Pink named UK’s most played female artist of the 21st century ahead of Madonna, Adele

The singer has earned three UK number one singles, as well as three UK number one albums

Pink has been named the UK’s most played female artist of the 21st century in the run-up to National Album Day on Saturday (16 October).

The US pop star, whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore, ranks ahead of Madonna, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga who chart at numbers two, three, four and five respectively.

The list, compiled by Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), tracks music usage and airplay data from UK radio stations and television channels.

The 42-year-old singer has released eight studio albums so far, beginning with Can’t Take Me Home in 2000.

The “Walk Me Home” hitmaker has earned three UK number one singles — including “So What” and “Just Like A Pill” — and three UK number one albums.

Her 2013 hit “Just Give Me A Reason “, featuring Fun’s Nate Reuss, is Pink’s bestselling song in the UK with 1.6m chart sales.

Pink has three Grammys, seven MTV Video Music Awards and one Emmy to her name. She was felicitated with the Icon award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards last year, joining the likes of Garth Brooks, Cher, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey.

While accepting the award, Pink said: “This is an absolute honour — dream big, because what if it comes true?”

Meanwhile, seven of the top 20 artists on PPL’s list are from the UK, including Adele at number six.

Despite being one of the UK’s best-selling artists, the “Hello” singer has only released three studio albums so far. Consequently, there’s a smaller catalogue of Adele’s songs to track, as compared to Pink or Madonna.

However, the 33-year-old singer is currently gearing up for the release of her brand new single “Easy On Me” which will be released on 15 October.

The singer recently teased the track during an impromptu Instagram Live on Saturday (9 October) and also announced that she has given up drinking as she prepares to make a long-awaited comeback.

PPL’s list also features Little Mix, Beyonce, Kylie Minogue, Sugababes, Ellie Goulding, Christina Aguilera, Dua Lipa, Diana Ross, and Ariana Grande. It was released ahead of the fourth edition of National Album Day that will celebrate female artists and their contribution to music.

Kylie Minogue, who ranked eighth on the list, said it was an “honour” to be on the list of most played female artists in the 21st century.

She added: "It’s mind-blowing to me and I’m so touched to know my music is continuing to be enjoyed by so many people."

At the time of writing, Pink had not responded to the rankings.