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The 28 Greatest Artists Signed by Clive Davis

by YPB Team

From raw blues talent to polished pop royalty, his roster spanned six decades and launched some of the biggest careers in music history. Legends, hidden gems, and era-defining voices — who stands tallest? Cast your vote!

  1. Whitney Houston — ranked #11
    Whitney Houston
    Discovered by Davis at age 19 in a NYC nightclub in 1983, she became one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
    1000pts
  2. Bruce Springsteen — ranked #22
    Bruce Springsteen
    American rock icon signed by Davis at Columbia Records, known as 'The Boss' for anthems celebrating working-class America.
    714pts
  3. Blood, Sweat & Tears — ranked #33
    Blood, Sweat & Tears
    Brass rock pioneers signed by Davis at Columbia Records who won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1970.
    636pts
  4. Carrie Underwood — ranked #44
    Carrie Underwood
    Country pop star whose career was shaped by Davis at Arista Nashville Records, becoming one of the best-selling country artists of all time.
    636pts
  5. Eurythmics — ranked #55
    Eurythmics
    Synth-pop duo featuring Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart who signed to Arista Records under Davis and dominated the 1980s charts.
    584pts
  6. Kenny G — ranked #66
    Kenny G
    Smooth jazz saxophonist whose debut on Arista Records under Davis made him one of the best-selling instrumentalists of all time.
    584pts
  7. Outkast — ranked #77
    Outkast
    Genre-defying hip-hop duo from Atlanta signed through Davis's LaFace Records, known for boundary-pushing albums like 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.'
    524pts
  8. Kelly Clarkson — ranked #88
    Kelly Clarkson
    American Idol winner whose recording career was guided by Davis at RCA/Arista Records into multiple Grammy-winning pop-rock albums.
    524pts
  9. Usher — ranked #99
    Usher
    R&B and pop superstar whose early career was shaped by Davis through LaFace Records, going on to sell over 80 million records.
    524pts
  10. Billy Joel — ranked #1010
    Billy Joel
    Piano-driven rock legend signed by Davis at Columbia Records, one of the best-selling solo artists in history.
    524pts
  11. Janis Joplin — ranked #1111
    Janis Joplin
    Blues-rock legend signed to Columbia Records by Davis, known for her raw, powerful voice and counterculture era performances.
    454pts
  12. Pink — ranked #1212
    Pink
    Pop-rock artist signed through Davis's LaFace Records who evolved into one of the most enduring live performers of the 2000s.
    454pts
  13. Patti Smith — ranked #1313
    Patti Smith
    Punk rock poet and avant-garde pioneer signed by Davis to Arista Records, later dubbed the 'punk poet laureate.'
    454pts
  14. Alicia Keys — ranked #1414
    Alicia Keys
    R&B singer-songwriter launched by Davis at J Records, winning five Grammys on debut album 'Songs in A Minor.'
    372pts
  15. Dionne Warwick — ranked #1515
    Dionne Warwick
    Pop and soul legend whose career enjoyed a major revival under Davis at Arista Records in the 1970s and 1980s.
    372pts
  16. Earth, Wind & Fire — ranked #1616
    Earth, Wind & Fire
    Funk and soul innovators signed by Davis at Columbia Records, blending R&B, jazz, gospel, and pop into a revolutionary sound.
    372pts
  17. Sly and the Family Stone — ranked #1717
    Sly and the Family Stone
    Funk and soul pioneers signed by Davis at Columbia Records whose music defined the sound of late 1960s counterculture.
    372pts
  18. Chicago — ranked #1818
    Chicago
    Jazz-rock fusion band signed by Davis at Columbia Records who became one of the most commercially successful American rock bands.
    372pts
  19. Aerosmith — ranked #1919
    Aerosmith
    Hard rock legends developed by Davis at Columbia Records who became one of America's greatest rock bands across six decades.
    272pts
  20. Daryl Hall & John Oates — ranked #2020
    Daryl Hall & John Oates
    The best-selling duo in rock history, brought to Arista Records by Davis with a string of blue-eyed soul hits in the 1980s.
    272pts
  21. TLC — ranked #2121
    TLC
    R&B and new jack swing trio signed through Davis's LaFace Records joint venture, becoming one of the best-selling girl groups ever.
    272pts
  22. Aretha Franklin — ranked #2222
    Aretha Franklin
    The 'Queen of Soul' whose later career was revitalized under Davis at Arista Records, earning her dozens of Grammy Awards.
    272pts
  23. Toni Braxton — ranked #2323
    Toni Braxton
    Silky R&B contralto launched by Davis through LaFace Records, selling over 70 million records with signature torch songs.
    272pts
  24. Barry Manilow — ranked #2424
    Barry Manilow
    Chart-topping vocalist launched by Davis at Arista Records, known for polished pop ballads and sell-out live performances.
    0pts
  25. Neil Diamond — ranked #2525
    Neil Diamond
    Iconic singer-songwriter and showman signed by Davis at Columbia Records, known for timeless pop classics and record-breaking touring.
    0pts
  26. Santana — ranked #2626
    Santana
    Latin rock pioneers signed to Columbia months before their iconic 1969 Woodstock performance, blending rock with Afro-Cuban rhythms.
    0pts
  27. Sarah McLachlan — ranked #2727
    Sarah McLachlan
    Canadian singer-songwriter launched by Davis at Arista Records, known for introspective pop and founding the landmark Lilith Fair festival.
    0pts
  28. Lou Reed — ranked #2828
    Lou Reed
    Velvet Underground founder and avant-garde rock pioneer signed by Davis to Arista Records, influencing generations of alternative artists.
    0pts

#Pop221#Music840#Artists3#Rock211#Legends376

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