Eleven kings of pop and male music icons, from Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson to Prince, Elton John, David Bowie and Ed Sheeran, with the record sales, reinventions and odd habits behind their fame.
From the crooners of the 1940s to the streaming stars of today, a handful of male performers have defined what a pop star looks and sounds like. This collection follows eleven of them: Frank Sinatra, the Chairman of the Board; Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll; Michael Jackson, the King of Pop; the shape-shifters Prince and David Bowie; the showmen Elton John and George Michael; and a newer generation led by Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran.
Their numbers are staggering. Elvis is the best-selling solo artist in history, Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, and Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" sold more than 33 million copies, a physical-single record that still stands. Elton's farewell tour grossed over $939 million and Ed Sheeran's Divide Tour sold more than 8.8 million tickets.
Behind the success there are plenty of surprises. Elvis never wrote any of his hits and paid four dollars to record his first song, Sinatra never learned to read music, Prince played 27 instruments on his debut album, and David Bowie's famous mismatched eyes were the result of a teenage fight. Justin Timberlake earned millions from the McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It" jingle, while Ed Sheeran cured his childhood stutter by rapping along to Eminem.
Several of these artists also reinvented themselves again and again, through new personas, name changes and battles with record labels. Pick an icon below and read fifteen facts about his life and music.
Every item on this page, with the one fact most people get wrong about it.
| Name | Where you'll meet it | The fact worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Jackson | Gary, Indiana, 1958-2009 | He co-invented and patented the shoes behind his famous gravity-defying stage lean. |
| Elvis Presley | Tupelo, Mississippi, 1935-1977 | He was born a twin, and his natural hair colour was blond. |
| Prince | Minneapolis, 1958-2016 | He played 27 instruments on his debut album. |
| Elton John | Pinner, England, born 1947 | "Candle in the Wind 1997" sold over 33 million copies, the best-selling physical single ever. |
| George Michael | London, 1963-2016 | He came up with the saxophone riff of "Careless Whisper" on a bus. |
| Frank Sinatra | Hoboken, New Jersey, 1915-1998 | He never learned to read music. |
| David Bowie | London, 1947-2016 | "Space Oddity" was played during the Apollo 11 Moon landing. |
| Justin Bieber | Stratford, Ontario, born 1994 | His haircut once sold at a charity auction for $40,000. |
| Justin Timberlake | Memphis, Tennessee, born 1981 | He earned millions writing the McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It" jingle. |
| Bruno Mars | Honolulu, Hawaii, born 1985 | He performed as a child Elvis impersonator in Hawaii. |
| Ed Sheeran | Halifax, England, born 1991 | He cured a severe childhood stutter by rapping along to Eminem. |
Best-Selling Album
All time
Michael Jackson's Thriller is the best-selling album in history. Michael Jackson
Best-Selling Physical Single
33 million+
Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" sold more than 33 million copies worldwide. Elton John
Highest-Grossing Tour
$939 million
Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour was the highest-grossing tour of its time. Elton John
Biggest Halftime Audience
115.3 million
Bruno Mars' 2014 Super Bowl halftime show set a viewing record at the time. Bruno Mars
Gary, Indiana, 1958-2009
Michael Jackson's Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, and "Billie Jean" helped break racial barriers on MTV. The moonwalk became a television landmark at Motown 25, and he co-wrote "We Are the World". Buying the Beatles catalogue strained his friendship with Paul McCartney.
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Tupelo, Mississippi, 1935-1977
Elvis paid four dollars to record his first song and went on to become the best-selling solo artist in history, though he never wrote any of his hits. He bought Graceland at 22, starred in 31 films and served as a regular soldier in the US Army. He once turned up uninvited at the White House to meet President Nixon.
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Minneapolis, 1958-2016
Prince was his real birth name, though he later swapped it for an unpronounceable symbol in a battle with his label. He secretly wrote "Manic Monday" under a pseudonym and recorded "Nothing Compares 2 U" years before Sinéad O'Connor's hit. Pantone even created an official shade of purple for him.
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Pinner, England, born 1947
Born Reginald Dwight, Elton John has sold more than 300 million records and owns over 250,000 pairs of glasses. He turned his childhood football club, Watford, into a top-flight side and refuses to own a smartphone. His foundation has raised more than half a billion dollars to fight HIV/AIDS.
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London, 1963-2016
Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, George Michael worked as a cinema usher and DJ before Wham! made him a star. He played almost every instrument on Faith and was the first white male artist to record a duet with Aretha Franklin. He secretly gave millions to charity, including all royalties from "Last Christmas".
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Hoboken, New Jersey, 1915-1998
Sinatra barely survived his own birth and went on to become the Chairman of the Board, as well as an Oscar-winning actor. He helped desegregate Las Vegas hotels, while the FBI kept a 2,400-page file on him. He hated "Strangers in the Night", and his scatting inspired the name Scooby-Doo.
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London, 1947-2016
David Bowie's mismatched eyes came from an injury, not genetics, and he changed his name to avoid confusion with a member of The Monkees. He killed off Ziggy Stardust on stage, launched his own internet provider in 1998 and pioneered "Bowie Bonds" on Wall Street. His final album Blackstar was a planned farewell.
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Stratford, Ontario, born 1994
Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube after busking to pay for a Disney World trip, and Usher helped bring him into the music industry. He taught himself several instruments by ear and once held the entire top three of the UK singles chart. A dance collaboration won him his first Grammy.
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Memphis, Tennessee, born 1981
Justin Timberlake started out as a country singer on Star Search, and his mother came up with the name NSYNC. He was the first prank victim on MTV's Punk'd and the first celebrity guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He wrote "Cry Me a River" in two hours after an argument.
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Honolulu, Hawaii, born 1985
"Bruno" was a childhood nickname, and his first record deal never produced an album. He co-wrote hits for Flo Rida and CeeLo Green before going solo. His 2014 Super Bowl halftime show drew a record 115.3 million viewers, and he has twice swept the major Grammys.
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Halifax, England, born 1991
Ed Sheeran slept rough on heating vents and crashed on Jamie Foxx's couch before he made it. He wrote Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself", and "Shape of You" was originally meant for Rihanna. His Divide Tour grossed over $776 million and sold more than 8.8 million tickets.
Read the full article →8 questions, every answer is somewhere above.
1. How much did Elvis Presley pay to record his first song?
2. Who popularized Michael Jackson's title "King of Pop"?
3. How many instruments did Prince play on his debut album?
4. What caused David Bowie's distinctive eyes?
5. Which cartoon character's name was inspired by Frank Sinatra's scatting?
6. Where did George Michael come up with the saxophone riff of "Careless Whisper"?
7. Which jingle earned Justin Timberlake millions?
8. For which singer was Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" originally written?
Elvis Presley remains the best-selling solo artist in history, although he never wrote any of his famous hits. Michael Jackson's Thriller is the best-selling album of all time.
The title was popularized by Elizabeth Taylor, a close friend of Jackson's. It reflected his record-breaking sales, his groundbreaking videos and his role in breaking racial barriers on MTV with "Billie Jean".
Prince secretly wrote "Manic Monday" for the Bangles under a pseudonym, Bruno Mars co-wrote Flo Rida's "Right Round" and CeeLo Green's breakthrough hit, and Ed Sheeran wrote Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself".
Most did. Elton John was born Reginald Dwight, George Michael was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, David Bowie changed his name to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees, and Prince famously swapped his name for an unpronounceable symbol.
Frank Sinatra won an Oscar for acting, Elvis Presley starred in 31 feature films, David Bowie had an acclaimed film career, and Justin Timberlake voiced King Arthur's heir in Shrek the Third.
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