SINGERS from Lithuania

Top 10

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

1. Al Jolson (1886 - 1950)

With an HPI of 53.18, Al Jolson is the most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 38 different languages on wikipedia.

Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, Yiddish: אַסאַ יואלסאָן; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer". Jolson was known for his "shamelessly sentimental, melodramatic approach" towards performing, as well as for popularizing many of the songs he sang. Jolson has been referred to by modern critics as "the king of blackface performers". Although best remembered today as the star of the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer (1927), he starred in a series of successful musical films during the 1930s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he was the first star to entertain troops overseas during World War II. After a period of inactivity, his stardom returned with The Jolson Story (1946), in which Larry Parks played the younger Jolson, but with sung vocals dubbed by Jolson himself. The formula was repeated in a sequel, Jolson Sings Again (1949). In 1950, he again became the first star to entertain GIs on active service in the Korean War, performing 42 shows in 16 days. He died weeks after returning to the U.S., partly owing to the physical exhaustion from the performance schedule. Defense Secretary George Marshall posthumously awarded him the Medal for Merit. According to music historian Larry Stempel, "No one had heard anything quite like it before on Broadway." Stephen Banfield wrote that Jolson's style was "arguably the single most important factor in defining the modern musical." With his dynamic style of singing jazz and blues, he became widely successful by extracting traditionally African-American music and popularizing it for white American audiences who would be unwilling to listen to it when performed by black artists. Despite his promotion and perpetuation of black stereotypes, his work was often well-regarded by black publications and has been credited for fighting against black discrimination on Broadway as early as 1911. In an essay written in 2000, music critic Ted Gioia remarked, "If blackface has its shameful poster boy, it is Al Jolson", showcasing Jolson's complex legacy in American society.

2. Lena Valaitis (1943 - )

With an HPI of 47.90, Lena Valaitis is the 2nd most famous Lithuanian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Lena Valaitis (born 7 September 1943) is a Lithuanian–German schlager singer who had her greatest success during the 1970s and 1980s. She finished second at the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest.

3. Violeta Urmana (1961 - )

With an HPI of 45.07, Violeta Urmana is the 3rd most famous Lithuanian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Violeta Urmanavičiūtė-Urmana (born 19 August 1961) is a Lithuanian opera singer who has sung leading mezzo-soprano and soprano roles in the opera houses of Europe and North America.

4. Andrius Mamontovas (1967 - )

With an HPI of 37.36, Andrius Mamontovas is the 4th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Andrius Mamontovas (born 23 August 1967) is a Lithuanian rock musician. He is also a songwriter, actor, performer and record producer. He was one of the co-founders of the Lithuanian rock band Foje and the initiator of the LT United project.

5. Asmik Grigorian (1981 - )

With an HPI of 37.29, Asmik Grigorian is the 5th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Asmik Grigorian (born 12 May 1981 in Vilnius) is a Lithuanian operatic soprano of Armenian ancestry.

6. Monika Linkytė (1992 - )

With an HPI of 35.06, Monika Linkytė is the 6th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

Monika Linkytė (Lithuanian: [ˈmɔnʲɪkɐ lʲɪŋˈkʲiːtʲeː]; born 3 June 1992) is a Lithuanian singer and songwriter. She represented Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 along with Vaidas Baumila with the song "This Time", placing 18th. She also represented Lithuania in the New Wave 2014 competition and was a finalist on season two of Lietuvos Balsas. She represented Lithuania again in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "Stay", placing 11th. Linkytė has previously attempted to represent Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2007.

7. Monika Liu (1988 - )

With an HPI of 34.54, Monika Liu is the 7th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Monika Liubinaitė (Lithuanian: [ˈmɔnʲɪkɐ lʲʊbʲɪˈnaɪ̯tʲeː]; born 9 February 1988), known professionally as Monika Liu, is a Lithuanian singer-songwriter. She represented Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy with the song "Sentimentai". She was announced as one of the qualifiers and took 14th place at the Grand Final.

8. Donny Montell (1987 - )

With an HPI of 33.44, Donny Montell is the 8th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

Donatas Montvydas (born 22 October 1987), also known by his stage name Donny Montell, is a Lithuanian singer-songwriter who represented Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, held in Baku, Azerbaijan. He did so for a second time in 2016, when he represented his country in Stockholm, Sweden.

9. Andrius Pojavis (1983 - )

With an HPI of 32.99, Andrius Pojavis is the 9th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Andrius Pojavis (born 25 November 1983) is a Lithuanian singer-songwriter. On 20 December 2012, he was selected to represent Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, which was held in Malmö, Sweden on 18 May 2013.

10. Vilija Matačiūnaitė (1986 - )

With an HPI of 30.97, Vilija Matačiūnaitė is the 10th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Vilija Matačiūnaitė (born 24 June 1986) is a Lithuanian singer, actress and songwriter. She represented Lithuania in the 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark, with her song "Attention".