The Most Popular Musical Artists of the 21st Century

For music lovers, this is a list of the most popular musical artists of the 21st century. As the music business continues to crumble (or evolve, depending on your point of view), the sounds that appeal to people are changing by the day. Pop music, which once consisted of mainstream rock music, is now dominated by hip hop, EDM and R&B. While the names may not be familiar to older fans, many of these names for the younger generation are dominant.

Who are the most popular musicians of the 21st century? Take a look at this list and you'll recognize some of the biggest names in music, and you won't be disappointed. These famous 21st century music artists may not be the greatest singers or dancers in the world, but they've all managed to carve out a unique niche in the industry and become household names along the way. Will their fame stand the test of time? There's no way to know. But for now, these are some of the great artists who are popular in today's music scene.

1 Carrie Underwood Country pop, Pop music, Contemporary Christian music

2 Beyoncé Knowles Urban contemporary, Hip hop music, Pop music

3 Britney Spears Urban contemporary, Bubblegum pop, Synthpop

4 Jennifer Lopez Hip hop music, Pop music, Latin pop

5 Lil Wayne Hip hop music, Ragga, Hardcore hip hop

6 Avril Lavigne Pop punk, Pop music, Rock music

7 Snoop Dogg Hip hop music, Pop music, Gangsta rap

8 Eminem Hip hop music, Horrorcore, Hardcore hip hop

9 R. Kelly Hip hop music, Neo soul, Dance-pop

10 Mariah Carey Hip hop music, Pop music, Contemporary R&B

11 Christina Aguilera Hip hop music, Bubblegum pop, Rock music

12 Ludacris Hip hop music, Atlanta hip hop, Hardcore hip hop

13 Jay-Z Hip hop music, East Coast hip hop, Gangsta rap

14 Katy Perry Christian music, Synthpop, Rock music

15 Kelly Clarkson Adult contemporary music, Blues-rock, Blue-eyed soul

16 T.I. Hip hop music, Atlanta hip hop, Gangsta rap

17 Shakira Urban contemporary, Merengue music, Synthpop

18 Nelly Furtado Hip hop music, Rock music, Latin American music

19 Justin Timberlake Hip hop music, Blue-eyed soul, Pop music

20 50 Cent Hip hop music, Gangsta rap

21 P!nk Hip hop music, Synthpunk, Pop punk

22 Alicia Keys Hip hop music, Pop music, Neo soul

23 Taylor Swift Country pop, Pop music, Rock music

24 Mary J. Blige Hip hop music, Contemporary R&B, Rhythm and blues

25 Sean Paul Hip hop music, Ragga, Dancehall

1

Carrie Underwood Country pop, Pop music, Contemporary Christian music

2

Beyoncé Knowles Urban contemporary, Hip hop music, Pop music

3

Britney Spears Urban contemporary, Bubblegum pop, Synthpop

4

Jennifer Lopez Hip hop music, Pop music, Latin pop

5

Lil Wayne Hip hop music, Ragga, Hardcore hip hop

6

Avril Lavigne Pop punk, Pop music, Rock music

7

Snoop Dogg Hip hop music, Pop music, Gangsta rap

8

Eminem Hip hop music, Horrorcore, Hardcore hip hop

9

R. Kelly Hip hop music, Neo soul, Dance-pop

10

Mariah Carey Hip hop music, Pop music, Contemporary R&B

11

Christina Aguilera Hip hop music, Bubblegum pop, Rock music

12

Ludacris Hip hop music, Atlanta hip hop, Hardcore hip hop

13

Jay-Z Hip hop music, East Coast hip hop, Gangsta rap

14

Katy Perry Christian music, Synthpop, Rock music

15

Kelly Clarkson Adult contemporary music, Blues-rock, Blue-eyed soul

16

T.I. Hip hop music, Atlanta hip hop, Gangsta rap

17

Shakira Urban contemporary, Merengue music, Synthpop

18

Nelly Furtado Hip hop music, Rock music, Latin American music

19

Justin Timberlake Hip hop music, Blue-eyed soul, Pop music

20

50 Cent Hip hop music, Gangsta rap

21

P!nk Hip hop music, Synthpunk, Pop punk

22

Alicia Keys Hip hop music, Pop music, Neo soul

23

Taylor Swift Country pop, Pop music, Rock music

24

Mary J. Blige Hip hop music, Contemporary R&B, Rhythm and blues

25

Sean Paul Hip hop music, Ragga, Dancehall