Billboard has crowned Queen Bey as the best pop singer of the 21st century, and it’s got Swifties buzzing.
Billboard’s Andrew Unterberger wrote on Tuesday that Beyoncé topped the staff-selected list based on “her full 25 years of influence, evolution and impact,” while noting No. 2 pick Taylor Swift has done better on a strictly numbers basis, in terms of album sales, streams and touring dominance.
“The greatness of Beyoncé as a pop star is both immediately obvious on its surface and worthy of extensive exploration in its vastness,” Unterberger wrote. “You can watch her on stage for half a minute and instantly recognize that she’s an all-timer.”
Part of why the magazine gave Beyoncé the top spot was her longevity, having debuted in the 1990s. Beyoncé’s first time topping the Billboard Hot 100 this century was back in March 2000, as a member of Destiny’s Child, while Swift didn’t release her first album until 2006.
Taylor Swift fans say she should have top spot
That explanation did not satisfy many Swifties, who swarmed online posts about the list.
Arguing that Swift’s numbers should have put her clearly on top, some Swift fans called Beyoncé overrated. Others complained the list was “rigged,” suggested without evidence that her husband, rapper Jay-Z, paid off Billboard, and even compared the ranking to the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
“Who has 4 AOTYs? Who broke all records? Who has the highest grossing tour of all time??? TAYLOR IS THE [NO. 1],” one person commented on Billboard’s Instagram post. AOTY is an acronym for the Grammy Awards’ Album of the Year prize, which Swift has won four times.
Beyoncé fans hit back, arguing the singer tops Swift in terms of sheer talent and stage presence, including dancing and vocal ability, while also touting her longevity and her record of winning the most Grammy awards of any artist, with 32.
“Billboard’s decision underscores that true greatness is about lasting influence and artistic evolution, not just numbers. Beyoncé’s impact spans beyond the charts,” one person commented on X.
Both artists have notched multiple No. 1 songs, while Swift has 14 No. 1 albums compared to Beyoncé’s 10 (including her time with Destiny’s Child), according to Billboard.
Both artists had big years
Both artists released chart-topping, Grammy-nominated albums this year.
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter debuted at No. 1 in March and broke several chart and streaming records, while earning 11 Grammy nominations.
The release of Beyoncé’s highly anticipated country album, Cowboy Carter, has many Black country artists already seeing a bump in fans, and many are hoping for a renaissance in Black country music, including here in Canada.
Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, released in April, broke Cowboy Carter‘s single-day streaming record in a matter of hours and topped the Billboard 200 for 15 weeks straight. The album took over the 14 top song spots in Billboard’s chart in its first week of release, and it’s been far and away the year’s best-selling album, while earning six Grammy nods.
Swift’s globe-spanning Eras tour, which wraps up this month with three shows in Vancouver this weekend, is by far the highest-grossing tour of all time, pulling in billions of dollars.
Rihanna took the Billboard list’s No. 3 spot, with Canadian rapper Drake taking fourth and Lady Gaga rounding out the Top 5.
The Taylor Swift Eras Tour is coming to Vancouver in less than a week. The signs of her arrival are popping up everywhere as everything – from tourist destinations, to Aquabus ferries, to street decor – is being spruced up in true Swiftie fashion. CBC’s Michelle Gomez joins us to help explain the significance of the tour.
