Hannah Montana

It was every kid’s daydream: to be an ordinary student by day, and a teen pop star by night.

That’s the premise of Disney’s Hannah Montana television series, and it succeeded beyond its creators’ wildest dreams, making a bona fide star of Miley Cyrus and launching an empire that encompassed four seasons of television, multiple chart-topping hits and albums, and a 2009 movie.

The show, which debuted in March 2006, was helmed by Cyrus, who won the starring role at the tender age of 11, buoyed (despite her youth) by her preternaturally mature, husky singing voice and her undeniable acting chops.