Top 10 Female Musicians Who Fell Off the Map

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#10: Vanessa Carlton

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In the 2000s, this singer-songwriter released three studio albums, but it’s her debut single that stood out the most. Reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2002, “A Thousand Miles” became one of the most recognizable songs of the decade. But as the ideals and music influences of Vanessa Carlton evolved, so did her status in modern pop culture. Today, she’s married to John McCauley of Deer Tick and still records music, but her positioning on the US charts has continued to decline with each subsequent studio release through 2015’s Liberman.

With her 1995 studio debut, this Alaskan singer gave us three iconic folk hits. And full disclosure – the album Pieces of You ultimately went 12 times Platinum in the US. But while Jewel Kilcher may not be in dire straits these days, she’s been largely out of the public eye during the YouTube era. This is partially due to her evolving sound and artistry, and her eclectic releases have actually performed relatively well amongst specific demographics. In terms of pop culture, well, it’s been a while since Jewel delivered an iconic love song or even a summer hit. In fact, her highest-charting single of the 2000s came in 2003 with “Intuition” before experimenting with children’s music and country.

In terms of musical artistry, financial success doesn’t mean everything. With that being said, Sheryl Crow’s record sales have continually declined since her illustrious 1993 debut. Funny enough, her 2013 album Feels Like Home was named one of the best country albums of the year by Billboard, even if record sales prove that not many actually heard it. Of course, nobody has ever questioned Sheryl’s musical integrity, as the nine time Grammy winner was a staple of 90s culture with her often mellow pop rock sound. Fortunately, Sheryl continues to record, but in terms of pop culture relevancy, well, she’s just doing her own thing nowadays… well off the map.

In 2004, this British artist blossomed into both a style and musical icon with her debut album Unwritten. But as the voice of Natasha Bedingfield permeated throughout pop culture, the music itself came to a halt in 2010. In fact, Natasha’s third studio album entitled Strip Me failed to crack the UK charts and peaked at #103 on the Billboard 200. In recent years, she appeared on New Zealand’s iteration of “The X Factor” with brother Daniel and contributed an original song for the 2014 film “The Pirate Fairy”. What the future holds for Bedingfield, well that’s still unwritten.

In 1998, the late Lisa Lopes hosted a reality show on MTV called “The Cut” and it was Anastacia Newkirk that took second prize. Over the course of four years, she released a trilogy of internationally renowned albums, but at the age of 34, Anastacia was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, she’s still with us and continues to release new albums. But still, none of them have matched the success of her 2004 self-titled platinum release. And while Anastacia is a survivor in the most literal sense, she hasn’t quite been at the heart of the music scene for some time.

Back in the early 2000s, this artist provided guest vocals on some of the biggest hip-hop tracks of the day. However Ashanti was able to make a name for herself as a solo artist, as her first two solo albums topped the Billboard charts. But since her 2008 release The Declaration, she has essentially been off the map, at least internationally. To be fair, Ashanti has appeared in a few movies and some television shows, but it’s her singing that made her a star. In fact, Ashanti was nominated for eight Grammy awards in 2003 and 2004, winning for Best Contemporary R& B Album. And though we know that she can act, it seems that fans are worrying about Ashanti being a relevant R&B star.

You may remember this singer’s Grammy-winning collaboration with Santana, but despite the buzz that came from “The Game of Love”, and two acclaimed albums in 2001 and 2003, Michelle Branch has yet to release a new full-length solo album. In 2006, she briefly joined up with Jessica Harp in The Wreckers, and they actually had a Grammy-nominated single, yet none of Michelle’s new musical ventures have materialized in recent years. It’s not that she hasn’t been recording new songs, it’s that her albums haven’t been released. And while Michelle did ultimately release a 2010 EP called “Everything Comes and Goes,” the title itself sums up her current relevance in the realm of modern pop culture.

With her 1999 debut single “Here with Me,” this British icon began her spectacular run on the UK charts. And even Eminem took note of Dido’s angelic voice by enlisting her for the 2000 single “Stan.” And so, her worldwide appeal expanded, leading to yet another #1 album in 2003. But after the death of Dido’s father, life became a little more difficult for her meaning, she didn’t actually tour for her third studio release in 2008, as the material was a bit too personal. And so, a disconnect with fans essentially led her astray. And though Dido’s album sales haven’t significantly decreased like others on our list, she remains a singer largely associated with a specific time in music history.

At only 13 years of age, this country star emerged with the sensational Blue. Then, the vocal aesthetic of LeAnn Rimes reminded us of a more traditional sound, and she proceeded to deliver three more platinum albums by the end of the 90s. And while the buzz continued on through 2005, LeAnn began to slowly drift off the map, despite her fame and status within the industry. The landscape of pop music changed with the arrival of new pop stars, while the emergence of YouTube opened the door for new voices as well. And so, you have to go back all the way to 2005 to find LeAnn’s last Top 10 hit on the country charts, which was, appropriately enough, “Something’s Gotta Give”.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Mandy Moore

Jordin Sparks

Mya

Brandy

Sarah MacLachlan

Samantha Mumba

Believe it or not, Morissette began her career with a pop album back in 1991. And, to be fair, it sold 100,000 copies. But it was the 1995 release Jagged Little Pill that fared a little better with 33 million sales worldwide. In fact, even the two follow-up albums by Alanis Morissette topped the Billboard charts in 1998 and 2002, respectively. But although the music industry loves Alanis, she’s on our list for a distinct reason. It’s because no one rocks out to Alanis quite like they did in years past. And the truth is that her album sales have been in decline for approximately 15 years.

So, do you agree with our selections? And which entry surprised you the most? For more mind-blowing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.