American Music Awards winners for Artist of the Year, ranked

There’s no doubt Madonna is a pop icon who has inspired future entertainers since the ‘80s. She released her ninth studio album, "American Life," in 2003 with songs such as the album title track and “Hollywood.” However, this album was her lowest-selling project of her career at the time. 

After releasing his first Christmas album in 2003, Kenny returned the following year with "When The Sun Goes Down." His singles such as the title track and “There Goes My Life” reached the top of the Billboard charts.

Rock band U2 released its 10th studio album, "All That You Can’t Leave Behind," in 2000. It spawned the singles such as “Beautiful Day,” “Elevation” and “Walk On.”

Although this award was granted three years after Kelly Clarkson was crowned the first winner of "American Idol," her sophomore album, "Breakaway," had to live up to the hype of her debut project. Luckily her singles such as “Since You Been Gone” and “Because of You” became top radio hits.

Taylor Swift released her sophomore album, "Fearless," in 2008. It spawned the hits like “Love Story," “White Horse” and “You Belong With Me.” This became Swift's first time being named AMA Artist of the Year. 

A few years after finishing third on the talent competition "The X Factor," One Direction released its third studio album, "Midnight Memories," in 2013. The band’s Where We Are Tour became the highest-grossing concert tour in 2014.

Country artist Garth Brooks will arguably go down in history as the most discussed Artist of the Year. Although he was crowned the winner, he refused to accept the award. He reiterated that many artists deserve the honor and left the trophy at the podium before walking away. Backstage, Brooks stressed how much he believed Hootie & the Blowfish should have been crowned the winners. 

Once Garth Brooks refused to accept the award, the honor was given to R&B girl group TLC. In 1995, TLC released hits such as “Red Light Special” and “Waterfalls," ultimately becoming one the best-selling girl groups of all time. 

Country favorites Rascal Flatts were on their fourth studio album, "Me and My Gang," at the time. It became the best-selling album in 2006 with hits such as “What Hurts The Most” and “Life is a Highway.”

Boy bands were all the rave in the late 1990s and early 2000s. *NSYNC’s third album, "No Strings Attached," sold a million copies in one day and featured singles such as “Bye Bye Bye” and “It’s Gonna Be Me.” The multiplatinum project was the best-selling album in 2000.

Chris Brown released his sophomore album, "Exclusive," in 2007. Working with producers like Bryan-Michael Cox, The Dream, Kanye West and Swizz Beatz, Brown kept his momentum as a major artist with singles like “Kiss Kiss,” “With You” and “Forever.”

Justin Bieber released his third studio album, "Believe," in the summer of 2012. He continued working with his mentors, Usher and Scooter Braun, while also landing production from Diplo, Hitboy, Rodney "Darkchild Jerkins" and others. The lead singles, “Boyfriend” and “As Long As You Love Me,” became instant hits.

On Ariana Grande's third studio album, "Dangerous Woman," the pop star was ready to show a more mature side to her artistry. The album featured singles such as “Into You," “Side To Side" and the title track. 

In 2010 Taylor Swift released her third album, "Speak Now," which sold a million copies in its first week. She continued with her country-pop theme on singles such as “Mine” and “The Story of Us.” Swift secured the Artist of the Year title for the second time in her career. 

For the second year in a row, boy band favorite One Direction landed the same honor for Artist of the Year. Just as the band was gaining momentum with hits like “Steal My Girl” and “Night Changes,” band member Zayn Malik announced his departure from the band in March 2015 to focus on a solo career. Some of the other members would soon follow suit. 

Bruno Mars is the type of artist who can take a number of years in between new music releases. However, when he does, he’s breaking records left and right. His third album, "24K Magic," highlighted Mars tapping into a more '90s R&B sound with hits such as “That’s What I Like” and “Versace on the Floor.”

After winning the fourth season of "American Idol," Carrie Underwood took the country music world by storm. Her debut album, "Some Hearts," broke records for the best-selling album in 2006, thanks to her singles like “Jesus, Take The Wheel” and “Don’t Forget To Remember Me.”

It's safe to say that the Artist of the Year Award could easily be renamed the Taylor Swift Award. In late 2017 Swift released her sixth studio album, "Reputation," which featured tracks surrounding themes of fame and dealing with media criticism. The album garnered several singles such as "Look What You Made Me Do" and "End Game." 

After being discovered on YouTube performing covers of songs, Justin Bieber signed a record deal and landed Usher as his mentor. Bieber's debut album featured hits such as “Baby” and “Somebody to Love.” He became a top winner of the night during his first American Music Awards appearance. 

The crown for the most wins as Artist of the Year goes to Taylor Swift. Her fourth studio album, "Red," was her last to feature her signature country sound before moving into the pop realm. Playing into her typical album themes on love and heartbreak, the album included singles such as “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.” If her past wins are any inclination of her current nominations, Swift would be a top favorite to gain the title for the fifth time at this year's event where she also will be honored as Artist of the Decade.