Famous Scottish Musicians

Vote for Your Favourite Scottish Musicians

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

 1 
David Byrne
(American-Scottish musician)
David Byrne
13
Birthdate: May 14, 1952
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Dumbarton, Scotland
Talking Heads lead vocalist and avant-garde musician David Byrne has won several awards, including the Grammy, Oscar, and Golden Globe. He has spoken at TED Talks, launched his own record label, and held visual arts exhibitions. He advocates for cycling and has mostly used a bike throughout his life.
 2 
Calvin Harris
(The First UK Solo Artist to Reach more than One Billion Streams on Spotify)
Calvin Harris
12
Birthdate: January 17, 1984
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dumfries, Scotland
Grammy-winning DJ Calvin Harris soared to fame with his album I Created Disco. His track We Found Love, a collaboration with Rihanna, charted on the US Billboard Hot 100. He owns a record label and topped Forbes's list of the highest-paid DJs of the world for 6 years.
 3 
Donovan
(Singer-songwriter, Guitarist, Composer, Autobiographer, Writer, Poet, Record producer, Film score composer)
Donovan
4
Birthdate: May 10, 1946
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland

Donovan is a Scottish guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for developing and popularizing a distinctive and eclectic style that blended many genres, such as folk, jazz, pop, calypso, and psychedelic rock. Donovan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Recommended Lists:
 4 
Stuart Sutcliffe
(Scottish Musician Best Remembered for His Association with the Popular Rock Band 'The Beatles')
Stuart Sutcliffe
2
Birthdate: June 23, 1940
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: April 10, 1962

Stuart Sutcliffe was a Scottish musician and painter. He is best remembered for his association with the popular rock band the Beatles, where he was the original bass guitarist. Before achieving popularity as a guitarist, Sutcliffe left the Beatles to pursue painting. Along with John Lennon, Stuart Sutcliffe is credited with coining the name Beetles, which later became the Beatles.

Recommended Lists:
 5 
George Young
(bassist, guitarist, songwriter, record producer)
George Young
4
Birthdate: November 6, 1946
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Glasgow
 6 
Edwyn Collins
(musician, guitarist, songwriter)
Edwyn Collins
3
Birthdate: August 23, 1959
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Edinburgh
Recommended Lists:
 7 
Jimmy McCulloch
(Musician, Songwriter, Guitarist)
Jimmy McCulloch
3
Birthdate: June 4, 1953
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dumbarton
Died: September 27, 1979
 8 
Jimmy Bain
(Musician)
Jimmy Bain
2
Birthdate: December 19, 1947
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Newtonmore, Highland, Scotland
Died: January 23, 2016
 9 
Brian Robertson
(Scottish Rock Guitarist)
Brian Robertson
2
Birthdate: February 12, 1956
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Clarkston, Scotland
 10 
Bert Jansch
(Musician)
Bert Jansch
2
Birthdate: November 3, 1943
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Glasgow, United Kingdom
Died: October 5, 2011
 11 
Mike Scott
(Scottish Singer, Songwriter and Musician)
Mike Scott
2
Birthdate: December 14, 1958
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Edinburgh
 12 
Billy MacKenzie
Billy MacKenzie
2
Birthdate: March 27, 1957
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Dundee
Died: January 22, 1997
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 13 
Iain Cook
(Guitarist, Composer)
Iain Cook
2
Birthdate: November 2, 1974
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Scotland
 14 
Ricky Ross
Ricky Ross
2
Birthdate: December 22, 1957
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dundee
 15 
Ray Wilson
(singer, songwriter)
Ray Wilson
2
Birthdate: September 8, 1968
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dumfries
 16 
Neil Murray
(Bassist Known for His Association With ‘Whitesnake’ and ‘Black Sabbath’)
Neil Murray
2
Birthdate: August 27, 1950
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
 17 
Stuart Murdoch
(singer-songwriter, musician)
Stuart Murdoch
2
Birthdate: August 25, 1968
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ayr
 18 
Dougie MacLean
(songwriter)
Dougie MacLean
2
Birthdate: September 27, 1954
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dunblane
 19 
Alex Ligertwood
(Scottish Singer, Guitarist and Drummer)
Alex Ligertwood
2
Birthdate: December 18, 1946
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Glasgow, United Kingdom
 20 
Ivor Cutler
(Scottish Poet, Singer-Songwriter , Musician, Artist and Humorist Known for His Regular Performances on 'BBC Radio')
Ivor Cutler
2
Birthdate: January 15, 1923
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
Died: March 3, 2006
Known for his frequent appearances on BBC radio programs and his baritone voice, singer Ivor Cutler had once been a RAF navigator. While he initially studied painting and sculpting, he later took to poetry and songwriting. He had also penned children’s books. Called an eccentric, he mostly traveled by bicycle.
 21 
Julie Fowlis
(Folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic)
Julie Fowlis
2
Birthdate: June 20, 1978
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 22 
Sandi Thom
(Singer, Songwriter)
Sandi Thom
2
Birthdate: August 11, 1981
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Banff
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 23 
Robin Guthrie
(Record producer, Composer, Audio engineer, Songwriter)
Robin Guthrie
2
Birthdate: January 4, 1962
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Grangemouth

Part of the Scottish band Cocteau Twins, Robin Guthrie and his guitar made serious waves in the alternate music scene of the 1980s. He also performed as part of Violet Indiana and has often collaborated with American pianist Harold Budd. He later also stepped into music production.

 24 
Jim Reid
(Lead singer for the alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain)
Jim Reid
2
Birthdate: December 29, 1961
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: East Kilbride, Scotland
 25 
Chris Connelly
(singer)
Chris Connelly
2
Birthdate: November 10, 1964
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Edinburgh
 26 
Roddy Frame
(Scottish Singer-Songwriter and Musician)
Roddy Frame
0
Birthdate: January 29, 1964
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
 27 
Ian Bairnson
(Scottish Musician and Multi-Instrumentalist)
Ian Bairnson
2
Birthdate: August 3, 1953
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lerwick, Shetland Isles, Scotland
 28 
Wattie Buchan
(Lead Vocalist for the Punk Rock Band the Exploited)
Wattie Buchan
2
Birthdate: July 24, 1957
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
 29 
Mylo
(Scottish Electronic Musician and Record Producer)
Mylo
2
Birthdate: May 10, 1978
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Broadford, Isle of Skye, Scotland
 30 
Isobel Campbell
(Singer-Songwriter)
Isobel Campbell
0
Birthdate: April 27, 1976
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
 31 
King Creosote
(Singer-Songwriter)
King Creosote
2
Birthdate: 1967 AD
Birthplace: Fife, Scotland
 32 
William Reid
(Musician best known as being lead guitarist, songwriter, co-founder and occasional singer of the Scottish alternative rock band, The Jesus and Mary Chain)
William Reid
2
Birthdate: October 28, 1958
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
 33 
Alexander Young
(Singer, Songwriter)
Alexander Young
2
Birthdate: December 28, 1938
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
Died: August 4, 1997
 34 
Gordon Waller
(Singer)
Gordon Waller
0
Birthdate: June 4, 1945
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland,
Died: July 17, 2009
 35 
Helen Marnie
(singer)
Helen Marnie
2
Birthdate: 1978 AD
Birthplace: Glasgow
 36 
Roy Williamson
(Musician, Singer-songwriter)
Roy Williamson
0
Birthdate: June 25, 1936
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: August 12, 1990
 37 
Jimmy Shand
(Musician)
Jimmy Shand
1
Birthdate: January 28, 1908
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: East Wemyss, Scotland
Died: December 23, 2000
 38 
Karl Denver
(Singer, Musician)
Karl Denver
0
Birthdate: December 16, 1931
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Springburn, Glasgow, Scotland
Died: December 21, 1998
 39 
Phil Cunningham
(Musician)
Phil Cunningham
1
Birthdate: January 27, 1960
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
 40 
B.A. Robertson
(Musician)
B.A. Robertson
1
Birthdate: September 12, 1948
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Glasgow
 41 
Ian Carr
(Jazz musician)
Ian Carr
1
Birthdate: April 21, 1933
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Dumfries, Scotland
Died: February 25, 2009
 42 
Greg Holden
(Singer-songwriter)
Greg Holden
0
Birthdate: February 28, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Aberdeen, Scotland
 43 
John Cummings
(Musician)
John Cummings
1
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
 44 
Thea Musgrave
(Composer)
Thea Musgrave
1
Birthdate: May 27, 1928
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Barnton, Scotland
 45 
Jackie Leven
(Songwriter, Folk musicians)
Jackie Leven
0
Birthdate: June 18, 1950
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
Died: November 14, 2011
 46 
Niel Gow
(Violinist)
Niel Gow
1
Birthdate: March 22, 1727
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Inver, Scotland
Died: March 1, 1807
 47 
Jean Redpath
(Singer)
Jean Redpath
1
Birthdate: April 28, 1937
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: August 21, 2014
 48 
Sir Alexander Campbell Mackenzie
(Composer)
Sir Alexander Campbell Mackenzie
1
Birthdate: August 22, 1847
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: April 28, 1935
 49 
Alan Davie
(Painter)
Alan Davie
0
Birthdate: September 28, 1920
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Grangemouth, Scotland
Died: April 5, 2014
 50 
Connor Ball
(English Bassist and a Member of the Pop Rock Band 'The Vamps')
Connor Ball
0
Birthdate: March 15, 1996
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Aberdeen, Scotland
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)