Lasting Legacy of Aaliyah: A Look at the Influence on History
How the contributions of Aaliyah continue to shape the world today.
Aaliyah Dana Haughton (1979-2001) was a highly influential American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop," she significantly impacted contemporary R&B, pop, and hip hop music. Her career, though tragically short, left a lasting legacy on music and popular culture.
1976: Sparkle Remake Mention
In 1976, the original film Sparkle was released, a film which Aaliyah was slated to star in a remake produced by Whitney Houston, before her death.
1994: Allegations of R. Kelly's Abuse between 1994 and 2018
Between 1994 and 2018, R.Kelly's trial involved allegedly abusing 11 girls and women with Aaliyah's marriage being featured in court.
1998: "Are You That Somebody?" cited as radical pop single
In 1998, music critic Simon Reynolds cited Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?" as "the most radical pop single".
August 25, 2001: Aaliyah's Death
August 25, 2001, marked the untimely death of Aaliyah Dana Haughton, an American singer, actress, dancer, and model who had redefined contemporary R&B, pop, and hip hop.
2001: Tribute at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, Aaliyah was honored by Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Ginuwine and her brother, Rashad, who all paid tribute to her memory.
2001: Aaliyah's death and innovative pop songs
By the time of Aaliyah's death in 2001, she had recorded some of the most innovative and influential pop songs of the last five years.
2001: Impact on R&B and Pop Music
In a 2001 review of her third album, Ernest Hardy from Rolling Stone professed that Aaliyah's impact on R&B and pop music has been enormous.
December 2002: Posthumous Album 'I Care 4 U' Released
In December 2002, Aaliyah's first posthumous album, I Care 4 U, was released. It featured previously unreleased material and proceeds were donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, which benefits the Revlon UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program and Harlem's Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200.
2003: VH1's The Greatest Series Ranking
In 2003, Aaliyah was ranked as one of "The Top 40 Women of the Video Era" in VH1's The Greatest series. Also, in 2003 in memory of Aaliyah, the Entertainment Industry Foundation created the Aaliyah Memorial Fund to donate money raised to charities she supported.
2003: Jay-Z mentions Aaliyah and Dash in remix of "Miss You"
In 2003, Jay-Z mentioned Aaliyah and Damon Dash in the remix of her song "Miss You".
2004: Keith Harris comments on Aaliyah's lyrical content
In 2004, Keith Harris, writing in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, described Aaliyah's lyrical content as being between En Vogue and Tweet in terms of sexual availability, noting her lyrics carefully balanced adolescence and adulthood, portraying a woman exploring love, trust, and lust with playful innocence.
2008: BET's Top 25 Dancers of All Time Ranking
In 2008, Aaliyah was ranked at number 18 on BET's "Top 25 Dancers of All Time".
December 2009: Billboard's Top Artists of the Decade Ranking
In December 2009, Billboard ranked Aaliyah at number 70 on its Top Artists of the Decade. Her album, Aaliyah, was ranked at number 181 on the magazine's Top 200 Albums of the Decade in December 2009.
2010: Billboard's R&B Artist Ranking
In 2010, Billboard listed Aaliyah as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and 27th most successful R&B artist overall.
2011: Essence's Most Influential R&B Stars List
In 2011, Essence ranked Aaliyah at number 14 on its 50 Most Influential R&B Starts list.
2011: Release of Aaliyah Live in Amsterdam documentary
In 2011, shortly before the tenth anniversary of Aaliyah's death, Aaliyah Live in Amsterdam, a documentary movie by Pogus Caesar, was released. The documentary contained previously unseen footage shot of Aaliyah's career beginnings in 1995 when she was appearing in the Netherlands.
2012: VH1's Greatest Women in Music Ranking
In 2012, VH1 ranked Aaliyah number 48 on their "Greatest Women in Music".
July 18, 2014: Alexandra Shipp Replaced Zendaya for Aaliyah Biopic Role
On July 18, 2014, it was announced that Alexandra Shipp replaced Zendaya for the role of Aaliyah in the Lifetime TV biopic movie Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B.
August 9, 2014: Casting Announcement for Missy Elliott and Timbaland
On August 9, 2014, Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith were cast as Aaliyah's collaborators Missy Elliott and Timbaland in the biopic 'Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B'.
November 15, 2014: Premiere of 'Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B'
The Lifetime TV biopic movie Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, premiered on November 15, 2014.
2014: NME's Most Influential Artist List
In 2014, NME ranked Aaliyah at number 18 on its 100 most influential artist list.
2014: "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number" estimated global sales
In 2014, Vibe magazine estimated that Aaliyah's debut album "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number" had sold six million copies globally.
September 2015: Announcement of Aaliyah Tribute Fragrance
In September 2015, Aaliyah by Xyrena, an official tribute fragrance, was announced.
June 2018: MAC Cosmetics Releases Aaliyah-Inspired Collection
In June 2018, MAC Cosmetics released a cosmetics collection inspired by Aaliyah, The Aaliyah for Mac collection, which was priced at $250 and sold out within minutes. MAC and i-D Magazine partnered up to release a short film titled "A-Z of Aaliyah" which coincided with the launch.
August 2018: Billboard Top 60 Female Artists Ranking
In August 2018, Billboard ranked Aaliyah at number 47 on their Top 60 Female Artists of All-Time list.
2018: Allegations of R. Kelly's Abuse between 1994 and 2018
Between 1994 and 2018, R.Kelly's trial involved allegedly abusing 11 girls and women with Aaliyah's marriage being featured in court.
January 2019: Surviving R. Kelly airs, leading to RCA Records dropping Kelly
In January 2019, after the documentary Surviving R. Kelly aired, public pressure escalated, leading to RCA Records dropping R. Kelly from the label.
February 2019: R. Kelly is indicted on ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse
In February 2019, R. Kelly was indicted on ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
July 2019: R. Kelly is arrested on federal charges
In July 2019, R. Kelly was arrested on federal charges of sex crimes, human trafficking, child pornography, racketeering, and obstruction of justice.
August 21, 2019: Aaliyah Wax Figure Unveiled at Madame Tussauds
On August 21, 2019, the Madame Tussauds museum unveiled a wax figure of Aaliyah at their Las Vegas location, modeled on her appearance in the "Try Again" music video.
2020: Rolling Stone's Best Singers Ranking
In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked Aaliyah at number 40 on their 200 Best Singers of All Time list.
March 2021: Aaliyah Funko Pop! Figurine Release
In March 2021, Funko Pop! released an Aaliyah figurine.
August 2021: Damon Dash Reflects on Aaliyah's impact 20 Years After Her Death
In August 2021, Damon Dash told Entertainment Tonight that not a single day had passed in the 20 years since Aaliyah's death without him hearing her name, record, or seeing a picture of her, emphasizing her continued presence in his life.
August 2021: R. Kelly's trial begins
In August 2021, R. Kelly's trial began, where he faced 22 federal criminal charges involving allegedly abusing 11 girls and women between 1994 and 2018. Aaliyah's illegal marriage to Kelly was heavily featured in the court case.
August 17, 2021: Publication of Aaliyah Biography 'Baby Girl'
On August 17, 2021, Atria Books published Kathy Iandoli's Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah, a biography about Aaliyah that was not authorized by the Haughton family.
September 27, 2021: R. Kelly found guilty on nine counts
On September 27, 2021, a federal court jury found R. Kelly guilty of nine counts including racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery, sex trafficking, and a violation of the Mann Act. The judge ordered that Kelly remain in custody pending sentencing.
May 4, 2022: R. Kelly's sentencing date
On May 4, 2022, R. Kelly's sentencing was set.
June 29, 2022: R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison
On June 29, 2022, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
August 5, 2022: Beyoncé Releases "The Queens Remix"
On August 5, 2022, Beyoncé released "The Queens Remix" to her single "Break My Soul", in which she name-drops Aaliyah, along with other cultural icons.
June 14, 2023: ABC Broadcasts Aaliyah Documentary
On June 14, 2023, Aaliyah was the subject of the documentary Superstar: Aaliyah, which was broadcast on ABC.
September 2023: Induction into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame
In September 2023, Aaliyah was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
January 16, 2025: Mattel Releases Aaliyah Barbie Doll
On January 16, 2025, Mattel released an Aaliyah Barbie Doll modeled on her appearance in the "One in a Million" music video.
March 2025: Billboard Top 100 Women Artists Ranking
In March 2025, Billboard ranked Aaliyah at number 47 on its Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century list.
Mentioned in this timeline
Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr known as Snoop Dogg is a...
Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer songwriter dancer and...
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service owned...
Jay-Z born Shawn Corey Carter is a highly influential American...
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye professionally known as The Weeknd is a...
Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman is a highly acclaimed American actress...
Trending
25 minutes ago Johnny Depp's Unrecognizable Transformation and Hollywood Return in 'Day Drinker' with Penelope Cruz.
25 minutes ago Kristen Philbrick and Daniel Downs: Remembering Lives Lost, Press Herald Reports
25 minutes ago Jennifer Garner's Instagram Cat Video, Home Tour, and Growing Kids!
26 minutes ago Rublev vs. Davidovich Fokina: Barcelona Open Round of 16 Preview and Prediction
1 hour ago Republic Services' Q4 Earnings, Tariff Resilience, and Future Expectations Explored.
2 hours ago Qatar Airways Flight: Child Stabs Passenger with Fork During Flight, Passenger Enraged
Popular
Doug Ford is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving...
The Real ID Act of is a US federal law...
Justin Trudeau served as the rd Prime Minister of Canada...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Bernard Bernie Sanders is a prominent American politician currently serving...
Michael Jordan also known as MJ is a celebrated American...