Billboard’s 21st Century Artist Rankings: Country Stars Make Their Mark
Taylor Swift grabbed Billboard’s top spot in their latest ranking of biggest artists since 2000. Her success on both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts catapulted her to the number one spot.
Post Malone landed at number four on the list while Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen cracked the top 40, and veterans Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney landed in the top 60. Near the end, Alan Jackson grabbed spot 99. Carrie Underwood reached number 33, while Kelly Clarkson landed at 27. Right in the middle, Rascal Flatts hit number 48.
In an amazing feat, Swift stands out as the only artist to grab Billboard’s yearly top artist title four different times – 2009, 2015, 2023, and 2024.
Artists making the top ten besides Malone and Swift were Drake, Rihanna, Eminem, The Weeknd, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, and Usher.
While pop and hip-hop artists dominate the higher spots, country singers pop up throughout the list – though they’re hard to find at the very top.
This huge ranking shows how much the music industry has changed. From CDs to downloads to streaming, these 100 spots tell the story of how music has evolved.
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Wallen recently surprised fans with an unexpected release, “Smile,” originally teased on Morgan’s Instagram and TikTok.
Written by Wallen, Rocky Block, John Byron, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak, and Luis Witkiewitz, “Smile” is a continuation of a theme set by previous releases, “Lies Lies Lies” and “Love Somebody,” as the narrator navigates life’s little moments and longings. “Smile” depicts a relationship as we see them today through filtered snapshots: “It was good to see you smile / Girl you know it’s been a while / It was good to see you smile / Even if it was just for the picture.”
“Lies Lies Lies” recently became Morgan’s 16th No. 1 at country radio, while “Love Somebody.” The song became Wallen’s first solo song to debut at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 100 chart upon release. “Love Somebody” led Wallen to become the first artist to have three singles sit atop the Billboard 100 and Hot Country Songs charts simultaneously.
