This list includes 49 Music artists that start with N, from “N.E.R.D” to “Nouvelle Vague”. Entries span genres and eras, from mainstream acts to niche and international performers. You can use it for playlist curation, research, journalism, or casual discovery.
Music artists that start with N are individual musicians, bands, and producers whose names begin with the letter N. They include diverse examples such as N.E.R.D, who blend hip-hop and rock, and Nouvelle Vague, known for bossa nova–style covers.
Below you’ll find the table with Primary genre, Debut year, and Origin.
Primary genre: Shows the main musical style associated with the artist, so you can filter and match acts to playlists or articles.
Debut year: Lists the year of first release or formation, helping you place artists by era and compare career timelines.
Origin: Gives the city and country where the artist formed or began, useful for regional research and cultural context.
Music artists that start with N
| Name | Primary genre | Debut year | Origin | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nirvana | rock | 1987 | Aberdeen, United States | Seattle grunge band led by Kurt Cobain; Nevermind (1991) propelled grunge into the mainstream and remains widely cited (Wikipedia) |
| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | alternative rock | 1983 | Melbourne, Australia | Australian post-punk/alternative band led by Nick Cave, noted for dark, literary songs and albums like The Boatman’s Call (1997) (Wikipedia) |
| Neil Young | rock | 1968 | Toronto, Canada | Canadian singer-songwriter known for Harvest and “Heart of Gold”, prolific solo career and work with Buffalo Springfield (Wikipedia) |
| N.W.A | hip hop | 1986 | Compton, United States | Pioneering gangsta-rap group whose Straight Outta Compton (1988) sparked controversy and reshaped hip hop (Wikipedia) |
| Nas | hip hop | 1991 | Queens, United States | Queensbridge MC celebrated for Illmatic (1994), widely regarded as one of hip hop’s classic albums (Wikipedia) |
| Norah Jones | jazz | 2002 | New York City, United States | Singer-pianist whose debut Come Away with Me won multiple Grammys and blended jazz, pop and country influences (Wikipedia) |
| Nine Inch Nails | industrial rock | 1988 | Cleveland, United States | Trent Reznor’s project mixing industrial, rock and electronic elements; acclaimed albums include The Downward Spiral (1994) (Wikipedia) |
| Nina Simone | jazz | 1958 | Tryon, United States | Iconic singer, pianist and civil-rights voice known for “Feeling Good” and “I Put a Spell on You” (Wikipedia) |
| Nicki Minaj | hip hop | 2007 | Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidadian-born rapper known for flamboyant personas, hits like “Super Bass” and major pop-rap crossover success (Wikipedia) |
| New Order | synthpop | 1980 | Manchester, United Kingdom | Formed from Joy Division members; merged post-punk and electronic dance music, famous for “Blue Monday” (Wikipedia) |
| Notorious B.I.G. | hip hop | 1994 | Brooklyn, United States | Christopher Wallace, influential East Coast rapper; debut Ready to Die (1994) is a 1990s hip hop landmark (Wikipedia) |
| New Kids on the Block | pop | 1984 | Boston, United States | Teen pop phenomenon of the late 1980s/early 1990s known for hits like “Step by Step” and large fanbase (Wikipedia) |
| Neil Diamond | pop | 1966 | Brooklyn, United States | Singer-songwriter behind classics such as “Sweet Caroline”, with a long, charting career in pop and adult-contemporary (Wikipedia) |
| Natalie Merchant | folk | 1981 | Jamestown, United States | Lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs, later solo artist known for Tigerlily (1995) and literate songwriting (Wikipedia) |
| New Found Glory | pop punk | 1997 | Coral Springs, United States | Florida pop-punk band influential in late-1990s/2000s scene, known for “My Friends Over You” (Wikipedia) |
| Noel Gallagher | rock | 1991 | Manchester, United Kingdom | Principal songwriter and guitarist of Oasis who later formed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (Wikipedia) |
| Neutral Milk Hotel | indie rock | 1996 | Ruston, United States | Lo-fi indie band led by Jeff Mangum, acclaimed for the cult classic In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998) (Wikipedia) |
| No Doubt | ska | 1986 | Anaheim, United States | Ska-influenced pop-rock band fronted by Gwen Stefani; Tragic Kingdom (1995) delivered mainstream success (Wikipedia) |
| Nancy Sinatra | pop | 1966 | Jersey City, United States | Singer known for “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” and collaborations with Lee Hazlewood (Wikipedia) |
| Nelly | hip hop | 2000 | St. Louis, United States | St. Louis rapper with crossover hits like “Country Grammar” and multi-platinum albums in the 2000s (Wikipedia) |
| Natasha Bedingfield | pop | 2004 | London, United Kingdom | British pop singer-songwriter known for the hit “Unwritten” and radio-friendly, upbeat songs (Wikipedia) |
| Naughty by Nature | hip hop | 1989 | East Orange, United States | Hip-hop trio known for “Hip Hop Hooray” and strong 1990s chart presence (Wikipedia) |
| Neil Finn | rock | 1977 | Te Awamutu, New Zealand | Singer-songwriter who rose to fame with Split Enz and Crowded House; wrote “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (Wikipedia) |
| Norma Jean | metalcore | 1997 | Douglasville, United States | American metalcore band noted in heavy-music scenes for aggressive sound and prolific releases (Wikipedia) |
| Nightwish | symphonic metal | 1996 | Kitee, Finland | Finnish band blending metal and orchestral elements, known for cinematic arrangements and operatic vocals (Wikipedia) |
| Neil Sedaka | pop | 1958 | Brooklyn, United States | Pop pianist-songwriter who charted in multiple decades with hits like “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” (Wikipedia) |
| New Edition | R&B | 1978 | Boston, United States | R&B/pop group whose success launched careers of Bobby Brown and inspired later boy bands (Wikipedia) |
| Noisia | electronic | 1998 | Groningen, Netherlands | Dutch electronic trio known for intricate drum & bass and bass-music production (MusicBrainz) |
| Natalia Lafourcade | pop | 2003 | Mexico City, Mexico | Mexican singer-songwriter blending pop and folk; acclaimed albums include Musas and multiple Latin Grammys (Wikipedia) |
| N.E.R.D | hip hop | 1999 | Virginia Beach, United States | Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo’s genre-blending project mixing rock, funk and hip hop (Wikipedia) |
| Nile Rodgers | funk | 1976 | New York City, United States | Guitarist/producer who co-founded Chic and shaped disco, funk and pop production across decades (Wikipedia) |
| New Pornographers | indie rock | 1997 | Vancouver, Canada | Canadian indie supergroup known for melodic power-pop, albums like Twin Cinema (2005) (Wikipedia) |
| Nico | avant-garde | 1964 | Cologne, Germany | German singer linked with The Velvet Underground and solo work; distinctive contralto and enigmatic persona (Wikipedia) |
| Nelly Furtado | pop | 2000 | Victoria, Canada | Canadian singer-songwriter who broke out with Whoa, Nelly! and hits like “I’m Like a Bird” (Wikipedia) |
| Nouvelle Vague | bossa nova | 2004 | Paris, France | French collective known for bossa-nova-style covers of punk and new-wave songs (Wikipedia) |
| Nazareth | rock | 1968 | Dunfermline, United Kingdom | Scottish hard rock band known for “Love Hurts” and 1970s arena-rock success (Wikipedia) |
| Nickelback | rock | 1995 | Hanna, Canada | Canadian rock band with major commercial hits like “How You Remind Me” in the 2000s (Wikipedia) |
| Ne-Yo | R&B | 2005 | Camden, United States | Singer-songwriter known for smooth R&B hits and writing for other artists; debut album In My Own Words (Wikipedia) |
| Neko Case | alt country | 1997 | Alexandria, United States | Singer-songwriter blending indie rock and country; acclaimed solo albums like Fox Confessor Brings (Wikipedia) |
| New Model Army | rock | 1980 | Bradford, United Kingdom | Post-punk/rock band known for politically charged lyrics and a devoted fanbase (Wikipedia) |
| Natalie Cole | R&B | 1975 | Los Angeles, United States | Daughter of Nat King Cole, Grammy-winning artist known for “This Will Be” and later duets with her father’s recordings (Wikipedia) |
| Natalie Imbruglia | pop | 1997 | Sydney, Australia | Australian singer-actor who achieved international success with the hit “Torn” (Wikipedia) |
| NCT | K-pop | 2016 | Seoul, South Korea | South Korean boyband with multiple rotating sub-units (NCT 127, Dream), notable in contemporary K-pop (Wikipedia) |
| Nina Hagen | punk | 1978 | Leipzig, Germany | German punk/new-wave singer known for theatrical vocals and pioneering role in European alternative music (Wikipedia) |
| Night Ranger | rock | 1979 | San Francisco, United States | American rock band known for 1980s hits like “Sister Christian” and melodic hard-rock sound (Wikipedia) |
| Neptunes | hip hop | 1994 | Virginia Beach, United States | Production duo Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo; shaped 2000s pop and hip-hop hits for many artists (Wikipedia) |
| Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds | rock | 2011 | Manchester, United Kingdom | Noel Gallagher’s post-Oasis project delivering melodic rock singles and arena-oriented songs (Wikipedia) |
| Nobuo Uematsu | classical | 1986 | Kōchi, Japan | Composer best known for Final Fantasy soundtracks; hugely influential in video-game music composition (Wikipedia) |
| Nappy Roots | hip hop | 1995 | Bowling Green, United States | Southern hip-hop group known for “Po’ Folks”, blending conscious lyrics with regional sounds (Wikipedia) |
Descriptions
Nirvana
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Neil Young
N.W.A
Nas
Norah Jones
Nine Inch Nails
Nina Simone
Nicki Minaj
New Order
Notorious B.I.G.
New Kids on the Block
Neil Diamond
Natalie Merchant
New Found Glory
Noel Gallagher
Neutral Milk Hotel
No Doubt
Nancy Sinatra
Nelly
Natasha Bedingfield
Naughty by Nature
Neil Finn
Norma Jean
Nightwish
Neil Sedaka
New Edition
Noisia
Natalia Lafourcade
N.E.R.D
Nile Rodgers
New Pornographers
Nico
Nelly Furtado
Nouvelle Vague
Nazareth
Nickelback
Ne-Yo
Neko Case
New Model Army
Natalie Cole
Natalie Imbruglia
NCT
Nina Hagen
Night Ranger
Neptunes
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Nobuo Uematsu
Nappy Roots