Famous Norwegian Musicians

Aurora is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, and dancer. Gifted from a young age, she began writing songs at the age of six! She began her career self-releasing her works. She received a favorable response from the audience and was soon able to establish herself as a popular singer. Her music encompasses electro-pop, folk, and art-pop elements. 

Girl in Red is an indie-pop music project by Norwegian singer-songwriter Marie Ulven Ringheim. She became interested in music and songwriting as a teenager. With her family’s encouragement, she began releasing Norwegian music and soon earned a decent following. She has also appeared in a TV program. She is openly queer and is considered a queer icon. 

Morten Harket is a Norwegian vocalist and musician. He is most popular as the lead singer of the synthpop/rock band A-ha. The band has released ten studio albums to date. Before joining the band, he used to sing for the blues outfit Souldier Blue. He has often been praised for his incredibly strong falsetto.  

Jo Nesbø is a Norwegian writer, economist, musician, and former reporter and footballer. By 2021, Nesbø was declared the most successful Norwegian author ever when his translated works sold over 50 million copies; Nesbø's work has been translated into more than 50 languages. He is also associated with the band Di Derre where he is the main vocalist and songwriter.

The 1990s’ superhit dance track Barbie Girl made both the Danish-Norwegian band Aqua and its lead singer, Lene Nystrøm, international sensations. While Lene dated fellow band member René, she later married another band member, Søren. She later appeared in the Varg Veum film franchise and also reunited with her band.

Alexander Rybak is a Belarusian-Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, and pianist. The son of two talented musicians, he began to play musical instruments when he was just five. He studied at the Barratt Due Institute of Music before beginning his career. Besides being a musician, he is also an actor and has appeared in many TV shows and films. 

Magne Furuholmen is a Norwegian visual artist and musician known for founding the popular synth-pop band A-ha where he plays the keyboard and guitar. Thanks to the popularity of the band, Furuholmen has achieved international fame. As a songwriter, Furuholmen has delivered hits like Cry Wolf and Manhattan Skyline. He has also held exhibitions across Norway as a visual artist.

Fenriz is a Norwegian musician, online radio host, and part-time music journalist. He is best known as one half of the popular extreme metal duo Darkthrone. Although he is known mainly as a drummer and songwriter, Fenriz has also contributed as a guitarist, bassist, and vocalist for not only Darkthrone but also for many other metal bands. 

Faust is a Norwegian musician, drummer, and convicted murderer best known for his association with the popular black metal band Emperor. Faust gained notoriety in 1993 when he confessed to killing a man named Magne Andreassen on 21 August 1992 by stabbing him 37 times before kicking him in the head repeatedly. Faust served more than nine years in prison.

Jorn Stubberud is a Norwegian musician and bassist. He is best known as the co-founder of the popular black metal band Mayhem where he performs as a bassist under the stage name Necrobutcher. Apart from playing for Mayhem, Jorn Stubberud has also contributed to the success of other bands like Checker Patrol, L.E.G.O., and Kvikksølvguttene.

Paul Waaktaar-Savoy is a Norwegian guitarist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his association with the popular synth-pop band A-ha, where he performs as a guitarist apart from being the main songwriter. Paul Waaktaar-Savoy is the recipient of two Spellemannprisen, which is referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards.

Jan Axel Blomberg is a Norwegian heavy metal drummer known for his association with the popular black metal band Mayhem, where he has been the drummer since 1988. Blomberg is credited with forming an avant-garde metal band known as Arcturus. A talented musician, Jan Axel Blomberg has won the Spellemannprisen, also known as the Norwegian Grammy Awards, on three occasions.

Ihsahn is a Norwegian vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his association with the black metal band Emperor. He is credited with founding the band Thou Shalt Suffer and also contributed immensely to the avant-garde band Peccatum. Apart from metal music, Ihsahn also incorporates classical, progressive, and industrial elements. He is also credited with creating the symphonic black metal genre.

Jørn Lande is a Norwegian heavy metal and hard rock singer and songwriter known for his association with popular bands like Masterplan, Ark, Beyond Twilight, The Snakes, Millenium, and Vagabond. Jørn Lande's voice has attracted favorable comparisons to Ronnie James Dio and David Coverdale.

Marion Raven is a Norwegian singer-songwriter best known as the co-founder of the pop duo M2M along with Marit Larsen. After they stopped performing together in 2002, Raven began a solo career and found success. She also contributes as a songwriter for other artists like Pixie Lott. Raven won the Best International Act award at the Musik Fach-Awards in 2015.

Einar Selvik is a Norwegian musician best known for his association with the popular black metal band Gorgoroth where he performed as the drummer from 2000 to 2004. He is credited with co-founding the Nordic folk project Wardruna. His work with Wardruna for the soundtrack of the popular TV show Vikings has earned Selvik international prominence.

Liv Kristine is a Norwegian singer best known as an exponent of numerous subgenres of heavy metal music. Kristine is credited with pioneering gothic metal, which has since found many representatives across Europe. Over the years, Liv Kristine has contributed to the success of many bands like Theatre of Tragedy, Leaves' Eyes, and Atrocity. 

Thomas Bergersen is a Norwegian composer and multi-instrumentalist best known as the co-founder of an American production music company called Two Steps From Hell. A self-taught composer, Bergersen's compositions have featured in several motion picture campaigns including Pirates of the Caribbean, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Twilight Saga, Harry Potter, and Avatar. 

Erlend Øye is a Norwegian musician, composer, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as one half of the indie folk-pop duo Kings of Convenience. He has also been contributing to tracks of other artists and is the leading vocalist of the band The Whitest Boy Alive. Øye is also credited with co-founding an independent label named Bubbles Records.

Lene Marlin is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, and musician. Marlin made an impressive debut when she released her single Unforgivable Sinner (1998) which became the fastest selling single in the history of Norwegian music. In 1999, she received the MTV Europe award for her stage performance in Dublin, Ireland. Marlin has also been nominated for prestigious awards including BRIT Awards.

Shagrath is a Norwegian musician best known as the founding member of the popular symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir where he performs as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Shagrath is also credited with co-forming a black metal supergroup called Ov Hell. Shagrath's stage persona is inspired by an orc from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Roy Khan is a Norwegian songwriter and singer best known for his association with the progressive metal band Conception where he is the lead singer. Roy Khan is also known for his contribution to the symphonic power metal band Kamelot where he wrote several songs apart from serving as the band's lead vocalist from 1997 to 2011.

Marit Larsen is a Norwegian singer-songwriter best known for forming the internationally recognized pop duo M2M with fellow musician and childhood friend Marion Raven. After they stopped performing together in 2002, Marit Larsen started a solo career and has won many prestigious awards, including three Spellemannprisen.

John Norum is a Norwegian-Swedish rock guitarist best known as the co-founder of the popular Swedish rock band Europe. Apart from contributing to the success of Europe, John Norum has also had a successful solo career. Some of his solo albums like Total Control and Play Yard Blues have achieved success and fame. 

Roger Tiegs is a Norwegian musician and Satanist best known as the founder of the popular black metal band Gorgoroth. Although he is mainly known for his skills as a guitarist, Tiegs has also contributed as a vocalist, bassist, and drummer for Gorgoroth as well as other bands. Roger Tiegs is also credited with founding Forces of Satan Records.

Maria Mena is a Norwegian pop singer best known for her songs Just Hold Me and You're the Only One. A successful singer, many of her studio albums have peaked in the top 10 of VG-lista. Maria Mena has won several awards including the Spellemannprisen, Norwegian Music Critics Award, and Norsk Artistforbund's Honorary Award.

Ane Brun is a Norwegian guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She is credited with founding her own record label, Balloon Ranger Recordings. Many of her works like A Temporary Dive and It All Starts with One have become chartbusters and multi-platinum albums.

Jan Garbarek is a Norwegian saxophonist and composer best known for his collaboration with many world-renowned musicians like Zakir Hussain and Keith Jarrett. In 2004, he was honored with the Norwegian Arts Council Award. In 2014, Jan Garbarek received the Willy Brandt Award for his contribution to world music.

Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad is a Norwegian musician and drummer best known for his association with popular black metal bands 1349 and Satyricon. Over the years, he has also contributed to the success of many other bands including Gorgoroth and Keep of Kalessin. He is counted among the most proficient and fastest drummers in the history of extreme metal and black metal.

Samoth is a Norwegian multi-instrumentalist and musician best known for his association with Norway's black metal scene. He is credited with co-founding a blackened death metal band named Zyklon in 1998. He also owned a record company named Nocturnal Art Productions.

Thomas Hayes is a Norwegian-British DJ and actor best known for his portrayal of William Magnusson in the popular teen drama streaming TV series, Skam. Thomas Hayes has also appeared in several music videos of popular artists like Alan Walker.  

Sven Erik Kristiansen is a Norwegian musician best known for his association with the popular black metal band Mayhem where he was a vocalist between 1987 and 2004. An eccentric personality, Sven Erik Kristiansen is renowned for his extremely intense live performances.

Tom Cato Visnes, better known to fans as King ov Hell, soared to fame as the bassist of the Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. He was part of the project Abbath and has co-launched bands such as Ov Hell and God Seed. Interestingly, he is also an English teacher.

Norwegian singer Christian Ingebrigtsen first gained fame with the English pop band A1 in the 1990s. As a solo artist, he later released hits such as the Norwegian Grammy-nominated duet In Love with an Angel. He has also appeared in a Norwegian production of Les Misérables.

Norwegian actor Nils Jørgen Kaalstad is perhaps best known for his role as Arvid in the series Norsemen. His other major portrayals have been for films such as Headhunters and series such as Lilyhammer. He is also an electronic musician, known by his stage name, Sideshow Jøgge.

Norwegian singer Per Fredrik Åsly, better known by his stage name, PelleK, has been associated with groups such as Damnation Angels and Qantice. He also has his own band, PelleK. He is extremely popular on YouTube, too, and has appeared in the film Creators: The Past and the popular series Vikings.

Norwegian heavy metal singer Kristoffer Rygg has sung using various stage names, such as Trickster G. Rex and God Head. He was 16 when he began singing for the black metal and experimental electronica band Ulver. He has also been associated with the metal bands Arcturus and Borknagar.

Norwegian-born American composer Ola Gjeilo was educated at the prestigious Juilliard School and the Royal College of Music. Starting his piano training at age 5, he later soared to fame with his piano albums such as Night and Ola Gjeilo. The Decca Classics artist is now associated with Albany Pro Musica and DCINY.

Ted Skjellum, better known as Nocturno Culto, soared to fame as a guitarist, bassist, and vocalist for the Nigerian extreme metal band Darkthrone. He has also played the guitar for Satyricon, using the name Kveldulv, and been part of the project Gift of Gods. He has co-managed the label Tyrant Syndicate, too.

Exposed to music since he was of age 3, Norwegian singer Sigurd Wongraven later soared to fame with the black metal band Satyricon. Interestingly, he aspired to be a footballer as a young boy. He also once owned a wine business. He has also sung for bands such as Darkthrone and Storm.

Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelsen began playing the violin at age 3 and now performs at prestigious venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall and London’s Barbican. She also often collaborates with her sister, cellist Håkon Samuelsen. She has also gained a huge following on YouTube, with videos such as Summer.

A plumber from the small Norwegian town of Bergen, Kurt Nilsen stunned people with his soulful voice on the Norwegian version of Pop Idol and eventually won the contest. Known for chartbusters such as She’s So High, he was later named World Idol. He has a guitar-shaped home in Hardangervidda.