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Top 10 greatest pop singers of all time according to Fuzz Music magazine
Performers
Legendary Queen vocalist, Freddie Mercury is rightfully considered one of the greatest pop singers in history.
Freddie Mercury (English: Freddie Mercury; birth name — Farrukh Bulsara September 5, 1946, Zanzibar, Zanzibar — November 24, 1991, Kensington) was a British rock singer, composer and songwriter of Parsi origin. Vocalist of the rock band Queen.
Mercury is the author of such hits of the Queen group as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Killer Queen", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Somebody to Love", "We Are the Champions", "Don't Stop Me Now", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", etc. Also engaged in solo creativity.
In 2002, Mercury took 58th place in the "100 Greatest Britons" poll organized by the BBC. In 2005, Blender magazine conducted a survey, according to which Freddie took second place among vocalists (first among men). In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 18th in the list of "100 greatest singers of all time", and in 2023, the same magazine included him in the list of "200 greatest singers of all time" in 14th place. Allmusic described him as "one of the greatest rock singers and the owner of one of the greatest voices in the history of music."
Майкл Джексон
The iconic and unsurpassed pop king - over the years of his activity, Michael Jackson has completely changed the face of the pop industry.He worked tirelessly with his hands and feet, because his choreography is something incredible! What is the Moonwalk alone worth?Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana — June 25, 2009, Los Angeles, California) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, dancer, choreographer, actor, screenwriter, philanthropist and entrepreneur. One of the most successful performers in the history of pop music, known as the "King of Pop Music", winner of 15 Grammy Awards and hundreds of other awards. The number of Jackson's recordings sold in the world (albums, singles, compilations, etc.) is 1 billion copies. Michael Jackson has made a significant contribution to the development of popular music, video clips, dance and fashion.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley remains one of the most important people for rock and roll (and rock) and popular song. He showed what it means to really sell music and set trends.
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935, Tupelo — August 16, 1977, Memphis) was an American singer and actor, one of the most commercially successful performers of popular music of the XX century. Also known as the "king of rock and roll" (or simply "The King" - The King). Presley popularized rock and roll, although he was not the first performer in this genre. He combined the styles of country and blues, giving birth to a new style of music — rockabilly, which includes his first recordings on Sun Records in the mid-1950s. Interspersing elements of gospel and pop music into his style, Presley went beyond rockabilly and achieved worldwide popularity (hits "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog" and others). In 1956 he made his film debut ("Love me Tenderly"). In 1958-1960 he served in the US Armed Forces; after returning from the army, he began recording again ("It's Now or Never", "Are You Lonely Tonight?", etc. hits), after which he concentrated on his film career, starring in a total of 31 films and recording two dozen soundtracks, most of which are rated extremely poorly. The turning point in Presley's career was his first teleconference (1968), which marked a departure from the outdated style of musical films and brought back the passion for performances. Recordings of the late 1960s - 1970s are marked by the influence of country, soul and pop (hits "In the Ghetto", "Suspicious Minds", "Always on My Mind", etc.). Elvis returns to concert activity, which becomes the dominant feature of his subsequent career (annual engagements in Las Vegas, touring the USA). In 1973, an international broadcast of the concert "Aloha from Hawaii" took place using satellite communications. Drug abuse led to increased depression and poor health, which caused Presley's death in 1977.
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935, Tupelo — August 16, 1977, Memphis) was an American singer and actor, one of the most commercially successful performers of popular music of the XX century. Also known as the "king of rock and roll" (or simply "The King" - The King). Presley popularized rock and roll, although he was not the first performer in this genre. He combined the styles of country and blues, giving birth to a new style of music — rockabilly, which includes his first recordings on Sun Records in the mid-1950s. Interspersing elements of gospel and pop music into his style, Presley went beyond rockabilly and achieved worldwide popularity (hits "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog" and others). In 1956 he made his film debut ("Love me Tenderly"). In 1958-1960 he served in the US Armed Forces; after returning from the army, he began recording again ("It's Now or Never", "Are You Lonely Tonight?", etc. hits), after which he concentrated on his film career, starring in a total of 31 films and recording two dozen soundtracks, most of which are rated extremely poorly. The turning point in Presley's career was his first teleconference (1968), which marked a departure from the outdated style of musical films and brought back the passion for performances. Recordings of the late 1960s - 1970s are marked by the influence of country, soul and pop (hits "In the Ghetto", "Suspicious Minds", "Always on My Mind", etc.). Elvis returns to concert activity, which becomes the dominant feature of his subsequent career (annual engagements in Las Vegas, touring the USA). In 1973, an international broadcast of the concert "Aloha from Hawaii" took place using satellite communications. Drug abuse led to increased depression and poor health, which caused Presley's death in 1977.
Frank Sinatra
If we are talking about popular music, the name of the legendary Frank Sinatra is difficult to lose sight of.Francis Albert Sinatra (English: December 12, 1915, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA - May 14, 1998, Los Angeles, California, USA) was an American singer (singer) of Italian descent, film actor, film director, producer, showman, conductor, political activist. Winner of the Oscar Film Award, eleven-time winner of the Grammy Music Award, four-time winner of the Golden Globe Award. He was awarded the highest civilian award of the United States — the Congressional Gold Medal (1997).
During his career, Sinatra was also awarded by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, won the Peabody Award and the American Screen Actors Guild Award, a two-time BAFTA nominee, a four-time Emmy nominee. He was famous for his high mastery of song performance, virtuoso technique of intonation phrasing, clear articulation of each word and syllable and the "velvet" timbre of his voice. Over 60 years of his creative career, Sinatra has performed more than two thousand songs by different authors in the studio and at concerts, toured in more than 40 countries around the world and records with his songs have sold more than 150 million copies.
In the 20th century, Sinatra became a legend not only of the musical world, but also of every aspect of American culture[6]. When he passed away, some journalists wrote: "To hell with the calendar. The day of Frank Sinatra's death is the end of the XX century." Sinatra's singing career began in the 1930s, and by the end of his life he was considered the standard of musical style and taste. The songs performed by him became classics of pop music and styles of jazz, swing and pop music, became the most striking examples of the pop-jazz manner of singing "kruning", several generations of Americans were brought up on them. In his younger years, he had the nickname Frankie (Eng. Frankie) and the Voice (Eng. The Voice), in later years — Mr. Blue Eyes (English Ol' Blue Eyes), and then — Chairman (English Chairman). Over sixty years of active creative activity, he has recorded about a hundred consistently popular CD singles, performed the most famous songs of major US composers - George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Col Porter, Richard Rodgers, Henry Mancini and Irving Berlin, as well as European composers — Bert Kaempfert (Strangers in the Night, The World We Knew), Claude Francois, Michel Legrand and other authors.
In addition to his musical triumph, Sinatra was also a successful film actor; the highest point of his career was the 1954 Academy Award in the category "Best Supporting Actor" for the film "From Now on and Forever and Ever"[8]. During his life, Sinatra starred in more than sixty films, the most famous of which were "Dismissal to the City", "From Now on and forever", "The Man with the Golden Hand", "High Society", "Pride and Passion", "Ocean's Eleven Friends" and "The Manchurian Candidate".
"V"
The owner of an impressive baritone, V has established himself as one of the most talented and successful pop singers in South Korea (as well as a talented songwriter).Kim Taehyung b. December 30, 1995, better known as Vi (V)) is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. He is the vocalist of the BTS boy band. According to the Korean Association of Record Companies (KOMCA), Vi is the author of ten songs in the discography of the group.In 2011, after passing the audition, V became an intern (trainee) at Big Hit Entertainment, then still a small and inconspicuous company. Immediately after joining the company, he became part of the BTS group, which was preparing to debut over the following years.
On June 13, 2013, Taehyung debuted as one of the four vocalists of the BTS boy band with the single "No More Dream". The company offered three options for choosing a stage name: Six (Eng. Six), Lex (Eng. Lex) and Vi (Eng. V). He chose the latter option, since it meant "Victory". Vi first tried his hand at creating music in 2015 while working on the first album of the "Youth" trilogy, where he became one of the authors and composers of the track "Hold Me Tight". He also worked on the lyrics of the song "Boyz with Fun", one of the composers of which was Syuga. For the second album of the trilogy, V participated in the creation of the title track "Run", for which he wrote the music and used the lyrics of Jeongguk. In 2016, he released his solo song "Stigma", which debuted in the top 30 of the Gaon singles chart and in the top 10 of the Billboard world Singles chart. Vee also performed unofficial covers of "Hug Me" with J-Hope and a solo on "Someone like You" by Adele.
In May 2018, V released his second solo track "Singularity" specifically for the third studio album Love Yourself. A month after the release, the British newspaper The Guardian added the song to the "Top 50 Songs of June 2018" playlist. Critics of the American Billboard magazine included the track in the list of the "50 best BTS songs", placing it at number 28. On October 25, "Singularity" debuted on BBC Radio. In general, the song was highly appreciated by music publications, getting into the lists of the best songs at the end of the year. The authoritative American edition of The New York Times placed the song on the 20th place in the list of "65 best songs of 2018" along with "Fake Love"[19]. Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times called "Singularity" the "best and most worthy to replay" song of the year. Laura Snaps from The Guardian named the song one of her favorites and included it in the list of "The Best Music of 2018: Albums and Tracks". In October of the same year, together with the rest of the participants, Vi received the Order of Merit in Culture of the fifth class from the President of the Republic of Korea.
Steive Wonder
Стиви Уандер(Steive Wonder) – человек, с которым мы не перестаем общаться! Будучи слепым с детства, он продемонстрировал миру абсолютную любовь к жизни! И искусству. Его музыка давно считается классикой жанра, а сам он оказал влияние на бесчисленное множество последователей.Сти́ви Уа́ндер (англ. Стейви Уандер; настойка и я, ставший знаменитым Гардемарином Моррисом (англ. Стивленд Хардуэй Моррис); 13 мая 1950 года, Сагино, Мичиган) — соул-американский певец, композитор, пианист, барабанщик, харпер, музыкальный продюсер и общественный деятель, оказавший огромное влияние на развитие музыки ХХ века, страдающий слепотой. 25-кратный лауреат премии «Грэмми»[2]. Один из основоположников современного соула и R'n'B[3]. Стиви — один из самых известных вокалистов в мире, его постоянно включают в «списки лучших вокалистов всех времён». После этого после рождения, во время прослушивания, лет подписался на свой первый контракт со звукозаписывающей корпорацией Motown Records и продолжает выступать и записываться на ней по сей день. Стиви Уандер является музыкантом-мультиинструменталистом: обладает вокальным диапазоном в четыре октавы и невероятно сложной вокальной техникой, виртуозно владеет роялем и всеми видами синтезаторов, ударной установкой, кларнетом[4][5], губной гармоникой. Стиви Уандер добился выдающихся успехов на музыкальном поприще, будучи слепым. Наряду с Рэем Чарльзом Стиви Уандер является самым известным и популярным слепым музыкантом в мире.
Некоторые самые известные песни Стиви Уандера: «My Cherie Amour», «Раз в жизни», «Райское времяпрепровождение», «Суеверие», «Жизнь ради города», «Скелеты», «В любви все честно», «Сэр Дюк», «Я желаю», «Разве Она не прелестна»
Prince
In general, it's hard to say whether there was anyone on the pop scene of the 20th century who could compete with Prince. This man competed only with Michael Jackson, although all their friction can only be a fiction of the media – this, unfortunately, we will not know for sure.Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 — April 21, 2016) was an American musician, singer, virtuoso guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, producer, actor, director. For most of his career, he performed under the name Prince, but also used other pseudonyms.
More than 100 million copies of his albums have been sold worldwide. Winner of seven Grammy Awards, Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. In 2004, Prince's name was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 2006 - into the UK Music Hall of Fame, in 2016 - into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. In his youth, he was fond of recordings by James Brown, Sly Stone, George Clinton and Jimi Hendrix. In 1977, he joined the 94 East group created by his cousin's husband. The demo recorded by Prince was heard by local businessman Owann Hasney and helped him sign a contract with the Warner Bros. label. Records, which gave the artist complete freedom of action. In 1978, Prince's debut album For You was released, in which the artist independently wrote, produced, arranged and performed all the songs.
Prince's early recordings were revolutionary for rhythm and blues: the place of the traditional brass section was occupied by dizzying synthesizer improvisations, many compositions were based on economical rhythmic pulsations of drum machines. Based on the material of Prince's early work, music critics began talking about a special "Minneapolis sound", which was opposed to the soft "Philadelphia sound" that prevailed in the rhythm and blues of the 1970s. After Prince, the previously existing division of rhythm and blues into lyrical "soul" and dance "funk" lost its relevance; each of his compositions represented an original synthesis of these directions.
These traits were already evident in the artist's second album Prince (October 1979), which sold a million copies and contained his first big hit "I Wanna Be Your Lover". The album Dirty Mind (October 1980), followed by Controversy (October 1981), caused a lot of noise with their frank, sometimes provocative lyrics. No less shocking were his colorful, dynamic performances in boots with huge heels, with which the singer sought to compensate for his short stature (approx. 160 cm). When in 1981 Prince appeared as the opening act for the Rolling Stones in high heels, knitted leggings, bikinis and military-style overcoats, fans of the legendary rock band pelted him with garbage. There were rumors about the unconventionality of his sexual orientation, which (like many others) Prince only warmed up the text of the song "Controversy".
Elton John
Mercury's friend, the idol of millions and just a cult "Rocketman" – Elton John can rightfully be called the voice of the generation. This artist has a huge number of excellent hits, as well as covers! His voice is beautiful, and his image is legendary... Sir Elton Hercules John (Eng. Elton Hercules John; birth name — Reginald Kenneth Dwight (Eng. Reginald Kenneth Dwight); b. March 25, 1947, Pinner, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom) is a British singer, pianist and composer.
He had a noticeable influence on the development of light rock. One of the most commercially successful artists of the 1970s and one of the UK's most successful rock artists. Throughout his career, he has sold more albums in the US and UK than any other British solo artist.
He has worked with songwriter Bernie Taupin since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums. Over the course of his 50-year career, Elton John has sold more than 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists. He has more than fifty top hits on the UK Singles chart and the Billboard Hot 100, including nine number-ones in the UK and nine in the US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US and seven more of his albums ranked first on the Billboard 200, 40 singles were in the US Top 40, 28 were in the first ten and nine rose to first place. Elton John's 52 singles were in the UK Top 40. His single "Candle in the Wind 1997" (a new version of "Candle in the Wind[en]" 1973), rewritten in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales, has sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and US charts. He also produced recordings and occasionally acted in films.
Elton John has five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards, two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Tony Award, a Disney Legends Award and a Kennedy Center Award. In 2004, he was ranked 49th in the list of the greatest performers by Rolling Stone magazine. In 2013, Billboard magazine named him the most successful solo artist on the list of the best artists of all time on the Billboard Hot 100 and third overall after the Beatles and Madonna. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, and is a member of the British Academy of Composers and Authors. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for "services to music and charitable services" in 1998. Presenting John with France's highest civilian award, the Legion of Honor, in 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron called him a "melodic genius." Elton John's farewell tour, which took place in 2018-2023, became the highest-grossing concert tour in history.
Elton John has five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards, two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Tony Award, a Disney Legends Award and a Kennedy Center Award. In 2004, he was ranked 49th in the list of the greatest performers by Rolling Stone magazine. In 2013, Billboard magazine named him the most successful solo artist on the list of the best artists of all time on the Billboard Hot 100 and third overall after the Beatles and Madonna. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, and is a member of the British Academy of Composers and Authors. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for "services to music and charitable services" in 1998. Presenting John with France's highest civilian award, the Legion of Honor, in 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron called him a "melodic genius." Elton John's farewell tour, which took place in 2018-2023, became the highest-grossing concert tour in history.
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney is a cult star who needs no introduction. This man was part of the most legendary rock and roll and popular band, and subsequently managed to build a dazzling solo career! Its special melody has been touching the hearts of generations for many decades. Sir James Paul McCartney (eng. James Paul McCartney; b. June 18, 1942, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom) is a British musician, multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer. One of the founders of The Beatles. 16-time winner of the Grammy Award.
In 2011, he was recognized as one of the best bass guitarists of all time according to a survey conducted by Rolling Stone magazine among readers, taking 3rd place. In the list of editors of this magazine in 2020, he took 9th place. His vocal range is over four octaves. He is left-handed, and therefore plays left-handed guitars.
The Lennon—McCartney duo has become one of the most influential and successful copyright unions in the history of modern music. Paul McCartney has been repeatedly included in the Guinness Book of Records, in particular, as the most successful musician and composer in recent history: his 60 discs have a "golden" status, the total circulation of singles exceeded 100 million, and the song "Yesterday" holds the first place in the number of recorded cover versions (more than 3,700). "Mull of Kintyre" (Wings), which became in 1977 the first ever British single, the circulation of which only in Britain reached the two million mark, still tops the list of British bestsellers of all time.The first three years of Paul McCartney's solo career brought generally uneven results. The 1970 debut album, which was a collection of sketches rather than full-fledged song compositions, was met with derision by the press, and John Lennon called it "rubbish" ("rubbish")In 1970, John Lennon remarked that "Paul is capable of a strong thing, only you need to scare him well." In a sense, his words turned out to be prophetic: recorded in Nigeria, in an atmosphere of fear and unpredictability, Band on the Run was enthusiastically received by the press as the first album in which the author managed to rise to the level he achieved in The Beatles. Previously skeptical, Rolling Stone spoke enthusiastically about the record, calling it "the best of all that the four musicians who used to call themselves The Beatles released." John Lennon agreed with this, admitting: "Band on the Run is a great album." "It was my triumph over the critics," Paul McCartney later said.
Фил Коллинз
Who doesn't know Phil Collins? Are there such people?Phil Collins LVO (Eng. Phil Collins; full name Philip David Charles Collins (eng. Philip David Charles Collins); b. January 30, 1951, London) is an English singer, drummer, songwriter, record producer and actor.
He became famous as a member of the rock band Genesis, then made an impressive solo career, selling over 150 million copies of his albums.
Phil Collins is one of only three musicians in history (along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson) whose albums have sold more than a hundred million copies worldwide — both as a solo artist and (separately) as a member of a musical group[12][13]. While Genesis managed to climb to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart only once during his career, Collins managed to do it seven times — with the singles "Against All Odds" (1984), "One More Night" (1985), "Sussudio" (1985), "Separate Lives" (1985), "A Groovy Kind of Love" (1988), "Two Hearts" (1988) and — perhaps most famous for his song — "Another Day in Paradise" (1989). Collins' original calling card is still the very first solo single, "In the Air Tonight".
He has collaborated with such famous musicians as Paul McCartney, B.B. King, Ozzy Osbourne, George Harrison, Robert Plant, Eric Clapton, Mike Oldfield, Sting, John Cale, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Ravi Shankar, Tommy Bolin, Adam Ant, Frida Lingstad and 2pac.
Among his awards are 8 Grammys, 2 Golden Globes, 6 Brit Awards, an Oscar, a Disney Legend Award, 6 awards of the British Academy of Composers and Authors, including the International Achievement Award. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band Genesis in 2010.
In the list of the "100 greatest drummers of all time" magazine Rolling Stone took 43rd place