Justin Bieber

Unlike the chart-toppers who graduated from "American Idol" (Fox, 2002-16) or the bubblegum pop stars groomed by the Disney Channel, Justin Bieber's talent and wholesome appeal was purely homemade. The Canadian singer became a worldwide sensation after teen girls discovered videos he had posted on YouTube.com where he performed pop and R&B cover songs. Singer and songwriter Usher took Bieber under his wing and mentored him all the way to becoming a pop phenomenon who not seen since a young Michael Jackson took center stage with The Jackson 5 some 40 years earlier, inciting similar preteen pandemonium. Bieber became the first solo artist in Billboard Hot 100 chart history with four songs in the Top 40 prior to the album's release. His debut album, My World (2009) went platinum within weeks, while the young singer entertained young and old with performances on everything from "Christmas in Washington" (TNT, 2009), where he sang for the President and First Lady, and at the 25th anniversary re-recording of "We Are the World" where Bieber took his rightful place next to the biggest names in the music industry. While topping the charts with Believe (2012) and its lead single "Boyfriend," Bieber quickly became fodder for the tabloids, thanks to his rocky romance with Selena Gomez and numerous run-ins with trouble, all the while maintaining his place as one of the music industry's biggest teen stars whose "Belieber" fanbase seemed to grow stronger, larger and more intense with each passing year. After a period where his tabloid antics completely overshadowed his music, a more mature Bieber quieted the haters with a string of singles that even won over many of his most vociferous critics, including his work on Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's international smash "Despacito" and a trio of Number One hits from his 2015 blockbuster Purpose.