Billboard Unveils Power 100 List For 2015

Lucien Grainge

Billboard has revealed its Power 100 List for 2015 and Universal Music Group chief Lucian Grainge is ranked as the most powerful person in the music industry.  Placed second last year, Grainge moves to the top following a stellar 2014 for UMG.

"The industry broke five new artists in 2014, and we broke four of them," Grainge told Billboard. UMG artists Iggy Azalea, 5 Seconds of Summer, Ariana Grande and Sam Smith, each sold more than 1 million albums and track equivalents in the U.S. in 2014, according to Nielsen Music. UMG also distributed seven of the top 10 albums, including the year's best seller, Taylor Swift's 1989, and led the industry in market share with 38.7 percent -- 10 points higher than its nearest competitor, Sony Music.

Eighth was iHeartmedia chairman Bob Pittman, who has expanded the company into outdoor music festivals but its strength still relies on its radio network of 858 stations.

Billboard's Power 100 List: The Top Ten

1. Lucian Grainge
2. Michael Rapino
3. Irving Azoff
4. Martin Bandier
5. Jimmy Iovine
6. Coran Capshaw
7. Doug Morris
8. Bob Pittman
9. Rob Light
10. Eddy Cue & Robert Kondrk

Billboard Power 100: Click Here