SINGERS from Czechia

Top 10

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

1. Karel Gott (1939 - 2019)

With an HPI of 72.14, Karel Gott is the most famous Czech Singer.  His biography has been translated into 45 different languages on wikipedia.

Karel Gott (14 July 1939 – 1 October 2019) was a Czech singer, considered the most successful male singer in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. He was voted the country's best male singer in the annual Český slavík (Czech Nightingale) national music award 42 times, most recently in 2017. He achieved considerable success in the USSR and the German-speaking countries, where he was known as "the Golden Voice of Prague", winning the Goldene Stimmgabel award three times (1982, 1984, and 1995). Over the course of his career he released over 100 albums and 100 compilation albums, and sold an estimated 50–100 million records worldwide, 23 million of them in the German-speaking market, and about 15 million in Czechoslovakia and its successor states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

2. Helena Vondráčková (b. 1947)

With an HPI of 63.94, Helena Vondráčková is the 2nd most famous Czech Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Helena Vondráčková (born 24 June 1947, in Prague) is a Czech singer and actress whose prolific career as a performer has spanned more than six decades, earning her acclaim both domestically and internationally. Recognized for her powerful voice, enduring popularity, and artistic versatility, she first rose to fame after winning a national singing competition in 1964, with her debut recording "Červená řeka" ("Red River Valley") launching her into the public eye. Her success continued with numerous chart-topping hits such as "Pátá", a Czech adaptation of "Downtown" by Petula Clark, and "Sladké mámení", which became an enduring classic from the beloved Czech comedy S tebou mě baví svět. She also found success with songs like "Lásko má, já stůňu" (from the musical Noc na Karlštejně) and "Dlouhá noc", which became one of her signature comeback hits in the early 2000s. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, she appeared at major festivals, winning the Golden Lyre (Bratislavská Lyra) and the Grand Prix at the Sopot International Song Festival. As a member of the legendary pop trio Golden Kids, alongside Marta Kubišová and Václav Neckář, she became a staple of Czech pop culture until the group was forced to disband in 1970 due to political suppression. Beyond pop music, Vondráčková has also enjoyed a vibrant career in musical theater, portraying iconic roles such as Fantine in Les Misérables and Donna in Mamma Mia!. Despite facing a temporary decline in popularity after the Velvet Revolution due to her perceived association with the pre-1989 regime, her career rebounded in the 2000s with Platinum-selling albums, sold-out tours, and frequent television appearances—cementing her status as one of the Czech Republic’s most enduring and best-selling musical artists.

3. Marta Kubišová (b. 1942)

With an HPI of 60.53, Marta Kubišová is the 3rd most famous Czech Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Marta Kubišová (born 1 November 1942) is a Czech singer. By the time of the Prague Spring of 1968, with her song "Modlitba pro Martu" ("A prayer for Marta"), she was one of the most popular female singers in Czechoslovakia. In 1967 she won Zlatý slavík award (English: Golden Nightingale). Her song "Prayer for Marta" became a symbol of national resistance against the occupation of Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. During the Prague Spring, she recorded over 200 SP records and one LP, Songy a Balady (Songs and Ballads, released in 1969), which was immediately banned from stores. In 1970, the government falsely accused her of making pornographic photographs leading to a ban from performing in the country until 1989. In 1971, she arranged Angelo Michajlov's score for Dívka na Koštěti (The Girl on a Broomstick). She was a signatory of the Charter 77 proclamation. Her first LPs after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 were a re-issue of Songy a Balady and a compilation of old songs, titled Lampa.

4. Emmy Destinn (1878 - 1930)

With an HPI of 60.04, Emmy Destinn is the 4th most famous Czech Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Emmy Destinn (Czech: Ema Destinnová ([ˈɛma ˈdɛstɪnovaː] ); 26 February 1878 – 28 January 1930) was a Czech operatic dramatic soprano. She had a career both in Europe and at the New York Metropolitan Opera. She was one of the greatest opera singers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

5. Maria Jeritza (1887 - 1982)

With an HPI of 59.01, Maria Jeritza is the 5th most famous Czech Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Maria Jeritza (born Marie Jedličková; 6 October 1887 – 10 July 1982) was a dramatic soprano, long associated with the Vienna State Opera (1912–1934 and 1950–1953) and the Metropolitan Opera (1921–1932 and 1951). Her rapid rise to fame, beauty and personality earned her the nickname "The Moravian Thunderbolt".

6. Leo Slezak (1873 - 1946)

With an HPI of 56.01, Leo Slezak is the 6th most famous Czech Singer.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Leo Slezak (German pronunciation: [ˌleːo ˈslɛzak]; 18 August 1873 – 1 June 1946) was an Austrian dramatic tenor. He was associated in particular with Austrian opera as well as the title role in Verdi's Otello. He is the father of actors Walter Slezak and Margarete Slezak and grandfather of the actress Erika Slezak.

7. Ernestine Schumann-Heink (1861 - 1936)

With an HPI of 55.24, Ernestine Schumann-Heink is the 7th most famous Czech Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Ernestine Schumann-Heink (15 June 1861 – 17 November 1936) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American operatic dramatic contralto of German Bohemian descent. She was noted for the flexibility and wide range of her voice. Heink and Schumann were her two husbands' surnames.

8. Magdalena Kožená (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 51.96, Magdalena Kožená is the 8th most famous Czech Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Magdalena Kožená, Lady Rattle (Czech: [ˈmaɡdalɛna ˈkoʒɛnaː]; born 26 May 1973) is a Czech mezzo-soprano.

9. Iveta Bartošová (1966 - 2014)

With an HPI of 51.87, Iveta Bartošová is the 9th most famous Czech Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Iveta Bartošová (8 April 1966 – 29 April 2014) was a Czech singer, actress and celebrity, three-time best female vocalist in the music poll Zlatý slavík (1986, 1990 and 1991). She was also known for her turbulent lifestyle attracting the attention of the Czech tabloid media.

10. Marta Jandová (b. 1974)

With an HPI of 50.59, Marta Jandová is the 10th most famous Czech Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Marta Verner (née Jandová; born 13 April 1974) is a Czech singer, best known for being the lead singer of the German alternative rock band Die Happy. She represented the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 along with Václav Noid Bárta with the song "Hope Never Dies".