There isn't one single "oldest pop star," as it depends on definition, but legendary figures like Engelbert Humperdinck (born 1936) and Elton John (born 1947) are among the oldest iconic pop singers still active, while country legend Willie Nelson (born 1933) is noted as one of the oldest touring musicians overall, showing music careers span generations, with some like Connie Francis (born 1938) and Paul McCartney (born 1942) also being very long-lived stars.
Oldest Living Musicians
"A Thousand Years" is a ballad recorded by American singer and songwriter Christina Perri, written by Perri and her producer David Hodges, for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.
There's no single "number 1 artist of all time" as it's subjective, but Leonardo da Vinci often tops lists for visual art due to masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, while The Beatles are frequently cited as the best-selling music group ever, and Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley are often named as top solo music artists by sales and influence. Modern metrics like Spotify streams point to artists like Bad Bunny or Taylor Swift for recent dominance.
World-famous pianist Alfred Brendel dies aged 94.
Michael Jackson
You can't talk about pop stars without mentioning the King of Pop, who, to this day, is still one of the most famous male pop singers in the world.
Stephen Foster fundamentally shaped the American music canon in the late 1800s and forward, penning songs that reached the masses. He built the foundation of American popular music as a genre; his songs reached larger audiences than any composer ever had before, and his melodies endured long after his death.
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century.
Forming in 1961, Golden Earring is currently the longest running active rock band. The current lineup includes two original members and the same four members since 1970.
Garth Hudson, Roberta Flack, Ozzy Osbourne, Marianne Faithfull, Sly Stone and Brian Wilson are among the music greats who died in 2025. We lost many luminaries within the wide sphere of the music community during 2025.
There's no single "saddest" death, but Robin Williams, Chadwick Boseman, Steve Irwin, and Freddie Mercury are consistently cited for their suddenness, impact, or tragic circumstances, with Williams' death by suicide after battling depression and Boseman's battle with colon cancer in secret being especially heartbreaking for fans. Other frequently mentioned deaths include Heath Ledger, Prince, Carrie Fisher, Betty White, Michael Jackson, and Brittany Murphy, often due to unexpectedness or personal struggles.
Diane Ladd, the Mississippi-born film actress who shaped her air of eccentricity and steely determination into wildly different characters over a career of more than six decades, died on Monday in Ojai, Calif. She was 89. Her death was confirmed in a statement by her daughter, the actress Laura Dern.
Michael Jackson. Based on numerous polls and data, Michael Jackson is widely regarded as the most famous singer in the world, thanks to his immense worldwide popularity and legendary status throughout his career.
Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 70 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album ever.
Taylor Swift Beats The Beatles' Record
The Beatles held the previous record with six songs in the Top 10 in 1964. Swift's dominance is further highlighted by the success of her single "The Fate of Ophelia," which debuted at No. 1 with nearly 700,000 points—mostly from streams—but also bolstered by sales and airplay.
The "number one played song in the world" depends on the metric: The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" is the most-streamed song ever on Spotify (over 5.231 billion streams), while Djo's "End of Beginning" was a top global song recently on Spotify; historically, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is the best-selling single of all time, and Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is the biggest-selling single since charts began, but in terms of current global popularity, it's a rotating list with many contenders.
Although interpretations of the melody may vary, modern scholars and musicians have reconstructed and performed the "Hurrian Hymn No. 6," making it one of the oldest known musical compositions still played and appreciated today.