Beyoncé is ‘Billboard”s greatest pop star of the 21st century

After weeks of rolling out its Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century list, Billboard has revealed that Beyoncé is in the #1 spot. 

The publication recognized her charting records as both a member of Destiny’s Child and a solo artist, noting she scored her first number ones on the Hot 100 with the group’s “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Say My Name.” With “Texas Hold ‘Em,” from her Cowboy Carter album, she earned her 12th #1 on the chart.

“The greatness of Beyoncé as a pop star is both immediately obvious on its surface and worthy of extensive exploration in its vastness,” Billboard writes. “You can watch her on stage for half a minute and instantly recognize that she’s an all-timer; her inherent combination of dazzling beauty, impeccable fashion, captivating staging, otherworldly physicality and simultaneously earthy and skyscraping vocals all speaks for itself. But to understand the full scope of her impact also requires a deep knowledge of 21st century American pop music and culture, and the ways in which she has dominated it, elevated it and transformed it over the past 25 years.”

The publication continued, “Few artists this period can match her in any of the most critical basic categories of pop stardom – commercial success, performance abilities, critical acclaim and accolades, industry influence, iconic cultural moments – and absolutely no one can equal her in all of them.”

It named Rihanna, Drake and Kanye West among the top 10 greatest pop stars of the century, ranking them at #3, #4 and #7, respectively.