Pop Innovators of 2013: Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Gwyneth Paltrow and More—See the Pics

Meet the most innovative, culturally significant celebrities of the year

Yes, there are plenty of celebrities who excel at their crafts—whether that's behind the camera, behind the mic, live on stage or wherever their specific talents allow them to rock the spotlight.

And then there are those rare few megastars whose talent is so big and charisma so powerful, they seem to dominate damn near every media platform available—and those whose cultural significance is so vast, they influence everything from fashion trends to food and drink crazes to dance moves to... well, literally everything!

And maybe they even actually legitimately change the world in a measurable, meaningful way through involvement with politics or philanthropy or humanitarianism.

For instance, take Jay-Z. He went from Brooklyn's Marcy projects with holes in his zapatos—to performing at campaign rallies on behalf of President Barack Obama (who else could get away with this rogue move?) having grown into a larger-than-life superstar who touches nearly every segment of American culture and commerce—from music to retail, and most recently to sports through his own new agency, Roc Nation Sports. Of course, he's a family man, too—setting an example with his loving life with Beyoncé and Blue Ivy.

And then there's Gwyneth Paltrow—for whom it would hardly be in character to conquer  film, TV and music and call it a day for media domination. No, in 2008, the A-list superstar also launched her weekly lifestyle newsletter called Goop—which has drawn admiration (and some ire) from around the world. And for good measure (ahem, so to speak) she has a few cookbooks under her bespoke belt to boot.

Now think about Justin Timberlake: singer, actor, humorist (just try to think about the "D--k in a Box" vid and not LOL), golfer, champion of environmental causes and seriously dapper fashion plate. Should we go on?

Let's do, shall we? Peruse our gallery of Pop Innovators and then check back on Monday, July 8 when we'll take a closer look at which stars had the biggest effect on pop culture in 2013.