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Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Michael Jackson
It doesn't really matter if Michael Jackson bullied the world's media into calling him the King of Pop in the early 1990s or if they just started using that sobriquet on their own. Either way, he earned it. Whether singing "I Want You Back" as the 11-year-old frontman of the Jackson 5, breaking the MTV color line with the explosive "Billie Jean" or defending the world's downtrodden and misunderstood (himself, that is), Jackson set the standard for pop singing, songwriting, dancing and, let's face it, weirdness for the better part of a quarter century. He came of age in the Jackson 5, then moonwalked out of the family's clutches and into his own universe with three groundbreaking albums made with producer Quincy Jones. Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad blended soul, funk and rock influences into a taut dance-pop that transformed the sound of radio for the rest of the century. Singers and producers from Madonna to Timbaland are still trying to catch up. Prosecutors and paparazzi have been playing catch-up, too, with some of Jackson's questionable life choices, and since the late 1990s, he has seemingly spent more time in the tabloids than on the pop charts. On June 25th, 2009, Michael Jackson passed away at the age of 50. - Matty Karas

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Black Eyed Peas
Hailing from Los Angeles, the Black Eyed Peas date back to the early 1990s, when group founders Will.I.Am and Apl de Ap parlayed their breakdancing skills into a band called Atban Klann. Eazy-E eventually signed them to Ruthless Records, although the label didn't really know how to market their non-violent sound, and their album was shelved. After Eazy passed away, they picked up a third member, Taboo, and began performing around L.A. as Black Eyed Peas. Known for their positive lyrics and lively show, complete with singers and dancers, they developed a strong buzz, which led to a deal with Interscope and their 1998 debut, Behind the Front. They returned with Bridging the Gap two years later, bulking up their sound through collaborations with Premier, Mos Def and De La Soul, among others. For their third LP, 2003's Elephunk, the group added Fergie to the mix and scored enormous hits with the singles "Let's Get It Started" (originally called "Let's Get Retarded") and "Where Is the Love?" which launched them into the stratosphere and paved the way for extensive touring, advertising work, and a Grammy Award. In 2005, they released their fourth album Monkey Business, which included the single "Don't Phunk With My Heart, plus collaborations with James Brown, Justin Timberlake, and Sting, among others. As with Outkast, BEP's creative production style and anti-gangsta/good times vibes have endeared them to listeners who generally shy away from rap music, while simultaneously lightening up the airwaves and moving millions of units. - Brolin Winning

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Lady Gaga
Raised on a musical diet of Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, Lady Gaga brings a sense of theatrical fashion and attitude to her dance-inspired, electro-rock performances. Named after Queen's "Radio Gaga," the pop fashionista took the fast lane to success, starting at age four when she learned to play piano by ear. At 14, she began performing at open-mic nights in and around New York City's Lower East Side. After graduating from Convent of the Sacred Heart school (the elite private institution Paris Hilton attended), Gaga earned a coveted spot at the famed Tisch School of the Arts. Soon after, she started writing songs for the Pussycat Dolls, and at age 20, she was signed to Interscope Records. In 2009, she became one of pop culture's most ubiquitous figures, with the songs "Just Dance" and "Pokerface" dominating the pop charts and her public antics (Kermit dresses! A possible penis?) dominating discussions from TMZ to the blogosphere. Though Gaga's 2009 tour with Kanye West was cancelled, the fact that she was the one to call it off only confirmed her status as one of pop's reigning divas. - Jamie Sanchez

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Miley Cyrus
Are you, do you have, or have you recently been around an eight-year-old girl? Then you know who Miley Cyrus is. In fact, we'd bet the young star of the Disney Channel's Hannah Montana has been an omnipresent part of your life since 2006, when her series about a regular girl who leads a secret double life as a pop star named Hannah Montana premiered, and Cyrus became tween America's biggest star. She has talent in spades: she sings, she dances, she wears couture. On top of all that, she's apparently the most well-adjusted celebrity in the world, thanks in part to her mom and her famous dad (one Mr. Billy Ray Cyrus of "Achy Breaky Heart" fame, who is also her Hannah Montana costar), who've helped her become an icon for how to do child stardom (and, for that matter, being a teenager) right simply by not spoiling their famous spawn rotten. So don't think Miley Cyrus is just going to be another young flame that burns out early. With several successful Hannah soundtracks, a tour opening for the Cheetah Girls and a Top 20 hit on the grownup pop charts (2007's "See You Again") under her belt at just 15, this girl's future looks bright. - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Beyonce
Beyonce Knowles, the leader of Destiny's Child, always knew she wanted to be a star. She formed the first incarnation of Destiny's Child in 1990 -- when she was 9 years old. By 2001, the group began to dissolve. Knowles nabbed a lead role in Mike Myers' Austin Powers: Goldmember; an appearance in MTV's Carmen: A Hip Hopera cemented her reputation as a formidable entertainer. Her solo debut, Dangerously in Love, came out in 2003. The first single, "Crazy in Love," was a duet with beau Jay-Z that zoomed to the top of the charts. B'Day, her stunning 2006 sophomore turn, featured hits like "Deja Vu" and "Ring the Alarm." Later that year, Beyonce starred as Deena Jones in the Oscar-winning movie musical Dreamgirls. In 2007, Beyonce made a Latin-crossover attempt, dueting with Shakira on "Beautiful Liar" and releasing a deluxe edition of B'Day, featuring "Amor Gitano" with Mexican crooner Alejandro Fernandez and a Spanish version of the anthem "Irreplaceable." For her third studio album, I Am ... Sasha Fierce, Beyonce split herself into two personae -- the tender, traditional Beyonce and the club diva Sasha Fierce. - Linda Ryan

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Madonna
One of the few megastars only needing a single name, Madonna's brand of dance pop began as the purest of bubblegum but has become increasingly sophisticated during the course of a career now in its third decade. Her influence has lessened a bit since the multimedia dynasty she lorded over in the 1980s and early '90s, partly because she's been busy raising children and partly because the focus of dance-oriented music has radically shifted in the years between Bedtime Stories (1994) and Confessions On A Dance Floor (2005). However her clubbing antennae remain finely tuned, and each subsequent release serves less as an indication of her musical development and more her ability to latch onto producer/writers of the moment. This, and her constant image-massaging to remain relevant to the dance community, allows a mother in her early forties to get away with acting like a club kitten without too much dissent, even less so with her triumphant 2005 return to form. A ruthless careerist and tougher than most of us, she does tend to show weakness with her lyrics, which at their best are simple ditties and at their worst just plain embarrassing. A catchy tune is usually there to save the day, however, and perhaps this is why she has failed to make it in the acting world -- she needs the music to shield her inability to deliver a really good line. And what music -- hit after hit, some still working a dancefloor just as effectively 20 years after initial release. Few other artists in the dance pop and electronica world show such staying power, and few receive such goodwill from their fan base, no matter which upheavals she drags them through as she hops and skips from fad to fad, laughing all the way to the bank. - Nicholas Baker

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Mariah Carey
Say what you may about her fashion sense or "diva-tude," but there is no doubt that Mariah Carey defined 1990s urban pop music. Carey ruled the charts during the Clinton decade -- her 1990 self-titled debut album alone spawned four No. 1 hit singles, and she would have 11 more before the new millennium. Over the years, artists from Christina Aguilera to Ciara would name her as an influence. Her albums are always expertly crafted and performed, making her MTV Unplugged EP a surprisingly warm change of pace. Her dominance of the charts in the 1990s earned her the title of Billboard's Artist of the Decade. Despite heavily publicized personal trials in the early part of the new century, Carey returned to the forefront of modern music with The Emancipation of Mimi, which spawned her 16th and 17th No. 1 hits. In 2008, Mariah returned with the hit single "Touch My Body" and the subsequent album, E=MC2. The single pushed her past Elvis into second place (behind the Beatles) for the most No. 1 singles for an artist in the modern era. - Rachel Landy

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Pink
If cultivating an iconoclast status is a career, then Pink is one serious go-getter. Since her 2000 debut, the husky-voiced singer has overhauled her sound several times, changed her hair color even more, married motocross star Carey Hart and taken George Bush to task. Then there's "Stupid Girls," the 2006 single in which Pink skewered tabloid perennials like Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton. Born Alecia Moore, she started dancing and singing backup at club nights in Philadelphia at age 13 and eventually went solo with Can't Take Me Home. Pink recruited Linda Perry to co-write her second album, 2001's M!ssundaztood, a collection of soulful pop-rock that spawned the hit "Get the Party Started." She then collaborated with Rancid's Tim Armstrong on 2003's Try This. The album didn't do well, and Pink took some time off to regroup and get married, getting back to the business of spitfire sass with 2006's I'm Not Dead. She has produced many of her own albums, built side careers in both songwriting and horror-film acting, and won a pair of Grammy Awards -- experiences that all informed the outspoken Funhouse in 2008. - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Britney Spears
Britney. Over the past decade the name has dominated pop charts and tabloids. Uttered with a mix of adoration and repulsion, the first name of Britney Spears exists as shorthand for the magnificent mess of contemporary pop culture. It's been quite a ride for the former Mouseketeer, who first appeared in pearly smile and short skirt on the cover of 1999's ...Baby One More Time, with a glut of sugary singles. By 2000's Oops! I Did It Again, she was a household name and a pop-music icon, and not yet 20 years old. Two more LPs -- Britney and In the Zone -- were increasingly inflected with RnB and hip-hop, though flagging chart performances and record sales soon made her as much media sensation as music maker. Fueled by a messy breakup with Justin Timberlake, two sensational marriages (one commenced in Vegas and ended only 55 hours later; the other was to former backup dancer Kevin Federline) and rumors of drug and alcohol abuse, Britney's public image was in nonstop tailspin through much of the mid '00s. By 2007, the 'tween audience that squealed about her debut was engorged by tales of panty-less partying, drug-treatment programs and a custody battle over her two children with Federline. - Nate Cavalieri

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 11:22: Demi Lovato
So you've seen Camp Rock, right? No? OK, then you've at least watched Barney once or twice. You haven't? What are you, some kind of grown-up? Well, then, chances are you've yet to come in contact with young Ms. Demi Lovato, who got her start showing her gums on the purple dino's cute-fest at age six and her big break as a star of Disney's 2008 rock-camp-themed movie-musical. But you're going to be seeing a lot more of her: The Dallas, Tex., native stars in the Disney Channel series Sonny with a Chance and makes headlines for her BFF-ship with fellow Disney starlet Selena Gomez. And her buddies the Jonas Brothers (who also star in Camp Rock) worked with Lovato, a longtime singer-songwriter, to put together her debut album in 2008. For album two, 2009's Here I Go Again, she enlisted John Mayer as inspiration and collaborator. - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: The Beach Boys
In the early 1960s, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson fused innovative chord arrangements with elastic-ranged vocal harmonies onto a foundation of Chuck Berry-inspired rock 'n' roll. The resulting music, set against a backdrop of surfing, girls, and cars, was unfortunately panned by the media as America's answer to Beatlemania. By the end of 1964, Wilson had retired from live performances to focus on composing and producing the band's recordings. Desperately trying to get the sounds from his head onto tape, the Beach Boys released the epic Pet Sounds in May of 1966. In the liner notes of this orchestrated pop masterpiece, Wilson admits that his aim was to write a "teenage symphony to God." Generally hailed as the greatest rock 'n' roll album ever, Pet Sounds struggled to attain the commercial success of the band's earlier suburban hymns. Although the Beach Boys (as well as Brian Wilson) went on to make many more successful albums, they never came close to approximating the innovative genius and transcendent, childlike innocence that was Pet Sounds. - Eric Shea

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5's bubblegum-flavored soul helped Motown usher in the 1970s with a string of chart toppers that included hits such as "ABC," "I Want You Back" and "The Love You Save." Raised in Gary, Indiana by devout Jehovah's Witnesses, the brothers endured the kind of strict upbringing that groomed them perfectly for the "Motown machine." And what a well-oiled machine it was! The Jackson 5's likenesses could be found on everything from lunchboxes to dolls to Saturday Morning cartoons. But by 1974, the machine showed signs of wear and tear: songs weren't charting as highly as they had previously, and demand for Jackson 5 merchandise was drying up. The machine broke down completely when, frustrated by Motown's refusal to allow the brothers to write or choose their own material, the Jackson 5 parted ways with the label and signed with Epic. Motown won a breach of contract suit, thus retaining the rights to the name Jackson 5. The brothers changed their named to the Jacksons. The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 1997. - Linda Ryan

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Kelly Clarkson
The first-ever American Idol, Kelly Clarkson won over America with her soulful voice, bubbly personality and "small-town girl makes it big" story. Before Idol, the native Texan had made a dismal run at Hollywood, and after she hightailed it back to Burleson, her friends convinced her to audition for the competition. The show launched Clarkson, and her debut album proved that America had voted correctly. "A Moment Like This" was a colossal hit, and the album went multiplatinum, winning Clarkson her first Grammy (for "Miss Independent"). On second album Breakaway, Clarkson distanced herself from Idol's ickier aspects (From Justin to Kelly, anyone?) and went off in a new direction: adult contemporary-approved rocker chick. She then released My December in 2007. Co-written by Clarkson, the album is a more honest reflection of the A.I. heroine. In fact, RCA tycoon Clive Davis deemed it too negative and offered her $10 million to scratch some of the songs. Clarkson refused the offer and held her ground. Her next album, 2009's All I Ever Wanted, lightened My December's darkness with the pop touch that made fans fall in love with her in the first place. - Rachel Devitt

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 10:47: Jordin Sparks
You might call Jordin Sparks an amateur talent contest professional, although prodigy is perhaps more accurate. In 2007, the 17-year-old Sparks won American Idol. But before that, she appeared twice on America's Most Talented Kids, received two awards from the Gospel Music Association Academy and finished second at Music in the Rockies, a competition for aspiring contemporary Christian artists. The year before she won Idol, the multitalented Sparks also won Torrid's search for the "Next Plus Size Model" and appeared in a Seventeen magazine ad for the clothing line. So winning Idol was just the big, fat cherry on top of a talent show sundae -- and the culmination of a life spent working towards performance career.

The child of NFL player Phillippi Sparks (formerly of the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys), the baby-faced belter grew up singing and doing children's theater. She got a string of gigs singing the national anthem at professional sporting events in her home state of Arizona, toured with CCM star Michael W. Smith and recorded an EP (2003's For Now) at age 13. Despite all her experience, Sparks did not initially make the cut when she auditioned for Idol in Los Angeles. She did, however, win the local Arizona Idol contest, which earned her the right to audition again in Seattle and, eventually, to become the youngest ever American Idol. Following her win, she toured with the other Idols and began work on her debut album. - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Katy Perry
Katy Perry may or may not actually be gay, but she's certainly made her young career with coy, playful references to sexuality -- her own and her paramours'. The young Californian singer-songwriter first generated a heaping helping of online buzz in 2007 with "Ur So Gay," in which she accuses a disappointing boyfriend who "doesn't even like boys" of being, well, take a guess. Then, in 2008, she shot up the charts with the Sapphic sweet-talker "I Kissed a Girl." Kind of a surprising turn of events for the daughter of two pastors who wasn't allowed to listen to secular music as a kid and got her start in Christian music, releasing a 2001 album under then name Katy Hudson. Or maybe not -- if you believe the old saw about preacher's daughters and once you learn that Perry says her life changed when she discovered Queen as a teenager. By 2004, she'd worked with Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette) and the Matrix (Avril Lavigne), been signed to Columbia and been hailed by the likes of Blender as the Next Big Thing! But nothing really clicked until she released her debut, One of the Boys, on Capitol in 2008 and got her gay on. - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Rihanna
Talent and a dose of good luck got Barbados-born Rihanna signed to Def Jam when she was 16 years old. She was discovered by producer Evan Rogers during his island visit in 2003, and went on to impress Def Jam CEO Jay-Z so much that he grabbed her for a multi-album contract. The singer's first single, "Pon de Replay," was released in June 2005, with the full album Music of the Sun dropping a month later. But her big break came in 2006 with the release of the single "S.O.S." and the subsequent album A Girl Like Me. The single, which sampled Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," was one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially popular songs of that year. Though Rihanna had basically moved away from dancehall, she was moving toward a new aesthetic that married R&B, synth-pop and hip-hop. She continued in this direction with 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad, which featured the infectious singles "Umbrella" and "Shut Up and Drive." In early 2009, she was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown en route to a pre-Grammys party; that November, she released Rated R, a highly personal album with an unmistakable darkness. - Sam Chennault

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Shakira
Latin pop diva Shakira has achieved phenomenal success and become a genuine pop icon. Born to humble beginnings in Barranquilla on Colombia's Caribbean coast, she left for the capital city of Bogota as an aspiring model at age 13. Ironically it was her music that garnered attention. Singing and writing lyrics since she was 8, her first album for Sony was released when she was 14. Although sales were meager, the album helped launch her career as a soap opera actress. Then came Pies Descalzados (1995), an album which showcased her bold, flexible voice and yielded a string of huge hits. Her mixture of rock ballads and Dance Pop (with an occasional tropical touch) is filtered through her image as a talented, beautiful and headstrong young woman. Departing from the traditional image of Latin American women, Shakira's music and persona aroused controversy when her multiplatinum records put her in the spotlight. Following in the footsteps of Selena, she represents a bold new Latina who will be neither obsequious nor silent. As Shakira has matured, so has her music, as demonstrated in songs such as the Arabic-inflected "Ojos Asi" as well as in her live performances. - Robert Leaver

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:59 Britt Nicole
Talk about focused. Britt Nicole began singing in church at age 3 and after high school she turned down a scholarship to Nashville's Belmont University music program, choosing instead to get her training on the job. The gamble paid off. She soon scored management, development and label deals, releasing her debut, Say It, before she turned 21. Hit songs "You" and "Believe" followed before her track "Sunshine Girl" was featured on MTV's teen reality show Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County. In summer 2009, Britt released her sophomore disc, The Lost Get Found, filled with high-energy pop rooted in her faith.

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: ABBA
More a phenomenon than a band, Abba's international stardom is untouchable. Their lush instrumentation and perfect vocal harmonies shine like disco lights reflecting off of lip gloss, patent leather pumps and sequins. Their ubiquitous, exuberant sound symbolized the glamour, hedonism and excesses of the 1970s. Their hits create moments of pure joy for losing yourself in the movement, sights and sounds of the crowded disco. But amidst the ecstasy came overwhelmingly sorrowful songs that brought you sympathy while you buried your lonely tears in a pillow. While their orchestrations are complex, their lyrics are written in the international pop language of English that "anyone" can sing, expressing sentiments everyone feels. - Marc Kate

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 07:54: Jonas Brothers
Call them precocious, call them adorable, just don't call them the second coming of Hanson. Because this brother trio is here to rock. And they don't do three-part harmony. New Jersey brothers Kevin, Joseph and Nicholas Jonas were 17, 16 and 13, respectively, when they released their debut album in 2006. They got their start when littlest bro Nicholas, in possession of a soulful prepubescent voice, finagled a solo record deal with Daylight/Columbia. When Columbia got wind that there were two other Jonas brothers who were just as cute and musically inclined, Nick's solo act quickly became a trio, with Kevin on guitar and Joe and Nick switching off on vocals, keyboards and percussion. Their first album was a collection of hyper, hook-driven pop-punk that got the attention of tweens across America. And that got the attention of Disney, which stuck them on a bazillion soundtracks and then released their sophomore effort in 2007, all before Nick was a sophomore. OK, sorry about that one. And sorry about the Hanson crack, too -- the brothers Jonas don't mind, anyway. They're so cool, they even made a joke comparing themselves to Hanson on their second album. - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Prince
In this age of musical genre ghetto-ization, Prince stands alone. The Artist can get funky, he can rock up a storm, he can croon a soulful ballad, he can spin out webs of jazz piano, he can hip and he can hop. He can do it all, often brilliantly. Prince takes chances and often fails -- especially on the (hopefully abandoned) film front -- but every one of his albums is chock full of gems. Prince hasn't sustained the massive popularity he earned in the Purple Rain-crazed '80s, but that seems due more to bad publicity surrounding his tabloid lifestyle than his musical output. He can't hide the fact that he is an odd, fuzzy little man, but genius doesn't come in perfect packages. While legions of Prince's contemporaries crash and burn, he sits in his Minneapolis tower and continues to expand the boundaries of popular music. - Nick Dedina

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 11:22: Usher
By the time he entered puberty, Usher had a record deal and a gold album. By the time he graduated high school, he was one of the most visible artists in R&B. Between 1994 and 2004, he released six albums, appeared in several films and earned multiple platinum records. However, 2004 was the year he reached the upper echelons of superstardom, thanks to the chart-topping, Lil Jon-produced "Yeah!" His subsequent album, Confessions, netted him three Grammys and sold 11 million copies. In the four years that followed Confessions' release, Usher found himself embroiled in a series of widely publicized controversies surrounding his mother, who was also his manager until Usher "resigned her." In 2008, he got back in the spotlight for musical reasons with the ubiquitous summer jam "Love in This Club" from Here I Stand. After that album, Usher again found his personal life making headlines thanks to his drama-ridden divorce from Tameka Foster. This time around, he channeled his struggles into his craft, namely the edgier, introspective 2010 album Raymond vs. Raymond. - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Sean Kingston
One of the newest generation of celebrities to generate buzz before their first single is even released, Sean Kingston (born Kisean Anderson) got his first break on MySpace. The 17-year-old was visiting Dr. Dre's page one day and saw that American producer J.R. Rotem had started a new label and was looking to sign artists. Several instances of online harassment later, Kinsgston had secured an audition with Rotem, who found himself impressed by Kingston's croon and his heartfelt, G-rated lyrics. He signed him on the spot. Kingston's bicultural upbringing informs his sound: born in Miami and raised both there and in Jamaica, the singer is equally versed in mainstream rap and dancehall, though his first hit owes a debt, amazingly, to doo-wop. But Kingston, for all his fresh-faced appearance, isn't without connections: his grandfather was Jamaican producer Jack Ruby. Despite his pedigree, Kingston has seen his share of difficulties as well: his mother and sister were thrown in jail for tax evasion when he was just 14-years-old, leaving the boy temporarily homeless. - Sarah Bardeen

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 07:53: Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls began as the stars of a burlesque show in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, swelling their ranks and polishing their rep with guest appearances from the likes of Christina Aguilera, Carmen Electra and Gwen Stefani. They burst onto the national scene in 2005, after recruiting ex-Eden's Crush member Nicole Scherzinger and unleashing the instantly ubiquitous single "Don't Cha" (previously recorded by Cee-Lo and Tori Alamaze), featuring a verse from Busta Rhymes. They kept up the sassy, saucy act with their full-length debut, PCD, produced by industry heavyweights Timbaland and will.i.am. After Scherzinger flirted with a solo career that never quite took off, the Dolls regrouped for 2008's Doll Domination. - Philip Sherburne

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:39 Sting
In his post-Police years, Sting's songwriting ambitions have grown both artistically and commercially. He consistently delivers platinum-selling albums to his all-grown-up audience, always making sure to surround himself with exceptional musicians. Along with Peter Gabriel, he's made Adult Contemporary a slightly jazzier, more worldbeat-friendly spot on the radio dial. - Jessy Terry

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 12:16: Ashley Tisdale
Since being discovered by her manager at a mall near her hometown in New Jersey at age three, Ashley Tisdale has gone on to wrap the Disney Channel around her little finger. The actor-singer-model's regular gig is The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, where she plays the boys' babysitter. But Tisdale also has a recurring role on Kim Possible, is set to voice a lead character on the forthcoming Phineas and Ferb, and starred in Disney's made-for-TV-movie High School Musical, which garnered the network the highest ratings in its history.

Having conquered the small screen, Tisdale is now working towards an additional career in music--Disney-style, of course. She sings on two tracks from the triple-platinum High School Musical soundtrack and recorded a new version of The Little Mermaid's "Kiss the Girl." Finally, in 2007, she released Headstrong, her not-so-Disney debut solo album, followed in 2009 by Guilty Pleasure. - Rachel Devitt

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:21 John Mellencamp
Long before Prince decided he had it with his regal name, Mellencamp was the original "artist formerly known as." He started his career with the record label-chosen moniker Johnny Cougar before his success allowed him to return to his family name. Early in his career he could have gone by Bruce or Bob, since his first recordings sounded more like Springsteen or Seger than something original. It wasn't until he produced a bushelful of radio hits before he started to mine a territory that was uniquely his own. Mixing '50s rock with more than hint of the blues, soul and R&B, Mellencamp's middle career records stand out not only for music maturity, but also because of his direct populist voice. Starting with 1983'sUh-huh, building with Scarecrow and then becoming fully realized with 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee, Mellencamp told stories of those on the fringes. While perhaps not as subtle as others, Mellencamp's message that all was not well in Regan's America powered him to the top of the charts and into political consciousness. In 1985, along with Willie Nelson and Neil Young, Mellencamp helped found the Farm Aid concert series that provides financial assistance to struggling farmers.

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:39 Justin Timberlake
From his adolescence on Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club through his coming of age in the hugely popular boy band *NSYNC, Justin Timberlake became one of the 1990s' biggest heartthrobs, and everything from his romance with Britney Spears to his love of fast cars turned into headline fodder. Unlike so many ex-boy band boys before (and after) him, *NSYNC's most popular member managed to parlay his teen-idol status into credible adult stardom. And how: Two phenomenally successful albums and four Grammys into his solo career, Justin Timberlake is arguably the world's most celebrated pop star; his frequent collaborations with super-producers like the Neptunes and Timbaland and his undeniable knack for white-hot blue-eyed soul-pop have earned the respect of the hip-hop community, while his dreamy looks and wounded-puppy falsetto still make the little girls ... and their sisters ... and their mothers swoon. Wardrobe malfunctions? Messy breakups? JT skates past them all, a designer fedora cocked to one side. Not too shabby for a former child star from Millington, Tennessee, who got his start singing country (and losing) on Star Search. - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys seemingly came out of nowhere in the summer of 2001, storming up the charts with her braids and heaping servings of soul. But Keys is no pre-fab diva; she's been studying music since age five and began writing songs at age 14. She wrote (or co-wrote) and produced most of the songs on her debut, Songs in a Minor, and subsequent singles have proven she's no one-hit wonder. She took home five Grammy Awards in 2002 (including Best New Artist and Song of the Year), and returned triumphantly with The Diary of Alicia Keys the following year, racking up more hit singles ("You Don't Know My Name," "If I Ain't Got You"), and winning four more Grammys. 2007's As I Am spawned the unstoppable "No One" and the Prince-infused "Like You'll Never See Me Again." One of the most talented and likeable R&B superstars in the game today, Keys shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Whitney Houston
Although she mostly makes news these days for the drama in her private life, Whitney Houston was the first of the modern R&B divas, one of the most successful singers in the history of popular music. Houston got her start singing gospel with her mother, Cissy, while her pop chops were influenced by cousin Dionne Warwick. Whitney began her professional music career with the experimental jazz ensemble Material. When Clive Davis offered her a contract in 1983, the woman who would become the first artist to have seven consecutive No. 1 singles finally launched her pop career. By 1987's Whitney, Houston was a full-fledged star. After 1990's I'm Your Baby Tonight, she virtually abandoned an album career in favor of phenomenally successful singles, some (like the Dolly Parton cover "I Will Always Love You") attached to films in which Houston starred and some the kind of stuff only she could pull off (who else could make "The Star-Spangled Banner" a hit single?). By the end of the '90s, Houston had gotten together with (and split from) husband Bobby Brown several times, stopped showing up for gigs and spent time in rehab. But fans still hold out hope for a comeback. - Rachel Devitt

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 06:39: Janet Jackson
While the rest of her illustrious family was making music history, Janet Jackson spent her childhood on sitcoms. Under her father Joe's supervision, she released two unsuccessful albums in the early '80s. At 18, she eloped with James DeDarge, but annulled the marriage the next year. She called on producer/writer team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to record her true debut, the phenomenally successful Control. By the time she followed that up with Rhythm Nation 1814 in 1989, Michael's little sister had recreated herself as a sexy (but sweet), self-sufficient pop success in her own right. A bracing combination of dance pop, modern R&B and hip-hop that buoyed Jackson's thin voice, it set the stage for the rest of her career. With her 1993 self-titled album, she properly introduced the world to Janet the romantic sex kitten, a persona she's brought back with each subsequent album. Since then, other facets of Janet's life (her physique, breakdowns and, yes, wardrobe malfunctions) have often earned more notice than her music, but a steady flow of successful, diverse singles shows Janet continuing to explore her musical identity while her siblings continue to get more eccentric. - Rachel Devitt

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:20 Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles (pronounced bar-rell-is) is a singer and songwriter from Eureka, Calif., who grew up singing in the high school choir and playing piano. After gigging around Los Angeles' open mic circuit as a student at UCLA, she caught the eye of Epic and signed her first major record contract in April 2005. Bareilles spent the next year working out a set of piano-based rockers that might sound at home filed next to Regina Spektor. These would make their way to Bareilles' 2007 debut Little Voice, produced by Eric Rosse (best known for his long association with Tori Amos). The album enjoyed wide distribution, in part because it was as a song-of-the-day selection for Starbucks, a Seattle-based coffee franchise. - Nate Cavalieri

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 10:47: Adele
British soul-pop chanteuse Adele (nee Adele Laurie Blue Adkins) is a stunning young talent with a huge voice. After she recorded a few songs, a friend set up a MySpace page for her in early 2005; record execs discovered her there in their hunt for the "next Lily Allen." After signing to XL, she suffered from a terribly ill-timed case of writer's block -- that is until she fell in and out of love. A breakup opened the floodgates of emotion and creativity, resulting in her debut album 19. Inspired by great soul dames like Etta James and Billie Holiday and other singers such as Bjork, Jeff Buckley, Dusty Springfield and Jill Scott, Adele's sense of staggering, heartbreaking honesty and artistry are evidence of her superwoman resilience and everywoman experiences. - Angela Bruno

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 14:26: Christina Aguilera
A former star of The New Mickey Mouse Club who hit it big with an innuendo-laden single, then traded in her implicitly not-so-good-girl image for an explicitly not-so-good-girl image. Where have we heard this one before? The child of an Ecuadorian-American father and a Caucasian mother, Christina Aguilera started her career as a professional performer at age ten with a 1990 appearance on Star Search. Her subsequent Mickey Mouse Club stint led to Disney using her "Reflection" on the 1998 Mulan soundtrack, and RCA released her self-titled debut in 1999. Dance-pop smashes like "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants" showcased her big voice, which, along with her Spanish-language version of the album (Mi Reflejo), set her apart from the late-'90s crowd of pop-star ingenues.

Yet Aguilera was still coming in second to Britney. Her appearance on the sexy 2001 remake of "Lady Marmalade" suggested a way into the spotlight. She radically altered her image for 2002's Stripped and became Xtina, widely mocked for her look even as her voice proved soulful and mature. But in 2006 she released the acclaimed Back to Basics, a tribute to the jazz and soul she says inspires her, and cemented her status as a grown-up diva. - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne first appeared as a spunky teenager crafting surprisingly sharp alternative pop-rock that sounded great on the radio and fit very well in your CaseLogic (right between that Alanis Morissette stuff you'd gotten a little sick of and the Fiona Apple album you held so dear). She was one of many tender-aged smart-popsters who came up in the early 2000s, a group that included Michelle Branch, Norah Jones and Vanessa Carlton. She first hit with the acousti-groove of "Complicated," but it was the charging alt-rock of second single "Sk8er Boi" that showcased the range of Lavigne's impressive talents. She released her second album, Under My Skin, in 2004, expanding upon her catalogue of sharp, smart radio tunes and leaving the teenager thing behind. After marrying Sum 41's Deryck Whibley in 2006 in a storybook wedding wherein Lavigne shocked Hot Topic shoppers and sk8er kids everywhere by rocking the big, white dress, she released her third album. 2007's The Best Damn Thing collected more mature ballads and some of her poppiest material yet. - Mike McGuirk

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 11:22: Selena Gomez
Thus far in her young career, Selena Gomez has mostly been known as an actress and as half of a much-ballyhooed BFF-ship with fellow tween star Demi Lovato (plus the target of Miley Cyrus's ire in a battled waged in YouTube videos, possibly over Nick Jonas). Raised in Texas, Gomez, like Lovato, got her start on Barney and Friends before getting discovered by Disney and making the rounds on the Channel. After guest shots on several shows and TV movies (including Princess Protection Program with her BFF), she eventually got a starring gig on Wizards of Waverly Place. Like everyone in the Disney stable, however, Gomez is a double threat who also sings: She's recorded tracks for several of her acting projects and signed a deal with Disney's Hollywood Records in 2008. - Rachel Devitt

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 07:53: Lionel Richie
Whether singing solo or with the Commodores, Lionel Richie has a warm and instantly recognizable voice that's known mostly for romantic ballads along the lines of "Truly," "Endless Love" and "Hello." His consecutive string of hits (nine years straight authoring at least one No. 1 single) remains a pop phenomenon challenged only by songwriter Irving Berlin and singer Mariah Carey. After releasing several hugely successful solo albums in the 1980s, Richie kept a low profile for most of the '90s before attempting a comeback of sorts with the '98 album Time, and again with Renaissance in '01, though neither album ignited much interest from the public. - Linda Ryan

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:59 Kristinia DeBarge
Everything is in place for Kristinia Debarge to be a huge pop star. She's got the pedigree: her dad (James DeBarge) and his siblings made up hit '80s R&B outfit DeBarge. She's got the right formula for a sizzling debut: Babyface (who discovered the young singer and helped her win a Def Jam contract) wrote and produced much of it. And most of all, if her debut single is any indication, she's got the talent: "Goodbye" is a burning hot, dance-pop kiss-off that borrows from Steam's 1969 classic "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." - Rachel Devitt

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: George Michael
George Michael's brand of over-sexed, white boy soul defined the fantasy life of an entire generation of teenage girls. From the poppy, bubblegum lyricism of Wham! to later, more ambient fare, Michael has always had a finger on the pulse of pop (despite some lengthy hiatuses), sliding his silken vocals into a series of arousing, danceable albums. - Mike McGuirk

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 07:53: M.I.A.
When she was little, Maya Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., probably had no idea she'd grow up to become an underground dancehall sensation. Her father was a resistance figure in the Sri Lankan independence struggle, and Arulpragasam's family was forced to leave Sri Lanka -- for their safety -- when she was nine years old. But after growing up in a London housing estate and studying film, Arulpragasam's life changed when she picked up a Roland MC-505 for the first time and started composing songs. Skillfully weaving street slang with geo-politics, nonsense rhymes with low-tech dancehall riddims, Arulpragasam's angular, low-tech sound has struck a chord. Her debut, Arular, was released in 2005. - Sarah Bardeen

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Bryan Adams
With his sandy vocals and blue-collar songwriting skills, crafty Canadian hitmaker Bryan Adams' pop-friendly take on rock 'n' roll basics found a niche that lasted through much of the 1980s and into the early '90s. Just about anyone who turned on a radio during those years will remember songs like "Cuts Like a Knife," "Summer of '69," and "Run to You." He remains active today, working the ballad territory that yielded the 1991 mega-hit "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You." - Will York

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 09:11: Faith Hill
The other half of new country's First Family (she's married to Tim McGraw), Faith Hill has been a star in her own right since the million-selling smash "Wild One" in 1993. She is a direct descendant of the Reba McEntire school of blending traditional styles with pop-oriented hooks and backing. With big-budget production and an angelic voice, she sings crossover-prone new country with the poise and assurance of a bona-fide star with staying power. - Eric Shea

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 07:53: Leona Lewis
The age when televised talent contests were popular kingmakers has no better poster child than Leona Lewis, an English neo-soul singer and songwriter who won the third series of a British TV talent show called The X Factor and became a huge international pop star nearly overnight. Lewis began writing songs at 12 and winning local talent contests around London a few years later. Her big pipes earned her an instant following in the UK (here toothsome good looks probably didn't hurt either) before she even released her first single, "A Moment Like This," in December of 2006. That single set records by being downloaded over 50,000 times in 30 minutes and was followed the next year by her debut LP, Spirit, which had its songs and producers selected jointly by record moguls Simon Cowell and Clive Davis. - Nate Cavalieri

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:57 Seal
In this age when marketers prefer to direct music at narrow audiences, Seal combines pop, R&B, hip-hop and moody rock with a down-tempo dance vibe. The wide appeal and wide range of his sound is, in many ways, a product of the British singer's multifaceted background. Born Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Ongowe' Bongota Adelo Samuel to a Nigerian father and Brazilian mother, Seal earned a degree in architecture and worked as a leather clothing designer before joining the English funk band Push in the 1980s and, later, a blues band in Thailand. His most fortuitous collaboration was with house and techno producer Adamski, with whom Seal created 1990's "Killer." The No. 1 hit earned him a solo record contract. His eponymous 1991 debut produced the smash hit "Crazy," as well as a fruitful partnership between Seal and famed producer Trevor Horn. Over the next 16 years, Seal released four more albums, including his (also eponymous) 1994 sophomore effort (which featured Batman Forever hit "Kiss from a Rose") and 2007's System (which featured a duet with wife Heidi Klum). Like Sade, his fellow uni-named Brit, Seal takes long breaks between recordings, letting his hits build over time. - Rachel Devitt

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:21 Enrique Iglesias
As the son of Julio Iglesias -- perhaps the most famous singer in the Spanish-speaking world -- Enrique was born to stardom. He recorded his demo tape under a false name, not wanting to be seen as the son of Julio, but the relationship was ultimately a factor in the blockbuster success of his first record in 1995. Possessing a strong natural voice that is well suited to both romantic and dance material, he sings confidently in Spanish and English. His first monster hit, the power ballad "Experiencia Religiosa," topped the charts in every Spanish-speaking country. Teaming up with top writers and producers, he continued with eleven No. 1 hits in a row on the Billboard Latin charts. His song "Bailamos" began his crossover career, and soon after he was performing at the Superbowl. The ultimate marker of success is that three Spanish soap operas are named after his songs. Although his father is still revered, Enrique's popularity has now eclipsed his father's, as any Latina teenager can testify. - Robert Leaver

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 10:47: Fergie
Born Stacy Ferguson in 1975, the woman now simply known as Fergie rose to fame as essentially a set-piece for one of the most popular pop-rap bands of the new millennium. But things weren't always so rosy for the California native. Her first go around in the music industry, with group the Wild Orchid, left her confused and depressed. After Orchid was dropped from their recording contract in the late-'90s, Fergie struggled with addiction and mental instability. But then she landed a role as a temporary background singer for up-and-coming hip-hop act the Black Eyed Peas. In 2003, she was offered a permanent position. And when their songs "Where Is the Love" and "Let's Get It Started" rocketed up the charts, she quickly became a star, appearing in music-related journals such as Blender and FMH. The runaway success of 2005's "My Humps" -- Fergie's meditation on female anatomy -- led to a solo career. Her 2006 album, The Duchess of York, was her debut. - Sam Chennault

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 12:16: Basshunter
Malmo, Sweden's Jonas Altberg was born in 1984, and you can hear his youthful exuberance leaping out of the music he records as Basshunter. In his teens, he began experimenting with Fruity Loops music software, and by 2006 he'd scored a deal with Warner Music -- not a bad learning curve. In his official bio, he sounds a bit baffled himself by the rate at which he went from being a video-game expert to a musician "that performed almost every day all over Scandinavia." (Some things haven't changed: He still lives at home with his parents.)

Basshunter's first release was 2006's Anna Boten single, a glammy trance stomper notable in part for its Swedish vocals. Later that year he followed up with his debut album, a collection of stab-happy trance ("Strand Tylosand," named after the beach by his family home) and harder, more acidic fare ("I'm Your Bass Creator"). In 2008, with his international profile bolstered by Ultra's re-release of his album, he came out with the singles "Please Don't Go" and "Now You're Gone," both of them lighters-in-the-air trance ballads.

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 11:22: Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Bedingfield is straight out of the U.K. school of "pop" pop star: antipodean, Anglophile and enviably attractive. Lay that alongside the fact that her career took off after brother Daniel's "Gotta Get Thru This" had shot its way to legendary status in the U.K.'s burgeoning 2-step scene (not to mention the top of the charts), and it's easy to see how the London-bred New Zealander struggled to be taken seriously at the outset, despite her debut release "Single" making it to No. 3 in the U.K. in May 2004. But then "These Words" hit the airwaves and any residual doubts about Natasha's staying power evaporated as she stormed to the top of the British charts. Her debut album Unwritten embraced a diverse number of genres and is held together by Bedingfield's evident interest in pop songwriting (and much vaunted studies of psychology). 2008's Pocketful of Sunshine features a radio-friendly duet with the lovable Sean Kingston, and is Bedingfield's reentry back onto the American pop music radar. - Jamie Dolling

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 10:47: Nelly Furtado
Although she grew up in Canada, Nelly Furtado's parents were Portuguese immigrants, and she was raised surrounded by the rhythms of traditional Portuguese music. Still drawn to the beat years later, Furtado gravitated toward the popular rap and contemporary R&B groups of the day. Like many teenagers, she used music not only as a means of escape, but also as a way to fan the flames of her dreams. After graduating from high school, Furtado headed to Toronto, where she formed the hip-hop duo Nelster. Still working a day job, Furtado haunted clubs at night, until being spotted by Brian West and Gerald Eaton of the Philosopher Kings. The pair produced a demo that landed the chanteuse her deal with Dreamworks, and continued to turn the knobs on Furtado's 2000 debut, Whoa, Nelly!. Three years later, she issued the more reflective album, Folklore. Three years after that (and after giving birth to her daughter), Furtado took off in a completely different direction with Loose, a collection of sleek, sexy, hip-hop-infused dance pop (much of it, including the huge hit "Promiscuous," produced by Timbaland) aimed at conquering the top 40 -- which she certainly did. Another three years went by and it was time for -- you guessed it -- another new direction, this time with Mi Plan, a collection of Spanish-language pop. - Linda Ryan

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 11:16: Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani first came into the public conscious as the lead singer of overnight sensation No Doubt; with the advent of the band's first single, "Just a Girl," her blonde hair and belly piercing became immediate fixtures on MTV. No Doubt continued to sell records into the '00s, but in 2004 Stefani broke out on her own, releasing smash hit solo album Love Angel Music Baby and debuting a well-received fashion line called L.A.M.B.

The album found Stefani continuing to forge the friendship with hip-hop she began with her cameo on Eve's "Let Me Blow Ya Mind": many of the tracks featured fly hip-hop beats, provided by the likes of Dr. Dre, the Neptunes and Andre 3000. But the album also encompassed some of Stefani's other predilections, including Japanese culture and couture, embodied on both the tour and videos for Love Angel Music Baby by the Harajuku Girls. Stefani referred to the girls as her "imaginary" Japanese back-up dancers and named them (what else?) Love, Angel, Music and Baby, prompting comedienne Margaret Cho, who called the singer's performances a "minstrel show," and other critics to denounce Stefani as a racist.

Stefani's second album has yet to meet with the same explosive ire. The Sweet Escape, released in late 2006, once again pays hit-making, trend-setting tribute to Stefani's myriad passions, including dance pop, hip-hop, J-pop, Broadway musicals and her infant son (with Bush's Gavin Rossdale). - Rachel Devitt