Composers from United States

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary American Composers of all time. This list of famous American 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 American Composers.

1. #1

   

   George Gershwin

   1898 - 1937

   HPI 77.0976 languages

   George Gershwin is most famous for his work in the 1920s and 1930s, including the opera Porgy and Bess, the jazz-influenced Rhapsody in Blue, and the orchestral An American in Paris.

2. #2

   

   John Williams

   b. 1932

   HPI 75.7772 languages

   John Williams is most famous for composing the music for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter.

3. #3

   

   John Cage

   1912 - 1992

   HPI 75.5565 languages

   John Cage is most famous for his "4'33"", a piece of music that consists of three movements. The first movement is four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence, the second movement is four minutes and thirty-three seconds of sound, and the third movement is four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence.

4. #4

   

   Leonard Bernstein

   1918 - 1990

   HPI 75.3568 languages

   Leonard Bernstein was a composer, conductor, and pianist. He is most famous for his work with the New York Philharmonic, which he conducted from 1958-1969.

5. #5

   

   Alfred Newman

   1900 - 1970

   HPI 72.1638 languages

   American composer (1901-1970)

6. #6

   

   Philip Glass

   b. 1937

   HPI 70.4658 languages

   Philip Glass is most famous for his minimalist music.

7. #7

   

   Samuel Barber

   1910 - 1981

   HPI 69.9748 languages

   Samuel Barber is most famous for composing the "Adagio for Strings" in 1936.

8. #8

   

   Henry Mancini

   1924 - 1994

   HPI 69.7157 languages

   Henry Mancini is most famous for his film scores, which include Breakfast at Tiffany's, Days of Wine and Roses, and The Pink Panther.

9. #9

   

   Scott Joplin

   1868 - 1917

   HPI 68.9759 languages

   Scott Joplin is most famous for his ragtime compositions.

10. #10

    

    Angelo Badalamenti

    1937 - 2022

    HPI 68.9239 languages

    Angelo Badalamenti is an American composer, best known for his work on the soundtrack of the TV series Twin Peaks.