The Times’ Top 20 Solo Artists of Our Time. Only the 1st place winner is dead

The British edition of The Times magazine published a list of the 20 most important contemporary vocalists. The editors pointed out that today we can also talk about new icons who have had a significant impact on the shape of popular music almost as much as outstanding artists in the last century, including Aretha Franklin i David Bowie.

The 20th century was full of flawless celebrities – Aretha, Mariah, Freddie, Whitney, David Bowie, Robert Plant, Kate Bush and George Michael. They all created the soundtrack of the early decades of pop, rock and soul. The 21st century, however, turns out to be just as plentiful.

– we read in the introduction to the subjective ranking. Creators with numerous commercial successes were included, but this was not the only determinant.

The winner of the first place is distinguished not only by her talent

Among other things, the cultural impact of Lady Gaga and Beyoncé was appreciated – the former for their creative stage image and influence on the LGBT+ community, the latter for continuing the tradition of black music and emphasizing origin in their own work. Beyoncé is also the record holder in the history of the Grammy Awards – as the only woman, she can boast of as many as 28 statuettes and 79 nominations.

Lana Del Rey’s dreamy style was also appreciated, Adele’s “majesty and strength of lungs”, Bruno Mars’s return to the roots of funk and Harry Styles for contemporary pop “created effortlessly”. Although most of the musicians in the list are over thirty, the youngest generation is represented by Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, characterized by “exceptional intimacy”, which, despite their young age, reigned even on the Billboard charts.

However, the most important solo artist of our time was considered a singer who will not have a chance to create anything else. It was Amy Winehouse who died due to a long-term struggle with alcoholism – she was awarded the first place for “passion and pain” visible in the discography, audible in the characteristic mezzo-soprano vocal. The creator of “Back to Black” is the only deceased artist included in the ranking of the best contemporary solo artists. The full list can be found below:

1. Amy Winehouse
2. Adele
3. Beyoncé
4. Sam Smith
5. Weyes Blood
6. Lana Del Rey
7. Frank Ocean
8. Lady Gaga
9. Billie Eilish
10. Kendrick Lamar
11. Rihanna
12. Florence Welch
13. Bruno Mars
14. Taylor Swift
15. Kelly Clarkson
16. Olivia Rodrigo
17. Lizzo
18. Lily Allen
19. Harry Styles
20. Ed Sheeran