List of cult music artists

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This is a list of cult music artists organized alphabetically.

These artists, or their music, have been described as "cult" in notable sources at one time or another. They might not be considered "cult" by every person, or by the same person at different times.

## A[edit]

* Adam Green[1]
* Alec Empire[2]
* Alex Chilton[2][1][3]
* Alice Coltrane[3]
* Amanda Palmer[4]
* Amy Winehouse[5]
* Animal Collective[5]
* Aphex Twin[5][3]
* Arcade Fire[5]
* Arctic Monkeys[5]
* Ariel Pink
* Arthur Lee[3]
* Arthur Russell[6][3]

## B[edit]

* Badfinger[5]
* The Beatles[5]
* Beastie Boys[5]
* Beck[5]
* Belle and Sebastian[5]
* Ben Folds
* Ben Folds Five
* Betty Davis[3]
* Big L[2]
* Bill Drummond[2]
* Bis[2]
* Billy Childish[2]
* Björk[5][3]
* Black Sabbath[5]
* Blonde Redhead
* Blondie[5]
* Blur[5]
* Bobbie Gentry[3]
* Bon Iver[5]
* Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66[5]
* Brian Eno[3]
* Brigitte Fontaine[3]
* Broadcast (band)
* Buzzcocks[5]

## C[edit]

* Can (band)
* Cardiacs[7]
* Captain Beefheart[3]
* Carly Rae Jepsen[8]
* Cate Le Bon[5]
* The Chameleons
* The Chemical Brothers[5]
* Chic[5]
* The Clash[5]
* Cocteau Twins[5][1]
* Courtney Barnett[5]
* Cranes (band)
* The Cure[5]

## D[edit]

* Daft Punk[5]
* Daniel Johnston[2]
* Daniel Miller[1]
* David Bowie[5]
* De La Soul[5]
* Delia Derbyshire[3]
* Depeche Mode[5]
* Devo[5]
* Dillinger Four[1]
* Dinosaur Jr.[5]
* Dizzie Rascal[5]
* DJ Shadow[5]
* Donny Hathaway[1]

## E[edit]

* Edith Piaf[3]
* Elbow[5]
* Elvis Costello[5]
* Emitt Rhodes[5]
* Ethel Cain[9]

## F[edit]

* Fad Gadget[1]
* The Fall[5]
* Father John Misty[5]
* Fela Kuti[3]
* FKA Twigs[5]
* The Flaming Lips[5]
* Fleet Foxes[5]
* Frank Zappa[3]
* Franz Ferdinand[5]
* Fugazi[5]

## G[edit]

* Gentle Giant[10]
* Gil Scott-Heron[3]
* Glassjaw[11][12]
* Godspeed You! Black Emperor[13][14]
* Goldfrapp[5]
* Gospel[15][16]
* Gram Parsons[6]
* Grateful Dead[17]
* Guided by Voices[2]

## H[edit]

* Hawkwind[1]
* Hot Chip[5]

## I[edit]

* Ian Svenonius[2]
* Iggy Pop[5][3]

## J[edit]

* Jane's Addiction
* Janis Joplin[5]
* J Dilla[2][3]
* Jacqueline du Pré[6]
* Janelle Monáe[5]
* Jeff Buckley[5][6]
* Jessie Mae Hemphill[1]
* The Jesus and Mary Chain[5]
* Jim Morrison[5]
* Joanna Newsom[5]
* John Cage[3]
* John Foxx[1]
* John Grant[5]
* Joni Mitchell[5]
* Joy Division[5]

## K[edit]

* Karen Dalton[6]
* Karlheinz Stockhausen[3]
* Kat Bjelland[3]
* Kate Bush[5]
* Kendrick Lamar[5]
* King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
* Kool Keith[3]
* Kraftwerk[5]

## L[edit]

* Lana Del Rey[3]
* Laurie Anderson[3]
* LCD Soundsystem[5]
* Lee "Scratch" Perry[3]
* Lil B[18]
* Lili Boulanger[3]
* Lionrock[19][20]
* Little Simz[1]
* Lucius[5]
* Lydia Lunch[2][3]

## M[edit]

* The Magnetic Fields
* Manu Chao[3]
* Marianne Faithfull[3]
* Mark E. Smith[2][3]
* Mark Hollis[3]
* Mark Linkous[2]
* Mary Margaret O'Hara[1]
* Massive Attack[5]
* Mike Patton[2]
* Mitski[21]
* Moondog[3]
* Moxy Früvous
* Os Mutantes[5]
* Melanie Martinez

## N[edit]

* Neil Young[5]
* Neutral Milk Hotel[22]
* New Order[5]
* Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds[5][3]
* Nick Drake[5][3]
* Nico[3]
* Nirvana[5]

## O[edit]

* Oasis[5]
* Thee Oh Sees
* Oingo Boingo
* Operation Ivy (band)
* Outkast[5]

## P[edit]

* Parliament-Funkadelic[5]
* Patti Smith[5][3]
* Pavement[5]
* Peaches[3]
* Pearl Jam
* Pere Ubu
* Peter Hammill[1]
* Phish[23]
* Pink Floyd
* Pixies[5]
* PJ Harvey[5][3]
* The Pogues[5]
* Playboi Carti
* Portishead (band)
* Prefab Sprout[1]
* Primal Scream[5]
* Prince[5]
* Public Enemy[5]
* Pulp[5]

## Q[edit]

* Queens of the Stone Age[5]

## R[edit]

* The Rolling Stones[5]
* R. Stevie Moore[1]
* Radiohead[5]
* Ramones[5]
* Reel Big Fish
* The Replacements[2]
* R.E.M.[5]
* Richard H. Kirk[1]
* Richard Hell[2]
* Robert Johnson[1]
* Robert Wyatt[3]
* Roky Erickson[3]
* Roxy Music[5]
* Run-DMC[5]
* Rush[24]
* The Rutles[5]
* Ryuichi Sakamoto[3]

## S[edit]

* Sandy Denny[3]
* Scott Walker[3]
* Scritti Politti[1]
* Serge Gainsbourg[3]
* Sex Pistols[5]
* Sibylle Baier[1]
* Sixto Rodriguez[3]
* The Slits[3]
* The Smiths[5]
* Sonic Youth[5]
* Soul Coughing
* Sly & The Family Stone[5]
* Sparks
* The Specials[5]
* Spinal Tap[5]
* St. Vincent[5]
* Stereolab[5]
* The Stone Roses[5]
* The Stooges[5]
* The Strokes[5]
* Sufjan Stevens[5]
* Sun Ra[1][6][3]
* Super Furry Animals[5]
* Syd Barrett[3]

## T[edit]

* Talking Heads[5]
* Tally Hall
* Tame Impala[5]
* Television Personalities[2]
* They Might Be Giants
* Tiny Tim
* Todd Rundgren[1]
* Tom Waits[5][3]
* Tool
* TV On the Radio[5]

## V[edit]

* Van Halen
* The Velvet Underground[5]
* Violent Femmes

## W[edit]

* Weezer
* White Denim[5]
* The White Stripes[5]
* Whitehouse[2]
* Wilco[5]
* Wiley[6][3]
* Wire[5]
* Wu-Tang Clan[5]

## X[edit]

* XTC[5]
* XXXTentacion
* The xx[5]

## Y[edit]

* Yes
* Yoko Ono[2][3]
* The Yummy Fur[2]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Cult music heroes: artists on their unsung idols". The Guardian. 3 July 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Music's 20 greatest cult heroes". NME. 17 March 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay Dimery, Robert (26 May 2020). Cult Musicians: 50 Progressive Performers You Need to Know (Cult Figures). White Lion. ISBN 978-0711250628.
4. ^ "The crowdfunded cult of Amanda Palmer". Engadget. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg Riordan, John (20 October 2020). Music's Cult Artists: 100 artists from punk, alternative, and indie through to hip-hop, dance music, and beyond. Ryland Peters & Small. ISBN 978-1912983285.
6. ^ a b c d e f g "7 incredible cult musicians to learn more about". BBC. February 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
7. ^ Cashmore, Pete (June 2, 2015). "Cult heroes: Tim Smith led the Cardiacs in the face of hatred – and much love". The Guardian. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
8. ^ Brunder, Raisa (May 21, 2019). "How Carly Rae Jepsen Became Pop's Most Beloved Underdog". Time. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
9. ^ "Pitchfork's 25 Next: The Artists Shaping the Future of Music". Pitchfork. 11 October 2021.
10. ^ "Gentle Giant - Gentle Giant Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
11. ^ "Cult punks Glassjaw return: 'It was offensive. You don't talk to a woman like that'". the Guardian. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
12. ^ "Worship and Tribute: the difficult world of Glassjaw fandom". the Guardian. 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
13. ^ Andre Paine (November 22, 2013). "Godspeed You! Black Emperor, O2 Academy Brixton – music review – Music – Going Out – London Evening Standard". Standard.co.uk. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
14. ^ "Review: Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!". Hangout.altsounds.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
15. ^ "5 New Hardcore Records You Should Hear". Decibel Magazine. 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
16. ^ Shteamer, Hank (2022-05-05). "Gospel, Hardcore Cult Faves, Continue Their Great Prog-Punk Gene Splice on 'S.R.O.'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
17. ^ Davidson, Linda Kay; Gitlitz, David M. (2002). Pilgrimage: From the Ganges to Graceland, An Encyclopedia. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 207.
18. ^ "FanBased: Inside Lil B's Ecstatic Cult". Pitchfork. 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
19. ^ Cooper, Sean. "Artist Biography by Sean Cooper". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
20. ^ McGonigle, Don (23 May 2005). "I Remember Big Beat". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
21. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (February 4, 2022). "Mitski, the US's best young songwriter: 'I'm a black hole where people dump their feelings'". The Guardian. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
22. ^ Milton, Jamie (October 26, 2016). "Cult heroes: Neutral Milk Hotel – alt-rock enigmas who shied away from the spotlight". The Guardian. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
23. ^ "The 8 most annoying band cult followings in America". TimeOut. 21 March 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
24. ^ "An introduction to Rush, the biggest cult band in the world". The A.V. Club. August 2013.