While it’s usually the big stars that dominate radio waves and the blogosphere in music every year, there is always room for new talent to break through if the music is good enough. 2016 offered a bit more opportunity for those just getting their starts to share their songs with the masses, and a handful of artists were able to make waves like they never had before. These are the artists that we all are familiar with now thanks to smash hits and highly successful albums, and while nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the music industry, some of these names may stick around for years to come, and for all we know, a future legend may be featured on this list.

Twenty One Pilots

2016 all but belonged to rockers Twenty One Pilots, who were truly unstoppable throughout this year. The alternative duo scored three Top 10 hits, with two of them stopping frustratingly short of reaching the top spot, instead settling at No. 2. We will all be hearing about “Heathens,” “Ride” and perhaps especially “Stressed Out” for years to come, and we’ll all remember the year that Twenty One Pilots suddenly shot to immense popularity with both their own album, and thanks to the equalled popularity of the movie Suicide Squad, which featured their latest single.