Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
A mix of fame, acclaim, and quality for every artist was taken into account for every year.
Every music artist listed:
1925. B.B. King: September 16
1926. Miles Davis: May 26
1927. Harry Belafonte: March 1
1928. Fats Domino: February 28
1929. Chet Baker: December 23
1930. Ray Charles: September 23
1931. Sam Cooke: January 22
1932. Johnny Cash: February 26
1933. James Brown: May 3
1934. Leonard Cohen: September 21
1935. Elvis Presley: January 8
1936. Buddy Holly: September 7
1937. Merle Haggard: April 6
1938. Bill Withers: July 4
1939. Marvin Gaye: April 2
1940. John Lennon: October 9
1941. Bob Dylan: May 24
1942. Paul McCartney: June 18
1943. Joni Mitchell: November 7
1944. Jimmy Page: January 9
1945. Bob Marley: February 6
1946. Freddie Mercury: September 5
1947. David Bowie: January 8
1948. Stevie Nicks: May 26
1949. Billy Joel: May 9
1950. Stevie Wonder: May 13
1951. Phil Collins: January 30
1952. David Byrne: May 14
1953. Mike Oldfield: May 15
1954. Elvis Costello: August 25
1955. Eddie Van Halen: January 26
1956. Randy Rhoads: December 6
1957. Nick Cave: September 22
1958. Michael Jackson: August 29
1959. Robert Smith: April 21
1960. Bono: May 10
1961. Dave Mustaine: September 13
1962. Axl Rose: February 6
1963. Whitney Houston: August 9
1964. Chris Cornell: July 20
1965. Björk: November 21
1966. Jeff Buckley: November 17
1967. Kurt Cobain: February 20
1968. Thom Yorke: October 28
1969. Elliot Smith: August 6
1970. Beck: July 8
1971. MF DOOM: July 13
1972. Eminem: October 17
1973. Nas: September 14
1974. D’Angelo: February 11
1975. Jack White: July 9
1976. Chester Bennington: March 20
1977. Kanye West: June 8
1978. Julian Casablancas: August 23
1979. Norah Jones: March 30
1980. Conor Oberst: February 15
1981. Beyoncé: September 4
1982. St. Vincent: September 28
1983. Amy Winehouse: September 14
1984. Kid Cudi: January 30
1985. Bruno Mars: October 8
1986. Kevin Parker: January 20
1987. Kendrick Lamar: June 17
1988. Adele: May 5
1989. SZA: November 8
1990. The Weeknd: February 16
1991. Tyler, The Creator: March 6
1992. Mac Miller: January 19
1993. Vince Staples: July 2
1994. Phoebe Bridgers: August 17
1995. Dua Lipa: August 22
1996. Lorde: November 7
1997. Finneas: July 30
1998. Steve Lacy: May 23
1999. Geordie Greep: August 20
2000. Beabadoobee: June 3
2001. Billie Eilish: December 18
2002. Cameron Winter: March 4
2003. Olivia Rodrigo: February 20
2004. Ivan Cornejo: June 5
2005. Sombr: July 5
A mix of fame, acclaim, and quality for every artist was taken into account for every year.
Every music artist listed:
1925. B.B. King: September 16
1926. Miles Davis: May 26
1927. Harry Belafonte: March 1
1928. Fats Domino: February 28
1929. Chet Baker: December 23
1930. Ray Charles: September 23
1931. Sam Cooke: January 22
1932. Johnny Cash: February 26
1933. James Brown: May 3
1934. Leonard Cohen: September 21
1935. Elvis Presley: January 8
1936. Buddy Holly: September 7
1937. Merle Haggard: April 6
1938. Bill Withers: July 4
1939. Marvin Gaye: April 2
1940. John Lennon: October 9
1941. Bob Dylan: May 24
1942. Paul McCartney: June 18
1943. Joni Mitchell: November 7
1944. Jimmy Page: January 9
1945. Bob Marley: February 6
1946. Freddie Mercury: September 5
1947. David Bowie: January 8
1948. Stevie Nicks: May 26
1949. Billy Joel: May 9
1950. Stevie Wonder: May 13
1951. Phil Collins: January 30
1952. David Byrne: May 14
1953. Mike Oldfield: May 15
1954. Elvis Costello: August 25
1955. Eddie Van Halen: January 26
1956. Randy Rhoads: December 6
1957. Nick Cave: September 22
1958. Michael Jackson: August 29
1959. Robert Smith: April 21
1960. Bono: May 10
1961. Dave Mustaine: September 13
1962. Axl Rose: February 6
1963. Whitney Houston: August 9
1964. Chris Cornell: July 20
1965. Björk: November 21
1966. Jeff Buckley: November 17
1967. Kurt Cobain: February 20
1968. Thom Yorke: October 28
1969. Elliot Smith: August 6
1970. Beck: July 8
1971. MF DOOM: July 13
1972. Eminem: October 17
1973. Nas: September 14
1974. D’Angelo: February 11
1975. Jack White: July 9
1976. Chester Bennington: March 20
1977. Kanye West: June 8
1978. Julian Casablancas: August 23
1979. Norah Jones: March 30
1980. Conor Oberst: February 15
1981. Beyoncé: September 4
1982. St. Vincent: September 28
1983. Amy Winehouse: September 14
1984. Kid Cudi: January 30
1985. Bruno Mars: October 8
1986. Kevin Parker: January 20
1987. Kendrick Lamar: June 17
1988. Adele: May 5
1989. SZA: November 8
1990. The Weeknd: February 16
1991. Tyler, The Creator: March 6
1992. Mac Miller: January 19
1993. Vince Staples: July 2
1994. Phoebe Bridgers: August 17
1995. Dua Lipa: August 22
1996. Lorde: November 7
1997. Finneas: July 30
1998. Steve Lacy: May 23
1999. Geordie Greep: August 20
2000. Beabadoobee: June 3
2001. Billie Eilish: December 18
2002. Cameron Winter: March 4
2003. Olivia Rodrigo: February 20
2004. Ivan Cornejo: June 5
2005. Sombr: July 5
