Pop Legends

There's a possibility I'll be working on a book that compiles profiles of 100 "pop legends." To prepare, I'm trying to cobble together a list of 100 pop stars. I've received little if any guidance so far on what they're looking for. So I'm going to try to define the parameters, arbitrary though they may be, the best I can.

Here's what we know: The book will be 160 pages, 45,000 words. 70 artists will get 1 page, 23 artists will get 2 pages, and 5 artists will get 4 pages. So I'm working under the assumption of 300 words/ 600 words/1000 words. Very very tight stuff.

There will also be companion books on rock and country to be written by others. While they acknowledge there will be some overlap, they want to minimize duplicating artists.

I'm working under the assumption that they're defining pop from the beginning of the rock era (1955 or so). I'd like to cut as wide a swath as I can. So my list includes rock, soul, R&B, hip hop, country, and vocal (for lack of a better term). I'm not sure there's any theme that unites this group other than that they sold a lot of records. They are listed below alphabetically.

There's about 4 entries that are more theme based (The Sound Of Philadephia, Motown, Girl Groups and Boy Bands) since individual artists probably don't warrant a story on their own, but taken collectively, they are an important part of popular music.

There's no way a list like this can make everyone happy. But before you castigate me for skipping The Who, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin and people like that, remember they will probably be in the rock book, which I have nothing to do with.

So I would love your input. What am I missing? What can go?

And if the book falls through? Well, it's still a fun exercise.

Abba

Aerosmith

Beach Boys

Beastie Boys

Beatles

Bee Gees

Tony Bennett

Chuck Berry

Beyonce

Mary J Blige

Bon Jovi

Pat Boone

David Bowie

Boy Bands

British Invasion

Garth Brooks

James Brown

Mariah Carey

Johnny Cash

Ray Charles

Chicago

Kelly Clarkson

Nat King Cole

Phil Collins

Perry Como

Sam Cooke

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Bing Crosby

Bobby Darin

Neil Diamond

Dion

Celine Dion

Dixie Chicks

Fats Domino

The Drifters

Eagles

Earth Wind & Fire

Eminem

Everly Brothers

Fleetwood Mac

Aretha Franklin

Marvin Gaye

Girl Groups

Green Day

Al Green

Hall & Oates

Faith Hill

Buddy Holly

Whitney Houston

The Impressions

Janet Jackson

Michael Jackson

Jay Z

Billy Joel

Elton John

Alicia Keys

Brenda Lee

Little Richard

Loretta Lynn

Madonna

Barry Manilow

Paul McCartney

George Michael

Missy Elliott

Motown

Notorious BIG

Roy Orbison

Ozzy Osborne

Patti Page

Dolly Parton

P Diddy

Wilson Pickett

The Platters

The Police

Elvis Presley

Prince

Queen

Linda Ronstadt

Diana Ross

Run DMC

Tupac Shakur

Frank Sinatra

Sly & The Family Stone

Snoop Doggy Dogg

The Sound Of Philadelphia

Rod Stewart

Britney Spears

Bruce Springsteen

Gwen Stefani

Barbara Streisand

Donna Summer

James Taylor

TLC

Tina Turner

Shania Twain

Dionne Warwick

Kanye West

Jackie Wilson

Stevie Wonder

Wynonna