“Music is the universal language of mankind.”

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
photo of girl listening to music on the beach
“Meditation Listening Music Edited 2020” by chocolatedazzles is licensed under CC BY 2.0

1960s

Selection of Popular Artists in the 1960s:

  • Aretha Franklin (also 1970s)
  • Bob Dylan (still producing)
  • Chubby Checker
  • Creedence Clearwater
  • Elvis Presley
  • Eric Clapton (still producing)
  • Freddie King (also 1970s)
  • Janis Joplin
  • Jefferson Airplane
  • Jerry Garcia
  • Led Zeppelin (also 1970s)
  • Leonard Cohen
  • Marvin Gaye (also 1970s)
  • Merle Haggard
  • Patsy Cline
  • Roy Orbison
  • Simon & Garfunkel (Paul Simon still producing)
  • Sonny & Cher
  • The Beach Boys
  • The Beatles (Paul McCartney still producing)
  • The Crickets
  • The Four Seasons
  • The Monkees
  • The Righteous Brothers
  • The Rolling Stones (still performing)
  • The Supremes
  • The Temptations
  • The Yardbirds
  • Wilson Pickett

Analysis: The 1960s in Music

photo of psychedelic mural
“Psychedelic Haight Street Mural; Joplin, Hendrix, Garcia” by Tony Fischer Photography is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Sounds of the 1960s

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato

“This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” ― Leonard Bernstein

1970s

Selection of Popular Artists in the 1970s:

  • ABBA (still producing)
  • Al Green
  • Barbra Streisand (still producing)
  • Bee Gees
  • Bill Withers
  • Black Sabbath
  • Bob Dylan (still producing)
  • Bob Marley
  • Boney M (also 1980s)
  • Black Sabbath
  • Bruce Springsteen (still producing)
  • Carole King
  • Carpenters
  • Cat (Yusuf) Stevens
  • Cher (still producing)
  • Chicago (also 1980s)
  • David Bowie (also 1980s)
  • Dolly Parton (still producing)
  • Eagles
  • Earth, Wind & Fire
  • Elton John (still producing)
  • Fleetwood Mac
  • Grateful Dead
  • Herbie Hancock
  • James Brown
  • James Taylor
  • Joan Baez
  • John Denver
  • John Prine
  • Joni Mitchell
  • Kenny Rogers (d. 2020)
  • Kenny Loggins (also 1980s-1990s)
  • KISS (also 1980s)
  • Led Zeppelin (also 1980s)
  • Leonard Cohen
  • Marvin Gaye
  • Parliament Funkadelic (P-Funk)
  • Pink Floyd
  • Queen (also 1980s)
  • Rod Stewart (still producing)
  • Stevie Wonder
  • The Dramatics
  • The Jackson 5 (also 1980s)
  • The Who
  • Village People

Analysis: 20 Songs that Defined the Early Seventies

photo of Jimi Hendrix performing
“Bob Marley” by monosnaps is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Sounds of the 1970s

“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” – Lao Tzu

“If music be the food of love, play on.” – William Shakespeare

1980s

Selection of Popular Artists in the 1980s:

  • A-ha
  • Billy Idol
  • Billy Joel (also 1990s-2010s)
  • Bon Jovi
  • Bonnie Tyler
  • Chris de Burgh
  • Crowded House
  • Cyndi Lauper
  • Duran Duran
  • Eurythmics
  • Foreigner
  • George Strait
  • Guns N’ Roses (also 1990s)
  • Hall & Oates
  • Huey Lewis
  • Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
  • Journey
  • Kenny G (also 1990s-2000s)
  • Kim Carnes
  • Lionel Richie
  • Men Without Hats
  • Metallica (also 1990s-2000s)
  • Michael Jackson
  • Ozzy Osbourne
  • Phil Collins
  • Prince
  • Queen
  • R.E.M. (also 1990s)
  • REO Speedwagon
  • Richard Marx
  • Rick Astley
  • Roxette
  • Survivor
  • The Bangles
  • The Clash
  • The Police
  • Tina Turner
  • U2 (also 1990s-2010s)
  • Van Halen
  • Wham!
  • Whitesnake
  • Whitney Houston (also 1990s)

Analysis of 1980s Music

Photo of Working Girls band performing
“Working Girls” by Steve Crane is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Sounds of the 1980s

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” – Confucius

“Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” – Pablo Casals

1990s

Selection of Popular Artists in the 1990s:

  • Aaliyah
  • Ace of Base
  • Alanis Morissette
  • Backstreet Boys
  • Beastie Boys
  • Blink-182 (also 2000s)
  • Boyz II Men
  • Britney Spears (also 2000s)
  • Bryan Adams
  • Céline Dion (still producing)
  • Christina Aguilera (also 2000s)
  • Coolio
  • Destiny’s Child (also 2000s)
  • En Vogue
  • Garth Brooks (also 2000s)
  • Goo Goo Dolls (still producing)
  • Haddaway
  • Jennifer Lopez (also 2000s, 2010s)
  • Korn (also 2000s)
  • Kris Kross
  • Limp Bizkit
  • Linkin Park (also 2000s)
  • Madonna (also 2000s)
  • Mariah Carey (also 2000s)
  • Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
  • M.C. Hammer
  • Meat Loaf
  • Michael Bolton (still producing)
  • NSYNC
  • New Kids on the Block
  • New Radicals
  • Nickelback
  • Nirvana
  • Oasis
  • Pearl Jam
  • Radiohead (also 2000s)
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Ricky Martin
  • Santana
  • Savage Garden
  • Seal
  • Shania Twain
  • Sinéad O’Connor
  • Sir Mix-a-Lot
  • Sixpence None the Richer
  • Smash Mouth
  • Spice Girls
  • The Cranberries
  • The Offspring
  • The Proclaimers
  • Third Eye Blind
  • TLC
  • Toni Braxton
  • Tupac
  • Vanilla Ice

Analysis of 1990s Music (Analysis 1, Analysis 2)

photo of girl listening to CDs in a store
“listening music” by SUMINGYANG photography is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Sounds of the 1990s

“If I cannot fly, let me sing.” ― Stephen Sondheim

2000s

Selection of Popular Artists in the 2000s

  • 50 Cent
  • Adam Lambert
  • Alicia Keys (still producing)
  • Alison Krauss
  • Amy Winehouse
  • Arctic Monkeys
  • Beyoncé (still producing)
  • Bono
  • Brad Paisley (still producing)
  • Carrie Underwood (still producing)
  • Coldplay (still producing)
  • Daft Punk (active until 2021)
  • Daughtry
  • Disturbed (still producing)
  • Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks)
  • Dr. Dre
  • Eminem (still producing)
  • Evanescence
  • Fall Out Boy
  • Green Day
  • Gwen Stefani
  • Jason Mraz
  • Jay-Z (still producing)
  • Justin Timberlake (still producing)
  • Katy Perry (still producing)
  • Kanye West (still producing)
  • Kelly Clarkson (still producing)
  • Lady Gaga (still producing)
  • LeeAnn Womack
  • Lifehouse
  • Lil Wayne
  • Ludacris
  • Mary J. Blige (still producing)
  • Michael Bublé (still producing)
  • Missy Elliott (still producing)
  • Modest Mouse
  • My Chemical Romance
  • Panic! at the Disco (still producing)
  • P!nk (still producing)
  • Pitbull
  • Rihanna (still producing)
  • Rob Thomas
  • Shakira (still producing)
  • Snoop Dogg
  • Train
  • Usher

Analysis of 2000s Music

Photo of girl listening to music on a train
 “Listening music” by gregt99 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Sounds of the 2000s

“Love is friendship set to music.” ― Jackson Pollock

2010s

Selection of Popular Artists in the 2010s

  • A Great Big World
  • Adele
  • Alessia Cara
  • Ariana Grande
  • Avicii*
  • Azealia Banks
  • BANNERS
  • Bebe Rexha
  • Billie Eilish
  • Bruno Mars
  • Calum Scott
  • Calvin Harris
  • Camila Cabello
  • Cardi B
  • Carly Rae Jepson
  • Charlie Puth
  • Cheat Codes
  • Childish Gambino
  • Doja Cat
  • Drake
  • Dua Lipa
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Ellie Goulding
  • Eric Church
  • Frank Ocean
  • fun.
  • Halsey
  • Harry Styles
  • Iggy Azalea
  • Imagine Dragons
  • James Arthur
  • James Bay
  • Jessie J
  • John Legend
  • Josh Groban
  • Julianne Hough
  • Justin Bieber
  • Kacey Musgraves
  • Kellie Pickler
  • Kendrick Lamar
  • Ke$ha

Spacer

  • Lana Del Rey
  • Lea Michele
  • Lewis Capaldi
  • Little Big Town
  • Lizzo
  • LMFAO
  • Lorde
  • Luis Fonsi
  • Lumineers
  • Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
  • Marina and the Diamonds (now Marina)
  • Maroon 5
  • Meghan Trainor
  • Migos
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Mike + the Mechanics
  • Miranda Lambert
  • Nicki Minaj
  • Niall Horan
  • One Direction*
  • OneRepublic
  • Passenger
  • Pharrell Williams
  • Rachel Platten
  • Robyn
  • Sam Smith
  • Selena Gomez
  • Shawn Mendes
  • Sia
  • Sleeping At Last
  • Taylor Swift
  • The Chainsmokers
  • The Weeknd
  • Travis Scott
  • Twenty One Pilots
  • Vance Joy
  • Welshly Arms
  • Wiz Khalifa
  • X Ambassadors
  • Zayn Malik

*No Longer Producing

Analysis of 2010s Music

photo of woman listening to music and twisting her head
“woman listen music” by judaluz83 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Sounds of the 2010s

“I don’t sing because I’m happy; I’m happy because I sing.” – William James

Recent Hits

Trending Artists

Selection of New Popular Artists in the 2020s (to be updated)

  • Allison Russell
  • Arlo Parks
  • Arooj Aftab
  • Ava Max
  • Baby Keem
  • Backxwash
  • Bad Bunny
  • Beabadoobee
  • Chika
  • D Smoke
  • Doja Cat
  • Dove Cameron
  • EKKSTACY
  • FINNEAS
  • Flo Milli
  • GAYLE
  • Glass Animals
  • Helena Deland
  • Ingrid Andress
  • Japanese Breakfast
  • Jimmie Allen
  • Jordana
  • Kaytranada
  • The Kid Laroi
  • Latto
  • Lila Iké
  • Lil Nas X
  • Måneskin
  • Megan Thee Stallion
  • Noah Cyrus
  • Olivia Rodrigo
  • Paris Texas
  • Phoebe Bridgers
  • Pink Pantheress
  • Rina Sawayama
  • Saweetie
  • Steve Lacy
  • Wallice
  • Wet Leg
  • Yasmin Williams

Popular New Artists (So Far)

Complex: 23 Rising Artists to Watch in 2023

Hypebeast: The Best New Artists of Fall 2023

NPR: Best New Artists of 2023 (So Far)

Rolling Stone: 25 Best New and Rising Artists

Complex: 22 Rising Artists to Watch in 2022

Hypebeast: The Best New Artists of Fall 2022

The NME 100: Essential New Artists for 2022

Pop Matters: The Best New Artists of 2022

Complex: 21 Rising Artists to Watch in 2021

The NME 100: Essential New Artists for 2021

Nylon: 14 New Artists & Bands to Watch in 2021

NPR: Best New Artists of 2021 (So Far)

Complex: 21 New Artists to Watch in 2020

GQ UK: Best New Music and Artists of 2020

NME: The NME 100 – Essential New Artists for 2020

Paste Magazine: Best New Artists of 2020

Pop Matters: The 25 Best New Musical Artists of 2020

SPIN: The 20 Most Interesting Artists of 2020

See also: 2010s

photo of recording microphone
“Music in Pictures (57)” by judaluz83 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

“Wake up, live your life and sing the melody of your soul.” – Amit Ray

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