The Most Famous

MUSICIANS from Norway

This page contains a list of the greatest Norwegian Musicians. The pantheon dataset contains 3,175 Musicians, 44 of which were born in Norway. This makes Norway the birth place of the 10th most number of Musicians behind Russia, and Japan.

Top 10

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

1. Jan Garbarek (b. 1947)

With an HPI of 58.42, Jan Garbarek is the most famous Norwegian Musician. His biography has been translated into 32 different languages on wikipedia.

Jan Garbarek (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈjɑːn ɡɑɾˈbɑ̀ːɾək]) (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Østfold, southeastern Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war, Czesław Garbarek, and a Norwegian woman. He grew up in Oslo, stateless until the age of seven, as there was no automatic grant of citizenship in Norway at the time. When he was 21, he married the author Vigdis Garbarek. He is the father of musician and composer Anja Garbarek.

2. Varg Vikernes (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 56.77, Varg Vikernes is the 2nd most famous Norwegian Musician. His biography has been translated into 53 different languages.

Louis Cachet (born Kristian Vikernes; 11 February 1973), better known as Varg Vikernes (Norwegian: [ˈvɑrɡ ˈvìːkəɳeːs]), is a Norwegian musician and author best known for his early black metal albums and later crimes. His first five records, released under the name Burzum from 1992 to 1996, made him one of the most influential figures in the early Norwegian black metal scene. He was convicted of murder and arson in 1994 and sentenced to 21 years in prison, being released after serving 15 years. A native of Fana in Bergen Municipality, Vikernes began playing guitar at the age of 14 and formed his first band, Kalashnikov (later known as Uruk-Hai), by 1989. He went on to join the band Old Funeral, in which he played guitar from 1989 until his departure in 1991. He recorded multiple tracks with the band, which were featured on the Devoured Carcass EP, as well as various compilation albums released years later. In 1992, Vikernes, along with other members of the scene, was suspected of burning down four Christian churches in Norway. Vikernes denied committing the arsons, though he supported them. In 1992–1993, he also recorded bass for Mayhem's debut studio album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994). In August 1993, Vikernes fatally stabbed Mayhem guitarist Euronymous during an altercation at the latter's apartment, and was arrested shortly after. In May 1994, Vikernes was convicted of first-degree murder, church arson and possession of explosives. Vikernes has always maintained the killing was self-defense, and unsuccessfully argued for the charge to be reduced to voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum penalty under Norwegian law. During his incarceration, Vikernes launched the neo-Nazi organisation Norwegian Heathen Front, had two books published, and released two ambient albums as Burzum. In 2009, he was released on parole, after which he moved to France with his wife and children, where he has continued to write and make music. He was also an active video blogger on his YouTube channel ThuleanPerspective, before the channel was banned by the platform. Described by Sam Dunn as "the most notorious metal musician of all time", Vikernes remains controversial for his crimes as well as his political and religious views. He promoted views which combined Odinism and Esoteric Nazism, and openly embraced Nazism during the mid-to-late 1990s. He has since disavowed the ideology and its associated movements, although critics continue to label his views as far-right. Vikernes calls his beliefs "Odalism" and defends a "pre-industrial European pagan society" that opposes the Abrahamic religions and systems such as capitalism, communism, materialism, and socialism.

3. Ole Bull (1810 - 1880)

With an HPI of 56.01, Ole Bull is the 3rd most famous Norwegian Musician. His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Ole Bornemann Bull (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈù:lə ˈbʉlː]; 5 February 1810 – 17 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing.

4. Euronymous (1968 - 1993)

With an HPI of 54.88, Euronymous is the 4th most famous Norwegian Musician. His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

Øystein Aarseth (22 March 1968 – 10 August 1993), better known by his stage name Euronymous, was a Norwegian musician and a founder of and central figure in the early Norwegian black metal scene. He was a co-founder and guitarist of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem and was the only constant member from the band's formation in 1984 until his death in 1993. He was also founder and owner of the extreme metal record label Deathlike Silence Productions and record shop Helvete. Euronymous professed to being a theistic Satanist and was known for making extreme misanthropic statements. He presented himself as leading a militant cult-like group known as the "Black Metal Inner Circle". In August 1993, he was murdered by fellow musician and former bandmate Varg Vikernes.

5. Agathe Backer Grøndahl (1847 - 1907)

With an HPI of 53.34, Agathe Backer Grøndahl is the 5th most famous Norwegian Musician. Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Agathe Ursula Backer Grøndahl (1 December 1847 – 4 June 1907) was a Norwegian pianist and composer. Her son Fridtjof Backer-Grøndahl (1885–1959) was also a pianist and composer, who promoted his mother's compositions in his concerts.

6. John Norum (b. 1964)

With an HPI of 51.82, John Norum is the 6th most famous Norwegian Musician. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

John Terry Norum (born 23 February 1964) is a Norwegian-Swedish guitarist and one of the founders of the rock band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a career as a solo artist.

7. Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (b. 1961)

With an HPI of 49.85, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy is the 7th most famous Norwegian Musician. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (born Pål Gamst, 6 September 1961) is a Norwegian musician and songwriter. Waaktaar-Savoy is best known for his work as the main songwriter and guitarist in the Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, which has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. He has written or co-written most of the band's biggest hits, including "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", "Hunting High and Low", "Take On Me", the 1987 James Bond theme "The Living Daylights" and the ballad "Summer Moved On". In addition, Waaktaar-Savoy is also a painter. Waaktaar-Savoy was named Knights First Class of the Order of St. Olav by King Harald for his services to Norwegian music and his international success.

8. Rolf Løvland (b. 1955)

With an HPI of 49.55, Rolf Løvland is the 8th most famous Norwegian Musician. Her biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Rolf Undsæt Løvland (born 19 April 1955) is a Norwegian composer, lyricist, arranger, and pianist. Together with Fionnuala Sherry, he formed the Celtic-Nordic group Secret Garden, in which he was the composer, producer, and keyboardist. He began composing at an early age (he formed a band at the age of nine) and grew up studying at the Kristiansand Music Conservatory, later receiving his master's degree from the Norwegian Institute of Music in Oslo.

9. Magne Furuholmen (b. 1962)

With an HPI of 49.22, Magne Furuholmen is the 9th most famous Norwegian Musician. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Magne Furuholmen (born 1 November 1962) is a Norwegian musician and visual artist. Also known by his stage name Mags, he is the keyboardist of the synth-pop band A-ha and co-wrote hits such as "Take On Me", "Stay on These Roads", "Manhattan Skyline", "Cry Wolf", "Forever Not Yours", "Analogue (All I Want)", "Minor Earth Major Sky", "Touchy!", "You Are the One", "Move To Memphis" and "Foot of the Mountain". A-ha has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. He was named Knight First Class of the Order of St. Olav by King Harald for his services to Norwegian music and his international success. Furuholmen is also a visual artist with solo exhibitions held in Norway, the UK, and elsewhere in Europe. His work is represented in private and public institutions and museums worldwide, among them The Norwegian State Archives, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and others. In 2016 Magne Furuholmen undertook his biggest commission to date and created the largest ceramic sculpture park in Scandinavia titled "Imprints", which is located in Fornebu outside Oslo. In 2017 the University of Agder in Norway nominated five new honorary doctors in connection with the university's 10th anniversary. The degree was awarded for significant scientific or artistic efforts. Magne Furuholmen was one of the recipients.

10. Ketil Bjørnstad (b. 1952)

With an HPI of 48.12, Ketil Bjørnstad is the 10th most famous Norwegian Musician. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Ketil Bjørnstad (born 25 April 1952) is a pianist, composer and author. Initially trained as a classical pianist, Bjørnstad discovered jazz at an early age and has embraced the emergence of "European jazz". He is an artist on the ECM record label, but has also published some twenty books, including novels, poetry, and essay collections. He has collaborated with other ECM artists, including cellists Svante Henryson and David Darling, drummer Jon Christensen, and guitarist Terje Rypdal.

People

Pantheon has 49 people classified as Norwegian musicians born between 1810 and 1996. Of these 49, 45 (91.84%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Norwegian musicians include Jan Garbarek, Varg Vikernes, and John Norum. The most famous deceased Norwegian musicians include Ole Bull, Euronymous, and Agathe Backer Grøndahl. As of April 2024, 5 new Norwegian musicians have been added to Pantheon including Ian Haugland, Biosphere, and Harald Nævdal.