I predict most the pop stars I put won't last that long in the 2020s maybe the first 2 years that's it.But I do like Katy p. Especially in 08-10. Katy Perry is really the only pop girl I kinda liked this decade.I liked teenage dream cause that's like the 1st song I heard by her I also wish Britney spears could of been bigger in this decade she my favorite pop star of the last 17 years.☺

Taylor Swift, no doubt. The other celebrities you mentioned (aside from Katy Perry and Ariana Grande) aren't really as definitive as the other celebrities who were popular during this decade.

Taylor Swift has been a megastar since the very beginning of this decade and inexplicably won Album of the Year with 1989. She'll presumably continue to be huge in the late 2010s with her upcoming album.

Gaga was really only truly definitive to the turn of the decade, while Perry has so far struggled during the second half of the 2010s despite her dominance over the first half. Grande is popular but not quite on the same level as Swift. Britney, while still popular, is well beyond her peak and is really more the face of Y2K era teen pop, not 2010s music.

Yeah, Swift with her anti-piracy rhetoric, normcore/retro appeal and strangely apolitical rhetoric.

Taylor Swift has been a megastar since the very beginning of this decade and inexplicably won Album of the Year with 1989. She'll presumably continue to be huge in the late 2010s with her upcoming album.

Gaga was really only truly definitive to the turn of the decade, while Perry has so far struggled during the second half of the 2010s despite her dominance over the first half. Grande is popular but not quite on the same level as Swift. Britney, while still popular, is well beyond her peak and is really more the face of Y2K era teen pop, not 2010s music.


She became big at the turn of the decade, so she's a bit more corporate than the other pop artists out there.

Taylor Swift has been a megastar since the very beginning of this decade and inexplicably won Album of the Year with 1989. She'll presumably continue to be huge in the late 2010s with her upcoming album.

Gaga was really only truly definitive to the turn of the decade, while Perry has so far struggled during the second half of the 2010s despite her dominance over the first half. Grande is popular but not quite on the same level as Swift. Britney, while still popular, is well beyond her peak and is really more the face of Y2K era teen pop, not 2010s music.


I agree with this.  Britney did have a resurgence in the late '00s but she really hasn't had much of an impact on the '10s.

Lady Gaga is probably the first name to come to mind but she has been past her peak since 2012.  Unless she experiences a resurgence in the next couple of years, its unlikely she will be a decade-defining artist.

I was looking at this earlier, and I had a difficult time thinking who would it be. After some replies, I agree it that it could be T-swift unless her new album flops when it's released. So far, she has a new song called Reputation and while I haven't listened to it yet it could be good.

I was gonna vote for Justin Beiber.

Lady Gaga of course. She was a huge 2010s star.

Taylor Swift brings the hits! Katy Perry could've done it, but she's finished now. Her latest album bombed as bad as the Vita.

Taylor Swift brings the hits! Katy Perry could've done it, but she's finished now. Her latest album was a Vita level bomb.

Taylor Swift's latest song sucks.

Taylor Swift's latest song sucks.


It does.  8-P

Taylor Swift, no doubt. The other celebrities you mentioned (aside from Katy Perry and Ariana Grande) aren't really as definitive as the other celebrities who were popular during this decade.

Lady Gaga has sold more per album than the rest of them have, and she was far more famous in the public eye. She was the last celebrity nobody has matched yet in terms of fame. That is a lot more important in being significant and definitive this decade than a bunch of songs playing on the radio by Taylor Swift and other singers. This also isn't taking into account how big of a role the early 2010s have played this decade.

Kesha is the clear answer for women but Pitbull is the 2010's definitive artist male or female.

List is missing Rihanna though.

Kesha is the clear answer for women but Pitbull is the 2010's definitive artist male or female.

Justin Bieber is the definitive male artist this decade, unfortunately.  :P

List is missing Rihanna though.

It is pretty impressive how long Rihanna has stayed relavent. She was in the scene from 2005 to 2017, with very little time off and no real hiatus in between.

Justin Bieber is the definitive male artist this decade, unfortunately.  :P


Nah, Pitbull is more iconic.

List is missing Rihanna though.



It is pretty impressive how long Rihanna has stayed relevant. She was in the scene from 2005 to 2017, with very little time off and no real hiatus in between.
Yeah, that's true. She actually could be the defining female artist of the decade, and she should have been on this list. However, I think why the OP didn't include Rihanna either because he forgot about her, or that he thinks her peak was much earlier than this decade.


Nah, Pitbull is more iconic.
I gotta go with Slim on this one. JB is the more male definite of this decade. Besides, Pitbull is past his peak despite still making good party songs.

Yeah, that's true. She actually could be the defining female artist of the decade, and she should have been on this list. However, I think why the OP didn't include Rihanna either because he forgot about her, or that he thinks her peak was much earlier than this decade.
I gotta go with Slim on this one. JB is the more male definite of this decade. Besides, Pitbull is past his peak despite still making good party songs.


Rihanna is more of a late '00s/early '10s artist.  She hasn't really been super relevant since 2013.  She's had a few songs or cameos but nothing really defining like her hits in the late '00s and early '10s.

I think Pitbull extends a little later in the decade, but I can't think of anything he has done since around 2015.  Justin Bieber is the defining male artist of the decade and I don't think there is any real contest.  It's hard to believe that he's remained in the spotlight this long.  When he came out in 2009, I thought he would be a one hit or one album fad, much like Cody Simpson ended up being.  He is one of the few artists that has been popular and has had hits every year in the decade so far.

Rihanna is more of a late '00s/early '10s artist.  She hasn't really been super relevant since 2013.  She's had a few songs or cameos but nothing really defining like her hits in the late '00s and early '10s.

I agree Rihanna's big peak was in the late 2000s, however I disagree with her not being super relevent since 2013. She has had so many hits since 2013 and today she has like a number 2 song in the Billboard charts (she's a feature on there). Last year she was featured in one of the biggest songs of the year, "Work". She was a feature of one of the biggest songs of the summer, "this is what you came for", along with releasing her own hit "Love on The Brain" which sold a lot as well. Before that, she has also had a lot of hits and was always in the spotlight in one way or another. She is absolutely relevant this decade, I don't know how anyone can say she wasn't. I still think Lady Gaga was the ultimate star this decade though just on the fact of how much she sold and her fame during the early 2010s, particularly 2010. Rihanna and Katy Perry are second and third, and Taylor Swift is fourth.


would be a one hit or one album fad, much like Cody Simpson ended up being.  He is one of the few artists that has been popular and has had hits every year in the decade so far.

Yeah same. I thought he would be another Aaron Carter.

Either Katy Perry or Taylor Swift. I don't even no why Britney Spears is in the poll, she is more the definig pop star of the 2000s.

It is pretty impressive how long Rihanna has stayed relavent. She was in the scene from 2005 to 2017, with very little time off and no real hiatus in between.


More impressive would be Usher, who was a serious hitmaker from 1997 to 2015, before his latest album tanked as badly as his 1994 debut. Also, Justin Timberlake was achieving major success as the frontman of *NSYNC in 1998 (1996 in Germany!), yet also performed one of the biggest hit songs last year with "Can't Stop the Feeling!"

If you're a Brit though, none of these can compare to the staggering hit marathons achieve by the Rolling Stones (1963's "Come On" to 2005's "Streets of Love"), Status Quo (1968's "Pictures of Matchstick Men" to 2005's "The Party Ain't Over Yet"), and Cliff Richard (1958's "Move It" to 2008's "Thank You for a Lifetime," half a century later).

More impressive would be Usher, who was a serious hitmaker from 1997 to 2015, before his latest album tanked as badly as his 1994 debut. Also, Justin Timberlake was achieving major success as the frontman of *NSYNC in 1998 (1996 in Germany!), yet also performed one of the biggest hit songs last year with "Can't Stop the Feeling!"

If you're a Brit though, none of these can compare to the staggering hit marathons achieve by the Rolling Stones (1963's "Come On" to 2005's "Streets of Love"), Status Quo (1968's "Pictures of Matchstick Men" to 2005's "The Party Ain't Over Yet"), and Cliff Richard (1958's "Move It" to 2008's "Thank You for a Lifetime," half a century later).

Yeah but I was thinking it was impressive because almost every year Rihanna was in the spotlight. But this wasn't the case for Justin Timberlake and Usher who actually had "comebacks" and were on a long hiatus. Rihanna was always featured in songs and hung around the spotlight in some way since she started. When Justin Timberlake came back last year (and in 2013) people were like "Oh remember him"? And young kids didn't know who he was according to the YouTube comments. This wasn't the case with Rihanna.

Yeah but I was thinking it was impressive because almost every year Rihanna was in the spotlight. But this wasn't the case for Justin Timberlake and Usher who actually had "comebacks" and were on a long hiatus. Rihanna was always featured in songs and hung around the spotlight in some way since she started.


Cliff Richard actually sort of was in the UK. He was like the British Elvis, except since he never died, he was able to continue his constant chart presence all the way into the 21st Century.

Also, Rihanna needs to just hang up already. I thought she was a really cool and versatile artist back when she burst onto the scene in the mid-late 2000s, but she has since become a chart zombie. She isn't groundbreaking enough to live up to her constant exposure and just gets worse with every year.

Cliff Richard actually sort of was in the UK. He was like the British Elvis, except since he never died, he was able to continue his constant chart presence all the way into the 21st Century.

Yeah there are others out there as well. I kind of feel bad for them because it seems like they are always in the spotlight and can never take a break.

Also, Rihanna needs to just hang up already. I thought she was a really cool and versatile artist back when she burst onto the scene in the mid-late 2000s, but she has since become a chart zombie. She isn't groundbreaking enough to live up to her constant exposure and just gets worse with every year.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Chart zombie!

If you want to know, I actually thought she would disappear from the mainstream a few years ago after her 2012 album; however, she ended up coming back quickly with her infamous song in 2015 followed by another album last year. Despite that she's all in the charts right now, I have a feeling Rihanna's presence will decline overtime to the point she's no longer relevant. I expect her to be out of the mainstream by the end of this decade especially since she's been in the game for almost 15 years now.


Rihanna is more of a late '00s/early '10s artist.  She hasn't really been super relevant since 2013.  She's had a few songs or cameos but nothing really defining like her hits in the late '00s and early '10s.

I think Pitbull extends a little later in the decade, but I can't think of anything he has done since around 2015.  Justin Bieber is the defining male artist of the decade and I don't think there is any real contest.  It's hard to believe that he's remained in the spotlight this long.  When he came out in 2009, I thought he would be a one hit or one album fad, much like Cody Simpson ended up being.  He is one of the few artists that has been popular and has had hits every year in the decade so far.
I think so too considering she was at her peak then.

Yeah, Pitbull's peak seems to be around the same time as Rihanna because that's when he was everywhere. The last time I heard any song from him was 3 years ago in 2014 when he collaborated with Kesha and he had his own track that I don't know the name of.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Chart zombie!

If you want to know, I actually thought she would disappear from the mainstream a few years ago after her 2012 album; however, she ended up coming back quickly with her infamous song in 2015 followed by another album last year. Despite that she's all in the charts right now, I have a feeling Rihanna's presence will decline overtime to the point she's no longer relevant. I expect her to be out of the mainstream by the end of this decade especially since she's been in the game for almost 15 years now.

I actually think that Rihanna is here to stay for awhile.

Also, she's been around for almost 15 years? :o. Nope, her first/debut album came out in 2005...that's 12 years ago.

It is pretty impressive how long Rihanna has stayed relavent. She was in the scene from 2005 to 2017, with very little time off and no real hiatus in between.
Rhianna is a great talent I'm not sure how I forgot to put her on the list,but I like her earlier stuff

I actually think that Rihanna is here to stay for awhile.

Also, she's been around for almost 15 years? :o. Nope, her first/debut album came out in 2005...that's 12 years ago.
how long do you think she will last?

Oh, I know it's been 12 years, but about 15 is close enough. ;)

how long do you think she will last?

Rihanna and Beyonce seem like they are going to be like Cher and Madonna in terms of the length of their popularity (3-4 decades).

Rihanna and Beyonce seem like they are going to be like Cher and Madonna in terms of the length of their popularity (3-4 decades).
I don't think that's going to happen for them. I mean Beyonce has already not been that relevant compared to the previous decade. As for Rihanna, I could probably see her continue into the 2020s but I'm not sure if that will happen. It seems like she already has 10 albums at this point.

I don't think that's going to happen for them. I mean Beyonce has already not been that relevant compared to the previous decade. As for Rihanna, I could probably see her continue into the 2020s but I'm not sure if that will happen. It seems like she already has 10 albums at this point.

Beyonce is still very much revelant. She came back in 2011 and 2013 with hit songs and last year her album Lemonade was one of the biggest albums of 2016, if not the biggest.

When you have been a superstar for over 10 years, you gain a HUGE fan base and so pretty much the only things that could stop Rihanna and Beyonce from being popular for at least another decade is either because of death (this would be terrible but it's certainly a possibility) or personal choice.

Beyonce is still very much relevant. She came back in 2011 and 2013 with hit songs and last year her album Lemonade was one of the biggest albums of 2016, if not the biggest.

When you have been a superstar for over 10 years, you gain a HUGE fan base and so pretty much the only things that could stop Rihanna and Beyonce from being popular for at least another decade is either because of death (this would be terrible but it's certainly a possibility) or personal choice.
I'm not denying that Beyonce is relevant. I'm just saying it's not on the same level as it was in the 00s.

Yeah, that's true or they can't keep up with the adaptation of music. In the last few months, there have been discussions on that whether music is changing, and it seems like it is. If both cant change their musical style, they're going to get left behind.

Justin Bieber is the defining male artist of the decade and I don't think there is any real contest.  It's hard to believe that he's remained in the spotlight this long.  When he came out in 2009, I thought he would be a one hit or one album fad, much like Cody Simpson ended up being.  He is one of the few artists that has been popular and has had hits every year in the decade so far.


Yeah same. I thought he would be another Aaron Carter.


Not me. I always was and always will be a Belieber.

Too many votes so far have gone to Lady Gaga. Even though you could certainly argue she left a greater impact on popular culture than any of the other choices, including Swift, too much of her definitive material came out and was popular while it was still the 2000s. It's certainly odd to think The Fame Monster came out the same decade as Oops!...I Did It Again, but still, no matter how decadeologic you get, Gaga's two most famous records both essentially came out during the noughties.

I'm not denying that Beyonce is relevant. I'm just saying it's not on the same level as it was in the 00s.
I would say that her popularity today is about the same as it was in the '00s. However, the novelty of Beyonce has worn off for many people for a long time now. Also, in the past 6 years...a lot of her biggest fans have propped up her to be essentially a demi goddess or just a plain goddess and she has sometimes played up to that image. So she has turned off some people because of that but Beyonce is still HUGELY popular.


Yeah, that's true or they can't keep up with the adaptation of music. In the last few months, there have been discussions on that whether music is changing, and it seems like it is. If both cant change their musical style, they're going to get left behind.

Agreed.

Too many votes so far have gone to Lady Gaga. Even though you could certainly argue she left a greater impact on popular culture than any of the other choices, including Swift, too much of her definitive material came out and was popular while it was still the 2000s. It's certainly odd to think The Fame Monster came out the same decade as Oops!...I Did It Again, but still, no matter how decadeologic you get, Gaga's two most famous records both essentially came out during the noughties.

It doesn't matter. It has NOTHING to do with decadology. It has to do with raw numbers. Lady Gaga has left far more of an impact in the early 2010s and sold more per album than the rest of them. She had more fame and closer to the level of Brtiney Spears than any of the others on the list. To this day people still know who she is. That's why she is the defining female artist of the decade, period. It's honestly not debatable when you compare her album sales and single sales to the others on the list... So please don't mention decadology and complain about the votes when it is obvious Lady Gaga was a megastar for this decade. It's actually arguable you are using decadology by saying the others are more defining just because they are popular in the mid 2010s, when in the end it doesn't matter WHEN an artist is popular, what matters is the impact they left and the number of sales they have in the respective decade as well as the years leading up to the decade.

It doesn't matter. It has NOTHING to do with decadology. It has to do with raw numbers. Lady Gaga has left far more of an impact in the early 2010s and sold more per album than the rest of them. She had more fame and closer to the level of Brtiney Spears than any of the others on the list. To this day people still know who she is. That's why she is the defining female artist of the decade, period. It's honestly not debatable when you compare her album sales and single sales to the others on the list... So please don't mention decadology and complain about the votes when it is obvious Lady Gaga was a megastar for this decade. It's actually arguable you are using decadology by saying the others are more defining just because they are popular in the mid 2010s, when in the end it doesn't matter WHEN an artist is popular, what matters is the impact they left and the number of sales they have in the respective decade as well as the years leading up to the decade.


Okay, where do I even begin?

First off, if you're going purely by sales and nothing else, then you're giving an unfair advantage to the early 2010s because streaming services were not as prominent at the time as they would be later. Even so, focusing strictly on sales would mean Adele would be the clear queen of the 2010s, considering 21 had sold 35 million copies worldwide, a staggering feet considering how badly record sales struggle nowadays and astronomically more than anybody else this decade. 25 has sold 20 million, again unbelievably high considering it came out in late 2015.

Even leaving Adele out of the equation, Taylor Swift's 1989 sold far better than anything of Gaga's this decade. It went 6x Platinum in America, compared to The Fame Monster's Single Platinum and Born This Way's Double Platinum. Gaga's best-selling album, by far, is The Fame, which was primarily popular in the late 2000s. I assume you don't consider that because you stubbornly consider late 2008 and 2009 as full-on 2010s, hence my decadeology. Again, however, Swiift's lead would be far greater if not for online streamig. True, Swift has forbidden her work from showing up on Spotify, but it still has been there at least some of the time, including 1989's peak.

Also, really? I'm being decadeologic about this? I'm completely the opposite, considering I'm focusing strictly on the chronological 2010s and not 2008 to present. I never stated I'm completely biased towards the mid-late 2010s when considering this topic, I'm merely excluding 2008 and 2009 from the early 2010s definition because they're part of the 2000s, simple as that. Actually, Swift was a massive star throughout the early 2010s, thanks to Speak Now and especially Red. The reason she gets the edge over Gaga and Perry, however, is that she has been more consistent since the very start of this decade, whereas Gaga floundered with Artpop and Joanne, having really only been particularly enormous in 2010 and 2011. None of this has to do with which part of the 2010s was most definitive, it's only pertaining to the 2010s s a whole, and in that sense, Taylor Swft has pretty easily outmatched Gaga.

Okay, where do I even begin?

First off, if you're going purely by sales and nothing else, then you're giving an unfair advantage to the early 2010s because streaming services were not as prominent at the time as they would be later. Even so, focusing strictly on sales would mean Adele would be the clear queen of the 2010s, considering 21 had sold 35 million copies worldwide, a staggering feet considering how badly record sales struggle nowadays and astronomically more than anybody else this decade. 25 has sold 20 million, again unbelievably high considering it came out in late 2015.

Even leaving Adele out of the equation, Taylor Swift's 1989 sold far better than anything of Gaga's this decade. It went 6x Platinum in America, compared to The Fame Monster's Single Platinum and Born This Way's Double Platinum. Gaga's best-selling album, by far, is The Fame, which was primarily popular in the late 2000s. I assume you don't consider that because you stubbornly consider late 2008 and 2009 as full-on 2010s, hence my decadeology. Again, however, Swiift's lead would be far greater if not for online streamig. True, Swift has forbidden her work from showing up on Spotify, but it still has been there at least some of the time, including 1989's peak.

Also, really? I'm being decadeologic about this? I'm completely the opposite, considering I'm focusing strictly on the chronological 2010s and not 2008 to present. I never stated I'm completely biased towards the mid-late 2010s when considering this topic, I'm merely excluding 2008 and 2009 from the early 2010s definition because they're part of the 2000s, simple as that. Actually, Swift was a massive star throughout the early 2010s, thanks to Speak Now and especially Red. The reason she gets the edge over Gaga and Perry, however, is that she has been more consistent since the very start of this decade, whereas Gaga floundered with Artpop and Joanne, having really only been particularly enormous in 2010 and 2011. None of this has to do with which part of the 2010s was most definitive, it's only pertaining to the 2010s s a whole, and in that sense, Taylor Swft has pretty easily outmatched Gaga.

People will forget who Taylor Swift is in 20 years, do you think people will forget who Lady Gaga was? Of course not. That's what is more important. That's why Lady Gaga deserves the votes and why she is the big defining star of the 2010s.  I forgot about Adele, but I would put her a close second.

People will forget who Taylor Swift is in 20 years, do you think people will forget who Lady Gaga was? Of course not. That's what is more important. That's why Lady Gaga deserves the votes and why she is the big defining star of the 2010s.  I forgot about Adele, but I would put her a close second.


How do you know Gaga will be much more remembered than Swift several years from now? Is your own personal preference for Gaga somehow factoring into this equation but you're too afraid to acknowledge it? Yeah, Gaga was memorable when she first burst onto the scene, but that's certainly not to say Taylor Swift isn't one of the most larger than life media figures of the 2010s, either. She won Album of the Year, something Gaga can't lay claim to herself.

Regardless, you can't just completely switch your argument directly from raw sales records to general cultural impact and projected nostalgia in the 2030s, certainly not if you're suddenly denying the significance of the former.

People will forget who Taylor Swift is in 20 years, do you think people will forget who Lady Gaga was? Of course not. That's what is more important. That's why Lady Gaga deserves the votes and why she is the big defining star of the 2010s.  I forgot about Adele, but I would put her a close second.


I actually think Taylor Swift will come more to mind, since she has experienced widespread popularity and strong album sales throughout the entire decade. That's not to suggest that Lady Gaga won't be remembered as being a defining star, however the floundering of her most recent albums would go against her in that regard. I agree that Adele would be a close second.

Either Adele, or Taylor Swift!  :P

Is your own personal preference for Gaga somehow factoring into this equation but you're too afraid to acknowledge it?

Definitely not. I don't like either one but I actually tolerate Taylor Swift and her music a little more.  :P Anyway you make some good points, but I still see Lady Gaga as being the defining star of the decade overall. Taylor Swift to me seems like a popular singer with lots of radio play, but not bringing huge cultural significance and change like Lady Gaga did when she burst to the scene in 2008 and she remained very popular into the early 2010s.

My sisters born 2005 don't really remember Gaga being relevant (and I played Bad Romance and Alejandro in the car last year - it was their first time hearing it). While Lady Gaga is a defining artist, it's also true that she flamed out really early, and probably won't be the first artist that comes to mind when people think about the 2010s. I think both Katy Perry and Taylor Swift beat Gaga out in that category.

Taylor Swift is the blonde of this decade.

Jean Harlow is of the 30's, Marilyn Monroe was the 50's, Farrah Fawcett was the 70's, Madonna of the 80's, Britney Spears of the 00's, and now Taylor Swift!

They're all artificially made by the government, because their egg and sperm is shifted off for inspection. And their bodies made for mass consumption and admiration.  :-X  :-X  :-X  :-X  :-X

My sisters born 2005 don't really remember Gaga being relevant (and I played Bad Romance and Alejandro in the car last year - it was their first time hearing it). While Lady Gaga is a defining artist, it's also true that she flamed out really early, and probably won't be the first artist that comes to mind when people think about the 2010s. I think both Katy Perry and Taylor Swift beat Gaga out in that category.


It really did surprise me how quickly she flamed out given the hype in 2009 and 2010.  I am certain those who consider her the defining artist of this decade do so because they remember the hype back then.  Those too young to have been a part of it, like your sisters, likely have a different opinion because they see it more objectively.  I would say her peak was during The Fame Monster era and that album came out in 2009.  There were some missteps during the Born This Way era that I think led to her decline and I could see it even back then.  That would be an entire thread unto itself.  I will sum it up by saying that I think Born This Way was an excellent album but the choice of singles could have been better.  "Judas" should have never been a single and "Marry the Night" should have come out earlier.  "Highway Unicorn" should have also been a single.

I can't believe you guys saying Pitbull is past his peak when Climate Change was released this year and pretty much every single is a hit. He's way more influential than Justin Beiber, too.

In deciding who is the defining female pop star of the decade, i'm going to break it down into who I think is the defining female artists of each year.
I will list IMO, the 3 biggest female artists from each year and give 3 points to the biggest artist, 2 points to the 2nd biggest and 1 point to the 3rd biggest. The most number of points is my defining artist of the decade.

2010

3 pts
Lady Gaga-Started off the year with the massive success off "Telephone" and towards the end of the year, hype for "Born this Way" started to grow

2 pts
Katy Perry-She arguably entered her peak era with the release of the album "Teenage Dream"

1 pt
Taylor Swift-Although her album "Speak Now" wasn't as talked about as much as her later albums, it was the fastest selling album in the U.S., selling over a million copies in its first week

2011

3 pts
Adele-21 demolished the competition this year, and "Someone Like You" was played every 5 minutes

2 pts
Lady Gaga-Born This Way wasn't as liked as her first 2 albums but it sure had a lot of hype

1 pt
Katy Perry-Scored big hits in "Firework" and "TGIF"
2012

3 pts
Taylor Swift-Returns with the album "Red" where started to get a reputation for writing trashy break up songs

2 pts
Adele-Highest selling album of the year 2 years running with "21". Not to forget her singing the title song of the Bond film "Skyfall"

1 pt
Carly Rae Jepsen-Was a staple on the radio with "Call Me Maybe"
2013

3 pts
Katy Perry-Makes a triumphant return with "Prism"

2 pts
P!nk-Was massive this year with "The Truth About Love" and had one of the highest selling tours ever.

1 pt
Lady GaGa-While "Artpop" flopped, there weren't much releases from the big female stars this year. "Applause" did alright and the album still reached #1 on the billboard charts

2014

3 pts
Taylor Swift-Her 1989 album was a smash, with "Blank Space" and "Shake it off" being huge hits

2 pts
Meghan Trainor-"All About That Bass" was inescapable so...

1 pt
Ariana Grande-I have one less problem including her

2015

3 pts
Adele-Massive hype for "25" and had the highest ever 1st week sales when it was released. What more can I say.

2 pts
Taylor Swift-Her enhanced popularity off the "1989" album continues with the #1 hit "Bad Blood" and "Wildest Dreams". Also, her 1989 tour was sold out everywhere.

1 pt
Meghan Trainor-She was talked about heaps this year and had hits such as "Dear Future Husband" "Marvin Gaye" and "Like im gonna lose you"

2016

3 pts
Ariana Grande-Releases "Dangerous Woman" and spawned the hits "Side to Side" and "Into You"

2 pts
Sia-Releases her 3rd mainstream album and her song "Cheap Thrills" was a regular on the radio

1 pt
Meghan Trainor-Her 2nd album isn't as big as "Title" but is still widely talked about

2017(so far and what I think will happen)

3 pts
Taylor Swift-Her new song is breaking youtube records, I'm predicting her album "Reputation" will be the highest selling of the year

2 pts
Katy Perry-Has had a mini resurgence this year, but nowhere near her populairty of 2010-2013

1 pt
P!nk-"What About Us" has spent 2 weeks at the top of the ARIA charts

Overall Tally
Taylor Swift-12
Adele-8
Katy Perry-8
Lady Gaga-6
Meghan Trainor-4
Ariana Grande-4
P!nk-3
Sia-2
Carly Rae Jepsen-1

Here we can see that Taylor Swift is clearly the defining artist of the decade due to the huge popularity in the early 10s and her ubitiquity in the mid-late 10s, followed by Adele and Katy Perry.