The Most Famous
MUSICIANS from Taiwan
Top 5
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Taiwanese Musicians of all time. This list of famous Taiwanese Musicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Jay Chou (b. 1979)
With an HPI of 49.75, Jay Chou is the most famous Taiwanese Musician. His biography has been translated into 40 different languages on wikipedia.
Jay Chou (traditional Chinese: 周杰倫; simplified Chinese: 周杰伦; pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún; born 18 January 1979) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, actor, director, and businessman. In 2000, Chou released his debut studio album, Jay (2000), to runaway success, solidified by his second album, Fantasy (2001), which combined Western and East Asian music styles. He has since established himself as one of the most successful singers in the Chinese-speaking world, holding 15 Golden Melody Awards—the most by any singer—and earning the title King of Mandopop. In 2022, he became the first Mandopop artist to top IFPI’s Global Album Sales Chart, with his 15th studio album, Greatest Works of Art (2022), being the world’s best-selling record in 2022. Outside the Chinese-speaking world, Chou is perhaps better known for his work beyond music. He made his acting debut in the film Initial D (2005), followed by roles in Zhang Yimou's epic Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), Kevin Chu's Kung Fu Dunk (2008) and The Treasure Hunter (2009), Hollywood films The Green Hornet (2011) and Now You See Me 2 (2016). He directed and starred in films Secret (2007), The Rooftop (2013) and TV series Pandamen (2010). He hosted the CTI talkshow Mr. J Channel (2010-2011), the Netflix reality show J-Style Trip starting in 2020, and served as a judge on The Voice of China for four seasons from 2016 to 2020. As a businessman, Chou has been the President of his own fashion brand, PHANTACi, since 2006 and is a founding member of the talent agency JVR Music, established in 2007.
2. Jolin Tsai (b. 1980)
With an HPI of 47.84, Jolin Tsai is the 2nd most famous Taiwanese Musician. Her biography has been translated into 82 different languages.
Jolin Tsai (Mandarin: [tsʰaɪ] ; Chinese: 蔡依林; born September 15, 1980) is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, and actress. Recognized as the "Queen of C-Pop", Tsai is one of the most influential figures in the Chinese-speaking world’s pop culture. Her continuous reinvention and versatility in musical style and visual presentation have established her as a leading figure in popularizing dance-pop music in Greater China. Tsai exercises significant creative control over her career, and her work, which often addresses societal issues and ideological themes, has achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim. Born in Hsinchuang, Taiwan, Tsai gained prominence in 1998 after winning a singing competition organized by MTV Mandarin. Her debut album, 1019 (1999), was a commercial success and cemented her status as a teen idol with a significant following among teenagers. With the release of Magic (2003), Tsai transitioned to a more dance-oriented musical style, further establishing her reputation with Dancing Diva (2006), which solidified her role as a prominent dance-pop artist in the Chinese music scene. In 2009, Tsai founded her own company, Eternal, and began to assert creative control over all aspects of her career. The album Myself (2010) marked a turning point, showcasing themes of girl power and concern for minority issues. Her subsequent album, Muse (2012), combined mainstream appeal with independent music elements, while Play (2014) was noted for advancing Chinese dance music on a global stage. Her album Ugly Beauty (2018) delved into themes of societal beauty standards and psychological complexity. Tsai has sold over 25 million records, making her the highest-selling Taiwanese female recording artist since 2000. Since the release of Magic (2003), each of her studio albums has been the highest-selling album by a female artist in Taiwan for the year of its release, with four also being the highest-selling album overall in the country. She has won seven Golden Melody Awards, the most by any dance-pop artist in the award's history. Tsai has frequently appeared on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list, ranking in the top 20 for six out of ten years since 2010 and being named the number one Chinese female singer three times. Her net worth surpassed NT$2 billion in 2014, and she has been ranked as the highest-paid Taiwanese female singer 16 times between 2003 and 2022.
3. Show Lo (b. 1979)
With an HPI of 37.83, Show Lo is the 3rd most famous Taiwanese Musician. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Show Lo Chih Hsiang (simplified Chinese: 罗志祥; traditional Chinese: 羅志祥; pinyin: Luó Zhìxiáng; born July 30, 1979) is a Taiwanese singer, actor, and television host. He is commonly known by his nickname Hsiao Chu (Little Pig) (Chinese: 小豬). Lo is recognized for his trademark dance music and comedic talent. He has over 50 million followers on Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo as of June 2018. Show Lo debuted as a member of Taiwanese boy group in 1996 after winning a singing and dancing competition, and began his solo music career in 2003 when he released his first studio album Show Time. His subsequent albums were commercially successful; he achieved best-selling album of the year in Taiwan for four consecutive years from 2010 to 2013. He holds many records in the Taiwanese music industry, including being the first pop singer to hold a concert in Taipei Arena in 2005, and the first pop singer to hold three concerts within twenty-four hours in Taipei Arena in 2010. As of May 2018, he has gone on four world tours. His 2010 舞法舞天 (Dance without Limits) World Tour ran for two-and-a-half years, visiting forty-two cities and attracting 600,000 spectators. Lo is fluent in Japanese and released his first Japanese single EP Dante in 2012. The song clinched 5th place in Japan's Oricon daily charts on its first day of release and remained at 10th place in the Oricon weekly charts, making him the first Taiwanese male singer to place on the chart. Besides his singing career, Show Lo is a successful television host and entertainer. He has been hosting 100% Entertainment since 2001. In 2017, he won the Best Host for a Variety Show Award in the 52nd Golden Bell Awards for 100% Entertainment, with co-host Linda Chien. He is also recognized as a member of the cast for the popular Chinese reality show, Go Fighting!, and as a judge on China's Produce 101 and Street Dance of China. Show Lo was nominated thrice for Best Male Actor in the Golden Bell Awards. In 2013, Lo was handpicked by director Stephen Chow to play the guest role of Prince Important in the movie Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, which broke Chinese box office records. Chow cast Lo again in a supporting role, Octopus, in his 2016 movie The Mermaid, likening his comedic talent onscreen to a formidable explosive. The movie once again broke existing Chinese box office records. In 2006, Show Lo created fashion brand STAGE which currently has branches in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. STAGE sponsors clothing for many Taiwanese entertainers, and the brand is often seen on Taiwanese variety shows.
4. JerryC (b. 1981)
With an HPI of 34.47, JerryC is the 4th most famous Taiwanese Musician. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
JerryC (Chinese: 張逸帆; pinyin: Zhāng Yìfān; born 31 August 1981), also known by his English name Jerry Chang, is a Taiwanese guitarist and composer. He is known for arranging and playing "Canon Rock", a rock arrangement of Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D. He began playing the guitar at the age of 17, and the piano before age 15. His style is influenced by classical music, neoclassical guitarists, as well as metal bands such as Helloween and Metallica and Japanese rock bands such as B'z and L'Arc-en-Ciel.
5. Ray Chen (b. 1989)
With an HPI of 33.33, Ray Chen is the 5th most famous Taiwanese Musician. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Ray Chen (Chinese: 陳銳; pinyin: Chén Ruì; born 6 March 1989) is a Taiwanese-Australian violinist. He was the winner of the 2008 International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition and the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Competition. Since then, he has regularly collaborated with the world’s foremost orchestras and appeared at renowned concert halls.
People
Pantheon has 5 people classified as Taiwanese musicians born between 1979 and 1989. Of these 5, 5 (100.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Taiwanese musicians include Jay Chou, Jolin Tsai, and Show Lo. As of April 2024, 2 new Taiwanese musicians have been added to Pantheon including JerryC, and Ray Chen.
Living Taiwanese Musicians
Go to all Rankings
Jay Chou
1979 - Present
HPI: 49.75
Jolin Tsai
1980 - Present
HPI: 47.84
Show Lo
1979 - Present
HPI: 37.83
JerryC
1981 - Present
HPI: 34.47
Ray Chen
1989 - Present
HPI: 33.33
