Results of Favourite Pop Artist Poll
This poll ran from May1 - June 1 1998

You gave us 20,068 votes.

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Hard rockers slain by lovely ladies!

Masters of metal may melt eardrums, but lovely ladies light the polls lately. Alanis Morissette proves she's lived and learned to lead over classic rockers like Aeorosmith. Even the Stones will have to get rolling to take a stab at Abba.

Our polls reflect a growing trend towards easy listening and light rock. Rap music shows its potential, with Puff Daddy jamming at the top of the poll.

With trends in taste boosting a softer gentler approach to pop, you could have guessed that Celine Dion could shoot for the top and now she's won. Canadians are sure proud of their French-Canadian superstar.

Older bands like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin still hold their own against the newer pop music icons. Who are the Beatles, you ask? Just don't, okay?

Let's watch to see which new bands have the staying power to keep topping our polls. Sometimes performers are like shooting stars, exploding with brilliance, then fading into obscurity. We'll report significant movement by groups or performers.

The winners

Celine Dion is number one in our poll. Dion rises from a rural French Canadian origin to conquer the entire North American market. For Dion the awards began in 1982 with a Gold Medal in the Yamaha World Song Festival 1982, for Best Song "Tellement J'Ai D'Amour Pour Toi." Since then, Junos and Felix Awards have piled up for this superstar. Dion's angelic voice, singing tender love songs, touches her fans deeply. She deserves the number one spot. Mariah Carey may be number two, but she sings higher. Carey combines a wholesome, clean image with a vocal range that stuns the listener. She has won 2 Grammy awards, for Best Pop Vocal Performance, and Best New Artist. Mariah took 3 Soul Train awards, for Best New Artist, Best Album, and Best Single. She also earned four American Music Awards and seven Billboard Awards. Mariah is always a candidate for our top five. Backstreet Boys claim the number three position in our poll and defend their claim with strong vocals, good looks, and great videos. Other 'boy' groups have the appeal to young girls, but most don't have the talent to sustain their popularity. This group is different. The Backstreet Boys can really sing! The Boys drive teenage girls wild with their good looks and romantic lyrics. Shows sell out within a half hour, and new releases by the group cause stampedes. The Boys are still young. Kevin Richardson is 26, Brian Littrel is 22, Howie Dorough is 23, Nick Carter is 17 and Alexander McLean is 19. Let's hope the trials that stardom sets before them won't break up the group. Sean 'Puffy' Combs, is Puff Daddy, who raps his way to the number four position in our poll. Puff is an example of a rap superstar. Puffy is the CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment. He is responsible for the sale of over 12 million records. His posse of performers have produced five gold and ten platinum albums in three years. Number five should taste pretty good to the Spice Girls, but something is missing. Hmmm... could it be...Yes, it's Ginger that's missing! Fans of this group are probably still in mourning over the departure of Ginger (Geraldine Halliwell). The group has inspired a whole generation of 10-14 year old girls to dress, act and sing like the Spice Girls. If the group survives the departure of the girl who has been called their leader, they have the potential to continue to top the polls.