21 of the most influential women in pop, ever

The second Britney Spears shimmied in that uniform, the world was hooked. She solidified herself in pop culture and pop music with her debut and has since given the world nothing but nonstop goodness that makes you want to pull up a chair and scream, “Stronger!” Even throughout her rough patches, fans stuck by her side, showcasing just how important she is to the fabric of their lives.

It’s hard to imagine a lot of the women on this list existing without Madonna’s influence.

Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty! Janet Jackson was born into a family where talent was as common as matching suits in an array of vibrant colors. There was no doubt that Janet would soar, oftentimes just as high as her late brother, Michael.

Some pop stars do pop very well, and then there is Lady Gaga, who puts a level of vocal prowess in her pop performances that makes her undeniable.

Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac is a bewitching goddess with a unique voice that is often imitated but never quite duplicated. A songbird from the days of hippies and free love, Nicks has been inspiring not for almost several decades and counting.

Think about life at 15 years old. Did it include performing, with perfection, “Sittin' Up In My Room” for the soundtrack of a Whitney Houston film? Yeah, Brandy did just that and quickly carved out a spot for her in R&B, but her sweet sounds helped her cross over into the mainstream market, especially when she teamed up with Monica for “The Boy is Mine” in 1998.

This article could be written 300 years from now, and Cher would still be on it because there is nothing that is taking that woman out.

Ask a millennial woman where she learned to be a baddie, and she’ll likely point toward at least one of the Spice Girls.

Rihanna has so much power that she’s stepped away from music for upwards of a decade, sans a Super Bowl Halftime Show, to focus on building herself up — and built she has! Worth over one billion dollars, fans are happy for her but also wouldn’t be mad at the follow-up to 2016’s Anti.

She rose from the ashes to become a true queen of rock and roll.

In hindsight, one has to wonder how Ariana Grande wasn’t cast as the lead on Nickelodeon’s Victorious because it’s clear her vocals went above and beyond anything that had ever been on the kids’ network. Plus, “Thank U, Next” is one of the best pop songs in human history.

At some point, Dolly Parton needs to be considered for sainthood because, aside from her work in music and being the name people think of when people think of women and country music with pop appeal, she’s done more than most when it comes to charity.

There is something to be said about an artist that when they drop something new, the world stops and takes note.

The world is forever in their Taylor Swift era.

Alanis Morissette’s songwriting moved a generation of listeners to be bolder than ever before, and everyone is better for it.

Whenever Diana Ross does her infamous bounce onstage, an angel gets their wings. In all seriousness, Diana Ross will always be that girl when it comes to having the ultimate stage presence.

It’s hard to know what the world would be like had Selena not been taken far too soon, but what she left behind has still been able to inspire people everywhere.

People think she’s just a singer with an impeccable set of pipes. However, the real ones know she’s also one of the most significant songwriters ever. Mariah Carey didn’t just sing a cascade of No. 1 hits, she also wrote many of them.

TLC wasn’t afraid to sing about the issues, and that made them stand out in the best way in the early ‘90s, and why their significance never faltered, even through the loss of one of their own.

It could have been easy for Paramore to fall into obscurity, destined to do album anniversary shows forever like their pop-punk peers from the ‘00s. Thankfully, the band was able to grow with each release and finally have a solid foundation with three dynamic individuals, including singer Hayley Williams.

Disney Channel icon, pop star not only as a fictional character but as herself, and one of the most well-deserved Grammy-winners. Miley Cyrus, the star that you are!

Animation is often the first thing people attach themselves to, so for a lot of Gen Xers and Millennials, the singing rodent sisters were their initial girl group who delivered them modern-day hits, and even now, a new generation has taken them into their hearts.