Before Kylie Minogue became the pint-sized pop phenomenon we know today, she was actually an actress on the Australian soap opera "Neighbours." But here's the twist: she only recorded her first single as a favor for a charity event in 1987. That little favor, "Locomotion," spent seven weeks at number one in Australia and launched one of pop music's most enduring careers.

When Kylie burst onto the international scene in 1988 with "I Should Be So Lucky," she became part of the Stock Aitken Waterman hit factory—the same producers behind Dead or Alive and Bananarama. While critics initially dismissed her as manufactured pop, Kylie had the last laugh. She's sold over 80 million records worldwide and holds the record as the only female artist to have UK number one hits across five consecutive decades. That's staying power.

Here's something most people don't know: Kylie's iconic 2001 comeback hit "Can't Get You Out of My Head" was actually rejected by other artists first, including S Club 7. The song's writer, Cathy Dennis, saved it for Kylie, and it became one of the best-selling singles of the 2000s. The accompanying music video, featuring that unforgettable white hooded jumpsuit, cemented her status as a fashion icon. At just 5'0" tall, Kylie proved that the biggest stars sometimes come in the smallest packages.