Greatest Singers
by OfficialPaul | created - 19 Oct 2010 | updated - 28 Feb 2016 | PublicThis list combines the presence of being the frontman, singing ability and voice.
1. Freddie Mercury
Soundtrack | Flash Gordon
Freddie Mercury was born on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar. His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara, sent him off to a private school in India, from 1955 til 1963. In 1964, he and his family flew to England. In 1966 he started his education at the Ealing College of Art, where he graduated in 1969. He ...
Queen
* #18th Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time
2. Robert Plant
Soundtrack | The Song Remains the Same
Prior to Hobbstweedle (a pickup blues band formed to honour a gig at West Midlands College Of Education) Robert was the frontman for The Band of Joy - featuring Percy, John Bonham, Paul Lockey (bass), Chris Brown (keyboards) and Kevyn Gammond (guitar). The BOJ were on verge of making a record deal ...
Led Zeppelin, solo
* #15th Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time
3. Axl Rose
Soundtrack | Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana, W. Axl Rose is the pure embodiment of decadent late 1980s rockerdom. Brash, slightly misogynistic and notoriously wild, Rose grew up in a maniacally dysfunctional household - molested by his own father at age two; beaten by his abusive stepfather.
When Axl was ...
Guns N' Roses
4. Bono
Soundtrack | Across the Universe
Bono was born Paul David Hewson in Dublin, Ireland on May 10, 1960, to Iris (Rankin) and Brendan Robert Hewson. He has been the lead singer of the rock band U2 since 1976. U2 has won 22 Grammy Awards to date, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Lauded by fans and critics ...
U2
* #32nd Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time
5. Michael Jackson
Soundtrack | Michael Jackson: Thriller
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, and entertained audiences nearly his entire life. His father, Joe Jackson (no relation to Joe Jackson, also a musician), had been a guitarist, but was forced to give up his musical ambitions following his marriage to Michael's ...
Jackson 5; solo
6. Roy Orbison
Soundtrack | Love and Monsters
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 - December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as operatic, earning him the nicknames "The Caruso of Rock" and "...
* #13th Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time
Elvis Presley and Bono both stated his voice was the greatest and most distinctive they had ever heard
7. Paul McCartney
Soundtrack | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sir Paul McCartney is a key figure in contemporary culture as a singer, composer, poet, writer, artist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and holder of more than 3 thousand copyrights. He is in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for most records sold, most #1s (shared), most covered song, "Yesterday," ...
The Beatles, solo
8. Sam Cooke
Soundtrack | Innerspace
Sam Cooke was born January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He was one of eight children of Charles Cook Sr., a Baptist minister. When Sam sang as a little boy in church, everyone made note that his voice had "something special". He sang in church and in local gospel choirs until a group called...
9. Marvin Gaye
Soundtrack | High Fidelity
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. (known professionally as Marvin Gaye; April 2, 1939 - April 1, 1984) was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, earning him the nicknames ...
10. James Brown
Actor | The Blues Brothers
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and ...
11. John Lennon
Actor | A Hard Day's Night
John Winston (later Ono) Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England, to Julia Lennon (née Stanley) and Alfred Lennon, a merchant seaman. He was raised by his mother's older sister Mimi Smith. In the mid-1950s, he formed his first band, The Quarrymen (after Quarry Bank High School, ...
The Beatles, solo
12. Ray Charles
Actor | The Blues Brothers
A tragic fate may have given this visionary a heightened sensitivity, perception, awareness, even expansion to his obvious musical gifts that he may have never touched upon had he not suffered from his physical affliction. Whatever it was, Ray Charles revolutionized American music and was ...
13. Elton John
Soundtrack | Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Sir Elton John is one of pop music's great survivors. Born 25 March, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (...
14. Elvis Presley
Soundtrack | Girls! Girls! Girls!
Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys Presley (née Gladys Love Smith) and Vernon Presley (Vernon Elvis Presley). He had a twin brother who was stillborn. In 1948, Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he attended Humes High School. ...
15. Levi Stubbs
Actor | Little Shop of Horrors
Levi Stubbs was born on June 6, 1936 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Captain N: The Game Master (1989) and Queer as Folk (2000). He was married to Clineice Townsend. He died on October 17, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
The Four Tops
16. Prince
Soundtrack | Under the Cherry Moon
Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Mattie Shaw, a jazz singer and social worker, and John L. Nelson, a lyricist and pianist. His father's stage name was "Prince Rogers". His parents were both from African-American families from Louisiana. They separated during his youth, ...
17. Stevie Wonder
Soundtrack | Wild Wild West
Born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, United States, to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway. Due to being born six weeks premature, Stevie Wonder was born with a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, which made him blind. Stevie Wonder, even with this disability, made his ...
18. Billy Joel
Soundtrack | Oliver & Company
William Martin Joel is an American singer, pianist, composer and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his single and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s, having released 12 pop and rock studio albums from 1971...
19. Mick Jagger
Soundtrack | Alfie
Michael Philip Jagger was born in Dartford, Kent on 26th July 1943. When he was 4 he met Keith Richards until they went into secondary schools and lost touch. But one day in 1960 they accidentally met on the Dartford train line and both realized that they had an interest in rock n roll combined ...
The Rolling Stones, solo
20. Rod Stewart
Soundtrack | Innerspace
Rod Stewart was born on January 10, 1945 in Highgate, London, England, UK. He is a music artist and actor, known for Innerspace (1987), The Three Musketeers (1993) and No Way Out (1987). He has been married to Penny Lancaster since June 16, 2007. They have two children. He was previously married to ...
Jeff Beck, solo
Having a unique raspy-voice he was still able to become a great singer.
21. Steven Tyler
Soundtrack | Be Cool
Steven Tyler was born on March 26, 1948 in Yonkers, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Be Cool (2005), Epic (2013) and Wayne's World 2 (1993). He was previously married to Teresa Barrick and Cyrinda Foxe.
Aerosmith
22. Al Green
Soundtrack | Scrooged
Al Green was born on April 13, 1946 in Forrest City, Arkansas, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Scrooged (1988), Hellboy (2004) and He's Just Not That Into You (2009). He was previously married to Shirley Kyles.
23. Art Garfunkel
Actor | Carnal Knowledge
Art Garfunkel was born on November 5, 1941 in Forest Hills, New York, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Rebound (2009) and Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (1980). He has been married to Kim Garfunkel since September 18, 1988. They have two children. He was ...
Simon & Garfunkel, solo
24. Neil Young
Composer | Dead Man
Neil Young is one of the most respected and prolific rock/folk guitarists of the late 20th century. Raised in Canada, he first became well-known as a guitarist and occasional vocalist for the band Buffalo Springfield. After the band's breakup, Young became a solo performer. However, he also has ...
25. Roger Daltrey
Actor | Lisztomania
Roger Daltrey is noted as a founder of the legendary rock band The Who. After leaving London's Acton County Grammar School in 1963, he formed a skiffle band called The Detours, then displayed an early genius by putting together unusual elements into a world-class performance. The unusual elements ...
The Who
26. Diana Ross
Soundtrack | The Wiz
Best known as the the lead singer of the popular 1960s singing group The Supremes, Diana Ernestine Earle Ross was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, the second of six children of African-American parents Ernestine Lillian (Moten), a schoolteacher, and Fred Earl Ross, who served in the ...
The Supremes, solo
27. Ben E. King
Soundtrack | Stand by Me
Ben E. King was born on September 28, 1938 in Henderson, North Carolina, USA. He was a music artist and composer, known for Stand by Me (1986), Love and Monsters (2020) and Cloverfield (2008). He was married to Betty Nelson. He died on April 30, 2015 in Hackensack, New Jersey, USA.
The Drifters, solo
28. David Bowie
Soundtrack | Labyrinth
David Bowie was one of the most influential and prolific writers and performers of popular music, but he was much more than that; he was also an accomplished actor, a mime and an intellectual, as well as an art lover whose appreciation and knowledge of it had led to him amassing one of the biggest ...
29. Jim Morrison
Soundtrack | Army of the Dead
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American poet, singer, and songwriter from Florida. He was the lead vocalist of the rock band "The Doors" (1965-1973), and has been cited as "one of the most influential frontmen in rock history". Morrison recorded a total of six studio albums with the Doors, all...
The Doors
30. Paul Rodgers
Soundtrack | Jerry Maguire
Paul Rodgers was born on December 17, 1949 in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Jerry Maguire (1996), Almost Famous (2000) and Friday Night Lights (2004). He has been married to Cynthia Kereluk since September 24, 2007. He was previously married to ...
Bad Company, Free
31. Stevie Nicks
Soundtrack | Sweet November
Stevie Nicks was born in Phoenix, Arizona. From an early age, she showed a love and aptitude for music, singing country and western duets with her grandfather when she was 4 years old. After moving to San Francisco, she began songwriting and performing at Menlo-Atherton High School, where she met ...
Fleetwood Mac, solo
32. Steve Perry
Soundtrack | Independent Lens
Steve Perry was born on January 22, 1949 in Hanford, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Independent Lens (1999), The Losers (2010) and Tron: Legacy (2010).
Journey, solo
33. Thom Yorke
Soundtrack | Suspiria
Thom Yorke was born on October 7, 1968 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England, UK. He is a composer and actor, known for Suspiria (2018), Children of Men (2006) and Motherless Brooklyn (2019). He was previously married to Rachel Owen.
Radiohead
34. Buddy Holly
Soundtrack | Big Fish
Charles Hardin Holley, known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, to a musical family during the Great Depression, and learned to play guitar and sing alongside his siblings. His ...
35. Little Richard
Actor | Last Action Hero
Richard Wayne Penniman, better known as Little Richard, the self-proclaimed "Architect of Rock 'n' Roll", traveled in his early days with the legendary vaudeville star Spencer "Snake" Anthony. One of Richard's early bands had the young, then unknown singer James Brown (the Godfather of Soul), a ...
36. Brian Wilson
Soundtrack | Love & Mercy
Brian Douglas Wilson was born on June 20th 1942 and has gone on to become one of, if not the greatest, musical geniuses in the world. It was while growing up, while being physically and psychologically abused by his father, that he discovered music as a way of shutting out all hurt and pain that he...
The Beach Boys
37. Van Morrison
Soundtrack | Belfast
Sir George Ivan Morrison OBE known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans six decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in the late 1950s, he played a variety of instruments such as guitar, harmonica, ...
Them, solo
38. Frankie Valli
Soundtrack | Grease
Frankie Valli was born on May 3, 1934 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Grease (1978), Free Guy (2021) and Bumblebee (2018). He has been married to Jackie Jacobs since June 26, 2023. He was previously married to Randy Clohessy, MaryAnn Hannigan and Mary Mandel.
The Four Seasons
39. Otis Redding
Soundtrack | Top Gun
Otis Redding was born on September 9, 1941 in Dawson, Georgia, USA. He was a music artist and composer, known for Top Gun (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987) and Road House (1989). He was married to Zelma Redding. He died on December 10, 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
40. Tina Turner
Soundtrack | Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
With almost fifty years in the music business, Tina Turner became one of the most commercially successful international female rock stars. Her sultry, powerful voice, her incredible legs, her time-tested beauty and her unforgettable story all contributed to her legendary status.
Born to a ...
41. Steve Winwood
Actor | Blues Brothers 2000
Steve Winwood was born on May 12, 1948 in Great Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK. He is a music artist and actor, known for Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), Flight of the Phoenix (2004) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). He has been married to Eugenia Crafton since January 18, 1987. They ...
Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, solo
42. Eric Burdon
Soundtrack | Attack the Block
Eric Burdon has one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in rock and roll. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1994, and hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Voices of All Time, Burdon's music forged new territory while also topping the charts for over 5 decades.
...
The Animals, War
43. Ronnie James Dio
Soundtrack | Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
How many rock stars can brag about recording and touring consistently in six different decades? That's just one of the many claims to fame enjoyed by Ronnie James Dio. Born on July 10, 1942, this Cortland, New York native began his recording career back in 1958. Even back then, the seeds of Ronnie ...
Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio
44. Don Henley
Soundtrack | In America
Don Henley was born on July 22, 1947 in Gilmer, Texas, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for In America (2002), Space Cowboys (2000) and Vertical Limit (2000). He has been married to Sharon Summerall since May 20, 1995. They have three children.
Eagles, solo
45. Aretha Franklin
Actress | The Blues Brothers
Grammy-winning Queen of Soul and the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Barbara Vernice (Siggers) and C. L. Franklin, a Baptist minister, who preached at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit for over thirty ...
46. John Fogerty
Soundtrack | Battleship
John Fogerty was born on May 28, 1945 in Berkeley, California, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Battleship (2012), The Manchurian Candidate (2004) and Blade (1998). He has been married to Julie Lynne Kramer since April 20, 1991. They have three children. He was previously married to ...
Creedence Clearwater Revival, solo
47. Willie Nelson
Soundtrack | The Dukes of Hazzard
This versatile, eclectic, rather wanderlust country crossover star known for his classic ballads ("Always On My Mind"), autobiographical road songs ("On the Road Again") and catchy rhythms ("Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys") started out life as Willie Hugh Nelson on April 30, ...
The best voice in country music history.
48. Sly Stone
Soundtrack | Stealth
Sly Stone was born on March 15, 1943 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for Stealth (2005), A Knight's Tale (2001) and Zodiac (2007). He was previously married to Kathy Silva.
Sly & the Family Stone
49. Morrissey
Soundtrack | Shaun of the Dead
Steven Patrick Morrissey was born in Davyhulme, Manchester, England, UK. At a very early age, he took an interest in writing. His top priority was poetry, though he would have his biography on James Dean, "James Dean Is Not Dead", published by his early 20s. His literary influences ranged from ...
The Smiths, solo
50. Jeff Buckley
Soundtrack | Vanilla Sky
Jeff Buckley was born on November 17, 1966 in Anaheim, California, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Vanilla Sky (2001), Tell No One (2006) and Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You (2002). He died on May 29, 1997 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
51. Mariah Carey
Soundtrack | Glitter
Mariah Carey was born in Long Island, New York on March 27, 1969. Her parents are Patricia Hickey (Irish-American) and Alfred Roy Carey (African-American/Venezuelan). Mariah attended Greenlawn's Harborfields High School. In June 1990, Mariah made her debut with her self-titled album, Mariah Carey ...
52. Tom Petty
Actor | The Postman
Thomas Earl Petty was an American musician and actor who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the late 1980s super-group the Traveling Wilburys, and had success as a solo artist.
Petty had many ...
53. Christina Aguilera
Soundtrack | The Voice
Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980 in Staten Island, New York City, New York to musician Shelly Loraine Fidler Kearns and U.S. Army sergeant Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera Monge. Her father is Ecuadorian and her mother, who is American-born, has Welsh, Dutch and German ancestry. ...
54. Scott Weiland
Soundtrack | Tank Girl
Scott Weiland was born on October 27, 1967 in Santa Cruz, California, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Tank Girl (1995), Battleship (2012) and Hulk (2003). He was married to Jamie Wachtel, Mary Forsberg and Janina Castenada. He died on December 3, 2015 in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA.
Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver
"If you asked me who I truly believed were the great voices of our generation, I'd say it were he, Layne [Staley], and Kurt [Cobain]," ~ Billy Corgan
"I just thought he was a great singer, and he'd always been on my mind for this band. He was the one vocalist that I knew had the kind of voice that would serve what we were going to do: he had a John Lennon-ish quality, a little bit of Jim Morrison, and a touch of almost David Bowie. He was the best singer to come out in a long time in my opinion." ~ Slash
55. Ozzy Osbourne
Soundtrack | Little Nicky
One of the pioneers of heavy metal and one of its most commercially successful and iconic artists, Ozzy Osbourne was born in Birmingham, England, as John Michael Osbourne. After leaving school and having many odd jobs, he ended up in a band with Geezer Butler. This group then split, leading Ozzy ...
Black Sabbath, solo
56. The Everly Brothers
Soundtrack | Bull Durham
The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 - August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 - January 3, 2014), the duo combined elements of rock and...
57. Frank Sinatra
Actor | From Here to Eternity
Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Italian immigrants Natalina Della (Garaventa), from Northern Italy, and Saverio Antonino Martino Sinatra, a Sicilian boxer, fireman, and bar owner. Growing up on the gritty streets of Hoboken made Sinatra determined to work hard to get ahead. ...
58. Wilson Pickett
Soundtrack | The Commitments
Wilson Pickett was born on March 18, 1941 in Prattville, Alabama, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for The Commitments (1991), Road House (1989) and Forrest Gump (1994). He was married to Bonnie Covington. He died on January 19, 2006 in Reston, Virginia, USA.
59. The Righteous Brothers
Soundtrack | Shindig!
The Righteous Brothers is known for Shindig! (1964), Top Gun (1986) and Ghost (1990).
60. Ronnie Spector
Soundtrack | Jingle All the Way
Ronnie Spector is an American singer. Spector was the lead singer of the rock/pop vocal girl group The Ronettes, who had a string of hits during the early to mid-1960s such as "Be My Baby", "Baby, I Love You", and "The Best Part of Breakin' Up". Subsequently, Ronnie Spector launched her solo career...
61. David Ruffin
Soundtrack | I Want You Back
The man most of us know by his unmistakable, calming yet disturbed raspy voice was born Davis Eli Ruffin on January 18, 1941, in Whynot, Mississippi. His father, Eli Ruffin, was a Baptist minister. Only months after his birth his mother Ophelia Ruffin died, and his father later remarried, to a ...
The Temptations
62. Curtis Mayfield
Soundtrack | Armageddon
Rhythm and blues performer/songwriter credited with defining 1960's Chicago sound in hits like "It's All Right" and "Gypsy Woman." His style influenced other artists from pop to hip hop. Has been a quadriplegic ever since he was struck by lighting rig during outdoor concert in New York, 1990. ...
The Impressions, solo
63. Dusty Springfield
Soundtrack | Pirate Radio
Dusty Springfield has been acknowledged around the world as the best female soul singer that Britain ever produced. With her oddly erotic, throaty voice, she racked up a string of hits from the 1960s onwards. Born in London to Irish parents, Dusty grew up in and around London. Her early work ...
64. Jackie Wilson
Soundtrack | Coming to America
Jackie "Sonny" Wilson was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Highland Park, the only son of Jack and Eliza Mae Wilson from Columbus, Mississippi. His father was an alcoholic and constantly unemployed, and his mother, who had lost two earlier children, doted on Jackie and became a powerful ...
65. Smokey Robinson
Soundtrack | Big Time
Multi-talented performer/writer/producer Smokey Robinson's career, and life, is inextricably tied up with Motown Records' founder Berry Gordy (his first two children are named Tamla, for the Gordy-owned label Smokey recorded for, and Berry, for Gordy himself). He and Gordy have had a professional ...
66. Gregg Allman
Soundtrack | Jack Reacher
Gregg LeNoir Allman was NOT primarily known for being an actor, he was a musician, songwriter and singer that formed the Allman Brothers Band with his brother Duane in 1969. His music appeared in the movie soundtracks of films such as Walking Tall (2004) and Jack Reacher (2012) and in the ...
The Allman Brothers Band, solo
67. Levon Helm
Actor | Shooter
Levon Helm was in the right place at the right time. He saw the birth of rock and roll and, though he was too much of a gentleman to say it, his role in helping to keep that rebellious child healthy was more than just instrumental.
On May 26, 1940, Mark Lavon Helm was the second of four children born...
The Band
68. Dion DiMucci
Soundtrack | The Long Kiss Goodnight
Dion DiMucci was born on July 18, 1939 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), Behind Enemy Lines (2001) and Road House (1989). He has been married to Susan Butterfield since March 23, 1963. They have three children.
69. Luther Vandross
Soundtrack | The Goonies
Designated the "heartbeat" of R&B during the 1980s and 1990s, Luther Vandross led a productive singing and songwriting life before to this preeminence. The soul balladeer's strong commitment to the art of music continued on its Grammy-winning course, even after an acute stroke in 2003 left him ...
70. Donny Hathaway
Soundtrack | Two Weeks Notice
Donny Hathaway was born on October 1, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a composer, known for Two Weeks Notice (2002), The Intouchables (2011) and Malcolm X (1992). He was married to Eulaulah Hathaway. He died on January 13, 1979 in New York City, New York, USA.
71. B.B. King
Actor | Blues Brothers 2000
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 - May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimmering vibrato and staccato picking that influenced many ...
72. Joe Cocker
Soundtrack | Across the Universe
Joe Cocker was born on May 20, 1944 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Across the Universe (2007), The Bodyguard (1992) and Layer Cake (2004). He was married to Pam Baker. He died on December 22, 2014 in Crawford, Colorado, USA.
73. Jeff Lynne
Soundtrack | Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Jeff Lynne was born on December 30, 1947 in Birmingham, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Super 8 (2011) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). He has been married to Camelia Lynne since September 19, 2017. He was previously married to ...
Electric Light Orchestra, Traveling Wilburys
74. Patsy Cline
Soundtrack | Assassin's Creed
Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley on September 8, 1932 in Winchester, Virginia. Her brush with show business came at age four when she won a prize in an amateur tap dancing contest. By the time she entered grade school, her family was fully aware of her musical talent. On her eighth ...
75. Madonna
Soundtrack | A League of Their Own
The remarkable, hyper-ambitious Material Girl who never stops re-inventing herself, Madonna has sold over three hundred million records and CDs to adoring fans worldwide. Her film career, however, is another story. Her performances have consistently drawn scathing or laughable reviews from film ...
76. Billy Corgan
Soundtrack | Batman & Robin
Billy Corgan was born on March 17, 1967 in Elk Grove, Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Batman & Robin (1997), Stigmata (1999) and Ransom (1996). He has been married to Chloe Mendel since September 16, 2023. They have two children. He was previously married to ...
The Smashing Pumpkins
77. Kurt Cobain
Soundtrack | The Batman
Kurt Cobain was born on February 20 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. Kurt and his family lived in Hoquiam for the first few months of his life then later moved back to Aberdeen, where he had a happy childhood until his parents divorced. The divorce left Kurt's outlook on the world forever scarred. He...
Nirvana
78. Dionne Warwick
Soundtrack | Alive
Dionne Warwick was born on December 12, 1940 in East Orange, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Alive (1993), The Happytime Murders (2018) and Bird Box (2018). She was previously married to William Elliott.
79. Bruce Springsteen
Soundtrack | Blinded by the Light
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born September 23, 1949 in Long Branch, New Jersey, USA. His father, Douglas Frederick Springsteen, worked as a bus driver, and was of Irish and Dutch ancestry. His mother, Adele Ann (Zerilli), worked as a legal secretary, and was of Italian descent. He has an...
80. Jerry Lee Lewis
Soundtrack | Grease
Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935 into a very religious family . His family, though not very wealthy, sold their house when he was a child to get their son a piano. He loved to play piano. He was sent to a religious school, but was soon thrown out shortly thereafter -- he did a boogie ...
81. Gladys Knight
Actress | Hollywood Homicide
Gladys Knight was born on May 28, 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Hollywood Homicide (2003), The Butler (2013) and Licence to Kill (1989). She has been married to William McDowell since April 12, 2001. She was previously married to Les Brown, Barry Hankerson...
82. Mavis Staples
Soundtrack | My Blueberry Nights
Mavis Staples was born on July 10, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress, known for My Blueberry Nights (2007), The Help (2011) and Dumplin' (2018).
83. Lou Reed
Soundtrack | V for Vendetta
He formed the group The Velvet Underground with Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, second guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Maureen Tucker in New York in 1965. The group soon became a part of Andy Warhol's Factory scene, which housed a great number of the most freaked and experimental ...
The Velvet Underground, solo
84. Hank Williams
Soundtrack | The Last Picture Show
Hank Williams was born in September 1923 in a small Alabama farming community about 70 miles south of Montgomery. His father was a railroad engineer who was also a victim of shell shock after a year of fighting in France in 1918 during World War I and spent many years in veterans hospitals. Hank's ...
85. Bruce Dickinson
Soundtrack | A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child
Bruce Dickinson was born on August 7, 1958 in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989), Into the Blue (2005) and Bride of Chucky (1998). He has been married to Leana Dolci since 2023. He was previously married to...
Iron Maiden
86. Sting
Soundtrack | The Emperor's New Groove
Sting was born Gordon Matthew Sumner on 2 October, 1951 in Wallsend, North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, the eldest of four children of Audrey (Cowell), a hairdresser, and Ernest Matthew Sumner, an engineer and milkman. He received his name from a striped sweater he wore which looked like a bee...
The Police, solo
87. Bob Dylan
Soundtrack | Renaldo and Clara
Robert Allen Zimmerman was born 24 May 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota; his father Abe worked for the Standard Oil Co. Six years later the family moved to Hibbing, often the coldest place in the US, where he taught himself piano and guitar and formed several high school rock bands. In 1959 he entered the...
Outstanding musician and one of the greatest. Just because he is a great songwriter and story teller doesn't mean he is a great singer.
88. Iggy Pop
Actor | Cry-Baby
Iggy Pop was born on April 21, 1947 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Cry-Baby (1990), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) and Dead Man (1995). He has been married to Nina Alu since November 22, 2008. He was previously married to Suchi Asano and Wendy Weissberg.
The Stooges, solo
89. Eric Clapton
Soundtrack | Lethal Weapon 3
Eric Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey, England, on March 30, 1945. His real father was a Canadian pilot but he didn't find that out until he was 53. When he was 2 his mother felt she was unable to look after him, so Eric then went to live with his grandparents. When he was 14 he took up the ...
90. Bob Marley
Soundtrack | I Am Legend
Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in Nine Miles, Saint Ann, Jamaica, to Norval Marley and Cedella Booker. His father was a Jamaican of English descent. His mother was a black teenager. The couple were married in 1944 but Norval left for Kingston immediately after. Norval died in 1957, seeing...
91. Mary J. Blige
Soundtrack | Mudbound
Mary J. Blige was born on January 11, 1971 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. She is a music artist and actress, known for Mudbound (2017), Rock of Ages (2012) and The Help (2011). She was previously married to Kendu Isaacs.
92. Elvis Costello
Soundtrack | Cold Mountain
Elvis Costello was born Declan Patrick MacManus in London, England and raised in Liverpool. The son of British band leader Ross McManus, Costello took his pseudonym from Elvis Presley and his father's stage name (Day Costello). He began performing professionally in 1969 and was a musician and/or ...
93. Alice Cooper
Soundtrack | Wayne's World
Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of a minister. He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, at a young age and still lives in the state today. At age 17, he formed a rock band called the Earwigs, who changed their name to The Spiders and then The Nazz, before finally ...
94. Howlin' Wolf
Soundtrack | The Sopranos
Howlin' Wolf was born on June 10, 1910 in White Station, Mississippi, USA. He is known for The Sopranos (1999), Upgrade (2018) and The Bay (2012). He was married to Lillie Handley. He died on January 10, 1976 in Hines, Illinois, USA.
Howlin Wolf
95. Jon Anderson
Soundtrack | Legend
Jon Anderson first joined a small British band, called The Warriors, in the mid-1960s. Towards the end of the decade, Anderson and bass guitarist Chris Squire formed a progressive rock band called Yes. This band went on to have phenomenal success for 11 years. In 1980, Anderson left Yes due to ...
Yes
96. Rob Halford
Soundtrack | Spun
Rob Halford was born on August 25, 1951 in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Spun (2002), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992).
Judas Priest
97. Liam Gallagher
Soundtrack | Good Night
William John Paul Gallagher is an English singer and songwriter who rose to fame as the frontman of the British rock band, Oasis. Known for his erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style and abrasive attitude, he is one of the most recognisable figures in modern British music.
Following the ...
Oasis
98. Paul Simon
Soundtrack | One-Trick Pony
Born on October 13, 1941, in Newark New Jersey, Paul Simon is one of the greatest singer/songwriters ever. In 1957, he and high school pal, Art Garfunkel, wrote and recorded the single, "Hey Schoolgirl", under the name "Tom and Jerry". After some failures, they broke up. Simon still wrote and ...
Simon & Garfunkel, solo
He is a good singer however it's no secret that he is by far a better songwriter. His singing ability was overshadowed by Art Garfunkel when they had success as the Simon & Garfunkel duo. During his solo career he was able to show off his singing ability but would never match Garfunkel.
99. George Harrison
Actor | A Hard Day's Night
A master musician, a film producer and actor, best known as the lead guitarist and occasionally lead vocalist of The Beatles, George Harrison was born February 25, 1943, in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. He was also the youngest of four children, born to Harold Harrison and Louise Harrison.
Like ...
The Beatles, solo
100. Muddy Waters
Soundtrack | The Long Kiss Goodnight
Muddy Waters (born McKinley Morganfield) was one of the major forces in contemporary blues. He was instrumental in bringing the sound of the Mississippi Delta to Chicago in the 1940s, where his recordings for the Chess label exerted an enormous influence on both blues and rock musicians from the ...
Tell Your Friends