What Age is it Too Late to Become a Pop Star?

Pop music is made for the young.

Young people like to see other young people.

Young people get older and they still follow the same acts they liked when they were younger.

I love Debbie Gibson.

25 is considered old in pop world

According to this, Sheryl Crow was 32 and Debbie Harry was 33 when their careers took off, and they were both pop stars of different sorts at those stages of their careers. Pharrell Williams was 40 and he was definitely pop.

About 10-15 years into their career is when all Pop stars start to lose momentum, it doesn’t matter what age but it’s usually somewhere in their 30s. Madonna’s peak was 1983-1999, quite long for a Pop Star. Katy Perry peaked from about 2009-2015 which is about on par for the average Pop star. “Longevity” is managing not to die.

Madonna is one of a very rare kind. Will never have another one

In the case of Sheryl Crow or Debbie Harry I think the type of songs their first hits were made it easier to give them a pass. Sheryl was more of a pop rocker and Debbie more New Wave pop.

I don't think you can be singing "Genie In A Bottle" or "Hit Me Baby" in your 30's.

R7 No, definitely not. And likewise, no 16 year-old pop star should sing “I like a good beer buzz early in the morning...”

Although Fergie and Gwen Stefani started out really young, their solo careers didn't' take off until they were in their 30s.

Agreed about Sheryl Crow. She may have won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Tuesday Music Club but she was a Rock / Pop singer and made it a point to say that she really didn't want to do pop music earlier in her career when her people were pushing her to do pop-dance stuff.

Pharrell Williams is Pop but no one could tell how old that man was. He's looked about the same forever.

And yes, R9 is right. Fergie and Gwen's solo careers didn't take off until they were in their 30s but they were able to have those careers because of their previous success with their groups.

Gwen Stefani was 27 when she was with No Doubt when Tragic Kingdom came out.

Fergie was 28 when she was with The Blacked Eyed Peas and Elephunk came out.

I sorta vaguely remember this thing, and real actual music historians may correct me, but I remember this documentary about Blondie saying they kinda took forever to take off. People in that scene were on their way and Blondie was still baby stuck in a corner, to the point other musicians were like WHY DOESN'T ANYONE GET THIS? Then they took off in the biggest way.