How does one measure the least popular of anything? How could we possibly measure the popularity of every person who calls themselves a musician? Those who only practice in their garage or in the privacy of their own bedroom?
That’s an impossible, and subjective task, so we compared only the musicians that have achieved some level of success and are streaming online. All the data here are taken from YouGov and are current as of 2024. While this list couldn’t possibly include every artist in the world, and any ranking of the popularity of all artists is going to be filled with subjective and biased criteria, it does give a good idea about what people are (or are not) really listening to.
Does least popular mean these musicians aren’t any good? Not at all. They might be new or extremely niche. You must remember that not every person’s dream is to be rich and famous. Some musicians simply don’t want that life. Some people are happy playing to small, intimate crowds, while others only make music to be popular. You can still find your next favorite artist in the list below. Here are the 15 least-popular all-time musicians according to millennials.
Why Are We Talking About This?
Too often we get caught up by the big headlines, the big shows, and the latest music hits played on the radio, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that music is any good. If you’re trying to break into the music industry or doing any work with musicians, it pays to understand the top artists along with the least popular to truly know what people are listening to and why.
#15 MØ
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 3,338,561
Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted, known professionally as MØ, started her singing career in 2006 as the other half of MOR alongside Josefine Struckmann Pederson. The two disbanded in 2012, and Ørsted started her solo career in 2013. The Danish singer first ventured on her own by guesting on Avicii’s “Dear Boy.” After guesting on several other electronic singles, she scored a record deal with Sony Music Entertainment in 2012. She released her first album in 2013. She rose to more worldwide fame in 2014, after collaborating with Iggy Azalea on her single, “Beg for It.” She was also featured on Justin Beaber’s “Cold Water,” in 2016. Her single, “Final Song,” reached the top 10 in Denmark that same year. She released two more studio albums in 2018, and 2022.
Ørsted chose her stage name from her grandfather, Mogens Ørsted’s initials. He was an artist and signed his initials on all of his paintings. She decided to use the moniker in memoriam of her grandfather, it also means “maiden,” in Danish.
#14 The War and Treaty
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 6,731,136
The country music husband and wife duo Tanya Trotter, and Michael Trotter Jr. based out of Nashville, began their music career in 2014. Their recent song, “Blank Page,” was nominated twice for a Grammy for Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song. Other awards include a Duo of the Year nomination from the Country Music Association, two-time winner of the AMA Duo/Group of the Year, and recognition by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Grand Ole Opry.
The pair have headlined their own world tour, as well as opened for several artists including Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, John Legend, and Lauren Daigle. The War and Treaty performed at the Country Music Awards in 2023 with Brothers Osborne, and recently performed with Charlie Pluth at the 75thPrimetime Emmy Awards.
The couple has 4 kids together, and Michael first saw Tanya in the film, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. He allegedly told his parents that he would marry Tanya. The two officially met at a music festival where Michael was performing.
#13 Ghetts
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 593,675
Ghetts, AKA Ghetto, born Justin Clark, is a British rap icon quickly gaining fame. He is known for his dense lyricism. He has released 3 studio albums. He spent some of his early adult years in prison and was released in 2003. He was determined to make something better of himself and has been gaining fame since then. His latest album, Conflict of Interest, guest stars other UK artists such as Stormzy, Skepta, Pa Salieu, and Ed Sheeran. Ghetts collaborated on Ed Sheeran’s No. 5 Collaborations Project, in 2011.
“I just wanna let people know, young, old, it doesn’t matter your age, if you’re still alive, there’s an opportunity for you to find your genius and be what you’re meant to be. Sometimes I’m a catalyst for somebody else’s opportunity. And I’m totally fine with that.”
#12 Sir Chloe
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 2,811,639
Sir Cloe was formed in 2017 and is an indie rock band from Vermont. The band is comprised of Emma Welch, Dana Foote, Teddy O’Mara, Palmer Foote, and Austin Holmes. Sir Chloe was created by Dana Foote in 2017 instead of her thesis. She chose to create a concert consisting of original music with her group of close friends and her brother.
The band went viral on TikTok with their song, “Michelle,” which has over 200 million plays on Spotify. Sir Cloe then released their debut EP in 2020. They released their first album in 2023. Of the Album, Dana Foote says, “It’s not very much about sex but I think it does come off that way! A lot of this album is just about finding control in the chaos of the natural world and I think a lot of the lyrics just ended up being pretty pervy.”
#11 Flyana Boss
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 1,105,602
Flayana Boss is made up of Bobbi LaNea and Folayan Omi Kunerede. They met at a songwriting class in their first year at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. In 2020, the duo started creating content on TikTok and Instagram and quickly rose to fame.
Their song, “You Wish,” went viral and helped them rise to fame. They released a new EP, This Ain’t the Album, and are in the works of creating their first album. They toured with Janelle Monae in 2023. They are known for being real-life best friends, their Y2K style, and songs that spark joy and sex positivity.
#10 Ladaniva
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 549,191
Ladanvia is a French-Armenian group self-described as a “world music group,” originally from Lille, France. It combines Armenian folk with Maloya, reggae, Arabic, and African music. Formed in 2019, Ladaniva represented Armenia in Eurovision 2024. The duo is made up of Jaklin Baghdasaryan, who grew up in Belarus and then moved to France as a teen, and Louis Thomas, a jazz musician from Lille.
The two met in a bar during a jazz jam session, and they decided to collaborate from there. Ladaniva won the Public Choice Award 2022 at the Music Europe Awards. They gained fame after releasing their single, “Kef Chilini,” which earned them a record deal with PIAS in 2023.
#9 Kid Harpoon
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 1,165
Kid Harpoon, AKA Thomas Hull, was born in Chatham, England. He is an award-winning producer, songwriter, and musician. He started performing in 2006. He has released solo albums as well as produced songs for Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes, Maggie Rogers, and Florence and the Machine. He co-wrote “Watermelon Sugar,” with Harry Styles. He is a prominent force in current pop music. His most popular solo album is, Once (2009), and his most popular solo single is Once, the leading title on his album.
#8 Eden Golan
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 798,504
Eden Golan was born in 2003 in Israel-Occupied Palestine to Soviet Union-born parents. She is Israel’s Eurovision representative for 2024. At the age of 5, she moved to Moscow, Russia with her family. In 2015, she competed in the Russian pre-selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and The Voice Kids Russia in 2018.
She returned to Israel-occupied Palestine in 2022 and released several singles. She auditioned to represent Israel in 2024 Eurovision. Israel’s presence at Eurovision was extremely controversial because of Israel’s current genocide against Palestine. Israel’s participation at Eurovision was heavily protested, and Golan was booed by the Eurovision crowd, which the broadcasters tried to cover with an applause track. Golan ended up taking fifth place at Eurovision.
#7 Confidence Man
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 1,092,162
Confidence Man is a dance-pop act that was formed in 2016 in Brisbane. The group is comprised of Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Clarence McGuffie, and Reggie Goodchild. They have performed in major music festivals all over the world including The Governors Ball in New York, Glastonbury in the UK, and Rock en Seine in Paris.
The group has released 2 albums, Confident Music for Confident People (2018), and Tilt (2022). The group is known for their exciting and outrageous live show. They perform rave-like style electronic pop music with several costume changes, witty humor, and high energy. Janet Planet and Sugar Bones claim the limelight while Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild remain in the background, masked.
#6 Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil
- Monthly Spotify Listeners:
Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil are independent artists but started collaborating in 2022. Their popular song, “Teresa & Maria.” was Ukraine’s Eurovision song submission in 2024, after winning Ukraine’s national final, Vidbir. They created an album, Dai Boh, where they collaborated with other European artists like Monika Liu. Alyona is a rap musician who started creating in the early 2000s and is considered the most popular female rap artist in Ukraine.
Jerry Heil became a popular artist in Ukraine after starting her video vlog in 2020. Her videos have received tens of millions of views. Of her Eurovision song, she told Wiwibloggs, “No one was born holy- we all came here as human beings, so who we become is our responsibility. The rules of today’s reality game are all about taking responsibility. If you want the change- be the change.”
#5 Kim Tae-Hyung
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 6,007867
Kim Tae-hyung is professionally known as V. He is a K-pop artist born on December 30, 1995. He attended Korea Art School and Global Cyber University. He is a member of the K-pop sensation, BTS, an actor, and a fashion icon, and started his solo songwriting career in 2023. He has also helped create the soundtracks for several Korean TV series. He is valued for his low pitch voice and charming stage presence. He has released one album, and several Eps.
#4 Kae Tempest
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 263,235
Kae Temptest, Kae Esther Calvert, from South London, was originally a spoken word artist and playwright who returned to the music scene after their 15-year hiatus. They released their first album in 2014 and gained even more fame with new fans in addition to their original fanbase. They came out as nonbinary in 2020 and changed their stage name from Kate Tempest to Kae Tempest. Tempest has released six albums, the most recent called, Nice Ideas, in 2023.
#3 BabyTron
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 9,367,683
BabyTron, born James Johnson III, is a Michigan-based rapper who specializes in the “dirtbag rap,” genre. Among other artists, he was featured on Lil Yachty’s album, Michigan Boy Boat. Tron is an integral part of the Michigan rap scene and is known for his basketball references, scam raps, punchlines, and his talent to rap over any beat.
#2 Speakers Corner Quartet
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 36,261
The Speakers Corner Quartet got the inspiration for their name at the same place their band formed: the Speaker’s Corner Open Mic Night at the Brixton Jamm Nightclub where they performed as the house band. Speakers Corner Quartet has been a South London outfit since 2006 and has switched up the lineup and added collaborators since its formation.
The current quartet comprises flutist, Biscuit, violinist, Raven Bush, drummist, Kwake Bass, and bassist, Peter Bennie. Speakers Corner Quartet released its first album, “Further Out Than The Edge,” in 2023, and was created by editing recordings of the quartet’s jam sessions. Over a span of seven years, various London musicians added instrumentation and vocals to the album. The result is an album full of splicing, looping, self-sampling, looping, and a whole lot of collaborated beauty. The quartet uses improvisation in their jam sessions to make music magic.
#1 Yard Act
- Monthly Spotify Listeners: 373,950
Yard Act was founded in Leeds, England in 2019. Its current members are James Smith, Jay Russell, Ryan Needham, and Sam Shipstone. Previous founding members who are no longer with Yard Act are George Townend and Sammy Robinson. The founding members met at The Brundenell Social Club. The band describes itself as a minimalist Rock Band. The band has 3 albums and 373,950 monthly listeners on Spotify.
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