Famous Swedish Singers

Swedish-American actress and singer Ann-Margret was initially described as a female version of Elvis Presley due to her vibrant contralto voice. The winner of five Golden Globe Awards, Ann-Margret had a major impact as an actress throughout the 1960s. Her affair with Elvis Presley was depicted in the 2005 miniseries Elvis in which she is portrayed by Rose McGowan.

Zara Larsson is a Swedish singer-songwriter who achieved national fame at the age of 10 when she won the 2008 season of the popular reality TV series, Talang. She then released her debut studio album and is currently one of the most decorated Swedish singer-songwriters of her generation.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad is a Norwegian-Swedish environmentalist, singer, and songwriter. She is credited with co-founding the popular Swedish pop band ABBA and popularizing the band by serving as its lead singer. In 2010, Anni-Frid Lyngstad was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2014, she received the Eskilstuna Music Prize for her contribution as an "icon."

Born into a family of accordion players, Benny Andersson grew up to become a member of the iconic Swedish band ABBA, known for legendary chartbusting tracks such as Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia. Even after ABBA disbanded, he continued working on projects such as the musical Chess.

Singer and songwriter Björn Ulvaeus is perhaps best known as a member of the ABBA, one of the most successful musical groups of all time. Equally famous as a co-composer and co-producer of several films and musicals, he is currently serving as the President of CISAC, trying to ensure that creators are fairly compensated and properly credited for their works.

As one half of the Swedish pop rock duo Roxette (with Per Gessle), singer and songwriter Marie Fredriksson enjoyed international fame in the 1980s-1990s with albums like Look Sharp! and Joyride. Their single It Must Have Been Love was featured in the movie Pretty Woman. Earlier, in Sweden ,she had also enjoyed success as a solo artist releasing numerous albums.

Robyn is a Swedish singer, record producer, songwriter, and DJ. Her debut album Robyn Is Here helped launch Karl Martin Sandberg's career in pop music. She has also been recognized as an influence by artistes like Taylor Swift, Lorde, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Christine and the Queens. Robyn has won many awards like AMFT Awards, GAFFA Awards, and Grammis Awards.

Born Shahrzad Fooladi, to Iranian parents in Sweden, Snoh Aalegra had started writing songs by age 9 and signed with Sony at age 13. She changed her name after moving to the US and soared to fame with her chartbusting tracks such as I Want You Around and Find Someone Like You.

Swedish singer, songwriter, and record producer Loreen soared to fame after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Born Lorine Zeineb Nora Talhaoui, the Moroccan-origin singer created chartbusting tracks such as Crying Out Your Name and My Heart Is Refusing Me. Politically and socially conscious, she was also a Swedish Committee for Afghanistan ambassador.

Swedish indie-pop singer Lykke Li was born into a musical family, her father being a member of the band Dag Vag. Known for her award-winning tracks such as I Follow Rivers and Sadness Is a Blessing, she is also an advocate of transcendental meditation. She has a son with musician Jeff Bhasker.

Polish-Swedish actress, singer, and model, Izabella Scorupco, played Bond girl Natalya Simonova in the James Bond film GoldenEye, for which she gained international fame. She began her career as a model in the late 1980s and appeared on the cover of Vogue. She then started acting as well. A music lover, she also had a brief singing career.

Neneh Cherry is a Swedish rapper, singer, songwriter, occasional DJ, and broadcaster. After starting her musical career in the early 1980s in London, Cherry went on to become one of the most decorated Swedish musicians of her generation. Over the years, Neneh Cherry has received many prestigious awards such as Brit Awards, MTV Europe Music Award, and NME Award.

Birgit Nilsson was a Swedish dramatic soprano remembered for her association with composers like Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner. One of the most celebrated Swedish singers of all time, Nilsson won many awards, such as the 1966 Sonning Award. In 1982, she won the Swedish-American of the Year Award. In 2012, she was inducted into the Gramophone's Hall of Fame.

Malena Ernman is a Swedish opera singer who represented her country at the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Moscow, Russia. Apart from operas and operettas, she also performs jazz, cabaret, and chansons. Also an environmental activist, Malena Ernman was adjudged Environmental Hero of the Year by an organization called WWF-Sweden in 2017.

RedOne is a Moroccan-Swedish record producer, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is credited with founding his own record label, RedOne Records. Over the years, he has collaborated with popular personalities like Lady Gaga, Akon, Nicki Minaj, Michael Jackson, and Jennifer Lopez among many other high-profile artists. He has several prestigious awards under his belt, including three Grammy Awards.

Basshunter is a Swedish singer, DJ, and record producer. He is quite popular in Sweden, having sold over eight million records so far. He has also won many prestigious awards like World Music Award and Scandipop Award. Apart from creating music, Basshunter has also appeared on popular TV shows such as Celebrity Big Brother and The Weakest Link.

A founding member of the the pop band Ace is Base, Linn Berggren as a child wanted to sing, but did not want to become a singer. Yet, she went on to become the principal lead vocalist for the majority of their singles and was generally the focus in the video. She quit her stellar career suddenly in 2007 to lead a quiet life.

Swedish operatic tenor Jussi Björling was closely associated with New York’s Metropolitan Opera throughout his career. He was particularly known for his expertise in Italian and French repertory. After starting to sing at age 6, he made his opera debut with Mozart’s Don Giovanni in Stockholm.

Aino Jawo is a Swedish singer best known as one half of the popular electropop duo, Icona Pop. Jawo formed the duo in 2009 alongside Caroline Hjelt and has since released many singles and EPs. Over the years, the duo has won many prestigious awards like Grammis Awards, SESAC Pop Awards, and Scandipop Awards.  

Caroline Hjelt is a Swedish singer best known as one half of the popular electropop duo, Icona Pop. She formed the duo with Aino Jawo in 2009 and has since released several singles and EPs. The duo has also won many prestigious awards like Scandipop Awards, SESAC Pop Awards, and Grammis Awards.

Swedish singer Maher Zain had moved to Sweden from Lebanon with his family at 8. A qualified aeronautical engineer, he is now known for his fusion of Eastern and Western music and for the religious overtones in his songs. He has also worked with UNHCR to support Syrian refugees.

Eagle-Eye Cherry is a Swedish stage performer and singer. He achieved international fame when his 1997 single Save Tonight became famous in the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, and New Zealand. Apart from creating his own music, Eagle-Eye Cherry also contributes to the success of other artistes by co-writing songs for their albums. 

Nina Persson soared to fame as the lead vocalist of the globally renowned Swedish band The Cardigans. Known for chartbusters such as Lovefool and Erase and Rewind, she interestingly aspired to be an artist instead of a musician in her younger days. She is also a cervical cancer survivor.

Per Gessle is a Swedish singer, musician, and songwriter. He is best known as one half of the famous pop rock duo Roxette, which he founded alongside Marie Fredriksson in 1986. Roxette achieved international success before its disbandment in 2019 following Fredriksson's death.

Victoria Silvstedt is a Swedish model, singer, actress, and television personality. She achieved national prominence in 1993 when she was selected to represent Sweden in the Miss World pageant in South Africa. She then worked for popular fashion houses like Chanel and Christian Dior before being featured on international magazines like Playboy, Glamour, and Maxim.

Swedish opera singer Nicolai Gedda was one of the most influential lyric tenors of the world back in his time. His language skills helped him perform in languages as varied as English, French, German, and Italian. One of his most iconic roles was that of Anatol in Vanessa.

Ecco2K is a British-Swedish model, singer, designer, and director. He is best known for his innovative and experimental songwriting. Ecco2K is also a successful entrepreneur, having launched his own product line called g'LOSS.

Linda Ulvaeus is a Swedish singer and actress. The daughter of popular singers Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus, Linda started her career as a singer before going on to establish herself as a prominent actress. She has played important roles in films like Meningen med alltihopa and Quick.

Molly Sandén is one of Sweden's biggest pop singers. She has released five studio albums so far and had also represented Sweden in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006.

Raised in a musical family, Anette Olzon began singing with her mother’s band early in her childhood before launching her own career at the age of seventeen.  Best known as the former lead vocalist of Finnish band, Nightwish, she continues to make music, concurrently working as a full time nurse during the weekdays.

Elliphant is a Swedish rapper, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for her second studio album Living Life Golden, which peaked at number 76 and 50 on the ARIA Charts and Sverigetopplistan respectively. A popular figure, Elliphant often gets featured on songs released by other popular artistes like Loreen and Tove Lo.

Tusse is one of trendiest Swedish singers with several singles to his credit. He came to Sweden with his aunt as an eight year boy, fleeing unrest in his native land. Congo. He won the Swedish Idol competition in 2019 and represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021. 

Jennifer Åkerman is a Swedish model, singer-songwriter, and blogger. The youngest sister of Malin Åkerman, Jennifer followed in the footsteps of her sister and became a model. She also pursued a musical career and has contributed to the success of bands like Bella Tech and Bloke & Bird. In 2013, Jennifer showcased her dancing skills by participating in Let's Dance.

Swedish singer Tove Styrke first gained fame with the show Swedish Idol 2009. The renowned electropop singer was born to a musician father and a ballet instructor mother and was naturally inclined toward music. Best known for chartbusting tracks such as Say My Name, she often experiments with themes of fantasy and desire.

Starting his music career singing in bars, until he soared to fame by winning the show Swedish Idol 2017, Swedish singer Chris Kläfford later also competed on America’s Got Talent. His rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine was one of the most-watched YouTube videos ever.

Swedish singer-songwriter Benjamin Ingrosso released his first single at age 9. Known for mingling dance and soul with his pop tracks, he has hits such as I Wouldn’t Know and Tror Du Att Han Bryr Sig in his kitty.  He is also known for his performances on shows such as Melodifestivalen.