Miley Cyrus is our No. 15 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century for how she evolved along with her pop audience for 20 years.
is spending the next few months counting down our staff picks for the 25 greatest pop stars of the last 25 years. We’ve already named our stars, and now we remember the century in Miley Cyrus — who at age 31 has already lived through several artistic lifetimes, generating numerous pop classics and countless unforgettable moments in the process.
It’s hard to describe just how magnetic Cyrus was on that show. Here was a girl who could deliver a cheesy catch phrase — usually “Sweet niblets!” or “Yeeee doggies!” — like a seasoned comedic actor, unafraid of appearing unattractive or goofy in service of a good bit with an innate power and resonance in her voice that was almost unnatural for her age.
In 2009, the same year Hot 100 No. 4 hit ballad “The Climb” and barn-raising dance tune “Hoedown Throwdown” came out for, featuring what is still one of her most beloved and easily recognizable hits: “Party in the U.S.A.” The Dr. Luke-produced quasi-patriotic banger immediately became Cyrus’ biggest home run so far, exploding on pop radio and reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100 thanks to its charming lyrics and infectious main hook.
But you can’t say that it wasn’t working: “Wrecking Ball” became her first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100, topping the chart for three weeks, and albumdebuted atop the Billboard 200 with assists from Nelly, Future, French Montana, Ludacris and Cyrus’ oft-claimed predecessor, Britney Spears. The corresponding world tour grossed a reported $63 million in 2014, according to Billboard Boxscore.
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