Famous Serbian Musicians

Rade Šerbedžija is a Croatian actor, musician, and director. One of the best known Croatian actors of the 1970s and 1980s, Šerbedžija has also achieved international fame by appearing in popular films like Mission: Impossible 2, X-Men: First Class, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:Part 1. Rade Šerbedžija is considered one of the finest Croatian actors of his generation.

Emir Kusturica is a Serbian actor, screenwriter, film director, producer, and musician. Counted among the most famous European filmmakers of his generation, Kusturica is renowned for his naturalistic and surreal films. Over the course of his illustrious career, Emir Kusturica has won several prestigious awards including a Silver Bear and two Palme d'Or awards.

Srđan Todorović is a Serbian musician and actor. He has been part of many popular bands like Bezobrazno Zeleno, Radnička Kontrola, Disciplina Kičme, and Ekatarina Velika. Srđan Todorović is also known for playing important roles in films like Three Summer Days, War Live, and We Are Not Angels 2.

Toma Zdravković was a Serbian pop-folk recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Best remembered for his immense contribution to Serbian folk music, Toma Zdravković is credited with writing one of the biggest Yugoslav folk hits of all time, Šta će mi život.

Silvana Armenulic was a Bosnian actress, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed the Queen of Sevdalinka, Armenulić is regarded as one of the most important traditional sevdalinka singers in Yugoslavia. Although Silvana Armenulić died in a car accident at age 37, her voice and unique singing style are still cherished by her fans all over the world.

Đorđe Balašević was a Serbian singer-songwriter, poet, writer, and director. He is best remembered for writing Rani Mraz's popular song Count on Us, which is widely regarded as an anthem of an entire generation. Đorđe Balašević was also renowned for intertwining political commentaries into his performances and songs.

Ana Popovic is a Serbian singer and guitarist best known for co-founding a band named Hush in 1995. She is also credited with forming an eponymous band in 1999. Over the course of her career, Ana Popovic has received nominations at popular award ceremonies, such as the Blues Music Awards, French Blues Awards, British Blues Awards, and Blues Matters Awards.

Marija Šerifović is a Serbian singer, YouTuber, and TV personality. She achieved international fame in 2007 when she won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Molitva. Regarded as one of Serbia's most powerful vocalists, Marija Šerifović was named Female Artist of the Year at the 2019 Music Awards Ceremony. She has also appeared as a judge on Zvezde Granda.       

Željko Joksimović is a Serbian vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, and producer. He can play 12 different instruments, including piano, guitar, accordion, and drums. Apart from composing music for films, he also composes music for theater shows and television series. Željko Joksimović has also competed in the Eurovision Song Contest on a couple of occasions.

Bora Đorđević is a Serbian singer, poet, and songwriter. He is best known for his association with the popular rock band Riblja Čorba, where he performs as the frontman. Renowned for his husky baritone voice, Bora Đorđević is widely regarded as one of the most influential songwriters of the Yugoslav and Serbian rock scene.

Branimir Štulić is a Yugoslav musician, singer, songwriter, and author. He is best known for his association with the famous Yugoslav rock group Azra, where he performed as the frontman. Renowned for his charismatic stage performances, Branimir Štulić often incorporated social commentary into his lyrics, becoming a cult figure in his home country.

Milan Mladenovic was a Serbian musician best remembered for his association with the popular art rock band Ekatarina Velika. Milan Mladenovic is credited with forming a band named Šarlo Akrobata, which released its only full length album Bistriji ili tuplji čovek biva kad. The album is counted among the most prominent albums of the new wave music scene in Yugoslavia.

Relja Popovic is a Serbian singer, songwriter, rapper, and actor. He achieved popularity in 2005 when he joined hands with Vladimir Matović to form a popular pop-rap duo named Elitni Odredi. As an actor, Relja Popovic is best known for his portrayal of Dzoni in the 2009 film Ordinary People, which earned him the prestigious Heart of Sarajevo award. 

Gru was a Serbian musician, rapper, and DJ. He came into prominence in 1996 when his song Biću tu gained popularity in Eastern Europe. Nicknamed The Serbian Rap Machine, Gru is credited with creating Serbia's most commercially successful album, Gru 2. Apart from the Balkans, Gru also achieved immense popularity in other countries of Northern and Eastern Europe.

Momcilo Bajagic Bajaga is a Serbian rock musician best known as the leader of the popular rock band, Bajaga i Instruktori, which he founded in 1984. Apart from being the principal composer and lyricist of the band, Momcilo Bajagic Bajaga also performs as a guitarist and vocalist.

Rasta is a Serbian singer, rapper, and record producer. He is credited with founding a record label imprint named Balkaton Gang. Counted among the most popular Serbian artists of his generation, Rasta is best known for popularizing a pitch correction effect known as Auto-Tune in the regional music scene. He is also renowned for promoting marijuana in his songs.

Croatian chanson singer Arsen Dedić was also an award-winning poet. Born into a working-class family, he initially studied law, but soon dropped out to study music. He spent his final years in extreme pain due to a number of illnesses. He was against politics and was banned in various phases of his career.

One of the most popular Serbian singer-songwriters, Vlado Georgiev is best known for his hit track Nisam ljubomoran. A TV judge and a record producer, too, he owns a record label and a production company. He has traveled around Europe on his motorcycle. He was also criticized for spreading misinformation regarding COVID.

Zvonko Bogdan is a Serbian singer-songwriter best known for his performances of traditional folk songs of Croatia, Serbia, Romania, and Hungary. Many of his songs have been covered by popular Croatian tamburitza artists like Kićo Slabinac, Zlatni Dukati, and Miroslav Škoro. A multi-talented personality, Zvonko Bogdan is also a composer, harness racer, and wine producer.

Nevena Božović is a Serbian singer and songwriter. She achieved popularity in 2007 when she competed at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, representing Serbia with the song Piši mi. Nevena Božović's popularity increased in 2012 when she took part in a televised singing competition named Prvi glas Srbije, where she finished second.

Elena Kitic is a Serbian singer and songwriter. The daughter of famous singers, Marta Savić and Mile Kitić, Elena Kitić is known for her collaborations with artists like Jala Brat and Rasta. In 2020, she was honored with the Best Music Video Styling award at the Sneakerville Festival in Belgrade.

Oliver Mandić is a Serbian rock musician, producer, and composer. He is best known for his androgynous image, which shocked the Yugoslav audience in the early 1980s and caught the attention of the media. Many of Oliver Mandić's songs have been covered by popular bands like Karizma, Fali V, and Darkshines.  

Katarina Zutic is a Serbian actress best known as the daughter of popular actors, Miloš Žutić and Svetlana Bojković. Over the course of her career, Katarina Žutić has won several prestigious awards at popular film festivals and comedy festivals.

Dragana Todorović, better known by her pseudonym, Bebi Dol, is a Serbian new wave/pop singer began her career with the band Trakus and then soared to fame with the track Mustafa. She represented Yugoslavia at the 1991 Eurovision. She has also appeared on reality TV shows such as Farma.

Marinko Rokvić was a Serbian folk singer who achieved popularity after appearing at the Ilidža Folk Music Festival in the late 1970s. Rokvić went on to become one of the most famous Serbian folk singers during the 1980s. In 2019, Marinko Rokvić was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Union of Serbia's Music Artists.

Sara Jovanović, better known as Sara Jo, is a popular Serbian singer, dancer, and actor, who rose to fame with the singing talent show Prvi glas Srbije. She later performed at the 2013 Eurovision, representing Serbia, as a member of the girl band Moje 3. She supports LGBT rights and various charitable initiatives.

Željko Samardžić is a Serbian folk singer who achieved popularity after appearing at the Pjesma Mediterana festival. Born in Mostar, Samardžić escaped to Serbia amidst the infamous Bosnian War, which broke out in 1992. After settling down in Serbia, Željko Samardžić recorded albums like Zveket srca, Sve je moje tvoje, and Kojim dobrom mila moja. 

Milić Vukašinović is a Yugoslav musician best known for founding the popular hard rock band, Vatreni Poljubac. He has also performed as a drummer in famous rock bands, such as Indexi and Bijelo Dugme. Milić Vukašinović is also renowned for his songwriting and composing work with legendary performers like Toma Zdravković and Hanka Paldum.

Davorin Popović was a Bosnian singer-songwriter best remembered for his association with the pop rock and progressive band Indexi, where he performed as the lead singer. Along with the band, Davorin Popović is credited with founding a specific music style known as Sarajevo pop-rock school.

Bosnian pop-rock singer Saša Lošić gained fame as the lead singer of the cult band from Sarajevo Plavi Orkestar. He has also composed music for various plays and films, such as Fuse and Cheese and Jam. He has worked as a songwriter, for films such as Welcome to Sarajevo, too.

Regarded as one of the most talented violinists of his time, Serbian musician Stefan Milenkovich began playing the violin at age 3. He has performed with numerous prestigious orchestras and has also taught music at Juilliard, the University of Illinois, and the University of Belgrade.

Serbian singer-songwriter and composer Slađana Milošević was once a leading figure of the new wave movement in Yugoslavia. Initially a bass guitarist, she also played the violin and piano and performed as a theater artist. She later succeeded as a solo artist and also performed for several movies.

Yugoslav/Serbian musician Bojan Pecar is remembered as a bass player of the iconic rock band Ekatarina Velika, or EKV. With the band VIA Talas, he became a prominent member of the new wave movement. He died of a mysterious ailment, at age 38, in London. His death was later attributed to a heart attack.

Born to a music professor father and an opera choir singer mother, Serbian composer Kornelije Kovač was initially educated in classical music and later also experimented with pop and rock and launched the band Korny Group. He also worked with Indexi and collaborated on various projects in Spain.

Sejo Sexon is a Bosnian musician, actor, film score composer, and television director. He is best known as the co-founder of the popular rock group Zabranjeno Pušenje, where he also serves as the bandleader. Sejo Sexon is also credited with co-founding the New Primitivism movement in Sarajevo.

Maja Odzaklievska is a Serbian and Macedonian singer and songwriter. She currently lives and works in Serbia and is popular across Europe. She is best known for competing at the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2006, Maja Odzaklievska chose to represent Macedonia in the contest with a song titled Koj pat da izberam.

A cultural icon of the new wave movement in Yugoslav music, Serbian musician Srđan Šaper started as a founder member of the iconic rock band Idoli. He also appeared in the hit movie Davitelj protiv davitelja and originated the series BESA. He later established the successful advertising agency McCann Beograd.

Anja Rupel is a Slovene singer, songwriter, journalist, and radio announcer. A trained flautist, Rupel started performing as a singer when she joined the popular synthpop group Videosex. After the disbandment of Videosex, Anja Rupel started pursuing a solo career.

Ivan Tasovac was a Serbian pianist and political leader. He is best remembered for his service as the Minister of Culture and Information from 2 September 2013 to 11 August 2016. Prior to his service as minister of culture and information, Ivan Tasovac was associated with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, where he served as the director from 2001 to 2013. 

Đuro Živković is a Serbian-Swedish violinist and composer. Živković's musical style is characterized by virtuosic instrumentation and fantastic narration. He is credited with developing a variety of compositional techniques like polyrhythmic improvisation, microtones, and heterophony. Đuro Živković has also composed a variety of works including orchestral, chamber, and vocal music.