COMPOSER
Stephen Foster
1826 - 1864

Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as "the father of American music", was an American composer known primarily for his parlour and folk music during the Romantic period. He wrote more than 200 songs, including "Oh! Susanna", "Hard Times Come Again No More", "Camptown Races", "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River"), "My Old Kentucky Home", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", "Old Black Joe", and "Beautiful Dreamer". Many of his compositions remain popular today. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Stephen Foster is the 630th most popular composer (up from 631st in 2019), the 3,388th most popular biography from United States (down from 2,955th in 2019) and the 35th most popular American Composer.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Stephen Foster by language
Among COMPOSERS
Among composers, Stephen Foster ranks 630 out of 1,451. Before him are Wilhelm Stenhammar, Giuseppe Sammartini, Antonio Sacchini, Isabella Leonarda, Johann Caspar Kerll, and Franz Waxman. After him are Jean-Féry Rebel, Ludwig Senfl, Felip Pedrell, Alex North, Johan Helmich Roman, and Wolfgang Schmieder.
Most Popular Composers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsWilhelm Stenhammar
1871 - 1927
HPI: 62.22
Rank: 624
Giuseppe Sammartini
1695 - 1750
HPI: 62.21
Rank: 625
Antonio Sacchini
1730 - 1786
HPI: 62.20
Rank: 626
Isabella Leonarda
1620 - 1704
HPI: 62.20
Rank: 627
Johann Caspar Kerll
1627 - 1693
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 628
Franz Waxman
1906 - 1967
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 629
Stephen Foster
1826 - 1864
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 630
Jean-Féry Rebel
1666 - 1747
HPI: 62.17
Rank: 631
Ludwig Senfl
1486 - 1542
HPI: 62.16
Rank: 632
Felip Pedrell
1841 - 1922
HPI: 62.14
Rank: 633
Alex North
1910 - 1991
HPI: 62.13
Rank: 634
Johan Helmich Roman
1694 - 1758
HPI: 62.11
Rank: 635
Wolfgang Schmieder
1901 - 1990
HPI: 62.10
Rank: 636
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1826, Stephen Foster ranks 28. Before him are Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia, Henri Mouhot, Karl Gegenbaur, Julia Grant, Giovanni Battista Donati, and George B. McClellan. After him are Giuseppe Zanardelli, Walter Bagehot, Gustave Moynier, Rahime Perestu Sultan, Frederic Edwin Church, and Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. Among people deceased in 1864, Stephen Foster ranks 30. Before him are John Hanning Speke, Giovanni Antonio Amedeo Plana, Christian Ludwig Brehm, George M. Dallas, Aimable Pélissier, and Karl Ernst Claus. After him are Henryk Dembiński, Adam Wilhelm Moltke, Alexandre Calame, Antoinette de Mérode, Archduke Louis of Austria, and David Roberts.
Others Born in 1826
Go to all RankingsGrand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia
POLITICIAN
1826 - 1845
HPI: 63.94
Rank: 22
Henri Mouhot
EXPLORER
1826 - 1861
HPI: 63.62
Rank: 23
Karl Gegenbaur
BIOLOGIST
1826 - 1903
HPI: 63.48
Rank: 24
Julia Grant
POLITICIAN
1826 - 1902
HPI: 63.45
Rank: 25
Giovanni Battista Donati
ASTRONOMER
1826 - 1873
HPI: 63.33
Rank: 26
George B. McClellan
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1826 - 1885
HPI: 62.69
Rank: 27
Stephen Foster
COMPOSER
1826 - 1864
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 28
Giuseppe Zanardelli
POLITICIAN
1826 - 1903
HPI: 61.69
Rank: 29
Walter Bagehot
WRITER
1826 - 1877
HPI: 61.52
Rank: 30
Gustave Moynier
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1826 - 1910
HPI: 61.43
Rank: 31
Rahime Perestu Sultan
POLITICAL SCIENTIST
1826 - 1906
HPI: 60.94
Rank: 32
Frederic Edwin Church
PAINTER
1826 - 1900
HPI: 60.84
Rank: 33
Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
POLITICIAN
1826 - 1908
HPI: 60.61
Rank: 34
Others Deceased in 1864
Go to all RankingsJohn Hanning Speke
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1827 - 1864
HPI: 63.83
Rank: 24
Giovanni Antonio Amedeo Plana
MATHEMATICIAN
1781 - 1864
HPI: 63.55
Rank: 25
Christian Ludwig Brehm
BIOLOGIST
1787 - 1864
HPI: 63.33
Rank: 26
George M. Dallas
POLITICIAN
1792 - 1864
HPI: 62.92
Rank: 27
Aimable Pélissier
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1794 - 1864
HPI: 62.57
Rank: 28
Karl Ernst Claus
CHEMIST
1796 - 1864
HPI: 62.43
Rank: 29
Stephen Foster
COMPOSER
1826 - 1864
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 30
Henryk Dembiński
ENGINEER
1791 - 1864
HPI: 62.12
Rank: 31
Adam Wilhelm Moltke
POLITICIAN
1785 - 1864
HPI: 61.55
Rank: 32
Alexandre Calame
PAINTER
1810 - 1864
HPI: 61.44
Rank: 33
Antoinette de Mérode
NOBLEMAN
1828 - 1864
HPI: 61.44
Rank: 34
Archduke Louis of Austria
POLITICIAN
1784 - 1864
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 35
David Roberts
PAINTER
1796 - 1864
HPI: 61.26
Rank: 36
In United States
Among people born in United States, Stephen Foster ranks 3,388 out of 20,380. Before him are Adrian Smith (1944), James Gibbons (1834), Bruce Rauner (1957), Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš (1964), Suzanne Pleshette (1937), and Jamaal Wilkes (1953). After him are Christian Slater (1969), E. G. Marshall (1914), Bruce Boxleitner (1950), Marty Friedman (1962), Joseph D. Pistone (1939), and Stefanie Powers (1942).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsAdrian Smith
ARCHITECT
1944 - Present
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 3,382
James Gibbons
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1834 - 1921
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 3,383
Bruce Rauner
POLITICIAN
1957 - Present
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 3,384
Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš
POLITICIAN
1964 - Present
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 3,385
Suzanne Pleshette
ACTOR
1937 - 2008
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 3,386
Jamaal Wilkes
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1953 - Present
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 3,387
Stephen Foster
COMPOSER
1826 - 1864
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 3,388
Christian Slater
ACTOR
1969 - Present
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 3,389
E. G. Marshall
ACTOR
1914 - 1998
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 3,390
Bruce Boxleitner
ACTOR
1950 - Present
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 3,391
Marty Friedman
MUSICIAN
1962 - Present
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 3,392
Joseph D. Pistone
WRITER
1939 - Present
HPI: 62.17
Rank: 3,393
Stefanie Powers
ACTOR
1942 - Present
HPI: 62.17
Rank: 3,394
Among COMPOSERS In United States
Among composers born in United States, Stephen Foster ranks 35. Before him are Michael Kamen (1948), John Adams (1947), Amy Beach (1867), Morton Feldman (1926), Ernest Guiraud (1837), and James Scott (1885). After him are Alex North (1910), Basil Poledouris (1945), Jerome Kern (1885), Carmine Coppola (1910), Lee Konitz (1927), and Sun Ra (1914).
Michael Kamen
1948 - 2003
HPI: 63.46
Rank: 29
John Adams
1947 - Present
HPI: 63.39
Rank: 30
Amy Beach
1867 - 1944
HPI: 62.88
Rank: 31
Morton Feldman
1926 - 1987
HPI: 62.81
Rank: 32
Ernest Guiraud
1837 - 1892
HPI: 62.57
Rank: 33
James Scott
1885 - 1938
HPI: 62.31
Rank: 34
Stephen Foster
1826 - 1864
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 35
Alex North
1910 - 1991
HPI: 62.13
Rank: 36
Basil Poledouris
1945 - 2006
HPI: 61.89
Rank: 37
Jerome Kern
1885 - 1945
HPI: 61.40
Rank: 38
Carmine Coppola
1910 - 1991
HPI: 61.37
Rank: 39
Lee Konitz
1927 - 2020
HPI: 61.26
Rank: 40
Sun Ra
1914 - 1993
HPI: 60.95
Rank: 41