Honorific nicknames in popular music

Honorific titles are often conferred upon popular music artists for their contributions to the field. These titles – such as King, Queen, Godfather, Princess, or Boss – may be given to them by the media, marketing departments of the record companies, fans, or critics. In some cases, more than one artist may have been given the same title.

Male artists

King of Pop

Michael Jackson

At the 1989 Soul Train Awards, before Elizabeth Taylor brought Michael Jackson out to receive a lifetime achievement award, she said, “In my opinion he is the true king of pop, rock, and soul.” Since then the King of Pop was the title that stayed with him throughout his career. He has won countless awards including 13 Grammys and Thriller is the biggest selling album in music history. Michael Jackson's impact on music video is as indisputable as his unmatchable influence and impact on the art of popular music. Jackson's influence today is evident on artists like Usher, Chris Brown, Neyo, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Missy Elliott, Alien Ant Farm and Beyonce to name a few.

Kings of Rock and Roll

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was a legendary performer who became the first international superstar during the mid and late 1950’s by putting Rock 'n' Roll on the map for the masses Elvis went on to become the biggest selling artist in the United States, while still being the most certified artist in U.S. history, according to RIAA. No individual had a more sustainable impact on popular music at the time, in spite of his two-year stint in the Army, his subsequent nine year absence from the stage (which coincided with the arrival and global success of the Beatles), nor his death in 1977.

Little Richard

Little Richard On Stage

Sometimes suggested as the true King of Rock and Roll but better known as the Architect Of Rock 'n' Roll, more than any other performer, Little Richard blew the lid off the Fifties by laying the foundation for rock and roll with his explosive music and charismatic persona. The song, "Tutti Frutti," was his catalyst for success and led to an huge run of smash hits such as "Long Tall Sally," "Rip It Up," "Lucille," "Jenny Jenny," "Keep A Knockin’", "Good Golly Miss Molly," "Ooh! My Soul." Now as a icon of music he has been awarded several lifetime achievement awards and special awards for his influence on music.

Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry's music has transcended generations. With his catalog of well-known rock songs, such as "Johnny B Goode", "School Days", "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "My Ding-a-ling" made him a pioneer of Rock and Roll. He earns respect to this day because he is truly an entertainer. Berry's incredible success is due to his ability to articulate the concerns and attitudes of his audience in his music. Chuck Berry is one of the few artists of his time period to have retained ownership of much of his incomparable catalog of songs, many of which are considered the greatest rock and roll songs of all time.

King of Reggae

Bob Marley

Bob Marley Live a painting by Steve Brogdon 1992

Bob Marley, is not only a reggae legend, but also music legend. Marley almost single-handedly brought reggae to the world. His album Legend is the best-selling reggae album ever. Marley is an international star with a strong following in the Third World. He is one of the few deceased people with strong commercial success after death. He saw music as a way to spread his religion making some people to regard him as a prophet.

King of the Blues

B. B. King

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B. B. King at Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, ON, Canada

B.B. King is one of the greatest, most influential blues guitar stylists, composers and singers of the 20th century. He remained faithful to blues while inspiring artists like Eric Clapton, the late Mike Bloomfield, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Albert King and Jimi Hendrix. "The Thrill Is Gone" is King's most remembered and biggest hit and the biggest blues hit ever at the time. King is so honored for his contributions The state of Mississippi celebrates "B. B. King Day". A decree of the State House and Senate reads: “No matter where he appears in the world, B. B. King is a proud ambassador of his home state, and Mississippi is even prouder of this native son.”

King of Funk

Rick James

Rick James is a major star of the 1980s who helped define the "punk funk" style of that decade. He broke many cultural taboos and is said to have gone further than anyone had gone before in funk. His album Street Songs went triple-platinum and catapulted James into the forefront of the funk movement.

Kings of the South

Ludacris

Ludacris first started of DJing at an Atlanta radio station until he became the Dirty South's most popular rapper. With a provocative song, "What's Your Fantasy?" he and the song became an enormous success. "Saturday(Oooh, Oooh)" and "Move Bitch" from his next album Word of Mouf, performed similarly during 2002, and all three songs' videos enjoyed MTV, BET, and MTV2 support. Afterwards being in the game for over seven years, he had several hit urban albums like Chicken n Beer and Red light district.

T.I.

T.I. established himself as one of rap's greatest and most successful MCs during the 2000s. He made tough and smooth songs that appealed to a wide audience. "Bring Em Out," "Rubberband Man" and the rap chart-topping "What You Know" has had great success for T.I. in the past and T.I. vs. T.I.P. has had two urban hit singles, "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" and "You Know What It Is."

Kings of Country

Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks is a phenomenon of country music who brought country music to a massive audience in the 90's. Before Brooks, it was unimaginable for a country artist to go multi-platinum but he did, shattering that barrier in 1991 when his second album, No Fences went on to sell 13 million copies. He changed the concept of a country star by putting rock antics into his country stage shows. He sold more records then any other artist in US history in such a short amount of time becoming a pivotal figure in the history of country music.He later retired in the early 2000’s.

Roy Acuff

Roy Acuffformed the bridge between country’s rural string band era and the modern era of star singers backed by fully amplified bands. A huge success in the 1940s Acuff's popularity rivaled that of the legendary Frank Sinatra. Acuff topped the charts with his biggest its like "Wreck on the Highway," "Night Train to Memphis" and "The Precious Jewel.” He eventually with songwriting partner Fred Rose formed Acuff-Rose Music Publishing. Although Roy came from a rural, folk-based background, he helped bring country music to the city and to the world of big business.

George Strait

George Strait’s name has become synonymous with “real country.” Always true to his roots, he draws from both the western swing and the honky-tonk traditions. His albums have been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum, and he throughout the years he has remained a huge concert draw. The Academy of Country Music has awarded George Strait a Special Achievement Award. He remains an influential singer of country music history who sparked a wave of neo-traditionalist singers from Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam to Clint Black, Garth Brooks, and Alan Jackson.

Kings of R&B

R. Kelly

R. Kelly has had a 15 year career. First calling himself the King of R&B in his song with T-pain "I’m a Flirt", he has had many hits to back him up. He was able to take sexual explicit songs and make them into hits like "Bump and Grind", "Feeling on Your Booty", and "Sex me." He was one of the biggest-selling male artists of the '90s and he has written many hits for several artists. R. Kelly released a new album every year between 2002 and 2007.

Usher

Usher first broke on the commercial scene with the album My Way. He had 3 hit singles off the album. He followed that with the long awaited 8701 which had 3 hit songs also, and the number one hit "U got it Bad". First week sales of Confessions broke R&B album records, staying 9 weeks at number one. Usher has had an unprecedented level of success for an R&B artist.

Chairman of the Board

Frank Sinatra

In 1961 Sinatra founded Reprise Records. It was as the head of Reprise that Sinatra earned the nickname "The Chairman of the Board."In music what earned him that title was a professional career that lasted 60 years. He demonstrated a remarkable ability to maintain his appeal while never changing his styles to fit trends. He came to the fore during the swing era of the 1930s and '40s, helped to define the "sing era" of the '40s and '50s, and continued to attract listeners during the rock and roll era that began in the mid-'50s, and was still making million-selling recordings in 1994.

Godfather of Soul

James Brown

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James Brown

James Brown has been called the "Godfather of Soul" and "Mr. Dynamite". He was one of the most influential artists in history. An innovator of R&B music, he was able to dominate and revolutionize black music so much that many of the African American associated genres of today like soul, funk, rap , and hip hop, stem directly from “The hardest working man in show business” (another famous title). Brown's music transcended generations and musical genres, beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing to the present. He gave black people hope and pride with the song "Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud". James Brown mesmerized all with his style and dancing.

Godfather of Heavy Metal

Ozzy Osbourne

Innovator of Heavy Metal, Ozzy Osbourne revolutionized music by being a driving force with the revolutionary heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Osbourne created Ozzfest, a tour package that featured himself along with many other metal bands. Ozzy Osbourne had his biggest American hit in the spring of 1992. A power ballad called "Mama, I'm Coming Home." Most of his albums have either gone platinum or double platinum.

Godfather of Punk

Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop in 1979

Iggy Pop has a musical career dating back to the late 1960s and his simple musical style and lyrics strongly influenced punk rock. His stage antics, too, involving stage diving and self-mutilation, were in line culturally with that movement, and gained him some notoriety. He is still performing in the early 21st century.

Pete Townshend

Whilst not as often as Iggy Pop, The Who's Pete Townshend is also referred to by some as the Godfather of Punk, as well as the mod, grunge and Britpop genres. This is due to his displays of aggression and attitude, both in his performances and though his songwriting, which lead The Who to be cited as a major influence by many punk and grunge bands.

Godfather of Grunge

Neil Young

Neil Young is often referred to as Godfather of Grunge. His work in the seventies had the sound of grunge, some may say, with "dirty" guitar and strong riffs, and many grunge musicians have cited Neil Young as an influence, although it is sometimes said that Kurt Cobain held this title.

The Boss

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen was called the savior of rock and roll by critics and was called a new Bob Dylan of his time. He was first called the boss when he was in charge of collecting the band's nightly pay and distributing it amongst his bandmates With his performances and style he was put at a level with Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Bob Dylan. He was said to be the single artist who brought together all the exuberance of '50s rock and the thoughtfulness of '60s rock, molded into a '70s style. With a rocking taste of Jerry Lee Lewis. He hit a huge peak in 1984 with the multi-platinum Born in the USA album while Born to Run was very critically acclaimed

King of Bhangra

Malkit Singh

Malkit Singh

Malkit Singh, a Punjabi Bhangra singer based in the UK, has enjoyed success for many years and his albums have sold millions. In 2000 he was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest selling bhangra artist of all time, and in 2008 he was awarded the MBE for services to Punjabi music.

King of Skiffle

Lonnie Donegan

Lonnie Donegan

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, skiffle bridged the gap between folk music and pop music in Britain; one of its most successful artists was Lonnie Donegan, who had three UK number one hits and several other chart successes. His influence was summed up by Brian May as "he really was at the very cornerstone of English blues and rock." Similar tributes were paid by Cliff Richard and Rolf Harris. In 2000 he was awarded the MBE for services to music.

King of Swing

Benny Goodman

Benny Goodman

Clarinettist and bandleader Benny Goodman was one of the most popular artists of the Swing era of the 1930s and 1940s. His combination of jazz and dance music became a template for the big bands of that age, and his 1938 concert at the Carnegie Hall is regarded as a landmark in popular music. He was one of the first white bandleaders to integrate black musicians into his orchestra and was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Columbia University and a lifetime achievement award at the Grammy Awards in February 1986.

Female artists

Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin

Franklin performs

Aretha Franklin is one of the giants of soul music, and indeed of American pop as a whole. Her songs were smashes and according to The Rolling Stone Album Guide, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You “may stand as the greatest single soul album of all time.” Being a black symbol in the sixties she sang empowering songs to inspire black people. Throughout her career she won countless awards.

Queens of Pop

Madonna

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Madonna during the Blond Ambition Tour

Author Mary Cross documented in her book, Madonna a Biography (2007), that "[t]he year 1984 was unbelievable for Madonna [with the release of her second studio album Like a Virgin]. Indisputably, she was now the Queen of Pop". Rodger Streitmatter reported in his book Sex Sells! (2004) that "[f]rom the moment Madonna burst onto the nation's radar screen in the mid-1980s, she did everything in her power to shock the public, and her efforts paid off". He further commented, "The reigning Queen of Pop thrived on the criticism, and continued, throughout the decade, to reiterate the most fundamental of her issues by consistently celebrating women's sexual power". Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge (2000) stated, "Madonna may have preached control, but she created an illusion of sexual availability that many female pop artists felt compelled to emulate". The book further documented she served as a role model as a businesswoman, "achieving the kind of financial control that women had long fought for within the industry" generating over $1.2 billion dollars in sales within the first decade of her career. According to Rolling Stone, Madonna "remains one of the greatest pop acts of all time". Madonna is also "the world's highest earning female singer on earth" .

Whitney Houston

In 1987, Frank Rizzo of the San Francisco Chronicle reported, "there is no denying who is queen of popular music right now - 24-year-old Whitney Houston". Houston's second studio album Whitney enabled her to become the first female recording artist to have an album debut at number on on the Billboard 200 album charts. In 1994, nearing the end of Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard World Tour, Patrick Macdonald of the Seattle Times observed: "Houston's voice is one of the greatest in the history of pop, with a purity of tone and an octave range unmatched by anyone on the scene today... she can send a chill through you when she wrings all the drama out of songs such as "I Will Always Love You" or "The Greatest Love," which become almost religious experiences in her hands. Nobody puts more punch in a pop song than Whitney Houston". The following year, Ebony magazine reported: "Having conquered all musical worlds in America, Whitney Houston capped an unprecedented year of awards and adulations by flying off to South Africa for three tumultuous weeks. In what was called "the biggest media event since the inauguration of Nelson Mandela," the singer performed for more than 70,000 South Africans at her concert for Johannesburg's Ellis Park Stadium, "billed as "Whitney--The Concert for a New South Africa.... There was also a private visit to Swaziland, where the "Queen of Pop Music" visited King Mswati III".

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson during a 2006 press conference

Janet Jackson—the youngest sister of "King of Pop" Michael Jackson—released her self-titled debut album in 1982 and later impacted popular music with her third studio album Control (1986). According to Richard J. Ripani Ph.D., author of The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950-1999 (2006), the success of Control "in the R&B and greater popular music market led to the incorporation of many of the stylistic traits of rap over the next few years." By the late 1980s, after the release of her fourth studio album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge (2000) documented that Jackson's success during this time period placed her on par with several other recording artists, including her older brother Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Tina Turner. Jackson was dubbed a reigning "Princess of Pop" by the Chicago Tribune. Upon the release of Jackson fifth studio album janet. (1993), Robert Johnson of San Antonio Express-News commented "it should be enough to make her the Queen of Pop". Sonia Murray of The Vancouver Sun later reported, "Janet [had become] a whirlwind of fashion, personality and slick musical packaging rivaled only by Madonna and Whitney Houston in today's pop pantheon". After embarking on her All for You Tour in 2001, Rudy Scalese of the Los Angeles Times commented, "Janet Jackson hasn't skipped a beat. She is still the Queen of Pop".

Mariah Carey

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Carey performing at the Grammy Awards in 2007

In 1994, the year Mariah Carey released her third studio album Music Box, Michael Saunders of The Boston Globe announced, "Mariah, you're the Queen of Pop, and your reign extends with another chart-topping single, "Without You". Jason Ankeny of Allmusic observed "The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Mariah Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice; an elastic talent who moved easily from glossy ballads to hip-hop-inspired dance-pop, she earned frequent comparison to rivals Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, but did them both one better by composing all of her own material". In addition to being declared the most successful recording artist of the 1990s by Billboard, Carey has amassed eighteen number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. This accomplishment allowed her to surpass Michael Jackson and Madonna as a solo recording artist and moved her into second place among all musical acts behind The Beatles. In April 2008, Roger Friedman of Fox News reported: "The war is over and there’s a new queen of pop: Miss Mariah Carey".

Queen of Urban Pop

Aaliyah

Aaliyah was one of the most successful female R&B/Pop music artists of her time. She has been referred to as the "Queen of Urban Pop". During her career she sold over 32 million albums worldwide and also had success with singles such as "Try Again" and "Are You That Somebody".

Queen of Pop/Power ballad

Celine Dion

Celine Dion has been often referred to as the best-selling female artist of all time and is another contender for the title of "Queen of Pop". She has achieved five Grammy Awards and 21 Juno Awards. Her hit "My Heart Will Go On" became the biggest-selling record of 1997. The Boston Herald deemed her the "queen of the power ballad," remarking, "This lady handles the high notes like Dean Martin used to treat his liquor: She can hold it for what seems like forever and makes it look easy."

Queen of Rock and Roll

Tina Turner

Turner on stage

John Bush of Allmusic wrote, "The most dynamic female soul singer in the history of the music, Tina Turner oozed sexuality from every pore in a performing career that began the moment she stepped onstage as lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the late '50s. Her gritty and growling performances beat down doors everywhere, looking back to the double-barreled attack of gospel fervor and sexual abandon that had originally formed soul in the early '50s. Divorced from Ike in the mid-'70s, she recorded only occasionally later in the decade but resurfaced in the mid-'80s with a series of hit singles and movie appearances; her high-profile status was assured well into the '90s". Mablen Jones's Getting It on: The Clothing of Rock 'N' Roll writes: "If any woman deserves the title of Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, it is Tina Turner a hundred times over". In Maureen Orth's The Importance of Being Famous (2004) documented that Tina Turner has been referred to as "the queen mother of rock 'n' roll".

Queens of the Blues

Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday started singing at clubs all over New York City as early as 1930-31. Since then she started recording songs with the great jazzmen from that time. From that point on she became the pre-eminent jazz singer of her day and among the most revered vocalists of the century. She became the first popular jazz singer to move audiences with the intense, personal feeling of classic blues.

Dinah Washington

Inspired by the Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington dropped out of high school at the age of sixteen to begin a singing career. The singer began "touring incessantly and recording an album almost annually for the next two decades. Along the way, she acquired a couple of nicknames - "Queen of the Blues" and "Queen of the Juke Boxes" - and several enduring hits, including "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" and "This Bitter Earth".

Queen of Jazz

Ella Fitzgerald

Also known as the "First Lady of Song", Ella Fitzgerald was arguably the finest female jazz singer of all time. Blessed with a beautiful voice and a wide range, she sold millions of records with her skillful scat singing and jazz-tinged versions of pop standards. For half a century, Ella Fitzgerald has been the most technically accomplished jazz singer. Fitzgerald was a brilliant scat singer, and had near-perfect elocution; one could always understand the words she sang. Fitzgerald is known for her instantly recognizable voice, which is lauded by critics for both his technical quality and the emotions it conveyed, which became a part of her public persona.

Queen of Gospel

Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson reigned as a pioneer interpreter of gospel music whose was one of the great voices of this century. Little Richard has cited Jackson as an inspiration, calling her “the true queen of spiritual singers.” She is known as gospel's first superstar, and a half a century after her death, she remains for many listeners a defining symbol of the music's transcendent power. She will also be remembered for singing a song prior to Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.”

Queen of Hip Hop Soul

Mary J. Blige

In 1992 Mary J. Blige broke into the world with the hit album What’s the 411. People and critics alike hailed the album, a modern R&B album with an edgy rap sound, as a hit. Similar to Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan,she brought soul music to a new generation. She has had several top ten, top five hits, and two number one singles and platinum certified songs.

Queens of Hip Hop

Lauryn Hill

Hill In 2007

Starting off with the platinum group The Fugees, Lauryn Hill transformed herself to a prophetic vocalist/ poet/ musician/ actress/ activist/mother who redefined herself and Hip Hop. Her words and actions are said to reflect her ability to constantly redefine her conception of self inspiration, and escaping the oppression of social norms and elevate her level of consciousness in the pursuit of freedom. Also called the “Mother of Hip Hop Invention, she broke new ground by successfully integrating rap, soul, reggae and R&B into her own sound. Roger Ebert called her "the girl with the big joyful voice Shes currently working on a new album.

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott started as a genuine hitmaker alongside her longtime producer Timbaland but as a rapper, no female rap artist paralleled the success of Missy Elliott. Differentiating herself from other female rappers, Missy Elliott writes, produces, and arranges her own material and she performs them as well.

Queen of Clubs

Dannii Minogue

Danni Minogue has been described as the "undisputed Queen of Clubs" for her 13 consecutive number one UK Upfront club chart hits. The Sun reported that sister "Kylie might be the Queen Of Pop but Dannii is without doubt the Queen Of Clubs." Music critic Natalie Kalow wrote that Danni's title as "Queen Of Clubs" is "undeniable, with 13 UK club chart #1s and four top selling albums to her name since 1997, more than any other female artist in history."

Queen of Latin Pop

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan become the first worldwide crossover Latin music star in the 80s. Gloria has had several hits including , "Anything for You", "Conga", "Turn the Beat Around", "Heaven's What I Feel", "Cuts Both Ways", "Music Of My Heart" and "Don't Wanna Lose You", a number one single on the Hot 100 credited to Gloria as her first true solo hit She has won several Grammys and American Music Awards to ensure her legacy.

Queen of Disco

Donna Summer

Donna Summer had a consistent amount of chart success throughout the 70’s that was only rivaled by the Bee Gees. She has more than a dozen hits in the United States and several Grammys and American Music Awards. Donna had hits throughout her career with "I Feel Love," "Last Dance," "I Love You," "Dim All the Lights," "On the Radio," "She Works Hard for the Money," and "Finger on the Trigger (Love Is in Control)" and the number one singles "MacArthur Park", "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" (her duet with Barbra Streisand). Donna Summer was one of the few artists to still produce hits in the 80s even after the disco "craze" was over. Proving her staying power, she scored two No. 1s on the US dance chart in 2008.

Godmother of Punk

Patti Smith

Patti Smith's influence on the punk movement is regarded as important to the extent that in 2005 she was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture, and in 2007 inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her first album, Horses released in 1975, is regarded as seminal.

Queens of Folk

Joan Baez

In the mid-1960s, Joan Baez was almost as influential as Bob Dylan, and is strongly linked to the nonviolence and civil rights movements of the time; many of her songs have since become regarded as classics of the era.

Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi

Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi is a scholar and performer of Indian folk music whose career began in the 1920s as a child; she has received an honorary doctorate from Andhra University in 1977 and won Lifetime Achievement awards in U.S.A.

Princesses of Pop

Britney Spears

No other singles artist drove the teen pop sensation of the late 90’s to a worldwide phenomenon more than Britney Spears. With her leading the pack, other female teen sensations were born like Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and Mandy Moore. She has had 4 number one albums and many awards and with the album ...Baby One More Time she had the highest female debuting album and sold more than 83 million records to date.

Kylie Minogue

In Australia and Europe, Kylie Minogue has become one of her generation's most recognisable celebrities and sex symbols, as well as their biggest selling female artist. In Australia, after being dismissed early in her career by some critics, she has been widely acclaimed for her many achievements. She has many hit singles around the globe and has released 10 studio albums but is also well-known for her elaborate music videos and expensively mounted stage shows. Maintaining a high profile around the world for over 20 years, she has sold in excess of 60 million records. She has also been cited by the BBC and various publications throughout the world as the "Princess of Pop."

Princess of Hip Hop & R&B

Ashanti Douglas

Ashanti is most famous for her eponymous Grammy Award-winning debut album Ashanti which featured the hit song "Foolish", and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release in the U.S. in April 2002. The album set a Soundscan record as the most albums sold by any first-time female artist in the chart's history, outselling debuts by Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. In the same week, she became the first female performer to simultaneously hold the top two places on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with "Foolish", and "What's Luv" (with Fat Joe). She broke records again by having three Top Ten songs Foolish, What's Luv, and Always on Time, with Ja Rule, on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the same week, being the first female to accomplish this feat and being second only to The Beatles. Ashanti also wrote and sang background on the song "Ain't It Funny" (Murder Remix) sung by Jennifer Lopez which was also in the top 10 charts at the same time as "Foolish", "Always on Time" (with Ja Rule), and "What's Luv" (with Fat Joe). Later that year, she was acclaimed as the "Princess of Hip Hop and R&B" by the media and her record label and capped off her successful debut era by winning eight Billboard awards, two American Music Awards and a grammy award. She has since sold 8 million copies in the U.S. and 15 million copies worldwide. Ashanti has 14 hit songs, 65 awards, and according to Billboard.com, she has had the most top 10 songs on the R&B/Hip-hop charts by a female this decade.

Bands or Groups

Godfathers of Punk

The Who

The Who have been called the Godfathers of Punk, not least in The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, and their 1965 single "My Generation" is often hailed as the first punk song. By extension, both Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have also been referred to as Godfather(s) of Punk.

The Ramones

The Ramones are often regarded as the first punk band and have been named a major influence by many bands in the genre resulting in the title Godfathers of Punk

See also

• Jazz royalty
• Pop icon
• Popular culture
• Teen idol
• Sobriquet
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of best-selling albums worldwide
• List of number-one hits (United States)