Music

From Bach's fugues to Hendrix's guitar, meet the musicians and composers who defined the soundtrack of human history.

Antonio Vivaldi

1678–1741 · The Four Seasons

Johann Sebastian Bach

1685–1750 · Master of Baroque composition

George Frideric Handel

1685–1759 · Messiah oratorio

Joseph Haydn

1732–1809 · Father of the symphony and string quartet

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

1756–1791 · Musical prodigy, symphonies & operas

Ludwig van Beethoven

1770–1827 · Symphonies composed while going deaf

Niccolò Paganini

1782–1840 · Virtuoso violinist, the Devil's violinist

Franz Schubert

1797–1828 · Composer of lieder and the Unfinished Symphony

Frédéric Chopin

1810–1849 · Romantic piano virtuoso

Robert Schumann

1810–1856 · Romantic composer and influential music critic

Franz Liszt

1811–1886 · Piano virtuoso, composer of the Hungarian Rhapsodies

Giuseppe Verdi

1813–1901 · La Traviata, Aida — operatic master

Richard Wagner

1813–1883 · Ring Cycle, revolutionary opera

Pyotr Tchaikovsky

1840–1893 · Swan Lake, The Nutcracker

Claude Debussy

1862–1918 · Clair de Lune, Impressionist music

Scott Joplin

1868–1917 · King of Ragtime

Igor Stravinsky

1882–1971 · The Rite of Spring, modern classical

Duke Ellington

1899–1974 · Jazz legend, big band pioneer

Louis Armstrong

1901–1971 · What a Wonderful World, jazz trumpet

Frank Sinatra

1915–1998 · My Way, Ol' Blue Eyes

Billie Holiday

1915–1959 · Strange Fruit, jazz vocal legend

Ella Fitzgerald

1917–1996 · First Lady of Song, jazz icon

B.B. King

1925–2015 · King of the Blues

Ray Charles

1930–2004 · The Genius of Soul, Georgia On My Mind

Johnny Cash

1932–2003 · The Man in Black, country music legend

Elvis Presley

1935–1977 · The King of Rock and Roll

John Lennon

1940–1980 · The Beatles, Imagine

Bob Dylan

1941–present · Blowin' in the Wind, Nobel Prize in Literature

Aretha Franklin

1942–2018 · Queen of Soul, Respect

Jimi Hendrix

1942–1970 · Greatest electric guitarist of all time

Paul McCartney

1942–present · Beatles singer, songwriter and bassist

George Harrison

1943–2001 · The Beatles, My Sweet Lord

Janis Joplin

1943–1970 · Piece of My Heart, rock and blues

Jim Morrison

1943–1971 · The Doors, Light My Fire

Bob Marley

1945–1981 · Reggae icon, One Love

Freddie Mercury

1946–1991 · Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody

David Bowie

1947–2016 · Ziggy Stardust, musical chameleon

Michael Jackson

1958–2009 · King of Pop, Thriller

Prince

1958–2016 · Purple Rain, multi-instrumentalist genius

Madonna

1958–present · Queen of Pop, Like a Virgin and Vogue

Whitney Houston

1963–2012 · The Voice, I Will Always Love You

Kurt Cobain

1967–1994 · Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit

Tupac Shakur

1971–1996 · Influential rapper, Changes

Anna Netrebko

1971–present · Russian-Austrian operatic soprano

Eminem

1972–present · Rapper of The Real Slim Shady and Lose Yourself

Shakira

1977–present · Colombian singer of Hips Don't Lie

Beyoncé

1981–present · Global pop icon, Lemonade

Amy Winehouse

1983–2011 · Back to Black, soulful voice

Lady Gaga

1986–present · Singer of Poker Face and Shallow

Taylor Swift

1989–present · Best-selling music artist of the 2020s

Selena Gomez

1992–present · Singer and actress, Wizards of Waverly Place

Justin Bieber

1994–present · Canadian pop singer of Baby and Sorry

Billie Eilish

2001–present · Bad Guy, youngest Album of the Year winner

Key Events in Music

1685 Birth year of Bach and Handel

1722 Bach composes The Well-Tempered Clavier

1741 Handel composes Messiah

1787 Mozart premieres Don Giovanni

1808 Beethoven premieres Symphony No. 5

1824 Beethoven premieres Symphony No. 9

1842 New York Philharmonic founded

1876 Wagner premieres the complete Ring cycle

1877 Edison invents the phonograph

1913 Stravinsky's Rite of Spring premieres, causes riot

1926 First commercial recordings of Delta blues

1935 Gershwin premieres Porgy and Bess

1948 Columbia Records introduces the LP record

1954 Elvis Presley records first single at Sun Studio

1959 Miles Davis releases Kind of Blue

1964 The Beatles arrive in America; British Invasion begins

1967 The Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

1969 Woodstock music festival

1975 Bohemian Rhapsody released by Queen

1979 Hip hop emerges in the South Bronx

1982 Michael Jackson releases Thriller

1985 Live Aid concerts held globally

1991 Nirvana releases Nevermind; grunge goes mainstream

1999 Napster launches, transforming music distribution

2003 iTunes Music Store launches

Sources

Antonio Vivaldi — Wikipedia
Johann Sebastian Bach — Wikipedia
George Frideric Handel — Wikipedia
Joseph Haydn — Wikipedia
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Wikipedia
Ludwig van Beethoven — Wikipedia
Niccolò Paganini — Wikipedia
Franz Schubert — Wikipedia
Frédéric Chopin — Wikipedia
Robert Schumann — Wikipedia
Franz Liszt — Wikipedia
Giuseppe Verdi — Wikipedia
Richard Wagner — Wikipedia
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky — Wikipedia
Claude Debussy — Wikipedia
Scott Joplin — Wikipedia
Igor Stravinsky — Wikipedia
Duke Ellington — Wikipedia
Louis Armstrong — Wikipedia
Frank Sinatra — Wikipedia
Billie Holiday — Wikipedia
Ella Fitzgerald — Wikipedia
B. B. King — Wikipedia
Ray Charles — Wikipedia
Johnny Cash — Wikipedia
Elvis Presley — Wikipedia
John Lennon — Wikipedia
Bob Dylan — Wikipedia
Aretha Franklin — Wikipedia
Jimi Hendrix — Wikipedia
Paul McCartney — Wikipedia
George Harrison — Wikipedia
Janis Joplin — Wikipedia
Jim Morrison — Wikipedia
Bob Marley — Wikipedia
Freddie Mercury — Wikipedia
David Bowie — Wikipedia
Michael Jackson — Wikipedia
Prince (musician) — Wikipedia
Madonna — Wikipedia
Whitney Houston — Wikipedia
Kurt Cobain — Wikipedia
Tupac Shakur — Wikipedia
Anna Netrebko — Wikipedia
Eminem — Wikipedia
Shakira — Wikipedia
Beyoncé — Wikipedia
Amy Winehouse — Wikipedia
Lady Gaga — Wikipedia
Taylor Swift — Wikipedia
Selena Gomez — Wikipedia
Justin Bieber — Wikipedia
Billie Eilish — Wikipedia