Grande has eight albums worth of hits, including "The Way," "Problem," "Thank U Next," "Into You," "Everyday," "Positions," "The Boy Is Mine," "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)," "Hate That I Made You Love Me," plus the entire "Wicked" soundtrack ... the list goes on. Many of her hits include collaborations with other giant stars, like Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, Childish Gambino, Future, Jessie J, Zedd, and Missy Elliot, which would make for a great halftime show.

The Super Bowl halftime show is just the next logical step in her quest for world domination, and we're here for it.

Everyone knows Taylor Swift can put on a show, whether you love her or hate her. Just think about the Eras Tour. Imagine that level of production at the Super Bowl.

Swift is also known for her cross-genre music — she could perform songs that appeal to everyone.

And now that she officially owns all her own music and has released a few bonus songs to add to her 12th album, "The Life of a Showgirl," Swift has more content than ever to pull from.

However, she has said that she won't do the Super Bowl while her husband, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, is still playing football, so we might have to wait a couple of years.

The NFL loves a classic rock performance, as evidenced by past performers such as The Who, the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and more. But Queen, arguably one of the most theatrical rock bands of all time, has never taken the stage.

Lambert toured with Queen for years and even performed with them at the 2019 Oscars, so he is clearly fan-approved as the band's lead singer. Just picture an entire stadium stomping along to "We Will Rock You" — it's a guaranteed good time.

At Super Bowl XXXIII, Stevie Wonder performed with Gloria Estefan and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. But he only got to sing a few songs, and Wonder is an artist with enough No. 1 hits to fill a 20-track album.

The Super Bowl hasn't had a more "classic" headliner since The Who in 2010. Wonder would be a solid return to form.

After her moving performance at the 2018 Grammys, Pink showed that she can do both: serious performances and high-flying spectacles.

Over 20 years after her debut album (and still cranking out hits like "Can We Pretend," "Walk Me Home," and "Never Gonna Not Dance Again"), Pink is more than capable of headlining the halftime show.

In the words of Spears herself, she's "a put-on-a-show kind of girl." One of the most iconic live performances of all time involved Spears and a gigantic python. There's no limit to what she could do on a Super Bowl-sized budget.

Now that she's been released from her restrictive conservatorship, Spears is free to perform (or not!) if she wants to, and there would be no better place than the Super Bowl.

It's been a good few years for the Biebs. He released two albums ("Swag" and "Swag II") and was announced as one of the headliners of Coachella in 2026. It would've been cool for him to do the Super Bowl show as well, but we predict he'll be releasing hits for years to come.

Besides his jams like "What Do U Mean," "Sorry," "Where Are U Now," "Baby," "Boyfriend," "Daisies," and "Yukon," Bieber also has a solid stable of collaborators he could bring onstage with him — of course, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee for "Despacito," but also Chance the Rapper, Quavo,  DJ Khaled and Lil Wayne for "I'm the One," and "No Brainer," Post Malone for "Forever," The Kid Laroi for "Stay," Daniel Caesar and Giveon for "Peaches," and even Billie Eilish on their version of "Bad Guy."

The "Bangerz" tour will always be famous for one thing: Miley Cyrus entering through a gigantic version of her head and sliding down her tongue.

Cyrus has always known how to get people talking, starting with her pole-dancing at the VMAs during "Party in the USA" and her twerking on Robin Thicke.

After a subdued album, "Younger Now," the wilder side of her is back with a vengeance, with her eye-popping music video for "Mother's Daughter" and the heartbreak bop "Flowers," an ode to being single and loving it.

Her 2020 album "Plastic Hearts" was her first foray into real rock music, and — as we know — there's nothing the NFL loves more than rock 'n' roll. She could even bring out Talking Heads to perform "Psycho Killer," which she covered in 2024.

"Bass Persuades" might not be her strongest work, but as our own Callie Ahlgrim has pointed out, it doesn't matter: "Miley is in a league of her own."

Janet Jackson will forever be known as the first-ever Super Bowl victim of a wardrobe malfunction. But she's so much more than that: an amazing dancer and a talented vocalist, for starters.

And she's paid for "Nipplegate" ever since, even though it wasn't her fault. According to Rolling Stone, CBS rescinded Jackson's invitation to the Grammys that year, while Timberlake attended ... and even won. (He has since apologized for "falling short" and benefiting "from a system that condones misogyny and racism.")

Outkast consists of two of the greatest rappers of all time, Big Boi and André 3000. Those two provided us with some of the best rap songs (or just songs, in general) of all time, including "Hey Ya!," "Ms. Jackson," "So Fresh, So Clean," "B.O.B.," "Roses," and more.

As the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show proved, classic rap and hip hop is becoming just as "classic" as classic rock and inspires the same amount of nostalgia. What would be more fun than seeing Outkast reunite for the first time in over a decade — they last performed together in 2016 — and on the biggest stage of the year?

Eilish is already the youngest person to win the big four at the Grammys (best new artist, song, record, and album of the year), the youngest person to headline Coachella, the youngest artist to record a theme for a Bond film ... the list goes on.

Bruno Mars is currently the youngest musician ever to do it; he was 28 when he headlined in 2014. Eilish, who's now 24, still has some time to take the record. Perhaps when she releases her highly anticipated fourth album, it'll be time.

Rodrigo's third album, "You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love," just solidified what we already know: Rodrigo is a generational talent and a true rock star.

"Drop Dead," "Stupid Song," "Expectations" (with or without Chappell Roan), "Good 4 U," "Vampire," "Drivers License," and "Get Him Back!" are all bangers that would fill up a stadium.

Styles, somewhat inexplicably, is a Green Bay Packers fan and even has the "G" tattooed on his body. That's true dedication.

The former boyband star's "Together, Together" tour is currently burning down Madison Square Garden for a whopping 30 nights spread from August to November.

Besides his own quite expansive solo catalog and demonstrated ability to rock any stadium he's in, imagine the power of a One Direction reunion at the Super Bowl. Chills.

"Star Trek" was originally going to be focused on a different captain, Captain Christopher Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter.

A pilot, called "The Cage," was even filmed, but it didn't make it to airwaves until the '80s. Gene Roddenberry, the creator, eventually retooled the show and cast Shatner as a new captain, Kirk. Some footage from "The Cage" was reused for a season one episode called "The Menagerie."

Before "Star Trek," Shatner was famous for his role in an iconic "Twilight Zone" episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," in which he played a man recently released from a mental hospital who becomes convinced he can see a creature on the wing of the plane he's flying on. It aired in 1963, three years before "Star Trek."

Though he's 95 years old, Shatner has shown no signs of slowing down. After "Star Trek" was canceled in 1969, he briefly returned to voice Kirk for the "Star Trek" animated series. In 1979, he again reprised his role as Kirk in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." He'd continue to do so regularly until 1994's "Star Trek Generations."

He even directed one of the "Star Trek" movies: "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."

Besides "Star Trek," Shatner starred as the titular police officer on the '80s procedural "T.J. Hooker" and narrated "Rescue 911," a show that consisted of dramatic reenactments of real crimes and emergencies.

Other roles that you might recognize Shatner from: a pageant host in "Miss Congeniality," attorney Dennis Crane in "The Practice" and its spin-off "Boston Legal" for which he won two Emmys, and in the 2016-2018 reality show "Better Late Than Never," in which Shatner, Henry Winkler, George Foreman, and Terry Bradshaw traveled around the world and experienced different cultures.

He also finally made it to space himself during a Blue Origin flight in October 2021, making him the oldest person to go into space at 90.

In July 2026, he started a podcast with his daughter, "No Time But Now," inspired by how they had both overcome stage IV cancer diagnoses in the early 2020s.

Shatner has written multiple books, both fiction and non-fiction, over the course of his career. His 2016 book, "Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man," was about his friendship with "Star Trek" costar Leonard Nimoy, who played his on-screen better half, Commander Spock.

Most recently, in 2022, he published a collection of essays called "Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder."

Over the course of the show, Sulu was revealed to have many interests outside of Starfleet, most famously fencing. At the time, Sulu was one of the first Asian characters on TV who wasn't explicitly a villain but rather a fully formed hero.

"Up until the time I was cast in 'Star Trek,' the roles were pretty shallow — thin, stereotyped, one-dimensional roles. I knew this character was a breakthrough role, certainly for me as an individual actor but also for the image of an Asian character: no accent, a member of the elite leadership team," Takei told Mother Jones in 2012.

Takei was originally supposed to play Sulu as an astrophysicist, but the role was changed to helmsman. Before "Star Trek," Takei also appeared in "The Twilight Zone," like Shatner, among other '50s and '60s procedurals.

Who says an 89-year-old doesn't know how to use social media? Takei's Facebook page has 9.6 million likes to date, and he has 2.8 million followers on X — though he recently switched to BlueSky, where he has 1.3 million followers.

In addition to his continued acting in films like "Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank," "Kubo and the Two Strings," and "Mulan," and TV shows like "Heroes," "Supah Ninjas," "Blue Eye Samurai," and "Star Wars: Visions," Takei is an activist. He came out as gay in 2005 and began working as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign.

Takei also starred in the 2012 musical "Allegiance," which was based on his and his family's experiences during Japanese internment in World War II.

While Chekov was Russian, Koenig was born in the US and based his accent on his parents' accents — they were Russian immigrants. Koenig was cast because, according to legend, he was supposed to help attract young girls as viewers due to his resemblance to teen idol Davy Jones. He even wore a Davy Jones-esque women's wig for the first seven or eight episodes, he told TV Insider in 2016.

Koenig was mainly recognized for his on-screen role as Chekov, though he became a prolific screenwriter in the '70s. He wrote episodes for the "Star Trek" animated series, the anthology series "What Really Happened to the Class of '65?" and the children's series "Land of the Lost."

Koenig made frequent appearances on the "Star Trek" convention circuit and acted in the occasional film well into his twilight years.

He appeared in 12 episodes of "Babylon 5" in the '90s, voiced himself in an episode of "Futurama," and also voiced Mr. Savic on the Netflix animated series "Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters."

In 2025, he appeared in the film "Raging Midlife" as Otis.

While not all of the "Star Trek" cast were on great terms, Koenig and his costar George Takei remained close. Koenig was even the best man in Takei's wedding in 2008.

News of his death was confirmed by his agent on October 26, 2026, per The New York Times. He had just celebrated his 90th birthday on September 14.

Uhura was one of the first Black television characters who didn't have a menial job — instead, she was in a position of power. She and Shatner were also involved in what is thought to be the first interracial kiss on American TV.

Nichols stayed with the show for all three seasons, but it wasn't without drama. She was tempted to leave during the first year, but none other than Martin Luther King Jr. convinced her to stay.

She told the New York Post in 2011 that when she told him that she wanted to leave, he told her, "You can't do that. You have the first non-stereotypical, non-menial role on television. You have created strength and beauty and intelligence. For the first time, the world sees us as we should be seen. It's what we're marching for. You're a role model, and whether you like it or not, you belong to history now."

She also released an album in 1967, "Down to Earth." In between "Star Trek's" cancellation and its return on the big screen, Nichols starred in the 1974 blaxploitation film "Truck Turner," as Dorinda, a madam.

Nichols became involved in Women in Motion in 1977, a NASA recruiting program aimed at increasing women's participation in the space program. In July 2020, a documentary about the program finally secured distribution and was released in 2021, Deadline reported. 

"Nichelle Nichols not only was a trailblazer in Hollywood, she was a trailblazer for the future of our society," said executive producer Ben Crump. "She took the fight for Civil Rights, diversity and inclusion and gender equality to new frontiers with NASA which continue to serve America's space program today. She was ahead of her time."

Nichols also appeared in "The Young and the Restless," "Heroes," and "Futurama." She was diagnosed with dementia in 2018 and subsequently retired from public appearances.

In July 2022, Nichols' son announced on social media that Nichols had died at the age of 89.

Spock was the only alien member of the original crew, as he was half-human, half-Vulcan — an alien race from the planet Vulcan whose residents operate solely from a point of logic rather than feelings.

Much of the show's comedy came from Spock and Kirk's differences and their amusement at each other. His frequent farewell, "Live long and prosper," accompanied by the Vulcan Salute, is among the most recognizable pieces of the "Star Trek" canon.

Nimoy had multiple small parts in B-movies and TV shows before booking "Star Trek," including an episode of "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." alongside Shatner and an episode of "The Twilight Zone."

But once "Star Trek" premiered, Nimoy would be forever linked with his Vulcan counterpart, and he did voice work after the show ended. He also reunited with Shatner for an episode of his show, "T.J. Hooker."

Nimoy reprised his character in 2009's "Star Trek" and its 2013 sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness," as an older version of Spock who was trapped in an alternate universe. It meant he played the role for almost 50 years.

In addition to acting, Nimoy was a photographer, recording artist, author, and director. He directed two "Star Trek" movies ("The Search for Spock" and "The Voyage Home"), and "Three Men and a Baby," which became the highest-grossing film of 1987.

Nimoy died in 2015 at the age of 83 due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Bones, as he was affectionately called, was one of the oldest members of the crew, and thus got to be a bit more obnoxious than the rest of them. His frequent catchphrase, "I'm a doctor, not a ___," is one of the most parodied lines of dialogue from the show.

Like his character, Kelley was older than the rest of the cast, and he was a more established actor. Before the show, he had appeared in Westerns and historical films like "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," "Warlock," and "Raintree County" in the '50s.

Kelley essentially retired from acting, besides playing McCoy, after the success of "Star Trek." He appeared in all six films starring the original cast, and he appeared in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as McCoy, as well.

While he wasn't much of a sci-fi fan, Kelley was proud of his "Star Trek" legacy. When asked what he thought his legacy would be, he explained that his character inspired people to enter the medical field.

He told The Houston Chronicle in 1998, "These people [fans] are doctors now, all kinds of doctors who save lives. That's something that very few people can say they've done. I'm proud to say that I have.''

He died in 1999 at the age of 79 due to stomach cancer.

Barrett was originally cast in the first version of "Star Trek" as Pike's first officer, but when that episode was scratched, so was her character. However, due to her romantic relationship with "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry (whom she later married), she was brought back as Nurse Chapel, a divisive character.

Before the show, Barrett had various bit parts in '50s and '60s shows, but her big break was "Star Trek," in which she stayed involved for the rest of her life.

Barrett reprised her role as Chapel in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."

She also appeared in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" as Lwaxana Troi, the mother of Deanna Troi, a main character in "Next Generation." Her other involvement in the series was the voice of the computer in many of the other "Star Trek" films: "Generations," "First Contact," "Nemesis," and 2009's reboot.

Her involvement with every "Star Trek" series led fans to call her the first lady of "Star Trek."

She died in 2008 at the age of 76 due to leukemia. 

Contrary to popular belief, the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty" is never actually uttered in the original series — and the man on the other end of that command, Scotty, was played by Doohan, who was Canadian in real life, not Scottish.

Before "Star Trek," Doohan served in the Canadian military and was even on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day. He was a pilot as well.

After the war, he began acting and became a successful radio actor. Like his costars, he also appeared in an episode of "The Twilight Zone," and other popular procedurals. 

In the animated series, Doohan proved indispensable, thanks to his talent for voice acting and accents. He voiced over 50 characters during the show's run.

Doohan didn't find much success outside of the world of "Star Trek," and thus embraced his role as Scotty. He appeared in the film "Generations" as well as an episode of "The Next Generation." 

However, his impact on the field of engineering cannot be overstated. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Milwaukee School of Engineering "after half the students there said that Scotty had inspired them to take up the subject," according to the BBC.

Doohan suffered from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and he retired from public life in 2004. He died the following year, at 85, due to complications from pneumonia.

Rand appeared in eight of the show's first 15 episodes of the season as a clerical and administrative worker aboard the ship, before Whitney was released from her contract.

At the time, the story was that the show didn't have enough money to keep everyone, but years later in her autobiography, Rand accused an unnamed executive producer, whom she called "The Executive," of sexually assaulting her.

"I tried to do what he wanted me to, so I could get it over with. I knew, deep down inside, that I was finished on 'Star Trek.' At that moment, however, I didn't care about that. Nothing else mattered — not my tarnished virtue, not my career, not my role on 'Star Trek.' The only thing that mattered was getting out of that room alive," she wrote.

After getting written off the show, Whitney struggled with her career and alcoholism. She credited costar Leonard Nimoy with helping her get back on her feet and involved with "Star Trek" once again. She reprised her role in four of the original "Star Trek" films and in an episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" alongside George Takei.

She died in 2015 due to natural causes at the age of 85.

Hank Williams, who was born in Mount Olive, Alabama, is widely considered the father of country music and the genre's foremost songwriter. Before the pioneering musician tragically died at 29 years old in 1953, he released a slew of singles that rocketed to the top of the country music charts, including "Kaw-Liga," "Honky Tonk Blues," and "Hey Good Lookin'."

Although his career was cut short, his impressive catalog of songs lives on in the contemporary musical landscape, thanks to covers by artists including James Brown, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Ray Charles.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Although she was born in Payson, Utah, Jewel Kilcher grew up near Homer, Alaska, and is by far the state's most successful musical export. The singer has earned four Grammy nominations and sold more than 30 million records. She's best known for hit songs including "Who Will Save Your Soul" and "You Were Meant for Me."

Jewel, 52, is also known for her yodeling, which she learned from her father, Atz Kilcher, a local musician and star of the reality show "Alaska: The Last Frontier."

Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Linda Ronstadt, 80, is one of America's most successful and versatile singer-songwriters.

Since her Grammy Award-winning breakout album "Heart Like A Wheel" hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum, she hasn't looked back. Ronstadt has won 11 Grammys from 27 nominations, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, and released numerous hit singles spanning many genres beyond pop, including rock, folk, Latin, and country. 

There are few musicians in the history of music who are as accomplished and influential as Johnny Cash, who was born in Kingsland, Arkansas.

The Man in Black won 13 Grammys out of 35 nominations and received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Cash died just over a decade later in 2003 at 71.

He saw multiple albums reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart, including "At San Quentin" and "American V: A Hundred Highways," both of which hit No. 1. 

There never was and never will be another musician like Jerry Garcia. While he's best known for his role in the Grateful Dead, he also released dozens of live and studio solo albums.

His spirited guitar solos emitted an energy that could mesmerize entire stadiums of fans while his vocals could rock your socks off just as easily as they could soothe your biggest troubles. 

Garcia wasn't in it for the awards or recognition — he just loved to play. And that genuineness is what contributed to his legacy. He was a working-class kid from San Francisco who changed rock 'n' roll forever. 

In fact, he was so influential that he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as part of the Grateful Dead, in 1994. He died the next year, in 1995, at 53.

Thanks to iconic hits like "Rocky Mountain High" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads," John Denver, who died in 1997 at 53, cemented his place in the arena of folk-rock legends — and as the creator of some of the best campfire songs. Denver only won one Grammy from four nominations, but his legacy is unquestionably larger than his awards résumé suggests. 

The singer wasn't actually born in Colorado and spent much of his childhood moving around the US due to his father's job in the Air Force. But he settled in Aspen later in life and adopted his stage name after Denver, the capital of his favorite state, according to his website.

Since his debut album "Room For Squares" in 2001, John Mayer has evolved into one of the most talented singer-songwriters and guitarists in the game — so much so that surviving members of the Grateful Dead tapped him to play lead guitar in their touring spinoff, Dead & Company.

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayer, 49, has won seven Grammys out of 19 nominations and continues to please listeners with his soulful solos and gentle croonings — including his most recent single, "Tom and Jerry."

With more than 15 million albums sold during a career just shy of five decades, 76-year-old George Thorogood is one of the most accomplished blues-rockers out there.

With mega-hits including "I Drink Alone," "Move It On Over," and of course, "Bad To The Bone," Thorogood and his band, The Destroyers, are known for their gritty tone and catchy riffs. Thorogood was born in Wilmington, Delaware.

Some of the most iconic singles populating classic rock radio have been penned by Tom Petty, who died in 2017. From "American Girl" to "Learning to Fly" and "Wildflowers," it seemed as if anything Tom Petty touched turned to gold. Or rather platinum.

Petty's breakout third album, "Damn the Torpedoes," went triple platinum and launched the musician and his band, the Heartbreakers, into superstardom.

Throughout his nearly 40-year career, Petty, born in Gainesville, Florida, won three Grammys out of 18 nominations. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Dubbed the "Godfather of Soul," James Brown set a new standard of showmanship while simultaneously molding the future of funk, soul, and rap music. Thanks to songs including "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "I Got You (I Feel Good)," and "It's a Man's Man's World," Brown scored 17 No. 1 hits and sold 50 million records during his career.

Brown won three Grammys out of eight nominations and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the inaugural class of 1986. 

He died in 2006 at 73.

Honolulu's Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole became the state of Hawaii's first platinum-selling artist in 2005 after the singer's hit 1993 album "Facing Future" sold more than 1 million CDs, according to the Honolulu Star Bulletin.

"Bruddah Iz," who died in 1997 at 38, has posthumously hit 1.6 billion views on YouTube for his iconic rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

The outlet also reported that the medley has spent "a record 541 weeks on the World Digital Song Sales chart, including 332 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 starting in 2011."

Although Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, 67, wasn't born in Idaho, he has revealed that he spent a few formative teenage years living in the state.

Sixx helped Mötley Crüe receive three Grammy nominations, sell over 100 million albums worldwide, and record numerous chart-topping hits, including "Kickstart My Heart" and "Girls, Girls, Girls." 

Miles Davis, who died in 1991 at 65, is one of the most influential and innovative musicians in jazz history.

Born in Alton, Illinois, the trumpeter's landmark 1970 album is an improvisational jazz masterpiece that inspired countless fusion musicians and went platinum.

Albums like "Kind of Blue" and "In a Silent Way" were critically acclaimed and have remained among the best-selling jazz records of all time. Davis won eight Grammys out of 32 nominations, received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

What else can be said about the "King of Pop" that you don't already know? With 13 Grammys out of 38 nominations, a 2001 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a 2026 biopic that grossed $1 billion worldwide, the wunderkind turned pop legend from Gary, Indiana, reigns supreme as one of the best performers in music history.

Jackson boasts a remarkable arsenal of hits, including "Thriller," "Beat It," and "Billie Jean," but was just as famous for his moonwalking.

Although his legacy has been marred by accusations of sexual abuse (most recently brought to light in the 2019 documentary "Leaving Neverland"), Jackson's music remains incredibly popular around the world, even 17 years after his death in 2009.

Glenn Miller, founder of the iconic jazz orchestra that bears his name, is a big-band pioneer responsible for dozens of Top 10 hits, including "In The Mood," "Moonlight Serenade," and "Chattanooga Choo Choo."

Miller, born in Clarinda, Iowa, was posthumously awarded the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, and many of his songs have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. His orchestra still tours and plays his music around the globe nearly 82 years after his death in 1944.

Melissa Etheridge, 65, who is from Leavenworth, Kansas, is known for her LGBTQ+ rights activism as much as she is for her raspy vocals and chart-topping singles.

Her breakthrough 1993 album "Yes I Am," which yielded the single "Come to My Window," peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and went 6x platinum. To date, Etheridge has been nominated for 15 Grammys and won two.

She was also part of the 2026 class of nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Jim James of Louisville, Kentucky, fronts the popular rock band My Morning Jacket and is known for his dreamy falsetto and masterful songwriting.

Since the band's debut album in 1999, James, 48, has become one of the most in-demand musicians, collaborating with everyone from The Roots to Elvis Costello and Kermit the Frog. With the Jacket, James has earned three Grammy nominations. He has also released a number of solo albums and collaborations. 

We named My Morning Jacket's "The Waterfall II" the best rock album of 2020. 

With a legendary career spanning from the 1920s to the '60s, Louis Armstrong emerged from New Orleans as an integral musician who would influence nearly every era of jazz music.

More importantly, before Armstrong, jazz was largely orchestrated and did not feature much improvisational soloing. The trumpeter made extended solos a mainstay of his performance and changed the landscape of how cats approached jazz standards forever, becoming one of the hottest musicians of the early 1900s in the process.

He's so important to New Orleans that the airport was named after him in 2001 to commemorate what would've been his 100th birthday.

Ray LaMontagne's guitar playing deeply affects listeners, and his intimate lyrics are a gut punch to the soul, evoking the happiest or saddest moments in life. Hits like "You Are The Best Thing" and "Jolene" have helped earn LaMontagne two Grammy nominations and one win.

The 53-year-old singer moved to Maine after high school and worked at a radio station, which is where he heard a Stephen Stills song that inspired him to pursue music.

Frank Zappa is one of the most prolific yet misunderstood composers of the 20th century, releasing 62 albums before his death in 1993. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years later.

Born in Baltimore, Zappa was known for using intricate time signatures, syncopation, and zany (though sometimes offensive) topics in his songs. For Zappa, it wasn't about writing hit singles; it was about getting his genius on tape so that he could enjoy it, and if anyone else did, it was a bonus.

There are few singer-songwriters whose careers have been as successful as James Taylor.

The Boston-born musician has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, won six Grammys out of 19 nominations, and has been presented with countless awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kennedy Center Honors, and a 2000 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Taylor, 78, broke onto the scene in 1970 with his hit single "Fire and Rain" and went on to release dozens of other original songs and covers that continue to be crowd-pleasers at concerts. 

Stevie Wonder, 76, started his remarkable career as a child prodigy on Motown's Tamla label at age 11. He scored his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 a year later with the single "Fingertips, Pt. 2," which made him the youngest solo artist to top the chart.

Wonder continued his career, releasing hit album after hit album and winning an incredible 25 Grammys from 75 nominations. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1989.

Wonder is one of only four artists to win album of the year three times in their career. His discography covers many genres from R&B to funk and blues, and Wonder's use of synthesizers helped launch R&B into new stylistic directions. 

Prince hit the ground running with his 1979 self-titled LP featuring the iconic jam "I Wanna Be Your Lover," which immediately established the singer as a force in the pop/funk realm.

Prince truly proved his genius with the 1984 release of "Purple Rain" — and its accompanying soundtrack — which launched him and his band into superstardom. The "Purple Rain" album sold over 13 million copies, spent 24 weeks at the top of the charts, and produced hits "When Doves Cry," "Purple Rain," and "Take Me with U."

Prince won seven Grammys and was nominated for 38, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 before his death in 2016.

Across his career, he was closely tied to Minnesota, calling the state home for most of his life. His house, Paisley Park in Chanhassen, is open for Prince fans to tour. In fact, when the Super Bowl was played in Minneapolis in 2018, halftime headliner Justin Timberlake paid tribute to the "Let's Go Crazy" singer.

Elvis Presley, better known as the "The King of Rock and Roll," was a transformative figure who played an undeniable role in the trajectory of popular music in the US.

His sex appeal, matched with an electrified catalog of original materials and covers, propelled him to the top of the charts while laying the foundation for the electric blues and rock of the '60s and '70s. He was inducted posthumously into the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 (he died in 1977 at age 42).

Elvis was born and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, before moving to Memphis, Tennessee, as a teenager. 

Similar to Elvis, Chuck Berry, nicknamed "The Father of Rock and Roll," played an integral part in the proliferation of the electric blues and rock 'n' roll.

His playing and, more importantly, his solos on songs like "Roll Over Beethoven," "Maybellene," and especially "Johnny B. Goode" turned thousands of listeners and guitar players onto this new genre of music, directly setting the course for the future of rock music.

Berry, who was born in St. Louis, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its 1986 inaugural class and has topped many lists of the greatest musicians and guitarists. He died in 2017 at age 90.

Pearl Jam bassist and cofounder Jeff Ament, 63, was born in Havre, Montana, but moved to Seattle in the 1980s, where he then met the rest of the guys from Pearl Jam, with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Ament is recognized for his skill on the upright and fretless bass, in addition to the electric bass. He also played in the band Temple of the Dog and has released three solo albums.

Bright Eyes front man Conor Oberst, 46, takes the top spot for the state of Nebraska.

The Omaha-born rocker and his band have had notable chart success: In 2005, their album "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, and their 2007 album "Cassadaga" peaked at No. 4.

After a nine-year hiatus, the band released a new album, "Down In the Weeds, Where the World Once Was," in 2020. Another album, "Five Dices, All Threes," came out in 2024.

Brandon Flowers, 45, lead singer of the Las Vegas band The Killers, has contributed some of the most popular alt-rock tunes of the past 20 years.

Flowers and Co. have had three albums reach No. 1 on Billboard's rock charts — but their legacy, at this point, will be the enduring millennial classic, "Mr. Brightside."

He also has his own solo career, with his latest album "Thrasher" getting released in August 2026.

We listed The Killers' "Imploding the Mirage" as one of the best rock albums of 2020. 

Noah Kahan, 29, is probably equally associated with Vermont and New Hampshire (and, to some extent, Maine), but we're putting him with the Granite State because he went to high school in Hanover.

Kahan's been nominated for two Grammys, has one of the best-selling albums of 2026 with "The Great Divide," and his signature song, "Stick Season," has been streamed nearly 2 billion times on Spotify.

There are many great musicians from New Jersey, including Frankie Valli, Bruce Springsteen, and Bon Jovi, but Frank Sinatra stands preeminent above all others.

Born in Hoboken, Sinatra went on to sell over 150 million records and win 9 Grammys from 31 nominations.

Hits like "(Theme From) New York, New York," "Fly Me To The Moon," and "You Make Me Feel so Young" were favorites for many generations of Americans and established Sinatra as one of the most prolific singers, performers, and actors of the 20th century before his death in 1998.

Demi Lovato, the Disney star turned pop sensation from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has dominated the charts for more than a decade.

She's had multiple albums and singles hit the top of the Billboard charts, including "Give Your Heart a Break" and "Sorry Not Sorry," earning serious airplay. Lovato, 34, has been nominated for two Grammys and, in 2015, launched Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health, an organization that promotes mental health awareness.

Like Sinatra, Bennett became one of the greatest singers and showmen of the 20th century.

Bennett continued to perform well into his nineties before his death in 2023, while hit songs like "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "Rags to Riches" have been covered by numerous musicians.

Bennett, who was born in Astoria, Queens, won 19 Grammys out of 41 nominations, received the Kennedy Center Honors, and won a host of other impressive awards. 

John Coltrane is one of the most influential saxophonists and composers in jazz music history. Coltrane's experimentation with free and avant-garde jazz, and with modes and cyclical chord progressions, helped propel the genre into new boundaries.

During his career, Coltrane, who was born in Hamlet, North Carolina, collaborated with many of the genre's best, including Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. In 2016, the jazz icon was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize. He died at age 40 in 1967.

Wiz Khalifa released his debut album in 2006, but didn't truly break into the mainstream until his debut single for Atlantic Records, "Black and Yellow," hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Since then, the 39-year-old rapper (who was born in Minot, North Dakota, before eventually settling in Pittsburgh) has remained one of the most popular, earning 10 Grammy nominations and appearing on some of the hottest songs of the past two decades.

The singer, actor, and comedian Dean Martin was born in Steubenville, Ohio, and got his start singing in nightclubs near his hometown.

Martin quickly outgrew his humble upbringing and went on to become one of America's greatest entertainers, pleasing viewers with his suave croonings for over five decades. He enjoyed a bountiful solo career singing jazz and contemporary standards before becoming the host of his eponymous, iconic variety show. Martin died in 1995 at 78.

Garth Brooks is one of the best-selling solo artists of all time with over 162 million album sales. Additionally, he's the only artist to appear on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in five consecutive decades: the '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s, and '20s.

Brooks, 64, has had multiple albums top the Billboard charts, and he has won two Grammys out of 14 nominations. Brooks is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a graduate of Oklahoma State University. 

Elliott Smith, to quote another iconic musician, is your favorite artist's favorite artist. The indie legend, who grew up in Portland, Oregon, has been covered by everyone from Frank Ocean to Billie Eilish to Madonna.

His signature song, "Needle in the Hay," has been immortalized on film in Wes Anderson's classic "The Royal Tenenbaums." Pitchfork also named it one of the best songs of the '90s.

Smith was nominated for an Academy Award for the song "Miss Misery," which was used in "Good Will Hunting."

Sadly, he died in 2003. He was just 34.

What is there to say about Taylor Swift? She's the only artist to ever win album of the year four times at the Grammys — and has won 14 from 58 nominations — and has countless other records to her name. The Eras Tour was a cultural phenomenon and the first tour to gross $1 billion; it eventually surpassed $2 billion.

Swift may have gotten her start in country music and has an association with Nashville, but her roots are in Pennsylvania. She was born in West Reading and lived in PA until she was a teenager.

Abraham Orellana, 37, better known by his stage name araabMUZIK, is a producer and DJ from Providence, Rhode Island, who has worked with rap and hip-hop giants including Cam'ron, ASAP Rocky, and Joe Budden.

He contributed to Jay Electronica's Grammy-nominated 2020 album and has played major festivals, including Coachella and Pitchfork. 

Darius Rucker, 60, rose to fame as the singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Hootie and the Blowfish, which produced multiple Top 10 singles and the hit album "Cracked Rear View," which sold over 16 million copies in the US.

Following his stint with Hootie, the Charleston, South Carolina, native has enjoyed a successful solo career, yielding eight studio albums and hit songs like the Grammy Award-winning "Wagon Wheel" (a cover of Old Crow Medicine Show's song) and "Come Back Song." 

Singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin's claim to fame came during the late '80s and '90s when her 1989 album, "Steady On," won a Grammy for best contemporary folk album.

Her fourth studio album, 1996's "A Few Small Repairs," won her another pair of Grammys and produced the chart-topping single "Sunny Came Home." Colvin, 70, was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. 

As we wrote in our timeline of the singer's impressive career: Parton was "equal parts country megastar, actor, and philanthropist."

Parton released a whopping 49 studio albums, won 10 Grammys out of 55 nominations, and generated millions in revenue for her hometown near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, thanks to her theme park, Dollywood.

Her death in 2026 at age 80 caused such an outpouring of grief around the world that the president ordered the flags to be lowered.

Willie Nelson is an absolute legend in the folk and country worlds. He was born in Abbott, Texas, in 1933, and moved back to Austin in 1972. He's lived there ever since.

He's responsible for writing and performing some of the genre's most iconic songs and helping develop the outlaw country subgenre.

Nelson, 93, scored 20 No. 1 and 40 Top 10 hits during his six-decade career. He also won 12 Grammys out of 59 nominations.

Dan Reynolds, 39, is the front man of Imagine Dragons, a band with close ties to Salt Lake City. While Reynolds was born and raised in Nevada, he moved to Salt Lake City for college, where he formed the band. They went on to win a Battle of the Bands contest, laying the groundwork for their current success.

Imagine Dragons was the first rock act to have four songs surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify ("Radioactive," "Demons," "Believer," and "Thunder"). They've also won one Grammy from four nominations and are among the best-selling rock acts of the 21st century.

In addition to his work as guitarist and lead vocalist for the Grammy-nominated jam band Phish — which was formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 — Trey Anastasio, 62, has released a score of solo albums and is a member of the band Oysterhead with Primus bassist Les Claypool and The Police drummer Stewart Copeland.

He has also collaborated with the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews, and Herbie Hancock, and has performed original compositions with orchestras around the country.

Ella Fitzgerald, known as "The First Lady of Song," was the most popular jazz singer for more than half a century, according to her website, and sold more than 40 million records before her death in 1996.

Known for her scat singing and dynamic range, Fitzgerald, who was born in Newport News, Virginia, worked with many of the great performers of the 20th century, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Frank Sinatra.

Among other accolades, Fitzgerald won 13 Grammys out of 20 nominations, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and won the National Medal of Arts. 

Jimi Hendrix's guitar playing is among the most influential of all time, his albums are consistently ranked among the best in rock history, and his mark on the rock landscape is unforgettable.

For many, Hendrix, who died in 1970 at 27, is the best to ever pick up the guitar, thanks in no small part to the innovations he brought to the instrument, including fuzz distortion and the wah-wah effect. Simply put, there's no denying that Hendrix, who was born in Seattle, is deserving of the most famous spot from Washington state. 

Dubbed the "Prince of Motown," Marvin Gaye, who died in 1984, originally burst onto the scene with hits like "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" to become one of the label's brightest stars.

Gaye dropped his biggest album, "What's Going On," in 1971 to critical acclaim. Subsequent albums such as 1973's "Let's Get It On" and 1982's "Midnight Love" yielded chart-topping hits and directly influenced the future of funk and R&B.

Gaye, who was born and raised in DC, won two Grammys out of 12 nominations and posthumously received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. He was also posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Since his debut album "Who Needs Pictures" dropped in 1999, Brad Paisley, 53, has found nothing but success, winning three Grammys, two American Music Awards, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 14 Country Music Association Awards.

The Glen Dale, West Virginia, native has had 33 songs reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country chart, 18 of which were No. 1 hits.

Hailing from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Justin Vernon, 45, is known for his high-reaching falsetto and mix of traditional and boundary-pushing folk/indie rock songwriting.

Vernon has found commercial and critical success as the singer and front man of the indie rock band Bon Iver, which has won two Grammys out of 11 nominations, including best new artist and best alternative music album for the group's self-titled album "Bon Iver, Bon Iver."

Although his brother Seth was born in North Carolina, the state from which the band The Avett Brothers originates, Scott Avett, 50, was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The Grammy-nominated band Scott helped form is a delightful mix of bluegrass, folk, and indie rock known for its intimate sound and lyrics. The Avett Brothers have released 16 studio albums and EPs, the most recent of which, "The Avett Brothers," dropped in May 2024.

Release date: October 16 in theaters

Daniel Kraus published "Whalefall" in 2023. It's a pretty self-contained, if wild, story: What would happen if you got swallowed by a whale? And not in a biblical, Jonah sense — in a literal, swallowed-while-scuba-diving sense.

The film stars Austin Abrams as Jay (get it? J as in Jonah?) and Josh Brolin as Mitt, Jay's deceased father, from whom he was estranged. That's the whole reason he dives in the first place; he's diving to find his father's remains.

Release date: October 23 in theaters

Stop-motion studio LAIKA's latest film, "Wildwood," is based on the 2011 novel of the same name, written by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis.

Both the film and the book follow Prue, a teenager, whose baby brother, Mac, is stolen by a pack of birds and taken into a mystical forest. She, along with her classmate Curtis, ventures into the woods to rescue Mac and perhaps save this magical land.

Prue is voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Curtis is voiced by Jacob Tremblay. Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Angela Bassett, Charlie Day, and Amandla Stenberg also star.

Release date: October 23 in theaters

Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel "Klara and the Sun" was longlisted for the Booker Prize upon its publication.

The book takes place in a not-too-distant dystopian future where rich children can be gifted "Artificial Friends" to help them socialize, since now all schooling is done at home, online. Klara, the narrator, is purchased for a sick girl named Josie.

In the film, which was cowritten and directed by Taika Waititi, Klara will be played by Jenna Ortega, Josie will be played by Mia Tharia, and Josie's mom, Chrissie, will be played by Amy Adams.

Release date: November 12 on Peacock

Karin Slaughter's "The Good Daughter" is a bestselling thriller that was published in 2017.

It follows two sisters, Charlotte and Samantha, whose lives were shattered as kids when their mother was murdered and their father was traumatized. Now, as adults, Charlotte has followed in her dad's footsteps and tried to be the perfect daughter. Samantha chose to deal with her grief in a, shall we say, different way.

In the Peacock series, Rose Byrne plays Samantha and Meghann Fahy plays Charlotte.

Release date: November 13 on Apple TV+

Director Siân Heder's follow-up to best picture winner "CODA" is "Being Heumann," a biopic about Judith Heumann, who is known as the "Mother of the Disability Rights Movement." It's based on her 2020 memoir of the same name.

The film stars Ruth Madeley as Judith, Mark Ruffalo as United States Health and Human Services Secretary Joseph A. Califano Jr., and Dylan O'Brien as a reporter who covers Judith's protests.

Release date: November 13 in theaters

"Victorian Psycho" was written by Virginia Feito and published in 2025.

The story follows Winifred Notty, a governess sent to Ensor House (a gothic dream), who seems more like Patrick Bateman than Maria von Trapp.

Maika Monroe will play Winifred.

Release date: November 13 in theaters

Yet another adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," originally published in 1843, is hitting theaters this year.

This time it's called "Ebenezer" and stars Johnny Depp as Scrooge. He'll be joined by Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's long-suffering employee, Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Ian McKellen as Scrooge's dead business partner Marley, Sam Claflin as Scrooge's nephew Fred, and Daisy Ridley as Fred's wife Clara.

This version of the story will be helmed by director Ti West, so it might be a more horror-forward version of the classic.

Release date: November 18 on Netflix

Netflix first announced that Katherine Center's novel "The Bodyguard," published in 2022, will be adapted for the streamer in September 2025.

The story follows Jack Stapleton, a famous actor with a stalker, who hires bodyguard Hannah Brooks to protect him. But since he doesn't want to worry his sick mother, the two instead pretend to date.

The catch with this adaptation? Since there's already a quite famous film called "The Bodyguard," Netflix, along with stars Leighton Meester (Hannah) and Jared Padalecki (Jack), asked fans to come up with a new name for the film, and they landed on "Guarding Stars."

Release date: November 20 in theaters

For years, fans begged "Hunger Games" author Suzanne Collins to tell the story of Haymitch Abernathy's games. In March 2025, she obliged, publishing "Sunrise on the Reaping," a "Hunger Games" prequel that takes place 24 years before the first novel.

It tells the story of the 25th Hunger Games, which Haymitch, the future tribute mentor for District 12, won. As with all "Hunger Games" books, it's devastating.

"The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" boasts an all-star cast of Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Billy Porter, Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Whitney Peak, and newcomer Joseph Zada as Haymitch.

Release date: November 20 on Disney+

Season three of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" is set to premiere on November 20. This season consists of eight episodes and concludes on December 11.

This season is based on the third installment in Rick Riordan's books: "The Titan's Curse." It sees Percy (Walker Scobell) go on a mission to rescue his friend, Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), and the goddess Artemis (Dafne Keen) after they're kidnapped by mysterious forces.

Release date: December 2 on Netflix

Romance powerhouse duo Christina Lauren published their first holiday romance in 2020, called "In a Holidaze."

This is a classic time-loop story that follows Mae (Maddie Ziegler) as she returns home for Christmas, determined to tell her longtime crush Andrew (Graham Phillips) how she really feels. But when everything goes wrong, instead of dealing with the fallout, she relives the same day over and over.

Release date: December 3 on Netflix

"Sense and Sensibility" wasn't the only Jane Austen novel getting adapted this year — over 20 years after Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen played Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, there's a new duo in town that's ready to play these iconic yearners.

In this Netflix miniseries, adapted by Dolly Alderton, Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden will play the two. They'll be joined by Olivia Colman, Rufus Sewell, Daryl McCormack, Louis Patridge, Jamie Demetriou, Fiona Shaw (who was also in "Sense and Sensibility" this year), and Freya Mavor.

Release date: December 18 in theaters

After the two-part adaptation of "Dune," the third film in the series is set to adapt Frank Herbert's second novel, "Dune Messiah," published in 1969.

Picking up after the events of "Dune: Part Two," "Dune: Part Three" will follow Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he struggles to control the galaxy, prevent the death of millions, avenge his father, and juggle relationships with Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) and his love Chani (Zendaya).

Editor's Note: This story was first published in December 2025 and was last updated in October 2026.