With the first quarter of the 21st century coming to a close, Billboard has spent the last few months counting down it’s staff picks for the 25 greatest pop stars of the last 25 years.
Rihanna takes No. 3 for Billboard’s 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, and we’re breaking down why the pop diva has earned her rank with her Hot 100 No. 1s, Billboard Music Awards and more!
With 14 Billboard Hot 100 No.1s, 12 Billboard Music Awards and the most No.1 hits of any artist in the 21st century, our No. 3 greatest pop star of the 21st century is the Bajan queen herself, Rihanna!
Rihanna began her music career at 17 after a successful audition with then Def Jam label heads Jay-Z and L.A. Reid. She quickly found success with “Pon de Replay,” her lead single off her debut album reaching No.2 on the Hot 100. And the first single “S.O.S.”
off her sophomore album becoming her first No.1 on the Hot 100. Rihanna was quickly making a name for herself and growing up fast. After the success of her first two albums, Rihanna was ready to do something different. Enter her third album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad.
‘ The album’s title was a sign that Rihanna was growing up, leaving her good girl image behind, and that the singer was ready to take full control of her music as well as her look to become the Bad Gal we know and love today. And RiRi did just that, debuting her new edgy look with “Umbrella.”
“Umbrella” became one of Rihanna’s biggest and most well-known hits, spending 7 weeks at No.1.
The success of “Umbrella” and ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ helped cement Rihanna as a pop icon. As Rihanna continued to change her look throughout the years, she also experimented with her sound
