Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne burst onto the music scene as a skateboarding tomboy who topped the charts in 2002 with her breakout single, "Complicated." The self-proclaimed punk princess ushered in a new era of the teen pop star, one who fell somewhere between Britney Spears' flirty sensuality and Alanis Morissette's confessional angst. Lavigne proudly wore her tank-top-and-necktie ensemble as she belted out songs about first love, heartbreak and skater boys. Her music progressively matured with subsequent albums Under My Skin (2004) and The Best Damn Thing (2007), which kept Lavigne at the top of the charts. She hit a few speed bumps along the way, from her failed marriage with rocker Deryck Whibley, to accusations of plagiarism from other artists, yet Lavigne consistently held her head high and focused on entertaining her fans through music and other successful ventures. By the time she released her signature track "Girlfriend" in 2007, Lavigne had carved out her place in pop culture as an influential artist and songwriter.