Grab the Mic and Take This Quiz on Pop Divas

Back in the days of MySpace, Adele’s friend posted her demos on the social platform. The demo, three tracks recorded for a school project, led to Adele getting signed with XL Records in 2006. Since then, Adele has become an icon in modern pop with four studio albums, more than 120 million albums sold worldwide, and 15 Grammy awards.

Based on a Broadway play of the same name, the 1978 film “The Wiz," an all-Black interpretation of "The Wizard of Oz," starred Diana Ross as Dorothy Gale and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow. Sadly, the movie was a box office flop, and Motown opted to not release “Diana Ross Sings Songs From The Wizard of Oz.” Motown released the album in 2015.

Barbra Streisand was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. She's also an EGOT — people who have won at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award. Streisand was nominated for a Tony in 1962 for Featured Actress in a Musical and again in 1964 for her starring role in “Funny Girl,” but she didn’t win either. She eventually won an honorary Tony in 1970.

Before her first English language album came out in 1990, Céline Dion had already released eight albums in French. Born in French-speaking Quebec, she had made a name for herself in Canada, but her English-language album “Unison” helped expand her fan base. By 1996, she had the best-selling album in the world, “Falling Into You,” which reached No. 1 in 11 countries.

Whitney Houston was the only singer to have seven consecutive No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She’s also the only artist with seven multi-platinum albums in a row, which includes the soundtrack for "The Bodyguard.” The combination of the film and its soundtrack, which features “I Will Always Love You," catapulted Houston to even greater fame in both music and film.

Born to a Baptist minister in Memphis, Tennessee, Aretha Franklin grew up singing gospel music in her father’s church choir. After they moved to Detroit, Michigan, her family became heavily involved in the civil rights movement, which had a tremendous impact on Franklin’s music. Since its 1967 release, her song “Respect” has made its way into social and political movements, from civil rights to feminism.

In 1964, Cherilyn Sarkisian put the name Bonnie Jo Mason on her first single, “Ringo, I Love You” — it didn’t do well. She eventually joined forces with Sonny Bono and the pair adopted the names "Caesar & Cleo" before settling on "Sonny & Cher." A year later, they had a No. 1 hit with “I Got You Babe." Since then, Cher has cemented her reputation as a one-name-only pop star — not to mention an Oscar-winning actress.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is more than just a seasonal staple — it’s also the track that gave Carey the distinction of having a Billboard No. 1 hit in four different decades. Carey’s had 19 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits over the ‘90s, ‘00s, ‘10s, and ‘20s. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” only became a Billboard No. 1 hit in 2020, despite its 1994 release. Carey trails the Beatles, who’s had the most No. 1 singles by any artist or band, by just one song.

Lady Gaga’s stage name is a combination of a song by the rock band Queen and a typo. According to music producer Robert Fusari, who worked with Lady Gaga early in her career, he would often sing Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" to the budding pop star. And apparently, he once went to text her "Radio Ga Ga," but autocorrect changed "Radio" to "Lady," which spurred the singer's now-famous moniker.

Destiny’s Child was only the beginning of Beyoncé Knowles’ wildly successful career. In 1997, the group signed with Columbia Records and kickstarted a successful run as a girl group. After losing a few members, by 2000, Destiny’s Child consisted of Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group won two Grammy Awards before parting ways in 2005. By then, Beyoncé’s solo career had taken off.