Since the days of Elvis Presley, as television began to play an increasingly important role in a musician’s success, it’s been difficult to rise to stardom in popular music without also being considered cool.
A quick glance at the top ranking artists on today’s Billboard charts – such as Drake, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift – shows that style and the ability to capture the public’s interest is perhaps more essential to success today than ever before. You can’t just be a musician to make it to the top – you must be a celebrity.
The list of artists nominated for the Billboard Music Awards, which takes place on Sunday, May 20, is primarily based on the success of the musician’s music, including album and digital sales, streaming, and radio play. To find the most beloved artists among the nominees, 24/7 Wall St. focused on fan engagement as well as Billboard performance.
Click here to see the most beloved Billboard music award nominees.
Click here to see our methodology.
Some nominees fit the celebrity-musician role better than others. For instance, Rihanna – who has also worked in film and television – has the greatest number of top 10 Billboard hits as well as the second greatest number of likes on Facebook. Fans not only support her music, but also flock to her on social media.
Other artists have more of a mixed record. Shakira has had four top 10 hits – less than 20 other nominees – yet she is far and away the most popular on Facebook, with over 103 million likes. This is 23 million more than Rihanna, who has the second most. Linkin Park has had only three top 10 hits, but the sixth most popular Facebook page.
Some of this year’s nominees have large, dedicated followings but don’t make music that necessarily translates to the charts. Electronic music producer Marshmello, for example, has not had a single top 10 hit, yet the producer has amassed nearly 40 million followers on streaming service Spotify – more than all but four of this year’s nominees.
Source: Kobby Dagan / Shutterstock.com
30. Shawn Mendes
> No. of top 10 hits: 3
> Biggest hit: Stitches
> Facebook likes: 7,106,192
> Spotify followers: 29,661,756
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
29. Camila Cabello
> No. of top 10 hits: 3
> Biggest hit: Havana
> Facebook likes: 2,347,802
> Spotify followers: 32,460,545
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Source: Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for DirecTV
28. Imagine Dragons
> No. of top 10 hits: 4
> Biggest hit: Radioactive
> Facebook likes: 13,280,173
> Spotify followers: 27,627,417
Source: Adam Bielawski / Wikimedia Commons
27. Sean Paul
> No. of top 10 hits: 10
> Biggest hit: Get Busy
> Facebook likes: 11,041,288
> Spotify followers: 20,741,650
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Source: The Come Up Show / Wikimedia Commons
26. Marshmello
> No. of top 10 hits: 0
> Biggest hit: N/A
> Facebook likes: 5,278,372
> Spotify followers: 39,708,346
Source: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
25. The Chainsmokers
> No. of top 10 hits: 5
> Biggest hit: Closer
> Facebook likes: 8,628,510
> Spotify followers: 31,975,120
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Source: The Perfect World Foundation / Wikimedia Commons
24. Avicii
> No. of top 10 hits: 1
> Biggest hit: Wake Me Up!
> Facebook likes: 19,468,428
> Spotify followers: 34,521,292
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Source: Gustavo Caballero / Getty Images for BET
23. Cardi B
> No. of top 10 hits: 5
> Biggest hit: Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)
> Facebook likes: 5,318,473
> Spotify followers: 34,953,306
Source: Rick Diamond / One Voice: Somos Live! / Getty Images
22. Daddy Yankee
> No. of top 10 hits: 1
> Biggest hit: Despacito
> Facebook likes: 30,182,429
> Spotify followers: 31,025,961
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Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
21. Linkin Park
> No. of top 10 hits: 3
> Biggest hit: In the End
> Facebook likes: 61,640,196
> Spotify followers: 15,057,997
Source: Ralph Arvesen / Wikimedia Commons
20. Demi Lovato
> No. of top 10 hits: 4
> Biggest hit: Sorry Not Sorry
> Facebook likes: 37,584,132
> Spotify followers: 25,300,340
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Source: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com
19. Kendrick Lamar
> No. of top 10 hits: 7
> Biggest hit: Humble
> Facebook likes: 8,858,915
> Spotify followers: 35,394,013
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Source: Theo Wargo / Getty Images
18. JAY-Z
> No. of top 10 hits: 21
> Biggest hit: Empire State of Mind
> Facebook likes: 20,111,451
> Spotify followers: 8,094,402
Source: The Come Up Show from Canada / Wikimedia Commons
17. Post Malone
> No. of top 10 hits: 4
> Biggest hit: Rockstar
> Facebook likes: 2,146,227
> Spotify followers: 44,151,433
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Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
16. Coldplay
> No. of top 10 hits: 4
> Biggest hit: Viva La Vida
> Facebook likes: 39,066,791
> Spotify followers: 26,981,527
Source: Anton Mak / Wikimedia Commons
15. The Weeknd
> No. of top 10 hits: 8
> Biggest hit: The Hills
> Facebook likes: 7,389,654
> Spotify followers: 37,319,917
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Source: Adam Bettcher / Getty Images for iHeartMedia
14. Calvin Harris
> No. of top 10 hits: 4
> Biggest hit: This Is What You Came For
> Facebook likes: 14,047,138
> Spotify followers: 41,153,657
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Source: JStone / Shutterstock.com
13. P!nk
> No. of top 10 hits: 15
> Biggest hit: Just Give Me a Reason
> Facebook likes: 31,845,501
> Spotify followers: 16,841,301
Source: Theo Wargo / Getty Images
12. Ed Sheeran
> No. of top 10 hits: 6
> Biggest hit: Shape of You
> Facebook likes: 18,508,267
> Spotify followers: 39,416,778
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Source: festivaldevinachile / Wikimedia Commons
11. J Balvin
> No. of top 10 hits: 2
> Biggest hit: Mi Gente
> Facebook likes: 20,125,084
> Spotify followers: 45,600,148
Source: Emma / Wikimedia Commons
10. Ariana Grande
> No. of top 10 hits: 9
> Biggest hit: Problem
> Facebook likes: 33,067,986
> Spotify followers: 35,022,363
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Source: tamtam7683 from Southeast Michigan, United States / Wikimedia Commons
9. Nicki Minaj
> No. of top 10 hits: 16
> Biggest hit: Anaconda
> Facebook likes: 41,961,148
> Spotify followers: 27,133,837
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
8. Chris Brown
> No. of top 10 hits: 14
> Biggest hit: Run It!
> Facebook likes: 42,759,886
> Spotify followers: 30,699,102
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images for Latin Recording Academy
7. Shakira
> No. of top 10 hits: 4
> Biggest hit: Hips Don’t Lie
> Facebook likes: 103,166,495
> Spotify followers: 19,656,468
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Source: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com
6. Justin Bieber
> No. of top 10 hits: 13
> Biggest hit: Sorry
> Facebook likes: 78,199,380
> Spotify followers: 19,551,327
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images for iHeartMedia
5. Bruno Mars
> No. of top 10 hits: 15
> Biggest hit: That’s What I Like
> Facebook likes: 57,582,869
> Spotify followers: 27,935,998
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Source: Asterio Tecson / Wikimedia Commons
4. Beyonce
> No. of top 10 hits: 18
> Biggest hit: Irreplaceable
> Facebook likes: 63,354,358
> Spotify followers: 26,024,369
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images
3. Taylor Swift
> No. of top 10 hits: 22
> Biggest hit: Shake It Off
> Facebook likes: 73,304,564
> Spotify followers: 27,686,482
Source: Zulytheslg / Wikimedia Commons
2. Drake
> No. of top 10 hits: 25
> Biggest hit: One Dance
> Facebook likes: 35,643,046
> Spotify followers: 50,049,365
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Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images
1. Rihanna
> No. of top 10 hits: 31
> Biggest hit: We Found Love
> Facebook likes: 80,811,577
> Spotify followers: 32,099,433
Methodology:
To determine the most beloved Billboard Music Awards nominees, 24/7 Wall St. created an index based on an artist’s number of songs on the Billboard Hot 100, the number of followers on music streaming service Spotify, and the number of likes on Facebook. We then ranked each of this year’s 93 nominees. An artist’s biggest hit is based on Billboard Hot 100 chart performance and only includes songs in which the musician is the primary artist.
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