The nature of celebrity has changed immensely in the internet age. Never has being famous been so easy (Exhibit A: Bhad Bhabie), but even so, a handful of stars shine bright than the rest.
It helps that most of the stars gained their stardom pre-YouTube. Even so, making this list requires a level of sustained success known only by Celebrity Royalty. While you can debate who the most important celebrities of this era are, these names should undoubtedly be in the conversation.
1. Eminem
When hip-hop peaked, Eminem was riding the top of the wave. You could easily spot his bottle-blonde ‘do. If you were visually impaired, you could hear Eminem cursing out his mom, ex-girlfriend, Moby, Britney Spears, and anyone else who got on his nerves (intentionally or not).
Eminem ruled the charts, dominated the culture, and was an international superstar at the height of the MTV era.
2. Leonardo DiCaprio
Leo is the rare actor who combines irresistible sex appeal with undeniable acting chops. A masterfully curated career and just-mysterious-enough personal life have made Leonardo DiCaprio the movie star of his generation. For Jordan Belfort's sake, he's Leo!
The one-named wunderkind is a living legend.
3. BTS
Even though older readers may not have a clue what a BTS is, the immense international popularity of the Korean musical group warrants a spot on this list. When you refresh this list in 20 years, BTS will almost certainly still be on it.
4. Justin Bieber
You don't have to be a Belieber, but you do have to admit this: Justin Bieber is the modern-day equivalent of Michael Jackson, the Elvis of the YouTube age. If you set out to find one person on the planet who doesn't know who Justin Bieber is, you may as well kiss everyone you know goodbye.
5. Kanye West
Kanye was once an international superstar because of his singular imprint on hip-hop music and fashion. A heavy dose of controversy has maintained Ye's relevance, though not for the reasons fans of his music and shoes would like.
6. Britney Spears
While younger generations may know Britney as that crazy lady who dances frenetically in apparent social media captivity, Millennials know Britney Spears as an icon.
Male millennials know Britney as their first internet girlfriend. Female Millennials know Britney as the trailblazer who made the school-girl uniform an on-limits Halloween costume. And parents of Millennials know Britney as bad news.
7. Kim Kardashian
Critique the avenue she took to fame (handheld camcorder, for those who aren't aware). Question her natural talent. But don't argue that Kim Kardashian isn't one of the most recognized, iconic celebrities of her era. That's a losing stance.
8. Taylor Swift
Anyone with a daughter knows Taylor Swift. Anybody under the age of 50 knows Taylor Swift. Anyone who watches the news regularly knows Taylor Swift. That covers a lot of bases. Because T-Swift has remained unfathomably popular for darn-near two decades, her Q Score is off the charts.
If you have a problem with that, just Shake It Off. Pun intended.
9. Cristiano Ronaldo
Let's not forget that the world does not end at the United States border. International futbol is the most popular sport on the planet, and Cristiano Ronaldo is the most polarizing baller of his generation. Lio Messi might be better, but Cristiano Ronaldo's movie star looks catapult his name recognition beyond the sporting realm.
10. Miley Cyrus
How soon we forget how Miley Cyrus was an unwitting cult leader to a generation of young girls who would step in front of a speeding bus for a fictional character named Hannah Montana. The Disney effect made Miley a bona fide supernova, and despite her hard break from the good-girl image, Miley remains as recognizable today as ever before.
11. Beyonce
One of the premier artists and sex symbols of her time, Beyonce has garnered a rare degree of loyalty among her fans. While her music may not top the charts as it used to, she's as recognizable as celebrities get.
And just a friendly reminder, don't poke the Bey Hive. Your reputation won't live to speak about the swarm.
12. Lady GaGa
Why are so many musicians on this list? Easy. Music has the ability to transcend language barriers, cultural norms, and other differences that movies and other forms of entertainment cannot so easily overcome. Lady GaGa is one of the most popular artists of her time, and her eccentric personality has only enhanced her name and face recognition.
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Though these timeless films may remain as significant as the years they were made, newer films are rolling out daily. New and more brilliant movies take the world by storm, each release inching away at older films people grew up watching. Here are 10 movie masterpieces that people have forgotten about.
10 Movies That Were Huge Once but Have Been Forgotten by Most People
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Movies have the power to surprise us in unexpected ways. Sometimes, we go into a film with low expectations, only to thoroughly enjoy it.
In this article, we've compiled a list of 12 movies people didn't expect to like but were pleasantly surprised by. These movies range in genre, style, and era, but they all share one thing in common: they exceeded expectations.
12 Movies People Didn’t Expect to Like but Were Actually Really Good
15 Movies With Plot Twists You'll Want to Watch Immediately
Are you a fan of films that twist you, turn you, and blow you away with their insane plot twists? We got you covered. An online discussion asks, “I wanna watch a movie with a massive plot twist. Something that makes you go holy cow by the end.”
They continued, “I remember watching a movie with my ex. I don't know the title, but it was the biggest ‘holy [Sugar-Honey-Ice-Tea] what the fridge was that?' of my life. I needed a moment to process what even happened.” Here are the top film nominations for insane plot twists.
15 Movies With Plot Twists You'll Want to Watch Immediately
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Here are 10 movies that used to be epic but are now just meh.
10 Movies That Were Masterpieces Right After You Watched It but Now They're Just Alright
10 Movies With the Worst/Dumbest Premises That Were Not Trying To Be Silly
If you watch movies, you've inevitably stumbled across a premise so bad it distracts from the film.
With a lousy script, not even talented actors can save the story. Here are 10 films the internet says tried to cement a serious story but fell flat due to a bad premise.
10 Movies With the Worst/Dumbest Premises That Were Not Trying To Be Silly
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
