Beyoncé aka Queen Bey, continues to cement her legacy in the music world, this time claiming a major honor on a list that highlights the voices that shaped R&B forever. Billboard has placed the Houston native at No. 4 on its “The 75 Best R&B Artists of All Time” list, placing her firmly in the company of genre defining icons.
Queen Bey trails only behind some of music’s most revered legends with Stevie Wonder holding the top spot, followed by Aretha Franklin at No. 2 and Michael Jackson at No. 3. The late Whitney Houston, often celebrated as the gold standard of vocal excellence, rounds out the top five.
Get this, the criteria for the list was no light lift. Billboard weighed elements such as vocal ability, overall impact, timeless influence, chart history, creative achievements, and lasting cultural resonance.
“Billboard’s Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century also happens to be one of the Best R&B Artists of All Time. In fact, it’s her dedication to her R&B foundation that has helped her become one of music’s most innovative, impactful, and impressive artists,” the outlet wrote.
credits her signature vocal delivery and bold genre-bending style as essential to her rise and influence.
“The 35-time Grammy-winning Houstonian first hit the Billboard charts as the lead vocalist of Destiny’s Child, the girl group in which she honed her now-signature staccato rap-singing, a vocal approach that can be heard in virtually every contemporary R&B song today.”