If this ranking were based solely on the strength of one album, Adele would be at the top. Her sophomore offering 21 is the top-selling album of the 21st century and is the best-performing album in US Billboard 200 history, remaining at the top spot for a mindblowing 24 consecutive weeks. Not surprisingly, her albums 25 (2015)and 30 (2021) were also the best-selling albums of their respective years. Her third tour broke all worldwide box office records, and she’s been named Billboard’s Artist of the Year three times.
7. Katy Perry
You certainly don’t become the most followed woman on Twitter (over 100 million of them) by being a slouch. Perry is also the first artist to have multiple YouTube videos reach a billion views because her songs are just so damn catchy. For nine consecutive years from 2011 until 2019, she was also among the highest-earning music performers in the world. Oh, and remember when she danced with a couple of sharks at the Super Bowl back in 2012? Of course you do! It remains the most watched Super Bowl Halftime Performance ever.
