Justin Bieber

The 16-year-old singer reaches a milestone in his native country with debut single 'One Time.' By Kyle Anderson, with reporting by Jocelyn Vena

Paramore

Paramore is a Franklin, Tennessee based rock band, formed in 2004 that has since recorded a platinum-selling album, garnered a Grammy nomination and achieved international recognition.

Black Eyed Peas

Ever since they were a fledgling group in the environs of Los Angeles, The Black Eyed Peas have flaunted a passionate, energetic hip-hop spirit people have always been drawn to.

Miley Cyrus

Young Miley Cyrus became an overnight sensation in 2006 as the star of the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana, but fortunately her family has had some experience with that sort of thing -- her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, went from obscurity to stardom in a few short months when the song "Achy Breaky Heart" hit the charts in 1992.

Mariah Carey

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

Eminem

A protege of Dr. Dre, rapper Eminem emerged in 1999 as one of the most controversial rappers to ever grace the genre.

Jay-Z

Embodying the rags-to-riches rap dream, Jay-Z pulled himself up by his bootstraps as a youth to eventually become the reigning rapper of New York City and, in turn, a major-label executive following his short-lived retirement from music-making

Lady GaGa

"Why can't we just have a good time like they did in the disco days?" This is Lady GaGa's lament. Her debut album The Fame does just that.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was the definitive heavy metal band. It wasn't just their crushingly loud interpretation of the blues -- it was how they incorporated mythology

Lil Wayne

The charismatic Southern rapper Lil Wayne began his industry ascendance as one of the Hot Boys, a short-lived all-star group on Cash Money Records. After establishing himself as a successful solo artist, he grew to become a critical favorite, known for his confident boasts, entertainting underground mixtapes, and prolific output

The Notorious B.I.G.

In just a few short years, the Notorious B.I.G. went from a Brooklyn street hustler to the savior of East Coast hip-hop to a tragic victim of the culture of violence he depicted so realistically on his records.

Pink

Pink, at only 20, is a young woman with the experience of many lifetimes, I'm a very extreme person. I went through a lot of phases growing up, and for every one, I was extreme, confides Pink, the latest R&B/pop artist to emerge from the hugely successful, LaFace Records camp.

Rihanna

Rihanna established her dance-pop credentials in summer 2005 with her debut smash hit, "Pon de Replay," and continued to demonstrate such hit potential in subsequent years (e.g., "S.O.S." in 2006; "Umbrella" in 2007; "Disturbia" in 2008).

Shakira

Noted for her aggressive, rock-influenced approach, Shakira maintained an extraordinary degree of creative control over her music, especially for a female artist.

Madonna

After a star reaches a certain point, it's easy to forget what they became famous for and concentrate solely on their persona. Madonna is such a star. Madonna rocketed to stardom so quickly in 1984 that it obscured most of her musical virtues.

Kristinia DeBarge

She infuses a classic sense of soul into eclectic modern pop. Her sultry voice lights up massive melodies that take up permanent residence inside listeners' heads.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift became one of country-pop's brightest (and youngest) faces in 2006, when the 16-year-old vocalist released her first album.

50 CENT

More so than any other music since the blues, hip-hop is all about stories. And its stories are both criminal minded and grand, making them enthralling and unbelievable, but also making them only as interesting and convincing as the teller. That's why, despite being blackballed by the industry, without a major-label recording contract, heads still gravitated to Jamaica, Queens' realest son, 50 Cent, like the planets to the sun.

Beyonce

"When I started the record," says Beyonce about her new double album I AM SASHA FIERCE, "I knew that, artistically, I have to grow. Even though I've been very successful and very fortunate, I want to still be challenged and still be nervous and still be anxious about all the things that make my career exciting."