Billboard Explains: Kylie Minogue Dancing Up the Charts

True icons know a thing or two about longevity — just look at Kylie Minogue. At the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards, the global superstar will be honored with the Icon Award in recognition of her hit-packed decades-long career.

Across a whopping 16 studio albums, Minogue has cemented herself as both a style chameleon and a master of musical reinvention. From bubble dance pop (1988’s Kylie) to a brave stab at country music (2018’s Golden) to last year’s disco-inflected synth-pop opus (Tension), Minogue has moved throughout her career with a special level of fearlessness.

The Australian juggernaut first hit the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1988 with the No. 3-peaking “The Loco-Motion,” a cover of Little Eva’s 1962 hit. She would once again hit the top 10 14 years later with the classic “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” (No. 7), the lead single from her Grammy-winning album Fever. With Fever, Minogue flew to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, her highest career peak yet on the ranking; she has landed 11 total titles on the chart, including 2010’s Aphrodite (No. 19).

In addition to her success on Billboard’s marquee albums and singles charts, Minogue has also proven herself to be a dominant force on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. On that ranking, she’s earned 18 overall entries so far, including the top 10 hits “Dance Alone” (No. 8, with Sia) and “Padam Padam” (No. 7), the first song to win the newly formed Grammy for best pop dance recording. “Padam Padam” also peaked at No. 32 on Pop Airplay, marking her first appearance on the ranking in nearly two decades.

With a career like this, it’s no wonder that Kylie Minogue is the Icon Award recipient for the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards.

After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.