Adele

When the U.K. press began dubbing Adele "the next Amy Winehouse" in late 2007, the hype didn't touch upon the heavy singer/songwriter influence found... More »

Alicia Keys

By mixing R&B with a sultry dose of neo-soul, Alicia Keys became an international star in 2001 with the release of her debut album. Songs in A Minor sold... More »

Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne first appeared in summer 2002, touting an addictive debut single (the spunky pop/rock gem "Complicated") and a skatepunk image that... More »

Beyonce

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 embarking on a multi-platinum solo career... More »

Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas transcended hip-hop to become one of the most commercially successful pop groups of the 2000s. Their career began modestly, with a pair of albums... More »

Bon Jovi

After ushering in the era of pop-metal with their 1986 blockbuster Slippery When Wet and its hit singles “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and... More »

Bruno Mars

After working a string of behind-the-scenes jobs -- including writing songs for Brandy, singing backup for the Sugababes, and impersonating Elvis -- songwriter/producer Bruno Mars put his name on... More »

Christina Aguilera

A leader in the parade of Mickey Mouse Club veterans who stormed pop at the turn of the millennium, Christina Aguilera was the sexy, brassy diva of the bunch... More »

Colbie Caillat

By age 21, vocalist Colbie Caillat had evolved swiftly from an aspiring R&B/folk singer to a pop sensation, a feat that owed as much to the marketing assistance of MySpace as the meteoric... More »

Coldplay

After surfacing in 2000 with the breakthrough single "Yellow," Coldplay quickly became one of the biggest bands of the new millennium, honing a mix of introspective Brit-pop and... More »

Daughtry

Bo Bice proved that American Idol could have a rocker as a finalist, but Chris Daughtry proved that the show could generate a successful rocker outside... More »

David Cook

The winner of the seventh season of Fox's American Idol competition, David Cook is a rock-oriented vocalist with a bent toward a commercial post-grunge sound. Although born in Houston, Texas... More »

Fergie

Like Martika, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Rahsaan Patterson, Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson got her first major break as a youngster on the television program Kids Incorporated. Born in 1975, she did... More »

Foster the People

Indie rock trio Foster the People make atmospheric, psychedelic, and dance-oriented pop. Formed in Los Angeles in 2009, the band features... More »

The Fray

By pitching their music somewhere between the arena-friendly style of U2 and the mature pop/rock of bands like Maroon 5 and Counting Crows, the Fray rose... More »

Goo Goo Dolls

Early in their career, the Goo Goo Dolls were frequently dismissed by critics as mere imitators of the Replacements; however, they refined and mainstreamed their sound to become one of the most... More »

Gwen Stefani

Before she discovered she could write songs, Gwen Stefani was looking forward to a life of marriage, children, and white picket fences. When her brother introduced her to... More »

Gym Class Heroes

Melding elements of rap, rock, R&B, and funk into one cohesive and melodic sound, upstate New York's Gym Class Heroes have diverse appeal based on their impressive musical dexterity... More »

Hootie and the Blowfish

For a short time, Hootie & the Blowfish was the most popular band in America. Grunge music ruled the airwaves during the mid-'90s, but Hootie played a mainstream pop variation of blues-rock... More »

Hot Chelle Rae

Hot Chelle Rae took shape in 2005, balancing the polished sounds of mainstream pop with energized, guitar-heavy dance-rock. Vocalist Ryan Keith Follese, guitarist Nash Overstreet... More »

Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz hails from Mechanicsville, VA, where the singer/songwriter grew up amidst the sounds of the Dave Matthews Band and local roots musicians the Agents of Good Roots. However, it was Mraz's... More »

John Mayer

After making his introduction as a sensitive, acoustic-styled songwriter on 2001's Room for Squares, John Mayer steadily widened his approach... More »

Justin Timberlake

As both a member of *NSYNC and a solo artist, Southern superstar Justin Timberlake has played a major role in the teen pop explosion of the '90s and 2000s. Like similar teen pop favorites... More »

Katy Perry

A former Christian artist, Katy Perry rebranded herself as a larger-than-life pop star and rose to prominence during the summer of 2008. Before... More »

Kelly Clarkson

The winner of Fox TV's first American Idol competition during the summer of 2002, Kelly Clarkson went from an anonymous talent to a nationally known singer in a matter of months, performing... More »

The Killers

Few bands in the early 2000s rose so quickly to the forefront of pop music as the Killers. With a mix of '80s-styled synth pop and fashionista charm, the band's street-smart debut, Hot Fuss, became... More »

Kings of Leon

Initially embraced as "the Southern Strokes" for their resurrection and reinvention of Dixie-styled rock & roll, Kings of Leon steadily morphed themselves into an experimental... More »

Lady Antebellum

Formed in 2006 by Charles Kelley (brother of singer/songwriter Josh Kelley), Hillary Scott (daughter of Grammy-winning country artist Linda Davis), and Dave Haywood, Lady Antebellum make... More »

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is a theatrical dance-pop performer whose debut single, the international chart-topping hit "Just Dance," established her as an up-and-coming superstar... More »

Leona Lewis

A striking young woman with a strong vocal resemblance to the young Whitney Houston and a large mop of blonde corkscrew curls, Leona Lewis won the third series of the British reality... More »

Lifehouse

Led by singer/songwriter Jason Wade, Lifehouse emerged in the early 2000s with a commercial blend of pop/rock melody and throaty, post-grunge vocals. Wade, who originally tagged the band... More »

Madonna

After a star reaches a certain point, it's easy to forget what they became famous for and concentrate solely on their persona. Madonna is such a star. Madonna rocketed to... More »

Maroon 5

A mix of polished pop/rock and neo-soul made Maroon 5 one of the most popular bands of the 2000s, with songs like "This Love," "She Will Be Loved," and... More »

Matchbox Twenty

Upon the release of their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in fall 1996, Matchbox Twenty was pigeonholed as one of the legions of post-grunge guitar bands that roamed the... More »

Michael Bublé

Michael Bublé's introduction to the music of the swing era came to him through his grandfather, who filled his grandson's ears with the sounds of the Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra... More »

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus became an overnight sensation in 2006 as the star of Hannah Montana, a popular Disney Channel television series whose success allowed Cyrus to launch her own... More »

Natasha Bedingfield

Originally from New Zealand, Natasha Bedingfield grew up in southeast London, where she and her siblings were raised around music. By their teens, Natasha, brother Daniel, and sister Nikola had formed... More »

Nickelback

Few bands did more than Nickelback to establish the force of slick, commercially minded post-grunge in the 2000s. Led by vocalist Chad Kroeger, the band initially emerged... More »

No Doubt

With the return of the punks in the mid-'90s came a resurgence of their slightly more commercial rivals, new wave bands. No Doubt found a niche as a new wave/ska band... More »

OneRepublic

Featuring the anthemic songwriting of Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic rose to prominence in 2007, when "Apologize" began its reign as the most popular digital download in American history. Although... More »

P!NK!

Although initially viewed as another face in the late-'90s crowd of teen pop acts, Pink (professionally known as P!nk!) quickly transcended and outgrew that label with her combination of pop songcraft... More »

Plain White T's

Hailing from the suburbs of Chicago, the punk-pop outfit Plain White T's began taking shape in 1997, a full ten years before the acoustic ballad "Hey There Delilah"... More »

Prince

Few artists have created a body of work as rich and varied as Prince. During the '80s, he emerged as one of the most singular talents of the rock & roll era, capable of seamlessly tying together... More »

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Few rock groups of the '80s broke down as many musical barriers and were as original as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Creating an intoxicating new musical style by combining funk and punk rock... More »

Rihanna

Rihanna established her dance-pop credentials in summer 2005 with her debut smash hit, "Pon de Replay," and continued to demonstrate hit potential in subsequent years... More »

Rob Thomas

As the lead singer and principal songwriter for Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas found success with a blend of '70s rock influences, slick hooks, and 1990s post-grunge crunch. The Florida-based band... More »

Sara Bareilles

A gifted songwriter and a versatile pianist with no formal training, Sara Bareilles burst onto the pop scene with a naturally skilled voice that ranged from powerful and soulful to sweet and gentle, earning her instant comparison to Fiona Apple... More »

The Script

A self-described "Celtic soul" trio, the Script were founded by guitarist Marc Sheehan and vocalist Danny O'Donoghue in 2001. The two musicians had previously performed together in Mytown, an Irish-based... More »

Snow Patrol

After failing to secure an international audience for nearly ten years, Snow Patrol broke into the mainstream with 2003's Final Straw, a mega-selling album that showcased the band's fondness for... More »

Taio Cruz

Taio Cruz is a British pop singer/songwriter whose second album, Rokstarr, catapulted him to international chart-topping success in 2010 with its smash hit singles "Break Your Heart"... More »

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift became one of country's brightest (and youngest) faces in 2006, when the 16-year-old released her first album. Although new to the American public, Swift had been performing since... More »

The Band Perry

Merging country, pop, and rock elements into a sharp contemporary sound, the Band Perry is comprised of siblings Kimberly Perry, Reid Perry, and Neil Perry... More »

Train

Train was inescapable during the turn of the 21st century, when songs like "Calling All Angels" and "Drops of Jupiter" made the San Francisco residents some of America's most popular... More »

U2

Through a combination of zealous righteousness and post-punk experimentalism, U2 became one of the most popular rock & roll bands of the '80s. They were rock & roll... More »

Uncle Kracker

After serving as DJ for his hometown chum Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker (born Matthew Shafer) stepped out from behind the turntables to release his debut...  More »