MUSICIANS from Taiwan

Top 5

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

1. Jay Chou (b. 1979)

With an HPI of 56.12, Jay Chou is the most famous Taiwanese Musician.  His biography has been translated into 40 different languages on wikipedia.

Jay Chou Chieh-lun (traditional Chinese: 周杰倫; simplified Chinese: 周杰伦; pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún; born 18 January 1979) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, actor, director, and businessman. Widely regarded as a cultural icon and one of the most influential figures in the Chinese-speaking world, he is referred to as the "King of Mandopop". Chou's works, which often blend Eastern and Western styles, has been recognized for its impact on musical trends in the Greater China region. Chou signed to Alfa Music in 2000, and made his debut with the studio album Jay (2000). He rose to prominence with his second album Fantasy (2001), which became one of the best-selling albums in Taiwan in the 21st century. Chou incorporated diverse genres such as R&B and alternative rock in albums such as Yeh Hui-Mei (2003) and November's Chopin (2005), as well as influences from traditional Chinese music in works such as Common Jasmine Orange (2004). The latter featured the titular single and became the best-selling physical album in China in the 21st century, having sold over 2.6 million copies. In 2007, Chou established his own label and management company JVR Music. His commercial success continued with albums such as On the Run! (2007), Capricorn (2008), and Jay Chou's Bedtime Stories (2016), all of which featured hit songs including "Blue and White Porcelain", "Rice Field", and "Love Confession", and "Shouldn't Be". He became the first Mandopop artist to top the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart, with Greatest Works of Art (2022) being the world's best-selling record in pure sales in 2022. Venturing outside of music, Chou made his acting debut in the film Initial D (2005), which was followed by roles in Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), Kung Fu Dunk (2008), The Treasure Hunter (2009), and Hollywood films The Green Hornet (2011) and Now You See Me 2 (2016). One of the best-selling recording artists in Taiwanese history, Chou has sold over 30 million albums throughout his career. CNN named Chou one of the 25 most influential people in Asia in 2009—the only Taiwanese figure to be included. He is the most-awarded singer at the Golden Melody Awards—with 15 accolades, and his music videos are among the most-viewed on YouTube—with six surpassing 100 million views, the most for any Chinese artist. He has embarked on eight concert tours, including The Invincible World Tour (2016–2019), which drew an audience of over 3 million.

2. Jolin Tsai (b. 1980)

With an HPI of 55.03, Jolin Tsai is the 2nd most famous Taiwanese Musician.  Her biography has been translated into 83 different languages.

Jolin Tsai I-lin (Chinese: 蔡依林; pinyin: Cài Yīlín; born September 15, 1980), also romanized as Jolin Cai, is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Recognized as the "Queen of C-Pop", Tsai is one of the most influential figures in the Chinese-speaking world's pop culture. Her continuous reinvention and versatility in musical style and visual presentation have established her as a leading figure in popularizing dance-pop music in Greater China. Tsai exercises significant creative control over her career, and her work, which often addresses societal issues and ideological themes, has achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim. Born in Hsinchuang, Taiwan, Tsai gained prominence in 1998 after winning a singing competition organized by MTV Mandarin. Her debut album, 1019 (1999), cemented her status as a teen idol with a significant following among teenagers. With the release of Magic (2003), Tsai transitioned to a more dance-oriented musical style. This was further solidified with Dancing Diva (2006), a breakthrough album that earned her first Golden Melody Award and firmly established her as a prominent dance-pop artist in the Chinese music scene. She went on to win multiple Golden Melody Awards for critically acclaimed albums such as Muse (2012), Play (2014), and Ugly Beauty (2018). With a total of seven Golden Melody Awards to date, she remains the most awarded dance-pop artist in the award's history. Tsai has sold over 25 million records, making her the highest-selling Taiwanese female recording artist since 2000. Since the release of Magic (2003), each of her studio albums has been the highest-selling album by a female artist in Taiwan for the year of its release, with four also being the highest-selling album overall in the country. Tsai has frequently appeared on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list, ranking in the top 20 for six out of ten years since 2010 and being named the number one Chinese female singer three times. Her net worth surpassed NT$2 billion in 2014, and she has been ranked as the highest-paid Taiwanese female singer 16 times between 2003 and 2022.

3. JerryC (b. 1981)

With an HPI of 45.84, JerryC is the 3rd most famous Taiwanese Musician.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

JerryC (Chinese: 張逸帆; pinyin: Zhāng Yìfān; born 31 August 1981), also known by his English name Jerry Chang, is a Taiwanese guitarist and composer. He is known for arranging and playing "Canon Rock", a rock arrangement of Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D. He began playing the guitar at the age of 17, and the piano before age 15. His style is influenced by classical music, neoclassical guitarists, as well as metal bands such as Helloween and Metallica and Japanese rock bands such as B'z and L'Arc-en-Ciel.

4. Show Lo (b. 1979)

With an HPI of 44.01, Show Lo is the 4th most famous Taiwanese Musician.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Show Lo Chih-hsiang (simplified Chinese: 罗志祥; traditional Chinese: 羅志祥; pinyin: Luó Zhìxiáng; born July 30, 1979), is a Taiwanese singer, actor, and television host. Lo debuted as a member of Taiwanese boy group Four Heavenly Kings in 1996 after winning a singing and dancing competition. When the group disbanded in 1998, he regrouped with former bandmate Eddy Ou as the duo Remeo the same year until they disbanded in 2000. Lo began his solo music career with his first studio album Show Time (2003). He became the first pop singer to hold a solo concert at the Taipei Arena in 2005, and the first pop singer to hold three concerts within twenty-four hours there in 2010. He had the best-selling album in Taiwan for four consecutive years, from 2010 to 2013. As an actor, Lo was nominated thrice for the Best Male Actor at the Golden Bell Awards for his performances in TV dramas The Outsiders 2 (2005), Hot Shot (2008), and Hi My Sweetheart (2009). He is also known for his roles in two Stephen Chow blockbusters, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013) and The Mermaid (2016). As a television host, Lo was a host of 100% Entertainment from 2001 to 2020, for which he won the Best Host for a Variety Show at the 52nd Golden Bell Awards in 2017 with co-host Linda Chien. He was a cast member of the Chinese reality show Go Fighting! and a judge on Produce 101 and Street Dance of China.

5. Ray Chen (b. 1989)

With an HPI of 42.55, Ray Chen is the 5th most famous Taiwanese Musician.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Ray Chen (Chinese: 陳銳; pinyin: Chén Ruì; born 6 March 1989) is a Taiwanese-Australian violinist. He was the winner of the 2008 International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition and the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Competition. Since then, he has regularly collaborated with the world’s foremost orchestras and appeared at renowned concert halls.