# Cultural impact of Britney Spears

American singer Britney Spears has had a significant cultural impact on the music industry through her music, visuals, and lifestyle. Since her debut in 1998, Spears has become a cultural figure, often becoming the subject of analysis. Being one of the best-selling artists of all time, she has garnered commercial success through Billboard charts and other achievements. Spears has since been referred to as the "Princess of Pop" in the media.
In the late 1990s, Spears released her debut single "...Baby One More Time" and album of the same name to worldwide success, ultimately influencing pop music and bubblegum pop in the early 2000s. Spears's music videos have also played a significant role in shaping pop culture and being paid homage to by numerous artists and celebrities. In 2011, she received the MTV Video Vanguard Award, for her "outstanding contributions" and "profound impact" on music videos and pop culture. Spears is also one of the best-selling artists of all time, garnering commercial success through the Billboard charts.
Spears's music has had an impact on the LGBTQ+ community and culture. She has used her platform and voice to support the LGBTQ+ community, from the Dream Act to anti-transgender bills in Texas. Her freedom after her conservatorship abuse touched her queer fans by sharing their stories. Songs like "Stronger" have been an inspirational anthem for a generation of the LGBTQ+ people. In 1999, Spears opened up the Britney Spears Foundation which provided an opportunity to children in long-term hospitals to express themselves through performing. Spears also donated through the charity and raised money.

## Fame and stardom

Spears is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and has released nine studio albums along with several successful singles. Spears has been noted by authors and journalists of her impact in the music industry. Journalists from Billboard have cited Spears as one of the greatest pop song artists of all time, placing her at number six on the list. Spears has also been listed as one of the main references of Millennials.
Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", Spears is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Spears has also been deemed as one of the greatest pop artists.

### Honourifics

Billboard ranked Spears eighth overall as one of the greatest artists of the 2000s decade, and the fifth female overall. Billboard ranked Spears 58th overall as one of the Greatest of All Time Artists, and the 15th female overall.
In 2016, Spears was honored with the Billboard Millennium Award, which periodically recognize singers of great impact and influence in the music industry. She is one of the three artists to receive this achievement (alongside Beyoncé and Whitney Houston) and, as of 2024, the last person to receive this recognition.
In 2018, Spears was honored the GLAAD Vanguard Award by the GLAAD Media Awards for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD's work to accelerate acceptance of the LGBTQ community.

## Commercial success
### Billboard achievements

Spears has set numerous Billboard achievements, being named the top female artist of 1999 by the magazine. Billboard ranked her the 8th overall Artist of the Decade, and also recognized her as the best-selling female album artist of the 21st century's first decade, as well as the 5th overall. By the end of the 2000s decade, Billboard ranked Spears second on the Billboard 200 Artists Decade End Chart, behind Eminem, and 36th on the Billboard Hot 100 Artists Decade End. Billboard placed Spears 8th on 'The 100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time' and 6th on the 'Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century'. Billboard placed Spears as the ‘Greatest Pop Star By Year: 1981-2023’ for 1999.
Spears was also ranked 20th on the Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists. In 2009, she was recognized as the 10th best-selling solo artist on Billboard. In 2011, Spears became the second artist in history to debut at number one with two or more songs on the Billboard Hot 100, ("3" and "Hold It Against Me").
Spears became the first new female artist to have a number-one single and number-one album on the Billboard 200 at the same time; and the first new artist (male or female) to have a single go to the number-one spot the same week that the album debuted at number-one. Spears is also the youngest female in Billboard's history to have a simultaneous single and album at number one in the same week, and became the fifth artist under the age of 18 to top the Billboard 200.

### RIAA achievements

Additionally, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recognized Spears as the ninth best-selling female artist in the United States. Spears serves as one of the few artists in history to have a number-one single and studio album in each of the three decades of their career—1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.
Spears is one of the best-selling music artists of all time and one of the best-selling female artists of all time, selling over 150 million records worldwide.
In 2024, Spears became one of the few artists to have a platinum single in four consecutive decades.
Spears also became the 12th artist to have top-ten entries in four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s).
In the United States, Spears is the fourth best-selling female album artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era, as well as the best-selling female album artist of the 2000s. Before she turned 20 in 2001, Spears had sold over 37 million albums worldwide".
Other achievements
In 1999, Spears was Inducted into the Young Hollywood Hall of Fame (Music Artist Category).
In 2003, Spears received a Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (Recording Category) at the age of 21, making her the youngest singer to be inducted.
In 2013, Spears’ sales reached 13 million records in the United Kingdom, according to the Official Charts Company. "...Baby One More Time" was the best-selling single in 1999 in the United Kingdom.
Spears is listed by the Guinness World Records as having the "Best-selling album by a teenage solo artist" for her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time. From 2000 to 2011, Spears set 14 Guinness World Records. She still currently holds eleven records including Best-selling album by a teenage solo artist (…Baby One More Time), Fastest-selling album by a teenage solo artist (Oops!… I Did It Again), Best-selling teenage artist and Youngest female to have five number-one studio albums.

### Album achievements

…Baby One More Time (1999)
* …Baby One More Time the album and its lead single ("...Baby One More Time") went number-one simultaneously (Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200) making her the first new female artist to do this. Spears also became the first new female artist to have her first single and first album at number one the same week. …Baby One More Time was certified diamond less than a year after its release, making Spears the youngest artist to receive that certification, at 18 years old at the time. The album is also certified diamond in Canada. …Baby One More Time became the 14th album since 1991 to sell over ten million copies in the US, and Spears became the best-selling female artist of 1999. It was also the second best-selling album of 1999 overall. The album is also the best selling album by a teenage female artist of all time, according to the Guinness World Records, and one of the best-selling albums of all time, selling an estimated 25 million copies worldwide. ...Baby One More Time is one of the best-selling albums in the United States and the Philippines. It was also the seventh highest-selling album of 1999 in Australia.
Oops!… I Did It Again (2000)
* Oops!... I Did It Again sold a whopping 1,319,193 million copies in its first-week, holding the record for the fastest-selling album by a female artist and the largest first-week sales for a female album for 15 years. In 2005, the album was certified diamond, making Spears the youngest artist of all time to have more than one diamond albums (…Baby One More Time and Oops!… I Did It Again). Oops!... I Did It Again became best-selling female album, the third best-selling album of 2000 in the United States and fourth best-selling album according to Billboard Year-End of 2000. By the end of 2000, it had sold 15 million copies worldwide. It is one of the 15 best-performing 21st-century albums. The album is one of the best-selling albums of all time with over 20 million copies sold. Every chart the album charted on, peaked within the top 10, the majority of the peaks being number-one, the lowest being number-10 in Poland.
Britney (2001)
* Britney made Spears the first female artist to have her first three studio albums debut atop the chart (first-week sales of 746,000 copies). Spears also held the second-highest debut album sales of 2001, and the album was the highest debut-week sales by a female artist of the year. Britney was the 3rd best-selling female album (second exclu. bands) and the fifth best-selling album of 2001 globally, selling seven million copies. With worldwide sales of over 10 million copies, Britney is one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century and one of the best-selling albums by a woman along with …Baby One More Time and Oops!… I Did It Again. In 2002, Britney was the 2nd female album on the Top Billboard 200 Album and 8th overall.
In the Zone (2003)
* In the Zone became Spears’ fourth number-one album, still making her the first female artist to have her first four albums reach number one and also the youngest artist to have four number albums. Spears also became the second female artist in Billboard's history to have four consecutive number-one albums, behind Janet Jackson. It initially registered the highest first-week sales of 2003 for a female artist for two weeks. In the Zone was the eighth best-selling album of 2003 worldwide. In 2004, In the Zone was the 3rd female album on the Top Billboard 200 Album and 8th overall.
Blackout (2007)
* Despite being Spears’ first studio album to not peak at number one due to Billboard's last-minute rule change, Spears set the record for the highest first-week digital sales for a female artist at the time. Blackout served as Spears’ fourth studio album to sell over 100,000 copies in its first-week in the U.S. Blackout was the world's 32nd best-selling album of 2007 and the 11th best-selling album by a female. Blackout's lead single "Gimme More" was Spears’ fourth album to garner Spears another top 10 single, peaking at number-three on the Hot 100 ("...Baby One More Time number-one, "Oops!... I Did It again" number-nine and "Toxic"). In 2007, Blackout was 138th on the Top Billboard 200 Album and 85th on the list in 2008.
Circus (2008)
* Circus became Spears’ fifth number-one album, opening with 505,000 copies in its first week, it also registered as the second biggest debut-week sales of 2008 for a female artist. The album spent nine weeks within the top ten, making it Spears's longest-running top-ten album since Oops!... I Did It Again. Circus served as Spears’ second album with a number-one single, "Womanizer". In less than a month, it became the ninth best-selling album of 2008 in the country and the second best-selling album by a female. The album was fourth on the year-end Top Billboard 200 Albums list (female) and 6th overall in 2009.
* Femme Fatale (2011)
* Femme Fatale became Spears’ sixth number one-album, giving Spears her sixth debut at the top of the chart and leaves her in a four-way tie for third most number-one albums for a female artist. In Germany, the album debuted at number ten, making it her seventh consecutive top-ten studio album. Femme Fatale served as Spears’ third album with a number-one single, "Hold It Against Me". Spears is one of the few to have an album peak at number one in three different decades. Femme Fatale was Spears’ successful era of singles on the US charts. The album was the 12th top-selling album of 2011 in its mid-year. In 2011, Femme Fatale was 31st on the Top Billboard 200 Album and the 11th female album on the list.
Britney Jean (2013)
* Britney Jean became Spears’ eighth studio album to sell more than 100,000 copies in its first week (107,000), also becoming her eighth consecutive top five album in the U.S. It is also Spears’ eighth studio album to be certified Gold or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album was 74th on the year-end Top Billboard 200 Albums list overall and the 18th female album on the list in 2014.
Glory (2016)
* Glory became Spears’ ninth studio album to sell more than 100,000 copies in its first week (111,000), also becoming her ninth consecutive top five album in the U.S. The album was certified Gold in Canada, becoming Spears’ ninth studio album to be certified Silver, Gold or higher in the country. Despite only being on the charts for eight weeks, Glory was 172nd on the year-end Top Billboard 200 Albums list overall in 2016.

### Other album achievements

Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (2004)
* Greatest Hits: My Prerogative peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 255,000 copies. Despite not peaking at number one, the album was Spears’ fifth overall album to peak within the five in the U.S. The compilation album has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.
The Singles Collection (2009)
* The Singles Collection peaked at number 22 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 26,800 copies. In 2015, the album had reported to of sold over 250,000 copies alone in the U.S. The compilation album is Spears' longest-charting album on the UK Albums Chart, due both to its initial chart run and resurgent success beginning in 2021.
Tour Achievements
According to Pollstar, Spears has grossed more than $485 million in revenue throughout her career, making Spears the eighth Highest Grossing Female Soloist, having sold more than 6.07 million tickets.
Spears’ Oops!... I Did It Again Tour was the 10th overall Top 10 Tours of 2000 and the 3rd for a female artist (inclu. girl bands). Her Dream Within a Dream Tour was 6th on Billboard's Top 25 tours in 2001/2. The Onyx Hotel Tour was 18th on Billboard's Top 25 Tours in 2004. The Circus: Starring Britney Spears was the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2009 and was 7th on Billboard's Top 25 Tours of 2009. The Femme Fatale Tour was 11th on Pollstar’s Top tours of 2011 worldwide. In 2013, Spears embarked on her Las Vegas Residency, Britney: Piece of Me. The residency lasted 248 shows until 2017. The last show of the residency on December 31, 2017, broke the record for the highest-grossing single concert in a theater residency ever in Las Vegas. The residency scored a box office of $137.7 million. Britney: Piece of Me was 6th on the 25 Biggest Concert Residencies of All Time. In 2018, Spears embarked on the Piece of Me Tour. The tour ranked at numbers 86 and 30 on Pollstar's 2018 Year-End Top 100 Tours chart both in North America and worldwide, respectively.

## Endorsements

In 1999, Spears released a dolls line produced by Play Along Toys. The dolls were a huge success, with the initial doll selling over 800,000 units. To date, over 5 million of the assorted Britney Dolls have been sold. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the doll is the second best-selling celebrity doll of all time, behind only the Spice Girls dolls. Production of the doll was later discontinued sometime in late 2001 or early 2002, however, it has become a collector's item among her fans and doll collectors, usually sold on eBay.
In 2002, Spears starred in the teen movie Crossroads, directed by Tamra Davis, alongside Zoe Saldaña and Taryn Manning. The movie was a box-office hit, grossing $61.1 million worldwide on a $10‒12 million budget. The film was panned by critics, however, Spears' performance was praised, being nominated for two MTV Movie Awards and three Teen Choice Awards.
In 2004, Spears endorsed her first Elizabeth Arden perfume, Curious, in 2004, and made $100 million in sales in its first year and was the top selling fragrance of the year. As of 2009, Spears claimed to have sold 30 million bottles worldwide. As of 2012, her fragrances brand had grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide. According to a Daily Express newspaper report in 2013, a bottle of a Spears fragrance was sold every 15 seconds worldwide. Also in 2013, the Hollywood Reporter reported that "Curious" had sold more than 500 million bottles over its first decade. In 2021, Spears's brother Bryan claimed that her perfume sales had grossed $100 billion. As of June 2024, Spears has released 44 fragrances under her brand.
In October 2023, Spears released her memoir The Woman In Me, which was one of the biggest books of the year, becoming a number one New York Times best-seller and selling 1.1 million copies in its first week in the United States. Spears signed a $15 million book deal to write the book, which is one of the biggest book deals of all time, alongside Bill Clinton, who also received $15 million to write his memoir My Life. As of January 11, 2024, The Woman in Me has sold over two million copies in the US, according to People magazine. The book also debuted atop the Amazon's best-selling "new release" books and generated significant increases in streaming and sales for Spears.The Woman In Me became the second best-selling memoir of 2023, only behind Spare by Prince Harry. The audio version also debuted at number one and sales through all print and digital versions combined reached 170,000 units. Worldwide, as of November 1, 2023, it sold an estimated amount of 2.4 million copies in print sales. Three months after its release, the memoir was deemed the "#1 listened to title on Spotify". Before its release, Spears claimed that it was the best-selling celebrity memoir of all time.
Spears has endorsed several brands throughout her career, including Pepsi, Polaroid, McDonald's, Hasbro, Versace, NFL, Skechers, Got Milk?, Tommy Hilfiger, Clairol, Herbal Essences, Samsung, Nabisco, Virgin Mobile, Zappos, Kenzo, Sbarro, ABC, HBO, Candies, Lidl, Kohls, Starburst candy, Eos, iHeart Radio, Kirin Company, Apple Music, Disney, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toyota. She has also included endorsements in her music videos for brands such as Bvlgari, Swarovski, Volkswagen, Mazda, MateFit, Plenty of Fish, Beats Electronics, Sony, Nokia, Lamborghini, and Samsung.

## Creative inspiration
### Influences

Throughout her career, Spears's impact on popular culture has inspired and influenced numerous recording artists and acts. Various artists include:
* Addison Rae
* Alice Chater
* Ariana Madix
* Bebe Rexha
* Becky G
* Billie Eilish
* Blake Lively
* Cassie
* Chappell Roan
* Charlie Brooker
* Charli XCX
* Chapin Sisters
* Cheryl Cole
* Demi Lovato
* Derrick Barry
* Dua Lipa
* Grimes
* Hailee Steinfeld
* Halsey
* Heidi Montag
* Hillary Duff
* Jade Thirlwall
* Katy Perry
* Kelly Key
* Kim Petras
* Kylie Cantrall
* Lady Gaga
* Lana Del Rey
* Leah Wellbaum of Slothrust
* Little Boots
* Lucy Hale
* Lily-Rose Depp
* Madison Beer
* Madonna
* Marina Diamandis
* Meghan Trainor
* Miley Cyrus
* Normani
* Olivia Rodrigo
* Olly Alexander
* Pabllo Vittar
* Paris Hilton
* Perrie Edwards
* Rina Sawayama
* Rita Ora
* Sam Smith
* Selena Gomez
* Shania Twain
* Slayyyter
* Tate McRae
* Tegan and Sara
* The-Dream
* The Weeknd
* Troye Sivan
* Victoria Justice
* Zara Larsson

### In the Zone impact

In late 2003, Spears released her fourth studio album In the Zone, which was deemed a metamorphosis for Spears by numerous critics. In the Zone was the transition into adulthood, where Spears expressed her maturity and sexuality. Stephen Thomas Erlewineof AllMusic commented: "If 2001's Britney was a transitional album, capturing Spears at the point when she wasn't a girl and not yet a woman, its 2003 follow-up, In the Zone, is where she has finally completed that journey and turned into Britney, the Adult Woman." Spears explained that the album's sexual nature (e.g. "Touch of my Hand") was subconscious and emerged while she was in the process of developing the album. In the Zone received positive reviews upon its release, with music critics widely praising its innovative production, aesthetics, lyricism and blend of eclectic genres, though some criticized Spears' vocals on certain tracks for being distant and processed.
Several critics have credited In the Zone for influencing pop music of the 2000s. Celebrating the album's 15th anniversary in 2018, Jason Lipshutz of Billboard claimed it "signaled a more mature direction for Spears as she explored electronic music and hip-hop like never before. And the record's lyrics — which referenced her breakup with Justin Timberlake and pushed back at her critics in the media — celebrated new levels of independence and candor for the singer.
Various artists have paid homage to In the Zone including The Weekend, Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Ethel Cain.

### Covers and samples

Spears's discography has been covered and sampled across the music world by a variety of artists. These artists include Ariana Grande, Ashley Tisdale, Ed Sheeran, Fall Out Boy, Ethel Cain, Hailee Steinfeld, Harry Styles, Hozier, Kelly Clarkson, Lewis Capaldi, Lorde, Madonna, Måneskin, Meghan Trainor, Melanie Martinez, Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter, Selena Gomez, Sofia Carson, Slayyyyter, Sia, Taio Cruz, Taylor Swift, Tori Kelly and more. American singer Beyoncé sampled "Toxic" during her Renaissance World Tour (2023). American singer Halsey interpolated Spears's "Lucky" for her single with the same title.

### Fashion

Spears had a significant impact on fashion in the early 2000s, particularly with the Y2K style. Some of her most iconic looks include low-rise jeans, crop tops, cargo pants, and bedazzled, glitter-strewn embellishments.
Multiple journalists have pointed out Spears's influence on the fashion choices of several celebrities, including Kendall Jenner, Normani, Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa, Meghan Fox, Millie Bobby Brown, Sydney Sweeney, Hailey Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Paris Hilton, Katy Perry, Brie Larson, Jessica Alba, Tyra Banks, Blake Lively, Sabrina Carpenter, Kourtney Kardashian, Tate McRae and more. Overall, Spears's impact on early 2000s fashion and the Y2K style has been significant and continues to inspire fashion trends today.