Rihanna was ranked #15 in Maxim’s “Hot 100 Women of 2008” list.
Maxim’s Hot 100 is an annual ranking associated with the men’s magazine Maxim. The publication began releasing the list in 2000, turning it into one of the magazine’s most recognizable recurring features. In the 2008 edition, Rihanna appeared at number 15, between Megan Fox at number 16 and Beyoncé Knowles at number 14.
The ranking reflected the magazine’s entertainment and celebrity coverage rather than a music chart or an industry award. That distinction matters because Rihanna was also appearing on major music rankings during the same period, including Billboard charts, but those lists measured songs and sales rather than celebrity appeal.
Marisa Miller topped Maxim’s 2008 list, while Rihanna’s placement came during the period when her music career was rapidly expanding internationally. Her albums Music of the Sun, A Girl like Me, and Good Girl Gone Bad had established her as a major pop and R&B star before the release of Rated R in 2009.