Top 10 Most Popular Music Artists and Bands of the 2010s in Austria

Of course, Austria, much like every country, has music stars they admire. The artists we like are often local musicians, but we also love the German, American, or British music scene and occasionally something entirely different altogether.

In the decade of the 2010s, celebrities from diverse genres found fame or continued successful careers from the past decade.

This list doesn't compile the greatest or your personal favorite artists, but rather the ones you experienced as most popular with the public. While sales and chart positions matter, the overall media presence, airplay, and fanbase are just as important. A popular artist is one everybody knows and one that has many followers.

I didn't include artists who were not active in the 2010s for any reason, even if they still have a huge following and get lots of airplay for hits from past decades. Falco and Queen would probably be at the top of such a list. However, as always, it's up to you to interpret my list.

The Top Ten

Helene Fischer

Helene Fischer is a German pop and schlager singer of Russian-German descent who was born on August 5, 1984, in Krasnoyarsk, then part of the Soviet Union.
Fischer established herself as a singer and television personality in the mid-2000s, gaining popularity through her music and Die Helene Fischer... read more

Her album "Farbenspiel" went 18 times platinum, becoming the third best-selling album in Austria, behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Herbert Grönemeyer's "Mensch." The lead single "Atemlos durch die Nacht" stayed on the charts for 90 weeks and is probably the most played song of the 21st century (that goes for Germany and Switzerland as well, where she is similarly huge).
The German singer is all over TV, her concerts are sold out, and she managed to gather a fanbase of every gender and age.

It always amazes me how Germans got into a Russian singer (and Austrians, too).
Adele

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, born May 5, 1988, is an English singer and songwriter. She graduated from the BRIT School in 2006 and signed with XL Recordings after a demo posted on Myspace gained attention. She's best known for emotional ballads like Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You, Hello, and Easy... read more

Everything Adele touches turns to gold, at least. Her many hit songs play all over the radio, and of course, her albums sell well. She has little to no haters, and many people, old and young, view her as the greatest artist of her era.

She should be first. Beautiful voice.
Conchita Wurst

Conchita Wurst is the stage persona of Austrian singer Thomas Neuwirth, who was born on November 6, 1988. Neuwirth gained international attention when Conchita won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix." Conchita's image as a bearded drag performer became a symbol of tolerance... read more

Wurst was a moderately famous TV personality for a few years, who wasn't much noticed until she won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest with "Rise Like a Phoenix." I know the importance of this event differs widely from country to country, but in Austria, it's a big deal where the entire nation stays up late to watch it.
Then she became a cultural icon. Her messages of tolerance, LGBT rights, and self-empowerment hit the country like a tornado and caused a massive hype for equality of any kind. She performed in front of politicians, was on every show and newspaper, and was named person of the year.
Although her last musical output was in 2015 (she will release her second album soon, though), she is still the national number one celebrity of the decade and is often seen in the media.
Bushido

Anis Mohamed Youssef Ferchichi, better known by his stage name Bushido, is a German rapper and music producer of Tunisian descent who was born on September 28, 1978, in Bonn. He's closely associated with Berlin, where he grew up and established his career, although he later moved to Dubai with his family.... read more

Germany's biggest rapper is just as successful and chart-topping over here. Much like in Germany, interest in English language hip hop has declined in the 2010s, paving the way for the German language counterpart to take its place.
Bushido, being the Godfather of German hip hop, is, of course, what every genre fan digs.
Ed Sheeran

Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was born on February 17, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk. He's known for hit songs such as "The A Team" (2011) and "Shape of You" (2017).... read more

I don't need to tell you about his popularity. The fact is, this guy is massive all around the globe. His hits are just as huge, chart-topping, and excessively played over here as in your country. I just feel that he has more haters abroad. No one really hates this man over here.

I wonder if there is a country where he isn't popular.
Justin Bieber

Justin Drew Bieber (born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He currently resides in Ontario, Canada, and is Christian. He is the son of Pattie Mallette, an author.
Justin Bieber is best known for his songs "Baby" and "What Do You Mean?" As of mid 2025, 11 of... read more

The reception is pretty much the same as in the US. He always had commercial hits and massive media coverage, but also many haters and was generally seen negatively until "Purpose," which completely changed his reputation for the better.
Suddenly, Justin Bieber was taken seriously as an artist, and the hit songs also received more radio airplay.
Katy Perry

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, professionally known as Katy Perry, was born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California. She is a singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality who has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2013.... read more

Katy Perry has many hits that are all over the radio, but "I Kissed a Girl" is especially one of the most popular pop songs of the last fifteen years. She's also much better received in Austria than in the US. Her latest album and songs didn't get hate, and "Chained to the Rhythm" is everywhere.
Rihanna

Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a Barbadian singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados. She began her music career in 2003 by recording demo tapes with producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken, and eventually signed with Def Jam Recordings after an audition for... read more

I am not sure how the situation is in the USA, because as far as I know, your radio stations don't like explicitness that much. "Love on the Brain" was inescapable in the past two years. However, even more than this song, "Stay" and "Diamonds" are among the most played songs ever since they came out.
Eminem

Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is an American rapper, actor, and music producer born on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri. Eminem has sold over 220 million records, making him the best-selling hip-hop artist of all time. In addition to his solo career, he was a member of D12 and (with... read more

While in the 2000s, American rappers were prominent with German rap slowly emerging, everything took a 180° turn in the current decade. German rappers now top the charts, while most popular American rap songs only appear on some hip hop enthusiasts' playlists (we're still CD buyers). Songs that didn't appear on the Austrian top 100 include "Bodak Yellow" and "Bad and Boujee."
Somewhere between numbers 20 and 11 are the big singles by Future, Rae Sremmurd, or Kendrick Lamar. As hip hop is an album genre over here, their albums sometimes chart higher, but only when there are physical releases available. The one exception whose music is always hugely anticipated is Eminem.
Here we talk about chart-topping success, and here we have one of the very few rappers who get regular radio airplay because they are also heard by people who aren't always into hip hop. Eminem is the one everyone agrees is a genius.
Andreas Gabalier

Andreas Gabalier, born on November 21, 1984, is an Austrian folk, rock, and schlager singer. He won several major music awards in 2012, including the ECHO Award in the folk music category and two Amadeus Austrian Music Awards for Best Live Act and Best Schlager Singer. In 2013, he again received the... read more

With all his albums to date ranging from three to eight times platinum, this singer-songwriter who mixes traditional Austrian elements (squeeze box, Viennese dialect, slight touches of yodeling) with commercially accepted pop rock music (guitars, raspy vocals, percussion, earworm choruses) is definitely one of the best-selling stars of his generation.
He polarizes heavily, though, and for every fan comes a hater. But judging by his sales, I don't think that's a problem for him.

The Newcomers

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Mero
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Capital Bra

The Contenders

Trackshittaz

Before their departure in 2015, the party pop duo Trackshittaz - often described as Austria's answer to Breathe Carolina - had four major hits: the chart-topping "Oida taunz!" and "Guuugarutz," as well as "Killalady" and "Woki mit deim Popo." They also released four studio albums that reached the top ten, with two of them hitting number one. The duo was very present in local TV and newspapers, and they set many of the trends of the time.
What made them stand out was their music, which was aimed at a young and energetic audience with stomping beats, techno synths, pop rapping, catchy choruses, occasional Autotune, and edgy lyrics. However, instead of performing in neutral German, they used the Upper Austrian dialect. While this dialect was common in music aimed at more mature audiences, Trackshittaz made it popular again with younger listeners. Their popularity was so significant that they even represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012. Unfortunately, their performance wasn't well received abroad, and they came in last place.
After their disbandment, their legacy didn't turn out as strong as some might have expected. In Austria, when someone achieves national fame, they often maintain that level of recognition for a lifetime. While Austrians still remember Trackshittaz, their songs didn't immediately become classics, unlike those of several less successful artists before them. Nonetheless, the hype they generated in the first half of the decade absolutely qualifies them for this list.
Sunrise Avenue

Sometime in the mid-to-late 2000s, the Finnish alternative rock band became much more popular in German-speaking territories than any of their American emo counterparts. Lead singer Samu Haber became a well-known celebrity who often appeared on German shows. In the 2010s, their popularity increased even more, and so they have received lots of airplay, have popular concerts, and have good album sales.
Many people of different target groups like them. Although their music is often similar to the American emo movement, and their more recent output is poppier, they are much less gimmicky and aren't really associated with a certain group of people.
Thirty Seconds To Mars

Thirty Seconds to Mars (stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of brothers Jared and Shannon Leto.
They released their first album, 30 Seconds to Mars, in 2002. It was a self-titled album with... read more

Thirty Seconds to Mars entered the Austrian top ten when every other country, including the USA and Germany, still had to discover them as more than just some ambitious newcomers. They had a very devoted and widespread fanbase, and while other big emo bands of the USA weren't really that mainstream, 30 Seconds to Mars were a big deal.
Many were also baffled that an actor as great as Leto could create music like this without even promoting it as HIS project. The success only increased from then on, and now in 2018, they finally had their first number one album, while in the rest of the world they finally had the success they had over here in 2005.
Cro

Carlo Waibel, better known by his stage name Cro, is a German rapper, singer, producer, and designer. He is represented by truworks records, an independent record label he co-founded. Cro is known for popularizing a genre he refers to as Raop, which blends rap and pop music, and for wearing a signature... read more

The German rapper with the panda mask not only made pop rap cool, popular, and critically acceptable again, he's also one of the, if not the most, played German rappers on Austrian mainstream radio channels. Rappers like Bushido are too violent and dark to fit in, despite their success, but Cro delivers the hits that everyone likes.
Amy MacDonald

Amy Elizabeth Macdonald, born August 25, 1987, is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. She gained fame with her debut album, This Is the Life, in 2007, which was particularly successful in European markets. The title track became a chart-topping hit in multiple countries.... read more

If you spend some days in Austria, the Scottish country-folk singer-songwriter will pop up inevitably. Her music is heard on the radio, in the shopping mall, at the hair stylist's, and so on. I wouldn't complain: she is pure, authentic song craftsmanship, writing, singing, and playing the guitar without any gimmicks or overly electronic sounds.
Linkin Park

Linkin Park is an American alternative rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The current members include Mike Shinoda (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar), Brad Delson (guitar), Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (bass), Joe Hahn (DJ), Emily Armstrong (vocals), and Colin Brittain (drums). Linkin Park... read more

Long before Chester Bennington's tragic death, Linkin Park had been a generation-defining band that managed to touch many. Their albums were all extremely popular, and they have already been legendary for years. They will be even more so under these sad circumstances.
Seiler und Speer

Originally, Seiler und Speer were a comedian and a director (none of the big names, though) who thought it would be fun to go to the studio and record some indie music. Their single "Ham kummst" immediately topped the Austrian charts, has 30 million views on YouTube (that's a lot for German music and the biggest of the biggest blockbusters for Austrian music), and still gets tons of airplay four years later.
The album of the same name was awarded four times platinum, and the follow-up album got another platinum certificate.
Robbie Williams

Robert Peter Williams (born February 13, 1974) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995 and rejoined the group from 2009 to 2012.
He also achieved major commercial success as a solo artist, selling more than 75 million records worldwide... read more

Robbie Williams isn't just a successful pop star. He's a music legend that is universally loved by all audiences, no matter their age or gender. His songwriting craft and singing are acclaimed by pretty much everyone, and every new song he creates immediately becomes insanely popular.
Apart from the fact that his songs from the 90s and 00s are still much loved, his "Swings Both Ways" album was a huge hit in the 2010s, and his other records were also really successful.
Lady Gaga

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.
Early in her career, she performed at Lollapalooza on August 4, 2007, as part of "Lady Gaga and The Starlight Revue." Later that year, producer Rob Fusari sent her songs to executive... read more

Of course, Lady Gaga is still synonymous with great and well-crafted pop music blockbusters. Several of her songs have already turned into evergreens. However, in the first half of the decade, she would have topped the list.
It was absolutely clear she has a place next to Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince as the peak of creative mainstream pop singer-songwriters.
Bruno Mars

Peter Gene Hernandez, professionally known as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and choreographer.
Mars rose to fame in 2010 through his collaborations on the hits "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy, both of which featured... read more

Although his latest album wasn't as successful, hits like "Just the Way You Are," "Grenade," and "Uptown Funk" are decade-defining and among the most played songs of the 2010s.
Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania. She developed a strong interest in country music around the age of nine after watching a documentary about Faith Hill. Swift moved to Nashville as a teenager, signed a development deal with RCA Records... read more

Taylor Swift wasn't as noticed over here until she became pop. She long had a diamond certification and multi-platinum in the US. "Red" was her first top ten entry, but "Fearless," which peaked at number 14, was already certified gold.
Then she took off: "1989" was certified triple-platinum and "Shake It Off" is one of the most played songs of the decade that will become an evergreen.
P!nk

Alecia Beth Moore, known professionally as P!nk, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. She rose to prominence in the early 2000s with her R&B-influenced debut album, Can't Take Me Home (2000). P!nk is known for her powerful vocals, acrobatic stage presence, and numerous hit singles... read more
RAF Camora
Nickelback

Nickelback is a Canadian post-grunge band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Canada. The band consists of guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist Ryan Peake, bassist Mike Kroeger, and drummer Daniel Adair.... read more

I often say that Nickelback is not really hated over here. They are actually pretty popular and well-liked. Not only are their hits from the 2000s still on rotation, but their newer output this decade has also found many Austrian fans, especially "Song on Fire," which was everywhere in 2017.
One Direction

One Direction, commonly abbreviated as 1D, was a British-Irish pop boy band composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, who departed on March 25, 2015.
The group formed on The X Factor UK in 2010, finished third, and then signed with Simon Cowell's Syco... read more

Boybands were always embraced very much in German-speaking territories. Remember: the Backstreet Boys had success much earlier over here and had a gazillion more hits than in the US. Although One Direction were just as popular in the rest of the world, maybe even more, they still were very present in this decade's pop landscape.
With Harry Styles' successful departure, many see him as the third member of a bunch of former boyband members who managed to be taken very seriously as artists, next to the two giants Robbie Williams and Justin Timberlake.