From challenging social norms to breaking barriers, these musical icons left an indelible mark on society. Join us as we explore how pop stars transformed culture, politics, and human rights through their platform and influence. From fighting for artistic rights to advocating for social justice, these moments changed the world forever.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the pop stars that have helped shape history as we know it.
00:19Number 10. Britney Spears' conservatorship and legal battle.
00:22Being a beloved pop icon may seem like a dream life, but you never know what's going on behind closed doors.
00:30Listen in my life, then why do these fears come at night?
00:37Though Britney Spears seemed like she had it all, for over a decade she was forced into a conservatorship by her own father.
00:43This led to a 13-year period of prolonged exploitation, including being forced to work and being cut off from her finances.
00:50It was finally dissolved in 2021 after a lengthy legal battle, but things didn't end there.
00:56Owning an ATM card, seeing cash for the first time, being able to buy candles, it's the little things for us women, but it makes a huge difference.
01:05Her case helped shine a light on conservatorship abuse happening across the country.
01:09It even had a bearing on the legislative process, with multiple proposed acts and bills, with one even being signed into California law.
01:17It just makes no common sense that the court would have imposed this, and certainly when it saw the history of her earnings and working, that it would have continued it.
01:25Number 9. Spice Girls and Girl Power
01:28You know you're an icon when you can turn a general platitude into a worldwide phenomenon.
01:33This is about girl power. This is not about picking up guys. This is about girl power. Have you got girl power, Eden?
01:40Besides their infectiously fun tracks, the Spice Girls are also known for helping popularise feminism, both within their fan base through the promotion of girl power.
01:49By putting a focus onto genuine friendship between women, they both counteracted the popular culture at the time, and acted as a stepping stone into the political ideology.
01:58I know you represent girl power. Tell us about it.
02:00It's about spreading a positive vibe, kicking it for the girls.
02:05Having a laugh.
02:05Though the group broke up in 2001, their message still rings true today.
02:10Besides girl power receiving its own dictionary definition in 2002, the group's wannabe song was even used by the United Nations in a 2016 global campaign highlighting gender equality.
02:21If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get rid of my friends. Make it last forever. Friendship never ends.
02:30Number 8. BTS addressing United Nations General Assembly
02:33Popular musicians and international politics may not seem like they would mesh well, but some artists are more than capable of rising to the task.
02:52In 2018, K-pop band BTS had the chance to speak at the United Nations General Assembly, and it was an opportunity they took seriously.
03:00No matter who you are, where you're from, your skin color, your gender identity, just speak yourself.
03:08Delivered by Kim Namjoon, otherwise known as RM, the group called for an end to violence against youth, with RM citing his own tribulations as a child as proof.
03:18They also spoke out about their Love Yourself campaign, spotlighting how it's been able to help their fans around the globe.
03:23Last November, BTS launched the Love Myself campaign with Youssef, building on our belief that true love first begins with loving myself.
03:33It was a defining moment that proved that huge stars could successfully advocate their causes without relying on fanfare.
03:40Number 7. Lady Gaga's LGBTQIA plus advocacy
03:44Continuously fighting for a group's rights is commendable on its own, and even more so when it isn't the popular opinion.
03:57Since the beginning of her career, Lady Gaga has prioritized advocating for the LGBTQIA plus community.
04:03We are the ones coming up in the world, and we must continue to push this movement forward and close the gap.
04:13Whether it was writing anthems or speaking at national events, she's made it clear that her activism is anything but performative.
04:19She incorporated it into every aspect of her career, from songs like Born This Way to some of her most iconic red carpet looks.
04:26She's still vocal in her support to this day, showing that immense money and success doesn't have to come at the cost of your own values.
04:32Trans people are not invisible.
04:37Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up.
04:42Number 6. Taylor Swift's Masters Battle
04:45It takes a huge platform to successfully put the spotlight on an unprecedented issue.
04:50My contract says that starting November 2020, so next year, I can record albums one through five all over again.
04:57So I'm very excited about it.
05:00As part of Taylor Swift's initial contract with Big Machine Records, they had full ownerships over the masters of her first six albums.
05:08When her time with them was coming to a close, she tried to buy them back, only for the label to attempt to strong arm her into staying.
05:14I made it very clear that I wanted to be able to buy my music.
05:17That opportunity was not given to me, and it was sold to somebody else.
05:22Things continued to escalate between the two parties.
05:25In 2018, Taylor signed on with Republic Records, with a stipulation that she would fully own her albums.
05:30This led to her re-recording her earlier work, an ongoing moment of reclamation that has led to her dominating the charts and earning her support from politicians and artists alike.
05:40Number five, Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show.
05:54To say he's merely famous would be an understatement, and moments like this prove exactly why.
05:58Elvis Presley was already a beloved star by the time he was first booked on The Ed Sullivan Show, and all it took was one appearance for him to be catapulted to the top.
06:19By that point, he'd already earned the nickname, Elvis the Pelvis, for his signature dance moves, and in an effort to maintain the wholesome energy of the show, it was primarily filmed from the waist up.
06:30Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go.
06:41However, the audience's reactions made it clear that there was much more than what was being shown.
06:45This sensationalisation, combined with his iconic croon, made for a perfect storm, netting the episode 60 million viewers and cementing his celebrity status nationwide.
07:03Number four, Madonna challenging the Catholic Church.
07:06Pop stars taking a stand have always gotten attention.
07:09I hear you call my name, and it feels like home.
07:20Though she's a Catholic herself, Madonna has never been afraid to push the boundaries set by the institution.
07:26There's no better proof of this than like a prayer, a music video oozing with religious imagery presented in an untraditionally provocative way.
07:33Give me my power, I can feel your power, just like a friend, you know I'll take you there.
07:42It immediately resulted in backlash from various devout groups, and even caught the attention of Pope John Paul II.
07:48He called for her to be boycotted in Italy, leading to it being pulled from airing.
07:52Burning crosses, look.
07:53Yes, I do think it's in bad taste.
07:55She's sleeping with the priest.
07:56Wait, wait, okay.
07:57Despite all the backlash, it went on to be a smash success, and demonstrated the power of free publicity.
08:04Number three, Live Aid.
08:05Celebrities using their immense fame and fortune for good is always a welcome sight.
08:09In an effort to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia, Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats planned the ultimate fundraising event, Live Aid.
08:18Mama, have you just begun?
08:24But now I'm gonna prove it all.
08:27Teaming with the hottest stars at the time, Live Aid raised millions for the cause, and gave a huge boost to those that participated.
08:36Its legacy doesn't just begin and end in 1985.
08:40We can be heroes!
08:43Just for one day.
08:45Geldof continued to advocate for Africa for decades afterwards, cementing it as part of his legacy.
08:51On a larger scale, the event completely revolutionized the way that crises were reported on, a ripple effect that's still clear in news broadcasts today.
09:00I mean, I'm proud of it because we achieved something that we, a goal that we had no idea that we would attain.
09:09Number two, Michael Jackson breaking the MTV color barrier.
09:12It's hard to fathom, but when MTV debuted, videos from black artists were not really shown.
09:17Certainly not to the extent of white artists.
09:19I'll ride with you all night.
09:25This you and your dear.
09:27Sunlight.
09:29Even artists as culturally significant as Michael Jackson struggle to get airtime.
09:34That all changed in the mid-1980s, when Jackson released Billie Jean.
09:37Once the song hit number one, it entered their heavy rotation, opening the door for a host of other black artists.
09:48The pop star then sealed the deal with Thriller, a 15-minute-long masterpiece that pushed the boundaries of what a music video could be.
09:55It's close to midnight.
09:58Something evil's lurking in the dark.
10:02As a result, MTV began to shift away from pure rock and show more clips from other genres.
10:07Allowing more black musicians to have their art broadcast.
10:11Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
10:17You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
10:21If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
10:27Number one, The Beatles and the British Invasion.
10:30It's wild to think that just one band helped expose the world to a whole country's worth of incredible art.
10:36To say The Beatles were iconic would be an understatement.
10:39I love them.
10:40I don't care what anybody thinks.
10:41I love The Beatles for them and I'll always love them.
10:43Even when I'm 105 and an old grandmother, I'll love them.
10:47Their immense popularity had an impact on their fellow countrymen,
10:50with several British artists hitting the American charts soon after they did.
10:54They revived the culture of their home country in a way never seen before,
10:57with everything from music to movies being beloved on an international scale.
11:02One, two, three, four, can I have a little more?
11:07Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, I love you.
11:11Beyond creative pursuits, the band had a major impact on Britain's finances
11:15and were even a major talking point in the 1964 election.
11:19It's no wonder why they're still considered one of the most important groups in music history to this day.
11:24Which pop star do you think has had the largest historical impact?
11:36Let us know in the comments below.
11:38We are the champions for fame.
11:44Do you agree with our picks?
11:45Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
11:48And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
11:54We'll see you next time.