Billboard has named Taylor Swift the Top Female Artist of the 21st Century, recognizing her significant impact on the music industry. The ranking, based on weekly performance on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Hot 100 songs chart from the early 2000s to the end of 2024, places Rihanna, Beyoncé, Adele, and Katy Perry in the top five.
Swift's career, which began in 2006, includes 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200—the most among women—and 12 number-one songs on the Hot 100. In 2022, she became the first artist to claim all top 10 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 with her album "Midnights," a feat she repeated in 2024 with "The Tortured Poets Department."
Beyond chart success, Swift has championed artists' rights, notably by rerecording her early albums to own her masters. She was also the most streamed artist on Spotify in 2024, despite having previously removed her music from the platform over royalty rates. Her influence extends to film, with acting credits and her directorial debut with "All Too Well: The Short Film."