Most Famous All-Time Music Artists
Most Famous All-Time Music Artists are Few recording artists achieve true icon status, transforming the landscape of music and paving the way for those who follow. These 8 blazed their own path.
From post-grunge upstarts to electronic innovators, Radiohead’s near-apocalyptic sounds and Thom Yorke’s anguished falsetto soundtracked our times. Their albums like OK Computer, The Bends and Kid A set the bar for bands today.
Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling is one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. His acting range is incredible, and he can portray anything from a romantic lead to a jazz enthusiast. He has won many awards for his work in movies like The Notebook, Drive, and La La Land. He is also a talented musician and formed the band Dead Man’s Bones with Zach Shields.
While many people know Gosling for his film roles, he started his career as a child actor on the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Club and went on to appear in a number of Canadian TV shows, including Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Psi Factor, Goosebumps, and Breaker High. In addition to starring in a number of films, he has appeared on numerous late-night talk shows.
At the Oscars, Gosling sang “I’m Just Ken” to celebrate his role in the movie Barbie, which premiered on March 2. He was backed by a group of backup dancers that included Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir, who played the other versions of Ken in the movie. Gosling’s performance received a positive response from fans on social media.
Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe is an Academy Award-winning actor best known for his work in films such as Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind. He is also a musician, playing with bands such as 30 Odd Foot of Grunts and Indoor Garden Party. He has won many awards over the course of his career, and he is considered one of the best actors in the world.
The actor has a reputation for giving powerful performances that are both a joy to watch and complex to understand. In his role as Jeffrey Wigand, the tobacco-industry whistleblower, in The Insider (1999), Crowe is conflicted and stormy, calculating and impulsive. He won an Oscar for his turn as Maximus, a Roman general-turned-gladiator, in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000).
In more recent years, Crowe’s movies haven’t been as successful. He didn’t do much to help the reboot of The Mummy (2016), and he was no match for Ryan Gosling as an enforcer in the action thriller The Nice Guys (2016). But in 2020 he won plaudits for his performance as disgraced Fox News boss Roger Ailes in the miniseries The Loudest Voice.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves has carved a unique path to stardom as a talented actor, charismatic celebrity and woman magnet. He has starred in such films as the ‘Matrix Trilogy,’ ‘Speed’ and ‘Point Break,’ but is also a musician, having played bass for grunge band Dogstar and more recently, Becky. In a 2006 ET online survey, Reeves was ranked among the “Top Ten of America’s Favorite Stars.”
He first appeared on our radar screens in 1986 in Tim Hunter’s dark adolescent thriller River’s Edge. Since then, he’s become one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood.
He’s also a charitable guy, having raised money for a number of causes including cancer research (he founded his own foundation after his sister Kim died of leukemia). He keeps many of his good-samaritan deeds quiet, unlike some stars who feel the need to constantly promote their charity work, but he does what he can to help. He is a true icon in every sense of the word. His uncanny, otherworldly presence lends even the most mundane movie its own distinct flavor.
Bruce Willis
He is an accomplished actor, musician, producer, and singer. He has starred in films that have grossed over two and a half billion dollars at the box office. He has a lot of fans that love his movies. Some of his most popular films include the Die Hard series and Pulp Fiction.
Bruce Willis rose to fame in the late ’80s and carved out an idiosyncratic persona as a sardonic, ironic, and abrasive man of few words. He proved to be a reliable leading man by starring in films that required him to play a variety of characters.
A harmonica player, he made his debut as a recording artist in 1987 with Return to Bruno, an album on Motown that primarily featured covers of classic soul songs. He also starred in several TV shows including Moonlighting and Alpha Dog. Willis is a proud supporter of the United States armed forces and has appeared as an honorary soldier in several public service announcements. He was once married to Demi Moore and has two daughters with her.
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith is an award-winning American actress, singer, producer, and philanthropist. She is known for her versatility and her ability to take on different roles, making her a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. She is also a respected businesswoman and has built up an impressive net worth.
Pinkett Smith first gained recognition for her role in the television series A Different World, which launched her career in acting. She later appeared in movies such as Menace II Society, Set It Off, and The Nutty Professor, and has also directed several music videos.
In addition to her acting, she has also been a member of the metal band Wicked Wisdom and has created a production company. She is a mother to two children, Jaden and Willow, and has been married to Will Smith for more than 20 years. She is a well-known activist and has spoken out about her political views and beliefs. She has also written a book and is an active supporter of AIDS research.
juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis is an acclaimed actress who also showcased her remarkable musical talents. Her debut single garnered much acclaim, and she was able to enchant audiences with her offbeat performances. Lewis has been active in the acting industry since 1987 and has established a solid name for herself.
After her initial breakthrough in film, Lewis quickly gained international recognition. Her performance in Martin Scorsese’s remake of Cape Fear (1991) earned her an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination, and she has gone on to starring roles in several critically acclaimed films. Lewis starred as Rain in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives (1992), as Sheryl in That Night, Kalifornia, Romeo Is Bleeding, and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (all 1993).
She also appeared in the Nora Ephron comedy Mixed Nuts (1994) and Kathryn Bigelow’s sci-fi thriller Strange Days (1995). In 2009, she made a return to acting with the film Whip It. Lewis has also pursued a career in music, fronting the band Juliette and the Licks and touring internationally. She has also appeared in numerous music videos and collaborated with many fashion brands.
Maya Rudolph
Rudolph grew up in the musical world as the daughter of singer Minnie Riperton, and she began performing at a young age. Her natural talent led her to put on living room shows, which eventually landed her roles in several major films and TV shows. Her career took a turn when she joined the improvisational comedy troupe Groundlings, which led to her role on SNL. Rudolph later formed a Prince cover band, Princess, and also appeared in a number of high-profile movies.
Rudolph was a standout on SNL, where she won two Emmy nominations. Her chemistry with fellow cast members like Amy Poehler and Kristen Wiig was evident on-screen. Her talent and range of impersonations earned her widespread acclaim.
She has since continued to act and perform music, starring in the film Idiocracy, the NBC show Maya & Marty, and Diego Luna’s Mr. Pig. She has also lent her voice to the animated movie The Angry Birds Movie and the HBO series Bless the Harts. Rudolph recently starred as a judge in The Good Place, which won her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Jason Schwartzman
A member of Hollywood royalty (grandfather musician Carmine Coppola and uncle director Francis Ford Coppola of Godfather fame are among his relatives), Schwartzman made a name for himself as a drummer in the alternative rock band Phantom Planet. He honed his acting skills as well, and his performance in Wes Anderson’s droll comedy Rushmore earned him acclaim.
The film introduced Schwartzman as a talent to watch, and the leery actor was quick to seize opportunities to showcase his talents. He starred in the independent movies Orange County and Spun before appearing on television’s Freaks and Geeks in a guest appearance.
In addition to starring in more films, Schwartzman also co-wrote and directed the indie flicks Shopgirl and My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea. He also starred in writer-director Bob Byington’s 7 Chinese Brothers, alongside Stephen Root, Olympia Dukakis, and Rick Perry. The indie drama Assassination Nation and the animated film Dreamland both showcased his acting skills, as well. In a more dramatic role, Schwartzman portrayed King Louis XVI opposite Kirsten Dunst in the biopic Marie Antoinette (2016).
