As if Taylor Swift had any shortage of accolades in her collection, today she was the only performer to make Fortune's Most Powerful Women list — grabbing a "bonus" spot at No. 51. The 25-year-old pop star has built one hell of a business; she's worth around $80 million according to Forbes. Fortune described her as a "technology industry disruptor" in reference to the shakeup she inspired at Apple Music this year, but you have to wonder if the editors were just hoping to gain a few more readers by including her on the list. Or, maybe they just love 1989? (You really can't blame them.)
Mary Barra, CEO of GM, was Fortune's No. 1 most powerful woman (up from No. 2 last year). Her track record running the country's largest automotive company (the first woman to do so) is impressive, as she deftly navigated the ignition-switch recall plaguing GM when she stepped into the top role.
As Fortune's Alan Murray writes in Thursday's CEO Daily newsletter, when the Most Powerful Women list first launched in 1998, it included just two CEOs, and presidential candidate Carly Fiorina was ranked first (at the time, she was an executive at Lucent). Today, Barra is one of the list's 27 CEOs, who collectively control $1 trillion in stock market value. Talk about spending power.
Every single woman on the list has broken down barriers, shattered glass ceilings, and is ensuring a smoother path for generations of girls to follow in their footsteps. If you're looking for a role model, Fortune's found 51 for you.
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