SINGERS from Indonesia

Top 9

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Indonesian Singers of all time. This list of famous Indonesian Singers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Anggun (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 56.56, Anggun is the most famous Indonesian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 144 different languages on wikipedia.

Anggun Cipta Sasmi (Indonesian pronunciation: [aŋˈɡun ˈtʃipta ˈsasmi]; born 29 April 1973) is an Indonesian-French singer, songwriter, and television personality. Born in Jakarta, she began performing at the age of seven and recorded a children's album two years later. She rose to fame in 1989 as a teenage rock star and by 1993 she had released five Indonesian-language studio albums. Rolling Stone listed her single "Mimpi" as one of the 150 Greatest Indonesian Songs of All Time. Anggun left Indonesia for England in 1994 to pursue an international career. She later moved to France and recorded her first international album, Snow on the Sahara (1997). It was released in 33 countries by Sony Music and sold more than one million copies worldwide. Since then, Anggun has released another six studio albums—in English and French—and a soundtrack album to the Danish film Open Hearts (2002). Her singles "Snow on the Sahara", "What We Remember", "The Good Is Back", and "Perfect World" entered the Billboard charts in the United States while "In Your Mind", "Saviour" and "I'll Be Alright" charted on the Billboard European Hot 100 Singles. She represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, with the song "Echo (You and I)". Anggun also ventured into television, becoming the judge for the Indonesian versions of The X Factor (2013), Got Talent (2014), and The Voice (2018); the pancontinental Asia's Got Talent (2015–2019); the French version of Masked Singer (2019–2022); and the Belgian version of StarMaker (2023). She also performed as the leading actress in musical theater show Al Capone (2023) and played supporting roles in the film Coup de foudre à Bangkok (2020) and TV series Profession Comédien (2021). Aside from her career in entertainment, Anggun has been appointed as the global ambassador of the United Nations twice, first for the International Year of Microcredit in 2005 and then for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2009. Anggun is one of the best-selling Asian artists outside Asia, with her releases being certified gold and platinum in some European countries. She is the first Indonesian artist to have success in European and American record charts. She has received a number of accolades for her achievements, including the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the Government of France, the World Music Award for World's Best-Selling Indonesian Artist, and the Asian Television Award for Outstanding Contribution to Asian Television Performing Arts. She also became the first woman from Indonesia to be immortalized in wax by Madame Tussauds.

2. Anneke Grönloh (1942 - 2018)

With an HPI of 51.79, Anneke Grönloh is the 2nd most famous Indonesian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Johanna Louise "Anneke" Grönloh (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑnəkə ˈɡrʏnloː]; 7 June 1942 – 14 September 2018) was a Dutch singer. She had a successful career starting in 1959 that lasted throughout the 1960s, and scored a hit with "Brandend Zand", one of the best-selling Dutch songs of all time.

3. Sandra Reemer (1950 - 2017)

With an HPI of 48.24, Sandra Reemer is the 3rd most famous Indonesian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Barbara Alexandra "Sandra" Reemer (17 October 1950 – 6 June 2017) was an Indo-Dutch singer and television presenter. She represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest on three occasions, tying with Corry Brokken for most appearances representing the country. In 1972, she sang the song "Als het om de liefde gaat" in a duet with Dries Holten (she was credited as "Sandra", he was credited as "Andres"); the duo came fourth. In 1976, this time credited under her real name, Reemer performed solo singing the song "The Party's Over", which reached ninth place. In 1979, she was credited as "Xandra" and sang the song "Colorado", which placed twelfth. She later returned to the contest to sing backing vocals (uncredited) for the Dutch entry in 1983, "Sing Me A Song", performed by Bernadette. On Dutch television Reemer (co)hosted popular shows including Sterrenslag, Wedden, dat..? and Showmasters. She died on 6 June 2017, following a long battle with breast cancer.

4. Taco (b. 1955)

With an HPI of 45.51, Taco is the 4th most famous Indonesian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Taco Ockerse (born 21 July 1955), known mononymously as Taco, is an Indonesian-born Dutch musician and entertainer who started his career in Germany. He scored a global hit song in 1982 with a version of "Puttin' on the Ritz".

5. Rossa (b. 1978)

With an HPI of 36.52, Rossa is the 5th most famous Indonesian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Sri Rossa Roslaina Handiyani, known simply as Rossa in Indonesia and Dato' Sri Rossa in Malaysia, is an Indonesian singer, businesswoman, actress, producer, and presenter. She was born in Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia on 9 October 1978. SM Entertainment, Anugerah Planet Muzik, Asia Pop 40 & Indonesia Media mention that Rossa is the "Queen of Indonesian Pop." She is one of the most popular artists in Indonesian and Malay-speaking countries, and the most expensive Indonesian singer in Malaysia and Singapore. She is the best-selling Indonesian artist of all time based on album sales, with over eleven million copies sold in the region until 2021. Rossa has produced numerous hit songs and gained Multi-Platinum Award & Million Award for her albums. Since 1999, her albums have been released in Southeast Asia and also Japan. Her second compilation album, The Best of Rossa (2011) is included in the 10th list of best-selling albums of all time in Indonesia in 3rd place with album sales of more than 5 million copies. Her solo album Love, Life & Music also broke the Indonesian Record World Museum (MURI) and Indonesia Recording Industry Association (ASIRI) as the highest-selling Indonesian album of all time, with over 100,000 copies of CD sold in a day. Her songs have been used for over 160 soundtrack titles, both for films and soap operas, until 2022. Rossa has won many awards, with a total of more than 120 awards until 2022; she is one of the most awarded Indonesian artists in history. At the beginning of 2017, Rossa launched her latest album "A New Chapter" which incorporates collaborations with international musicians such as Mitch Allan, Tushar Apte, Fiona Bevan, and others. It was awarded 4× Platinum Awards on 5 October 2017. She also received the "Planet Muzik Special Award (Category : Legend Award)" from Anugerah Planet Muzik in Singapore on 28 October 2018, making her the first Indonesian singer to receive a special award for this category. In February 2019, Rossa became the first Indonesian artist and first Southeast Asian solo artist to join SM Entertainment, an International label and management group from South Korea that handles famous artists such as Kangta, BoA, TVXQ!, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, Shinee, f(x), EXO, Red Velvet, NCT, aespa and many others. Rossa's Trilogy Part 1: Another Journey: The Beginning, released in February 2023, achieved extraordinary success. Inspired by pop icons from various generations and produced by Rossa herself, the album received Double Platinum (150,000 copies) in just 22 days, becoming the fastest and highest-selling album of 2023. It dominated the iTunes charts, securing the No.1 spot within minutes of release and becoming the No.1 best-selling pop album of all time by an Indonesian female artist. Within three months, the album was certified 4x Platinum for surpassing 300,000 copies sold. Even more impressively, it reached Multi-Platinum status (500,000 CDs sold) within just 8 months, solidifying Rossa's place as a dominant figure in the Indonesian music industry.

6. Syahrini (b. 1980)

With an HPI of 30.47, Syahrini is the 6th most famous Indonesian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Rini Fatimah Zaelani (born 1 August 1980), known professionally as Syahrini, is an Indonesian singer and actress. She spent her childhood in Sukabumi and later earned a bachelor's degree in law from Pakuan University in Bogor. Her first album was My Lovely, released in 2008. Also in her discography is the song "Tatapan Cinta," which appeared on the compilation soundtrack album of the film Coklat Stroberi (Chocolate Strawberry).

7. Rich Brian (b. 1999)

With an HPI of 26.61, Rich Brian is the 7th most famous Indonesian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Brian Imanuel Soewarno (born 3 September 1999), known professionally as Rich Brian (formerly Rich Chigga), is an Indonesian rapper. He is known for his viral debut single "Dat $tick", which was first released in March 2016 on SoundCloud. The single was later certified gold by RIAA. His debut studio album, Amen, was released in 2018 and peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard 200, making Brian the second Southeast Asian artist to be on the top 20 Billboard 200 after Filipino singer Jake Zyrus. Brian's second studio album, The Sailor, was released in 2019. He released an EP titled 1999 in 2020. He released another EP titled Brightside in January 2022. Brian has collaborated with many artists from China and South Korea such as Chungha, Keith Ape, Jackson Wang, and Jae Park.

8. Fatin Shidqia (b. 1996)

With an HPI of 26.17, Fatin Shidqia is the 8th most famous Indonesian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Fatin Shidqia Lubis (born 30 July 1996), better known as Fatin Shidqia or Fatin, is an Indonesian singer who won the first season of X Factor Indonesia in May 2013. Fatin currently stands as the most successful winner of X Factor Indonesia in history. She was signed to record label Sony Music Entertainment Indonesia. After winning The X Factor, Fatin released her winner's single "Aku Memilih Setia", which debuted at number one on iTunes Indonesia. Fatin also released her debut album titled For You, which debuted at number one on the iTunes Indonesia Album Chart and became one of the most successful albums of the year domestically. The album earned her eight AMI Awards nominations and five wins, including Best of the Best Album, Best of the Best Newcomer, and Best Pop Female Solo Artist. For You and the six singles released from the album have sold a total of over 500.000 copies domestically. "Dia Dia Dia" was released as the second single in December 2013, which peaked at number 16 on the music chart. The single earned her an Anugerah Planet Muzik Award for the Most Popular Song. In August 2016, Fatin received the Best Asian New Female Act award from the Daf BAMA Music Awards held at Barclaycard Arena, Hamburg, Germany, which made her the first Indonesian to ever receive the award.

9. Defri Juliant (b. 2002)

With an HPI of 20.03, Defri Juliant is the 9th most famous Indonesian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Arif Defri Arianto (born December 28, 2002), known professionally as Defri Juliant, is an Indonesian singer and actor. He rose to fame for being a finalist of the third season of Liga Dangdut Indonesia representing the province of Riau, broadcast by the Indonesian television channel Indosiar in 2020. After the competition, Juliant has released an album and five singles. He also participated in the D'Academy 5 competition representing Kampar Regency.