From crowning Beyonce‘s ‘Love on Top‘ as the “greatest love song of the 21st century” to naming Nicki Minaj the greatest female rapper of all time and putting her hit ‘Super Bass‘ as the greatest female Hip-Hop song ever on its ‘500 Best Pop Songs List,’ Billboard is the king of turning heads and causing tongues to wag over the their debate-igniting “best-ever” music tallies.
That trend of making jaws drop is one that seems poised to continue ahead of the launch of their newest list – ‘The 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century.’
Set to be rolled out incrementally over the next four months (until the end of the year), Billboard is not only basing the ranking on commercial performance and chart stats but also subjective criteria like cultural impact.
Before unveiling who made the cut, the Music Bible sent some of music’s most beloved fan bases into an uproar by revealing some big names who only made “honorable mention.”
Look inside to see who was omitted from the coveted count.
Admitting that “25 was not nearly enough” nods to give some of the century’s biggest movers and shakers, Billboard not only lifted the lid on who made #26-#50 but also why they didn’t quite make the cut.
In no particular order, see the honorable mentions below.
Billboard’s ‘Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century’
*Honorable Mentions*
- 50 Cent
- Billie Eilish
- Alicia Keys
- Carrie Underwood
- Cardi B
- Chris Brown
- Dua Lipa
- Doja Cat
- Christina Aguilera
- Olivia Rodrigo
- P!nk
- Post Malone
- Kelly Clarkson
- Future
- Kendrick Lamar
- Lorde
- Jennifer Lopez
- Kesha
- Maroon 5
- Missy Elliott
- Megan Thee Stallion
- Nelly
- Post Malone
- Sean Paul
- SZA
Curious about Billboard’s explanations for the omissions? Read them here.