These 20 songs were breakout hits for super-famous celebrities

It may be hard to remember a time before Lizzo was part of the zeitgeist, but that time did exist. Thanks to her work on “Truth Hurts,” we’re past that time. “Truth Hurts” also proved that sleeper hits can also be breakout hits, as the song was released a couple of years before it gained widespread traction. 

The Weeknd is one of the biggest artists in the world with literally the biggest song ever to exist, “Blinding Lights.” But before everyone bobbed their heads to that, they were dancing along to “Can’t Feel My Face,” which served as his breakout hit. 

No, we’re not talking about the artist Tim McGraw’s self-titled album. We’re talking about Taylor Swift’s first single. Before she crossed over to pop, Swift released her debut country song “Tim McGraw” to the world, and it set her on a path to make history and make history again. 

We all know Freddie Mercury and company now, but the bygone singer and his band had to become famous somehow. They did so with the help of their single “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” After that, everyone wanted to hear more from Queen. 

Lady Gaga had a few popular songs before “Bad Romance,” but when she dropped that single, the whole world paid attention. After “Bad Romance,” Gaga quickly ascended to pop superstardom, and she’s been living in that stratosphere ever since. 

Everything Alicia Keys sings is good. She’s got too good of a voice for anything to sound bad. But not as many people were listening to her work before “No One.” That song changed things for her and, by extension, R&B. 

Dolly Parton has quite the discography, but it wasn’t until “Jolene” that she had such a big audience. The song made her career, and it’s still one of her most famous songs. To many, it’s defined her career. 

Olivia Rodrigo is one of the most famous young singers on the planet, and it’s all thanks to her hit “drivers license.” That song spread like wildfire in 2021, and it gave Rodrigo the steam she needed to hit the top of the singles and album charts that year. 

Make no mistake: Miley Cyrus was plenty famous before releasing “Party in the U.S.A.” However, most of her audience couldn’t even drive. “Party in the U.S.A.” put Cyrus in a new class — one where listeners of all ages were interested. 

Like Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé had already found fame before “Crazy in Love,” thanks to Destiny’s Child. However, that single allowed her to break away from her identity within the band and emerge as the singular force that she is today. 

People in the hip-hop community were already well aware of Kanye West prior to 2005, but when he collaborated with Jamie Foxx for “Gold Digger,” the entire world was playing his tunes. There was no turning back for him after that song came out. 

There’s no better way to announce yourself than with a song called “My Name Is.” Although Eminem didn’t refer to himself by his actual stage name in the song, the hit solidified his place in music history and made everyone want to listen to whatever he came out with next. 

You might remember where you were the first time you heard the song “Chasing Pavements.” You were probably wondering whose voice was behind the gorgeous melody. Of course, it was Adele and her career only went up from there. 

Yes, once upon a time Rihanna did make music. It’s actually what made her famous. And “Pon de Replay” was the single that put her on everybody’s radar. She followed up with even better songs, showing she would be around for a long time. 

OG fans will argue that “One Time” was Justin Bieber’s breakout hit. Although “One Time” did introduce him to scores of new fans, he was seen by most as an artist for tweens. It wasn’t until “Baby” that the Biebs achieved widespread acclaim. 

Britney Spears’ breakout song is arguably the best in her discography. Yes, she’s had lots of hits come along since, but none have been quite as good as “...Baby One More Time.”

Before she released “The Way,” Ariana Grande was just a girl with red hair playing a legitimately insane person on children’s TV. But her first big hit showed the world that Grande was much, much bigger than Nickelodeon. 

It was all over for the other singers when Elton John came on the scene. He did so with “Your Song,” and he sang and played his way on the piano into the musical hearts of millions. 

True Mariah Carey and true ‘90s music fans will remember “Vision of Love,” Carey’s first hit. It was lauded as a great debut for a vocalist, and it started her career. Decades later, though, it’s far from Carey’s best work. 

“Ocean Eyes” did a lot to get Billie Eilish’s career started. It laid the groundwork. But it was “bad guy” from her Grammy-winning debut studio album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” that caught the attention of, well, everyone in America and even more people beyond. Music hasn’t been the same since.