Michelle Obama: 'Most Powerful Woman In The World'

Where can you find Michelle Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Lady Gaga all together? This is not the set up to an elaborate joke; it's this year's Forbes list of the 100 most powerful women in the world.

This year's list marks a vast change from last year's list, where nine of the top ten women listed were CEOs at major companies, and Merkel, this year's number four, topped the list. In this year's list, Oprah Winfrey beats out Hillary Clinton, while Beyonce Knowles is ranked over Nancy Pelosi and Sarah Palin. "We've come up with a new ranking of the female power elite that reflects the New Order of now," Forbes' Meghan Casserly wrote. "Our assessment is based less on traditional titles and roles and more on creative influence and entrepreneurship. They have built distinctive companies and brands and championed weighty causes, sometimes through unconventional means; in other cases they have broken through gender barriers."

Although it may be strange to see Hollywood stars like Angelina Jolie mixed up with women like Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor and Kraft Foods CEO Irene Rosenfeld, the adjustment in the ranking system is a reflection of the way the world works now."That's today's reality: an incongruous, diverse mash-up of hard power (currencies and constitutions) and dynamic power (audience and audacity)," the article claimed.

First Lady Obama's place at the top of the list was attributed to several major accomplishments. The magazine lauded her for being "a true change-maker," and changing the face of the office. "She's given a new generation of girls and women around the world a role model." –AMY LEE