1. Taylor Swift
To say Taylor Swift had a remarkable year would be a comic understatement. She sold more albums than any artist not named Michael Jackson. Her first headlining tour, Fearless 2009, sold out every show within minutes. She became the youngest woman to win the Country Music Assn.'s entertainer of the year award, and she set seemingly every chart record that exists. But most important, she proved herself a graceful, timeless celebrity, handling hosting duties on "Saturday Night Live" and a rampaging Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards with equal aplomb. We caught up with her on the phone from London to discuss her exhilarating last 12 months.
Have you spent much time reflecting on your growth in the past year?
I do a lot of reflecting. I'll be driving down the streets I used to drive down in Nashville and my song will come on the radio or I'll pass my high school and something will remind me of how my life was before all of these crazy dreams started coming true. We wished for this, my parents and I, every single day without actually believing it would come true.
Read Taylor Swift's full Artist of the Year Billboard Q&A
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