Category

IQ scores of
musicians.

Songwriters, producers and performers — a field where “genius” is used constantly and defined rarely.

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In this category

33 profiles

Each entry opens onto the full story behind the figure.

Brian May, guitarist and astrophysicist
Musicians

Brian May

180Most-cited figure
Posthumous portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Barbara Krafft, 1819
Musicians

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

165Most-cited figure
Shakira photographed at the Latin Grammy gala in Seville in November 2023
Musicians

Shakira

140Most-cited figure
Taylor Swift at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards
Musicians

Taylor Swift

160Most-cited figure
Kanye West at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Musicians

Kanye West

133Self-reported figure
Eminem photographed in 2021
Musicians

Eminem

112Most-cited figure
Art Garfunkel photographed in 2017
Musicians

Art Garfunkel

135–150Estimated range
Beethoven with the manuscript of the Missa solemnis, painted by Joseph Karl Stieler in 1820
Musicians

Ludwig van Beethoven

165Most-cited figure
John Legend, portrait
Musicians

John Legend

135Most-cited figure
Alicia Keys, photographed in 2025
Musicians

Alicia Keys

154Most-cited figure
will.i.am at the World Economic Forum, 2023
Musicians

will.i.am

115–135Our estimate
Dexter Holland performing live, 2016
Musicians

Dexter Holland

160Most-cited figure
John Lennon in a 1974 press photograph for the album Walls and Bridges
Musicians

John Lennon

165Most-cited figure
Michael Jackson, photographed in 1983
Musicians

Michael Jackson

164no test cited
Lady Gaga performing at Joe Biden’s 2021 presidential inauguration
Musicians

Lady Gaga

166Most-cited figure
Drake performing in July 2016
Musicians

Drake

142Most-cited figure
Frédéric Chopin, daguerreotype photographed in 1849
Musicians

Frédéric Chopin

150–165Circulating estimates
Snoop Dogg at WrestleMania XL, April 2024
Musicians

Snoop Dogg

147Most-cited figure
Beyoncé performing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, on the Renaissance World Tour, June 2023
Musicians

Beyoncé

136Most-cited figure
RM of BTS (Kim Namjoon) at the W Korea “Love Your W” Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign in Seoul, November 24, 2023
Musicians

Kim Namjoon

148Most-cited figure
Billie Eilish at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles
Musicians

Billie Eilish

117–160Circulating estimates
Ariana Grande singing at the Eternal Sunshine Tour in Brooklyn, New York, on July 18, 2026
Musicians

Ariana Grande

105–145Circulating estimates
Justin Bieber performing in concert in Rosemont, Illinois, in 2015
Musicians

Justin Bieber

85Most-cited figure
Bad Bunny in tinted aviator sunglasses and a velvet shirt, photographed in Los Angeles in October 2019
Musicians

Bad Bunny

115–135Our estimate
Elvis Presley smiling in a light open-collared shirt in a 1958 magazine photograph
Musicians

Elvis Presley

70Most-repeated figure
Jim Morrison with tousled dark curly hair looking at the camera in a black-and-white 1967 studio portrait
Musicians

Jim Morrison

149Most-cited figure
Frank Zappa with a mustache and a goatee in a black-and-white photograph from June 1970
Musicians

Frank Zappa

170–172Circulating figures
Madonna singing into a microphone in a black lace sleeve at the Rebel Heart Tour in Stockholm in November 2015
Musicians

Madonna

140Most-cited figure
Kesha with long blonde hair and a headset microphone at a concert in September 2025
Musicians

Kesha

140Most-cited figure
Dolly Parton smiling with voluminous blonde hair in a black-and-white RCA publicity photograph
Musicians

Dolly Parton

140–145Circulating figures
Lil Wayne smiling in sunglasses and a cream bucket hat on stage in December 2015
Musicians

Lil Wayne

96Most-cited figure
Weird Al Yankovic with long curly hair in a parrot-print shirt at GalaxyCon St. Louis in October 2025
Musicians

Weird Al Yankovic

130–145Our estimate
Kendrick Lamar in a black baseball cap and a dark T-shirt with a chain necklace, performing in July 2025
Musicians

Kendrick Lamar

120–130Circulating estimates

Portrait © David J. Cable / Arcadia Photographic UK, CC BY-SA 2.0. The background-removed portrait above is a derivative work and is likewise offered under the same licence. · Portrait by Barbara Krafft (1819), public domain. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by the Junta de Andalucía (2023), CC BY-SA 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by iHeartRadioCA, CC BY 3.0. The background-removed portrait above is a derivative work offered under the same licence. · Photograph by David Shankbone (2009), public domain. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Brendan Linden (2021), CC0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler (1820), public domain. · Photograph by Philip Romano, CC BY-SA 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by PhilipRomanoPhoto, CC BY 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by the World Economic Forum, CC BY 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Pixel Focus, CC BY 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · 1974 Apple Records / Capitol Records press photograph by Bob Gruen, public domain (published without a copyright notice). Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Matthew Rolston (1983), distributed by Epic Records, public domain. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Carlos M. Vazquez II, CC BY 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by The Come Up Show (July 2016), CC BY 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Daguerreotype by Louis-Auguste Bisson (1849), public domain. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Diego Serrano (WrestleMania XL, April 2024), CC BY 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Raph_PH (Renaissance World Tour, June 2023), CC BY 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Still from a video by K-POPIT 케이팝잇 on YouTube (Seoul, November 24, 2023), CC BY 3.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Glenn Francis (www.PacificProDigital.com; iHeartRadio Music Awards, Los Angeles, March 14, 2019), CC BY-SA 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Saturnmondays (Barclays Center, Brooklyn, July 18, 2026), CC BY 4.0. · Photograph by Lou Stejskal (Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois, November 18, 2015), CC BY 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Glenn Francis (www.PacificProDigital.com; Los Angeles, October 11, 2019), CC BY-SA 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Magazine photograph of Elvis Presley (Modern Screen, June 1958; Commons file), photographer not recorded, cropped; public domain in the United States (copyright not renewed). Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Joel Brodsky from the “Young Lion” session (September 18, 1967), distributed by Elektra Records (Commons file); public domain in the United States (published without a copyright notice). Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Fotopersbureau De Boer for the Noord-Hollands Archief (June 17, 1970; Commons file), released under CC0 (public domain dedication), cropped. · Photograph by chrisweger (Rebel Heart Tour, Stockholm, November 14, 2015), CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped from a larger picture. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Maryland GovPics (All Things Go concert, September 28, 2025), CC BY 4.0, cropped from a larger picture. Background removed for the portrait above. · Publicity photograph by RCA Records (Commons file), cropped; public domain in the United States (published without a copyright notice). Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Megan Elice Meadows (December 19, 2015), CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped from a larger picture. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Super Festivals (GalaxyCon St. Louis, October 11, 2025), CC BY 4.0, cropped from a larger picture. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Raph_PH (July 23, 2025), CC BY 4.0, cropped from a larger picture and desaturated. Background removed for the portrait above.

More profiles are on the way. A name joins this category once its figure has been traced and a properly licensed portrait is cleared.

How would you compare?

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Questions

Musicians IQ, asked and answered

How are IQ scores for musicians estimated?

Not by testing anyone. Each figure on this page is inferred from the documented record — published work, contemporary accounts, verified qualifications — using a named method set out under how we read a number. Every profile shows its own workings.

Which of these musicians has the highest IQ?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart holds the highest estimate in this category at 150–165. That ordering comes from the midpoint of each range and it re-sorts itself as profiles are added, so treat it as a convenience rather than a verdict. The full leaderboard ranks every category together.

How many musicians profiles are there?

33 so far, and the list grows as figures are traced and portraits licensed. Browse the rest of the section from all categories, or start at the Celebrity IQ hub.

How do I compare my own IQ with these musicians?

Get a measured number first. The IQ Metrics assessment is 30 questions and reports on the same 100-mean scale used on every profile here, with a percentile and an ability breakdown. How we score and norm it explains the benchmarking, and average IQ by country shows how the same scale looks across populations.

Where would you
actually land?

Your score, your percentile, your ability breakdown and a printable IIF certificate.

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