Celtic vocalist Enya first gained notoriety as a member of the group Clannad in the 1980s, but became a superstar as a solo artist by fusing traditional music from the British Isles with dreamy new-age textures. Enya is a true crossover artist: her m…

The honey-voiced Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan has ascended from modest success in the U.S. and her native Nova Scotia to international stardom. Her music is accessible enough for the masses, yet serious enough to strike a strong chord w…

Andrea Bocelli has been called the fourth tenor A disciple of Luciano Pavarotti and Zucchero Fornaciari the blind Tuscany-born vocalist has emerged as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary opera His participation in Pavarottis 1992 hit Mise…

Part of a wave of classical-pop crossover artists around the turn of the century (Charlotte Church, Bond, Andrea Bocelli), the young Josh Groban achieved massive worldwide success straight out of the gate with his 2001 debut album. In fact, he veers …

Welsh soprano Charlotte Church emerged in the late 1990s as a teenage phenomenon with her multi-platinum debut VOICE OF AN ANGEL. Church gamely rides the line between the pop and classical worlds, crossing freely back and forth over musical dividing …

The late 1990s saw the emergence of several notable female singer/songwriters, including Beth Orton, Jewel, and Dido. Combining elements of folk, pop, and alt-electronica, Dido scored a surprise hit with her debut effort NO ANGEL, which raced up the …

Rising from the ashes of the amusingly named rock band Y Kant Tori Read, Tori Amos debuted with LITTLE EARTHQUAKES in 1992, a stunning set of brutally honest and emotionally wrought songs that recalled Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush without being slavis…

Celine Dion's ascent from stardom in her native Canada to the upper echelons of international pop divadom is one of the 1990s major success stories. Blessed with a formidable set of pipes and a preference for heart-in-the-throat ballads, the precocio…

To some, the Englishman born under the name Gordon Sumner will always be known as the bassist, songwriter, and frontman of the Police. But Sting's mega-successful solo career from the 1980s into the 21st century may even overshadow his former band's …

When she emerged in a 1960s pop scene dominated by rock & roll, Barbra Streisand was a breath of fresh air to those nostalgic for the great Broadway-oriented pop vocalists of the past. Her stratospheric range and (initially) anachronistic taste in ma…

Influenced in equal measure by Tracy Chapman, the Indigo Girls, and Natalie Merchant, modern-day folk-rock singer Jewel hit it big in the late-'90s with her confessional and stark songwriting. Jewel has also branched out into other fields besides mus…

When young singer/pianist Norah Jones arrived in New York City from Texas, few expected that within a couple of years she'd be a chart-topping, MTV-friendly, press-besieged sensation. Yet she charmed listeners by the truckload with her 2002 Blue Not…

In 2000, Coldplay emerged seemingly out of nowhere to become a worldwide smash with their debut album PARACHUTES and hit single "Yellow." They're generally lumped in with the Britpop crowd, but, like Travis, they favor a more thoughtful, melodic pop …

Like Harry Connick in the 1980s and '90s, Canada's Michael Buble stood apart from most of his generation in forsaking contemporary rock and pop for the swing sounds of the '40s and '50s. A Sinatra-style crooner, Buble already had plenty of performing…

Enigma started out as, indeed, a riddle wrapped in a mystery. Their first album, 1990's MCMXC A.D., had little by way of credits, causing many to wonder just who were these Gregorian-chanting chill-mongers were. Enigma turned out to be songwriter/pro…

During her early career, the androgynous, smoky-voiced diva was best known as one half of the hugely successful pop duo the Eurythmics. However, after parting ways with her collaborator Dave Stewart in 1991, Lennox emerged as a successful and critica…

U2's Bono was one of the few real rock heroes of the 1980s, leading the Irish band to international recognition with a charged, political approach to music. The band's early efforts brought a stadium-size presence to alt-rock, with Bono's expressive …

b. Michael Patrick Dumble-Smith, 19 January 1942, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. This actor and singer came to worldwide fame when he played the leading role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical, The Phantom Of The Opera, in 1986. Born Michael Patric…

Madonna is arguably the most popular female pop singer in American musical history. Although she began her career in the late 1970s as a dancer and as drummer for new wave group the Breakfast Club, Madonna has touched upon many different styles throu…

As the very first winner of the AMERICAN IDOL television show competition, Kelly Clarkson was inevitably pegged as little more than a manufactured pop commodity. The surprisingly versatile singer managed to survive against expectations, however, and …