COMPOSER
Henry Purcell
1659 - 1695

Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell (, rare: ; c. 10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, Dido and Aeneas; and his incidental music to a version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream called The Fairy Queen. Purcell's musical style was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest English opera composers, Purcell has been ranked alongside John Dunstaple and William Byrd in the pantheon of English early music. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Henry Purcell is the 65th most popular composer (down from 60th in 2019), the 181st most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 151st in 2019) and the 3rd most popular British Composer.
Henry Purcell is most famous for his compositions of the masque "The Fairy Queen" and the opera "Dido and Aeneas."
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Henry Purcell by language
Among COMPOSERS
Among composers, Henry Purcell ranks 65 out of 1,451. Before him are Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Gounod, Anton Webern, Erik Satie, Gabriel Fauré, and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. After him are Dieterich Buxtehude, Carl Orff, Vangelis, Astor Piazzolla, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Alexander Borodin.
Most Popular Composers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsAndrew Lloyd Webber
1948 - Present
HPI: 78.83
Rank: 59
Charles Gounod
1818 - 1893
HPI: 78.69
Rank: 60
Anton Webern
1883 - 1945
HPI: 78.67
Rank: 61
Erik Satie
1866 - 1925
HPI: 78.54
Rank: 62
Gabriel Fauré
1845 - 1924
HPI: 78.20
Rank: 63
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
1710 - 1736
HPI: 78.19
Rank: 64
Henry Purcell
1659 - 1695
HPI: 78.16
Rank: 65
Dieterich Buxtehude
1637 - 1707
HPI: 78.14
Rank: 66
Carl Orff
1895 - 1982
HPI: 77.97
Rank: 67
Vangelis
1943 - 2022
HPI: 77.87
Rank: 68
Astor Piazzolla
1921 - 1992
HPI: 77.67
Rank: 69
Alessandro Scarlatti
1660 - 1725
HPI: 77.56
Rank: 70
Alexander Borodin
1833 - 1887
HPI: 77.17
Rank: 71
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1659, Henry Purcell ranks 1. After him are Jacob Roggeveen, Hyacinthe Rigaud, Georg Ernst Stahl, Henry Every, Royal Noble Consort Huibin Jang, Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Sebastiano Ricci, Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt, Pieter van der Aa, Adriaen van der Werff, and Theodore Eustace, Count Palatine of Sulzbach. Among people deceased in 1695, Henry Purcell ranks 4. Before him are Christiaan Huygens, Jean de La Fontaine, and Ahmed II. After him are Juana Inés de la Cruz, Johann Ambrosius Bach, Pierre Mignard, Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg, Zumbi, Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł, and Thomas Tew.
Others Born in 1659
Go to all RankingsHenry Purcell
COMPOSER
1659 - 1695
HPI: 78.16
Rank: 1
Jacob Roggeveen
EXPLORER
1659 - 1729
HPI: 73.05
Rank: 2
Hyacinthe Rigaud
PAINTER
1659 - 1743
HPI: 71.52
Rank: 3
Georg Ernst Stahl
CHEMIST
1659 - 1734
HPI: 69.52
Rank: 4
Henry Every
PIRATE
1659 - 1699
HPI: 69.25
Rank: 5
Royal Noble Consort Huibin Jang
COMPANION
1659 - 1701
HPI: 66.34
Rank: 6
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1659 - 1719
HPI: 66.14
Rank: 7
Sebastiano Ricci
PAINTER
1659 - 1734
HPI: 65.52
Rank: 8
Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1659 - 1719
HPI: 64.72
Rank: 9
Pieter van der Aa
POLITICIAN
1659 - 1733
HPI: 63.90
Rank: 10
Adriaen van der Werff
PAINTER
1659 - 1722
HPI: 62.02
Rank: 11
Theodore Eustace, Count Palatine of Sulzbach
POLITICIAN
1659 - 1732
HPI: 61.23
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1695
Go to all RankingsChristiaan Huygens
PHYSICIST
1629 - 1695
HPI: 82.04
Rank: 1
Jean de La Fontaine
WRITER
1621 - 1695
HPI: 80.50
Rank: 2
Ahmed II
POLITICIAN
1643 - 1695
HPI: 79.09
Rank: 3
Henry Purcell
COMPOSER
1659 - 1695
HPI: 78.16
Rank: 4
Juana Inés de la Cruz
WRITER
1648 - 1695
HPI: 71.71
Rank: 5
Johann Ambrosius Bach
COMPOSER
1645 - 1695
HPI: 69.77
Rank: 6
Pierre Mignard
PAINTER
1612 - 1695
HPI: 69.35
Rank: 7
Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
NOBLEMAN
1641 - 1695
HPI: 67.64
Rank: 8
François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1628 - 1695
HPI: 67.37
Rank: 9
Zumbi
POLITICIAN
1655 - 1695
HPI: 67.12
Rank: 10
Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł
POLITICIAN
1667 - 1695
HPI: 62.73
Rank: 11
Thomas Tew
PIRATE
1649 - 1695
HPI: 62.38
Rank: 12
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, Henry Purcell ranks 181 out of 8,785. Before him are Geoffrey Chaucer (1343), Philip Noel-Baker (1889), Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia (1596), Aldous Huxley (1894), Robert Brown (1773), and Mary Boleyn (1499). After him are Betty Williams (1943), Elton John (1947), Robert Clive (1725), Bon Scott (1946), Terry Pratchett (1948), and Alan Hodgkin (1914).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsGeoffrey Chaucer
WRITER
1343 - 1400
HPI: 78.27
Rank: 175
Philip Noel-Baker
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1982
HPI: 78.25
Rank: 176
Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia
COMPANION
1596 - 1662
HPI: 78.24
Rank: 177
Aldous Huxley
WRITER
1894 - 1963
HPI: 78.24
Rank: 178
Robert Brown
BIOLOGIST
1773 - 1858
HPI: 78.23
Rank: 179
Mary Boleyn
COMPANION
1499 - 1543
HPI: 78.19
Rank: 180
Henry Purcell
COMPOSER
1659 - 1695
HPI: 78.16
Rank: 181
Betty Williams
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1943 - 2020
HPI: 78.16
Rank: 182
Elton John
MUSICIAN
1947 - Present
HPI: 78.15
Rank: 183
Robert Clive
POLITICIAN
1725 - 1774
HPI: 78.15
Rank: 184
Bon Scott
MUSICIAN
1946 - 1980
HPI: 78.13
Rank: 185
Terry Pratchett
WRITER
1948 - 2015
HPI: 78.12
Rank: 186
Alan Hodgkin
PHYSICIAN
1914 - 1998
HPI: 78.08
Rank: 187
Among COMPOSERS In United Kingdom
Among composers born in United Kingdom, Henry Purcell ranks 3. Before him are Edward Elgar (1857), and Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948). After him are Benjamin Britten (1913), Christopher Hogwood (1941), William Byrd (1543), Gustav Holst (1874), John Barry (1933), Eugen d'Albert (1864), Thomas Tallis (1502), Keith Emerson (1944), and Michael Nyman (1944).
Edward Elgar
1857 - 1934
HPI: 79.61
Rank: 1
Andrew Lloyd Webber
1948 - Present
HPI: 78.83
Rank: 2
Henry Purcell
1659 - 1695
HPI: 78.16
Rank: 3
Benjamin Britten
1913 - 1976
HPI: 73.16
Rank: 4
Christopher Hogwood
1941 - 2014
HPI: 71.94
Rank: 5
William Byrd
1543 - 1623
HPI: 71.09
Rank: 6
Gustav Holst
1874 - 1934
HPI: 70.55
Rank: 7
John Barry
1933 - 2011
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 8
Eugen d'Albert
1864 - 1932
HPI: 68.45
Rank: 9
Thomas Tallis
1502 - 1585
HPI: 67.16
Rank: 10
Keith Emerson
1944 - 2016
HPI: 66.79
Rank: 11
Michael Nyman
1944 - Present
HPI: 66.61
Rank: 12