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Countdown of the Top 12 Most Powerful Musicians of Today

blog.muchmusic.com — Taking into account album sales, tour revenues, endorsements deals and the like, who are the most powerful Musicians alive today? Hint … it includes Christina Aguilera and Miley Cyrus … but they’re not in the #1 spot.

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  • jquipp, on 05/23/2008, -2/+49Thank god Miley Cyrus wasn't #1.
    • jglaser, on 05/23/2008, -3/+14She isn't a musician. Yes, she's a singer. She isn't a musician.
      • CarnivalOfDust, on 05/23/2008, -0/+3I have no idea how 2 people actually disagreed with that enough to digg you down...
      • sabach, on 05/23/2008, -0/+4By that standard none of them are "musicians", except maybe Bono who probably picked up on a little guitar along the line.
      • HousePlaya, on 05/23/2008, -1/+1So, using your hands to play an instrument makes you a musician. But using your voice as an instrument does not??? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Music is music.
        • VinceNoir, on 05/23/2008, -1/+3Singers are singers. Musicians who can create their own music are talented. There IS a difference. I'm not saying singers are untalented, but they certainly aren't musicians. They don't usually write their own music. Just like you can't call an actor a writer, you can't call a singer a musician unless they play an instrument and compose their own music.
    • sockpuppets, on 05/23/2008, -2/+650 cent was on the list last year but now he's only 25 cent. He should have moved to Europe.
      • scuzzmonkey69, on 05/23/2008, -0/+4where he'd be worth even less? o_0
    • pilot3033, on 05/23/2008, -1/+10What a ***** list regardless. This isn't about 'powerful musicians' it's about flavor of the month pop singers.

      Except maybe Bono, but his musical 'power' is not nearly as great as people like to think.

      Buried as lame.
    • whatthefu, on 05/23/2008, -0/+2I'm surprised at that. She could convince all the 12-year-old girls in America to dye their hair pink if she wanted to.
    • SuperWinner, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Thank jeebus I never listen to the radio anymore, MP3's on a SD card all the way.
  • psogle, on 05/23/2008, -9/+13If todays stories are correct 50 Cent is going to jump to the top of that list with a $300 Million deal in the works.
    • acitcratnA, on 05/23/2008, -2/+23To me, he will always be worth but 50 cents.

      Maybe less.
    • cjmal, on 05/23/2008, -0/+6If you're talking about that newscorp deal - it isn't real, he already denied it.
    • manamizer, on 05/23/2008, -0/+5he already made around 400 million off of his vitamin water contract
    • kublerross, on 05/23/2008, -1/+10except hes not a musician
    • invisiblehat, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Obviously amount of money they are worth has nothing to do with talent.
      ***** 50 cent. I can easily name 20 rappers off the top of my head that are a million times better than him.
      He is one of the worst, straight up.
      • cjmal, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Agreed, I think 50 cent is a horrible rapper but he must be doing something right business-wise to have so much money.
    • MysticSavage, on 05/23/2008, -0/+2That Vitamin Water deal he got is proof there is no God.
      • cjmal, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1He got lucky. He bought the company, didn't really do ***** with it and coca cola wanted to buy it.
  • badwithcomputer, on 05/23/2008, -3/+18where's audiobytes for autobots?
    • HanSolo69, on 05/23/2008, -0/+3At the bottom for having ***** production and all the songs sounding the same.
  • sogeshirts, on 05/23/2008, -3/+17Interesting list. Too bad i'm not a fan of any of them except for some old jay z stuff.
  • maxyRO, on 05/23/2008, -2/+2250 Cent and no MJ? that's harsh
    • sockpuppets, on 05/23/2008, -3/+6Why did Michael Jackson take 50 cent to the dollar store?

      He heard kids pants were half off.
    • EpicSelekta, on 05/23/2008, -0/+3The key word in the title is "today"
  • adrian67, on 05/23/2008, -5/+14Where's Amy Winehouse lol
    • SpillReviews, on 05/23/2008, -0/+24Great talent being ruined because of drugs
      I told her to go to rehab, but she said no 3 f***ing times every time i asked
    • Myonosken, on 05/23/2008, -1/+2I think it meant most powerful in the US music scene. UK would be totally different (as much as I hate to admit it, we'd be looking at Pete Doherty, Winehouse and Alex Turner).
    • HanSolo69, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1In rehab.
  • BCCStu, on 05/23/2008, -0/+37Where am I. My karaoke skills are ace.
  • Surferess, on 05/23/2008, -2/+19This makes me feel old.
    • linga99, on 05/23/2008, -1/+3Not only do I feel old but if this group of 'Musicians' (except Bono & Madonna) is the top of the heap, I think I know why the music industry is making less money....
  • hawksdomain, on 05/23/2008, -3/+21meh - I'm just too damned old to appreciate this one, sorry - don't do any of those, well 'cept old skool Bono (U2) and Madonna (before she kissed Brit) :P
    • rockefeller2, on 05/23/2008, -0/+4I'll never understand what makes people go crazy for these people. I don't know anyone who buys their *****. Who's buying this *****?
      • bignerd, on 06/01/2008, -0/+1If you don't know anyone who is "buying there *****" then you are either old, don't have any children, or don't have any friends...
  • MightyAphrodity, on 05/23/2008, -15/+8this list is pretty on the money
    • EpicSelekta, on 05/23/2008, -2/+1I'd beg to differ. The single most powerful MUSICIAN (as in, writes the music) right now is Scott Storch. That's not to say he's the best (that's always just opinion), but he's the most prominent.
  • truthmatters, on 05/23/2008, -20/+10Justin Timberlake is pretty amazing in concert.
  • jggube, on 05/23/2008, -2/+46These are indeed powerful music artists, unfortunately I don't think I'd listen to any of them voluntarily.
    • SoulDrift404, on 05/23/2008, -1/+5This is a horrendous list, isn't it? How depressing!

      No wonder most of what I listen to is British.
      • SuperWinner, on 05/23/2008, -0/+3I go to radioseven.se and listen all day long. I never know who is singing and I don't care, all I know is there is music on in the background and I need not buy into anyones ego trip in order to listen to it.
    • Whadabala, on 05/23/2008, -1/+11. Clicked on link
      2. Saw 50 Cent
      3. Buried
  • pentupentropy, on 05/23/2008, -2/+26Jesus, I feel so out of place. I know Bono and Madonna. Maybe I should be happy about that.
  • dleesgeetar, on 05/23/2008, -2/+9glad to see at least one of them is up there for altruistic reasons, as for the other eleven . . .
    • getbusyliving, on 05/23/2008, -0/+3Yeah. Other than Bono if they all died tomorrow I wouldn't give a flying *****.
  • tbhurst, on 05/23/2008, -0/+111I guess powerful musicians don't play instruments.
    • SBRaven338, on 05/23/2008, -1/+69Or write their own music either
      • CaptMal, on 05/23/2008, -2/+20Or even sing it....lip syncing is so low
      • foofightrs777, on 05/23/2008, -2/+18Or preform it live.
      • manamizer, on 05/23/2008, -8/+2voice is an instrument and some of them don't need autotune. that said the writing is the more important part and other than ***** lyrics i don't think any of these people can claim any of their songs are their own. maybe the list should have said most powerful performers or entertainers.
    • cjmal, on 05/23/2008, -10/+4Timbaland and Justin Timberlake can both play instruments.
      • Rodalli, on 05/23/2008, -2/+8Then why don't they do it in front of anyone that matters?
        • bignerd, on 06/01/2008, -1/+1They have and Tim does quite otften... Obviously you don't care enough about them as musicians to have noticed!
      • mushoo, on 05/23/2008, -2/+6Playing each other's fiddle doesn't count.
      • cjmal, on 05/23/2008, -6/+3Because they choose not to incorporate it into their acts?
    • Surferess, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Snap!
  • anchalsingh, on 05/23/2008, -0/+6Oh really nice info..
  • excessfun, on 05/23/2008, -3/+2Hee hee! Wonder who will be influencing next year!
    • ngmcs8203, on 05/23/2008, -2/+4I hope none of these "artists" are influencing future talent. If so, music is going to continue in this downward spiral to absolute crap. I like Timberlake for his comedy more than I do his music. Catchy hooks don't make a song influential.
  • willeagle, on 05/23/2008, -2/+62Ironic that this list would be utterly different if we factored in actual 'talent'.
  • PaulTeitelman, on 05/23/2008, -0/+11I guess Snoop Dogg buying a minor league kids football team doesn't really compare to Jay-Z being named President of DEF JAM...but at least Snoop had a great cameo in Old School
  • fastfastlane, on 05/23/2008, -0/+8Wowsa, 15-year-old Miley Cyrus earning $3.5 million+ per year. I'm sure mom is happy.
    • adrenaline33, on 05/23/2008, -0/+6From what I've read, she makes WAY more than that
  • jontalisman, on 05/23/2008, -2/+13I see a lot of singers on that list but no musicians except maybe Bono.
  • wisam74us, on 05/23/2008, -3/+3I though 50 cent #1 when I started reading, but good that he was #12, still that doenst mean Justin deserver to be #1
  • GeneralJabbo, on 05/23/2008, -3/+1Once Bono succeeds at saving the World, he will be number 1, lol

    Lame list
  • remigor, on 05/23/2008, -8/+1Justin Timberlake is good but don't put him #1 and where is JLO?
  • upick, on 05/23/2008, -1/+28Here the list if you are too lazy to click....

    12. 50 Cent The King of Drama
    11. Christina Aguilera The Chameleon
    10. Miley Cyrus The Teen Queen
    9. Bono The Global Ambassador
    8. Kanye West The Loudmouth
    7. Beyonce The Bootylicious Businesswoman
    6. Timbaland The Music Maestro
    5. Hilary Duff The Mini Mogul
    4. Diddy The Unstoppable Entrepreneur
    3. Madonna The Living Legend
    2. Jay-Z The Franchise
    1. Justin Timberlake The New King of Pop
    • CaliCutin, on 05/23/2008, -3/+5Musicians really??

      Too bad the people behind these acts (composers, musicians and the like) are not given their due.
    • bosssmiley, on 05/23/2008, -1/+8Fail for lack of "Tenacious D". What do any of these 'musicians' have that is more powerful than mind bullets!!! ?
      • Rodalli, on 05/23/2008, -0/+4That ***** came right out the top of my ***** head, ya'll. Everyone knows the D was just born with it!
    • rrbest, on 05/23/2008, -0/+3If Timberlake is nothing without Timbaland, then wouldn't that make timbaland more powerful than timberlake?
      • bignerd, on 06/01/2008, -0/+1wow, didn't think about it like that... nice
    • voyage34, on 05/23/2008, -1/+2What a freakin joke.
    • MysticSavage, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Coincidentally, this looks like my enemies list.
  • mikeruiz7, on 05/23/2008, -1/+58A more fitting title: Top 12 most over-produced Musicians of today.
    • korvan504521, on 05/23/2008, -1/+3yeah. All of that is just the stuff the production companies shovel out of their studios into the waiting maws of the teenage crowd. I could care less.
  • aflaks, on 05/23/2008, -4/+13Weak list. 50? duff? diddly? Kanye is a good producer but a horrible rapper
  • FizzanoMatrix, on 05/23/2008, -0/+2What about Bud Fox though?
  • shankarganesh, on 05/23/2008, -3/+2music is the world's lifeline :-P
    • SpartanErik, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1And it's why the lifeline has gone to crap
  • rukeypoo, on 05/23/2008, -1/+28Pretty sure I hate everyone on that list.
  • kakwakas, on 05/23/2008, -3/+30It's too bad they all suck.
    What happened to the good ol' days when good music did well on the charts?
  • l31101, on 05/23/2008, -7/+2Yay muchmusic!! Go Canada!
  • Incosian, on 05/23/2008, -5/+13When I think of the most powerful musician of today, I think of Trent Reznor. At least in terms of influence.
    • AntzNZ, on 05/23/2008, -10/+3No. Trent Reznor is nearly as overrated as the crappy artists in this list.
      • Incosian, on 05/23/2008, -0/+8I probably should clarify; I meant influence in the industry as opposed to musical influence (his actions with digital distribution, anti-label populist stance, etc.)
  • acidbathfan, on 05/23/2008, -1/+16If Bill Hick were alive he would probably say they all suck on Satan's *****, which would not be to far from the truth.
    • getbusyliving, on 05/23/2008, -0/+2Yeah. I really miss him.
    • rosullivan, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Suckin' Satan's Pecker... suck it! It's only your dignity, SUCK IT! It's only your dignity, SUCK IT!
  • CaptMal, on 05/23/2008, -4/+44How about " the 12 biggest reasons to hate modern music?" No wonder people don't want to pay for it anymore.
    • bignerd, on 06/01/2008, -0/+1I'm sure if the internet were around in the 60's and 70's, Elvis and Aerosmith would have been dl'd just as much as 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake...
  • Ryan2845, on 05/23/2008, -7/+350 cent will top this list soon, he's got the the widest range of profit generating options. The man made $100 million bucks when Coke bought vitamin water, for example.
  • skippy17, on 05/23/2008, -1/+19this is also a list of 12 people i will never listen to, ever

    with the exception of bono
    • bignerd, on 06/01/2008, -0/+1Seeing as how they are on this list, uhhh, they probably don't need you to listen to them.
  • PeTeRZz, on 05/23/2008, -8/+21***** bono.
    • DeadSkinMask, on 05/23/2008, -2/+2...***** him in his stupid ass.
      • SoulDrift404, on 05/23/2008, -1/+2Uhm, you first.
        • DeadSkinMask, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Obviously you have never seen "Jay & Silent Bob: Strike Back"
  • Sryden42, on 05/23/2008, -3/+12Sweet, I don't have a single song by any of them.
  • forumz, on 05/23/2008, -9/+9Justin Timberlake is good, no doubt, but comparing him to MJ in the way they did is so very misleading. Yup he did tie one of MJ's records, that's undeniable. But that's one out of Hundreds of different records (NOT a hyperbole!) , right now he's got the biggest selling album (108 mil), and in '93 he had The top 3 selling albums in the world to his name (Thriller-Bad-Dangerous). Just some tidbits for some info on the REAL king of pop ;)
    • lsumed, on 05/23/2008, -3/+3Thank you. Plus, Justin Timberlake hasn't sold a quarter of what singer Usher sold.
    • Calinthalus, on 05/23/2008, -4/+1Plus, as far as I know, JT hasn't been diddling little boys.
  • idc5, on 05/23/2008, -2/+17powerful yea, horrible music yea..
  • floridiot2, on 05/23/2008, -7/+9Powerful musicians? How the hell is any of this ***** relevant? Give me a ***** break. Listen to Bad Religion's lyrics. The lead singer, Greg Graffin, has a Ph.D and teaches at UCLA. What the hell has Jay Z done?
    • Aitese, on 05/23/2008, -4/+4What on Earth does that have to do with power?
    • adrenaline33, on 05/23/2008, -4/+10Made 1000x more money and produced thousands of records and in the process became a POWERFUL INDUSTRY HEAVYWEIGHT. Can you read?
      • floridiot2, on 05/23/2008, -1/+1Hey, just because you can read doesn't mean you can show off.
    • bignerd, on 06/01/2008, -0/+1Oh so now you have to have a Ph.D to be a "powerful musician"? Looks like 99.9% of any and all so-called "powerful musician" better head back to school..
  • Stevethegreat, on 05/23/2008, -2/+7Not many musicians there, performers of a musical form of art -sure- but not much original music is being created there. People who like music would most probably like none of them, people who like performance (most of the people) would not mind for some music to be thrown atop, hence those artists exist. They're like what McDonalds are to a nutritious dinner....
  • crazyspaceman, on 05/23/2008, -3/+4Does Hillary Duff even sing? And how the hell did Bono not make #1, he's friends with the Gates'!
    • Aitese, on 05/23/2008, -0/+3Gates also counts Jay Z and Diddy as his "friends"

      I doubt these guys ever get together for a beer.
  • hadessniper, on 05/23/2008, -2/+11I have never, EVER wanted to be Justin Timberlake.
    • luke374, on 05/23/2008, -5/+5Yeah, who the hell would want to be a multi millionaire that could ***** any girl he wanted?
      • hadessniper, on 05/23/2008, -1/+9Ask 100 random guys to name the top 10 people they would want to be and I bet you not one for them would say that douche bag.
  • broseas, on 05/23/2008, -1/+11christina and duff should be no where near this list, timbaland is gunna be a flash in the pan, i think there needs to be more real musicians on this list, you know, people that can write their OWN SONGS....
    • CarnivalOfDust, on 05/23/2008, -2/+0I haven't heard it much, but I honestly can't see what Timbaland did to that One Republic song 'Apologize' apart from take out the drums and put on a looped drum track to replace it. That's not producing....
  • RodneyJason, on 05/23/2008, -2/+22Music of today sure sucks!
    • Stevethegreat, on 05/23/2008, -1/+4No it does not, if you know where to search. Pop music of any era sucked as it never had the intention to be musically intricate. As soon as people have emotions and want to express it, good music will always be there to make a spectacular work.
      • SpartanErik, on 05/23/2008, -1/+110 years from now you won't be able to remember a single song from this generation of music.

        I figure old music will make a comeback.. good ol' Johnny Cash!
  • iKomplex, on 05/23/2008, -0/+4This list is very misleading. How did they factor-in the various metrics? On a yearly, net-worth, or what, basis? And, where's the cutoff for "the most powerful Musicians alive today?" Because, I'm pretty sure Paul McCarthy, Mariah, Celine, Madonna, just to name a few, are still alive and should be on this list. Also, Diddy isn't a muscian, he's more of a promoter/entrepreneur/producer/actor.
    • elmz, on 05/23/2008, -1/+0Bump, the title is misleading. What basis was used to define Most Powerful? The roster is way off...
    • jontalisman, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Yeah, that Paul McCarthy guy is pretty good. I think he used to be in some band called Wings but before that I'm pretty sure he was in The Quarrymen.
  • rustedcage, on 05/23/2008, -2/+4I do not consider some of these people Musicians... in my opinion they are just entertainers.
  • Aitese, on 05/23/2008, -3/+5For those too lazy to read bitching about "where is (obscure indy artist) on this list?!"

    IS : Countdown of the Top 12 Most Powerful Musicians of Today

    NOT: Countdown of the Top 12 artists I really like

    See the subtle difference?
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