Greatest female pop artist of all time (1 Viewer)

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

no Mariah Carey?

 

[Captain Cranks]

But I don't recall Madonna or any other pop star reaching the same level of widespread obsession that Swift has reached. Feels like some Beatles/Elvis type stuff.

The Madonna worship by the gay community is next level too.

 

[Captain Cranks]

no Mariah Carey?

She along with a couple others were going to make the list but the forum limited me to 10 choices.

 

[Eephus]

Can't believe I'm the only Beyonce voter. Have you been sleeping all century?

 

[rockaction]

Someday, somebody is going to look back on Taylor Swift and Beyonce and wonder why we griped about such things before the nuclear blasts happened.

 

[rustycolts]

I would rather see Tina Turner in her prime than anyone else on the list.

Here is a blistering live performane clip from the "Hollywood A-Go Go" TV show in 1965 (Sorry about the For Research Only lettering in middle of the screen).

Ike & Tina Turner - A Fool in Love (Live TV 1965)

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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Damn @squistion I think this is the first time we have agreed on anything.

 

[-OZ-]

Personal choice? Aretha.
But Taylor has overtaken Madonna

 

[Manster]

Even though she's a nut job, I voted for Madonna. Her career spanned several decades. Everyone in the world knew who she was in the 80's and 90's.

The same can be said for Ms. Swift now (she debuted in 2006, it is now 2025).

With all due respect to Madonna, who probably is comfortably in 2nd place here, she is now trailing Swift by quite a bit, largely because Swift has excelled at having hit singles AND smash albums, the latter of which is not close. Despite everyone knowing who Madonna was in the 90s, none of her albums went to number 1 here on the Billboard 200. Swift, meanwhile, has had 14 studio albums in a row DEBUT at number 1 (10 if you want to be pedantic and not count the Taylor's Version re-recordings), and of course has the record for most Album of the Year wins at the Grammy's (which might be mostly crap, but that is still a notable accompishment). With singles, both have had 12 number 1 hits, but Swift actually has more weeks spent at number 1. Again, Madonna reigned supreme for a long time, but she is now number 2. No shame in that,

I honestly didnt know swift has had that much accolades. I grew up in the 80's....I was never a pop music guy, but .... Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince were larger than life. Madonna dominated the MTV era. That's what sticks out in my mind.

I don't even pay attention to swift, Beyonce, etc......

 

[FarFromHome]

Even though she's a nut job, I voted for Madonna. Her career spanned several decades. Everyone in the world knew who she was in the 80's and 90's.

The same can be said for Ms. Swift now (she debuted in 2006, it is now 2025).

With all due respect to Madonna, who probably is comfortably in 2nd place here, she is now trailing Swift by quite a bit, largely because Swift has excelled at having hit singles AND smash albums, the latter of which is not close. Despite everyone knowing who Madonna was in the 90s, none of her albums went to number 1 here on the Billboard 200. Swift, meanwhile, has had 14 studio albums in a row DEBUT at number 1 (10 if you want to be pedantic and not count the Taylor's Version re-recordings), and of course has the record for most Album of the Year wins at the Grammy's (which might be mostly crap, but that is still a notable accompishment). With singles, both have had 12 number 1 hits, but Swift actually has more weeks spent at number 1. Again, Madonna reigned supreme for a long time, but she is now number 2. No shame in that,

I honestly didnt know swift has had that much accolades. I grew up in the 80's....I was never a pop music guy, but .... Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince were larger than life. Madonna dominated the MTV era. That's what sticks out in my mind.

I don't even pay attention to swift, Beyonce, etc......

This exactly. Another note about Madonna was her risks. When Like a Virgin came out the world kinda looked around thinking can she do that? I remember playing that song for my dad and the look he gave me is still in my memory.

 

[Chaos34]

Can't believe I'm the only Beyonce voter. Have you been sleeping all century?

I had to vote other. My pick and the top selling artist of the 21st century, who is so despite being on a long hiatus is: RIHANNA.

 

[Instinctive]

Even though she's a nut job, I voted for Madonna. Her career spanned several decades. Everyone in the world knew who she was in the 80's and 90's.

The same can be said for Ms. Swift now (she debuted in 2006, it is now 2025).

With all due respect to Madonna, who probably is comfortably in 2nd place here, she is now trailing Swift by quite a bit, largely because Swift has excelled at having hit singles AND smash albums, the latter of which is not close. Despite everyone knowing who Madonna was in the 90s, none of her albums went to number 1 here on the Billboard 200. Swift, meanwhile, has had 14 studio albums in a row DEBUT at number 1 (10 if you want to be pedantic and not count the Taylor's Version re-recordings), and of course has the record for most Album of the Year wins at the Grammy's (which might be mostly crap, but that is still a notable accompishment). With singles, both have had 12 number 1 hits, but Swift actually has more weeks spent at number 1. Again, Madonna reigned supreme for a long time, but she is now number 2. No shame in that,

I honestly didnt know swift has had that much accolades. I grew up in the 80's....I was never a pop music guy, but .... Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince were larger than life. Madonna dominated the MTV era. That's what sticks out in my mind.

I don't even pay attention to swift, Beyonce, etc......

This exactly. Another note about Madonna was her risks. When Like a Virgin came out the world kinda looked around thinking can she do that? I remember playing that song for my dad and the look he gave me is still in my memory.

In a way it's kind of like Dan Marino vs Tom Brady. Marino was awesome. He had the TD record, single season yardage record, he was widely regarded as one of the best ever and still is. He was the first to throw for 5000, first to throw for 40 TDs in a season, etc. He modernized the QB position in many ways.

Brady broke every record he held, played longer, and won more.

 

[squistion]

I would rather see Tina Turner in her prime than anyone else on the list.

Here is a blistering live performane clip from the "Hollywood A-Go Go" TV show in 1965 (Sorry about the For Research Only lettering in middle of the screen).

Ike & Tina Turner - A Fool in Love (Live TV 1965)

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Damn @squistion I think this is the first time we have agreed on anything.

I'll take it. Thanks!

 

[need2know]

Yoko ono

 

[Snoopy]

Yoko ono

 

[Ghost Rider]

Even though she's a nut job, I voted for Madonna. Her career spanned several decades. Everyone in the world knew who she was in the 80's and 90's.

The same can be said for Ms. Swift now (she debuted in 2006, it is now 2025).

With all due respect to Madonna, who probably is comfortably in 2nd place here, she is now trailing Swift by quite a bit, largely because Swift has excelled at having hit singles AND smash albums, the latter of which is not close. Despite everyone knowing who Madonna was in the 90s, none of her albums went to number 1 here on the Billboard 200. Swift, meanwhile, has had 14 studio albums in a row DEBUT at number 1 (10 if you want to be pedantic and not count the Taylor's Version re-recordings), and of course has the record for most Album of the Year wins at the Grammy's (which might be mostly crap, but that is still a notable accompishment). With singles, both have had 12 number 1 hits, but Swift actually has more weeks spent at number 1. Again, Madonna reigned supreme for a long time, but she is now number 2. No shame in that,

I honestly didnt know swift has had that much accolades. I grew up in the 80's....I was never a pop music guy, but .... Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince were larger than life. Madonna dominated the MTV era. That's what sticks out in my mind.

I don't even pay attention to swift, Beyonce, etc......

I hear ya on this, as I grew up in the 80s watching MTV and falling for plenty of pop from that era, quite a bit of which I still listen to many years later. I think growing up in that decade is why despite being a rocker at the core, I have always been a sucker for a great pop tune.

Even though she's a nut job, I voted for Madonna. Her career spanned several decades. Everyone in the world knew who she was in the 80's and 90's.

The same can be said for Ms. Swift now (she debuted in 2006, it is now 2025).

With all due respect to Madonna, who probably is comfortably in 2nd place here, she is now trailing Swift by quite a bit, largely because Swift has excelled at having hit singles AND smash albums, the latter of which is not close. Despite everyone knowing who Madonna was in the 90s, none of her albums went to number 1 here on the Billboard 200. Swift, meanwhile, has had 14 studio albums in a row DEBUT at number 1 (10 if you want to be pedantic and not count the Taylor's Version re-recordings), and of course has the record for most Album of the Year wins at the Grammy's (which might be mostly crap, but that is still a notable accompishment). With singles, both have had 12 number 1 hits, but Swift actually has more weeks spent at number 1. Again, Madonna reigned supreme for a long time, but she is now number 2. No shame in that,

I honestly didnt know swift has had that much accolades. I grew up in the 80's....I was never a pop music guy, but .... Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince were larger than life. Madonna dominated the MTV era. That's what sticks out in my mind.

I don't even pay attention to swift, Beyonce, etc......

This exactly. Another note about Madonna was her risks. When Like a Virgin came out the world kinda looked around thinking can she do that? I remember playing that song for my dad and the look he gave me is still in my memory.

Yep, yep, what Madonna did with her constant reinventions was always daring and risky, but I think it is safe to say that most of her risk were more marketing and how she portrayed herself than creatively as far as the music went. Swift has taken quite a few risks herself, all creatively, and has always come out on the other side bigger than she was before.

 

[Ilov80s]

L

Yep, yep, what Madonna did with her constant reinventions was always daring and risky, but I think it is safe to say that most of her risk were more marketing and how she portrayed herself than creatively as far as the music went. Swift has taken quite a few risks herself, all creatively, and has always come out on the other side bigger than she was before.

What risks has Swift taken?

 

[Ben & Jerry's]

Ann Wilson

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Pop?
A few of these do not belong in the Pop category.

Recording Artists?

Also frontwoman vs solo artist has to come into play

 

[Ghost Rider]

L

Yep, yep, what Madonna did with her constant reinventions was always daring and risky, but I think it is safe to say that most of her risk were more marketing and how she portrayed herself than creatively as far as the music went. Swift has taken quite a few risks herself, all creatively, and has always come out on the other side bigger than she was before.

What risks has Swift taken?

The two most obvious ones are:

1) Her transition from country to full-blown pop was very risky, as if it had not gone well, she could have lost most or all of her country base and not gained many new fans in the process.

2) Her 2020 albums being rather folksy/indie rock-ish could have been massive failures given that she was at that point seen as a full-blown pop artist, but instead it vaulted her back up to levels of popularity similar to the 1989 era and gained her a ton new fans (like me; I doubt I ever get into her at all if those albums hadn't been my gateway records).

Because her risks have always paid off for her, it's easy to overlook them, but make no mistake that she has taken them.

 

[RandyDB]

I vote Cher. She is my wifes favorite.
Taylor can become the best if she is still going when she is 75.