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200 Essential Musical Artists Everyone Needs to Know

Compiled based on: critical consensus surveys featuring dozens of well-known sources' lists of greatest albums and songs, plus multiple polls and achievement honors for greatest artists, performers, writers etc. Any editors choices are made with an eye toward providing the fullest overview across genres, while allowing a few picks for most underappreciated.
416 users · 3,560 views
 
made by Will Yudelson
avg. score: 92 of 200 (46%)
required scores: 1, 4, 77, 126, 153 
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How many have you heard?

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Hoagy Carmichael
Hoagy Carmichael
1
Jelly Roll Morton
Jelly Roll Morton
2
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
3
Fats Waller
Fats Waller
4
Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith
5
Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
6
Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
7
Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
8
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
9
Leadbelly
Leadbelly
10
Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson
11
Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
12
Billie Holliday
Billie Holliday
13
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
14
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
15
Count Basie
Count Basie
16
Louis Jordan
Louis Jordan
17
Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
18
Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
19
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
20
John Coltrane
John Coltrane
21
Hank Williams
Hank Williams
22
Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
23
Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
24
Miles Davis
Miles Davis
25
Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins
26
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
27
Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
28
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
29
Chet Baker
Chet Baker
30
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
31
Fats Domino
Fats Domino
32
The Drifters
The Drifters
33
Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
34
Little Richard
Little Richard
35
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
36
Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
37
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
38
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
39
Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
40
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