Americans welcomed – with open arms – the British Invasion in the 1960s and we have not stopped enjoying and appreciating European musicians since. Bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones played music that was not so unlike popular American music in style but had a distinct European flavor to it that thrilled audiences. It was familiar, yet unique.
Artists from across the Atlantic have always managed to find massive success in the U.S. Since the 1960s, David Bowie, The Police, U2, and Elton John are just a few of the music giants Americans loved over the years. And this continues today. Although not quite as big as American acts like Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, European artists like Adele and Coldplay have no problem selling out concerts stateside.
The popularity of European musicians will be highlighted this Sunday, November 12, at the MTV Europe Music Awards. 24/7 Wall St. has identified the 25 most famous European musicians using a number of metrics such as album sales and internet popularity.
Click here to see the most famous European musicians.
Click here to see our methodology.
Of today’s 25 most famous European musicians, 14 are English. When it comes to popular music, England has a strong history that shows no signs of slowing down. Most of these artists are primarily singers, with a few exceptions such as DJ and producer Mark Ronson.
While there are singers from other countries on the list, electronic and dance music artists appear to be more popular outside of England. The two French acts on the list – Daft Punk and David Guetta – are both primarily electronic musicians. The most popular non-English musician on the list is Scottish DJ Calvin Harris. Each of these artists works extensively with American musicians – generally vocalists – in addition to his or her solo efforts.
This supports the idea that while Americans are open to music from overseas, they appear to prefer the lyrics, if there are any, to be in English. The top charting song in the last five years from almost every artist on this list is performed in English, regardless of the artist’s nationality. The one exception is Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailando,” which is in Spanish, yet also has an English version.
Source: Theo Wargo / Getty Images
25. Zedd, Germany
> Top charting song: “Clarity” (24th in 2013)
> Top charting album: “True Colors” (199th in 2015)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 1,660
> All time sales, singles: 9.5 million
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Source: Joe Maher / Getty Images
24. Rita Ora, England
> Top charting song: “Black Widow” (26th in 2014)
> Top charting album: N/A
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 6,683
> All time sales, singles: N/A
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Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
23. Of Monsters And Men, Iceland
> Top charting song: “Little Talks” (65th in 2013)
> Top charting album: “My Head Is An Animal” (48th in 2013)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 1,029
> All time sales, singles: 5.5 million
Source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
22. Charli XCX, England
> Top charting song: “Fancy” (4th in 2014)
> Top charting album: N/A
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 2,355
> All time sales, singles: 6.5 million
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Source: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
21. James Bay, England
> Top charting song: “Let It Go” (44th in 2016)
> Top charting album: “Chaos And The Calm” (59th in 2016)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 831
> All time sales, singles: 2.0 million
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty Images
20. Jessie J, England
> Top charting song: “Bang Bang” (27th in 2014)
> Top charting album: “Sweet Talker” (145th in 2015)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 2,404
> All time sales, singles: 5.0 million
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Source: Editor5807 / Wikimedia Commons
19. Passenger, England
> Top charting song: “Let Her Go” (19th in 2014)
> Top charting album: “All The Little Lights” (83rd in 2014)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 1,350
> All time sales, singles: 6.0 million
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Source: Jason Koerner / Getty Images
18. Enrique Iglesias, Spain
> Top charting song: “Bailando” (38th in 2014)
> Top charting album: “Sex And Love” (127th in 2014)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 6,743
> All time sales, singles: 6.0 million
Source: Rich Polk / Getty Images
17. Avicii, Sweden
> Top charting song: “Wake Me Up!” (19th in 2013)
> Top charting album: “TRUE” (113rd in 2014)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 2,286
> All time sales, singles: 8.5 million
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Source: Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images
16. Tove Lo, Sweden
> Top charting song: “Habits (Stay High)” (32nd in 2014)
> Top charting album: “Queen Of The Clouds” (49th in 2015)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 2,217
> All time sales, singles: 7.0 million
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
15. Lukas Graham, Denmark
> Top charting song: “7 Years” (12nd in 2016)
> Top charting album: “Lukas Graham” (60th in 2016)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 2,664
> All time sales, singles: 4.5 million
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Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
14. Bastille, England
> Top charting song: “Pompeii” (12nd in 2014)
> Top charting album: “Bad Blood” (40th in 2014)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 1,278
> All time sales, singles: 6.0 million
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Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
13. David Guetta, France
> Top charting song: “Titanium” (24th in 2012)
> Top charting album: “Listen” (53rd in 2015)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 2,226
> All time sales, singles: 13.0 million
Source: Dave Kotinsky / Getty Images
12. Hozier, Ireland
> Top charting song: “Take Me To Church” (14th in 2015)
> Top charting album: “Hozier” (12nd in 2015)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 1,581
> All time sales, singles: 5.0 million
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Source: Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images
11. Gotye, Belgium
> Top charting song: “Somebody That I Used To Know” (1st in 2012)
> Top charting album: “Making Mirrors” (27th in 2012)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 1,064
> All time sales, singles: 8.0 million
Source: Nicholas Hunt / Getty Images
10. Ellie Goulding, England
> Top charting song: “Lights” (5th in 2012)
> Top charting album: “Delirium” (89th in 2016)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 3,527
> All time sales, singles: 12.0 million
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Source: Tim P. Whitby / Getty Images
9. Mark Ronson, England
> Top charting song: “Uptown Funk!” (1st in 2015)
> Top charting album: “Uptown Special.” (27th in 2015)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 2,730
> All time sales, singles: 11.0 million
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Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
8. Daft Punk, France
> Top charting song: “Get Lucky” (14th in 2013)
> Top charting album: “Random Access Memories” (19th in 2013)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 5,437
> All time sales, singles: 4.5 million
Source: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com
7. Calvin Harris, Scotland
> Top charting song: “We Found Love” (8th in 2012)
> Top charting album: “Motion” (75th in 2015)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 3,979
> All time sales, singles: 10.5 million
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Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
6. Coldplay, England
> Top charting song: “A Sky Full Of Stars” (51st in 2014)
> Top charting album: “A Head Full Of Dreams” (13rd in 2016)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 7,134
> All time sales, singles: 13.5 million
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
5. Zayn, England
> Top charting song: “Pillowtalk” (22nd in 2016)
> Top charting album: “Mind Of Mine” (56th in 2016)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 12,690
> All time sales, singles: 6.0 million
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Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
4. Sam Smith, England
> Top charting song: “Stay With Me” (10th in 2014)
> Top charting album: “In The Lonely Hour” (3rd in 2015)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 4,686
> All time sales, singles: 17.5 million
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Source: Eamonn M. McCormack / Getty Images
3. One Direction, England
> Top charting song: “What Makes You Beautiful” (10th in 2012)
> Top charting album: “Take Me Home” (3rd in 2013)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 9,208
> All time sales, singles: 13.5 million
Source: Phil Walter / Getty Images
2. Adele, England
> Top charting song: “Hello” (7th in 2016)
> Top charting album: “25” (1st in 2016)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 12,771
> All time sales, singles: 31.5 million
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Source: yakub88 / Shutterstock.com
1. Ed Sheeran, England
> Top charting song: “Thinking Out Loud” (2nd in 2015)
> Top charting album: “x” (2nd in 2015)
> Daily average Wikipedia page views: 25,964
> All time sales, singles: 39.0 million
To determine the most famous European musicians, 24/7 Wall St. created an index based on Billboard charts, album and singles sales, and Wikipedia page views. To be considered, artists must have residency in a European country and have charted on the year-end Billboard Hot 100 at least once in the past five years. The position of an artist’s top-charting song on the year-end Billboard Hot 100 from 2012 to 2016 was given a half weight and included in the index. The top position of an artist’s top-charting album on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums was given a half weight and included in the index. The number of times an artist was featured on the year-end Billboard Hot 100 and the number of times an artist was featured on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums charts from 2012 to 2016 were each given a quarter weight and included in the index. An artist could be featured on the list with his or her own song, or by having been credited on another artist’s song. An artist’s daily Wikipedia page views from the period of November 6, 2016 to November 5, 2017 were given full weight and included in the index. An artist’s total digital single sales according to the Recording Industry Association of America was included in the index and given full weight.
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