Most Famous American Musicians

50 American Musicians in view out of 1,861

Music 1,861
United States 23,678
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson American Dancer 1958 – 2009
#6
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna (entertainer) American Singer Born 1958
#32
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan American Singer Born 1941
#35
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga American Singer Born 1986
#58
Britney Spears
Britney Spears American Singer Born 1981
#59
Eminem
Eminem American Rapper Born 1972
#80
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez American Singer Born 1992
#95
JH
Jimi Hendrix American Singer 1942 – 1970
#106
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash American Guitar 1932 – 2003
#123
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur American Rapper 1971 – 1996
#133
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift American Singer Born 1989
#163
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus American Singer Born 1992
#170
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston American Singer 1963 – 2012
#194
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera American Singer Born 1980
#209
Katy Perry
Katy Perry American Singer Born 1984
#222
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen American Guitar Born 1949
#237
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey American Singer Born 1970
#247
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain American Guitar 1967 – 1994
#276
FZ
Frank Zappa American Guitar 1940 – 1993
#291
Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison American Singer 1943 – 1971
#293
Miles Davis
Miles Davis American Composer 1926 – 1991
#305
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton American Guitar Born 1946
#386
Tina Turner
Tina Turner American Singer Born 1939
#390
SW
Stevie Wonder American Singer Born 1950
#410
James Brown
James Brown American Singer 1933 – 2006
#412
Ray Charles
Ray Charles American Pianist 1930 – 2004
#417
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin American Singer 1943 – 1970
#451
Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj American Composer Born 1982
#463
Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry American Guitar 1926 – 2017
#497
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani American Singer Born 1969
#657
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein American Conductor 1918 – 1990
#779
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds American Singer 1932 – 2016
#784
Lou Reed
Lou Reed American Singer 1942 – 2013
#800
B.B. King
B.B. King American Guitar 1925 – 2015
#811
TW
Tom Waits American Singer Born 1949
#821
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop American Singer Born 1947
#875
Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson American Singer Born 1933
#877
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald American Singer 1917 – 1996
#945
U(
Usher (musician) American Singer Born 1978
#962
John Coltrane
John Coltrane American Bandleader 1926 – 1967
#988
Nina Simone
Nina Simone American Singer 1933 – 2003
#1,023
Pink (singer)
Pink (singer) American Singer Born 1979
#1,082
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson American Singer Born 1982
#1,083
Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl American Guitar Born 1969
#1,106
Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly American Guitar 1936 – 1959
#1,139
Fergie (singer)
Fergie (singer) American Singer Born 1975
#1,186
"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic American Singer Born 1959
#1,262
HB
Harry Belafonte American Singer Born 1927
#1,281
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison American Singer 1936 – 1988
#1,314
John Cage
John Cage American Composer 1912 – 1992
#1,359

By the numbers

Inside the United States Musicians

1,861 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous the united states musicians born in each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births among the United States Musicians peaked in the 1930s with 252 people.

What the United States Musicians Are Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Singer are the United States Musicians's biggest group — 43% of all notables (793).

The United States Musicians over-index on bandleader — 75.9× the global rate.

  1. Singer793
  2. Music424
  3. Composer194
  4. Guitar107
  5. Songwriter64
  6. Pianist47
  7. Rapper42
  8. Bandleader36
  1. Bandleader3675.9×
  2. Rapper4240.1×
  3. Guitar10739.6×
  4. Songwriter6432.9×
  5. Music42425.9×
  6. Pianist4718.8×
  7. Singer79318.2×
  8. Composer1947.6×

City Hot Spots

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