Career: Lennox quit before her final exams, and made ends meet working in a bookshop, singing with various bands and working as a waitress. She met Dave Stewart and Peet Coombes in 1976. They formed the band Catch, gained a recording contract, and became known as the Tourists. They split in 1981, leaving Stewart and Lennox to form Eurythmics, one of the 1980s most popular acts. They later went their separate ways (although never officially split), but returned in 1998 and 2005. Lennox has also released several solo albums and won a Best Song Oscar for Into the West from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. She also champions a number of causes. An exhibition of her costumes, photos and ephemera from her career formed the basis of The House of Annie Lennox at the V+A in 2011.

Career: Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola signed Carey immediately after hearing her demo tape. Her debut 1990 album caused a stir thanks to her versatility. It sold six million copies and won a Grammy. Her 1991 follow-up, Emotions, proved just as successful, as did her next four albums. It appeared the bubble burst in 2001 when her contract was scrapped following her flop film Glitter and its accompanying album and she was reportedly hospitalised following an emotional breakdown. However, she made a triumphant comeback with the Grammy-winning album The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005 and has spent more time at number one in the American singles charts than the Beatles. She was nominated for a number of awards for her acting role in the 2009 film Precious and in 2012 joined the judging panel of American Idol.