SINGERS from Malaysia

Top 6

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

1. Siti Nurhaliza (1979 - )

With an HPI of 45.44, Siti Nurhaliza is the most famous Malaysian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 67 different languages on wikipedia.

Dato' Sri Hajah Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin (Jawi: سيتي نورهاليزا بنت تارودين; IPA: [ˈsiti nʊrhaˈliza ˈbinti taˈrudɪn]; born 11 January 1979) is a Malaysian singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman with more than 300 local and international awards. She made her debut after she won a local singing competition show, Bintang HMI in 1995 when she was 16. Her debut single, Jerat Percintaan, won the 11th Anugerah Juara Lagu and another two awards for Best Performance and Best Ballad. Her debut album as of 2005 has sold more than 800,000 units in Malaysia. She has recorded and sung in multiple languages, including Malaysian, Javanese, English, Arabic, Japanese, and Mandarin. Throughout her career, Siti has received an unprecedented number of music awards in Malaysia and its neighbouring countries: 42 Anugerah Industri Muzik, 31 Anugerah Bintang Popular, 28 Anugerah Planet Muzik, 22 Anugerah Juara Lagu, four MTV Asia Awards, three World Music Awards, two Anugerah Musik Indonesia (Indonesian Music Awards), and five records in the Malaysia Book of Records. Having 20 solo studio albums, 1 Special album, 2 duet albums, she is one of the most popular artists in the Malay Archipelago and Nusantara region – she has been voted for Regional Most Popular Artiste ten times in a row beating other fellow artists from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore in the Anugerah Planet Muzik since 2001. Siti is currently listed as one of Malaysia's richest, most-influential, most award-winning, and most single-produced artist. She is also one of Malaysia's best selling artists with her album sales having contributed to 10 percent of Malaysia's total album sales for 2001. To date, she has sold more than 6 million in record sales. At international stage, Siti has won the Gold Award in Asia New Singer Competition at Shanghai Asia Music Festival in 1999, two awards from 'South Pacific International Song and Singing Competition 1999' held in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, and the Grand Prix Champion title in Voice of Asia in 2002 held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In 2020, after receiving a record breaking of votes, she won the public choice for Adelaide Festival Centre's Walk of Fame 2019. Besides musical awards, she has various other achievements. In 1998, Siti was chosen to perform during the closing ceremony of 1998 Commonwealth Games in front of Queen Elizabeth II and her consort, Prince Philip, among other dignitaries and officials from 70 countries including those from the Commonwealth of Nations. In 2005, Siti became the first Southeast Asian singer, and third Asian singer to perform a solo concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, while being backed by the London Symphony Orchestra. She was listed second by MTV Asia in Asia's Best Musical Artiste and Channel V's Biggest Asian Artiste in 2005. Later in 2008, she was named as one of Asia's Idol by Asia News Network. She also has been listed as one of The Muslim 500 - The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims from year 2015 to 2022. Her success in the Asian region has gained her honorific titles including the "Voice of Asia" and "Asia's Celine Dion".

2. Michael Wong (1970 - )

With an HPI of 37.84, Michael Wong is the 2nd most famous Malaysian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Michael Wong Kong Leong (Chinese: 王光良; pinyin: Wáng Guāngliáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ông Kong-liông; Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Vòng Kông-liòng; born 30 August 1970), also known mononymously by his Chinese name Guang Liang, is a Malaysian Chinese singer and composer who has sung and written many love-themed ballads and love songs, many of which have high popularity. He is popularly known in the Mandopop scene as the "Prince of Love Songs" (情歌王子). Wong began his singing career in a duo with Victor Wong. The pair had attained notable success in Taiwan, but in a mutual agreement, the two split in 2000. Wong has released five solo albums since then, the third one being his breakthrough album, Fairy Tale. He has achieved a great success in Taiwan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Malaysia where he is based. Wong has also helped several other successful singers by composing songs for them, including the ballad "Courage" (勇氣), which was originally sung by Fish Leong.

3. Fish Leong (1978 - )

With an HPI of 34.76, Fish Leong is the 3rd most famous Malaysian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Fish Leong (born Leong Chui Peng on 16 June 1978) is a Malaysian singer and songwriter. Having sold more than 20 million records to date, she has achieved popularity and success in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia.

4. Guy Sebastian (1981 - )

With an HPI of 31.57, Guy Sebastian is the 4th most famous Malaysian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.

Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer-songwriter who rose to fame after winning the first season of Australian Idol, in 2003. Sebastian has since released ten top ten albums, including three number ones. The first seven all gained either platinum or multi-platinum certification. He has also achieved twenty three top twenty singles, with fourteen of them, reaching the top ten, including six number ones. He is the only Australian male artist in Australian chart history to achieve six number one singles, and places third overall for all Australian acts. Ten of his singles have been certified multi-platinum, including the 13× platinum "Battle Scars". His debut single "Angels Brought Me Here" was the highest selling song in Australia in the decade 2000 to 2009. With 69 platinum and seven gold certifications and combined album and single sales of over five million in Australia, he has the highest certifications and sales of any Australian Idol contestant. Sebastian has worked with a number of notable American musicians, including Brian McKnight, Robin Thicke, Steve Cropper, John Mayer, Jordin Sparks, Eve and Lupe Fiasco. "Battle Scars", a collaboration with Fiasco, spent 20 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 71 and achieved platinum certification. "Battle Scars" also reached number two in Norway and New Zealand. Sebastian has reached the top ten in New Zealand with an album and six singles, including two number ones, and gained six platinum and three gold certifications there. In 2015 his Eurovision song charted in the top 50 in five European countries. During his career Sebastian has received 34 ARIA Award nominations, winning seven including Best Pop Release and Best Live Act. Other awards include the APRA Urban Work of the Year, the [V] Oz Artist of the Year, Urban Music Awards for Best Male Artist and Best R&B Album, and an International Songwriting Competition award for "Battle Scars". Sebastian has sung at many notable events, including performing for Pope Benedict XVI, Oprah Winfrey and Queen Elizabeth II. He has a strong commitment to charity, and was previously an ambassador for World Vision Australia and the Australian Red Cross. He has created his own foundation, The Sebastian Foundation, with his wife Jules. Sebastian was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours in recognition of his significant service to music and charity. He has served as a judge on Australia's The X Factor from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016, and coach on The Voice Australia since 2019. In 2021, Sebastian became The Voice's senior coach after Delta Goodrem's departure. He represented Australia at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in fifth place.

5. Che'Nelle (1983 - )

With an HPI of 31.37, Che'Nelle is the 5th most famous Malaysian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Cheryline Ernestine Lim (born 10 March 1982), known by her stage name Che'Nelle, is an Australian singer-songwriter. She gained popularity in Japan with the release of her debut studio album, Things Happen for a Reason.

6. Yuna (1986 - )

With an HPI of 24.31, Yuna is the 6th most famous Malaysian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Yunalis binti Mat Zara'ai (Jawi: يوناليس بنت مد ظراعي; born 14 November 1986), known professionally as Yuna, is a Malaysian singer. Her initial exposure came through the viral success of her music uploaded to Myspace, which received over one million plays. This online success alerted an indie-pop label/management company to her music, and in early 2011 she signed with the Fader Label. She is best known for her collaboration with Usher on her breakout single "Crush", which peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Adult R&B chart. In 2010-2015, she is the 2nd Most Popular Female Singer in Malaysia which is Siti Nurhaliza at the first place and Stacy (singer) at the 3rd place. Born in Kedah and raised in Perlis and Selangor states to Perakian Malay parents of Buginese descent from Kuala Kangsar and Batu Gajah, she began writing songs at age 14. She soon taught herself to play guitar, and by 2006, in need of a creative outlet while attending law school, performed for an audience for the first time. Yuna made her recorded debut album in Malaysia in 2008 with a self-titled EP, earned five Malaysian Music Awards nominations (the Malaysian equivalent of the Grammy). She took home four trophies, including Best New Artist and Best Song for her breakthrough hit "Dan Sebenarnya". The Decorate (EP) followed two years later. Decorate included the viral hit "Rocket," which won raves from Billboard magazine, indie rock radio station KEXP, and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, as well as a feature in Spin's "Eight Bands You Need to Hear Now". For her performances, Yuna was nominated as one of MTV's Iggy's Best New Bands in the World in 2011, and she marked the occasion by playing at the historic MTV Studios. The 2012 single "Live Your Life", produced by Pharrell Williams, was a preamble to her self-titled full-length debut, which arrived that April. That summer, Yuna appeared at Lollapalooza. In 2013, Yuna returned with the album Nocturnal, featuring the single "Falling". In February 2016, Yuna previewed her third album with the release of "Places to Go", a single produced by hip-hop artist DJ Premier. The full album, Chapters, was released three months later. In December 2016, Chapters broke into the Top 10 of the Billboard Best R&B Albums of 2016: Critic's Pick; Chapters ranked at number 7. Yuna received an award for the Most Successful Malaysian Singer from the Malaysian Book Of Records. Chapters was also nominated in the Top 20 Best R&B Albums of 2016 by Rolling Stone magazine. Yuna performed as a special guest at the 2016 Soul Train Music Awards. In May 2017, Yuna became the first singer from Asia to be nominated for a BET Award; Yuna received a nomination for the BET Centric Award for "Crush", her duet single with Usher.