^ Yeah, I feel bad for Namie, about her mother. So even though I'm not a fan, I'll admit she deserves top stop for this one. Though Ayu is definitely really close. She came up from literally nothing. And just when it seemed like things were finally going her way, something bad would happen. That's happened to her a few times now (illness, deaths, etc.)...
On another note, the Kumi thing... I'm a Kumi fan, but I can safely say that, despite the fact that she is very~ talented in singing, she got very lucky. Sex sells no matter who you are; it's all about whether or not you think it's worth putting yourself out like that. Apparently, she thinks so. (Which isn't a huge deal, since she's not doing porn or anything, lol.
) But that is truly the main reason she's so popular. She has a wonderful voice - great lung power and a pretty good range - but a lot of people don't like her voice in general. And she was kinda chubby when she was younger (I wouldn't consider her "fat," by any means, but she obviously could've stood to lose a few pounds). And without heaps of makeup she isn't anywhere close to the sex symbol Avex advertises her as... So yeah, Kumi is actually a very typical pop star. Doesn't deserve a spot on this particular chart, especially against Ayu and Namie Amuro.