Top Ten Most Famous Music Artists and Bands of All Time (Excluding Classical Composers)
These guys are immediately what people think of when they hear the term "music". Their songs are always present no matter where you are and even little children who haven't explored much of the music world know their name. They are used synonymously with music, every household owns at least a best of compilation if not many of their records, and their hits are countless. Also did these fellas build up this reputation for many years and decades, and became more than musicians: cultural icons important to the history of the world.The fact that I know exactly you expected this band to be number one on this list is more than enough justification to put them in the top spot.
But if you need more:
Every nuance of their output became iconic. Album covers, concepts, hairstyles, their break up (off-topic: get Yoko Ono's "Approximately Infinite Universe" album), the names of all four band members, background stories to their songs, their hype, interview quotes, in other words EVERY LITTLE THING. Oh, and all of their songs, of course.
It can be your opinion that they seem overrated, but they do deserve the top spot.
Overrated but makes great music
The best ever
Iconic is a much too small word for the impact this dude had on pop culture. A side note: I hate the term "pop culture". It means "media culture", but it sounds as if this was "less" of a culture than e.g. politics or tradition. It's not. In fact, it's what our collective and individual thinking is largely influenced by and decides what we remember of the past. And Elvis, of course, was such an important figure in world history - much like the Beatles, his every move became the stuff of legends, literally - that it's quite possible the entire world would have developed differently without him, not to mention the music.
If there is one man who is the definitive music star of the post-hippie decades, it is this man, singer and dancer, later on also a gifted songwriter. When I first heard of him, he was still alive, and a former megastar who once released some of the most played music and most iconic albums that he is loved for, but was mostly ridiculed and frowned upon in then-recent times. I never understood why, and still don't (people didn't underdstand that Michael worked differently than adult men, his interests were that of an innocent child). Now, he's a tragedy, and his reputation recovered. Apart from having released the best selling album.of all time, Jackson also revolutionized music videos, dancing, the use of adlibs and clothing style.
The greatest entertainer I've ever seen.
The King Himself. Michael Jackson
Frank Sinatra is used synonymously with singing skills and vocal talent, and out of his generation and genre, he's the biggest name to have ever entered the stage. Swing earns much of its huge status and popularity to him, and up to this day, he remains an iconic figure whose name and face immediately lets you hear his voice and style in your ear.
There was no one that could beat Frankie.
May, or may not, fit the parameters of this list. Not a "classical composer", but a modern person who brought those classic compositions to life during the era with modern electronic recording devices available. Certainly the greatest singing voice that can be heard on recordings today. A shame that Enrico Caruso was only preserved on primitive equipment at the end of his career, and Jenny Lind was never recorded at all. Interestingly, Jenny Lind plays a key part in the current [Feb. 2018] movie "The Greatest Showman".
When one thinks of opera, one thinks of Luciano Pavarotti who remains the best & greatest singer of all time.
Actually I think many people today have never heard of him. Though they would still know his Christmas songs. However he was unbelievably popular in his time. In 1948 his recordings made up half of radio music in the US. Most overplayed artist ever.
Earlier than even Sinatra, Crosby was the world's biggest music star from the 1920's to the 1940's.
Like ABBA, the Bee Gees are one of these groups that everybody knows and loves and whose cult following remains one of the biggest of all time. If T.V. documentaries about a group of the 70s still attract a massive amount of multi-generational viewers in the 2010s, you are truly iconic, and your music truly became immortal.
QUEEN has always been the best Rock band throughout the decades! Brian May, Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury & John Deacon are still known & loved today! Although Freddie left us in 1991 & John decided to retire not long after.. Brian & Roger are still touring today with a new singer/collaborator.. ADAM LAMBERT... and they are still wowing audiences World Wide to sell out crowds as QUEEN + Adam Lambert! This is the Best Rock Band of the 21st century.. a show not to be missed! They are Fantastic.. these guys can still Rock & Roll and with ADAM they have a new energy that is thrilling audiences! GREAT!
Everyone knows Queen. Everybody loves Queen. Everybody knows at least 10 songs solely from their media presence.
Queen are one of those bands whose musicianship is appreciated by everyone from mainstream pop listener to 40 year old rockers to sophisticated music critics who usually only listen to classical music. As of February 2018, I am yet to meet a person who confutes these statement.
When a group releases a double disc compilation on which you know every single song and still miss a couple, then you know exactly this is a legendary band.
I don't think any other band or singer has had that many legendary songs that are still played everyday. Waterloo, Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, The Winner Takes It All, Super Trouper, Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight), Take a Chance on Me, SOS, Money Money Money,... do I need to go on?
When this Swedish quartett entered the stage in the 70s, the entire world stood still and listened to them, and they gained one of the biggest cult followings in the world history.
Today my best friend and former intellectual named Justin told me he hated ABBA and I was surprised and laughed that he hated ABBA and other reasons before I knew which today was picture day 3/12/18- Kevinsidis
In the 90s, Madonna basically invented the modern pop star. Her mix of art and pop music, her daring creative input in the songwriting process and her controversial costumes, lyrics, music videos and performances made her a huge cultural phenomenon far beyond her musical output. Her most well known songs may be from the 80s, but it's the 90s that granted her immortality - from the graphic sexuality of "Erotica" to the artistry of "Ray of Light", you can see her impact on every big female artist now. And, of course, her name and face became icons on their own.
With their first two albums, Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning reaching underground success, their third effort, Master of Puppets has since become one of the most important heavy metal albums ever, as it became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. The title track has since become the band's most played song live. ...read more.
They are probably the most popular metal band in existence.
The band was comprised of Kurt Cobain (Vocals, Guitar), Dave Grohl (Drums) and Krist Novoselic (Bass). ...read more.
I was very unsure if I should rather include Nirvana or Kurt Cobain on here, but I ultimately decided for Nirvana, and this is with whom Cobain made music with. Of course, the band's iconic status is partly due to Cobain's suicide, but it doesn't change that Nirvana shirts, patches, buttons, etc. are still one of the more popular clothing styles in the city, and that documentaries about either the band or their singer are still a common sight when browsing through the T.V. program.
And also: probably the most famous album cover artwork of all time belongs to their record.
A voice so distinctive that even the youngest kids' ears immediately perk up when he starts singing, Phil Collins' fame doesn't seem to ever stop. Not only can you be sure to hear more than one of his (or his band Genesis') many hits every day when you're a frequent radio listener, he only needs to reissue old albums with bonus material or release a compilation, and immediately everyone talks about him again.
Random factoid: Phil Collins' 8th grade classroom was hired by the producers of the Beatles "Hard Days Night" movie to be the crowd of kids who are madly running after the Fab Four during that movie's opening sequence. The 13-year old Phil Collins can be seen briefly in several shots. Did this early "brush with greatness" help inspire him?
Seriously, who hasn't heard of this guy?