Rihanna has the hits, and (nearly) decade-spanning success. Gaga has publicity, anticipation, huge peak and impact.

It's pretty close, but who is the defining artist of this generation? In 20 years, who will people automatically associate with the 2010s?

Rihanna, and it's not close at all. She has the talent, success, impact, and the longevity.

Rihanna. Gaga hasn't had the longevity or consistency to "define a generation".

Rihanna.

Ri

I'd say Gaga.

Can GaGa Please prove she'll have longevity first?

Well currently it's obviously Rihanna but I'm 99% positive that it will be GaGa by the end of the decade.

Don't count all of your ARTPOPs before they hatch, sis.

Rihanna, I guess

The defining artist of the last generation has shown that talent is neither required nor desired in order to be the face of a generation.

Rihanna of course

Well longevity is, and Lady Gaga still has a lot to prove when it comes to that. Her songs don't last long on the charts, her longest #1 is 6 weeks when everyone else (Rihanna, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Nelly Furtado, BEP, etc. have had much longer reigns). Radio doesn't support her songs for too long. Stay slayed from January and is still top 15 on Pop right now. Beyonce, Britney, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, P!nk, Christina Aguilera, and Rihanna have all been in the game for a while now. Lady Gaga has just made it to 5 years. We'll have to see how she fares.

Rih!

Still ? She was never the biggest pop star and right now She is because there is no Katy or Gaga or Britney you know

Rihanna, although I prefer Gaga myself.

LOL, Rihanna's Loud era went by unscathed by Born This Way. Good Girl Gone Bad was HUGE. Umbrella was the biggest song in the world that year (2007). You tried though.

Sis, you know they don't like to believe that music existed before 2008.