“Women are not always taken as seriously as we should be, so sometimes we have to put our foot down.”
–Missy Elliott
Think of your top five favorite artists of all time. I’ll wait…
Is there a woman on your list?
Maybe Beyoncé? Ariana Grande? Rosalia? Or maybe an all girl band like HAIM? If a woman did not make your list (doubtful), that’s okay. We’re here to show you all the badass women in the music industry that you should be listening to.
We’re going to break down the women that have been making huge impacts in the music industry, plus quotes from our favorite female artists and a playlist to play when you’re with your girl gang or just chillin at home.
Women making moves in the charts
Women have been dominating the music scene for a while now. Chart toppers like Megan Thee Stallion, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, and more are sitting at the top of global music charts.
Currently at the top of Spotify’s Global Top 50 is Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License.” The song has been a crowd favorite since it’s release in January 2021.
Olivia also has the #6 spot on last week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. Cardi B’s “Up” takes the #4 spot and Ariana Grande’s “34+35” takes the ninth spot.
The female artist with the most Grammy wins: BEYONCÉ
Last Sunday at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, Beyoncé broke the all time record for the most Grammy wins for any singer (male or female). Congrats Bey!!
See her celebrate her GRAMMY win below:
The female artist with the most Spotify plays: DUA LIPA
Spotify displays the most-streamed artists on their platform in the “about” section for each artist.
Currently, Dua Lipa is the most streamed female artist on Spotify. She takes the number 3 spot while Ariana Grande is number 4. Rounding out the top 10 is Billie Eilish at number 10.
Source: Wikipedia
You go girls!
The female artist with the most YouTube subscribers: BLACKPINK
South Korean girl group Blackpink has the most subscribers of any female artist/band on YouTube. They take the 13th spot in YouTube’s most-subscribed channels list.
Source: Wikipedia
*sings “How You Like That”*
The female artist with the most Twitter followers: KATY PERRY
Singer and American Idol judge Katy Perry is the female artist with the most followers on Twitter. See our full list of most followed Twitter accounts here.
Doesn’t that just make you want to Smile?
The female artist with the most sales: MADONNA
Are we really surprised that the best-selling female artist of all-time is Madonna? Tell Tales reported that the iconic “Queen of Pop” has sold over 300 million records worldwide.
Taking the second spot on their list is Rihanna with 250 million records sold and Taylor Swift came in third with 200 million records sold worldwide.
Favorite Female Artists Quotes
“Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.”
–Lady Gaga
“My legacy is that I stayed on course… from the beginning to the end, because I believed in something inside of me.”
–Tina Turner
“I’ve never felt this proud to be a woman in the industry than I do today. And that’s because I actually feel comfortable with every single women that has encouraged me about how crucial it is that the voices that are being heard for the first time is so great.”
–Selena Gomez
“Everyone looks to an artist for something more than just the music, and that message of being comfortable in my own skin is number one for me”
–Lizzo
“From the get-go, I wasn’t going to sign a record deal unless I could completely do it on my terms…I’m not going to bend in hopes that it’s going to reach more people or whatever. It’s just not worth it.”
–Kacey Musgraves
“I’ll always identify with the image of a strong woman. I believe that in what I do and in my sense of self, there’s a vindication of women. There’s power.”
–Rosalia
“I believe I was definitely sent down here to take people away for a little while, to make them happy.”
–Stevie Nicks
“Janet Jackson, Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston, they were definitely the people who motivated me to do this. Who I idolized and looked up to and said, ‘I want to be like them, I want to do that one day, I want to back videos, make music and have CDs. That started the dream and it just went from there, and became a reality.”
–Rihanna
“Music is the love of my life. It’s a total escape from reality. Music transports you to another place, someplace unexpected and meaningful.”
–Miley Cyrus
“I never dream to be anything not possible.”
–Jisoo from Blackpink
Vibe out with our Women in Music playlist on Spotify
Featuring music from all the artists in this article plus other female powerhouses like Ciara, Nicki Minaj, ROSÉ from Blackpink, Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, JLo, Maren Morris, and more!
Listen here:
Let us know your favorite song on Instagram!
More Like This: See all of our HollyGOOD playlists right here.
The way you feel when listening to your favorite artist is proof that Hollywood is a part of all of us. That’s why we’re reimagining Hollywood.com to bring you entertainment news that actually entertains you and makes you feel good. Be a part of the good in Hollywood in your very own neighborhood with our app (coming soon!) that gives you a whole new way to buy movie tickets––in seconds. Follow us on Instagram for more feel-good Hollywood stories.
