# The 28 Greatest Artists Signed by Clive Davis

> 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!

*By YPB Team · Published June 24, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-28-greatest-artists-signed-by-clive-davis*

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## Current results (3 votes)

1. **Whitney Houston** — 66.67% (2 votes · score 1000/1000)
   Discovered by Davis at age 19 in a NYC nightclub in 1983, she became one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
2. **Bruce Springsteen** — 33.33% (1 votes · score 714/1000)
   American rock icon signed by Davis at Columbia Records, known as 'The Boss' for anthems celebrating working-class America.
3. **Blood, Sweat & Tears** — 0% (0 votes · score 636/1000)
   Brass rock pioneers signed by Davis at Columbia Records who won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1970.
4. **Carrie Underwood** — 0% (0 votes · score 636/1000)
   Country pop star whose career was shaped by Davis at Arista Nashville Records, becoming one of the best-selling country artists of all time.
5. **Eurythmics** — 0% (0 votes · score 584/1000)
   Synth-pop duo featuring Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart who signed to Arista Records under Davis and dominated the 1980s charts.
6. **Kenny G** — 0% (0 votes · score 584/1000)
   Smooth jazz saxophonist whose debut on Arista Records under Davis made him one of the best-selling instrumentalists of all time.
7. **Outkast** — 0% (0 votes · score 524/1000)
   Genre-defying hip-hop duo from Atlanta signed through Davis's LaFace Records, known for boundary-pushing albums like 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.'
8. **Kelly Clarkson** — 0% (0 votes · score 524/1000)
   American Idol winner whose recording career was guided by Davis at RCA/Arista Records into multiple Grammy-winning pop-rock albums.
9. **Usher** — 0% (0 votes · score 524/1000)
   R&B and pop superstar whose early career was shaped by Davis through LaFace Records, going on to sell over 80 million records.
10. **Billy Joel** — 0% (0 votes · score 524/1000)
   Piano-driven rock legend signed by Davis at Columbia Records, one of the best-selling solo artists in history.
11. **Janis Joplin** — 0% (0 votes · score 454/1000)
   Blues-rock legend signed to Columbia Records by Davis, known for her raw, powerful voice and counterculture era performances.
12. **Pink** — 0% (0 votes · score 454/1000)
   Pop-rock artist signed through Davis's LaFace Records who evolved into one of the most enduring live performers of the 2000s.
13. **Patti Smith** — 0% (0 votes · score 454/1000)
   Punk rock poet and avant-garde pioneer signed by Davis to Arista Records, later dubbed the 'punk poet laureate.'
14. **Alicia Keys** — 0% (0 votes · score 372/1000)
   R&B singer-songwriter launched by Davis at J Records, winning five Grammys on debut album 'Songs in A Minor.'
15. **Dionne Warwick** — 0% (0 votes · score 372/1000)
   Pop and soul legend whose career enjoyed a major revival under Davis at Arista Records in the 1970s and 1980s.
16. **Earth, Wind & Fire** — 0% (0 votes · score 372/1000)
   Funk and soul innovators signed by Davis at Columbia Records, blending R&B, jazz, gospel, and pop into a revolutionary sound.
17. **Sly and the Family Stone** — 0% (0 votes · score 372/1000)
   Funk and soul pioneers signed by Davis at Columbia Records whose music defined the sound of late 1960s counterculture.
18. **Chicago** — 0% (0 votes · score 372/1000)
   Jazz-rock fusion band signed by Davis at Columbia Records who became one of the most commercially successful American rock bands.
19. **Aerosmith** — 0% (0 votes · score 272/1000)
   Hard rock legends developed by Davis at Columbia Records who became one of America's greatest rock bands across six decades.
20. **Daryl Hall & John Oates** — 0% (0 votes · score 272/1000)
   The best-selling duo in rock history, brought to Arista Records by Davis with a string of blue-eyed soul hits in the 1980s.
21. **TLC** — 0% (0 votes · score 272/1000)
   R&B and new jack swing trio signed through Davis's LaFace Records joint venture, becoming one of the best-selling girl groups ever.
22. **Aretha Franklin** — 0% (0 votes · score 272/1000)
   The 'Queen of Soul' whose later career was revitalized under Davis at Arista Records, earning her dozens of Grammy Awards.
23. **Toni Braxton** — 0% (0 votes · score 272/1000)
   Silky R&B contralto launched by Davis through LaFace Records, selling over 70 million records with signature torch songs.
24. **Barry Manilow** — 0% (0 votes · score 151/1000)
   Chart-topping vocalist launched by Davis at Arista Records, known for polished pop ballads and sell-out live performances.
25. **Neil Diamond** — 0% (0 votes · score 151/1000)
   Iconic singer-songwriter and showman signed by Davis at Columbia Records, known for timeless pop classics and record-breaking touring.
26. **Santana** — 0% (0 votes · score 151/1000)
   Latin rock pioneers signed to Columbia months before their iconic 1969 Woodstock performance, blending rock with Afro-Cuban rhythms.
27. **Sarah McLachlan** — 0% (0 votes · score 151/1000)
   Canadian singer-songwriter launched by Davis at Arista Records, known for introspective pop and founding the landmark Lilith Fair festival.
28. **Lou Reed** — 0% (0 votes · score 151/1000)
   Velvet Underground founder and avant-garde rock pioneer signed by Davis to Arista Records, influencing generations of alternative artists.

Tags: pop, music, artists, rock, legends