5. Lady Gaga
Enter a woman who probably doesn't need an introduction. We all know and love Lady Gaga as the biggest musical success story in God only knows how long - the queen of all things quirky and arguably one of the greatest musical minds of our generation. Despite all the pretentiousness that surrounds her and her music (not to mention the absolutely mortifying level of commitment she's garnered from her fanbase, the Little Monsters), she's one of the most powerful women in music today and we'd be fools to deny that Lady Gaga is a genius - even if she is absolutely bloody crackers. The thing about Gaga is that things are never quite what they seem. There's always a hidden message - an ulterior motive, if you will - hiding among the synths somewhere. Everything she does is executed with the utmost precision and her songwriting - while her themes have been known to cause a bit of a stir - leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. She's one of the most respected and influential women in pop and though she's polarised critics and the public with her blasé and somewhat unconventional approach to making music, she's helped shape the music industry into what it is today.