Famous Musicians

The ranked list (from #351)

1. 351Nina HagenTheatrical-voiced singer who led the Nina Hagen Band and became a leading figure of German punk and new wave.East German · Born March 11, 1955
2. 352Art GarfunkelSang tenor harmonies alongside Paul Simon in Simon & Garfunkel, whose hits include "The Sound of Silence" and "Bridge over Troubled Water".🇺🇸American · Born November 5, 1941
3. 353Glenn MillerBandleader whose swing orchestra recorded "In the Mood" and "Moonlight Serenade" before he disappeared on a wartime flight over the English Channel.🇺🇸American · Born March 1, 1904 · Died February 15, 1944
4. 354Robert SmithFrontman of the Cure, whose smudged lipstick, wild hair and songs like Boys Don't Cry defined gothic post-punk.🇬🇧British · Born April 21, 1959
5. 355Ferruccio BusoniPianist and composer whose opera Doktor Faust was left unfinished at his death.🇮🇹Italian · Born April 1, 1866 · Died July 27, 1924
6. 356Chet BakerCool jazz trumpeter and singer whose lyrical, understated playing and vocals on "My Funny Valentine" became his signature.🇺🇸American · Born December 23, 1929 · Died May 13, 1988
7. 357Benny GoodmanClarinettist known as the King of Swing, whose 1938 Carnegie Hall concert became a landmark for jazz.🇺🇸American · Born May 30, 1909 · Died June 13, 1986
8. 358Woody GuthrieFolk songwriter who wrote This Land Is Your Land and chronicled Dust Bowl hardship in his Dust Bowl Ballads.🇺🇸American · Born July 14, 1912 · Died October 3, 1967
9. 359Joe HisaishiComposer who wrote the scores for Hayao Miyazaki's films, including Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro.🇯🇵Japanese · Born December 6, 1950
10. 360Dmitry Borisovich KabalevskyComposed the orchestral suite The Comedians and wrote many piano pieces for young players.🇷🇺Soviet · Born December 17, 1904 · Died February 27, 1986
11. 361Tony IommiGuitarist and founding member of Black Sabbath, whose heavy, downtuned riffs on "Paranoid" helped define heavy metal.🇬🇧British · Born February 19, 1948
12. 362Paul AnkaSinger-songwriter who wrote Diana as a teenager and later penned the English lyrics for My Way, made famous by Frank Sinatra.🇨🇦Canadian · Born July 30, 1941
13. 363Stanisław MoniuszkoPolish composer and conductor who wrote the opera Halka, regarded as a cornerstone of national opera.🇷🇺Russian · Born May 5, 1819 · Died April 4, 1872
14. 364Samuel BarberComposer whose Adagio for Strings became one of the most widely performed and recognised pieces of American classical music.🇺🇸American · Born March 9, 1910 · Died January 23, 1981
15. 365Bing CrosbyCrooner whose recording of White Christmas became one of the best-selling singles of all time.🇺🇸American · Born May 3, 1903 · Died October 14, 1977
16. 366Jenny LindOpera soprano nicknamed the Swedish Nightingale, whose celebrated American tour of 1850 was organised by P. T. Barnum.🇸🇪Swedish · Born October 6, 1820 · Died November 2, 1887
17. 367Grace JonesJamaican model, singer and actress whose striking androgynous look and album Nightclubbing made her a lasting icon of 1980s style.🇯🇲Jamaican · Born May 19, 1948
18. 368Little RichardPianist and singer whose exuberant 1950s hit "Tutti Frutti" helped lay the foundations of rock and roll.🇺🇸American · Born December 5, 1932 · Died May 9, 2020
19. 369Chester BenningtonPowerful vocalist of Linkin Park, whose debut album Hybrid Theory became one of the best-selling rock records of its era.🇺🇸American · Born March 20, 1976 · Died July 20, 2017
20. 370Carmen MirandaSinger and dancer who became Hollywood's Brazilian Bombshell, famous for her towering fruit hats in films such as The Gang's All Here.🇵🇹Portuguese · Born February 9, 1909 · Died August 5, 1955
21. 371EnyaHer atmospheric, layered single Orinoco Flow, from the album Watermark, became an unexpected worldwide hit.🇮🇪Irish · Born May 17, 1961
22. 372Henry ManciniComposer of the Pink Panther theme and Moon River, written for Breakfast at Tiffany's.🇺🇸American · Born April 16, 1924 · Died June 14, 1994
23. 373A. R. RahmanComposer who transformed Indian film music with his Roja soundtrack and later won two Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire.🇮🇳Indian · Born January 6, 1966
24. 374Kris KristoffersonSongwriter behind "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and a leading figure in outlaw country.🇺🇸American · Born June 22, 1936 · Died September 28, 2024
25. 375Bryan FerryFronted Roxy Music, whose stylish art-rock included Virginia Plain, before pursuing a solo career with songs such as Slave to Love.🇬🇧British · Born September 26, 1945
26. 376Georges BrassensSinger-songwriter whose witty, irreverent songs, accompanied only by guitar and double bass, made him a giant of French chanson.🇫🇷French · Born October 22, 1921 · Died October 29, 1981
27. 377Tori AmosClassically trained pianist who made her name with the confessional debut album Little Earthquakes and the single "Cornflake Girl".🇺🇸American · Born August 22, 1963
28. 378KomitasPriest and composer who founded the Armenian national school of music and collected thousands of Armenian folk songs.🇫🇷French · Born September 26, 1869 · Died October 22, 1935
29. 379Gloria EstefanLead singer of Miami Sound Machine, she brought Latin pop to a wide audience with hits such as "Conga".🇨🇺Cuban · Born September 1, 1957
30. 380Pete BestDrummer for the Beatles in their early Hamburg and Cavern Club days, dismissed shortly before they found worldwide fame.🇬🇧British · Born November 24, 1941
31. 381John BarryFilm composer who wrote many James Bond scores and won Oscars for Born Free and Out of Africa.🇬🇧British · Born November 3, 1933 · Died January 30, 2011
32. 382Ravi ShankarSitar virtuoso who introduced Indian classical music to Western audiences, collaborating with George Harrison and playing at Woodstock.🇮🇳Indian · Born April 7, 1920 · Died December 11, 2012
33. 383Kenny RogersCountry singer whose signature hit "The Gambler" inspired a series of television films in which he starred.🇺🇸American · Born August 21, 1938 · Died March 20, 2020
34. 384Toni BraxtonR&B singer whose ballad "Un-Break My Heart" became a worldwide hit and helped earn her seven Grammy Awards.🇺🇸American · Born October 7, 1966
35. 385Amy WinehouseSinger whose 2006 album Back to Black, featuring Rehab, brought her five Grammy Awards in 2008.🇬🇧British · Born September 14, 1983 · Died July 23, 2011
36. 386Bill EvansJazz pianist whose trio recorded the influential Sunday at the Village Vanguard and who played on Miles Davis's Kind of Blue.🇺🇸American · Born August 16, 1929 · Died September 15, 1980
37. 387Ray ManzarekKeyboardist whose swirling organ playing defined the sound of the Doors, co-founded with Jim Morrison.🇺🇸American · Born February 12, 1939 · Died May 20, 2013
38. 388Tony BennettCrooner who made "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" his signature song and won twenty Grammy Awards.🇺🇸American · Born August 3, 1926 · Died July 21, 2023
39. 389Herbie HancockJazz pianist whose 1973 album Head Hunters and the single Rockit brought funk and electronics into jazz.🇺🇸American · Born April 12, 1940
40. 390Lisa Marie PresleySinger-songwriter whose debut album To Whom It May Concern followed her upbringing as the only child of Elvis Presley.🇺🇸American · Born February 1, 1968 · Died January 12, 2023
41. 391Ofra HazaHer song Im Nin'alu, rooted in Yemenite tradition, became an international dance hit and brought her worldwide fame.🇮🇱Israeli · Born November 19, 1957 · Died February 23, 2000
42. 392Sofia RotaruUkrainian singer who became one of the most popular pop performers of the Soviet era.Ukraine · Born August 7, 1947
43. 393Lionel RichieSinger-songwriter who led the Commodores and later had solo hits including "Hello" and "All Night Long".🇺🇸American · Born June 20, 1949
44. 394Giya KancheliComposer of brooding symphonies and film scores, including music for the Soviet comedy Kin-dza-dza!.Georgian · Born August 10, 1935 · Died October 2, 2019
45. 395Annie LennoxSinger who formed Eurythmics with Dave Stewart, scoring a worldwide hit with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)".🇬🇧British · Born December 25, 1954
46. 396Dua LipaPop singer whose second album Future Nostalgia, led by the single "Don't Start Now", brought worldwide success.🇬🇧British · Born August 22, 1995
47. 397Cliff RichardSinger who topped the charts with Living Doll and Summer Holiday and has sold more UK singles than nearly anyone.🇬🇧British · Born October 14, 1940
48. 398Roberta FlackSinger and pianist whose recording of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face won Grammy Record of the Year.🇺🇸American · Born February 10, 1937 · Died February 24, 2025
49. 399BjörkIcelandic artist whose experimental pop albums include Debut, Post and Homogenic.🇮🇸Icelandic · Born November 21, 1965
50. 400Scott JoplinRagtime composer called the King of Ragtime, famous for Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer.🇺🇸American · Born March 31, 1868 · Died April 1, 1917