SINGER

Gordon Lightfoot

1938 - 2023

Photo of Gordon Lightfoot

Icon of person Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. Credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s, he has been referred to as Canada's greatest songwriter, having several gold and multi-platinum albums and songs covered by some of the world's most renowned musical artists. Lightfoot's biographer Nicholas Jennings said, "His name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness." Lightfoot's songs, including "For Lovin' Me", "Early Morning Rain", "Steel Rail Blues", "Ribbon of Darkness"—a number one hit on the U.S. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Gordon Lightfoot has received more than 9,427,271 page views. His biography is available in 36 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 33 in 2019). Gordon Lightfoot is the 1,024th most popular singer (up from 1,126th in 2019), the 276th most popular biography from Canada (up from 315th in 2019) and the 16th most popular Canadian Singer.

Memorability Metrics

  • 9.4M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 56.89

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 36

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 1.58

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 5.26

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among SINGERS

Among singers, Gordon Lightfoot ranks 1,024 out of 4,381. Before him are Josepha Weber, Carlos Marín, Beth Hart, Billy Ocean, Pumpuang Duangjan, and Michèle Torr. After him are Gangubai Hangal, Lee Hyori, Antonello Venditti, Franca Raimondi, Tatevik Sazandaryan, and Paul Weller.

Most Popular Singers in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1938, Gordon Lightfoot ranks 322. Before him are Tang Jiaxuan, Tony Renis, Sigitas Tamkevičius, Waheeda Rehman, Theo-Ben Gurirab, and Gary Chapman. After him are Andrey Lukanov, Rafael Osuna, Sergio Martino, Jay Garner, Maurizio Costanzo, and Murtala Mohammed. Among people deceased in 2023, Gordon Lightfoot ranks 357. Before him are Erkin Koray, Pat McCormick, Nicolae Neagoe, Russell Banks, Zdeněk Mácal, and Fay Weldon. After him are Juan Carlos Sarnari, Francis Lee, Princess Marie Gabrielle of Luxembourg, Charles W. Misner, Yacouba Sawadogo, and Annie Wersching.

Others Born in 1938

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Others Deceased in 2023

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

In Canada

Among people born in Canada, Gordon Lightfoot ranks 276 out of 1,622. Before him are Anna Paquin (1982), Manly P. Hall (1901), Robert Langlands (1936), Roberta Bondar (1945), John Draper (1943), and Paul Haggis (1953). After him are Lothaire Bluteau (1957), Henri Richard (1936), Marie-Claire Blais (1939), Deborah Kara Unger (1966), David Johnston (1941), and Patricia Churchland (1943).

Others born in Canada

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Among SINGERS In Canada

Among singers born in Canada, Gordon Lightfoot ranks 16. Before him are Nelly Furtado (1978), Alanis Morissette (1974), Michael Bublé (1975), Garou (1972), Jon Vickers (1926), and Daniel Lavoie (1949). After him are Terry Jacks (1944), James LaBrie (1963), The Weeknd (1990), George London (1920), Bernie Shaw (1956), and Feist (1976).

Canadian born Singers

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous