Alicia Keys's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Alicia Keys.

Alicia Keys is an American singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist who began composing at a young age. She achieved mainstream success with her debut album, Songs in A Minor (2001), featuring the hit single "Fallin'" and winning five Grammy Awards. Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), continued her success, selling millions of copies and producing popular singles like "You Don't Know My Name" and earning her four more Grammy Awards. Keys is known for her soulful voice, piano skills, and contributions to the music industry.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

1998: Signed with Arista Records

In late 1998, Alicia Keys, with the help of Jeff Robinson and Clive Davis, negotiated out of her contract with Columbia and signed with Arista Records, retaining the rights to her created music.

2000: Ranked Fifth-Most Successful Artist of the 2000s

Billboard ranked Alicia Keys as the fifth-most successful artist and top R&B artist of the 2000s decade.

2000: Signed with J Records

In 2000, after Clive Davis was ousted from Arista Records, he formed J Records and immediately signed Alicia Keys to the new label.

2000: Billboard Recognition

In the 2000–2009 decade, Alicia Keys was ranked as the top R&B recording artist by Billboard magazine and ranked at number five as artist of the decade, while "No One" was ranked at number six on the magazine's top songs of the decade.

June 5, 2001: Release of 'Songs in A Minor'

On June 5, 2001, "Songs in A Minor", which included material rejected by Columbia Records, was released to critical acclaim, incorporating classical piano with R&B, soul, and jazz.

2001: Release of 'Songs in A Minor'

In 2001, Alicia Keys released her debut studio album, "Songs in A Minor", through J Records. The album was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide.

2001: Best-Selling New Artist and R&B Artist

In 2001, Alicia Keys was recognized as the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist.

2002: 5 Grammy Awards

In 2002, Alicia Keys received 5 Grammy Awards, becoming the second female artist to win as many in one night.

2002: Grammy Awards and Contributions

In 2002, Alicia Keys won five Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for "Fallin'". She also wrote and produced "Impossible" for Christina Aguilera's album, "Stripped".

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2003: Release of 'The Diary of Alicia Keys'

In 2003, Alicia Keys released her second album, "The Diary of Alicia Keys", which continued her success, selling eight million units worldwide and spawning several singles.

2004: "My Boo" Number One Single

In 2004, Alicia Keys' duet with Usher, "My Boo", became her second number-one single in the United States.

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2005: Release of 'Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics' and MTV award.

In 2005, Alicia Keys released her book 'Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics', a collection of her unreleased poems and lyrics. It became a New York Times bestseller. Also in 2005, she won a second consecutive award for Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards for the video 'Karma', and performed at the Grammy Awards, winning four awards.

Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems & Lyrics

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2005: Release of 'Unplugged'

In 2005, Alicia Keys released her first live album, "Unplugged", which debuted atop the Billboard 200, making her the first female artist to achieve this with an MTV Unplugged project.

2005: Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award and ASCAP Songwriter of the Year

In 2005, Alicia Keys was awarded the Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award and ASCAP awarded her Songwriter of the Year at its Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.

2005: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2005, Time Magazine named Alicia Keys as one of the 100 most influential people.

2007: The Recording Academy Honors Recipient

In 2007, Alicia Keys was a recipient of The Recording Academy Honors, which celebrate outstanding individuals whose work embodies excellence and integrity and who have improved the environment for the creative community.

2008: Guinness World Record

In 2008, Alicia Keys set a Guinness World Record for being the first artist to replace herself at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Airplay chart with "No One" and "Like You'll Never See Me Again".

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2008: Honored at the BET Honors

In 2008, Alicia Keys was honored at the BET Honors for her contributions to music with the Entertainment Award.

2009: Awarded the ASCAP Golden Note Award

In 2009, ASCAP honored Alicia Keys with its Golden Note Award for extraordinary career milestones.

2009: Songwriting and Production for Whitney Houston and Collaboration with Jay-Z

In 2009, Alicia Keys co-wrote and produced "Million Dollar Bill" for Whitney Houston's album 'I Look to You'. Months later, she was featured on Jay-Z's song "Empire State of Mind" from his album 'The Blueprint 3'. She also received the Golden Note Award and collaborated with Alejandro Sanz.

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2009: NAACP Image Awards Nomination

In 2009, Alicia Keys received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards for her role in the feature The Secret Life of Bees. She also received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards and won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for 'Superwoman'.

2009: BET Humanitarian Award

In 2009, Alicia Keys received the Humanitarian Award at the BET Awards.

2009: Release of 'The Element of Freedom'

In 2009, Alicia Keys released her fourth album, "The Element of Freedom", which peaked atop the UK Albums Chart and sold four million copies worldwide.

2011: Billboard Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters

In 2011, Alicia Keys was recognized as one of three female artists included on Billboard magazine's list of the "Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters, 2000–2011" for writing songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

2012: Release of 'Girl on Fire'

In 2012, Alicia Keys released her fifth album, "Girl on Fire", which was her fourth non-consecutive album to peak the Billboard 200.

2014: Ranked Thirteenth-Most Awarded Musician of All Time

In 2014, Fuse ranked Alicia Keys as the thirteenth-most awarded musician of all time.

2015: Ranked on Billboard's List of Greatest R&B Artists

In 2015, Alicia Keys was placed at number 27 on Billboard's "35 Greatest R&B Artists of All Time" list.

2015: Recording Artists' Coalition Award

In 2015, The Recording Academy honored Alicia Keys with the Recording Artists' Coalition Award for her artistry, philanthropy, and passion for creators' rights as a founding member of the Academy's GRAMMY Creators Alliance.

2017: Women's March on Washington and Ambassador of Conscience Award

In 2017, After the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, Alicia Keys protested during the Women's March on Washington and was one of the key speakers. In 2017, Alicia Keys also received and shared the award for the Ambassador of Conscience from Amnesty International alongside Canadian Indigenous rights activists.

2017: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2017, Time Magazine again named Alicia Keys as one of the 100 most influential people.

2018: Honored at Variety's Power of Women Luncheon

In 2018, Alicia Keys was honored at Variety's Power of Women luncheon for her work with Keep a Child Alive.

2018: Honored by The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing and The National Music Publishers Association

In 2018, Alicia Keys was honored by The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing for her outstanding artistic contributions and accomplishments. Also in 2018, The National Music Publishers Association honored Keys with the Songwriter Icon award for her credits as a music creator and her role as an inspirational figure to millions.

2020: Listed Among Top Female Artists of the 21st Century

In 2020, Pollstar listed Alicia Keys among the top female artists of the 21st century in the concert industry.

January 2023: Ranked on Rolling Stone's List of Greatest Singers

In January 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Alicia Keys at number 185 on their list of The 200 Best Singers of All Time.

2023: Broadway Debut with Hell's Kitchen

In 2023, Alicia Keys wrote, composed, and co-produced her first Broadway musical, "Hell's Kitchen", which won two Tony Awards.

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March 2025: Ranked on Billboard's chart of the Top 100 Women Artists

In March 2025, Alicia Keys was ranked at number ten on Billboard's chart of the Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century.

March 2025: Named as one of the essential R&B female artists

In March 2025, The Recording Academy recognized Alicia Keys as one of the essential R&B female artists, highlighting her blend of classical piano and R&B.