While Illinois is best known for its expanses of cornfields and farmland, and even Abraham Lincoln, there are a surprising number of musicians from the Prairie State. Such a wide variety of accomplished musical artists hail from Illinois, it was hard to decide who to put on this list. As such, let’s meet the 10 biggest musicians from Illinois. (Here is a list of the biggest baby boomer musicians still putting out music.)
To compile this list, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of musical sites and databases such as HelloMusicTheory and Singersroom, before gathering biographical information from sites such as Biography. From there, we whittled the list down to reflect a wide variety of artists in different genres and time frames from the past 80 years.
Miles Davis
- Hometown: Alton
Miles Davis was a legendary jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. He got his start after dropping out of famed music school Juilliard and joining Charlie Parker’s quintet in the late ’40s. From there, Davis honed his jazz sensibilities before releasing the seminal album “Kind of Blue,” which remains one of the best-selling jazz albums ever.
Though a trumpet player, in his later years, Davis experimented with progressively abstract and fusion-style jazz music, as well as branching out to other mediums such as film and television. Though plagued by heroin addiction on and off during his life, Davis is now regarded as one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time and one of the biggest musicians from Illinois. (Discover the biggest hits of the 1960s.)
Alison Krauss
- Hometown: Decatur
Alison Krauss is an award-winning bluegrass country singer and fiddler. A musician from an early age, Krauss signed with Rounder Records at age 14. Since then, Krauss has released 14 albums, and appeared on many movie soundtracks, such as the soundtrack for “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “Cold Mountain.”
Besides her platinum-selling album collaboration with Robert Plant, Krauss is arguably one of the most decorated bluegrass musicians in history. In her storied career, Krauss has won 27 Grammy Awards, and in 2019, was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
Eddie Vedder
- Hometown: Evanston
Eddie Vedder is a musician, songwriter, and best known as the lead singer of the band Pearl Jam. Though he got his musical start as a guest vocalist for the band Temple of the Dog, Vedder would rise to fame as the lead vocalist for Pearl Jam. The band’s first album, “Ten,” was a smash hit, earning platinum 13 times over and becoming one of the best-selling alternative albums of the ’90s.
Pearl Jam has gone on to have a storied career, with multiple best-selling albums and numerous Grammy Awards. On the side, Vedder is also an accomplished activist. As a surfer, Vedder has lent his support to The Surfrider Foundation. He has also advocated for gun control, including participating in the 2019 Gun Sense Forum.
Curtis Mayfield
- Hometown: Chicago
Born Curtis Lee Mayfield on June 3, 1942, Curtis Mayfield was a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. Singing in gospel choirs from an early age, Mayfield found fame after joining The Impressions and writing numerous hit songs for the group. After that, he embarked on a successful solo career with several critically acclaimed albums, including the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film “Supa Fly.”
Despite being paralyzed from the neck down after an accident while performing in 1990, Mayfield continued to release new music till his death. His accolades include a Grammy Legend Award and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Mayfield is also one of the only musicians to be elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, first for his work with The Impressions and second for his solo work. (Learn more about popular music artists who’ve never had a no. 1 hit.)
Jennifer Hudson
- Hometown: Chicago
Jennifer Hudson is a singer, actress, and television talk show host. She first rose to fame as a finalist on the third season of the show “American Idol.” Not long after, Hudson starred in the film “Dreamgirls,” which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2022, Hudson started her own television talk show, “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”
Besides a series of best-selling albums, Hudson has maintained a presence on the screen, with roles in movies like “The Secret Life of Bees,” “Cats,” and “Respect.” In fact, Hudson, besides being one of the biggest musicians from Illinois, is the youngest woman and second African-American woman to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award.
Ludacris
- Hometown: Champaign
Another one of the biggest musicians to come from Illinois is Ludacris. Born Christopher Brian Bridges, Ludacris moved to Atlanta at age nine. From there, he embarked on a slow but steady rap career, which eventually saw the release of multiple best-selling albums including “Word of Mouf,” and “Chicken-n-Beer.”
Since then, Ludacris has made a foray into acting, with roles in films like “Crash,” “Gamer,” and the Fast and Furious series. Overall, Ludacris has earned multiple accolades including three Grammy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a MTV Music Video Award.
Patti Smith
- Hometown: Chicago
Born Patricia Lee Smith, Patti Smith is an acclaimed musician, poet, and artist. Her 1975 debut album “Horses,” saw her become an influential part of the burgeoning punk rock movement in New York City. Though, no doubt, a cult legend, Smith also tasted popular appeal from a chart-topping collaboration with Bruce Springsteen.
Named as an influence for many seminal bands and acts, Smith is also an accomplished painter and author. Not only was she awarded a 2011 Polar Music Prize, Smith won the National Book Award for her memoir “Just Kids.” She is also a noted activist, with a slew of protest songs and support for Tibet House US, where she performs annually for its Carnegie Hall benefit concert. (These are the best Bruce Springsteen albums.)
Herbie Hancock
- Hometown: Chicago
Herbie Hancock is an accomplished jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. He got his start in the Miles Davis quartet before embarking on a solo career which resulted in a progressive fusion of jazz, funk, and electro as well as his most influential album “Head Hunters.”
With more than a few of his songs now considered jazz standards, it’s no surprise that Hancock has earned several accolades. These include an Academy Award as well as 14 Grammy Awards. Since 2012, Hancock has served as chairman of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and as a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Chance the Rapper
- Hometown: Chicago
Born Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, Chance the Rapper is a rapper, singer-songwriter, and music producer. He first gained recognition after the release of his second mixtape “Acid Rap.” His next release, “Coloring Book,” earned Chance a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
Since tasting success, Chance has made as much of a name for giving back to the Chicago community where he grew up. Not only has he actively fought to stop gun violence in the city, but Chance has also created a nonprofit organization called SocialWorks. What’s more, in 2017, Chance the Rapper pledged to donate one million dollars to help Chicago area schools.
Burl Ives
- Hometown: Hunt City
Another one of the biggest musicians to come from Illinois is Burl Ives. Born Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives, Burl Ives was a musician, singer, and actor with a career spanning nearly six decades. Beginning as an itinerant musician, Ives launched his radio show, “The Wayfaring Stranger,” which helped popularize folk songs. From there, Ives scored several country hits including “A Little Bitty Tear,” and “Funny Way of Laughin’.”
Besides his career as a popular film actor in movies like “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” and “The Big Country,” which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Ives is most associated with Christmas. Besides his role as the narrator for the classic television special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Ives recorded the songs “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” which continue to chart to this day. (Find out who the music artists with the highest approval ratings are.)