Christina Aguilera

Although she lost when she appeared on Star Search at age 9, this determined diva was definitely the winning star out of a slew of late-'90s pop princesses. Undeterred by her televised talent-show defeat, Aguilera continued to pursue her musical dreams and signed on to the Mickey Mouse Club at age 12, where she performed alongside Justin Timberlake, J.C. Chasez and her future nemesis, Britney Spears. After working overseas and recording the song "Reflection" for Disney's Mulan, Aguilera released her self-titled first album in 1999. Like many of her fellow teen songstresses, including Spears and Jessica Simpson, she had blonde hair, an innocent yet alluring image and catchy pop hits like "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants." However, Aguilera was a much stronger vocalist than her competitors, boasting a four-octave range and a jazzy-pop style. The industry took note of her superior talent and in 1999 she won the Grammy for Best New Artist. In the 2000s, she (like her cohorts) sexed up her look. For her second album, 2002's Stripped, she went from teenybopper to bombshell, appearing practically nude on its cover, in her videos and in a number of men's magazines. In 2006, Back to Basics found her super-sexy image complemented by vintage vocal stylings reminiscent of her idols Etta James and Billie Holiday. Despite Aguilera's racy image, she had a down-to-earth personal life. Unlike Spears, whose life spiraled out of control, or Simpson, who traded music for movies, Aguilera remained amazingly focused, earning three more Grammys (including two for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) and settling into a stable marriage with producer Jordan Bratman.