Miley Cyrus' biggest career moments: From Disney princess to pop superstar
From Hannah Montana to the present day!
Last updated 13th Aug 2024
It's safe to say that Miley Cyrus has had an incredible career so far. In her 31 years, Miley has accomplished a LOT, from her iconic role in Disney's Hannah Montana, to giving us huge hits such as 'Party In The USA', 'We Can't Stop' and 'Wrecking Ball' - ultimately leading her to becoming the youngest ever Disney Legend.
Miley's impressive career shows no sign of slowing down, with 2023 seeing her dominate the charts with ease, thanks to the success of 'Flowers' and the release of her album 'Endless Summer Vacation' - then scooping up two Grammy awards in 2024!
With eight albums under her belt and a successful career that started when she was just 11-years-old, we've decided to take a look at Miley's amazing career journey so far, as she celebrates becoming the youngest person in history to be honoured as a Disney Legend...
Take a look at Miley Cyrus' incredible career so far:
Career beginnings
Miley was born on 23rd November 1992, named Destiny Hope Cyrus. Her dad is country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and her mum is Tish Cyrus, a manager and producer. Miley's sister Noah is also a singer, and her brother Trace is known for being a member of the band Metro Station. Miley's sister Brandi is a DJ.
Early acting roles
Miley's first acting role was in her father Billy Ray Cyrus' TV series Doc. Altogether, Miley appeared in three episodes of the show, with her first appearance being an uncredited role in the pilot episode of the show at the age of nine. She also received a credit in 2003 for the role of Young Ruthie in Tim Burton's Big Fish, alongside big names including Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham Carter and Danny DiVito.
2006: Hannah Montana
Miley auditioned for Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana when she was just 13-years-old. Initially, Miley went for the role of Hannah's best friend, but was then asked to try out for the lead instead. She was initially denied the role as she was 'too young and too small', but then won the part of Hannah Montana thanks to her singing and acting skills. Miley's dad Billy Ray played the role of Robby Ray Steward in the show, the father of Miley's character. Hannah Montana first aired in March 2006 and quickly became one of the Disney Channel's most popular shows.
September 2006: Tour with The Cheetah Girls
Miley toured with the Cheetah Girls as Hannah Montana. The Cheetah Girls is a girl band made up of Raven-Symoné, Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Kiely Williams and Sabrina Bryan that was created by Disney and starred in three Disney movies. Miley joined the group on their second tour, which was called 'The Party's Just Begun Tour', performing at shows in September and October 2006 and March 2007.
October 2006: Hannah Montana soundtrack
Walt Disney Records release a Hannah Montana soundtrack album. The album's lead single was 'The Best of Both Worlds' - the theme tune for Hannah Montana. It reached Number 1 on the US Billboard Chart and is certified Gold in the UK and 3x Platinum in the United States.
June 2007: Miley releases ‘Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus'
Miley had signed a four-album deal with Hollywood Records and released the album 'Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus' in June 2007. The album had two discs, the first one being a second Hannah Montana soundtrack and the other being Miley's debut studio album.
Miley's debut album included the lead single 'See You Again', in addition to tracks including 'Start All Over' and 'I Miss You.' 'Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus' topped the US Billboard Chart and is certified Gold in the UK and 4x Platinum in the United States.
October 2007: Miley releases her debut solo single
Miley's debut solo single 'See You Again' was released, the lead single from 'Meet Miley Cyrus'. The song was re-released as a CD single in the UK on 21st August 2008. It reached Number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified Silver in the UK.
October 2007 - March 2008: 'Best of Both Worlds Tour'
Miley embarked on the 'Best of Both Worlds Tour', which was in support of the album 'Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus'. On the tour, Miley visited cities in the United States and Canada. The success of the tour led to the release of the concert film Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert. The film was initially released in the US and Canada on 1st February 2008, before being released worldwide on the Disney Channel in July 2008.
June 2008: Miley released her second studio album
Miley released her second studio album 'Breakout.' The album featured tracks including '7 Things' and 'Fly on the Wall'. It reached Number 10 on the UK Albums Chart and Number 1 on the US Billboard Chart. 'Breakout' is certified Platinum in the UK.
November 2008: Disney's Bolt
Miley made her film acting debut in the Disney animated film Bolt, voicing the character of Penny. She also co-wrote the song 'I Thought I Lost You' for the film, which she sang with her co-star John Travolta. Miley received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Song for 'I Thought I Lost You.'
March 2009: 'The Climb'
Miley released 'The Climb', which was on the soundtrack to the Hannah Montana feature film. The film's soundtrack made Miley the youngest artist in history to have four Number 1 albums on the Billboard Chart, at the age of just 16. 'The Climb' is certified Platinum in the UK and 6x Platinum in the United States.
April 2009: Hannah Montana: The Movie
In April 2009, Hannah Montana: The Movie was released. Miley stars in the film alongside dad Billy Ray and the other characters from the TV series. The film generated $155 million at the box office. Miley won a Kids Choice Award for Favourite Movie Actress in 2010.
August 2009: ‘The Time of Our Lives’ EP
Miley released an EP called 'The Time of Our Lives', which featured the singles 'Party In The USA' and 'When I Look At You' – which was used to promote the 2010 film The Last Song. 'Party In The USA' was a huge hit for Miley, and is certified 3x Platinum in the UK and 13x Platinum in the United States.
September 2009 – December 2009: 'Wonder World Tour'
Miley embarked on her first world tour called the 'Wonder World Tour', which saw Miley perform as herself, rather than as Hannah Montana. The tour was in support of her 'Breakout' album and 'The Time Of Our Lives' EP. The tour saw Miley perform dates across the US as well as in the UK and Ireland.
March 2010: The Last Song
Miley starred in the romantic drama film The Last Song, taking on the role of Veronica 'Ronnie' L Miller. Miley starred alongside her now ex-husband Liam Hemsworth in the film, which is where they met. The film was based on the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name.
June 2010: Miley released her third studio album
Miley released her third studio album 'Can't Be Tamed'. The album reached Number 8 on the UK Albums Chart and Number 3 on the US Billboard Chart. It is certified Silver in the UK and Gold in the US and featured the singles 'Who Owns My Heart' and the title track.
April 2011: 'Gypsy Heart Tour'
In April 2011 Miley embarked on the 'Gypsy Heart Tour', which started in Quito, Ecuador and finished in Perth, Australia in July 2011. Miley performed songs including 'Party In The USA', '7 Things' and 'The Climb', in addition to covers such as Fleetwood Mac's 'Landslide' and 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana.
2011/12: Acting roles
After finishing filming Hannah Montana, Miley decided to take a hiatus from music so she could spend time focusing on acting. During this time, she starred in the comedy film So Undercover, taking on the role of an undercover FBI agent at a college sorority. She also appeared alongside Demi Moore in the independent film LOL. Miley also made a guest appearance in two episodes of the sitcom Two and a Half Men. In May 2012, Miley and Liam Hemsworth got engaged.
June 2013: 'We Can't Stop'
Miley released her comeback single 'We Can't Stop'. The song topped the UK Singles Chart and went on to be certified 2x Platinum. Miley came back to music with a new look, sporting short blonde hair.
August 2013: 'Wrecking Ball'
Miley released 'Wrecking Ball', along with a video which showed her swinging on a wrecking ball whilst naked. Miley has since spoken about the time and said she regrets the sexualised image she portrayed then, mentioning that she was keen to reinvent herself after her Disney career.
Speaking to Billboard at the time of 'We Can't Stop's' release, Miley said: "Right now, when people go to iTunes and listen to my old music, it's so irritating to me because I can't just erase that stuff and start over," she says. "My last record, I feel so disconnected from - I was 16 or 17 when I made it. When you're in your 20s, you just don't really know that person anymore."
Miley then went on to release 'Wrecking Ball' in August 2013, the single topped charts in both the UK and US. It is certified 2x Platinum in the UK and 9x Platinum in the US. With Miley and Liam going on to end their engagement in September 2013, many people theorised over whether the song and its emotional video reference their break-up.
Miley performed at the 2013 MTV VMA awards with Robin Thicke, in an infamous performance that gained widespread media attention.
September 2013: Miley releases her fourth studio album
Miley released her fourth studio album, 'Bangerz'. The album topped the Album Charts in both the UK and US and gave Miley her first Grammy nomination when it was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2015 Grammy Awards. In October 2013, an MTV documentary called Miley: The Movement aired, documenting the journey of recording 'Bangerz'.
2014: 'Bangerz Tour'
Miley embarked on the 'Bangerz Tour', which started in Vancouver, Canada in February 2014 and concluded in Perth, Australia in October 2014.
August 2015: MTV VMAs and fifth studio album
Miley hosted the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2015. After performing the song 'Dooo It!' at the ceremony, Miley then announced that her fifth studio album 'Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz' was available for free streaming on SoundCloud. It was mostly written and produced by Miley.
2016: The Voice
Miley joined The Voice for its 11th season, subsequently becoming the youngest coach to appear on the show. Miley appeared on the panel alongside fellow coaches Alicia Keyes, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. Miley took a break from the show for season 12, but returned for season 13. She later confirmed that she was not to return for season 14. Also in 2016, Miley reunited with Liam Hemsworth.
2017: Miley releases 'Malibu'
Miley released the song 'Malibu' in May 2017 as the lead single from her sixth studio album 'Younger Now.' The album was released in September 2017. The album reached Number 8 on the UK Album Chart and Number 5 on the US Billboard Chart. This marked a new era for Miley following the 'Bangerz' era. 'Malibu' is a love song to Liam, with the song telling the story of their relationship and paying homage to how she felt in Malibu – where they lived together.
November 2018: Collaboration with Mark Ronson
Miley teamed up with Mark Ronson on the huge track 'Nothing Breaks Like A Heart', which was released in November 2018. The track went on to reach Number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified 2x Platinum in the UK.
That same month, Miley and Liam's home in California sadly burned down during the Woolsey Fire wildfire. Miley has explained that the trauma of the house fire had an impact on her voice. In 2019, Miley later had surgery for Reinke's oedema, which is a swelling of the vocal chords. In December 2018, Miley and Liam got married. Speaking to Howard Stern about her marriage and the fire, Miley said: "We were together since 16. Our house burned down. We had been, like engaged – I don't know if we really ever thought we were actually going to get married, but when we lost our house in Malibu – which if you listen to my voice pre and post fire, they're very different so that trauma really affected my voice. And I was actually in South Africa, so I couldn't come home, and like, my animals were tied to a post at the beach. I lost everything."
May 2019: 'She Is Coming' EP
Miley released the EP 'She Is Coming'. The EP featured the lead single 'Mother's Daughter', and she released 'Slide Away' as a standalone single in August 2019, later adding the track to the EP on its fourth anniversary. Miley and Liam split in August 2019, with 'Slide Away' thought to be about their relationship ending.
June 2019: Black Mirror
Miley featured in an episode of the fifth series of the Netflix show Black Mirror, the episode was called 'Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too.' In the episode, Miley played the character of fictional popstar Ashley O. The song 'On a Roll' was later released, with Miley adopting the moniker of Ashley O. The villa in South Africa that was used in the episode has since been used as the villa for Winter Love Island!
September 2019: 'Don't Call Me Angel'
Miley teamed up with Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey on the song 'Don't Call Me Angel', which featured in the 2019 Charlie's Angels film. The video sees the trio don all-black angel outfits as they partake in activities including boxing and knife-throwing. The song reached Number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified Silver.
August 2020: 'Midnight Sky'
Miley released the huge track 'Midnight Sky' as the lead single from her seventh studio album. The song reached Number 5 on the UK Singles Chart and is Certified 2x Platinum. The music video for the song was Miley's first self-directed music video.
November 2020: Miley releases her seventh studio album
Miley released her seventh album 'Plastic Hearts.' The album produced three singles – 'Midnight Sky', 'Prisoner' with Dua Lipa and 'Angels Like You'. 'Plastic Hearts' saw Miley enter the rock genre. Speaking about the album to Rolling Stone, Miley said: "I'm introducing my audience, my generation, to everything that inspired me and created this cocktail of chaos that I am."
The album reached Number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and Number 2 on the US Billboard Chart. It is certified Gold in the UK.
March 2021: Miley celebrates 15 years of Hannah Montana with an open letter
Miley wrote an open letter to her Hannah Montana character and shared it on social media to mark the 15th anniversary of the show. In the letter, Miley wrote: 'Although you are considered to be an 'alter ego' in reality there was a time in my life when you held more of my identity in your glovette than I did in my bare hands. We had an equal exchange in which you provided a superlative amount of fame in return for the anonymity I could gift to you. But, a lot has changed since then. You were like a rocket that flew me to the moon and never brought me back down.'
June 2021: Metallica cover
Miley released a cover version of Metallica's track 'Nothing Else Matters', which featured on 'The Metallica Blacklist', a tribute album which featured various artists covering tracks from the band's 1991 self-titled album. The cover also features Elton John on piano, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
December 2021: Miley's New Year's Eve Party
Miley co-hosted Miley's New Year's Eve party alongside Pete Davidson. The pair rapped to a parody version of Will Smith's track 'Miami' during the show and took part in a series of fun sketches together. Miley performed several tracks on the show including a rendition of Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' and her song 'Plastic Hearts.' Miley also duetted with her sister Noah and sang a cover of her godmother Dolly Parton's 'Jolene'.
April 2022: Miley releases a live album
Miley's third live album was released, called 'Attention: Miley Live'. The album was mostly recorded during her performance at the Super Bowl Music Fest in Los Angeles in February 2022. The album reached Number 5 in the UK Album Downloads Chart and included songs from across her career as well as covers including Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' and once again covering 'Jolene'.
December 2022: Miley's New Year's Eve Party
Miley also co-hosted a New Year's Party with Dolly in 2022, where she sang 'Wrecking Ball' alongside Dolly as part of a medley with 'I Will Always Love You'. The pair also duetted on Dolly's iconic hit 'Jolene' yet again. Guests on the show included Fletcher, Sia and the rock band Liily – who Miley's boyfriend Maxx Morando is the drummer for.
January 2023: 'Flowers'
Miley released the single 'Flowers', which was hugely popular around the world, reaching Number 1 in 37 countries including the UK and United States. 'Flowers' also broke streaming records to become the fastest song in Spotify history to reach one billion streams. The track is certified 2x Platinum in the UK.
Fans have many theories about the song, including that it is a rewrite of Bruno Mars' 2013 hit 'When I Was Your Man', which ex Liam once apparently dedicated to her. The video is also believed to contain several references to her relationship with Liam, including the Malibu house they lost. It was also released on 13th January, which is Liam's birthday.
March 2023: Miley releases her eighth studio album
Miley released her eighth studio album called 'Endless Summer Vacation.' The album produced the singles 'Flowers', 'River', 'Jaded' and 'Used To Be Young'. It reached Number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and is certified Silver. Also in March 2023, Miley released the Endless Summer Vacation Backyard Sessions on Disney+. The documentary saw Miley perform songs from 'Endless Summer Vacation' in addition to a special version of 'The Climb'. It also featured interviews with Miley about the album.
August 2023: Miley and Selena Gomez support each other
Miley and Selena Gomez both released new music on the 25th August – Miley's 'Used To Be Young' and Selena's track 'Single Soon'. Fans were delighted when Selena shared a clip from an episode of Hannah Montana to her Instagram Story to support Miley, adding that the pair have 'been friends since we used to be young.' Miley then returned the favour by sharing the post to her Story too.
August 2023: 'Used To Be Young' TikTok series
Miley released a series of videos to her TikTok page following the release of her single 'Used To Be Young', called Used To Be Young (Series). In the videos, Miley opened up about her life, from her childhood to the present day. The videos saw her open up about her Hannah Montana audition and talk about her relationship with her dad, Billy Ray.
October 2023: Miley and Dolly Parton release 'Wrecking Ball'
Miley teamed up with her godmother Dolly Parton on a duet of her 2013 hit 'Wrecking Ball.' This follows on from the pair performing the song together during Miley's New Year's Eve Party 2022. The song features on Dolly's album 'Rockstar.'
January 2024 : Miley receives two BRIT Award nominations
Miley Cyrus received two BRIT Award nominations in 2024 for International Artist of The Year and International Song of The Year ('Flowers').
February 2024: Miley wins two Grammy awards
Miley won two Grammy awards at the 2024 ceremony, with her huge hit 'Flowers' scooping the gongs for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.
March 2024: Miley releases 'Doctor (Work It Out)' with Pharrell
Miley and Pharrell Williams delighted fans by teaming up on a new collab called 'Doctor (Work It Out)'. The song was released on 1st March and is believed to have originally been an off-cut from Miley's 2013 album 'Bangerz'.
March 2024: Miley wins International Song of the Year BRIT Award
Miley's huge track 'Flowers' won the International Song of the Year award at the 2024 BRIT Awards, which took place on 2nd March. Unable to attend the event, Miley sent her acceptance speech via video, gushing: 'Thank you so much for voting 'Flowers' as the International Song of the Year - and, a special thank you for giving me somewhere to wear this dress. It's incredible to win, but the real award is having this song loved all around the world. I know this video is a little short, but, I just wanted it to match my dress. Thank you!"
August 2024: Miley becomes the youngest Disney Legend in history
On 11th August 2024, Miley was honoured with a Disney Legend Award at D3 2024 in Anaheim, California - home of Disneyland. Not only that, but Miley made history in the process, as she became the youngest person to ever be honoured as a Disney Legend. In her emotional speech, which saw tears from the crowd as well as the superstar herself, she dedicated the award to Hannah Montana, who she played from age 13. She gushed: "I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana because she made Miley in so many ways. This award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing, loyal fans, and to everyone who has made my dream a reality. To quote the legend herself: 'This is the life'."
Now read:
Miley Cyrus: Everything to know about the global superstar
The meanings behind 10 of Miley Cyrus' most successful songs
Miley Cyrus' 'Flowers': All of the theories and 'hidden messages'