Is Gwen Ascending to Madonna's Throne?

For the first few years of the new millennium, it seemed as if Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera would battle it out for the crown. As we all remember, there was the infamous performance by the two young lovelies at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, where each shared a liplock with Her Madgesty. Since Spears appeared to get just a little more tongue that X-tina, it seemed the torch was passed to Britney, who even took up Kaballah to emulate her highness. Then came Brit's quickie marriage and equally quick annulment to childhood friend Jason Alexander, which was the precursor to a downward spiral to be forever known as "The Federline Years." As we've seen, Britney seemed primed for a comeback after dumping FedEx, but her attempts to regain her spot in the line of pop succession have derailed. Everyone knows that a mother of two doesn't go around putting her hoo-ha on display for the world to see.

Meanwhile, another blonde has quietly planted herself on the top of the heap. Gwen Stefani, while slightly beyond "princess" years, is worthy of being considered pop royalty. Her latest collaboration with Pharrell is doing very well on the charts, which is no surprise, given that everything she's touched turns to gold. From her mega-selling "Love.Angel.Music.Baby." to her monster collaborations with Eve and Moby, Gwen has the magic touch. Like Madonna, Gwen's influence now stretches beyond music. She's renowned for her edgy fashion sense and has her own successful clothing line, complete with matching handbags. Gwen even has her own doll line and is creating her own perfume to market under her L.A.M.B. brand. She's even taken a turn on the big screen. Stefani made a brief acting debut playing Jean Harlow alongside Leo DiCaprio in "The Aviator," and made a cameo appearance in "Zoolander." While other contenders have faulted, Gwen is clearly on the path to pop's top spot.