As you look at any list of the most popular pop music artists according to boomers, there are a few names you expect to see. Anyone hoping to see names like The Beach Boys, Elton John, and Hall & Oates will not be disappointed. Still, the music industry is fickle, so any big artist today could just as easily be gone tomorrow.
This is exactly what you have to keep in mind with this list of the most popular pop music artists according to baby boomers. Using data gathered by YouGov, it’s put together its first quarter 2024 rankings of the artists with a percentage of boomers who have a favorable opinion of these pop music legends.
Why We’re Covering This
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The music industry is one of the most important in entertainment, leading to billions of dollars spent annually. While physical discs are not quite as popular as a decade ago, the music industry still earns billions yearly between physical records and music streaming. Baby boomers, in particular, are still among those who love physical discs, which is why businesses like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart all maintain very large music sections.
15. Harry Belafonte
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 70%
The winner of three Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Harry Belafonte remains a boomer favorite for all the right reasons. His calypso style of music is best recognized between “Day-O” and “Jump in the Line,” which propelled Belafonte to superstardom. In addition to his music, Belafonte was politically active and refused to perform in certain parts of America for years as one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s confidants.
14. ABBA
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 70%
An acronym for the first letters of each group member’s name, ABBA is arguably Sweden’s most popular music export. Among the best-selling musical artists ever, ABBA has sold between 150 and 385 million albums worldwide. Their combination of pop, Europop, and disco helped ABBA achieve quick industry success. Even with a few decades between performing from 1982 to 2016, ABBA remains as iconic as ever for boomers.
13. The Jackson 5
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 70%
It would be impossible to list any pop music artists that are favorites of boomers without including The Jackson 5. Spawning the career of Michael Jackon and his brothers, the group sold over 150 million records worldwide. Of course, Michael’s solo career overshadowed the group’s incredible success. Still, it’s hard to ignore the accomplishments and popularity The Jackson 5 enjoyed during the height of their fame between the 1960s and 1980s.
12. Prince
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 70%
Starting his musical career in the mid-1970s, it would be far more surprising if Prince wasn’t on a list of boomer favorite pop music artists. Selling over 100 million records, Prince released over 39 albums during his career and recorded an unknown amount of music to be released after his death in 2016. Prince’s iconic sound overshadowed his incredible writing career. He was responsible for “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor and “Manic Monday” by the Bangles, just to name a few.
11. Steely Dan
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 71%
With more than 40 million records sold, Steely Dan is a beloved rock band boomers will immediately sing along with. Founded by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, the group broke up in 1981 and reunited again in 1993. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001, Rolling Stone argues that Steely Dan is one of the best musical duos ever.
10. Dean Martin
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 73%
As soon as Dean Martin’s solo career began in 1956, it was all but inevitable that he would be primed for stardom. One of the most popular acts in Las Vegas, Dean Martin is famously known as a founding member of the “Rat Pack” along with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. He appeared in over 85 movies, and boomers recognized Martin’s distinct crooning voice instantly, which helped him sell over 50 million records worldwide.
9. Johnny Mathis
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 74%
A recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, boomers can instantly recall some of Johnny Mathis’ greatest hits. Selling more than 360 million albums, Mathis currently ranks as the third best-selling artist of the 20th century. Best of all, Mathis never stuck to just one genre as he recorded country, blues, show tunes, soul, traditional pop, and even show tunes.
8. Hall & Oates
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 74%
An iconic American rock duo, Hall & Oates enjoyed a period of intense fame between the mid-70s and the end of the 1980s. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, the group performed until April 2024 before a legal battle finally broke the group up once and for all. Even so, according to Billboard, the duo had 29 top 40 hits in the US between 1974 and 1991.
7. Carly Simon
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 74%
When it comes to famous female singers of the 1970s, Carly Simon is on every boomer’s favorite list. With 24 Billboard Hot 100 singles and 28 Adult Contemporary Billboard singles, Carly Simon was everywhere in the 1970s. Although her career began in 1963, her popularity skyrocketed the following decade, allowing her to record the theme song to the James Bond film, “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
6. Karen Carpenter
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 76%
A wildly popular American singer, Karen Carpenter, was one half of the Carpenters duo. She was one of the greatest singers of all time, but the pressure of fame was too much for Carpenter, and she died young at 32. Even though she passed away far too soon, she made her mark on the music industry. Boomers remember her distinct tone and on-stage personality, all while thinking about what could have been had she been better prepared to handle the rigors of fame.
5. Whitney Houston
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 77%
With one of the most iconic voices ever, Whitney Houston is a favorite pop music artist across many generations, including baby boomers. Selling over 220 million records during her multi-decade career, Houston is perhaps best known for her performance in The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner. The single from the film, “I Will Always Love You,” remains one of the most iconic love songs of all time and is the best-selling female single in history.
4. The Righteous Brothers
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 77%
Arguably one of the best singing duos ever, The Righteous Brothers are unsurprisingly a hit with boomers. First appearing on the music scene in 1962, they had an unusual history with on-and-off activity over the past six decades. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, the duo was also ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 20 best duos ever.
3. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 77%
A vocal quartet formed in 1960, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons are among the most popular singing groups ever. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, The Four Seasons have sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide. With massive hits like “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, and “Walk Like a Man”, some of the memorable hits of the 1960s, it’s not at all surprising Franke Valli ranks so high with boomers.
2. Elton John
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 78%
Best known as Sir Elton John, the musical legend is the second most popular pop music artist according to baby boomers. With over 300 million records sold worldwide, there is no question Elton is one of the most successful artists ever. His tribute to Princess Diana, “Candle in the Wind 1997”, sold 33 million copies and is the best-selling chart single ever.
1. The Beach Boys
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- Percentage of boomers with a favorable opinion: 80%
Originally formed in 1961, The Beach Boys are a legendary group and the most popular pop music artists according to baby boomers. Starting as a garage band, the group’s first big hit, “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” thrust them onto the music scene. With a string of top-ten singles when southern California culture was having a moment, The Beach Boys rode the wave, selling more than 100 million records worldwide.
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