Billboard has officially recognized Beyonce as the most influential pop icon of the 21st century, adding another achievement to her impressive resume.
The singer, who has already been the most successful Grammy winner of all time, has been criticized for her transition to country music. However, she has also been recognized for this decision with an unprecedented number of nominations for the 2025 event.
Currently, she is including the ranking on Billboard's list, which was previously criticized for its rankings of other artists, to her extensive list of accomplishments.
On Tuesday, the publication disclosed that she had been designated top-ranked. It also disclosed the rationale behind its ranking in a statement that accompanied its announcement.
"The reasons why Beyonce captured the top spot on our list were beyond numerous-ranging from her 25 years of timeless albums and singles, to her incalculable industry impact and influence on other artists, to her peerless raw talents as a singer and performer," Billboard stated.
"But perhaps the most important of all was her singular ability to create moments: indelible pieces of pop culture history that she has generated over the course of her quarter century of superstardom, which are first and foremost all quintessentially Beyonce."
Over the course of her decades-long career, Beyonce has released five studio albums with her former band, Destiny's Child, and eight studio albums as a solo artist.
The RIAA has certified all of her solo albums as multi-platinum. She prevailed over numerous exceptionally renowned artists to secure the most recent award.
The group included Taylor Swift (No. 2), Rihanna (No. 3), Lady Gaga (No. 5), Britney Spears (No. 6), Ariana Grande (No. 9), and Adele (No. 10).
She also defeated male artists such as Drake (No. 4), Kanye West (No. 7), Justin Bieber (No. 8), and her spouse, Jay-Z, who ranked at Number 16.
Additionally, she outperformed One Direction and BTS.
Billboard reviewed Bey's musical accomplishments, such as "Love on Top" and "Countdown." This is quite remarkable.
Furthermore, they made the issue of placing Bey at the top of the list more straightforward, compared to Taylor, who is technically the more significant artist based on sheer numbers. However, Billboard proclaimed that they believed Destiny's Child alumna deserved the award "based on her full 25 years of influence, evolution and impact."
For the record, Taylor was designated as the second greatest pop star, which is still a significant distinction in light of the lineup.
The magazine provided additional details regarding its decision to honor Beyoncé. It specifically cited her 2013 Super Bowl halftime performance, which it stated "re-confirmed her peerlessness as a performer and the unassailability of her catalog." Subsequently, it announced new music in a 2024 Super Bowl commercial, which would be featured on her most recent album, "Cowboy Carter."
Meanwhile, the rankings incited a vigorous online debate, with supporters from both factions use social media to express their views.
“Taylor is breaking every record imaginable. Beyoncé is amazing, but this ranking feels biased!” an X user said. “Billboard got it right. Beyoncé’s influence is unmatched. No one else comes close," another netizen shared.
“Taylor’s numbers don’t lie, but Beyoncé’s cultural impact is a different league," a third source wrote. Can we just celebrate two queens dominating music instead of pitting them against each other?” a fan suggested.
“Taylor Swift should’ve been No. 1. Her global reach and sales are undeniable," another netizen stated. “The Super Bowl performance alone proves Beyoncé deserves this. Swifties need to sit down," an X user added.
Business Times has reached out to Beyonce and Taylor Swift for comments.
