Famous Music Critics

This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

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1 Danny Baker

Famous As: Disc jockey, Presenter, Journalist, Music critic

Birthdate: June 22, 1957

Sun Sign: Cancer

Nationality: British

2 Robert Christgau

Famous As: Journalist, Reporter, Essayist, Writer, Music critic

Birthdate: April 18, 1942

Sun Sign: Aries

Nationality: American

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3 Molly Meldrum

Famous As: Music critic, Record producer, Composer

Birthdate: January 29, 1943

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Nationality: Australian

4 Harvey Pekar

Famous As: Comics artist, Autobiographer, Writer, Music critic, Journalist

Birthdate: October 8, 1939

Sun Sign: Libra

Nationality: American

Died: July 12, 2010

5 E. T. A. Hoffmann

Famous As: Author

Birthdate: January 24, 1776

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Nationality: German

Died: June 25, 1822

E. T. A. Hoffmann was a German author, jurist, artist, composer, and music critic. His stories served as an inspiration and laid the foundation for The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach. The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is also based on Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Hoffmann is among the most influential authors of the Romantic Movement.

6 Armond White

Famous As: Film critic

Birthdate: April 24, 1953

Sun Sign: Taurus

Nationality: American

7 Erin McNaught

Famous As: Actor, Model, Beauty pageant contestant, Music critic

Birthdate: May 22, 1982

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: Australian

8 Guido of Arezzo

Famous As: Music theorist

Birthdate: 0991 AD

Nationality: Italian

Died: 1033 AD

9 John Hammond

Birthdate: December 15, 1910

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: American

Died: July 10, 1987

10 Darius Milhaud

Famous As: Classical composer, Conductor, Autobiographer, Musicologist, Music educator, Jazz musician, Music critic, Composer, Pianist, Film score composer

Birthdate: September 4, 1892

Sun Sign: Virgo

Nationality: French

Died: June 22, 1974

11 Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Famous As: Journalist, Writer, Musicologist, Music critic

Birthdate: June 18, 1973

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: American

12 Adolphe Adam

Famous As: Composer

Birthdate: July 24, 1803

Sun Sign: Leo

Nationality: French

Died: May 3, 1856

13 Pierre Schaeffer

Famous As: Composer, Radio personality, Engineer, Musicologist, Music educator, Music theorist, Music critic, Record producer

Birthdate: August 14, 1910

Sun Sign: Leo

Nationality: French

Died: August 19, 1995

14 Gabriel Marcel

Famous As: Playwright, Philosopher, Writer, University teacher, Literary critic, Musician, Music critic

Birthdate: December 7, 1889

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: French

Died: October 8, 1973

15 David Fricke

Famous As: Journalist, Writer, Music critic

Birthdate: June 4, 1952

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: American

16 Stanley Crouch

Famous As: Musician, Novelist, Writer, Music critic, Journalist

Birthdate: December 14, 1945

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: American

17 Janet Maslin

Famous As: Journalist, Literary critic, Music critic

Birthdate: August 12, 1949

Sun Sign: Leo

Nationality: American

18 Reynaldo Hahn

Famous As: Conductor, Composer, Choreographer, Music critic, Pianist

Birthdate: August 9, 1874

Sun Sign: Leo

Nationality: French, Venezuelan

Died: January 28, 1947

19 Simon Reynolds

Famous As: Journalist, Music critic, Writer

Birthdate: June 19, 1963

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: British

20 Paul Morley

Famous As: Journalist, Music critic, Writer, Talent agent, Talent manager

Birthdate: March 26, 1957

Sun Sign: Aries

Nationality: British

21 Greil Marcus

Famous As: Historian, Music historian, Writer, Journalist, Music critic

Birthdate: June 19, 1945

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: American

22 Charles-Marie Widor

Famous As: Composer, Organist, Music arranger, Music educator, Music critic, University teacher

Birthdate: February 21, 1844

Sun Sign: Pisces

Nationality: French

Died: March 12, 1937

23 Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji

Famous As: Pianist, Composer, Music critic, Writer

Birthdate: August 14, 1892

Sun Sign: Leo

Nationality: British

Died: October 15, 1988

24 Dave Marsh

Famous As: Writer, Music critic, Journalist

Birthdate: March 1, 1950

Sun Sign: Pisces

Nationality: American

25 Ellen Willis

Famous As: Essayist

Birthdate: December 14, 1941

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: American

Died: November 9, 2006

26 Nick Kent

Famous As: Journalist, Music critic

Birthdate: December 24, 1951

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Nationality: British

27 Charles Rosen

Famous As: Pianist

Birthdate: May 5, 1927

Sun Sign: Taurus

Nationality: American

Died: December 9, 2012

28 Sacheverell Sitwell

Famous As: Writer

Birthdate: November 15, 1897

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: British

Died: October 1, 1988

29 Marcia Davenport

Famous As: Author

Birthdate: June 9, 1903

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: American

Died: January 16, 1996

30 Eduard Hanslick

Famous As: Music Critic

Birthdate: September 11, 1825

Sun Sign: Virgo

Nationality: Czech

Died: August 6, 1904

31 Heinrich Schenker

Famous As: Music theorist

Birthdate: June 19, 1868

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: Polish

Died: January 14, 1935

32 Olga Samaroff

Famous As: Pianist

Birthdate: August 8, 1880

Sun Sign: Leo

Nationality: American

Died: May 17, 1948

33 Harold C. Schonberg

Famous As: Music Critic

Birthdate: November 29, 1915

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: American

Died: July 26, 2003

34 Stanley Sadie

Famous As: Musicologist

Birthdate: October 30, 1930

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: British

Died: March 21, 2005

35 Tikhon Khrennikov

Famous As: Composer

Birthdate: June 10, 1913

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: Russian

Died: August 14, 2007

36 François-Joseph Fétis

Famous As: Musicologist

Birthdate: March 25, 1784

Sun Sign: Aries

Nationality: Belgian

Died: March 26, 1871

37 Charles Wakefield Cadman

Famous As: Composer

Birthdate: December 24, 1881

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Nationality: American

Died: December 30, 1946

38 Géza Csáth

Famous As: Writer

Birthdate: February 13, 1887

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Nationality: Serbian

Died: September 11, 1919

39 Wilfrid Mellers

Famous As: Music critic

Birthdate: April 26, 1914

Sun Sign: Taurus

Nationality: British

Died: May 17, 2008

40 Augusto de Campos

Famous As: Author

Birthdate: February 14, 1931

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Nationality: Brazilian

41 Johann Cochlaeus

Famous As: Humanist

Birthdate: January 10, 1479

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Nationality: German

Died: January 10, 1552

42 Reginald De Koven

Famous As: Music Critic

Birthdate: April 3, 1859

Sun Sign: Aries

Nationality: American

Died: January 16, 1920

43 Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg

Famous As: Music critic

Birthdate: November 21, 1718

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: German

Died: May 22, 1795

44 Jeannette Thurber

Famous As: Music patron

Birthdate: January 29, 1850

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Nationality: American

Died: January 2, 1946

45 Daniel Gregory Mason

Famous As: Composer

Birthdate: November 20, 1873

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: American

Died: December 4, 1953

46 Winthrop Sargeant

Famous As: Music critic

Birthdate: December 10, 1903

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: American

Died: August 15, 1986

47 Andrew Porter

Famous As: Music critic

Birthdate: August 26, 1928

Sun Sign: Virgo

Nationality: British

Died: April 3, 2015

48 Theodor W. Adorno

Famous As: Philosopher

Birthdate: September 11, 1903

Sun Sign: Virgo

Nationality: German

Died: August 6, 1969

One of the most prominent intellectuals of the 20th century, Theodor Adorno was a pioneer of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory and despised the culture industry. Born to a singer mother, the German sociologist grew up amid music and could even play Beethoven on the piano by 12.

49 Maurycy Mochnacki

Famous As: Author

Birthdate: September 13, 1803

Sun Sign: Virgo

Nationality: Polish

Died: December 20, 1834

50 Józef Sikorski

Famous As: Musician

Birthdate: 1813 AD

Nationality: Polish

Died: May 4, 1896