Ariana Grande
Grande’s impressive music career started in 2011, with the soundtrack from her hit Disney show, “Victorious”. Grande has gone on to earn three number-one albums on the US Billboard 200. Her album, “Dangerous Woman”, hit #2 in 2016. She has also gotten six Top 5 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She became the first artist in history to have top ten singles from all 4 of her albums. She also had the most Top 10 singles out of any artist in the same year!
People have compared her enormous range to Mariah Carey. Her accomplishments include three American Music Awards, three MTV Europe Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and six Grammy Award nominations!
Sade Adu
Born in Nigeria in 1959 under the name Helen Folasade Adu, Sade was brought up in England and became incredibly successful. One of her most famous singles is "Smooth Operator," which came out in 1984 but is still being played on the radio all the time.
Other than singing, Sade has also pursued modeling and acting, but those aren't the vocations that earned her four Grammys, an American Music Award, and a Brit Award.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross found fame as the lead singer of “The Supremes,” one of the most influential bands in the ’60s. They produced multiple number one hits such as “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”. Ross decided to go off on her own and came out with her self-titled album in 1970.
She found major success with her solo career and produced the number-one hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” To this day, she is still performing, and going on tours. In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.
Gladys Knight
Known to many as the "Empress of Soul", Gladys Knight is definitely a voice you want to add to your playlist. Assuming it's not on it already, that is. With a career that spans more than half a century, Knight has a substantial footing in the industry.
Two of her most famous hits are “That’s What Friends Are For” and "Midnight Train to Georgia.” Those two hits were number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. Some of her many awards include no less than seven Grammys.
Cher
It’s hard to say whether Cher is more successful as a singer or as an actress. She’s definitely a master of reinvention. She’s the only recording artist with a No. 1 hit song spanning across six consecutive decades. She’s one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, and she’s won an Emmy, an Academy Award, a Grammy, and three Golden Globes.
She’s a pop culture icon who's impossible to pin down. Cher also supports many causes — from humanitarian organizations to medical charity groups, she’s been an activist throughout her career, mainly for LGBT+ related issues.