Billboard Crowns Taylor Swift, Drake, & Rihanna the Top Artists of the 21st Century

Taylor Swift fans (affectionately called #Swifties) may have been in an uproar last month when Billboard crowned Beyonce the “greatest Pop star of the 21st century” on a tally based on impact, influence, and commercial performance, but it appears the music magazine has redeemed itself in their eyes with its latest retrospective countdown that sees Taylor on top.

Satisfied #Swifties are happy to see the ‘You Belong with Me’ back “where she belongs” – #1.

Sending the fan bases of many into a complete frenzy on Wednesday (January 8), Billboard unveiled their updated Top Artists of the 21st Century chart.

Unlike the ‘Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century‘ ranking, this new tally is solely based on performance on the Billboard 200 albums and the Billboard Hot 100 songs charts from the beginning of 2000 through the end of 2024.

Over that time period, Swift has not only notched a whopping 14 No. 1s on the former hitlist but also 12 No. 1s on the latter. What’s more, she’s also notched 59 top 10s and 264 overall placement (both figures are the highest of all time among women).

As #Swifties continue to celebrate her historic placement on this century’s comprehensive chart, look below to see who else joins her in the top 10.

Billboard’s Top Artists of the 21st Century

*As of January 1, 2025

10. Usher

9. Bruno Mars

8. Justin Bieber

7. Beyonce

6. The Weeknd

5. Eminem

4. Post Malone

3. Rihanna

2. Drake

1. Taylor Swift