Special Report
Most Famous Musician Born the Year You Were Born
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Every generation has its own musical heroes. These artists have huge fan followings, sell millions of records, and help define the sound of each generation. And while the popularity of musicians is constantly shifting, those who reach the top often achieve an enduring status as a cultural icon.
It’s not only popular music that has changed over the years, but also the industry itself. For musicians, fame was once measured by record and concert ticket sales as well as chart positions of their singles and albums on Billboard, the bible of music information and data.
With the advent of online media and streaming services, the distribution of music has changed dramatically, as has the way fans interact with their favorite musicians. Today’s newest stars are active on social media and other digital platforms. These are the year’s youngest pop stars.
24/7 Tempo used modern measures to determine the most famous musician born each year since 1930. We created an index based on Wikipedia page views, Spotify listeners, and Billboard chart performance.
The most famous artists by these measures who were active in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s were not necessarily the most popular musicians of their day. Tastes change, and the fame of many of the most popular artists in the mid-20th century did not last. For example, many artists who once had chart-topping hits have relatively few Spotify listeners today.
Yet others remain hugely popular despite the age of their music. Elvis “the King” Presley is one such example. His most popular songs were released more than 60 years ago yet remain beloved by music fans. These are the most popular Elvis Presley songs.
Click here to see the most famous musician born the year you were born.
To determine the most famous musician born each year since 1930, 24/7 Tempo constructed an index based on Wikipedia page views, Spotify followers, and Billboard chart performance. We reviewed 818 musicians listed as among the most popular by birth year by celebrity profile aggregation website Famous Birthdays. The Wikipedia page view metric consists of annual page views over the period from Oct. 1, 2018 to Oct. 1, 2019. Total Spotify followers was also included in the index. For artists who have both been in a band or multiple bands as well as recorded as a solo artist, the career stage with the most monthly Spotify listeners is included in the index. Also included in the index is the total number of weeks each artist spent on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts going back to 1960. Due to these constraints, commercial success of artists prior to 1960 may have been overlooked. For artists who had greater chart success with their bands than with their solo work – such as John Lennon – we considered the band only when looking at Billboard performance.
1930
> Musician: Ray Charles
> Birthday: September 23, 1930
> Spotify followers: 1.4 million
> Birthplace: Albany, GA
> Runner-up: Don Ho
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1931
> Musician: Sam Cooke
> Birthday: January 22, 1931
> Spotify followers: 0.9 million
> Birthplace: Clarksdale, MS
> Runner-up: Brook Benton
1932
> Musician: Johnny Cash
> Birthday: February 26, 1932
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> Birthplace: Kingsland, AR
> Runner-up: Petula Clark
1933
> Musician: James Brown
> Birthday: May 3, 1933
> Spotify followers: 1.4 million
> Birthplace: Barnwell, SC
> Runner-up: Willie Nelson
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1934
> Musician: Frankie Valli
> Birthday: May 3, 1934
> Spotify followers: 0.3 million
> Birthplace: Newark, NJ
> Runner-up: Johnnie Taylor
1935
> Musician: Elvis Presley
> Birthday: January 8, 1935
> Spotify followers: 3.4 million
> Birthplace: Tupelo, MS
> Runner-up: Johnny Mathis
1936
> Musician: Glen Campbell
> Birthday: April 22, 1936
> Spotify followers: 0.2 million
> Birthplace: Billstown, AR
> Runner-up: Roy Orbison
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1937
> Musician: Roberta Flack
> Birthday: February 10, 1937
> Spotify followers: 0.4 million
> Birthplace: Black Mountain, NC
> Runner-up: Nancy Wilson
1938
> Musician: Kenny Rogers
> Birthday: August 21, 1938
> Spotify followers: 0.9 million
> Birthplace: Houston, TX
> Runner-up: Gordon Lightfoot
1939
> Musician: Marvin Gaye
> Birthday: April 2, 1939
> Spotify followers: 3.0 million
> Birthplace: Washington, DC
> Runner-up: Tina Turner
1940
> Musician: John Lennon
> Birthday: October 9, 1940
> Spotify followers: 13.6 million
> Birthplace: Liverpool, England
> Runner-up: Dionne Warwick
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1941
> Musician: Neil Diamond
> Birthday: January 24, 1941
> Spotify followers: 0.9 million
> Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY
> Runner-up: Bob Dylan
1942
> Musician: Paul McCartney
> Birthday: June 18, 1942
> Spotify followers: 13.6 million
> Birthplace: Liverpool, England
> Runner-up: Aretha Franklin
1943
> Musician: Mick Jagger
> Birthday: July 26, 1943
> Spotify followers: 7.4 million
> Birthplace: Dartford, England
> Runner-up: John Denver
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1944
> Musician: Diana Ross
> Birthday: March 26, 1944
> Spotify followers: 0.9 million
> Birthplace: Detroit, MI
> Runner-up: Gladys Knight
1945
> Musician: Rod Stewart
> Birthday: January 10, 1945
> Spotify followers: 1.6 million
> Birthplace: London, England
> Runner-up: Eric Clapton
1946
> Musician: Cher
> Birthday: May 20, 1946
> Spotify followers: 1.2 million
> Birthplace: El Centro, CA
> Runner-up: Freddie Mercury
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1947
> Musician: Elton John
> Birthday: March 25, 1947
> Spotify followers: 3.7 million
> Birthplace: London, England
> Runner-up: David Bowie
1948
> Musician: Olivia Newton-John
> Birthday: September 26, 1948
> Spotify followers: 0.5 million
> Birthplace: Cambridge, England
> Runner-up: James Taylor
1949
> Musician: Billy Joel
> Birthday: May 9, 1949
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> Birthplace: New York City, NY
> Runner-up: Bruce Springsteen
1950
> Musician: Stevie Wonder
> Birthday: May 13, 1950
> Spotify followers: 3.8 million
> Birthplace: Saginaw, MI
> Runner-up: Tom Petty
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1951
> Musician: Sting
> Birthday: October 2, 1951
> Spotify followers: 3.0 million
> Birthplace: Wallsend, England
> Runner-up: Phil Collins
1952
> Musician: George Strait
> Birthday: May 18, 1952
> Spotify followers: 1.5 million
> Birthplace: Poteet, TX
> Runner-up: Paul Stanley
1953
> Musician: Michael Bolton
> Birthday: February 26, 1953
> Spotify followers: 0.8 million
> Birthplace: New Haven, CT
> Runner-up: Pat Benatar
1954
> Musician: Stevie Ray Vaughan
> Birthday: October 3, 1954
> Spotify followers: 1.3 million
> Birthplace: Dallas, TX
> Runner-up: Yanni
1955
> Musician: Reba McEntire
> Birthday: March 28, 1955
> Spotify followers: 1.0 million
> Birthplace: Mcalester, OK
> Runner-up: Billy Idol
1956
> Musician: Kenny G
> Birthday: June 5, 1956
> Spotify followers: 0.5 million
> Birthplace: Seattle, WA
> Runner-up: Teena Marie
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1957
> Musician: Gloria Estefan
> Birthday: September 1, 1957
> Spotify followers: 0.3 million
> Birthplace: Havana, Cuba
> Runner-up: Vince Gill
1958
> Musician: Michael Jackson
> Birthday: August 29, 1958
> Spotify followers: 12.0 million
> Birthplace: Gary, IN
> Runner-up: Prince
1959
> Musician: Sade
> Birthday: January 16, 1959
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> Birthplace: Ibadan, Nigeria
> Runner-up: Bryan Adams
1960
> Musician: Bono
> Birthday: May 10, 1960
> Spotify followers: 5.6 million
> Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
> Runner-up: Amy Grant
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1961
> Musician: Toby Keith
> Birthday: July 8, 1961
> Spotify followers: 1.1 million
> Birthplace: Clinton, OK
> Runner-up: Enya
1962
> Musician: Garth Brooks
> Birthday: February 7, 1962
> Spotify followers: 0.7 million
> Birthplace: Tulsa, OK
> Runner-up: Sheryl Crow
1963
> Musician: James Hetfield
> Birthday: August 3, 1963
> Spotify followers: 11.9 million
> Birthplace: Downey, CA
> Runner-up: Whitney Houston
1964
> Musician: Lenny Kravitz
> Birthday: May 26, 1964
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> Birthplace: New York City, NY
> Runner-up: Eazy-E
1965
> Musician: Shania Twain
> Birthday: August 28, 1965
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> Birthplace: Windsor, Canada
> Runner-up: Dr. Dre
1966
> Musician: Janet Jackson
> Birthday: May 16, 1966
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> Birthplace: Gary, IN
> Runner-up: Martina McBride
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1967
> Musician: Tim McGraw
> Birthday: May 1, 1967
> Spotify followers: 2.8 million
> Birthplace: Delhi, LA
> Runner-up: R. Kelly
1968
> Musician: Celine Dion
> Birthday: March 30, 1968
> Spotify followers: 2.8 million
> Birthplace: Charlemagne, Canada
> Runner-up: Kenny Chesney
1969
> Musician: Jennifer Lopez
> Birthday: July 24, 1969
> Spotify followers: 7.0 million
> Birthplace: New York City, NY
> Runner-up: Dave Grohl
1970
> Musician: Mariah Carey
> Birthday: March 27, 1970
> Spotify followers: 4.8 million
> Birthplace: Long Island, NY
> Runner-up: DMX
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1971
> Musician: Snoop Dogg
> Birthday: October 20, 1971
> Spotify followers: 5.1 million
> Birthplace: Long Beach, CA
> Runner-up: Mary J. Blige
1972
> Musician: Eminem
> Birthday: October 17, 1972
> Spotify followers: 29.8 million
> Birthplace: Saint Joseph, MO
> Runner-up: Billie Joe Armstrong
1973
> Musician: Pharrell Williams
> Birthday: April 5, 1973
> Spotify followers: 2.9 million
> Birthplace: Virginia Beach, VA
> Runner-up: Akon
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1974
> Musician: Nelly
> Birthday: November 2, 1974
> Spotify followers: 1.3 million
> Birthplace: Austin, TX
> Runner-up: Lil’ Kim
1975
> Musician: Sia
> Birthday: December 18, 1975
> Spotify followers: 13.9 million
> Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia
> Runner-up: Enrique Iglesias
1976
> Musician: Blake Shelton
> Birthday: June 18, 1976
> Spotify followers: 4.5 million
> Birthplace: Ada, OK
> Runner-up: Luke Bryan
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1977
> Musician: Kanye West
> Birthday: June 8, 1977
> Spotify followers: 10.4 million
> Birthplace: Atlanta, GA
> Runner-up: Shakira
1978
> Musician: Usher
> Birthday: October 14, 1978
> Spotify followers: 7.2 million
> Birthplace: Dallas, TX
> Runner-up: John Legend
1979
> Musician: Adam Levine
> Birthday: March 18, 1979
> Spotify followers: 20.2 million
> Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA
> Runner-up: Pete Wentz
1980
> Musician: Christina Aguilera
> Birthday: December 18, 1980
> Spotify followers: 4.5 million
> Birthplace: Staten Island, NY
> Runner-up: T.I.
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1981
> Musician: Beyoncé
> Birthday: September 4, 1981
> Spotify followers: 20.3 million
> Birthplace: Houston, TX
> Runner-up: Justin Timberlake
1982
> Musician: Nicki Minaj
> Birthday: December 8, 1982
> Spotify followers: 16.2 million
> Birthplace: Saint James, Trinidad And Tobago
> Runner-up: Lil Wayne
1983
> Musician: Future
> Birthday: November 20, 1983
> Spotify followers: 8.0 million
> Birthplace: Atlanta, GA
> Runner-up: Carrie Underwood
1984
> Musician: Katy Perry
> Birthday: October 25, 1984
> Spotify followers: 13.9 million
> Birthplace: Santa Barbara, CA
> Runner-up: Calvin Harris
1985
> Musician: Bruno Mars
> Birthday: October 8, 1985
> Spotify followers: 22.5 million
> Birthplace: Honolulu, HI
> Runner-up: J. Cole
1986
> Musician: Drake
> Birthday: October 24, 1986
> Spotify followers: 40.9 million
> Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
> Runner-up: Lady Gaga
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1987
> Musician: Kendrick Lamar
> Birthday: June 17, 1987
> Spotify followers: 13.2 million
> Birthplace: Compton, CA
> Runner-up: Wiz Khalifa
1988
> Musician: Rihanna
> Birthday: February 20, 1988
> Spotify followers: 34.1 million
> Birthplace: St. Michael, Barbados
> Runner-up: Adele
1989
> Musician: Taylor Swift
> Birthday: December 13, 1989
> Spotify followers: 23.3 million
> Birthplace: Reading, PA
> Runner-up: Chris Brown
1990
> Musician: The Weeknd
> Birthday: February 16, 1990
> Spotify followers: 17.2 million
> Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
> Runner-up: Rita Ora
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1991
> Musician: Ed Sheeran
> Birthday: February 17, 1991
> Spotify followers: 51.7 million
> Birthplace: Hebden Bridge, England
> Runner-up: Charlie Puth
1992
> Musician: Cardi B
> Birthday: October 11, 1992
> Spotify followers: 9.5 million
> Birthplace: The Bronx, NY
> Runner-up: Selena Gomez
1993
> Musician: Ariana Grande
> Birthday: June 26, 1993
> Spotify followers: 36.2 million
> Birthplace: Boca Raton, FL
> Runner-up: Zayn Malik
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1994
> Musician: Justin Bieber
> Birthday: March 1, 1994
> Spotify followers: 30.3 million
> Birthplace: London, Canada
> Runner-up: Halsey
1995
> Musician: Post Malone
> Birthday: July 4, 1995
> Spotify followers: 18.0 million
> Birthplace: Syracuse, NY
> Runner-up: Dua Lipa
1996
> Musician: Alessia Cara
> Birthday: July 11, 1996
> Spotify followers: 6.1 million
> Birthplace: Brampton, Canada
> Runner-up: 6ix9ine
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1997
> Musician: Camila Cabello
> Birthday: March 3, 1997
> Spotify followers: 12.1 million
> Birthplace: Havana, Cuba
> Runner-up: Kodak Black
1998
> Musician: Shawn Mendes
> Birthday: August 8, 1998
> Spotify followers: 20.4 million
> Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
> Runner-up: XXXTENTACION
1999
> Musician: Trippie Redd
> Birthday: June 18, 1999
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> Birthplace: Canton, OH
> Runner-up: YoungBoy Never Broke Again
2000
> Musician: Lil Pump
> Birthday: August 17, 2000
> Spotify followers: 6.0 million
> Birthplace: Miami, FL
> Runner-up: Willow Smith
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2001
> Musician: Billie Eilish
> Birthday: December 18, 2001
> Spotify followers: 13.9 million
> Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA
> Runner-up: AJ Mitchell
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