Leaving the most successful girl group in pop history sounds like the kind of move legends make. In reality, Diana Ross’s exit from The Supremes was filled with second-guessing, stalled momentum, and moments where even Motown’s inner circle wondered if the leap had been mistimed. The woman who helped define the sound of the 1960s suddenly had to redefine herself—and that reinvention didn’t come easily.

Pop music loves a rocket-ship rise, but it’s far less generous about long landings. For every superstar who sticks the descent, there are dozens of women who briefly ruled radio, MTV, and TRL—only to be quietly pushed aside by trends, tabloids, or timing. These 21 forgotten—or unfairly sidelined—female pop stars didn’t just make hits. They helped define eras, moods, and sounds that modern pop is still borrowing from today.

Some careers burn slowly. Aaliyah’s didn’t. Hers moved fast, clean, and confidently—like she knew time was limited and refused to waste a second of it. By 22, she had reshaped R&B, crossed into film, influenced fashion, and positioned herself as the rare pop star who felt both mysterious and completely in control. Then, in August 2001, a short flight turned catastrophic. What followed wasn’t just mourning—it was the birth of a modern myth that refuses to fade.