i was expecting beyonce to be named #1 considering soul
said beyonce will be remembered along the likes of the Iconic Four™ (Elvis, Beatles, MJ, Madonna)
but still disappointed.
I have a hard time seeing anyone else on that list touching Beyonce's industry capital and legacy. Britney Spears has been consistently in the game for 10+ years and can still barely land a compliment from musical legends, let alone be taken remotely seriously by anyone who doesn't listen to radio. Beyonce's already recognized as an amazing singer and dancer, and her Superbowl performance I think brought her back to the world's mind after being used to lowest-common-denominator queens for so long. Lady Gaga's well on her way to catching up to Beyonce but she needs a couple more albums, and a much more versatile output. I don't have much confidence in ARTPOP but I hope it adds some necessary dimension to her repertoire. I love her songs but it needs more diversity for someone like her. We'll see how it goes.
Also putting Rihanna over Gaga is a much more contemporary decision than a big-picture statement. Rihanna has smash hit after smash hit but she's still not as big a name as someone who's been around a shorter time and with less hits. I have a hard time seeing Rihanna as an icon in 10 years, though I won't doubt that she'll still be making music and topping charts. I just think that she, like Madonna, will probably be around for a LONG time before people realize that she's been around because of talent instead of circumstance. Besides, I can't give the top spot to someone who doesn't hold a candle to the other two in terms of performance talent. Put her in the studio and she's grand. Put her on stage and that charisma fizzles out instantly. Lady Gaga's earned her pinnache with the industry because of her live charisma, more than anything else at least. Same with Bey.
And the reason Christina was so high is the same reason Britney was. At their peaks they were hugely impactful to the industry and you still see their trace in modern acts (Katy, Gaga, Rihanna). Christina's legacy isn't as profound as Britney's, but it's completely legitimate in a different way. Both are complete shells of their former selves though, and because of that I find Rihanna and Gaga to be the ones taking their respective batons and running with it. I think the two of them just do it better. As for Beyonce, I suppose it's a testament to her intelligence and savvy that she consistently became better while Britney and Christina fluctuated the entire time.