Here is a suggested top 50 (I'll try to get to the rest of the list some time but I have other things on my mind atm).
1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. Frank Sinatra
4. Bing Crosby
5. Michael Jackson
6. Louis Armstrong
7. James Brown
8. Billie Holiday
9. Madonna
10. Johnny Cash
11. Duke Ellington
12. Ray Charles
13. Bob Dylan
14. Hank Williams
15. Chuck Berry
16. Al Jolson
17. Glenn Miller
18. Nat King Cole
19. Stevie Wonder
20. B.B. King
21. Aretha Franklin
22. Ella Fitzgerald
23. Muddy Waters
24. Rolling Stones
25. Beach Boys
26. Benny Goodman
27. Charlie Parker
28. Miles Davis
29. Led Zeppelin
30. Louis Jordan
31. John Coltrane
32. Bessie Smith
33. Tommy Dorsey
34. Bob Marley
35. Mills Brothers
36. Mahalia Jackson
37. Prince
38. Kanye West
39. Jimmie Rodgers
40. Robert Johnson
41. Jay-Z
42. Eminem
43. Fats Domino
44. Marvin Gaye
45. Little Richard
46. Woody Guthrie
47. Jimi Hendrix
48. The Who
49. Mariah Carey
50. Whitney Houston

Suggested Placements for Kendrick, Drake and Rihanna
Kendrick = 176
Drake = 150
Rihanna = 139
I would also have Britney, Coldplay and Justin Timberlake somewhere in there.
Suggested Placements
Britney = 127
Timberlake = 212
Coldplay = 231

I would also move Nirvana and 2Pac into the top 100.
Suggested placements for each
2pac = 57
Nirvana = 80

I don't see how Madonna is top 10. She's 26th in acclaim, and various sources have her in different spots in sales.

This one she's 17th.

https://www.businessinsider.com/best-se ... n-units-34

This one she's 5th or 6th.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_b ... ic_artists

But these lists have to be adjusted for eras. There were no albums for the big part of Bing's career for instance, and a lot less people in the world.

A list like this....

https://chartmasters.org/best-selling-a ... -all-time/

Is like almost all modern days artists. People like Pink Floyd and AC/DC have never been close to as mainstream popular as Bing Crosby was. Bing had over 300 hit singles by 1954. He had 36 number one songs and like 200 top 10 songs.

Bing has way more chart hit songs than Pink Floyd has songs period.

Is acclaim being taken into account for the list?

No, but I mentioned Madonna's acclaim because 26th is not all that high for an artist from her era who was as big as her.

Criteria - These 300 Greatest Popular Music Artists were ranked for their Popularity, Influence, and Impact in Popular Music.

What do you have in mind for Madonna's placement on the list?

I'm thinking 16, after Aretha and before Jolson.

By the way, maybe after an update then next year we expand to 400. I'm sure there's other modern acts that might deserve a spot, along with older acts that just missed the original list.

Maybe
1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. Frank Sinatra
4. Bing Crosby
5. Michael Jackson
6. Louis Armstrong
7. James Brown
8. Billie Holiday
9. Johnny Cash
10. Duke Ellington
11. Ray Charles
12. Bob Dylan
13. Chuck Berry
14. Hank Williams
15. Aretha Franklin
16. Madonna
17. Al Jolson
18. Glenn Miller
19. Nat King Cole
20. Stevie Wonder
21. B.B. King
22. Ella Fitzgerald
23. Muddy Waters
24. Rolling Stones
25. Beach Boys
26. Benny Goodman
27. Charlie Parker
28. Miles Davis
29. Led Zeppelin
30. Louis Jordan
31. John Coltrane
32. Bessie Smith
33. Tommy Dorsey
34. Bob Marley
35. Mills Brothers
36. Mahalia Jackson
37. Prince
38. Kanye West
39. Jimmie Rodgers
40. Robert Johnson
41. Jay-Z
42. Eminem
43. Fats Domino
44. Marvin Gaye
45. Little Richard
46. Woody Guthrie
47. Jimi Hendrix
48. The Who
49. Mariah Carey
50. Whitney Houston

Why demotion for Dylan?

My thinking is that since this list doesn't take into account acclaim he should not be as high as he is on the rock list. When compared to Ray Charles, I'd give Charles popularity while influence is close. And I'd say Ellington takes influence and arguably popularity.

As significant as Dylan is, he never was really a mainstream artist except maybe from 1965-66 when he had a few top 20 hits. Despite a loyal fanbase who will buy his albums, he hasn't had a top 40 hit since 1979. After the 70s he's sorta like Neil Young popularity wise. Loyal fanbase that will buy his albums and get them on the charts, but neither has ever really made inroads into younger listeners.

So do you agree with moving him down?

I'd maybe have it as Duke > Ray > Dylan > Cash

He probably doesn't deserve the top 10 at this point.

What are your thoughts on Tim's suggestion to move down Cash as well? I could see it but I'd have Cash > Dylan.

I don't see changing anything in the top 10 other than dropping Dylan and I guess moving Ellington to 9 or 10.

I also don't see Spears on the list at all. Nothing by her will be remembered 20 years from now. But if she did go on she'd be near the bottom IMO. Might as well put Bieber on if Spears would go on.