Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous Musicians in the World

Music 8,881
All 152,953
06 MJ Michael Jackson Michael Jackson American Dancer 1958–2009
14 WA Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Holy Roman Composer 1756–1791
17 LV Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven German Composer 1770–1827
32 M( Madonna (entertainer) Madonna (entertainer) American Singer b. 1958
35 BD Bob Dylan Bob Dylan American Singer b. 1941
44 JS Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach Holy Roman Composer 1685–1750
52 PM Paul McCartney Paul McCartney British Guitar b. 1942
57 FC Frédéric Chopin Frédéric Chopin Polish Composer 1810–1849
58 LG Lady Gaga Lady Gaga American Singer b. 1986
59 BS Britney Spears Britney Spears American Singer b. 1981
77 R Rihanna Rihanna Barbadian Singer b. 1988
80 E Eminem Eminem American Rapper b. 1972
95 SG Selena Gomez Selena Gomez American Singer b. 1992
97 RW Richard Wagner Richard Wagner German Composer 1813–1883
106 JH Jimi Hendrix American Singer 1942–1970
123 JC Johnny Cash Johnny Cash American Guitar 1932–2003
124 BM Bob Marley Bob Marley Jamaican Singer 1945–1981
127 JB Justin Bieber Justin Bieber Canadian Singer b. 1994
131 PI Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Russian Composer 1840–1893
133 TS Tupac Shakur Tupac Shakur American Rapper 1971–1996
136 LC Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen Canadian Singer 1934–2016
150 EJ Elton John Elton John British Singer b. 1947
160 A Adele Adele British Singer b. 1988
163 TS Taylor Swift Taylor Swift American Singer b. 1989
170 MC Miley Cyrus Miley Cyrus American Singer b. 1992
173 CD Celine Dion Celine Dion Canadian Singer b. 1968
177 FM Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury British Singer 1946–1991
194 WH Whitney Houston Whitney Houston American Singer 1963–2012
209 CA Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera American Singer b. 1980
222 KP Katy Perry Katy Perry American Singer b. 1984
225 GV Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Verdi Italian Composer 1813–1901
228 GF George Frideric Handel George Frideric Handel German Composer 1685–1759
237 BS Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen American Guitar b. 1949
241 B Björk Björk Icelandic Composer b. 1965
247 MC Mariah Carey Mariah Carey American Singer b. 1970
269 AL Avril Lavigne Avril Lavigne Canadian Singer b. 1984
271 FL Franz Liszt Franz Liszt Austrian Composer 1811–1886
276 KC Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain American Guitar 1967–1994
291 FZ Frank Zappa American Guitar 1940–1993
293 JM Jim Morrison Jim Morrison American Singer 1943–1971
297 FS Franz Schubert Franz Schubert Austrian Composer 1797–1828
305 MD Miles Davis Miles Davis American Composer 1926–1991
311 JH Joseph Haydn Joseph Haydn Austrian Composer 1732–1809
314 GM George Michael George Michael British Singer 1963–2016
326 ÉP Édith Piaf Édith Piaf French Singer 1915–1963
360 EC Eric Clapton Eric Clapton British Guitar b. 1945
386 DP Dolly Parton Dolly Parton American Guitar b. 1946
390 TT Tina Turner Tina Turner American Singer b. 1939
410 SW Stevie Wonder American Singer b. 1950
412 JB James Brown James Brown American Singer 1933–2006
416 CD Claude Debussy Claude Debussy French Composer 1862–1918
417 RC Ray Charles Ray Charles American Pianist 1930–2004
425 IS Igor Stravinsky Igor Stravinsky Russian Composer 1882–1971
440 GM Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler Austrian Conductor 1860–1911
442 LP Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti Italian Opera 1935–2007
450 S Shakira Shakira Colombian Singer b. 1977
451 JJ Janis Joplin Janis Joplin American Singer 1943–1970
455 HJ Hugh Jackman Hugh Jackman Australian Singer b. 1968
460 OO Ozzy Osbourne Ozzy Osbourne British Singer b. 1948
463 NM Nicki Minaj Nicki Minaj American Composer b. 1982
482 RS Robert Schumann Robert Schumann German Composer 1810–1856
497 CB Chuck Berry Chuck Berry American Guitar 1926–2017
533 RW Robbie Williams Robbie Williams British Singer b. 1974
545 BA Bryan Adams Bryan Adams Canadian Singer b. 1959
554 NY Neil Young Canadian Singer b. 1945
578 BM Brian May Brian May British Guitar b. 1947
603 JH Johnny Hallyday Johnny Hallyday French Singer 1943–2017
616 AD Antonín Dvořák Antonín Dvořák Austrian Composer 1841–1904
635 MR Maurice Ravel Maurice Ravel French Conductor 1875–1937
652 GP Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini Italian Opera 1858–1924
657 GS Gwen Stefani Gwen Stefani American Singer b. 1969
668 RW Roger Waters Roger Waters British Composer b. 1943
773 SR Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Rachmaninoff Russian Composer 1873–1943
776 PG Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel British Singer b. 1950
779 GR Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Rossini Italian Composer 1792–1868
779 LB Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein American Conductor 1918–1990
784 DR Debbie Reynolds Debbie Reynolds American Singer 1932–2016
800 LR Lou Reed Lou Reed American Singer 1942–2013
811 BK B.B. King B.B. King American Guitar 1925–2015
819 SP Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Prokofiev Russian Composer 1891–1953
821 TW Tom Waits American Singer b. 1949
830 EI Enrique Iglesias Enrique Iglesias Spanish Singer b. 1975
875 IP Iggy Pop Iggy Pop American Singer b. 1947
877 WN Willie Nelson Willie Nelson American Singer b. 1933
913 L Lemmy Lemmy British Singer 1945–2015
924 RS Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar Indian Composer 1920–2012
924 AB Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli Italian Music b. 1958
945 JC Joe Cocker Joe Cocker British Singer 1944–2014
945 EF Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald American Singer 1917–1996
962 U( Usher (musician) American Singer b. 1978
975 JS Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius Finnish Composer 1865–1957
979 HB Hector Berlioz Hector Berlioz French Composer 1803–1869
986 RM Ricky Martin Ricky Martin Spanish Singer b. 1971
988 JC John Coltrane John Coltrane American Bandleader 1926–1967
1,023 NS Nina Simone Nina Simone American Singer 1933–2003
1,052 VP Vanessa Paradis Vanessa Paradis French Singer b. 1972
1,065 NR Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Russian Composer 1844–1908
1,082 P( Pink (singer) Pink (singer) American Singer b. 1979
1,083 KC Kelly Clarkson Kelly Clarkson American Singer b. 1982
1,090 BD Bruce Dickinson Bruce Dickinson British Singer b. 1958
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Musicians

8,881 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the leading figure from Musicians born in each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births among Musicians peaked in the 1940s with 1,017 people.

What Musicians Are Known For

Disciplines inside this family, plus countries that over- and under-produce them.

Singer is the largest group within Musicians — 3,577 people, 40% of the family.

Musicians over-index on czech republic — 2.7× the global rate.

Musicians under-produce france — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Singer3,577
  2. Composer2,095
  3. Other Musicians1,347
  4. Conductor359
  5. Guitarist222
  6. Pianist205
  7. Opera Singer171
  8. Songwriter160
  1. Czech Republic1552.7×
  2. Norway1382.0×
  1. France4440.6×

City Hot Spots

Cities that over-produce Musicians compared to the world average — multiplier shows how much more.