Mariah Carey

The first half of the decade was marked by personal and professional meltdown for Mariah Carey, but after 2008's E=MC2 got the biggest opening-week sales of her career, the five-octave, melismatic wonder looked like she was due for a comeback. Since then, Carey performed "Hero" at Obama's Inaugural Ball, married the Nickelodeon-engineered Nick Cannon, and released Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel. In 2009, Carey atoned for the Razzie award-winning Glitter with her largely celebrated performance as a social worker inPrecious. Upcoming remix album Angel's Advocate is poised to extend the winning streak, featuring collaborations with Mary J. Blige, T-Pain, and R. Kelly, among others. 

Updated 02/04/2010