Best Pop Acts

Watch out for these artists over the next decade!

MGMT:

The duo have garnered critical acclaim and praise for their intelligent electronic music. Their album Oracular Spectacular was named best album of 2008 by NME magazine.

Taylor Swift:

Effortlessly combining pop and country, and widely recognised as one of the best songwriters of her generation, Taylor Swift looks set to be around for a long time. Her second album “Fearless” won a grammy award for both album of the year, and best country album.

Kanye West

Noted for both his immense production talent and chequered public persona, Kanye West was a major figure in the 2000s, and looks set to be even bigger this decade. His 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is widely recognised as one of the finest rap albums of all time for its originality, ambition and humanity.

Prince

Coming into the fame at the same time as Michael Jackson, Prince being a young, black, highly original musical entrepreneur drew many comparisons.

Their music though, in terms of content, range and imagery, could not be more different. Prince, similar to Bowie, was a master of weaving the musical environment around him into a cohesive whole, that was at once familiar, but also uniquely, and distinctly his.

Prince constantly ventured into uncharted territory, both in his music and his image. He was noted in his earlier performances for wearing stilettos and a trench coat, before acquiring a taste for purple blouses.

His music as eclectic as his personality, Prince makes music first and foremost for himself, and is all the better for it.

Elvis Presley

Also known as the “King of Rock and Roll”, or simply just “The King”, it’s hard to imagine what music would be today without him.

Elvis had it all. A versatile voice, capable of cathartic growling and gentle swooning, chiselled good looks, and a demanding onstage presence. He was destined to be a legend.

One of the first artists to successfully blend a variety of genres, his versatility meant his music took on blues, country, gospel, rock and pop.

Even today 30 years after his death, Elvis is still a household name. His songs are the favourites of so many, old and young.

David Bowie

Throughout his career, David Bowie has been recognised for his constant musical re-invention and innovation. Establishing personas as a rock star, soul man, folk singer, androgynous alien. His musical palette is equally broad and varied, taking on a huge variety of styles, encompassing pop, rock, glam, new wave and disco.

With Bowie’s ability to take inspiration from everything around him, and mould it into something unique and original and distinctly his, it’s no wonder he’s known as the chameleon of the music industry.

The Beatles

It’s hard to measure how influential The Beatles were exactly, but one thing is for sure, that without them music simply would not be what it is today.

Re-establishing and rewriting the rules as they went along, The Beatles set the precedent for every act that has followed since, and are arguably still without peer today.

In the 60s they were a worldwide phenomenon, dominating the charts of the music industry, and capturing the imaginations of a generation. Even now in the 21^st century their albums are still in the top ranks.

The Beatles are truly timeless.

Michael Jackson

Even as a child Michael Jackson had reached fame beyond that of most other pop starts. When he came onto his own in his solo career though, he simply rocketed into the levels of superstardom, shining brighter than them all.

His album, Thriller, is the best selling album in the world, with over 110 million copies sold worldwide. He opened the doors for black recording artists in the 80s, and is credited for popularising the music video. His highly original dance moves are still emulated by millions of fans over the world today. He still has lots of fans who dress up like him, turn up the music and try to copy his dance moves.

Despite his tragic death in the Summer of 2009, Michael Jacksons’ legacy will live on for generations to come.