1. Twenty One Pilots

This band has spent 76 weeks on the Billboard Artists 100 chart and spent the week of October 8 at number 1. They have had a total of 6 songs on the Hot 100 Billboard chart. They had an album released in 2015, Blurryface, which peaked at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. The single from the album, “Stressed Out” reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2016, and another song from the same album, “Ride” followed at number six over the summer. Their contribution to the soundtrack for the movie Suicide Squad “Heathens” was another Billboard 200 chart-topper for the band over the summer. Twenty One Pilots is the first alternative band to have two concurrent Top Ten singles. The duo’s song “Stressed Out” hit the top of the Adult Pop Songs chart with “Ride” peaking at number 4. They won 2 iHeartRadio Awards- one for Alternative Rock Artist and one for Alternative Rock Song of the Year, 2 Billboard Music Awards for  Top Rock Artist and Top Rock Album, 2 Alternative Press Music Awards for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year and one Kerrang! award for Best Fanbase. They also won an MTV VMA this year in the category Best Rock Video for their song “Heathens”.

2. Drake

Drake has had a total of  39 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart over his career, 19 of which were from this year. His album “Views” was number 1 on the Canadian Albums chart this year. His song “One Dance” was number 1 in the U.K. and was also number 1 on the Hot 100 List for the week of May 21 and has been on that list for 6 weeks now. He has spent 118 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 Artists list and has won 2 BET awards for Best Group and Best Male Hip Hop Artist, he won a Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Artist, an iHeartRadio Music Award for Hip Hop Artist of the Year, a Juno Award for Rap Recording Artist of the Year, an MTV VMA for Best Hip Hop Video, 5 MuchMusic Awards, and a Teen Choice Award; so far this year.

3. The Chainsmokers

This band’s popularity has increased greatly from the success of their song “Closer” featuring Halsey, which came out this summer and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. They have spent 43 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 chart with their 3 songs “Closer”, “Don’t Let Me Down”, and “Roses”; all of which peaked in the top 10. The duo also had 4 songs in the Canadian Hot 100, with “Closer” peaking at number 1. They won an iHeartRadio Music Award for International Duo or Group, and they have also been nominated for 11 other awards.

4. Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes has had 6 songs on the Billboard Top 100 chart this year. His song “Stitches” was number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, one of his newer tracks, “Treat You Better”, peaked at number 6 on the Hot 100 this month.  Both of the albums he has released have come out at number 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. This year alone, he has won a People’s Choice Award for Favourite Breakout Artist, a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite New Artist, and two Much Much Video Awards for Fan Fave Video and Best Pop Video.

5. Rihanna

Rihanna has had 11 number 1 songs on the Billboard Top 100 chart over her career, one of which was this year with the track “Work” featuring Drake. Her album ANTI hit number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in February 2016. She peaked at number 2 this year on the Artists 100 chart. She and Drake won a BET for Best Collaboration, a Billboard Music Award for Billboard Chart Achievement award, and an MTV VMA which was the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award this year.

6. Adele

She won an AIM Award for Independent Track of the Year, 5 Billboard Music Awards for Top Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album, and Top Selling Song, 4 Brit Awards for British Female Solo Artist, Global Success Award, British Album of the Year, British Single of the Year, an ECHO Music Award for International Female Artist, an Edinburgh TV Awards for TV Moment of the Year, IFPI Global Recording Artist Reward for Global Recording Artist, an iHeartRadio Award for Song of the Year, an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year, 2 Juno Awards for International Album and International Song of the Year, a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Song of the Year, 2 Premios Juventud for Favorite Hitmaker and Favorite Hit, a Shorty Award for Arts & Entertainment Musician, and 2 Swiss Music Awards for Best International Act and Album. All of these awards were won this year and several of her songs were on the top Billboard charts this year as well.

7. Beyonce

There are few artists whose careers have been comparable to that of Beyonce’s, and she has had a very successful year this year. She had 12 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this year. This year she has won 2 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Awards for Excellence in Music Video for “Formation” and “Runnin'”, 5 BET Awards for Best Female R&B Artist, FANdemoniun Award, Video of the Year, Viewers Choice Award, Centric Award, a Clio Award for Best Video of the Year, 8 MTV VMAs for Best Pop Video, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Female Video, Best Choreography, Best Direction, Video of the Year, and Breakthrough Long Form Video.