Honorific titles in popular music

Honorific titlescite news
url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honorific
title=Merriam Webster Definition: Honorific
publisher=Merriam Online Dictionary
accessdate=2008-07-29 ("Belonging to or constituting a class of grammatical forms used in speaking to or about a social superior.")] are often conferred upon popular music artists for their contributions to the field. These titles – such as King, Queen, Godfather, Princess, or Boss – may be given to them by the media, marketing departments of the record companies, fans, or critics. In some cases, more than one artist may have been given the same title.

Male artists

King of Pop

;Michael Jackson

At the 1989 Soul Train Awards, before Elizabeth Taylor brought Michael Jackson out to receive a lifetime achievement award, she said, “In my opinion he is the true king of pop, rock, and soul.” Since then the King of Pop was the title that stayed with him throughout his career.cite news
url=http://web.singnet.com.sg/~kda07/KOP.html
title=INDEPTH: MICHAEL JACKSON The King of Pop
publisher=Singnet
accessdate=2008-07-10] He has won countless awards including 13 Grammyscite news
url=http://www.musicouch.com/Musicouching/Grammy-Awards-50-Years.81128
title=INDEPTH: Grammy Awards: 50 Years
publisher=Musictouch
date=2005-06-13
accessdate=2008-07-10] and "Thriller" is the biggest selling album in music history.cite web
url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-etlede5572856feb12,0,1999586.story
title=Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' turns 25
date=2008-02-12
accessdate=2008-07-10
publisher=newsday.com] Michael Jackson's impact on music video is as indisputable as his unmatchable influence and impact on the art of popular music.cite web
url=http://flakmag.com/music/mj/videos.html Michael Jackson: A Life in Film
title= Michael Jackson In Film
publisher=Flakmag
date=2007-06-13
accessdate=2008-07-10] Jackson's influence today is evident on artists like Usher, Chris Brown, Neyo, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Missy Elliott, Alien Ant Farm and Beyonce to name a few.

Kings of Rock and Roll

;Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was a legendary performercite web
url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/elvis-presley
title= Inductee: Elvis Presley
publisher=Rockhall
accessdate=2008-07-10] who became the first international superstar during the mid and late 1950’s by putting Rock 'n' Roll on the map for the masses.cite web
url=http://www.elvis.com/
title=Elvis Bio
accessdate=2008-07-10] Elvis went on to become the biggest selling artist in the United States, while still being the most certified artist in U.S. history, according to RIAA.cite web
url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTopArt/
title=RIAA Gold and Platinum Certifactions
publisher=RIAA
accessdate=2008-07-10] No individual had a more sustainable impact on popular music at the time, in spite of his two-year stint in the Army, his subsequent nine year absence from the stage (which coincided with the arrival and global success of the Beatles), nor his death in 1977.

;Little RichardSometimes suggested as the true King of Rock and Rollcite web
url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/1NJBFXT65UBKX
title= 50's Rock and Roll
publisher=Amazon
accessdate=2008-07-10] but better known as the Architect Of Rock 'n' Roll,cite web
url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/little-richard
title=Inductee: Little Richard
publisher=Rockhall
accessdate=2008-07-10] more than any other performer, Little Richard blew the lid off the Fifties by laying the foundation for rock and roll with his explosive music and charismatic persona. The song, "Tutti Frutti," was his catalyst for success and led to an huge run of smash hits such as "Long Tall Sally," "Rip It Up," "Lucille," "Jenny Jenny," "Keep A Knockin’", "Good Golly Miss Molly," "Ooh! My Soul."cite web
url=http://www.generalentertainment.com/artists/LittleRichard.htm
title=Artists: Little Richard
publisher=General Entertainment
accessdate=2008-07-10] Now as a icon of music he has been awarded several lifetime achievement awards and special awards for his influence on music.

;Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry's music has transcended generations. With his catalog of well-known rock songs, such as "Johnny B Goode", "School Days", "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "My Ding-a-ling" made him a pioneer of Rock and Roll.cite web
url=http://www.chuckberry.com/about/bio.htm
title=Chuck Berry
publisher=Chuck Berry
date=2008-07-13
accessdate=2008-07-10] He earns respect to this day because he is truly an entertainer. Berry's incredible success is due to his ability to articulate the concerns and attitudes of his audience in his music. Chuck Berry is one of the few artists of his time period to have retained ownership of much of his incomparable catalog of songs, many of which are considered the greatest rock and roll songs of all time.cite web
url=http://www.chuckberry.com/music/licensing.htm
title=Chucks Licensing
publisher=Chuck Berry
date=2008-07-13
accessdate=2008-07-13]

King of Reggae

;Bob Marley
Bob Marley, is not only a reggae legend, but also music legend. Marley almost single-handedly brought reggae to the world. His album "Legend" is the best-selling reggae album ever.cite web
url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/marley_b.html
title=American Masters: Bob Marley
publisher=PBS
accessdate=2008-07-10] Marley is an international star with a strong following in the Third World. He is one of the few deceased people with strong commercial success after death.cite web
url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939216/the_immortals__the_greatest_artists_of_all_time_11_bob_marley.
title=The Immortals: Number Eleven- Bob Marley
publisher=Rolling Stone
accessdate=2008-07-10] He saw music as a way to spread his religion making some people to regard him as a prophet.cite web| url=http://caribbean.halloffame.tripod.com/Bob_Marley.html
title=Carribean Hall Of Fame: Inductee Bob Marley
publisher=Carribean Hall Of Fame
accessdate=2008-07-10]

King of the Blues

;B. B. King
B.B. King is one of the greatest, most influential blues guitar stylists, composers and singers of the 20th century. He remained faithful to blues while inspiring artists like Eric Clapton, the late Mike Bloomfield, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Albert King and Jimi Hendrix.cite web
url=http://www.jazzandbluesmasters.com/bbking.htm
title=bb king . american blues musician . b 1925
accessdate=2008-07-10
publisher=Jazz and Blues Masters] "The Thrill Is Gone" is King's most remembered and biggest hit and the biggest blues hit ever at the time.cite web
url=http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_bb_kings_thrill/|title=ThrillIsGone
title=The Thrill Is Gone by BB King
publisher=Mix Online
accessdate=2008-07-10] King is so honored for his contributions The state of Mississippi celebrates "B. B. King Day". A decree of the State House and Senate reads: “No matter where he appears in the world, B. B. King is a proud ambassador of his home state, and Mississippi is even prouder of this native son.”cite web
url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/bb-king
title=B.B. King
accessdate=2008-07-10
publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum]

King of Funk

;Rick James
Rick James is a major star of the 1980s who helped define the "punk funk" style of that decade.cite web
url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/06/rick.james/index.html
title=Showbiz: Rick James
publisher=CNN
accessdate=2008-07-10] He broke many cultural taboos and is said to have gone further than anyone had gone before in funk.cite web
url=http://www.rickjames.com/
title=http:Rick james Bio
publisher=Rick James
accessdate=2008-07-10] His album "Street Songs" went triple-platinum and catapulted James into the forefront of the funk movement.

Kings of the South

;Ludacris
Ludacriscite web
url=http://www.rapcapital.com/review/ludacris.htm
title=Rap Capital Bio: Ludacris
publisher=Rap Capital
accessdate=2008-07-10] first started of DJing at an Atlanta radio station until he became the Dirty South's most popular rapper. With a provocative song, "What's Your Fantasy?" he and the song became an enormous success.cite web
url=http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/ludacris/artist.jhtml
title=Ludacris Bio On MTV
publisher=MTV
accessdate=2008-07-10] "Saturday(Oooh, Oooh)" and "Move Bitch" from his next album "Word of Mouf", performed similarly during 2002, and all three songs' videos enjoyed MTV, BET, and MTV2 support. Afterwards being in the game for over seven years, he had several hit urban albums like "Chicken n Beer" and "Red light district".cite web
url=http://www.ludacris.info/
title=Ludacris Information
publisher=google
accessdate=2008-07-10]

;T.I.
T.I.cite web
url=http://www.hiphopgalaxy.com/Video-T-I-King-Of-The-South-Performs-Live-hip-hop-7064.html
title=The King Of The South Performs
publisher=Hip Hop Galaxy
accessdate=2008-07-10] established himself as one of rap's greatest and most successful rappers during the 2000s. He made tough and smooth songs that appealed to a wide audience.cite web
url=http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/t_i_/artist.jhtml#bio
title=MTV Artist Bio: TI
publisher=MTV
accessdate=2008-07-10] "Bring Em Out," "Rubberband Man" and the rap chart-topping "What You Know" has had great success for T.I. in the past and "T.I. vs. T.I.P." has had two urban hit singles, "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" and "You Know What It Is." cite web
url=http://www.eonline.com/print/index.jsp?uuid=2f7cd6b4-5fb3-472d-933a-d7c47117bc72&contentType=newsStory
title=E Online News story: TI Vs. TIP
publisher=E
accessdate=2008-07-10]

Kings of Country

;Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks is a phenomenon of country music who brought country music to a massive audience in the 90's.cite web
url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/garthbrooks/articles/story/5931274/brooks_still_the_king_of_country
title=Garth Brook Is Still The King of Country
publisher=Rolling Stone
accessdate=2008-07-10] Before Brooks, it was unimaginable for a country artist to go multi-platinum but he did, shattering that barrier in 1991 when his second album, "No Fences" went on to sell 13 million copies. He changed the concept of a country star by putting rock antics into his country stage shows.cite web
url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/brooks_garth/bio.jhtml
title=CMT Artists: Garth Brooks Bio
publisher=CMT
accessdate=2008-07-10] He sold more records then any other artist in US history in such a short amount of time becoming a pivotal figure in the history of country music.He later cite web
url=http://www.gactv.com/gac/ar_az_garth_brooks/article/0,,GAC_26099_4709190,00.html
title=Garth Brooks
publisher=gactv
accessdate=2008-07-10] retired in the early 2000’s.

;Roy Acuff
Roy Acuffcite web
url= http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/site/inductees.aspx?cid=95
title=Country Music Hall of fame: Garth Brooks
publisher=Country Music Hall Of Fame
accessdate=2008-07-10] formed the bridge between country’s rural string band era and the modern era of star singers backed by fully amplified bands. A huge success in the 1940s Acuff's popularity rivaled that of the legendary Frank Sinatra. Acuff topped the charts with his biggest its like "Wreck on the Highway," "Night Train to Memphis" and "The Precious Jewel.” cite web
url=http://music.yahoo.com/ar-290824-bio--Roy-Acuff
title=Yahoo! Music: Bio- Garth Brooks
publisher=Yahoo
accessdate=2008-07-10] He eventually with songwriting partner Fred Rose formed Acuff-Rose Music Publishing.cite web
url=http://www.factmonster.com/biography/var/royacuff.html
title=Facts about Garth Brooks
publisher=Factmonster
accessdate=2008-07-10] Although Roy came from a rural, folk-based background, he helped bring country music to the city and to the world of big business.

;George Strait
George Strait’scite web
url=http://www.countrymusiconline.net/georgestrait_contest.html
title=Country Music Online Bios: George Strait
publisher=CMO
accessdate=2008-07-10] name has become synonymous with “real country.” Always true to his roots, he draws from both the western swing and the honky-tonk traditions. His albums have been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum, and he throughout the years he has remained a huge concert draw.cite web
url=http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/site/inductees.aspx?cid=1749
title=Inductee: George Strait
publisher=Country Music Hall of Fame
accessdate=2008-07-10] The Academy of Country Music has awarded George Strait a Special Achievement Award.cite web
url=http://www.mcanashville.com/georgestrait/
title=Music and nashville: George Strait
publisher=Nashville
accessdate=2008-07-10] He remains an influential singer of country music history who sparked a wave of neo-traditionalist singers from Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam to Clint Black, Garth Brooks, and Alan Jackson.cite web
url=http://music.yahoo.com/ar-265875-bio--George-Strait
title=Yahoo!Music: Bio- George Strait
publisher=Yahoo
accessdate=2008-07-10]

Kings of R&B

;R. Kelly
R. Kellycite web
url=http://www.jambase.com/Artists/Artist.aspx?artistID=49133
title=Artist News: R Kelly
publisher=jambase
accessdate=2008-07-10] has had a 15 year career.cite web
url=http://www.jambase.com/Artists/49133/R.-Kelly/Bio
title=Artist Bio: R Kelly
publisher=Jambase
accessdate=2008-07-10] First calling himself the King of R&B in his song with T-pain "I’m a Flirt", he has had many hits to back him up.cite web
url=http://www.lyriczz.com/lyriczz.php?songid=42584
title=I'm a Flirt Lyrics
publisher=lyriczz
accessdate=2008-07-10] He was able to take sexual explicit songs and make them into hits like "Bump and Grind", "Feeling on Your Booty", and "Sex me." He was one of the biggest-selling male artists of the '90s and he has written many hits for several artists.cite web
url=http://music.yahoo.com/ar-253009-bio--R-Kelly
title=Yahoo! Music
publisher=Yahoo
accessdate=2008-07-10] R. Kelly released a new album every year between 2002 and 2007.

;Usher
Ushercite web
url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5209619
title=Usher the new King of R&B
publisher=MSNBC
accessdate=2008-07-10] first broke on the commercial scene with the album "My Way."cite web
url=http://www.tv.com/usher/person/17506/biography.html
title=TV: Biography- Usher Raymond
publisher=TV
accessdate=2008-07-10] He had 3 hit singles off the album. He followed that with the long awaited "8701" which had 3 hit songs also, and the number one hit "U got it Bad". cite web
url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-u/usher_main.htm
title=Rock On The Net: Usher Raymond
publisher=RockNet
accessdate=2008-07-10] First week sales of "Confessions" broke R&B album records, staying 9 weeks at number one. Usher has had an unprecedented level of success for an R&B artist.

Chairman of the Board

;Frank SinatraIn 1961 Sinatracite web
url=http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008/sr08_050.htm
title=U.S. Postal Service announces Frank Sinatra Stamp
publisher=U.S.P.S.
accessdate=2008-07-10] founded Reprise Records. It was as the head of Reprise that Sinatra earned the nickname "The Chairman of the Board."cite web
url=http://www-tech.mit.edu/V110/N57/sinatr.57a.html
title="The Chairman of the Board hits another quarter century"
publisher=The Tech
accessdate=2008-07-10] In music, what earned him that title was a professional career that lasted 60 years. cite web
url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/sinatra_frank/bio.jhtml
title=Vh1 Artist A-Z: Frank Sinatra
publisher=Vh1
accessdate=2008-07-10] He demonstrated a remarkable ability to maintain his appeal while never changing his styles to fit trends. He came to the fore during the swing era of the 1930s and '40s, helped to define the "sing era" of the '40s and '50s, and continued to attract listeners during the rock and roll era that began in the mid-'50s, and was still making million-selling recordings in 1994.

Godfather of Rocksteady

;Alton EllisIn the 1960s rise of Jamaican music, Alton Ellis was a major influence, particularly in creating the style rocksteady, which bridged the gap between ska and reggae. [ cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/roots/2004/01/altonellis.shtml | title = Have a boss jumpin' 2004 | date = January 2004 | accessdate = 2008-10-10] [http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20071215t150000-0500_130425_obs_say_a_prayer_for__the_godfather_of_rocksteady__.asp] His musical innovations have been sampled and reinterpreted on numerous occasions by later artists such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. He has received the Jamaican Order of Distinction.

Godfather of Soul

;James Brown
James Brown has been called the "Godfather of Soul" and "Mr. Dynamite".cite web
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/25/AR2006122500049.html
title=James Brown dead
publisher=Washington Post
accessdate=2008-07-10] An innovator of R&B music, Brown was able to dominate and revolutionize black music so much that many of the African American associated genres of today like soul, funk, rap, and hip hop, stem directly from “"The hardest working man in show business"”, another famous title. His music has lasted over generations and musical genres, beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing to the present.cite web
url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/james-brown
title=James Brown
accessdate=2008-07-10
publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum] He gave black people hope and pride with the song "Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud". James Brown mesmerized all with his style and dancing.cite web
url=http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/poprock/185904,CST-FTR-brown26.article
title=James Brown Dies
publisher=Suntimes
accessdate=2008-07-10]

Godfather of Heavy Metal

;Ozzy OsbourneInnovator of Heavy Metal,cite web
url=http://www.sonymusic.com/labels/epic/newmusicmondays/ozzy/
title=New Music:The Return Of Ozzy
publisher=Sony
accessdate=2008-07-10]
Ozzy Osbourne revolutionized music by being a driving force with the innovative heavy metal band Black Sabbath.cite web
url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/black-sabbath
title=Inductee: Black Sabbath
publisher=RockHall
accessdate=2008-07-10] Osbourne created Ozzfest, a tour package that featured himself along with many other metal bands.cite web
url=http://music.yahoo.com/read/review/14203193
title=Yahoo Music: Ozzy Osbourne
publisher=Yahoo
accessdate=2008-07-10] Ozzy Osbourne had his biggest American hit in the spring of 1992 with a power ballad called "Mama, I'm Coming Home." Most of his albums have either gone platinum or double platinum.cite web
url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-o/ozzyosbourne.htm
title=Ozzy Osbourne
publisher=Rocknet
accessdate=2008-07-10]

Godfather of Punk

;Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop has a musical career dating back to the late 1960s and his simple musical style and lyrics strongly influenced punk rock. His stage antics, too, involving stage diving and self-mutilation, were in line culturally with that movement, and gained him some notoriety. He is still performing in the early 21st century. [cite web
url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2007/04/22/iggy-birthday-2007-04-22.html
title=Godfather of punk, Iggy Pop, turns 60
publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
accessdate=2008-07-31] [cite news
work = Seattle Times
url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960501&slug=2326844
title=Entertainment & the Arts - The Godfather Of Punk: Iggy Pop Is Still Going Strong |publisher=Seattle Times
date = 1 May 1996
accessdate=2008-07-31
last=Rose
first=Cynthia]

;Pete TownshendWhilst not as often as Iggy Pop, The Who's Pete Townshend is also referred to by some as the Godfather of Punk, [cite journal | work = Entertainment Weekly | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,84581,00.html | title = Who's Next | last = Angulo | first = Sandra P. | date = Aug 11, 1999 | accessdate = 2008-09-08] as well as the mod, grunge and Britpop genres. This is due to his displays of aggression and attitude, both in his performances and though his songwriting, which lead The Who to be cited as a major influence by many punk and grunge bands.Wilkerson, Mark (2006). "Amazing Journey: The Life of Pete Townshend",
ISBN 1411677005, 9781411677005.] [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/in-the-attic-a-website-with-lofty-musical-ambitions-437401.html In The Attic: A website with lofty musical ambitions] , The Independent, 22/02/07.]

The Boss

;Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteencite web
url=http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/5002/bossipod.html
title=The Boss- Ipod
publisher=Mp3newswire
accessdate=2008-07-10] was called the savior of rock and roll by critics and was called a new Bob Dylan of his time. He was first called the boss when he was in charge of collecting the band's nightly pay and distributing it amongst his bandmates ["Racing in the Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader", Penguin, 2004.] With his performances and style he was put at a level with Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Bob Dylan.cite web
url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/bruce-springsteen
title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee: Bruce Springsteen
publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
accessdate=2008-07-10] He was said to be the single artist who brought together all the exuberance of '50s rock and the thoughtfulness of '60s rock, molded into a '70s style. With a rocking taste of Jerry Lee Lewis. cite web
url=http://uk.music.yahoo.com/ar-265591---Bruce-Springsteen
title=Yahoo! Music UK: Bruce Springsteen
publisher=Yahoo
accessdate=2008-07-10] He hit a huge peak in 1984 with the multi-platinum "Born in the USA" album while "Born to Run" was very critically acclaimed cite web
url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-s/brucespringsteen_main.htm
title=Rock On The Net: Bruce Springsteen
publisher=RockNet
accessdate=2008-07-10]

The Modfather

;Paul Weller
Paul Weller is frequently referred to as the Modfather [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The modfather returns|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2347958.ece |work=The Times |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10] [cite book |title=The Modfather |last=Lines |first=David |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2007 |publisher=Random House |location= |isbn=0099476592] due to his significant contribution to Mod revival music. His key roles in the bands The Jam and The Style Council, followed by a successful solo career have influenced subsequent bands like Oasis. [cite book |title= The Great Indie Discography |last=Strong |first=Martin Charles |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2003 |publisher=Canongate |location= |isbn=1841953350]

King of Bhangra

;Malkit Singh
Malkit Singh, a Punjabi Bhangra singer based in the UK, has enjoyed success for many years and his albums have sold millions. In 2000 he was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest selling bhangra artist of all time, [cite web | url = http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ET_Cetera/Malkit_Singh_bag_top_British_honours/articleshow/3128429.cms | title = Malkit Singh "King" of Bhangra bag top British honours | date = 14 June 2008 | accessdate = 2008-08-24] and in 2008 he was awarded the MBE for services to Punjabi music. [cite journal | url = http://www.honours.gov.uk/~/media/assets/www.honours.gov.uk/honours2008/2008uk%20pdf.ashx | work = London Gazette | title = New Year Honours—United Kingdom|date = 29 December 2007 | accessdate = 2008-08-24]

King of Skiffle

;Lonnie DoneganIn the late 1950s and early 1960s, skiffle bridged the gap between folk music and pop music in Britain; one of its most successful artists was Lonnie Donegan, who had three UK number one hits and several other chart successes. [UKChartHits|1125] cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2400229.stm | title = 'Skiffle king' Donegan dies | date = 4 November 2002 | accessdate = 2008-09-27] His influence was summed up by Brian May as "he really was at the very cornerstone of English blues and rock." Similar tributes were paid by Cliff Richard and Rolf Harris. In 2000 he was awarded the MBE for services to music.

King of Swing

;Benny Goodman
Clarinettist and bandleader Benny Goodman was one of the most popular artists of the Swing era of the 1930s and 1940s.cite news | url = http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0530.html | title = BENNY GOODMAN, KING OF SWING, IS DEAD | work = New York Times | date = June 14, 1986 | accessdate = 2009-09-11 | last = Wilson| first = John S.] [cite web | url = http://www.america.gov/st/arts-english/2008/July/20080818101721eaifas0.2138178.html | title = The King of Swing | date = 26 July 2008 | accessdate = 2008-09-11] His combination of jazz and dance music became a template for the big bands of that age, and his 1938 concert at the Carnegie Hall is regarded as a landmark in popular music. He was one of the first white bandleaders to integrate black musicians into his orchestra and was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Columbia University and a lifetime achievement award at the Grammy Awards in February 1986.

Female artists

Queen of Soul

;Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin is one of the giants of soul music, and indeed of American pop as a whole.cite web
url=http://www.legacyrecordings.com/Aretha-Franklin/Biography.aspx
title=Legacy Recordings: Aretha Franklin
publisher=Legacy
accessdate=2008-07-10] Her songs were smashes and according to The Rolling Stone Album Guide, "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" “may stand as the greatest single soul album of all time.” cite web
url=http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=106
title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee: Aretha Franklin
publisher=Rockhall
accessdate=2008-07-10] Being a black symbol in the sixties she sang empowering songs to inspire black people. Throughout her career she won countless awards.cite web
url=http://www.answers.com/topic/aretha-franklin?cat=entertainment
title=Answers: Aretha Franklin
publisher=anwsers
accessdate=2008-07-10]

Queens of Pop

;MadonnaAuthor Mary Cross documented in her book, "Madonna a Biography" (2007), that "the year 1984 was unbelievable for Madonna [with the release of her second studio album "Like a Virgin"] . Indisputably, she was now the Queen of Pop". [cite book | last = Cross | first = Mary| title = Madonna a Biography | publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group | date = 2007 | pages = 31 | isbn = 9780313338113] Rodger Streitmatter reported in his book "Sex Sells!" (2004) that "from the moment Madonna burst onto the nation's radar screen in the mid-1980s, she did everything in her power to shock the public, and her efforts paid off".cite book | last = Streitmatter | first = Rodger | title = Sex Sells! | publisher = Westview Press | date = 2004 | pages = 126-127 | isbn = 9780813342481] He further commented, "The reigning Queen of Pop thrived on the criticism, and continued, throughout the decade, to reiterate the most fundamental of her issues by consistently celebrating women's sexual power". "Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge" (2000) stated, "Madonna may have preached control, but she created an illusion of sexual availability that many female pop artists felt compelled to emulate".cite book | last = Kramarae | first = Cheris | coauthors = Dale Spender | title = Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge | publisher = Routledge | date = 2000 | pages = 1408 | isbn = 0415920914] The book further documented she served as a role model as a businesswoman, "achieving the kind of financial control that women had long fought for within the industry" generating over $1.2 billion dollars in sales within the first decade of her career. According to "Rolling Stone", Madonna "remains one of the greatest pop acts of all time". [cite web | title= Madonna |url= http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/madonna/biography |publisher= "Rolling Stone" |accessdate=2008-08-03] Madonna is also "the world's highest earning female singer on earth" [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-407501/Queen-Pop-Madonna-crowned-highest-earning-female-singer-earth.html] .

;Whitney HoustonIn 1987, Frank Rizzo of the "San Francisco Chronicle" reported, "there is no denying who is queen of popular music right now - 24-year-old Whitney Houston".Citation | last= Rizzo | first=Frank | title=Whitney Leads Female Pop Pack / Women stake their claim on the charts | newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle | pages=65 | year=1987 | date=1987-09-03|issn=07459696] Houston's second studio album "Whitney" enabled her to become the first female recording artist to have an album debut at number on on the "Billboard" 200 album charts. In 1994, nearing the end of Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard World Tour, Patrick Macdonald of the "Seattle Times" observed: "Houston's voice is one of the greatest in the history of pop, with a purity of tone and an octave range unmatched by anyone on the scene today... she can send a chill through you when she wrings all the drama out of songs such as "I Will Always Love You" or "The Greatest Love," which become almost religious experiences in her hands. Nobody puts more punch in a pop song than Whitney Houston". [Citation | last= Macdonald | first=Patrick | title=One dances, the other sings -- pop music queens Janet and Whitney whirl into the northwest just days apart | newspaper=Seattle Times | pages=D.3 | year=1994 | date=1994-08-12|issn=07459696] The following year, "Ebony" magazine reported: "Having conquered all musical worlds in America, Whitney Houston capped an unprecedented year of awards and adulations by flying off to South Africa for three tumultuous weeks. In what was called "the biggest media event since the inauguration of Nelson Mandela," the singer performed for more than 70,000 South Africans at her concert for Johannesburg's Ellis Park Stadium, "billed as "Whitney--The Concert for a New South Africa.... There was also a private visit to Swaziland, where the "Queen of Pop Music" visited King Mswati III". [Citation | title=Whitney in South Africa | newspaper=Ebony|volume=50|issue=4| pages=116 | year=1995 | date=February 1995|issn=00129011]

;Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson—the youngest sister of "King of Pop" Michael Jackson—released her self-titled debut album in 1982 and later impacted popular music with her third studio album "Control" (1986). According to Richard J. Ripani Ph.D., author of "The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950-1999" (2006), the success of "Control" "in the R&B and greater popular music market led to the incorporation of many of the stylistic traits of rap over the next few years."cite book | last = Ripani | first = Richard J. | title = The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950-1999 | publisher = Univ. Press of Mississippi| date = 2006 | pages = 132-153 | isbn = 1578068622] By the late 1980s, after the release of her fourth studio album "Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814", "Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge" (2000) documented that Jackson's success during this time period placed her on par with several other recording artists, including her older brother Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Tina Turner. Jackson was dubbed a reigning "Princess of Pop" by the "Chicago Tribune". [Citation |last= DeKnock |first=Jan |title = Abdul, Jackson poised for battle | page = S | newspaper = Chicago Tribune | date = 1990-02-23 | year = 1990] Upon the release of Jackson fifth studio album "janet." (1993), Robert Johnson of "San Antonio Express-News" commented "it should be enough to make her the Queen of Pop". [Citation | last=Johnson | first=Robert | title=Jackson delivers under pressure with "janet." | newspaper=San Antonio Express-News | pages= | year=1993 | date=1993-05-28] Sonia Murray of "The Vancouver Sun" later reported, "Janet [had become] a whirlwind of fashion, personality and slick musical packaging rivaled only by Madonna and Whitney Houston in today's pop pantheon". [Citation | last1 = Murray | first1 = Sonia | title = Janet: The Queen of Pop: Michael could lose his crown to his hot little sister | pages = C1 | newspaper = The Vancouver Sun| date = 1994-02-03| year = 1994 | issn = 08321299] After embarking on her All for You Tour in 2001, Rudy Scalese of the "Los Angeles Times" commented, "Janet Jackson hasn't skipped a beat. She is still the Queen of Pop".Citation | last1= Esparza | first1=Rafael | last2= Massey | first2=David| last3= Scalese| first3=Rudy| title=Let Jackson's Energetic Beat Go On| newspaper= The Los Angeles Times | pages=F-4 | year=2001 | date= 2001-10-06]

;Mariah CareyIn 1994, the year Mariah Carey released her third studio album "Music Box", Michael Saunders of "The Boston Globe" announced, "Mariah, you're the Queen of Pop, and your reign extends with another chart-topping single, "Without You". [Citation | last1 = Saunders | first1 = Michael | title = We give up, Mariah | page = 58 | newspaper = The Boston Globe | date = 1994-02-04| year = 1994 | issn = 07431791] Jason Ankeny of Allmusic observed "The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Mariah Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice; an elastic talent who moved easily from glossy ballads to hip-hop-inspired dance-pop, she earned frequent comparison to rivals Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, but did them both one better by composing all of her own material". [cite web | last= Ankeny | first= Jason | title = Mariah Carey > Biography | publisher = Allmusic | url = http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:ijjw7i3jg77r~T1 | accessdate = 2008-08-13] In addition to being declared the most successful recording artist of the 1990s by "Billboard", Carey has amassed eighteen number one singles on the "Billboard" Hot 100. [Citation | last1 = Mayfield | first1 = Geoff | title = Totally '90s: Diary of a decade | volume = 111 | issue = 112 | newspaper = Billboard | date = 1999-12-25 | year = 1999 | issn = 00062510] This accomplishment allowed her to surpass Michael Jackson and Madonna as a solo recording artist and moved her into second place among all musical acts behind The Beatles. [cite web | title = Hot 100 Anniversary: Most No. 1s By Artist | publisher = "Billboard" | date = 2008-08-06 | url = http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003836006 | accessdate = 2008-08-13] In April 2008, Roger Friedman of Fox News reported: "The war is over and there’s a new queen of pop: Miss Mariah Carey". [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353538,00.html] ]

Queen of Urban Pop

;Aaliyah
Aaliyah was one of the most successful female R&B/Pop music artists of her time. She has been referred to as the "Queen of Urban Pop". [ [http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=105&STORY=/www/story/10-03-2001/0001584657 Aaliyah] ] During her career she sold over 32 million albums worldwide and also had success with singles such as "Try Again" and "Are You That Somebody".

Queen of Pop/Power ballad

;Celine Dion
Celine Dion has been often referred to as the best-selling female artist of all time and is another contender for the title of "Queen of Pop". [cite journal | work = Ladies Home Journal| last = Jerome | first = Jim | accessdate = 2008-09-16 | url = http://www.lhj.com/lhj/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/lhj/story/data/14163.xml | title = Queen of Pop] She has achieved five Grammy Awards and 21 Juno Awards. Her hit "My Heart Will Go On" became the biggest-selling record of 1997. The Boston Herald deemed her the "queen of the power ballad," [ [cite journal | work = Boston Herald| last = Falcone | first = Lauren Beckham | accessdate = 2008-09-08 | url = http://news.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view/2008_08_13_Celine_Dion_brings_a_little_Vegas_to_Hub_/srvc=home&position=recent | title = Celine Dion brings a little Vegas to Hub] remarking, "This lady handles the high notes like Dean Martin used to treat his liquor: She can hold it for what seems like forever and makes it look easy."

Queen of Rock and Roll

;Tina TurnerJohn Bush of Allmusic wrote, "The most dynamic female soul singer in the history of the music, Tina Turner oozed sexuality from every pore in a performing career that began the moment she stepped onstage as lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the late '50s. Her gritty and growling performances beat down doors everywhere, looking back to the double-barreled attack of gospel fervor and sexual abandon that had originally formed soul in the early '50s. Divorced from Ike in the mid-'70s, she recorded only occasionally later in the decade but resurfaced in the mid-'80s with a series of hit singles and movie appearances; her high-profile status was assured well into the '90s". [cite web | last= Bush | first= John | title = Tina Turner > Biography | publisher = Allmusic | url = http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hifqxqr5ldde~T1 | accessdate = 2008-08-13] Mablen Jones's "Getting It on: The Clothing of Rock 'N' Roll" writes: "If any woman deserves the title of Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, it is Tina Turner a hundred times over". [cite book | last = Jones | first = Mablen | title = Getting It on: The Clothing of Rock 'N' Roll | publisher = Abbeville Press | date = 1987 | pages = 1979 | isbn = 9780896596863] In Maureen Orth's "The Importance of Being Famous" (2004) documented that Tina Turner has been referred to as "the queen mother of rock 'n' roll". [cite book | last = Orth | first = Maureen | title = The Importance of Being Famous | publisher = Macmillan | date = 2004 | pages = 29 | isbn = 9780805075458]

Queens of the Blues

;Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday started singing at clubs all over New York City as early as 1930-31.cite web
url=http://www.isound.com/billie_holiday
title=Bio: Billie Holiday
publisher=isound
accessdate=2008-07-10] Since then she started recording songs with the great jazzmen from that time.cite web
url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Billie+Holiday
title=Artist: Billie Holiday
publisher=Discogs
accessdate=2008-07-10] From that point on she became the pre-eminent jazz singer of her day and among the most revered vocalists of the century.cite web
url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/billie-holiday
title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee: Billie Holiday
publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
accessdate=2008-07-10] She became the first popular jazz singer to move audiences with the intense, personal feeling of classic blues.

;Dinah WashingtonInspired by the Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington dropped out of high school at the age of sixteen to begin a singing career.Citation |last=Boyd |first= Valerie | title=Royal tribute to the Queen of the Blues | newspaper=Journal-Gazette| pages=15.A | year=2004 | date=2004-09-12|issn=07343701] The singer began "touring incessantly and recording an album almost annually for the next two decades. Along the way, she acquired a couple of nicknames - "Queen of the Blues" and "Queen of the Juke Boxes" - and several enduring hits, including "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" and "This Bitter Earth".

Queen of Jazz

;Ella FitzgeraldAlso known as the "First Lady of Song", Ella Fitzgerald was arguably the finest female jazz singer of all time. Blessed with a beautiful voice and a wide range,cite web
url=http://www.pandora.com/music/artist/ella+fitzgerald
title=pandora artist: Ella Fitzgerald
publisher=pandora
accessdate=2008-07-10] she sold millions of records with her skillful scat singing and jazz-tinged versions of pop standards.cite web
url=http://www.lentriola.com/legends/fitzgerald.htm
title=Legends: Ella Fitzgerald
publisher=Lentriolaef
accessdate=2008-07-10] For half a century, Ella Fitzgerald has been the most technically accomplished jazz singer. Fitzgerald was a brilliant scat singer, and had near-perfect elocution; one could always understand the words she sang. cite web
url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10208984
title=Story: Ella Fitzgerald
publisher=Npr
accessdate=2008-07-10] Fitzgerald is known for her instantly recognizable voice, which is lauded by critics for both his technical quality and the emotions it conveyed, which became a part of her public persona.

Queen of Gospel

;Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson reigned as a pioneer interpreter of gospel music whose was one of the great voices of the Twentieth century. Little Richard has cited Jackson as an inspiration, calling her “the true queen of spiritual singers.”cite web
url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/mahalia-jackson
title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee: Mahalia Jackson
publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
accessdate=2008-07-05] She is known as gospel's first superstar, and a half a century after her death, she remains for many listeners a defining symbol of the music's transcendent power.cite web
url=http://wm07.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kifqxqq5ldke~T50
title=All Music: Mahalia Jackson
publisher=All Music
accessdate=2008-07-05] She will also be remembered for singing a song prior to Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.”

Queen of Hip Hop Soul

;Mary J. BligeIn 1992 Mary J. Blige broke into the world with the hit album "What’s the 411". People and critics alike hailed the album, a modern R&B album with an edgy rap sound, as a hit.cite web
url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fcfwxqy5ldke~T1
title=All Music: Mary J. Blige
publisher=All Music
accessdate=2008-07-17] Similar to Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan,she brought soul music to a new generation. Blige has sold over 40 million albums worldwide.She has had several top ten, top five hits, and two number one singles and platinum certified songs.cite web
url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-b/maryjblige_main.htm
title=Rock On The Net: Mary J. Blige
publisher=RockNet
accessdate=2008-07-17]

Queens of Hip Hop

;Lauryn HillStarting off with the platinum group The Fugees, Lauryn Hill transformed herself to a prophetic vocalist/ poet/ musician/ actress/ activist/mother who redefined herself and Hip Hop. cite web
url=http://nolahope.blogspot.com/2007/05/lauryn-hill-post-modern-prophetic-hip.html
title=Lauryn Hill Modern Prophetic Hip Hop Mother
publisher=blogspot
accessdate=2008-07-12] Her words and actions are said to reflect her ability to constantly redefine her conception of self inspiration, and escaping the oppression of social norms and elevate her level of consciousness in the pursuit of freedom. Also called the “Mother of Hip Hop Invention, she broke new ground by successfully integrating rap, soul, reggae and R&B into her own sound.cite web
url=http://www.angelfire.com/hiphop2/ladiesofhiph/laurynhill.html
title=Ladies of Hip Hop: Lauryn Hill
publisher=angelfire
accessdate=2008-07-12] Roger Ebert called her "the girl with the big joyful voicecite web
url=http://www.defsounds.com/profiles/lauryn_hill/biography
title=Lauryn Hill Biography
publisher=Defsounds
accessdate=2008-07-12] Shes currently working on a new album.cite web
url=http://www.soulshine.ca/news/newsarticle.php?nid=1526
title=lauryn article
publisher=soulshine
accessdate=2008-07-12]

;Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott started as a genuine hitmaker alongside her longtime producer Timbaland but as a rapper, no female rap artist paralleled the success of Missy Elliott. cite web
url=http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/elliott_missy/artist.jhtml
title=MTV-Artist: Missy Elliott
publisher=MTV
accessdate=2008-07-10]

Queen of Clubs

;Dannii Minogue
Danni Minogue has been described as the "undisputed Queen of Clubs" for her 13 consecutive number one UK Upfront club chart hits. [http://www.inthemix.com.au/features/36258/Dannii_Minogue_Club_cultures_princess_of_pop] [http://www.danniimusic.com/chronologycontent.php] The Sun reported that sister "Kylie might be the Queen Of Pop but Dannii is without doubt the Queen Of Clubs." [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article511732.ece] Music critic Natalie Kalow wrote that Danni's title as "Queen Of Clubs" is "undeniable, with 13 UK club chart #1s and four top selling albums to her name since 1997, more than any other female artist in history." [http://music.generationq.net/bm/reviews/Dannii-Minogue-Club-Disco-120581.shtml]

Queen of Latin Pop

;Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan become the first worldwide crossover Latin music star in the 80s.cite web
url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-e/gloriaestefan_main.htm
title=Rock On The Net: Artist- Gloria Estefan
publisher=Rock On The Net
accessdate=2008-07-09] Gloria has had several hits including , "Anything for You", "Conga", "Turn the Beat Around", "Heaven's What I Feel", "Cuts Both Ways", "Music Of My Heart" and "Don't Wanna Lose You", a number one single on the Hot 100 credited to Gloria as her first true solo hit cite web
url=http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2003/10/04/
title=Music Articles: Gloria Estefan return to the Spotlight
publisher=Boston
accessdate=2008-07-09] She has won several Grammys and American Music Awards to ensure her legacy.cite web
url=http://music.aol.com/artist/gloria-stefan/biography/1003568
title=Gloria Estefan Biography at Aol Music
publisher=Aol Music
accessdate=2008-07-09]

Queen of Disco

;Donna Summer
Donna Summer had a consistent amount of chart success throughout the 70’s that was only rivaled by the Bee Gees.cite web
url=http://www.bookingentertainment.com/artists/disco/booking-donna-summer.php
title=Artist Page: Donna Summer
publisher=Booking Entertainment
accessdate=2008-07-10] She has more than a dozen hits in the United States and several Grammys and American Music Awards. cite web
url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-s/donnasummer.htm
title=Rock On The Net: Artist- Donna Summer
publisher=Rock On The Net
accessdate=2008-07-10] Donna had hits throughout her career with "I Feel Love," "Last Dance," "I Love You," "Dim All the Lights," "On the Radio," "She Works Hard for the Money," and "Finger on the Trigger (Love Is in Control)" and the number one singles "MacArthur Park", "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" (her duet with Barbra Streisand). Donna Summer was one of the few artists to still produce hits in the 80s even after the disco "craze" was over. Proving her staying power, she scored two No. 1s on the US dance chart in 2008.

Godmother of Punk

;Patti Smith
Patti Smith's influence on the punk movement is regarded as important to the extent that in 2005 she was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture,cite web |url=http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/actualites/conferen/donnedieu/patti_smith.html |title=Remise des insignes de Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres |accessdate=2008-02-08 |publisher=Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication |language=French |date=2005-07-10] and in 2007 inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [cite news | work = Billboard | last = Cohen | first = Jonathan | date = 7 January 2007 | url = http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003528752 | title = R.E.M., Van Halen Lead 2007 Rock Hall Class | accessdate = 2007-07-31] Her first album, "Horses" released in 1975, is regarded as seminal. [ cite news | work = The Independent | date = 12 June 2008 | url = http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/patti-smith-the-original-queen-of-punk-is-back-845096.html | last = Mottram | first = James | title = Patti Smith: The original queen of punk is back |accessdate = 2008-07-31] [cite news | work = Chicago Sun-Times | last = Swenson | first = John | date = 31 August 1988 | title = Ex-punk Patti Smith matures with her new `Dream of Life' album | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3902157.html | accessdate = 2008-07-31]

Queens of Folk

;Joan BaezIn the mid-1960s, Joan Baez was almost as influential as Bob Dylan, and is strongly linked to the nonviolence and civil rights movements of the time; many of her songs have since become regarded as classics of the era. [cite news
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE4DA153AF931A25757C0A963958260
title=POP REVIEW; Joan Baez: Resilient, Romantic, Undiminished - New York Times
publisher=New York Times
date = 12 April 1995
accessdate=2008-07-31
last=Holden
first=Stephen]

;Sandy DennyIn a career lasting only ten years, Sandy Denny was a pivotal influence in defining British folk rock music. [cite news | work = The Independent | last = Brown | first = Jonathan | date = 21 April 2008 | url = http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-ballad-of-sandy-denny-return-of-the-folk-queen-811740.html| title = The ballad of Sandy Denny: Return of the folk queen | accessdate = 2008-10-09] Her signature song Who Knows Where the Time Goes? has been covered by numerous artists from Judy Collins to Kate Rusby.

;Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi
Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi is a scholar and performer of Indian folk music whose career began in the 1920s as a child; she has received an honorary doctorate from Andhra University in 1977 and won Lifetime Achievement awards in U.S.A. [cite news
url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/04/11/stories/2008041150360200.htm
title=The Hindu : Friday Review Hyderabad : Queen of folk music
publisher=Hindu Times
date = 11 April 2008
accessdate=2008-07-31
last=Narasimham
first=M. L.]

Princesses of Pop

;Britney Spears
Britney Spears was a leading pop sensation of the late 1990s and became a worldwide phenomenon, cite web
url=http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/spears_britney/artist.jhtml?extcmp=SEO_SSP_Y#bio
title=Britney Spears
publisher=MTV
Date accessed=2008-07-09
accessdate=2008-07-09] leading the way forward for other female teen sensations such as Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore. She has had 4 number one albums and received many awards.cite web
url=http://www.mfyi.com/b/britneyspearsawards.html
title=Brittanys Awards
Date accessed=2008-07-09
publisher=mfyi
accessdate=2008-07-10] With the album "...Baby One More Time" she had the highest-selling female debut album, and as of 2008 the album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Spears has sold more than 90 million albums, and 70 million singles to date, despite only singing for 9 years. [cite web | last=Hall | first= Sarah | work=E! Online| title = Breaking Down the Britney Bucks | publisher = Yahoo! | url = http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/56349507 | accessdate = 2008-06-21] Spears has some of the best-selling single and most popular music video in world music history, including ...Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy, Oops!...I Did It Again, Stronger, I'm A Slave 4 U, Me Against The Music Toxic, Everytime, Gimme More, Piece Of Me and Womanizer.

;Kylie MinogueIn Australia and Europe, Kylie Minogue has become one of her generation's most recognisable celebrities and sex symbols, as well as their biggest selling female artist.cite web
url=http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/minogue_kylie/artist.jhtml#bio
title=Kylie Minogue
publisher=MTV
accessdate=2008-07-10] In Australia, after being dismissed early in her career by some critics, she has been widely acclaimed for her many achievements.cite web
url=http://www.celebritybazar.com/kylie_minogue/
title=Kylie Minogue Biography
publisher=Celebrity Bazar
accessdate=2008-07-10] She has many hit singles around the globe and has released 10 studio albums but is also well-known for her elaborate music videos and expensively mounted stage shows.cite web
url=http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/minogue_kylie/artist.jhtml#bio
title=Kylie Bio
publisher=MTV
accessdate=2008-07-10] Maintaining a high profile around the world for over 20 years, she has sold in excess of 60 million records. [Webster, Philip. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3105760.ece Kylie Minogue and Michael Parkinson lead list with heroes of summer floods] . "The Times", 2007-12-29. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.] She has also been cited by the BBC and various publications throughout the world as the "Princess of Pop."cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6139654.stm
title=Entertainment News
publisher=BBC
accessdate=2008-07-10]

Princess of Hip Hop & R&B

;Ashanti Douglas
Ashanti is most famous for her eponymous Grammy Award-winning debut album "Ashanti" which featured the hit song "Foolish", and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release in the U.S. in April 2002. The album set a Soundscan record as the most albums sold by any first-time female artist in the chart's history, outselling debuts by Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. [Margena A. Christian (June 9, 2008). [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_22_113/ai_n27497009 Ashanti returns more empowered with 'The Declaration'] . Accessed September 7, 2008.] In the same week, she became the first female performer to simultaneously hold the top two places on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with "Foolish", and "What's Luv" (with Fat Joe). She broke records again by having three Top Ten songs Foolish, What's Luv, and Always on Time, with Ja Rule, on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the same week, being the first female to accomplish this feat and being second only to The Beatles."Guinness World Records 2005: Special 50th Anniversary Edition" (2005). pg. 196. UK: Guinness Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-892051-22-2.] Ashanti also wrote and sang background on the song "Ain't It Funny" (Murder Remix) sung by Jennifer Lopez which was also in the top 10 charts at the same time as "Foolish", "Always on Time" (with Ja Rule), and "What's Luv" (with Fat Joe). [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_rewind.jsp?f=The+Billboard+Hot+100&g=Singles&y=5 "Billboard Chart Rewind"] . Billboard.com. Retrieved April 2007.] Later that year, she was acclaimed as the "Princess of Hip Hop and R&B" [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5933321/ashanti_means_war/print "Ashanti Means War"] . RollingStone.com. Retrieved May 15, 2007] [http://www.theboombox.com/2008/06/10/ashanti-returns-with-newfound-independence/] [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-84743315.html] by the media and her record label and capped off her successful debut era by winning eight Billboard awards, two American Music Awards and a grammy award. She has since sold 8 million copies in the U.S. and 15 million copies worldwide. Ashanti has 14 hit songs, 65 awards, and according to Billboard.com, she has had the most top 10 songs on the R&B/Hip-hop charts by a female this decade. [http://www.nypost.com/pagesixmag/issues/20080803/Ashanti+Top+World]

Bands or Groups

Godfathers of Punk

;The Who
The Who have been called the Godfathers of Punk, not least in "The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll", [Romanowski, Patricia, et. al., eds. (1995) "The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll".] [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thewho/biography The Who: Biography] , RollingStone.com] and their 1965 single "My Generation" is often hailed as the first punk song. [ [http://www.wnew.com/2008/03/top-20-british.html Top 20 British Invasion Songs Ever] , wnew.com] By extension, both Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have also been referred to as Godfather(s) of Punk. [ [http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/artists/the_who/article/3041.html Roger Daltrey chats to Tumshie Smillie] , VirginRadio.co.uk]

;The RamonesThe Ramones are often regarded as the first punk band and have been named a major influence by many bands in the genre resulting in the title Godfathers of Punk [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2006/oct/12/ramones "Ramones biopic in the works", The Guardian, 10/12/06] ]

See also

*Jazz royalty
*Pop icon
*Popular culture
*Teen idol
*Sobriquet
*List of best-selling music artists
*List of best-selling albums worldwide
*List of number-one hits (United States)

References