2013 was an interesting year for the music industry, complete with breakout stars, shocking performances and even surprise albums. Some stars could hardly stay out of the headlines, with the media documenting their personal lives as well as their music careers. 

Here is the list of 10 most talked about artists of 2013: 

10. Drake- Canadian singer/rapper Aubrey Drake Graham, known simple as "Drake," continues to grow in popularity. His third studio album, "Nothing Was the Same," has the hit singles "Started From the Bottom" and "Hold On, We're Going Home." His personal life has also made headlines due to his on-again, off-again relationship with pop star Rihanna. 

9. Britney Spears- The princess of pop came back in 2013 with her new single, "Work Bi***," and her new album, "Britney Jean." She is also about to follow in the footsteps of veteran divas Cher and Celine Dion and start a two-year Las Vegas residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.

8. Rihanna- Rihanna's turbulent personal life, namely her rocky relationship with Chris Brown, made headlines again once rumors surfaced that Rihanna and her ex had reunited. However, they reportedly called it quits again this year. Although she did not release an album this year, she won a Grammy award and released the racy video "Pour It Up," further cementing her bad girl image.

7. Lorde- At only 17 years old, the native New Zealander was the first solo artist from New Zealand to have a song reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Undoubtably the biggest new breakout star of 2013, her hit "Royals" offers a refreshing commentary on morality in popular culture. 

6. Katy Perry- The "California Gurl" came back with her new album, "Prism" in October, which includes the self-empowering hit "Roar" and the smash hit "Unconditionally." The star has also continued her relationship with singer-songwriter John Mayer. 

5. Robin Thicke- Robin Thicke's song "Blurred Lines" featuring Pharrell and T.I. was one of the biggest songs of the summer. Despite its controversial lyrics and equally controversial music video, the song's popularity reached epic proportions, which was aided by his shocking performance with Miley Cyrus at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. 

4. Kanye West- Kanye is always in the spotlight, and this year was no different. His new album, "Yeezus" had tongues wagging due to its highly controversial content. His less-than-modest New York Times interview in May 2013 had many decrying his excessive hubris, and the child he had with Kim Kardashian--North West--made the cover of every major gossip magazine. 

3. Lady Gaga- The Mother Monster reemerged in 2013 with her album "ARTPOP," celebrating her love of pop music and artistic expression. The album produced the hit "Applause," as well as the unlikely collaborative effort with R. Kelly for "Do What U Want." She continues to innovate and go where no pop songstress has gone before.  

2. Miley Cyrus- Cyrus dominated magazine covers and Buzzfeed articles after her infamous, twerk-tastic VMA performance of "We Can't Stop," and her raunchy duet with Robin Thicke. She also had the mega-hit "Wrecking Ball," which spawned countless parody videos. While her twerking, scantily-clad persona is controversial, it's worked in her favor, because her popularity continues to skyrocket. 

1. Beyonce- Queen Bey has dominated 2013, especially due to her recently released self-titled album that she kept completely secret. When the album dropped, fans went nuts, flabbergasted that there was literally zero advertising leading up to the new album. Her documentary "Life Is But a Dream" also debuted this year, offering a hyper-personal look at the 32-year-old singer. The documentary endeared fans even more to the reigning diva of the music industry.