Ranking of Popular Western Music Artists [2025]

NumbLinkin Park43rank/position

Numb (Official Music Video) [4K UPGRADE] – Linkin Park

When it comes to signature tracks by Linkin Park, the band that dominated the 2000s alternative rock scene, this song stands out.

Featured on the album Meteora, it’s marked by its fierce guitar riffs and Chester Bennington’s powerful vocals.

The lyrics, which depict struggles with self-identity and resistance to others’ expectations, resonated with many.

Since its 2003 release, it reached No.

11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube in 2018, maintaining its enduring popularity.

At karaoke with friends who love intense music like rock and metal, belt it out with emotion and you’ll be the star of the night!

Time After TimeCyndi Lauper44rank/position

Choir! Choir! Choir! sings Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time”

A beautiful ballad released in January 1984 by American songstress Cyndi Lauper, who took the world by storm with her four-octave voice and unconventional fashion.

Born from heartbreak, this song conveys a timeless bond of love with simple yet profound lyrics, spending two consecutive weeks at No.

1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Set against synthesizers and a gentle drum beat, her tender, resonant vocals deliver a warm emotion that sinks deep into the heart.

Beloved across generations, this classic has been featured in the Netflix series Stranger Things and has been covered by numerous artists, including Miles Davis and P!nk.

It will surely be performed on her farewell tour in Japan in April 2025.

When singing it as a chorus, uniting your hearts and expressing it with care will create a performance that truly moves the audience.

We Are the WorldUSA For Africa45rank/position

U.S.A. For Africa – We Are the World

A song of human love created by the coming together of top artists from around the world.

It carries a powerful message about the importance of people joining hands and supporting one another.

Released in March 1985, it became a global hit in no time, winning numerous awards including a Grammy and selling over 20 million copies.

This work achieved the remarkable feat of raising roughly 7 billion yen in donations to relieve famine in Africa.

A truly timeless classic that lights a beacon of hope in people’s hearts—highly recommended for anyone who wishes for world peace.

HonestyBilly Joel46rank/position

Billy Joel – Honesty (Official Video)

This is a ballad that powerfully resonates with people’s hearts, celebrating the importance of sincerity.

Featured on the classic 1978 album “52nd Street” by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, the song portrays a longing for honesty—something harder to find than kindness or love—accompanied by a beautiful piano melody.

Beloved around the world, it reached number one in France and earned Gold certification for ringtone downloads in Japan.

Carrying a universal message that calls for truth not only in romantic relationships but also from politicians, this is a recommended track for anyone struggling with human relationships.

Basket CaseGreen Day47rank/position

Green Day – Basket Case [Official Music Video] (4K Upgrade)

Green Day, who burst into the spotlight in the ’90s alternative rock scene, emerged from California’s punk community.

Their signature work candidly portrays Billie Joe Armstrong’s struggle with anxiety disorder.

Released in November 1994, the song reached No.

2 on the Billboard Hot 100, challenging taboos around mental illness and resonating with many people.

The music video was filmed in a real psychiatric hospital and received nine nominations at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.

Transcending the bounds of punk rock, it stands as one of the defining tracks of the ’90s that touched countless hearts.

UnfaithfulRihanna48rank/position

Rihanna – Unfaithful (Official Music Video)

Rihanna, an artist from Barbados, a country located around the Caribbean.

In her early days she released reggae tracks, but from the mid period she began singing R&B.

These days she mainly releases dance music.

“Unfaithful” is from her R&B period in the middle of her career, and it showcases the high-quality R&B sound of the 2000s.

While it doesn’t directly take January as its theme, it portrays a woman trying to end a relationship with her partner, so I thought it was perfect for January—a time for a fresh start—and chose it for that reason.

Blinding LightsThe Weeknd49rank/position

The Weeknd – Blinding Lights (Official Video)

The Weeknd continues to pursue original music that transcends genre boundaries.

It might surprise some people to hear that he has a song perfect for Halloween.

The piece introduced here is a track from his 2020 album After Hours.

Driven by ’80s-style synths, it portrays the protagonist’s restless yearning as he roams the city at night to see someone, along with a frenzy that borders on madness.

This blind passion aligns perfectly with Halloween’s slightly dangerous, out-of-the-ordinary atmosphere.

At the 2021 Super Bowl, he performed the song with dancers whose faces were wrapped in bandages, and the nightmarish staging became a hot topic.

If you’re aiming for an artistic and slightly dark Halloween mood, be sure to check it out!