Some might consider this flame bait, but I think it's impressive that Rihanna, who is far less talented than most successful acts, is still selling + relevant. One could argue that Rihanna has everything against her: minority, female, can't sing, can't write, can barely dance, and very controversial. People might say that it's Rihanna's team that keeps her doing so well... and while they might be right, I think Rihanna does deserve a grain of credit. Her Caribbean vocals do sound nice occasionally, and she is a fashion icon.
& I don't think some of you girls being in the womb when Britney was peaking accounts for your ignorance on this matter. You don't need to look through your pop culture history books to know about Britney Spears & how she originated every "pop star" stereotype, basically setting the criteria for whatever lessor pop girl you stan for to aspire to.
Oh, and she has a Vegas Residency. That alone >
Just because they have the same number of albums does not mean Rihanna necessarily has more longevity. Up until now, Rihanna was cranking out albums on a yearly basis. Britney actually had some space between her albums, especially In the Zone and Blackout. It makes more sense to compare how long they have been active, not how many albums they have.
In any case, Britney's career is definitely more impressive. Her album sales alone are enough to put her ahead of Rihanna. Rihanna's career is definitely impressive as well though. She has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. I think the only lackluster thing about her career is her album sales when you take into consideration how many albums she has released.
She does well for herself.
