Rate These Singers And We'll Rate Your Taste In Music!
- by Adrian
- – on
- in Entertainment
What constitutes good taste in music is a highly contentious topic. There are those who say that people who have good taste in music know how to identify and evaluate specific musical elements like depth and cohesion. Then, on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those who say that it's all about feeling -- if it evokes a strong emotional response, then the music is good. To be perfectly honest, that's all really hopelessly confusing; for most of us average music fans, when music is good, we know it is because we like it, and when music is bad, we're sure of it because we hate it.
To be perfectly clear, this quiz that you're about to answer is entirely subjective, so don't take the result that you get too seriously. However, what we can guarantee is that you're going to enjoy completing this exercise. It'll give you the opportunity to look back at each artist's body of work, then to decide how much you like or dislike that artist's music. You might even find yourself listening to some of the artists' older music because you'll be reminded of the past stuff that they released that you might've already forgotten about.
For each artist, ✰✰✰✰ is the highest rating and ✰ is the lowest. Have a melodiously good time answering this one, peeps!
Beyonce
Beyonce first became known in the late '90s as the lead singer for Destiny's Child, one of the most successful girl groups in music history. Then, in 2003, she released Dangerously in Love, and it's been hit after hit for the Texas-born belter since then. She's now released six solo albums and has won 22 Grammys so far. She recently announced that she'll be voicing Nala in Jon Favreau's The Lion King, due out in 2019.
Sam Smith
In October of 2012, Sam Smith was featured on Disclosure's first big hit, "Latch." Some months later, he was then featured on Naughty Boy's biggest international hit, "La La La." Those two singles paved the way for Smith to hit it big with his debut album, In the Lonely Hour, which he released in 2014. The album spawned the hits "Lay Me Down," "Money on My Mind," "Stay With Me," and "I'm Not the Only One." The following year, he won four Grammys, including Best New Artist. Furthermore, in 2015, he won an Oscar for co-writing the James Bond song "Writing's on the Wall."
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 may be producing hit after hit these days, but back in 1994, when the band was known as "Kara's Flowers," they weren't very successful. With the name switch, a member addition, and a music direction change, the band released Songs About Jane in 2002, the album being certified platinum. Five albums later and the band now has three #1 hits ("Moves Like Jagger," "One More Night," and "Makes Me Wonder") and three Grammys, including Best New Artist in 2005.
Taylor Swift
With her fifth studio album, 1989, Taylor Swift formalized her transition from country music artist to pop star, and it resulted in her most commercially successful album worldwide to date. Before that, her single "Our Song" made her the youngest artist to both write and perform a song that made it to #1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Swift has been criticized for writing music based on her romantic relationships and celebrity beefs, but she's the only woman to have won two Album of the Year Grammys. Her sixth studio release, Reputation, is expected to be another huge album sales-wise.
The Black Eyed Peas
Fergie, apl.de.ap, will.i.am, and Taboo make up The Black Eyed Peas, which patiently waited until their third album release, Elephunk, to score huge album sales -- but how huge those sales were. The group has so far sold around 76 million records, cementing their status as one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. At the 2010 Grammys, the Black Eyed Peas won three awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album for The E.N.D., their fifth studio album. However, their future is uncertain after rumors of Fergie's departure from the band.
Kanye West
Kanye West got his start producing hit songs for artists like Alicia Keys and Jay-Z, but when he released The College Dropout, his debut album, in 2004, he was well on his way to becoming a superstar rapper. The Atlanta-born artist is mostly recognized for his outspoken views on a variety of controversial topics, and his 21 Grammys show that critics dig his brutal honesty. West has sold more than 100 million digital downloads and 32 million albums worldwide.
Nickelback
Nickelback, having sold upwards of 50 million albums worldwide, is among the most successful Canadian bands of all time. Their hit "How You Remind Me" was listed by Billboard as the best-selling rock song of the 2000s, and their 2005 album, All The Right Reasons, produced 5 top 20 singles in America. Nickelback has so far been nominated for six Grammys but hasn't won any.
Stevie Wonder
Blind since childhood, Stevie Wonder is considered one of the successful music artists of the late 20th century. Some of his most recognizable hits are "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," and "I Just Called to Say I Love You." With his 25 Grammys, he's also one of the most-awarded artists of all time. And with more than 25 albums, he's also among the most prolific musicians in terms of recorded output. However, he hasn't released an album since 2005's A Time to Love.
Radiohead
Radiohead is most remembered for the haunting lyrics "I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo" from their 1992 debut single, which is still their biggest hit to date. However, it was the band's second album, The Bends, which truly got critics' attention for complex themes and production. The English band also made waves when their seventh album, In Rainbows, was made available in 2007 as a pay-what-you-want release but still made the band more money than usual. Radiohead has received 21 Grammy nods and won 4 of those.
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran's debut album, entitled "+" and released in 2011, has so far been certified 7x platinum in his home country, the UK. In 2012, his popularity exploded in the US, resulting in x, his second studio album released in 2014, to become a #1 album in America. In 2017, "Shape of You" from his third album, ÷, became his first US #1 hit, spending twelve weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Sheeran has so far won two Grammy awards.
Bruno Mars
Not many people may know that Hawaii-born Bruno Mars began to be known in the music industry by being featured in the hook for "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B. After that, he released his first studio album, which included the #1 single "Just the Way You Are." That would be the first of so far seven #1 songs, which he attained quicker than any male singer since Elvis Presley. In terms of Grammys, Mars has five so far, and it's almost a sure bet he's going to add to that total sooner rather than later.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson was the first winner of the TV series American Idol, and so far, she's been able to maintain the momentum of that boost in her career. After her win, her first single, "A Moment Like This," zoomed to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and she's had two other #1 songs since. All eight of Clarkson's albums, including her recent release, Meaning of Life, have sold well. She has three Grammys so far.
Imagine Dragons
It was their first single "It's Time" that got people to pay attention to the alternative rock band Imagine Dragons, but it was really "Radioactive" that boosted them into another level of stardom. The song with revolutionist and apocalyptic themes was once Spotify's most streamed song, and its sales have been certified Diamond (more than 10 million copies sold) in America. "Radioactive" also won the band a Best Rock Performance Grammy, the band's only Grammy so far. Their most recent album, Evolve, peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200.
Post Malone
Post Malone recently earned his first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with his song "Rockstar (ft. 21 Savage)." He's certainly gone a long way from the days when the only venue he had for sharing his music was Soundcloud, where his breakout hit, "White Iverson," was first heard. So far, Malone has only released one album, Stoney (2016), but before that, he released a mixtape called "August 26th." His new album, Beerbongs & Bentleys, is scheduled for release soon.
Chris Brown
"Run It!" peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Chris Brown the first lead male artist since Diddy to accomplish the feat with his debut single. Since then, he's had 10 other top 10 hits, including "Kiss Kiss (ft. T-Pain)," which was also a #1 song. His fourth album, F.A.M.E. (2011), became his first #1 album, and it also earned Brown his first and only Grammy for Best R&B Album. His new album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon, is a double-disc release containing 40 songs in total.
Demi Lovato
It seems like ages ago when Demi Lovato starred in the TV movie Camp Rock and came out with her first single "This Is Me," a duet with Joe Jonas. That was 2008. Nine years later, Lovato has achieved a new milestone, her song "Sorry Not Sorry" becoming her highest-charting single, so far peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. She's been nominated for one Grammy but hasn't won any.
P!nk
Originally part of R&B girl group Choice, P!nk found much more success as a solo artist. After releasing her first solo album, Can't Take Me Home, which spawned the two top 10 hits "There You Go" and "Most Girls," she earned her first #1 song as part of the quartet that remade "Lady Marmalade" for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack. She's since had three other #1 singles: "So What," "Raise Your Glass," and "Just Give Me a Reason (ft. Nate Ruess)." P!nk has also won a total of three Grammys so far.
Charlie Puth
The song from the Furious 7 soundtrack "See You Again," which he performed with Wiz Khalifa, is undoubtedly Charlie Puth's biggest hit so far, the song tallying 12 non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song earned three Grammy nods, and its video was once the most viewed video on YouTube. Since then, Puth has released two more top 10 songs, "We Don't Talk Anymore (ft. Selena Gomez)" and "Attention."
Kendrick Lamar
Collaborations with hip-hop stars The Game, Snoop Dogg, and Busta Rhymes allowed Kendrick Lamar to build quite a following, such that when To Pimp a Butterfly, his first album with a major label, was released, it debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200. The album produced hits like "Swimming Pools (Drank)," "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe," and "Poetic Justice." His first #1 song was "Bad Blood," a Taylor Swift song in which he was featured, and he later earned his own #1 with "Humble." He so far has seven Grammys, with several more almost certainly coming his way.
One Direction
Fans freaked out when One Direction lost one of its members, Zayn Malik, in 2015, but today, each of the boy band's singers has his own hit single. The group came to fame when it finished third in the seventh edition of The X Factor in 2010, and their five albums -- the first four debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 -- generated numerous hit singles, including "What Makes You Beautiful," "Live While We're Young," "Best Song Ever, "Story of My Life," and "Drag Me Down." Now that each of the boy band's members has a successful solo career, it's unknown if the four remaining members will ever come back together as One Direction.
Michael Jackson
He ain't called the "King of Pop" for nothin'. In 1964, he joined four of his male siblings in a group called the "Jackson Brothers," which later came to be known as "The Jackson 5." The band was wildly successful, and it paved the way for Michael launching an unparalleled solo singing career, which includes thirteen #1 singles and the best-selling album of all time, Thriller. Jackson is also tied with Santana for the record for most Grammys won in one night, his 8 coming in 1984.
Shawn Mendes
Toronto-born Shawn Mendes first became known for posting song covers on Vine, a video-sharing app, and it led to him being signed for a record deal. His 2015 debut album, Handwritten, produced the top 10 single "Stitches," and he's since followed that up in 2016 with the album Illuminate. "Treat You Better" and "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" are his two other top 10 hits. Mendes is still just only 19 years old.
Rihanna
The Barbados-born Rihanna was signed by rapper Jay-Z after she performed "Pon de Replay" for him. That turned out to be a great decision for Def Jam, as Rihanna is now one of the most successful female artists of all time. She's released eight successful albums and has fourteen #1 hits, which is the fourth most #1 singles among all artists. Those #1 songs include "Umbrella (ft. Jay-Z)", "Disturbia," and "We Found Love (ft. Calvin Harris)." Rihanna has also received eight Grammys in total.
The Weeknd
His real name is "Abel Mekonnen Tesfaye," but professionally, he's known as "The Weeknd." The Toronto-born singer first gained people's attention by uploading songs onto YouTube in 2010, and by 2013, he released his first studio album, Kiss Land. His succeeding album, Beauty Behind the Madness, reached #1 on the Billboard 200 and produced two #1 singles, "The Hills" and "Can't Feel My Face." In 2016, his single "Starboy" became his third #1 song. The Weeknd has two Grammys to his name.
Nicki Minaj
Like many rappers do, Nicki Minaj got her start by releasing mixtapes. In 2009, she was signed to Young Money Entertainment, and her first two studio albums, Pink Friday (2010) and Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012) both hit #1 on the Billboard 200. Her most successful singles include "Super Bass" and "Starships." In 2010, she also became the first solo female artist to chart seven songs simultaneously on the Hot 100. However, she has yet to release a #1 single and win a Grammy.
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez began her career in 2002 as one of the children in Barney & Friends. In 2013, she released her solo debut album called "Stars Dance," and it reached #1 on the Billboard 200 and produced the top 10 song "Come & Get It." To date, Gomez has sold more than 22 million singles and 7 million albums worldwide. She has yet to be nominated for a Grammy, however.
The Chainsmokers
Several DJs are a big deal these days, and perhaps, none are as big of a deal as The Chainsmokers right now. The EDM-pop duo first hit the top 10 with their single "Roses," and "Closer" later became their first #1 single. The Chainsmokers has also collaborated with Coldplay to produce the huge single "Something Just Like This." In 2017, the New York duo won their first Grammy, Best Dance Recording for "Don't Let Me Down."
Metallica
Few heavy metal bands have managed to stay relevant to this day, but Metallica has certainly achieved that. The band was formed way back in 1981, and in 2009, it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some of Metallica's biggest hits are "Enter Sandman," "The Unforgiven, "Nothing Else Matters," and "Until It Sleeps," the band's only top 10 single to date. The band has won nine Grammys in total.
Katy Perry
California-born Katy Perry is actually the daughter of pastors, so it was quite jarring to them that their daughter's first huge hit was titled "I Kissed a Girl." In 2010, Perry made history when her album Teenage Dream produced five #1 singles, namely "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "E.T.," and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." Three of her last albums have also peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200. However, Perry has yet to win a Grammy.
Adele
British belter Adele first hit the Billboard Hot 100 with "Chasing Pavements" in 2008, then, two years later, earned her first #1 hit with "Rolling in the Deep." That was only the beginning for Adele as "Someone Like You," "Set Fire to the Rain," and "Hello" also became #1 hits for her. She's sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her among the best-selling music acts of all time. She also owns 15 Grammys, including two album of the year Grammys for 21 (2012) and 25 (2017).
Drake
Drake's first solo studio album, Thank Me Later, came out in 2010, and it became his first of four #1 albums on the Billboard 200. Even his mixtapes "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" (2015) and What a Time to Be Alive (with Future) (2015) were #1 on that chart. Furthermore, the Canadian owns the record for the most charted songs on the Billboard Hot 100, three of which were #1 singles: "One Dance (ft. WizKid & Kyla), "Work," and "What's My Name?," the last two being Rihanna singles where Drake was featured. He has three Grammys.
Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake is one of the Mickey Mouse Club members who made it big as a singer. His music career started as a member of the boy band NSYNC. Then, in 2002, he released his first solo album, Justified, which produced the hits "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body." His second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds was even more successful, spawning the #1 hits "SexyBack," "My Love," and "What Goes Around... Comes Around." He currently owns ten Grammys.
Eminem
Rapper Eminem was America's best-selling artist of the 2000s and has had ten #1 albums and five #1 singles. Those chart-topping songs include "Not Afraid," "Love the Way You Lie (ft. Rihanna)" and "The Monster (ft. Rihanna)." Eminem has also been nominated 43 times at the Grammys, 15 of those resulting in wins. He also owns an Oscar for penning "Lose Yourself" for his movie 8 Mile.
Pitbull
They call him "Mr. Worldwide," and his success has truly been global in nature with more than 65 million albums sold. "Give Me Everything (ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer)," released in 2011, was the rapper's first #1 single, and "Timber (ft. Kesha)," released in 2013, was his second. His one Grammy is for Dale, which was recognized as the Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album of 2016.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga first exploded onto the music scene in 2008 with the #1 single "Just Dance." She followed that up with "Poker Face," which was another #1 hit and the world's best-selling single of 2009. Her third #1 song was "Born This Way," the first single off of her second studio album. Gaga has six Grammys to her name.
