The Most Famous

SINGERS from Belgium

This page contains a list of the greatest Belgian Singers. The pantheon dataset contains 4,381 Singers, 38 of which were born in Belgium. This makes Belgium the birth place of the 16th most number of Singers behind Netherlands, and Ukraine.

Top 10

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

1. Jacques Brel (1929 - 1978)

With an HPI of 70.06, Jacques Brel is the most famous Belgian Singer. His biography has been translated into 70 different languages on wikipedia.

Jacques Romain Georges Brel (French: [ʒɑk ʁɔmɛ̃ ʒɔʁʒ bʁɛl] ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world. He is considered a master of the modern chanson. Although he recorded most of his songs in French and occasionally in Flemish, he became an influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers, such as Scott Walker, David Bowie, Brett Anderson, Alex Harvey, Marc Almond, Neil Hannon, and Rod McKuen. English translations of his songs were recorded by many performers, including Bowie, Walker, Anderson, Ray Charles, Judy Collins, John Denver, The Kingston Trio, Nina Simone, Shirley Bassey, James Dean Bradfield, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams. Brel was a successful actor, appearing in 10 films. He directed two films, one of which, Le Far West, was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Having sold over 25 million records worldwide, Brel is the third-best-selling Belgian recording artist of all time. Brel married Thérèse "Miche" Michielsen in 1950, and the couple had three children. He also had a romantic relationship with actress and dancer Maddly Bamy from 1972 until his death in 1978.

2. Lara Fabian (b. 1970)

With an HPI of 60.26, Lara Fabian is the 2nd most famous Belgian Singer. Her biography has been translated into 56 different languages.

Lara Sophie Katy Crokaert (Flemish pronunciation: [ˈlaːraː ˈkroːkaːrt]; born 9 January 1970), known professionally as Lara Fabian (Flemish: [ˈlaːraː ˈfaːbijɑn], French: [laʁa fabjɑ̃], Italian: [ˈlaːra ˈfaːbjan]), is a Belgian and Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 20 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling Belgian artists of all time. Born in Belgium to a Belgian father and an Italian mother, she moved to Quebec in 1991 and, since 1995, has held Canadian citizenship alongside her Belgian one. In 2003, she returned to Brussels to be close to her parents in Belgium, and in 2015, she lived in Walloon Brabant province in Belgium, just outside Brussels. In 2017, she returned permanently to Montreal, Quebec, to be with her family.

3. The Singing Nun (1933 - 1985)

With an HPI of 60.11, The Singing Nun is the 3rd most famous Belgian Singer. Her biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Jeanne-Paule Marie "Jeannine" Deckers (17 October 1933 – 29 March 1985), better known as Sœur Sourire (French for 'Sister Smile') and often called The Singing Nun in English-speaking countries, was a Belgian Catholic singer-songwriter and former member of the Dominican Order as Sister Luc Gabriel. She acquired widespread fame in 1963 with the release of the Belgian French song "Dominique", which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and other charts, along with her debut album. Owing partially to confusion over the terms of the recording contract, she was eventually reduced to poverty and also experienced a crisis of faith, leaving the order, though still remaining a Catholic. She died by suicide in 1985 with her life partner, Annie Pécher.

4. Stromae (b. 1985)

With an HPI of 56.63, Stromae is the 4th most famous Belgian Singer. His biography has been translated into 60 different languages.

Paul van Haver (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpʌul vɑn ˈɦaːvər]; born 12 March 1985), better known by his stage name Stromae (French pronunciation: [stʁɔmaj]), is a Belgian singer, rapper, songwriter and producer. He is mostly known for his music blending hip hop and electronic music. Stromae came to wide public attention in 2009 with his song "Alors on danse" (from the album Cheese), which became a number one in several European countries. In 2013, his second album Racine carrée was a commercial success, selling two million copies in France and yielding chart-topping singles "Papaoutai" and "Formidable".

5. Violetta Villas (1938 - 2011)

With an HPI of 55.04, Violetta Villas is the 5th most famous Belgian Singer. Her biography has been translated into 44 different languages.

Czesława Gospodarek (née Cieślak; 10 June 1938 – 5 December 2011), known by her stage name Violetta Villas, was a Polish and international cabaret star, singer, actress, composer and songwriter. Her voice was characterized as coloratura soprano, which spanned over four octaves. She could play the piano, violin, and trombone and had absolute pitch. Characterisations of her included "the voice of the atomic age", "the singing toast of the continent", "a voice like French champagne", and the "Polish Yma Sumac". Villas was the first star of the Casino de Paris at Dunes Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (1966–1970). Villas was known for her conspicuous wardrobe and number-one hits. During her show business career, Villas acted in six films, performed in numerous musical shows, and recorded almost three hundred songs in ten languages, including Polish, English, French, German, Italian, Latin, Neapolitan, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese. In 2011, Villas received the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.

6. René Jacobs (b. 1946)

With an HPI of 54.20, René Jacobs is the 6th most famous Belgian Singer. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

René Jacobs (born 30 October 1946) is a Belgian musician. He came to fame as a countertenor, but later in his career he became known as a conductor of baroque and classical opera.

7. Edgar P. Jacobs (1904 - 1987)

With an HPI of 54.12, Edgar P. Jacobs is the 7th most famous Belgian Singer. His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs (30 March 1904 – 20 February 1987), better known under his pen name Edgar P. Jacobs, was a Belgian comic book creator (writer and artist), born in Brussels, Belgium. He was one of the founding fathers of the Franco-Belgian comics movement, through his collaborations with Hergé and the graphic novel series that made him famous, Blake and Mortimer.

8. José van Dam (b. 1940)

With an HPI of 53.93, José van Dam is the 8th most famous Belgian Singer. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Joseph, Baron Van Damme (born 25 August 1940 in Brussels), known as José van Dam, is a Belgian bass-baritone, described as having "a magnificent resonant and expressive voice" and being "an excellent actor".

9. Arno (1949 - 2022)

With an HPI of 51.91, Arno is the 9th most famous Belgian Singer. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Arnold Charles Ernest Hintjens (21 May 1949 – 23 April 2022), better known by his stage name Arno, was a Belgian singer. He was the frontman of TC Matic, one of the best-known Belgian bands of the 1980s. After the band split in 1986 he enjoyed a solo career.

10. Kate Ryan (b. 1980)

With an HPI of 50.50, Kate Ryan is the 10th most famous Belgian Singer. Her biography has been translated into 46 different languages.

Kate Ryan (born Katrien Verbeeck, 22 July 1980) is a Belgian singer and songwriter, and the winner of a World Music Award. She began her singing career in 2001 and later found fame with a string of dance hits. These included covers, mostly of Mylène Farmer and France Gall, such as "Désenchantée", "Libertine", and "Ella, elle l'a", and Desireless' "Voyage Voyage", as well as new material. Ryan represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Je t'adore" coming in 12th place in the semi-final.

People

Pantheon has 43 people classified as Belgian singers born between 1904 and 2000. Of these 43, 31 (72.09%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Belgian singers include Lara Fabian, Stromae, and René Jacobs. The most famous deceased Belgian singers include Jacques Brel, The Singing Nun, and Violetta Villas. As of April 2024, 7 new Belgian singers have been added to Pantheon including Arno, Eddy Wally, and Dana Winner.