It may have taken almost a year, but American audiences finally found this British electro group. And more than anyone, ATRL's Charts section was watching with baited breath as La Roux's breakthrough single "Bulletproof" finally climbed to the top 10 on pop radio and the Billboard Hot 100 in summer 2010.
Essential track: "Bulletproof," a surprise crossover success
With the one-two punch of "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See," KT Tunstall had one of the most impressive and (surprisingly) successful crossovers into the American market of any British act in the 2000s. She never lived up to the success of her debut album Eye to the Telescope, but half a decade later, it still holds up.
Essential track: "Suddenly I See," which you may remember as the exit song for female contestants on the third season of "So You Think You Can Dance" and the soundtrack to approximately three thousand television commercials in 2006
Back in the heyday of "TRL," Jessica Simpson made her name fighting Mandy Moore for the title of America's Favorite Pop Tart... After Britney and Christina. She finally broke into the big leagues with her MTV reality hit "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica," which revived her music career: 2004 album In This Skin sold over two million copies and produced three top 20 singles. Sadly, it was not built to last. An ugly divorce, bad movie roles, an ill-advised foray into country music and unfortunate weight gain ensued, turning Simpson into a national punch line. Still, her ATRL stans stayed loud and proud--until the last two years, after her nth failed comeback attempt. Poor girl just can't catch a break...
Essential track: "With You," which marked the rebirth of her music career
The mid-2000s marked a fallow period for pop music, when radio refused to play anything but rap and hip-hop. America must have been itching for a breath of fresh air by 2007. How else to explain the success of Colbie Caillat, a folky California girl whose sun-kissed sounds are unlike almost any other mainstream artist before or after her?
The world is full of impostors and wannabes, but if you're looking for a true diva, look no further than the "Bossy" one herself. Since her fabulous 2003 breakthrough "Milkshake" -- which entered the national zeitgeist with its catchy refrain, "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard" -- Kelis has proven herself to be a surprisingly creative and visionary artist. Though she now frequents the discount bin, her 2010 electro album Flesh Tone earned rave reviews and two smashes on the dance charts (exquisite singles "Acapella" and "4th of July [Fireworks]").
Essential track: What else but "Milkshake," one of the best songs of the last decade?
Thanks for watching Episode 1: #100-91 of The 100 Most Essential Artists of ATRL! Rewatch it from the beginning here or check out the entire countdown thus far, and then come back tomorrow for part 2.
At one point, this star of Disney's hit movie franchise High School Musical seemed like a star in the making. But her career never really took off the way we all thought: subsequent films and her solo musical efforts flopped. These days, Vanessa Hudgens is more known for an embarassing nude photo scandal and being Zac Efron's (recently ex-)girlfriend. Nevertheless, many ATRL members still love them some Baby V.
Essential track: Radio Disney favorite "Come Back To Me"