown
WHY IS R. KELLY SO LOW?!?! HE’S THE KING OF R&B!!!
WTF ESSENCE!
WHERE THE F*** IS MARIAH CAREY??
WHY IS BEYONCE, LAURYN HILL, RIHANNA AND USHER SO HIGH?!
FAIL FAIL FAIL
kinda ridiculous how they have stevie wonder @ number 42 thats just a shame
essence knows damn well he should be in top 5.
ok now looking over the list again, over the shock ,its just makin me laugh, they have effin rappers on that list lmao…i think its clear no matter who u stan 4 , this list should be taken with a pinch of salt
This list is S***! Nonsense. Why putting people like sean combs, timbaland (who produced just few R&B cuts), rihanna & will smith into it, when legends like En Vogue, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, SWV, Faith Evans, Brandy, Monica and even Kelly Price are not into it.
Shame on them! They should tell us what is their definition of R&B cause they’re far from it!
@ASAP (AS SINCERE AS POSSIBLE)
http://tinyurl.com/43l9ls8
SMH Thats a bit much…your being super OD.
and Destiny’s Child???????
@DION_ISH I wouldn’t ROFL @ Ciara not being on the list.She’s been in the game for hardly 8 years and has only 4 albums, only 2 of which received attention.so…I believe in her, though…Maybe in another list, some years from now…
@DION_ISH I’m not being super odd.I just think Rihanna is a POP act. I like her for what she is, but I wouldn’t call her r’n’b.So, I find it SUPER ODD to see her on the list and I joked about it mentioning 2 other people that (try to) represent the pop genre.
Ciara can’t even compare to the likes of diana ross, whitney houston, and janet,
You know this list is f***** up when ppl like Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, Monica, Brandy, SWV are left off and Rihanna and Will Smith are on here and Beyonce is #6 above people like Boyz II Men, R. Kelly, Aaliyah, Patti LaBelle, Janet Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Quincy Jones, Sam Cooke, Chaka Khan and Prince
@ASAP (AS SINCERE AS POSSIBLE)
ROFL…..Girl? do you know ANYTHING?
Usher is very much soo influential and could very well be legendary in years to come. He’s like the male equivalent to Beyonce. He has inspired plenty of R&B males out there such as Trey Songz, Chris Brown, Miguel etc. and has had influence of Pop artist as well such as Justin Bieber. W/O Usher there wouldnt be a lot of what you see today w/ these male artist.
He’s the second behind MJ far as influence tbqh.
where’s stevie wonder???????
@THE KIDDZ
It says the most powerful no-one was bigger than MJ when he was out. He influenced other artist who are not only RNB. There are a lot of Rockers who even listen to him. That is why I question that and he started off as RNB artist.
ALL OF THE GREATS MENTIONED ABOVE ARE MISSING.
PLUS BRANDY NORWOOD WHO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST T*** TRIPLE THREATS!!!!!!!! SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON BEFORE BEYONCE AND THE OTHER POP GIRLS! THEY ARE LATE FOR THIS LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where Is Mariah She Should Atleast Be #3
&& RIRI Is Marketed As Pop Not R&B!!
#KingB2011
@ASAP (AS SINCERE AS POSSIBLE)
By OD … i meant Over Doing it.
Rihanna has R&B hits, but yes shes generally Pop. If you were going to do that it would make more since to compare the likes Katy Perry or Gaga. Not a Rebecca Black who isn’t even an artist.
Mariah Careys father is Afro-Venezuelan and African American so how was she left off the list due to racism? FAIL
@DION
Usher isn’t second to MJ! nor is he as influential!
@Queen Mariah
Hows iracist when Teena Maria is on it?
@ASAP (As Sincere As Possible)
No it was the remix of fantasy
I agree with this list apart from one thing. Mary j should a be a lot lower. Her influence is not that great compared to somepeople.
@ Bey”Knight. I believe that “sound” is referred to as “Hip-Pop.” Rappers like Nelly, 50 Cent, JaRule, etc were referred to as Hip Pop. I’m not even sure what “Hip Pop” is. I guess Pop with a mix of Hip Hop.
I think people seem to forget that Mariah didn’t really touch down on Pop music until the release of Music Box, which is her poppiest album to date. After that, she conitnued to touch down on R&B and Butterfly is one of her most urban albums to date. I just don’t agree that Mariah is more Pop than R&B. Especialy not these days.
BB list is way more accurate than Essense, and Mariah deserved to be on the list released by BB and in the top 5. I think the only reason why some people consider Mariah Pop, is because she’s had great success in mainstream music unlike some people on that list.
DID U B****** READ THE LIST IT SAYS POWERFUL AND BEYONCE IS MORE PWOERFUL THAN EVERYONE AFTER HER.
seriously??
wheres mariah?????
she had the song of the decade with we belong together!!! a rnb song!!!!
@CHILESTOP
Then your just being Delusional.
Who is then?? hmm
Becuase MJ himself and his family seem to think so….
http://tinyurl.com/63ybkcc
Forever SLAYED at Rihanna being #11 on that list LMFAOOOO I can’t… She isn’t even an R&B artist… How can she be so near to MJ on that list? So near to Aretha Franklin? LMAOOOO forever slayed (I’m done)
“Especialy not these days.”
Especially*
Bet Mariah is going to boycott Essence Magazine for their snub.
Where is Toni Braxton, Kelly Price, Jennifer Hudson and Alexander O’neal …Ya’ll can stick this list up ya A$$!!!!!
Hello? Where’s the temptations, marvin gaye, sam cooke, smokey robinson, the four tops, the marvelettes, gladys knight and the pips, and the jackson five? There’s so many more legendary artists I can’t think of at the moment but this list is so wrong. I mean no offense but we have to give it to the people who really started r&b and made r&b classic and legendary before all these up and coming artist started. Also the second generation new addition, bobby brown hello? WTH is going on Essence?>>>>>
@Dion
YOU are the delusional. The Jacksons NEVER said that Flusher was second to MJ. They never think that way!
Their are way more influential R&B artist over Flusher. I mean, Flusher isn’t even doing R&B these days. He’s trying to do Pop!
Lmao!!!!!!!!!! Essence Sure Can Stir Up The Pot!!!!!!!!!!
@PAIGEJ
Well MJ is the King of Pop….soo just because your Pop doesnt mean you dont have an influence over other genres.
@CHILESTOP
Hmm MJ always took Usher under his wing, and the family invited him to perform at his memorial service because they know how close they were….And um MJ is the King of Pop *Shrugs* Anybody who donies Usher’s influence, mind as well deny Beyonce’s.
@CHILESTOP
So who then? WHO is second to MJ? Who?!
I Dont see NOBODY but Usher.
He’s Influential, Talented, Universal, and still going strong to this day….SIT!
So wheres the real list than….
Ommmmmyyygodddd!!!….How could ya’ll dare forget songbird Minnie Riperton and the late great Isaac Hayes!!…Smh
list is fail
Whitney should be above mary j blige- i’ve never seen mary be a qudadruple threat that whitney was/is i.e Model, Singer, Producer, Actress- Whitney influened Mary as did Chaka,-then i’m good with the top 3
Beyonce should not be even top 10, Rihanna should be at the 70’s or so level, Mariah and toni braxton should be on the list, Chaka, Stevie Wonder and R kelly should be higher.
@Dion
You are sooooo delusional. I can’t even take you seriously right now.
MJ never took Flusher under his wing and the family invited Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson too but that doesn’t mean they’re 2nd to MJ. LMAO! Get a clue.
Flusher is no where as talented or influential as MJ. So please, stop. You’re embarrassing yourself.
holde the f*** on……………….it said most POWERFUL NOT BEST…………..and im not sure if james brown.marvin gaye.anita baker .stevie. were that powerful of celebs or stars in their prime……they now are legends but they probaly didnt have the type of power/success/fame beyonce/rihanna have now in the 20’s……..so maybe thats why they are so high up
i personally think that prince.janet.stevie.james brown.anita.ray charles. luther vandross. marvin gaye. and teddy pendergrass should be before rihanna.beyonce.and mary j blidge…but maybe they didnt mean best they really meant powerful so…..(it was harder to have success and be a big star back then if you were black so those guys probaly were not powerful artist) but they still deserve to be ahead of mary.rihanna.and beyonce cause without them we would not have those artist…………………….also dont know about yall but on the black stations in georgia i hear rihanna songs all the time so she is considered r&B……and plenty of her songs have been in the top 5 in billboard r&b and rude boy and whats my name went number one…..so she can be considered R&b cause she has success in that feild…………………………..and yes i agree mariah should be on the list in front of beyonce.rihanna.and mary
Yes at all my faves being listed! MJ, Janet, Beyonce, Maxwell, Erykah, and especially D’Angelo!! D is a musical genius and if he would’ve released music as of recently, I would’ve put him in the top 10 right next to Maxwell!!
seriously. where is MARIAH MUTHA FUCKEN CAREY on this list?!?!!
#EPicFail
on to the next one..
James Brown isn’t even on the list and he’s the God Father of Soul and the king of r&b is R kelly, and the prince of r&b is usher.
Aretha is the Queen of Soul, Then Mary J Blige,
@CHILESTOP
Yea thats exactly why MJ invited Usher to his anniversary concert in 2003 and brought him onstage to dance with him. MJ and Usher have always been close….
And Usher is very talented. That man can SING! and he dances and sings LIVE! Thats more then what some of the younger artist do today! You cant deny Usher’s talent….if so THATS delusion.
…And the fact that you cant even answer my question as in who you think lives up to MJ’s Legacy says enough, BYE!
@Dion wtf are you talking about? Next —»»
Stop trying to defend your girl Rih when you know she should not be on that list POINT BLANK PERIOD not at #11 not at #30 hell not even at #50 now I’m done for real this time LMAO
No Brandy or Monica? #walksawayfromscreen
Where’s Brandy? Tamia? Mariah? Why are rappers on the list?
Chris Brown Kills It Too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love Him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dion you’re giving me psychopath teas.
Usher CAN’T sing. He’s a better dance than singer.
MJ also invited *NSYNC and Whitney Houston to that show so what’s your point?
NOBODY lives up to MJ’s legacy, stupid. MJ is one of a kind and NOBODY can continue what he has done in music. Get that through your head! FLUSHER is never doing. He’s NOT as universal as MJ nor is he as talented. He can do as many high kicks he wants but it’s NOTHING like the King of Pop.
WOW THIS LIST = FAIL
BS
@PAIGEJ
http://tinyurl.com/6k6tbeb
Um, Im not even talking about Rihanna, Im talking about Usher sooo WTF are you talking about??
Ohhhhh boy this list is flawed and bizarre. At the beginning of the names, TGJ says ” in order of appearance”. So I wouldn’t invest to much in the numbered order. Maybe the article will explain how they decided who would be on the list but Will Smith has NEVER made anything remotely close to R n B so his inclusion in really strange.
At the end of the day we shouldn’t be that concerned about what EssencE has to say about this, we have our opinions and they have their own ( even if their opinion is completely wrong, ha!)
@CHILESTOP
OK….I never said he was more talented, just as talented or anything for that matter.
..and Usher cant sing?? ROFL
Your super pressed. Goodbye.
The List Said Most Powerful!!!!!!!!! That’s In Their Opinion!!!!!!!
Lol this list has you guys pressed as f***. Don’t even know why you’re taking it so seriously, who even reads Essence? Y’all need to chill the f*** out.
@DION_ISH Usher should be on the list but no so high.He is an icon, but not a legend and the 1st half of the list should ONLY include legends.Usher is really young to be up there and has only released 6 albums. And yes I overdid, because I wasn’t seriously suggesting tha Reb Black and JB should b on the list.I just picked up 2 random cheesy pop acts to show how unfair I think it is to iclude Rihanna on the list.IT WAS A JOKE
“Girl, Do you know anything??? ” Not a very polite phrase to say to someone you don’t know personally. a)I’m not a girl b)I know my facts and Usher should not be higher than Stevie Wonder p.ex.He is massively copied, he is the best r n’b act of the last 2 decades, but he hasn’t been influencial enough to be that high
^^^@DION_ISH
Where is Mariah Carey? Why if Beyonce ahead of people like Janet Jackson, Etta James, Sam Cooke, freaking James Brown? Really? This list is complete and utter b*******. The original greats should be put first and their followers should be under them.
Sam Stop Stirring Up The Pot and Put Something New Up!!!!!!!!!!!
This list is a hot ass mess, smdh. Rihanna???? Really, come on son, Ed Lover trademark, LOL.
@ASAP (AS SINCERE AS POSSIBLE)
Then Neither should Beyonce …Obviously ppl are looking to deep into a stupid list made by this Magazine, which ive never heard of.
..and who even knows what they mean by Most Powerful ….theres difference between that, and most influential or talented.
rihanna came before aaliyah #boom that tells u this list is b*******….wheres mariah #shade
UMM , I THINK WHEN THEY SAY “IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE”, THEY’RE SAYIN AS FAR AS ORDER IN DA MAGAZINE..I DONT THINK THEY ARE NUMBERED IN RANKIN
wtf is will smith doing on here…..wtf essence ur late and dnt kno s*** about r&b
@DION_ISH.I agree that Beyonce shouldn’t be THAT high either (this list deserves a bit of attention, simply because it’s funny, though)
@HUH, that’s the point.We don’t know if the magazine’s order of appearance is also a countdown or if they just threw names out there with no order
Toni Braxton is never given her credit. She has sold more albums and singles (60 million worldwide) than pretty much every artist on that list. Toni also still has the 2nd Biggest Single by a Female Artist ever. If Toni Braxton is not the epitome of a “Powerful R&B Artist”, then who is…. certainly not some of those on this list. This list is some bull-you-know-what. org
rihanna over r.kelly is this a joke r.kelly writes his stuff rihanna doesnt she is talentless
@THE KIDDZ
UMM, NO MJ was not influenced by Aretha Franklin. Please get your facts together before talking. And Aretha is the Queen but not as influential as MJ. MJ influences people in all genres, country included. He is the most successful black artist of all time and broke the door down even further for black artists and raised the bar for them..achievement wise.
I disagree with your statement.
WTF? This a more than an OUTRAGE! How are RAP STARS who DON’T RECORD R&B music such as P.Diddy and Will Smith POWERFUL R&B ARTISTS let alone of ALLTIMES?
1) MJ should be #1. Had Aretha not been sick and near death would she really have ranked this high?
2) How the HELL is this chick –> Mary J Blige the 3rd most powerful?
3) R.I.P. Teena Marie but #8 really based on what exactly her recent passing?
4) D’Angelo ??? O__0 I loved untitled and few others but POWERFUL based on what? Is he out of prison on drug dearling charges yet? Well he can pass this bullsh** list around to his prison pals!
5) WAIT A MINUTE pop-tart RAGGEDY is #11. Oh HELL NO based on what?
Is ESSENCE like BET now white owned? THIS LIST IS TOTTAL BULLSH*T!
seriously rihanna doesnt even know what R&B is where Aaliyah at this aint true
@DION_ISH
Usher is nowhere near MJ. Influential? To who? Justin Bieber? He’s not an legend and definitely isn’t on MJ’s level artistically but he is a good dancer.
Mariah is one of the greatest and top r&b/pop artist everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They were very disrespectful in not putting her on this list. This woman is one of the most successful r&b artists out there, yet they put Rihanna on here. Somebody just threw this sh*t together. It’s disgusting. This could all be an attempt just to get people to pay attention to their magazine.
Ima B fan all the way but there really is something wrong with this list .. i was born 1990 & during the whole 90s there wasnt a aaliyahh song that wasnt blasting on the radio she def was the it girl before she passed away & should be at least #4 on this list….
This list is terrible. MARIAH CAREY is entitled to be on this list period.
beyonce need to be number 1…
…Lost so much weight…eating just subs..proly couldn’t have done it if Subway.. http://goo.gl/YElCe wasn’t giving out $100 gift cards!!..
LMFAO@ BLEACHonce being #6. Everything in her career is bogus and based off of stealing from others. . This list is complete and utter SHITE.
4= FLOP by the way:)
I guess because mariah carey has never offically represented the black in her & this is a black magazine thats why they didnt put her on the list, she should be at least in the top 10 thou
Next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Same Next Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn
@lacefronce why does this have to be about beyonce ? If they didnt put her picture on the post you would have never even clicked. i swear you really need to get a life
this list is a hot mess Rihanna over Aaliyah like seriously??? puhhh-lease they gotta be joking where is ashton i must be getting punked
Typo Sam Move It Along!!!!!!!!!!! S***
F*** This S***** Ass Site!!!!!!!! I Hope Beyonce does well Tuesday,let me enjoy my weekend.Sick Of These Crybabies Crying and Bitching Everyday about Everything!!!!!!!
BEYONCE’S REAL HAIR http://a.yfrog.com/img737/8663/z1je.jpg
@PYTFROMAL
First of all, If your going to come at me, Come muthafukin CORRECT! Ok?
I NEVER said Usher was on MJ’s level….
But Usher is influential in his own right. He has influenced many R&B acts of today including Trey Songz ,Chris Brown, Miguel, Omarion etc. etc.
It Goes Michael jackson >>>> Usher >>>> everybody else.
Essence is worst than BET when it comes to these list!!! EPIC FAIL!
They did R. Kelly wrong. He’s the King of R&B and deserves to be #1 on this list. He writes, produces and sings all of his music. He also writes and produces for other artists like the Isley Brothers, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.
@killyouselfhaters hello. you know i co-sign about everything you say lol cus its the truth.
HATERS: beyonce will do well because they are giving out her cd her in my state all weekend on the radio and they say so many are calling for it. Beyonce is interesting even to her haters.
4= best cd i have heard all year raise the bar beyonce do ur thang let beyaki drool after your greatness that sad b**** lol
@Dion
All of those artists you listed are influenced by R. Kelly and Usher is influenced by R. Kelly, as well.
I hate Rihanna fell on the other post.Janet is getting it in on her post too.Good Day
@B-STANNING WHAT DO U MEAN THEY ARE GIVING OUT HER CD IN WHAT WAY IS IT A CONTEST OR SOMETHING?
@B Stanning checkout the Rihanna video,she tripped and they have it on video,the haters are on her post talking about Bey! SMH
Ok certain people need to take a seat
You MAD because rihanna is on the list B**** please
Other then Beyonce and Rihanna what other BLACK RNB Artist are breaking records, have internatinal sucess like them. Please underrate rihanna sucess. Rihanna is rnb But she also crosses over most of her albums have rnb songs included in them so I don’t understand why people always want to push rihanna out WHERE IS CIARA What is she doing nothing there are NO Female rnb artist left who are POWER Like beyonce and rihanna this is why BLACK FOLKS never go far in life cant even accept their own kind rihanna is on the list I don’t thinks he should be that high and above certain people buts he is on the list and you will all deal.
And after mj Usher also paved the way for some of these rnb males.
I agree that Janet and some others should be waaay higher in the list. I also think mariah should have been added to the list too
@WOW
Not Necessarily since Usher and R.Kelly were out around the same time.
Sorta like Prince and MJ ….But Usher is very influential over them, theres no denying it. Esp. Chris Brown, Bieber, Omarion, Miguel, Trey etc.
Uhm this list…no. First off Mary and Beyonce need to exit the top ten and sit in the top 20 (Mary influenced a new generation and pionered a new sound, Beyonce has taken the game by storm and has done a good job of holding down the “throne”, both having at least a decade under their belts *Mary is about to hit 20, and Beyonce 13 years). There is no doubt on their influence, but their are others who have made a bigger impact with time. Also Mariah no show? Did she throw shade at Essence or something, if anyone from the 90’s needs to be in the top 10 it would be her. What is the criteria that they based this of off?
No, R. Kelly debuted in 1990. Usher debuted in 1994.
Usher is influenced by R. Kelly and has stated this several times. But Usher isn’t as influential as R. Kelly. Those artists you listed (excluded Justin Bieber) are influenced by R. Kelly.
Chris Brown and Omarion copy R. Kelly’s vocal style but also copy MJ’s performance style.
Please Take a listen to my new song please thank you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHhCy3IzpFI
@Elizabeth yes you have to be like the caller after you hear one of her songs
@killyourselfhaters LMAO
Where is Destiny’s child on the list I am so sorry to say this but is true
Beyonce is overrated #True
Who ever made this list needs to be slapped multiple times. Rihanna on an R&B list? Shes f****** pop. No Toni Braxton or Mariah Carey? Sade isnt top 10? Alicia Keys ahead of R.Kelly? This is a joke!!!
ASHANTI SHOULD OF MADE THE LIST WAY BETTER ALOT OF OTHER NAMES COME ON ESSENCE WITH THIS B******* ASS LIST
TEAMASHANTI FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @its_m3_ch3rish
Usher is a bootleg MJ/R.Kelly. He shouldnt be top 20
@B Stanning!!!!!! Lol You Know You’re Wrong!!!!!!! RiRi Does Her Thing I Like Her Too!!!!!!
@WOW
Delusional.com
Soo Since there 4 yrs apart in debut…..That automatically means Usher is inspired by him? Not saying he couldn’t be…but um thats like saying Gaga is influenced by Rihanna, could or could not be true.
But um yea Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Miguel have all acknowledged Usher as inspiration and its very evident. Its not to say they arent also influenced by R.Kelly but they are in fact influenced by Usher….You can take the delusions somewhere else.
rihanna at 11 and r. kelly all the way at 29. WTF!!!
kellz should be top 5 at least!
wait, no chris brown?
HOW IN THE HELL DO THEY HAVE AALIYAH ON THE LIST AND NOT MONICA OR BRANDY? WTF? SHOW ME THE RECEIPTS!
@KILLYOUSELFHATERS I KNOW I AM LET ME STOP.
Okay if you are going to have Gamble & Huff (song writers not R&B artists) then why not Holland, Dozer, Holland (wrote almost all of Motown songs)?
Why is Marvine Gaye down so low and listed twice?
Again, THIS LIST IS TOTTAL BULLSH*T!
@B Stanning !!!!!! 3 Days 2 Go! Can’t Wait.
@Dion
You’re the delusional, hun.
and I’m not even speaking about their debut gap. I’m saying that Usher himself has stated not once, not twice but MANY times that R. Kelly in one of his inspirations. Case closed.
I could give two f**** if Chris Brown, Trey Songz or Miguel (who the f*** is that anyway?) stated that Usher is one of their influences because Chris brown and Trey Songz have stated R. Kelly is their inspiration many times. Especially, Trey. Hell, R. Kelly influenced ALL the R&B artists out now.
So you can take your delusions about Usher elsewhere. You’re the only one hyping him up to be some sort of legend when he’s not even close!
@MRINCREDIBLE Although I think all 3 ladies should have been somewhere on the list, you’re wrong for trying to discredit Aaliyah.She was a great singer, BREATHTAKING DANCER, she had star quality and presence and in her 7 year old career everything she did was ICONIC. SHE IS AN URBAN ICON and noone can knock her legacy
Weird list! No MJ and no Mariah Carey! N Rihanna shouldn’t even be on the list!
Aaliyah is BELOW Rihanna???
RIHANNA is mainly POP,WHAT in the Hell are the people at Essence smoking???
Sorry Aretha but Mj needs to be on the top of the list.
Beyonce is NEAR the top so there’s no wrong with that.
P. F****** DIDDY???(You’ve got to ne kidding me!)
Seriously,If you really wanted to make a FLAWED ass list,you might as well could have included my fave.
(PS to any Mariah Stans who say this list is racist….While I do NOT approve of this FUCKERY of a list,please stop claiming the list is racist as Teens Marie is white.)
Now i know this a joke! This list should’ve been on the longevity of an artist an the quality of their music. There is no way Rihanna should’ve been on this list, let alone after Lauryn Hill! lauryn made one album over a decade ago and it was an instant classic, and for all those who have died there music has lived on and stood the test of time – Who the f**k will be listening to Rihannas disposable pop songs 10 years from now? Mariah not on the list is a joke! She did r&b remixes and TEOM was pure r&b, she’s spent more years being r&b than pop. Jokers!
HOLD ON…WHERE IS AL GREEN???? KILL THE EDITOR!!!!!
@browngirl
June 25, 2011 at 6:36 pm
wait, no chris brown?
*******************
HELL CALLER ARE YOU THERE?? Can you believe these fools put this listed together and didn’t include young Mike Jack? How is that even possible? Yet listed P. Diddy Sean Combs and Will Smith?? O__0….. I never did like Essence!
@WOW
Whatever because um your the one denouncing the fact that Usher has in fact influenced other male R&B artist. I never ONCE said R.Kelly wasn’t an influence. and I never ONCE said Usher was legendary.
Trey Songz main Influence is R.Kelly ..Very True
Chris Brown, Bieber etc. Main Influence is Usher.
Michael Jackson has influenced them ALL.
Thats That.
And Are you people even taking notice at the headline!
MOST POWERFUL ……Not Influential, Not Talented. Most POWERFUL
Say it together:
POWERFUL!!
Like Geese …Calm Down, Gather yourself, and Get a Life.
Who fukin cares over an UNKNOWN magazine Article….Yall acting like Its Rolling Stone or something, like BYE!!
This list is f*****’ bad. Where is Mariah, Toni? Are you kidding me? Essence must be reallz stupid magazine
WAIT. They left out Ciara …and Chris Brown??
http://bit.ly/iau71M
Guess they dont see the POWER in there names ..*Chuckles*
This is a F***** UP LIST!! Aaliyah should be higher than #14…. Rihanna shouldn’t be there… TLC should be HIGHER…. How did Will smith get on here??? JAMES BROWN should be HIGHER 4real… HUGE FAIL all the Legends are at the bottom of the LIST…. WTF?!
and yes Will Smith was an actor who used to be a rapper…..Where in the F*** does it say he does RnB???
S/N Beyonce Looks FLAWLESS on that cover.
Aaliyah definitely deserves to be on this list but not #14, maybe #20, she’s influenced artists like Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, Rihanna, Ciara, Ashanti, Mya, Amerie, Tiffany, Kesha Chante and Cassie. From 1994 – 2001, Aaliyah was a huge force in the R&B world. Her first 2 albums are 2 of the most influential R&B albums ever, they created the R&B sound that we hear is females today. But Mariah Carey, Monica, Brandy, The O’Jays, Jackson 5, The Supremes, Tina Turner, Toni Braxton, En Vogue, SWV, Rick James, Al Green and the motherfucking TEMPTATIONS to not be on this list is just ridiculous. Beyonce #6, it must feel good to have money doesn’t Beyonce, I know this list is the “Most Powerful R&B Artists”, but Beyonce’s music is really Urban Pop and is so Rihanna’s. Usher is too high, so is Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, Teena Marie and why are Will Smith, Diddy and Timbaland on this list. Aretha and Michael deserve to be #1 and #2 because Michael is the most successful R&B aritst ever and Aretha is Aretha, no female would be on this list if it wasn’t for her. But MJB #3, really #3. James Brown should’ve been #3.
LMFAO at the Aaliyah stan. She shouldn’t even be on the list so SIT.
and at Dion – Chris Brown and Justin Bieber are mainly influenced by MJ but when they try to do R&B. It’s R. Kelly. I remember Chris Brown mentioning being starstruck by MJ and R. Kelly.
I am sorry to say, but Ciara and Chris Brown still have to accomplish a lot more before they are considered very powerful musicians. They’ve had a few hit albums and singles, and are both very talented, but they need to reach the levels of Beyonce and Usher: The Queen and King of Urban Pop because they are the Prince and Princess of Urban Pop. I am pretty sure in about 5 – 10 years, they’ll be ranked as future legends/icons because by then they both have been in the industry for 15+ years and they have influenced artists of the upcoming generations and have accomplished much much more.
@WOW really? Aaliyah shouldn’t be on the list?? Hun u sit…. She was one of the best R&B artist of all time and still is better than Half of the these artist out now…….
@WOW
…And Usher. Cased Closed. Maybe in your dreams he isnt influenced by Usher…But thats the true tea…..Chris Brown no damn well he wanted to be like Usher, and he came out with the same t*** R&B hearthrob image, sound, and everything.
Anybody saying otherwise is delusional. Case Closed.
WHY are people in here Dead ass crying tho?? Like ROFL …I Can NOT!!
Get a fukin life, this is hilarious ….Ch umm, Go dance…have fun or something like
Really me Right Now:
http://tinyurl.com/64t3uaf
Yall:
:””””””(((
Fukin Hilarious.
@killyourselfhaters i know right it came quicker than I thought
@QUEEN MARIAH >>>>> YOUR FAV
June 25, 2011 at 3:17 pm
OVERALL IT CONTAINS MAINLY BLACK ARTISTS <—— ITS AN R&B ARTIST LIST of course the majority of the ppl are going to be BLACK! Are you really surprised? Who would you put Justin Bieber, I'm sure by next year he will be on this list (REAL TALK) THE WAY THEY KEEP SHOVING HIM DOWN OUR THROATS!
*Mariah SHOULD HAVE been listed! I'm not sure WTF is going on here??
@MOBWIFE….”STILL A DIRTY LOW-DOWN BILLY GOAT..BAA)
Dont come for Bieber ….You Mad he’s Universal and slaying?! Oh.
lol
@DION_ISH
STFU! Chris Brown did not want to be like Usher! bu He has always admired Usher mainly because they were both greatly influenced by MICHAEL JACKSON! Chris has expressed the same admiration for Justine TimberFAKE! You should know what you are talking about before opening and closing cases!!
@WOW Just don’t go there.EVERYTHING AALIYAH DID WAS ICONIC.She is not a legend, but if her life hadn’t been cut short the way it was, you bet she would be.SHE DESERVES TO BE ON THAT LIST
@BASIC INSTINCT Well, I respect your opinion, but I just think that Aaliyah deserves to be EXACTLY where she is on the list, if not higher.IMO, she’s influenced ALL the female stars out there right now.She was the 1st r n’b princess to emerge(before Bran and Monica)and the only one who pulled of a look that was s***, yet innocent, sweet and gentle.She took her music to places a lot of the acts on this so-called list were afraid to go.HER SPOT IS WELL DESERVED, even on this joke list
No… I DON’T want MARIAH in this list…
It’s too WEAK for her… She’s SO MUCH GREATER THAN THAT…
@MOBWIFE….”STILL A DIRTY LOW-DOWN BILLY GOAT..BAA)
Fair Enough.
But to say Chris Brown was not inspired by Usher at all was a bit delusional. He had much admiration of Usher and his appeal, style, and Accomplishments.
This list ain’t s*** lol. Billboard’s List of top 50 successful R&B Artist of the past 25 years was better. Essence just embarrased themeselves.
Usher beofre R Kelly? The king of R&B? And why is Rihanna before the both of them? She has had more success in Pop honestly. People need to stop throwing every black artist into the R&B category because R Kelly has dominated R&B and they put him at #29 but put her at #11? This list might be more accurate if they said most powerful BLACK artist but this damn sure isn’t organized by success in R&B.
And where the f*** is Mariah on this list? I f****** can’t lmao. I really don’t know wether to drag Essence or laugh at this foolishness the list is a complete tradegy.
OMG!!!I just realized we’re arguing over a list published by a magazine, whose cover reads “23 natural hairstyles p.53. LOL
Lol @Dion_ish trying to throw shade at Chris and Ciara saying “I guess they don’t see the power in their names” lol. I would be salty about that if this list wasn’t a joke. Anytime Usher is ranked higher than R Kelly in R&B and Rihanna is ranked higher than both and Mariah isn’t even on the list you just laugh and walk away.
This list though: http://www.billboard.com/column/the-juice/the-top-50-r-b-hip-hop-artists-of-the-past-1004127916.story
And even that list is f***** up a bit too. But Essence’s list was worse. So DEAD at everyone shading artist and crying. It’s not that deep.
@NOODLES
http://tinyurl.com/6359kz4
PEOPLE!!!! THE LIST IS NOT IN ORDER!!! the link to the actual site is right here. Its not a “top 50” list…its just in random order.
here see for your self! http://photos.essence.com/galleries/50_most_influential_black_musicians#812103
Even Essence isn’t stupid enough to put Rihanna BEFORE Janet…lol.
Where is BRANDY….HOW CAN U HAVE AALIYAH AND NOT BRANDY AND MONICA……BUT RIHANNA ARE U KIDING ME WHAT A JOKE….DO BETTER ESSENCE.!!!!!! RIHANNA NEVER SANG A R&B SONG A DAY IN HER LIFE…..
I like the top ten, but I wish Prince and Marvin were higher!
I dont think this list is based on just skin color,
because alicia keys is also biracial like mariah, teena marie is white..
why is wll smith on the list? hes not R&B…
when was the las time rihanna did r&b?
this list is pure crap..yes alot of people on there deserves to be there..but where is mariah, jazmine, jill scott, heather headley, ashanti, brandy , monica, carl thomas, case, tamia, to braxton, so on,
I’m tired of people putting all black people in the R&B category..most of the people on there is pop…
Uh, there is way too much fuckery on this list to even point out what’s wrong.
Aretha should be #1 and MJ should be #2 But either Mary or R. Kelly at #3. So, that’s pretty much it…..There is nothing else that can stay the same. NOTHING! Smh.
hell where is mary j blige? shes R&B royalty
i dont take these type of list serious any more..
since they name king of the lacefronts one of the top songwriter of the decade, (that s*** tickled the f*** out of me)
i guess its who you know, who u f******, how much you pay, to be on there, type of list…
cause right now, u dont even need to be able to sing, dance, performed to get a record deal….
mary is on there…good cause i was about to write a long ass hate mail to essence…..cause if ur gonna make an R&B list mary j should automatically be on there..
This list is complete and utter B*******. Janet #17??? WTF! Really?… No, Toni and Mariah?…Where the hell is Brandy??? Honestly, this list is just a travesty! Rihanna #11 Smdh! Who put this list together? This person has no taste, I’m sorry!
Thepagewithroyalkev.b*******.com
HERE’S BILLBOARD’S LIST OF TOP 50 RNB/HIP HOP ARTISTS OF LAST 25YRS.
http://goo.gl/tozSg
@Dion
STFU! Chris Brown did NOT want to be Usher. He’s influenced by Michael Jackson and R. Kelly. Case closed. You’re trying way too hard to hype Usher up for no reason when he’s nothing more than a bootleg version of Michael Jackson. LMFAO!
^^^ This list is better, but it’s still off. Why is this so difficult.
Thepagewithroyalkev.b*******.com
I was talking about the Billboard list!
Thepagewithroyalkev.b*******.com
WTF IS THIS!!! WHAT THE HELLLLLLLLLLLL HAPPENED TO MARIAH CAREY MY FAVORITE F***** IDOL AND MY OTHER IDOL TONI BRAXTON LIKE WTF IM REALLY PISSED ABOUT THIS ANNDDDDD FUCKNG BRANDY HELLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ESSENSE HAVE NO TYPE OF SAY SO ON WHO IS THE 50 MOST POWERFUL R&B ARTIST OF ALL TIME POINT BLANK F****** PERIOD SMFH! B******* DOT COM IM OUT!
WTF this list suck plus its all wrong and brandy and mariah carey should be on this list
Mariah should be here I agree
Down Low by R. Kelly>>>>>>>>Everything Usher has done past/present
The question that everyone is asking WHERE IS MARIAHHHHHHHH!!!!!
MARIAH is AT HOME with HER FAMILY and doesn’t give a sh.. about this LIST or ANY OTHER right now… 🙂
Aretha should be number one. Michael Jackson was a pop artist and only had 13 number one r&b songs. Aretha had 20 r&b songs
wheres mariah carey, kelly rowland, toni braxton??????????????????????????????????????
stupid list
Beyonce higher than Lauryn Hill and Aaliyah? Really?! Really, really?!!
B****, please.
Horrible list….Rihanna is above Janet????? Rihanna still has at the most 2 albums ( Good Girl Gone Bad and Loud) that stand on their own…
Wonder if this is true, and if so why?
“If you are buying more than 1 copy of “4”, make sure you buy the copies SEPARATELY. That means, each copy should have their own receipt. ALL THE COPIES SHOULDN’T BE ON 1 RECEIPT. Each copy should have their OWN receipt, if your buying MORE than 1 copy. Trust me. This will help her album sales.
COPY THIS MESSAGE AND SPREAD THE WORD”
Aren’t
mostALL of these “greatest of all time” or “most influential” lists b******* anyways? I think at this point they exist solely to p*** people off.@ The Kiddz:
OK, there’s NO denying that Aretha is one of the most influential artists ever… but MJ’s influence “pales in comparison” to hers? Really?
Stop reaching y’all. lauryn hill only had one album. The album is legendary but her career after that isn’t. Aaliyah should’ve been lower. Beyonce should’ve been lower. Where is toni? Where is mariah? I think they did it from straight R&B perspective but if that is the case beyonce,Usher,Aaliyah and a couple of others shouldn’t be up here either the are a mix of pop.Micheal and Janet have the most #1 R&B Hits though so janet really should be higher
I Thought the BET awards was the Biggest Joke BUT Rihanna Over AALIYAH LMAO WOWW really?? this Girl Should not be on the friggin list at all ALL Her DAm albums HAve been Re Realsed Low ticket sales Now Tell me WHere u See Powerfull iN that?? And all You Beyonce Fans Obviously Beyonce is A bit more Powerfull than AALIYAH why Cus she passed away 10 Years AGo!! DUH But if she would of been alive beyonce would of been Rihanna HAH Listen To AALIYAHs Last Album The Sounds Of it Is what Alot of Females Artist are Using Now or atleast from 2001 to 2009!
You guys are wastin yall time on this stupid list couz first rihanna is not urban rnb beyonce is too high aaliyah is too low where the hell is brandy monica mariha toni braxtion kmt!!!!!I think whithbey muat be at no.3 not mary…maybe essence jus want alittle publicity #studiplist
PRINCE AT 37?????
BEYAWNCE ABOVE BABYFACE AND PRINCE?????
WHY IS WILL SMITH ON THE LIST????
THIS LIST IS VOID.
LOLLLLL HOW IS BEYAWNCE ABOVE THE PEOPLE WHO WROTE HER MUSIC?????
THAT IS SAD!!!!, SHE IS LISTED HIGHER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO WROTE HER R&B HITS WTF!!!!!!!!!!!
I REALLY HOPE THEY MEANT POWERFUL AS IN BEING DOMINANT, BECAUSE THIS LIST IS ALL SORTS OF FAILS. IT FAILS SO MUCH THAT ITS HILARIOUS!
RIHANNA SHOULDNT BE ON ANY LIST.
MARVIN GAYE AND PRINCE SHOULD BE HIGHER.
JAMES BROWN SHOULD BE ON THE LIST, MJ ISNT EVEN ALIVE BUT HE IS STILL POWERFUL BUT I WOULDNT PUT HIM AT NUMBER TWO.
MY TOP TEN:
PRINCE
JANET JACKSON
ARETHA FRANKLIN
WHITNEY HOUSTON
MICHAEL JACKSON
MARVIN GAYE
MARIAH CAREY
SADE
JAMES BROWN
R KELLY
MY TOP TEN:
TONI BRAXTON
PRINCE
JANET JACKSON
ARETHA FRANKLIN
TEENA MARIE
WHITNEY HOUSTON
MICHAEL JACKSON
MARVIN GAYE
MARIAH CAREY
SADE
JAMES BROWN
R KELLY
BRANDY
MONICA
BOBBY BROWN
People like to omit the fact that Mariah Carey is black. She’s talented beyond belief.Toni is amazing. This list isn’t valid. And honestly, Aaliyah wasnt all that great a singer and she really didn’t do much.
here is my list BEYONCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE COME TO BRASIL WE MISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS U OMG THE HYPE IS TOO MUCH UR CD IS NUMBER 1 IN PRE ORDERS WE CANNOT WAIT I LOVE ALL YOUR SONGS BEST CD U HAVE MADE TE AMO U NEED TO START WITH BRAZIL AND END WITH BRAZIL ON YOUR TOUR
Why are Rihanna and Will Smith there while MARIAH CAREY is not? Beyonce should not be ranked higher than artists like Prince. etc, etc
This list is a complete joke.
*DEAD* at the comments in here! At least everybody agrees that this list is absolute B*******!! SMH! What the hell was Essence thinking?! How did they even configure this list?? I just cannot………..
A lot of my faves are on this list, Beyonce, Aaliyah, Usher, Sade, MJ. But a lot of SERIOUSLY infulential r&b acts are left off & the order is just atrocious! Absolutely ridiculous! SMH
I LOVE Bey & Aaliyah but there is just NO WAY they should have been over Sade & Janet!
Will Smith?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
P. Diddy?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!
No Mariah?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!? WTF!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!
No Brandy?? No Monica?? WTF?!?!? But Rihanna?!?!?!?!? Why?? Just Why??
Why is Rihanna on this list at all?? I mean WTF? Is it just because she is black?? She doesn’t make true r&b at all! Rihanna will go down in history as a style icon! That’s it!! SMH!
I wouldn’t even trip about Breezy not being on the list since he is so young & early in his career but if P. Diddy, Will Smith & Rihanna made the list when he is more r&b than ALL of them combined!! I just can’t…..
Essence ya’ll can seriously have a seat with this s***!!! SMH!
In order of appearance: << Did everyone fail to read that part? In order of appearance, not greatest.
OK COULD U ALL STOP REPEATING WHAT THE PERSON BEFORE U SAID OMG!!!!!!!!!!
I mean i dont like Mariah like that…but damn the left her out and put Rihanna up there?????? And wheres Monica?????
smh…. But congrats Bey.
Off the top of my head, I’d make a list like this:
1.MJ
2Aretha Franklin
3James Brown
4Whitney Houston
5Janet Jackson
6Diana Ross
7Prince
8Stevie Wonder
9Mariah Carey
10Smokey Robinson
11Sam Cooke
12Marvin Gaye
13Dionne Warwick
14Chaka Khan
15Luther Vandross
16Gladys Knight
17R. Kelly
18Beyonce
19Usher
20Mary J blige
21Sade
22Toni Braxton
23Alicia Keys
24Isley Bros.
25Earth wind & Fire
26Curtis Mayfield
27Anita Baker
28Brandy
29TLC
30Lauryn Hill
31Boys II Men
32Bobby Brown
33Patti Labelle
34Maxwell
35Monica
36Aaliyah
37EnVogue
38Natalie Cole
39SWV
40Erykah Badu
41D’Angelo
42Rick James
43New Edition
44Frankie Beverly & Maze
45Teena Marie
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I am glad to see Mary that high….she deserves it
Mariah should be on there, SMDH
She’s LEGEND!
why is rihanna on here? she isn’t even r&b. she’s pop. this list is laughable. rihanna…then toss rebecca black and anyone that can auto tune with an iphone app.
http://miraclesq.b*******.com/
This list is a huge mess.
Anyone who takes this list seriously has failed in life.
F*** is Rihanna and Sean Combs aka Diddy doing on this list, PLEASSSSEEE
Where are Brandy and Monica? Dude this is so wrong
N this is Y ppl don’t take black ppl and their organizations like BET and Essence serious at all. The list is a EPIC FAIL. I’m no Mariah fan but are u serious.. No Mariah??… So what the hell she was singing for the past 20 Yrs. Y is Rihanna even on this list. That goat don’t sing R&B, she straight up pop. N smh on Janet Jackson and R Kelly when they’re the only 2, female and male to have the most R&B’s hits. JJ should at least come before or after Aretha. Even Beyonce is a no-no, but I guess she needs the promotion anyway! go figured…. This list is straight up racist and dumb. That’s one thing with white ppl.. Their “Rolling Stones” don’t lie.
44. Sean combs RnB
OKAYY
There is so much wrong with this list it hurts me so deeply to know that this was even published. The absence of Brandy, Monica, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Al Green, En Vogue, Anita Baker, Brian Mcknight, R.Kelly, Dru Hill, Genuine, Missy Elliot, etc. the list goes on. This is just disrespectful. The inclusion of Rihanna seriously puzzles me. Putting her in the midst of GREATS, is truly an insult
What the hell? Where is Mariah Carey?
Rihanna ??? are u f****** kidding me…
i knew this list wasn’t to be taken seriously when I saw Rihanna’s name on it. I love Riri, but come on! LOL! Ithink Alicia should have a higher ranking, but that’s me, and I def think they should have included Mariah.
The prove that R&B is DEAD.
Nobody seems to know what R&B is anymore!!
Where are Ottis Reading, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Nat King Cole, Percy Sledge, Ben E. King.
, etc.
And James Brown only 33! Give me a break! Oh! Stevie Wonder 42!
Sad thing: Good R&B is labelled now as Soul /Jazz. That’s wrong: Nat King Cole made jazz and R&B, King mad blues and R&B, as long as MJ or Prince made Pop and Funk and R&B and Rock, etc.
all I know is that cover ain’t looking right let alone this list.
List is a MESS! Rihanna on the list so high? Bey at #6??? And Why is Will Smith even on the list??? He is an actor and formely a mediocore rapper – really??? Why is Sean “Puffy” Combs on the list??? SMH
Well they did say “powerful” so if the r&b artist is underrated and not well known they wouldn’t be on this list.
If Rihanna gonna be on that list she should be way down the list cuz she mostly is pop with a splash of r&b. Yes, she’s not completely pop like gaga, madonna and britney. She does do a lot of r&b too. But that gets overshadowed by her more “pop hits” kinda like MJ.
Where is Brandy and Monica in this list and Rihanna over Aaliyah now that is creazy.
What do Timerland, Will Smith, Rhianna and Sean Comb have to do with R&B??? Rhianna is Dance-Pop and the other 3 are Hip-Hop. I don’t get it.
WHERE .. IS.. MARIAH CAREY ? 😮
Uhhhhh James Brown, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye BELOW the top 20???? Below Timbalans and Usher??? These voters were Obviously very young and VERY High…I do not at ALL agree with this order..SMH!!
Take Luther off this list immediately. His name should not appear on any list that includes Rihanna!
Essence needs to get back to reality and STOP being a suck up…
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You left out John Legend and added 30 that shouldn’t be there
This is awesome
You are one fine s*** thing
I agree with you the list is fake
I agree with you the list is a joke
Where is Mariah. You are s***
why th is rhianna above barry white
why is rhianna above barry white