Composers from United Kingdom

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary British Composers of all time. This list of famous British Composers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of British Composers.

1. #1

   

   Edward Elgar

   1857 - 1934

   HPI 79.6164 langs

   Edward Elgar is most famous for his compositions of the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, Land of Hope and Glory, and the Enigma...Read moreShow less

   Edward Elgar is most famous for his compositions of the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, Land of Hope and Glory, and the Enigma Variations.

2. #2

   

   Andrew Lloyd Webber

   b. 1948

   HPI 78.8364 langs

   Andrew Lloyd Webber is most famous for composing musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar.

3. #3

   

   Henry Purcell

   1659 - 1695

   HPI 78.1661 langs

   Henry Purcell is most famous for his compositions of the masque "The Fairy Queen" and the opera "Dido and Aeneas."

4. #4

   

   Benjamin Britten

   1913 - 1976

   HPI 73.1662 langs

   Benjamin Britten is most famous for his opera Peter Grimes.

5. #5

   

   Christopher Hogwood

   1941 - 2014

   HPI 71.9424 langs

   English conductor, harpsichordist and musicologist (1941–2014)

6. #6

   

   William Byrd

   1543 - 1623

   HPI 71.0945 langs

   William Byrd is most famous for his composition, "My Lord, What a Morning."

7. #7

   

   Gustav Holst

   1874 - 1934

   HPI 70.5555 langs

   Gustav Holst is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets.

8. #8

   

   John Barry

   1933 - 2011

   HPI 69.4055 langs

   John Barry is most famous for his work on the James Bond movies.

9. #9

   

   Eugen d'Albert

   1864 - 1932

   HPI 68.4534 langs

   Scottish-born German pianist and composer (1864-1932)

10. #10

    

    Thomas Tallis

    1502 - 1585

    HPI 67.1643 langs

    Thomas Tallis is most famous for his "Lamentations of Jeremiah" which is a setting of the biblical text from Lamentations.