Rihanna crowned queen of social media

R&B singer Rihanna, 22, has placed first in a new poll ranking social networking among musicians, reports Teen Music. 

Billboard magazine has released its first ever Social 50 chart, rating musicians on their use of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social media by looking at the number of page views, followers and song plays. For next year’s list, Billboard plans to add Ping, the new social media service from iTunes built especially around music and musicians.

Rihanna managed to beat out Justin Bieber for top spot. The Canadian-born Bieber took second place, followed by rapper Eminem in third. Pop singer Lady Gaga came in fourth, while new hip-hop sensation Nicki Minaj rounded out the top five.

Social media has opened new avenues of communication between celebrities and fans, giving followers an unprecedented look into the personal lives of their idols, and allowing the stars to promote their work directly to those who are most interested.