20 incredible musicians who made it big as teenagers

Justin Bieber’s career was set in motion early in his life thanks to a little invention called YouTube. After going viral on the platform, the powers that be in the music industry (namely Scooter Braun and fellow teenage sensation Usher) got teenaged Bieber to California and changed the game forever. 

Speaking of Usher, Justin Bieber’s mentor was just a teenager himself when he started his music career. He released his debut album at the ripe age of 15, and three years later, he was the hottest thing in R&B. 

Becoming famous as a teenager is truly nothing new. Michael Jackson first rose to fame as a pre-teen member of his family band Jackson 5, and his success continued throughout the rest of his life. 

Elvis Presley first tasted fame when he was 19 years old, thanks to his performances in the South. By the time he was 21, he was one of the most famous men in the country. 

Billie Eilish was just 18 years old when she swept the Big Four Grammy Awards. And that was just an exclamation mark on what had already been a huge year for the young artist. Eilish was more successful as a teenager than most people are at retirement. 

Before there was Billie Eilish, there was Lorde. The New Zealand sensation wasn’t yet a legal adult when she dropped Pure Heroine. The album remains as poignant today as it was then, and Lorde’s new music has evolved alongside her loyal audience. 

Ariana Grande was a teenager when she joined the cast of Victorious. While her role on the show wasn’t as big as others, she successfully made her own lane with her music, and she became one of the biggest pop stars in the world while still on the show. 

Taylor Swift’s eponymous debut album dropped when she was just 16 years old. The girl was still in high school. She blew up fast, though, and quickly swapped homeroom for sold-out tours. 

One of the best pop stars to ever do it, Britney Spears started her journey to fame on The Mickey Mouse Club. When she was 16, she released “...Baby One More Time,” and her fame status instantly became irreversible. 

Hayley Williams joined Paramore when she was 15. When she was 18 years old, their seminal album Riot dropped, and she quickly became one of the biggest pop punk stars in the world. 

The Jonas Brothers were part of the Disney machine that churned out multiple teen sensations. They had already released music by the time they joined the company, but two out of the three were still teenagers when Camp Rock premiered, sending them further into the fame stratosphere. 

Another Disney alum, Miley Cyrus was just 13 years old when Hannah Montana premiered. She faced more criticism than possibly any former Disney star as she transitioned out of the role, but she came out the other side with a fantastic career still intact. 

The Jonas Brothers weren’t the only teens whose fame skyrocketed thanks to Camp Rock. Demi Lovato was also part of the cast, and at just 16, she fully set her career in motion. 

What Billie Eilish and Lorde did was impressive, but it’s not quite as remarkable as LeAnn Rimes’ achievements. The singer rose to fame at the age of 13, and she won her first Grammy at 14. 

Many musical Justins have become famous as teenagers. Well, at least two have. Justin Timberlake entered Star Search and joined the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club as a pre-teen, and by age 14, he was part of NSYNC. 

JoJo was just a teenager when she first came on the scene. Her hits “Leave (Get Out)” and “Too Little Too Late” were so good it was almost unbelievable that a teen sang them. 

Some people are born with talent. Stevie Wonder is one such individual. His talent was clear from the beginning, and he was famous for his musicality by the time he was 13 years old. 

Rihanna’s been working on her craft for decades. The Barbadian beauty signed a record deal when she was 16 years old, and soon after that, her hits took the world by storm. 

Donny Osmond was a teenage sensation in the ‘70s. He’s been doing what he loves ever since, and his contributions to the music world have touched people of all generations. 

Brandy was only 15 when she released her debut album. And she was still in her teen years when she wrote and recorded her second studio album, which included the timeless hit “The Boy Is Mine.”