2. Beyoncé One of the most recognizable characters in modern-day R&B, Beyoncé first rose to fame as the siren-voiced centerpiece of Destiny's Child before...

3. Britney Spears More than any other single artist, Britney Spears was the driving force behind the return of teen pop in the late '90s. The blockbuster success of...

4. T.I. Once dubbed "the Jay-Z of the South" by Pharrell Williams, T.I. gradually came into his own and established himself as one of rap's greatest and...

5. Kanye West In the span of a few years, from 2001 to 2004, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for...

6. Rihanna Rihanna established her dance-pop credentials in summer 2005 with her debut smash hit, "Pon de Replay," and continued to demonstrate such hit...

7. Chris Brown Although he started out as an aspiring rapper, Chris Brown's early discovery of his singing talent inspired him to follow in the footsteps of...

8. T-Pain Tallahassee-based MC and vocalist T-Pain (born Faheem Najm) came up in a rap group called Nappy Headz but went pro as a solo R&B artist after he...

9. Pink Although initially viewed as another face in the late-'90s crowd of teen pop acts, Pink (professionally known as P!nk!) quickly transcended and...

10. Christina Aguilera After Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera was the most popular female singer of the late-'90s teen pop revival. Unlike many of her contemporaries,...

11. Jonas Brothers One of the most popular teen-affiliated groups of the 2000s, the Jonas Brothers' craft hook-filled power pop anthems in the vein of McFly, Hanson,...

12. Katy Perry A former Christian artist who ditched the sacred sounds of CCM for a secular mix of sass and spunk, Katy Perry combines the cheeky, club-ready pop...

13. Akon Although he was born in St. Louis, Aliaune Thiam -- aka Akon -- grew up in Senegal before he and his family (including his father, jazz...

14. 50 Cent Though he would later struggle with the nature of his fame as well as market expectations, 50 Cent endured substantial obstacles throughout his...

15. Pussycat Dolls Founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995, the Pussycat Dolls began as a burlesque dance revue based in Los Angeles, spawned a second revue in...

16. Guns N' Roses At a time when pop was dominated by dance music and pop-metal, Guns N' Roses brought raw, ugly rock & roll crashing back into the charts. They...

17. Paramore The power-pop-punk fivesome known as Paramore dates back to the band's high school years in suburban Franklin, Tennessee. Lead singer Hayley Williams...

18. Eminem A protégé of Dr. Dre, rapper Eminem emerged in 1999 as one of the most controversial rappers to ever grace the genre. Using his biting wit and...

19. Mariah Carey The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Mariah Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice; an elastic...