SINGERS from Philippines

Top 7

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

1. Luis Eduardo Aute (1943 - 2020)

With an HPI of 56.48, Luis Eduardo Aute is the most famous Filipino Singer.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages on wikipedia.

Luis Eduardo Aute Gutiérrez (13 September 1943 – 4 April 2020) was a Spanish musician, singer, composer, and film director. Aute died in April 2020 from Covid-19.

2. Jake Zyrus (b. 1992)

With an HPI of 55.76, Jake Zyrus is the 2nd most famous Filipino Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 45 different languages.

Jake Zyrus (Tagalog: [ˈsaɪɾus]; born 10 May 1992), formerly known professionally as Charice Pempengco (Tagalog: [t͡ʃɐˌɾis pɛmˈpɛːŋ.ko]) and under the mononym Charice, is a Filipino singer and television personality. In 2007, after competing in many singing competitions and several appearances on Filipino television, Zyrus performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the United States. The following year, in 2008, he made several international televised appearances, including a special on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which documented his musical ambitions, home life and family, and featured Zyrus singing for Oprah's studio audience. On that appearance, Zyrus was surprised by one of his singing inspirations, Céline Dion (appearing from her tour via Skype), who invited him to sing with her at New York City's Madison Square Garden, during her 2008 world tour. At the concert, the two sang "Because You Loved Me", dedicating the moment to Zyrus' mother. The performance was eventually replayed on another special episode of Oprah's talk show. Zyrus then began performing in concerts with David Foster and Andrea Bocelli, among others, and released an album My Inspiration (2009). Zyrus released the studio album Charice in 2010, which entered the Billboard 200 at number eight, making it the first album of an Asian solo singer ever to land in the top 10. The single "Pyramid" from that album, featuring singer Iyaz, is Zyrus' most successful single to date, charting within the top 40 in a number of countries after its debut live performance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Crossing over to acting and television, Zyrus joined the cast of the musical-comedy-drama TV series Glee, later in 2010, as Sunshine Corazon. In 2011, "Before It Explodes", written by Bruno Mars, was released as the lead single from Zyrus' second international studio album, Infinity. Zyrus would release two further albums, Chapter 10 (2013) and Catharsis (2016). Zyrus also made his own concert tours in Asia. Zyrus was one of the four judges of the Philippine version of The X Factor, on ABS-CBN, in 2012. Zyrus identified as a gay woman from 2013 to 2017. When he came out as a transgender male after having male chest reconstruction and beginning testosterone treatment, he adopted the name Jake Zyrus and discontinued the use of the name Charice.

3. Apl.de.ap (b. 1974)

With an HPI of 53.08, Apl.de.ap is the 3rd most famous Filipino Singer.  His biography has been translated into 42 different languages.

Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap (IPA: AP-əl-dee-AP), is a Filipino and American musician. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas (BEP). With the BEP, he has been nominated for 16 Grammy Awards; the band won six awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album.

4. Freddie Aguilar (1953 - 2025)

With an HPI of 52.14, Freddie Aguilar is the 4th most famous Filipino Singer.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Ferdinand "Freddie" Pascual Aguilar (Tagalog: [pɐsˈkwal ʔɐɣɪˈlaɾ]; February 5, 1953 – May 27, 2025), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Farid, was a Filipino musician regarded as one of the pillars and icons of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). He was best known for his international hit, "Anak" (1978), which became the best-selling Philippine music record of all time, selling 33 million copies worldwide, and the only Filipino song translated into 51 languages. His rendition of "Bayan Ko" became the anthem of the opposition against the regime of Ferdinand Marcos during the 1986 People Power Revolution. He was heavily associated with Pinoy rock.

5. Bella Poarch (b. 1997)

With an HPI of 48.90, Bella Poarch is the 5th most famous Filipino Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 39 different languages.

Denarie Bautista Taylor (born Belinda Marie Macadengdeng Batumbakal; February 9, 1997), known professionally as Bella Poarch ( PORCH), is an American social media personality and singer. She rose to fame after creating the most liked video on TikTok in August 2020, in which she lip syncs to Millie B's song "M to the B". She is the fourth most-followed individual on the platform and the most followed person from the Philippines. In May 2021, Poarch signed a music record deal with Warner Records. Her debut single "Build a Bitch" was released that same year, which peaked at 56 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut extended play Dolls was released in August 2022. She was also included on Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022.

6. Arnel Pineda (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 46.60, Arnel Pineda is the 6th most famous Filipino Singer.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Arnel Campaner Pineda (born September 5, 1967) is a Filipino singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the Philippines during the 1980s and internationally in 2007 as the lead singer of the American rock band Journey.

7. Tito Sotto (b. 1948)

With an HPI of 44.95, Tito Sotto is the 7th most famous Filipino Singer.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Vicente "Tito" Castelo Sotto III (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈsɔtɔ]; born August 24, 1948) is a Filipino politician and television personality who has served as a senator of the Philippines since 2025. Having also served in the role from 1992 to 2004 and from 2010 to 2022, Sotto is the longest-serving Philippine senator in history, being the only one elected for five non-consecutive terms. During his tenure in the upper chamber, he served as the 23rd president of the Senate from 2018 to 2022, which was preceded by two stints each as Senate majority leader and Senate minority leader. In between his Senate tenures, he led the Dangerous Drugs Board for a year. He served as the vice mayor of Quezon City from 1988 to 1992, and unsuccessfully ran for vice president in the 2022 elections as Panfilo Lacson's running mate. Beyond politics, Sotto is a songwriter, known for founding the iconic musical group VST & Co. alongside his brothers Vic and Val Sotto, which is considered one of the best Filipino bands of all time and the "pioneer of the Manila sound". In television, he is known as a co-host of Eat Bulaga!, the longest-running variety show in Philippine television history, and has appeared in numerous television shows and films as an actor. He is colloquially dubbed "Tito Sen" by the audience. As an athlete, Sotto was also a member of the Philippine national bowling team, representing the country several times at the AMF World Cup. He won a bronze medal in the 1978 Asian Games.