20th-century English singer-songwriters

John Winston Ono Lennon was an English musician, songwriter and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history.

Sir James Paul McCartney is an English musician and songwriter. He gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he was the bassist and keyboardist, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile tenor vocal range and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre-rock and roll pop to classical, ballads and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in music history.

David Robert Jones, known as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as among the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie received particular acclaim for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft have had a significant impact on popular music.

George Harrison was an English musician who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Known as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison played a significant role in shaping the band's musical direction and established a successful solo career, particularly through his interest in non-Western musical influences.

George Michael was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. Michael was known as a creative force in songwriting, vocal performance, and visual presentation. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. The Radio Academy named him the most played artist on British radio during the period 1984–2004.

British singer and songwriter; vocalist of The Rolling Stones

British musician (born 1951)

British musician (born 1947)

Philip David Charles Collins is an English singer, drummer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis and had a successful solo career, achieving three UK number-one singles and seven US number-one singles as a solo artist. In total, his work with Genesis, other artists and solo resulted in more US top-40 singles than any other artist throughout the 1980s. His most successful singles from the period include "In the Air Tonight", "You Can't Hurry Love", "Against All Odds ", "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Another Day in Paradise", "Two Hearts" and "I Wish It Would Rain Down".

British musician, guitarist of the Rolling Stones

English musician, co-founder of Pink Floyd (born 1943)

English musician, member of Pink Floyd (born 1946)

British musician (1946–2006)

English musician and lead vocalist of Led Zeppelin

English singer, pianist and songwriter (born 1958)

British singer and musician

English musician, drummer of Queen (born 1949)

British singer

British singer and guitarist

British-born Irish-American singer and songwriter

British comedian, actor and writer (born 1943)

British singer

English singer

British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer

English singer-songwriter (born 1954)

British musician (1956–1980)

English singer-songwriter

English singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter

British heavy metal singer

British singer-songwriter

British singer, musician and songwriter (1952–2002)

British blues rock guitarist (1946–2020)

English singer

English musician (born 1947)

English guitarist and singer (1947–1977)

British-Canadian musician

British singer; lead vocalist of Duran Duran

British singer

English singer, songwriter, and guitarist (1944–2013)

English recording artist; singer-songwriter, musician

British singer

English singer-songwriter

British singer and musician

British musician and singer (born 1955)

English singer (1959–2016)

British bassist

English convicted child sex offender and former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician

Kirsty Anna MacColl was a British singer and songwriter. The daughter of folk singer Ewan MacColl, she recorded several pop hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" and cover versions of Billy Bragg's "A New England" and the Kinks' "Days". She also sang on a number of recordings produced by her husband Steve Lillywhite, most notably "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues. Her first single, "They Don't Know", would have chart success a few years later when covered by Tracey Ullman. Her death in 2000 led to the "Justice for Kirsty" campaign.

British singer (1947–1985)

UK musician and songwriter

British guitarist and singer (1947–1991)

British musician (1943–2025)

English musician and actor, songwriter

British rock singer

English singer-songwriter

British singer, songwriter, record producer and actress

British singer

British rock musician

British guitarist and songwriter; founding member of the British band Wishbone Ash

British musician (1950–2018)