1. Top 10 Pop Artists of All Time (from ‘About.com’)
10. Mariah Carey
Courtesy Columbia Records
With 18 under her belt, Mariah Carey is the only currently recording artist in striking distance of reaching
the Beatles' all-time record of 20 #1 pop singles in the US. Her collaboration with Boyz II Men on "One
Sweet Day" spent 16 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 which remains a record. Mariah Carey's vocal
range and melismatic approach are trademarks that have influenced countless other female vocalists in the
past two decades.
Essential Songs
"Fantasy"
"Vision of Love"
"Dreamlover"
"We Belong Together"
"Hero"
9. Stevie Wonder
Courtesy Motown
Stevie Wonder emerged in the early 1960s as a precocious child star with one of the most infectious live
hits ever recorded, "Fingertips - Pt. 2." Through the rest of the decade and early 1970s he matured as an
artist until he took full artistic control as singer, musician, producer and songwriter. His music ranged
across styles, but usually remained rooted in highly rhythmic textures. The songs are noted for their
positive outlook even when dealing with difficult social issues. After over 45 years Stevie Wonder
continues to record for his original label Motown.
Essential Songs
"Superstition"
"Sir Duke"
"Fingertips - Pt. 2"
"If You Really Love Me"
"Living for the City"

2. Top 10 Pop Artists of All Time (from ‘About.com’)
8. Michael Jackson
Courtesy Epic
Michael Jackson, with the possible exception of Elvis Presley, was the epitome of larger than life pop music
figures. He hit the pop spotlight as a child of 11 in 1969 with his brothers in the group Jackson 5. At the
end of the next decade he emerged as a young adult recording artist. Michael Jackson recorded Thriller,
the bestselling album of all time, and was the world's biggest pop star in the late 1980s. Sadly he died
suddenly at age 50 in 2009.
Essential Songs
"Billie Jean"
"Black or White"
"Man in the Mirror"
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
"You Are Not Alone"
7. The Rolling Stones
Courtesy Decca Records
Originally many saw the Rolling Stones as sort of a scruffy, explicit anti-Beatles. However, through the
decades to come the group developed their own distinctive status as "the world's greatest rock and roll
band." They have been responsible for bringing strong influences of American blues into the pop
mainstream and remain one of the world's top live bands.
Essential Songs
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
"Brown Sugar"
"Miss You"
"Honky Tonk Women"
"Paint It, Black"

3. Top 10 Pop Artists of All Time (from ‘About.com’)
6. Barbra Streisand
Courtesy Columbia Records
Barbra Streisand is the bestselling female album artist of all time in the US. She is also a pioneer among
women in filmmaking having become a successful director as well as actor. Her success is particularly
notable, because her primary vocal style remains outside of the pop mainstream yet she has released five
#1 pop singles.
Essential Songs
"The Way We Were"
"Woman In Love"
"People"
"Love Theme from 'A Star Is Born' (Evergreen)"
"Stoney End"
5. Frank Sinatra
Courtesy Reprise Records
Frank Sinatra is the most successful pop artist at transcending the era of swing and pop standards to
remain a recording star after the advent of rock 'n roll. He first hit Billboard singles charts in 1939. His
last significant chart hit, "Theme from New York, New York," appeared over 40 years later in 1980 when
he was 64. Frank Sinatra is the recipient of 11 Grammy Awards as well as an Academy Award for Best
Supporting Actor in From Here to Eternity. Frank Sinatra died in 1998 at the age of 82.
Essential Songs
"Strangers In the Night"
"Theme from New York, New York"
"My Way"
"Love and Marriage"
"Somethin' Stupid" with Nancy Sinatra

4. Top 10 Pop Artists of All Time (from ‘About.com’)
4. Madonna
Courtesy Warner Bros.
Madonna has released 37 top 10 pop hits in the US, more than any other artist. She also ranks as the top
dance artist of all time. Seven of her albums have debuted at #1 in the US. She is a member of the Rock
'n Roll Hall of Fame.
Essential Songs
"Like a Prayer"
"Vogue"
"Music"
"Like a Virgin"
"Ray of Light"
3. Elton John
Courtesy MCA
Elton John is the foremost piano player in pop music history. He has released over 50 top 40 singles
including a phenomenal 38 consecutive top 40 singles from 1972 through 1986. His music could be
considered definitive of mainstream pop in the 1970s. In recent years Elton John has toured frequently
with a fellow successful piano playing pop musician, Billy Joel.
Essential Songs
"Your Song"
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
"Bennie and the Jets"
"Daniel"
"Philadelphia Freedom"

5. Top 10 Pop Artists of All Time (from ‘About.com’)
2. Elvis Presley
Courtesy RCA
Without Elvis Presley, it’s hard to imagine how much of what came after in pop and rock music could have
happened. He brought rock 'n roll into American living rooms. Elvis Presley became a larger than life
cultural icon. He recorded over 100 pop top 40 hits. Elvis Presley died in 1977 at the age of 42.
Essential Songs
"Jailhouse Rock"
"Suspicious Minds"
"Are You Lonesome Tonight"
"Heartbreak Hotel"
"Don't Be Cruel"
1. The Beatles
Courtesy EMI
The Beatles are the pop band by which nearly everything else in pop music is matched and measured. Their
influence on pop artists that followed their phenomenal single decade career from 1960 to 1970 is
unmeasurable. They continue to hold the record for the most #1 pop singles in the US at 20 and are widely
considered to be the bestselling album artists of all time. Their influence is still felt so strongly they will
rank as one of the top selling album recording act of the decade of the 2000's.
Essential Songs
"Hey Jude"
"Help!"
"Get Back"
"Come Together"
"A Hard Day's Night"