MUSICIAN
Ravi Shankar
1920 - 2012

Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar (Bengali pronunciation: [ˈrobi ˈʃɔŋkor]; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known expert of Indian classical music in the second half of the 20th century, and influenced many musicians in India and throughout the world. Shankar was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999. He is also the father of American singer Norah Jones and British-American musician and sitar player Anoushka Shankar. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ravi Shankar is the 170th most popular musician (down from 152nd in 2019), the 128th most popular biography from India (down from 99th in 2019) and the 5th most popular Indian Musician.
Ravi Shankar is most famous for being a sitar player and composer. He is often credited with popularizing Indian classical music in the west.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Ravi Shankar by language
Among MUSICIANS
Among musicians, Ravi Shankar ranks 170 out of 3,175. Before him are Vladimir Ashkenazy, James Last, Charley Patton, Joseph Joachim, Pete Best, and Lenny Kravitz. After him are Duff McKagan, Giovanni Battista Viotti, Amy Winehouse, Bill Evans, Anton Diabelli, and Gene Simmons.
Most Popular Musicians in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsVladimir Ashkenazy
1937 - Present
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 164
James Last
1929 - 2015
HPI: 69.50
Rank: 165
Charley Patton
1891 - 1934
HPI: 69.47
Rank: 166
Joseph Joachim
1831 - 1907
HPI: 69.47
Rank: 167
Pete Best
1941 - Present
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 168
Lenny Kravitz
1964 - Present
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 169
Ravi Shankar
1920 - 2012
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 170
Duff McKagan
1964 - Present
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 171
Giovanni Battista Viotti
1755 - 1824
HPI: 69.33
Rank: 172
Amy Winehouse
1983 - 2011
HPI: 69.31
Rank: 173
Bill Evans
1929 - 1980
HPI: 69.26
Rank: 174
Anton Diabelli
1781 - 1858
HPI: 69.24
Rank: 175
Gene Simmons
1949 - Present
HPI: 69.24
Rank: 176
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1920, Ravi Shankar ranks 51. Before him are Douglass North, Ben Ferencz, Baruj Benacerraf, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Robert Whittaker, and Lawrence Klein. After him are Kaysone Phomvihane, Sergei Bondarchuk, Mickey Rooney, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Gunnar Gren, and Michèle Morgan. Among people deceased in 2012, Ravi Shankar ranks 44. Before him are John Demjanjuk, Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria, Antoni Tàpies, Carroll Shelby, Benzion Netanyahu, and Mike Wallace. After him are Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Stephen Covey, Sven Hassel, Jean Giraud, Albert O. Hirschman, and Oscar Luigi Scalfaro.
Others Born in 1920
Go to all RankingsDouglass North
ECONOMIST
1920 - 2015
HPI: 69.84
Rank: 45
Ben Ferencz
POLITICIAN
1920 - 2023
HPI: 69.71
Rank: 46
Baruj Benacerraf
PHYSICIAN
1920 - 2011
HPI: 69.60
Rank: 47
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
POLITICIAN
1920 - 1975
HPI: 69.56
Rank: 48
Robert Whittaker
BIOLOGIST
1920 - 1980
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 49
Lawrence Klein
ECONOMIST
1920 - 2013
HPI: 69.53
Rank: 50
Ravi Shankar
MUSICIAN
1920 - 2012
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 51
Kaysone Phomvihane
POLITICIAN
1920 - 1992
HPI: 69.13
Rank: 52
Sergei Bondarchuk
FILM DIRECTOR
1920 - 1994
HPI: 68.99
Rank: 53
Mickey Rooney
ACTOR
1920 - 2014
HPI: 68.89
Rank: 54
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
MUSICIAN
1920 - 1995
HPI: 68.74
Rank: 55
Gunnar Gren
SOCCER PLAYER
1920 - 1991
HPI: 68.52
Rank: 56
Michèle Morgan
ACTOR
1920 - 2016
HPI: 68.51
Rank: 57
Others Deceased in 2012
Go to all RankingsJohn Demjanjuk
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1920 - 2012
HPI: 70.24
Rank: 38
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1923 - 2012
HPI: 70.03
Rank: 39
Antoni Tàpies
PAINTER
1923 - 2012
HPI: 70.02
Rank: 40
Carroll Shelby
RACING DRIVER
1923 - 2012
HPI: 69.66
Rank: 41
Benzion Netanyahu
HISTORIAN
1910 - 2012
HPI: 69.50
Rank: 42
Mike Wallace
ACTOR
1918 - 2012
HPI: 69.39
Rank: 43
Ravi Shankar
MUSICIAN
1920 - 2012
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 44
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
SINGER
1925 - 2012
HPI: 69.13
Rank: 45
Stephen Covey
WRITER
1932 - 2012
HPI: 69.00
Rank: 46
Sven Hassel
WRITER
1917 - 2012
HPI: 68.81
Rank: 47
Jean Giraud
COMIC ARTIST
1938 - 2012
HPI: 68.78
Rank: 48
Albert O. Hirschman
ECONOMIST
1915 - 2012
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 49
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
POLITICIAN
1918 - 2012
HPI: 68.62
Rank: 50
In India
Among people born in India, Ravi Shankar ranks 128 out of 1,861. Before him are Rajendra Prasad (1884), A. R. Rahman (1966), Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835), Samudragupta (335), Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888), and Pete Best (1941). After him are Zeb-un-Nissa (1638), Ghiyas ud din Balban (1200), Abul A'la Maududi (1903), Kim Philby (1912), Radha (null), and Vyjayanthimala Bali (1936).
Others born in India
Go to all RankingsRajendra Prasad
POLITICIAN
1884 - 1963
HPI: 69.72
Rank: 122
A. R. Rahman
MUSICIAN
1966 - Present
HPI: 69.70
Rank: 123
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1835 - 1908
HPI: 69.56
Rank: 124
Samudragupta
POLITICIAN
335 - 380
HPI: 69.46
Rank: 125
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
POLITICIAN
1888 - 1975
HPI: 69.45
Rank: 126
Pete Best
MUSICIAN
1941 - Present
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 127
Ravi Shankar
MUSICIAN
1920 - 2012
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 128
Zeb-un-Nissa
WRITER
1638 - 1702
HPI: 69.33
Rank: 129
Ghiyas ud din Balban
POLITICIAN
1200 - 1287
HPI: 69.31
Rank: 130
Abul A'la Maududi
PHILOSOPHER
1903 - 1979
HPI: 69.30
Rank: 131
Kim Philby
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1912 - 1988
HPI: 69.30
Rank: 132
Radha
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 133
Vyjayanthimala Bali
ACTOR
1936 - Present
HPI: 69.12
Rank: 134
Among MUSICIANS In India
Among musicians born in India, Ravi Shankar ranks 5. Before him are Amir Khusrow (1253), Ram Narayan (1927), A. R. Rahman (1966), and Pete Best (1941). After him are Cliff Richard (1940), Tansen (1493), Ilaiyaraaja (1943), Naushad (1919), Bismillah Khan (1916), Christian Zacharias (1950), and Barry Hay (1948).
Amir Khusrow
1253 - 1325
HPI: 76.92
Rank: 1
Ram Narayan
1927 - 2024
HPI: 74.13
Rank: 2
A. R. Rahman
1966 - Present
HPI: 69.70
Rank: 3
Pete Best
1941 - Present
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 4
Ravi Shankar
1920 - 2012
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 5
Cliff Richard
1940 - Present
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 6
Tansen
1493 - 1493
HPI: 66.69
Rank: 7
Ilaiyaraaja
1943 - Present
HPI: 60.56
Rank: 8
Naushad
1919 - 2006
HPI: 59.64
Rank: 9
Bismillah Khan
1916 - 2006
HPI: 59.48
Rank: 10
Christian Zacharias
1950 - Present
HPI: 57.00
Rank: 11
Barry Hay
1948 - Present
HPI: 56.80
Rank: 12