Millennials Can’t Stand These Popular Pop Music Artists

Short for “popular” music, pop music has evolved over the decades, morphing from 1950s rock and roll to today’s eclectic mix of contemporary folk, rock, dance, country, urban, and Latin elements. Today, it’s associated with common artists like Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna, to name just a few. (These are the most popular country music artists according to Millennials.)

Here at 24/7 Wall Street, we looked at which pop artists are the least popular among Millennials according to YouGov’s survey. We focused on artists who are recognized by at least three-quarters (75%) of respondents, revealing a significant disconnect between name recognition and popularity. It would seem that for some pop stars, fame doesn’t always equate to popularity — for good or for bad. (These are the most popular classic rock artists according to Millennials.)

Why We’re Covering This

From the global economic stimulation of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” to the everyday jingles you hear on television, pop music plays a huge part in our lives today. Millennials are known to be socially conscious and often choose companies and artists they believe are invested in positive change. In addition, many companies follow pop music to reach their target audience — Millennials. Consider that, along with the fact that the music industry creates $170 billion in value to the annual GDP and supports 2.47 million jobs, and it’s easy to see why popular music may affect your wallet.

These are the least popular pop music artists according to Millennials.

15. BTS

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 47% (tied)

Only 47% of Millennials felt BTS was a popular band, even though they’re one of the most successful K-pop groups in history. The seven members shot to international fame after Bang Si-Hyuk signed them with his studio, Big Hit Entertainment. BTS stands for Bulletproof Boy Scouts and performs Korean pop music.

The band started its first world tour in 2015 after releasing their hit, “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1 and Part 2.” In 2016, they released the album “Wings” and debuted on both the Billboard 200 and the Canadian Hot 100 charts. The group has since split so each member can serve their required time in the South Korean military.

14. Lizzo

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 47% (tied)

Lizzo is only popular with 47% of Millennials, but likely finds a bigger audience with Gen Z. She’s an American flutist, rapper, and singer who focuses her music on women’s empowerment and body positivity. Her music is a blend of rap, pop, and R&B, and she is known for her hits like “About Damn Time.” Lizzo won two Grammys before her music was overshadowed by accusations of a toxic work environment.

13. 98 Degrees

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 47% (tied)

The group 98 Degrees differs from most boy bands, in that they formed as a group and were then picked up by a record label (whereas many other boy bands were formed or created by the label). The band includes Justin Jeffree, Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, and Jeff Timmons. Their debut single “Invisible Man” peaked at No. 12, and they went on to sell more than ten million records. Other singles you may remember are “Because of You”, “Give Me Just One Night”, and “I Do (Cherish You).”

12. Carly Rae Jepsen

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 47% (tied)

Carly Rae Jepsen released the best-selling domestic Canadian single ever and the biggest-selling song globally with “Call Me Maybe.” She attended the Canadian College of Performing Arts and performed in many of the school’s theater productions. After being encouraged by a teacher to audition, she earned third place on Canadian Idol, the Canadian spin-off of the original American Idol. She signed a recording contract after touring with other performers from the show and now performs on Broadway.

11. Joe Jonas

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 47% (tied)

As the frontman of his band Jonas Brothers, Joe Jonas was part of a multi-selling group with multiple Grammy nominations before splitting off on his own. In 2011, Jonas announced his first solo album and released the lead single “See No More” featuring Chris Brown. Jonas enjoyed lukewarm success in music and acting until 2019 when the band reunited.

10. Mel B

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 47% (tied)

Mel B was one of the original Spice Girls (Scary Spice). After selling 100 million records with her group, Mel B split off on her own in 1998 with “I Want You Back”. She continued to release several more albums and singles before settling into a career as a talent show judge and television personality. Her other popular songs include “Feels So Good” and “Tell Me.”

9. Jonas Brothers

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 47% (tied)

The Jonas Brothers can thank the Disney channel for their rise to fame after their appearance in the Camp Rock series. In almost two decades, the band has released six albums including The Album, Happiness Begins, Lines, Vines and Trying Times, Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer, and It’s About Time. The group split and reunited several times over the years, with each member toying with the idea of a solo career.

8. Boy George

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 46% (tied)

Boy George was only popular with 46% of Millennials, but most are too young to remember his music. After a tenure as the lead singer of the Culture Club, he emerged as a solo artist in 1987 and released nine studio albums, 48 singles, and five compilation albums. Most would know him for his songs “Bow Down Mister”, “Everything I Own”, “The Crying Game”, and “Love is Leaving”. He was recognized for his outstanding services to British music by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors with the Ivor Novello Award in 2015.

7. Susan Boyle

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 46% (tied)

Susan Boyle is a Scottish singer who has sold over 25 million records. She rose to fame after an appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, where she performed “I Dreamed a Dream”. Her second studio album came out in 2010 and she became the first woman artist to top both the U.S. and U.K. album charts. Boyle performed for Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant at Windsor Castle in 2012 and has released eight studio albums.

6. Barry Manilow

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 46% (tied)

Only 46% of Millennials considered Barry Manilow popular, although he likely fared better with older generations like Gen X or Baby Boomers. His career has spanned seven decades with hits like “Mandy”, “I Write the Songs”, and “Can’t Smile Without You”.

Many critics turned away from Malinow’s music, although his peers praised him for his work. He’s written songs for himself and other popular artists, in addition to songs for commercials, films, and musicals. Manilow is one of the world’s best-selling artists.

5. Victoria Beckham

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 46% (tied)

One of the original Spice Girls (Posh Spice), Victoria Beckham is known for her solo work in fashion and her marriage to popular soccer star David Beckham. She also had a short-lived solo career after the Spice Girls split in 2001 when she released two top-10 singles in the United Kingdom.

Beckham has starred in several reality shows and made cameo appearances in popular shows like Project Runway and American Idol. The Spice Girls reunited to perform at the Summer Olympics closing ceremony in 2012, where Victoria Beckham reappeared as Posh Spice.

4. Adam Lambert

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 44% (tied)

Adam Lambert got his first big break on the 2009 season of American Idol, where he finished as runner-up. That same year, his album For Your Entertainment debuted on the United States Billboard 200 at number three. He released Trespassing, his second solo album in 2012, and became the first openly gay artist to top the United States Billboard 200.

Lambert has sold more than five million singles and three million albums worldwide and founded the Feel Something Foundation, a philanthropic organization centered around human and LGBTQ+ rights.

3. R. Kelly

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 44% (tied)

R. Kelly is unsurprisingly unpopular with Millennials, as he is currently serving time for racketeering, sex trafficking, and child pornography production. Allegations of improper conduct with minors shadowed his entire career, even as he released hits like “I Believe I Can Fly” and won three Grammy Awards. Kelly temporarily joined the group Public Announcement and although a jury acquitted him in 2008 for his marriage to underage singer Aaliyah, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2022.

2. Solange Knowles

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 43%

Perhaps better known as Beyonce’s little sister, Solange Knowles is a former backup dancer for her sister’s band, Destiny’s Child. In 2003, she released her first solo album, Solo Star. Knowles is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and signed a record deal in 2007 with Geffen Records after a short marriage and several years of motherhood. Her last release in 2012 inspired a tepid response from both critics and fans.

1. Clay Aiken

• Percentage of Millennials who ranked this artist as popular: 37%

Clay Aiken was the runner-up in the second season of American Idol and released his debut album The Measure of a Man in 2003. There was controversy surrounding Aiken’s season of the show, as many believed that winner Ruben Studdard only came out on top because the show was unprepared to handle the sheer number of votes that came in. Aiken has since written a memoir, had a televised Christmas special, and even ran for the United States House of Representatives.

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