Taylor Swift Makes Music’s Ruling Class of 2018 List
By Kara Johnson
Taylor Swift has shaken up the music industry in the biggest of ways from making history to winning Grammy Awards and changing the industry one hit song at a time. She’s a game changer that is being recognized as part of music’s ruling class.
With just two more nights to go until the 60th Grammy Awards, The Hollywood Reporter has given the spotlight to Music’s Ruling Class of 2018. The artists, producers, and songwriters who have made the list are the ones who have taken the industry by storm by shaking things up, making history and who have undoubtedly broken down walls this year. The editor of THR had weighed in many factors for the last. These factors determined who made the list and where the landed. The factors included:
- Albums sold
- Streaming stats
- Tour receipts
- Critical responses
- Business moves
- Grammy nominations
- The ability to drive traffic and pop culture conversation
The list starts at No.1 and continues on to No.25. Following the first artist on the list, Jay-Z is the incomparable Taylor Swift. She’s a game changer, and has moved mountains this past year, so we aren’t shocked that THR placed her at the No.2 spot. Her sixth studio album reputation may have not come out until November (meaning she is not eligible for an AOTY Grammy nom this year), the album still dominated and took the world by storm. It was not only the bestselling album of 2017, but her lead single “Look What You Made Me Do” was the years most talked about song, and still is today.
Related Story: Taylor Swift's End Game Debuts on Streaming Songs Chart
Even though she’s still keeping a pretty low profile and we aren’t even sure if she’ll attend the awards show on Sunday night, she still is the most powerful woman in music and will continue to be for years to come. Congrats, Swift on ruling the musical world. Your longevity is impressive and will forever be inspiring.