Pop Music’s Most Popular Personalities

Discover the most popular personalities in pop music today. From Rihanna to Taylor Swift, find out which artists are dominating the charts.

The Beatles

Out of all the pop music artists in the world, there is no band more popular or influential than The Beatles. Hailing from Liverpool, England, The Beatles revolutionized the way we think about music and continue to influence musicians to this day. If you’re a fan of pop music, then you need to know about The Beatles. Here’s a look at the some of the most popular personalities in the band.

John Lennon

John Lennon was an English musician, singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. He and fellow member Paul McCartney formed a much-celebrated songwriting partnership.Born and raised in Liverpool, as a teenager he became involved in the skiffle craze; his first band, the Quarrymen, evolved into the Beatles in 1960. As the group’s frontman, he was the self-proclaimed rebellious leader of pop culture’s youth during their years of international fame. After his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969, he officially changed his name to John Ono Lennon. Requesting that people address him as simply “John”, he wrote some of his best songs with Ono during what would later become their “Lost Weekend”.

Lennon ultimately became fed up with Beatlemania and the constant touring— both Ringo Starr and George Harrison had temporarily left the band during its final year—and expressed a desire to quit several times; however, they reconvened at Abbey Road Studios in January 1969 to record what would become their final album, Let It Be (1970). A few months later they released “The Ballad of John and Yoko” as a single with “Old Brown Shoe” on its B-side. It was followed by an album of the same name that May. Following these releases, Lennon continued writing and recording solo material with Ono at his newly built home studio in Ascot; one such session yielded “Give Peace a Chance”, which was released as a single credited to The Plastic Ono Band in July 1969.

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942), is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. He gained worldwide fame as the bass guitarist and singer for the rock band the Beatles, widely considered the most popular and influential group in the history of pop music. His songwriting partnership with John Lennon is one of the most celebrated of the 20th century. After the group disbanded in 1970, he pursued a solo career and formed Wings with his first wife, Linda, and Denny Laine.

George Harrison

George Harrison was an English musician, singer, songwriter, and film producer who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Often referred to as “the quiet Beatle”, Harrison embraced Indian culture and helped broaden the scope of popular music through his incorporation of Oriental and Eastern sounds on recordings and in live performances. Although several of his songs written for the Beatles were initially rejected by the group’s producer George Martin, many were later included on critically acclaimed albums such as Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. During his time with the Beatles, Harrison wrote songs such as “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something”, which became international chart-toppers.

After leaving the Beatles in 1968, Harrison had a successful career as a solo artist and later co-founded the rock supergroup Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. He also organized concerts—including the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971—and extensive benefit efforts for charities. He continued to record into the 1990s and was active until his death in 2001 at age 58 from cancer. Harrisons estate has since earned him posthumous critical acclaim and numerous awards, including Grammys, Golden Globes, Ivor Novello Awards, American Music Awards, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 11 in their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. In 2008’s BBC Four documentary Guitar Heroes he was ranked number 24.

Ringo Starr

Born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940, in Liverpool, England, Ringo Starr grew up in a working-class section of the city during the German Blitz of World War II. When he was 13 years old, he contracted tuberculosis and was hospitalized for two years. It was during his hospital stay that Starr took up drums, which would become his trademark.

In 1957, Starr joined the British rock group The Quarrymen, which included a young John Lennon. Two years later, the Quarrymen morphed into The Beatles. With Paul McCartney and George Harrison on guitars and Starr on drums, The Beatles became one of the most popular bands in history. During their eight years together, they released 12 studio albums and toured extensively.

In 1970, The Beatles disbanded and each member pursued a solo career. Starr released his debut solo album Sentimental Journey that year. He has since released 18 more solo albums and has had several hit singles, including “Photograph” and “It Don’t Come Easy.” In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Beatle. In 2015, he was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are a British rock band that formed in London in 1962. The original lineup consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Ian Stewart (piano), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager. Jones died less than a month before the band’s debut album was released.

Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones, is one of pop music’s most popular personalities. He was born in Britain but has lived in the United States since the early 1960s. He is known for his singing and songwriting, as well as his acting roles in movies such as “Performance” (1970) and “Ned Kelly” (1970). Jagger has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Keith Richards

Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had “created rock’s greatest single body of riffs”;[2] music critic Charlie Gillett called him “rock’s greatest singleisman”.[3] Within the band, he is sometimes referred to as “Keith”, “Keef”, or “Mr. Forty-Eight” – a reference to his skinny frame and his addiction to heroin during the 1960s and 1970s.

Ronnie Wood

Ronnie Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, artist and radio personality best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He began his career in 1964, painting houses with his twin brother Stanley. He played bass guitar in a band called The Birds then joined The Creation, before taking up lead guitar with The Jeff Beck Group and Faces. Ronnie joined the Rolling Stones in 1975, two years after the departure of Founding Member Mick Taylor.

Stanley took him to see a local band called The (Young) Rascals who Ronnie soon began emulating by playing slide-guitar licks. Ronnie’s first professional recordings were with Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate Records include “Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll” by Santa Barbara-based Long John Baldry in 1968. After forming Faces, he stayed with them until 33 years later when he rejoined the Rolling Stones.

Charlie Watts

Charles Robert Watts (born 2 June 1941) is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. Originally trained as a graphic artist, he started playing drums in London clubs in the early 1960s and joined the Stones in 1963, replacing Mick Avory. He has appeared on every Rolling Stones album since 1963 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Watts’ austere style places him among the first notable jazz-influenced rock drummers; his influence on subsequent rock drumming is incalculable. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 12 on their list of the “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time”. He also contributed to making rock music suitable for dancing by keeping a steady beat with his minimalistic, yet extremely effective style.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound has led them to be cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal.

Jimmy Page

Jimmy Page is best known as the guitarist, producer and songwriter for one of the most successful and influential bands of all time, Led Zeppelin. With a career spanning more than 50 years, he is considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once as a member of Led Zeppelin and again as a solo artist.

Born in London in 1944, Jimmy Page began playing guitar at the age of 12. He soon began playing in local bands and by the early 1960s he had started session work as a studio musician. In 1966 he joined The Yardbirds, where he replaced Eric Clapton as the lead guitarist. He played on their hits “For Your Love” and “Shapes of Things” before leaving the band in 1968.

In 1968, Page teamed up with singer Robert Plant, bass player John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham to form Led Zeppelin. Over the next decade, they released nine studio albums that have gone on to become classics of rock music. These include “Led Zeppelin I” (1969), “Led Zeppelin II” (1969), “Led Zeppelin III” (1970), “Led Zeppelin IV” (1971), “Houses of the Holy” (1973), “Physical Graffiti” (1975) and “In Through the Out Door” (1979).

Led Zeppelin are one of the best-selling artists of all time, with estimated sales of more than 200 million records worldwide. They have also been credited with popularising various musical genres such as heavy metal and blues rock. Their influence can be heard in the work of many subsequent artists, including Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and Nirvana.

Jimmy Page has also had a successful solo career, releasing his debut album “Outrider” in 1988. He has since released three more solo albums: “Coverdale/Page” (1993), an album of duets with singer David Coverdale; “Walking into Clarksdale” (1998); and “Burning Up” (2000). In 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Thames Valley University in recognition of his contribution to music.

Robert Plant

Robert Plant is a English singer, songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Plant is considered to be one of the greatest singers in the history of rock music. He has been described as “a powerful, emotive vocalist whose music and lyrics were often inspired by myths and legends.”

Plant was born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, and he grew up in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. He began playing guitar at the age of 15. After leaving school, he joined a number of bands including The Crawling King Snakes, which brought him into contact with Jimmy Page. In 1966, they formed the most successful incarnation of The Yardbirds. In 1968, Page left to form Led Zeppelin.

Plant remained with Led Zeppelin until its dissolution in 1980. He subsequently established a solo career that was inspired by many different genres of music including blues, folk, country, and world music. Throughout his career, Plant has received numerous awards and honours including the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Led Zeppelin in 1995.

John Bonham

John Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English drummer, songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast bass-drumming, unique sound, and feel for the groove. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #1 in their list of the “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time” in 2003.

John Paul Jones

John Richard Baldwin, better known by his stage name John Paul Jones, is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. His career spans four decades and includes work with some of the most popular and influential rock bands of all time. He is best known as the bass guitarist, keyboardist, and occasionally rhythm guitarist for Led Zeppelin.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is one of the most popular pop music personalities. She is best known for her hit song “So What” and her album “The Truth About Love.” Pink Floyd has been described as a “rebel with a cause” and is known for her outspoken views on social issues.

Roger Waters

As the main songwriter for Pink Floyd, Roger Waters helped the band reach new heights of popularity and creativity in the 1970s with such classic albums as “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “Wish You Were Here.” Waters’ clever lyrics and complicated concepts helped to set Pink Floyd apart from other bands of the era, and his dark, brooding persona was a perfect match for the band’s increasingly experimental sound.

In 1985, Waters left Pink Floyd amid much acrimony, and released his first solo album, “The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking,” the following year. Although it was not a commercial success, Waters continued to release well-received solo albums throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “Radio K.A.O.S.” (1987), “Amused to Death” (1992) and “In the Flesh” (1999).

Waters’ reunion with Pink Floyd in 2005 for Live 8 was a momentous occasion for fans of the band, and he has continued to tour and perform with them on occasion since then. In 2017, Waters released his first studio album in 25 years, “Is This the Life We Really Want?,” which received critical acclaim.

David Gilmour

David Gilmour is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who was a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined the band in 1968 and became their lead guitarist and one of their main songwriters. Gilmour has been described as one of the greatest ever rock guitarists, and he was ranked number 14 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. In 2005, he was made a CBE for services to music.

Richard Wright

Richard Wright, the founding member of the English rock band Pink Floyd, died on September 15, 2008, at the age of 65. He had been suffering from cancer.

Wright was born in England in 1943 and grew up in a London suburb. He began playing piano at an early age and later took up the organ. He met Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd’s original lead singer and guitarist, while both were attending a local art school. The two formed a band called Pink Floyd in 1965 and Wright became the group’s keyboard player and one of its main songwriters.

Pink Floyd became one of the most successful rock bands of all time, selling more than 200 million records worldwide. The group’s best-known albums include “The Dark Side of the Moon” (1973), “Wish You Were Here” (1975), “Animals” (1977), “The Wall” (1979), and “The Division Bell” (1994).

Wright continued to tour and record with Pink Floyd until his health began to fail in 2006. He made his final live appearance with the band at London’s O2 Arena in May 2008.

Nick Mason

Nick Mason is an English drummer, and the only member of the rock band Pink Floyd to have remained with the group throughout their entire career. He joined Pink Floyd in 1965 and was a key contributor to several of their most successful albums, including The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.

In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Mason has also released several solo albums and collaborated with other artists on a variety of projects. He has appeared on television and film, and is an active philanthropist.