How’s The Air Up There?
From pop to rock to hip-hop to rap, there are a whole lot of towering musicians out there in show biz. These tall stars are way above the US average—which is 5’4” tall for women, and 5’9” tall for men.
Taylor Swift
5’11” tall
Reports differ on whether Swift is 5’10” or 5’11” tall—but either way, one thing is for sure—she’s definitely the tallest pop princess in the game.
Floor Jansen (Nightwish)
5’11” tall
This statuesque stunner from the Netherlands is the lead singer of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Though she’s now 43 years old, she’s been singing in bands since she was 16 years old!
Macy Gray
6’0” tall
Some one-hit wonders are meant to stick around in pop culture forever—and who could forget Natalie Renee McIntyre, AKA Macy Gray, and her 1999 smash success “I Try”?
Adam Levine (Maroon 5)
6’0” tall
Adam Levine and Maroon 5 have had a hit on the charts nearly constantly since the early 2000s—but did you know that Levine has actually been a musician since the early 90s, with his previous band Kara’s Flowers?
Morrissey
6’0” tall
Steve Patrick Morrissey, AKA Morrissey, has had a flourishing solo career since his 5-year stint with the Smiths from 1982-1987. The singer, who is a staunch vegan, refuses to watch any movies made after the year 1970.
Jordin Sparks
6’0” tall
Sparks is one of the tallest women on this list—and also holds the title of youngest winner of American Idol. She won season 6 when she was just 17. She’d been dreaming of participating on the show since she was 12, when she won a “Coca-Cola Rising Star” award at the Arizona State Fair.
Harry Styles
6’0” tall
This lanky lad came to fame as one of the members—the tallest member, in fact—of boy band One Direction. He’s also been a smashing success as a solo artist, and has broken into acting with roles in movies like Dunkirk and Don’t Worry Darling.
Justin Timberlake
6’1” tall
Another former boybander who went on to have a successful career, Justin Timberlake was also the tallest member of his former group NSYNC, beating bandmate Joey Fatone by two inches.
Johnny Cash
6’2” tall
The Man in Black stood tall at 6’2”—and he had the tenacity to match his stature. He proposed to June Carter 30 times before she accepted and became his wife.
Davey Johnstone (Elton John’s Band)
6’2” tall
This Scottish guitarist and singer wanted to be a musician from the time he was a teen, and he put in his time in a number of different groups before being invited to play in Elton John’s band as a full-time member in 1971. He’s also played with artists like Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf, and Stevie Nicks.
Massimiliano Lamagna, Shutterstock
Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys)
6’2” tall
Brian Wilson, along with his brothers Dennis and Carl, was a founding member of the Beach Boys. In that group and throughout his solo career, he’s been lauded as a musical genius, despite his heartbreaking battles with mental illness.
Mike Nesmith (The Monkees)
6’2” tall
Mike Nesmith was that one tall guy in the Monkees who always wore a beanie—and whose mother was the inventor of Liquid Paper. Do kids today even know what Liquid Paper is?
Shawn Mendes
6’2” tall
This Canadian pop crooner got his start posting videos on the now-extinct Vine video social media platform when he was still in his teens, which led to a record deal and debut album at just 16 years old.
Gene Simmons (KISS)
6’2” tall
Gene Simmons, AKA “The Demon” in KISS, stands at 6’2” tall—the perfect height to marry a supermodel. Simmons’ married his long-time partner and former model Shannon Tweed, who stands 5’10” tall, in 2011, after dating since 1983.
Will Smith
6’2” tall
Yes, we know him as a multi-hyphenate Hollywood personality, but he did get his start in music, and continued to release hits throughout the 2000s. And speaking of height differences, Smith is a whole 15” taller than his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who is 4’11” tall.
Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper)
6’2” tall
Dennis Dunaway first joined the Alice Cooper band when he was just 18 years old (like the group’s hit song!) and has been playing bass with them, on and off, ever since.
Seal
6’3” tall
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, AKA Seal, has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide throughout his career. His song “Kiss from a Rose” won him three Grammys, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
John Mayer
6’3” tall
John Mayer brought #1 hits and tabloid controversy over his love life before mostly withdrawing from public life around 2010. Since then, he can be found palling around with Bravo’s Andy Cohen or performing with the reformed Dead & Co.
Joe Jackson
6’3” tall
No, not Michael Jackson’s father. In the late 70s and early 80s, you couldn’t escape English singer Joe Jackson’s innovative pop stylings, including hits like “Steppin’ Out” and “Is She Really Going Out With Him”.
Corey Parks
6’3” tall
This bassist has been in a number of rock bands including Die Hunns. It runs in the family, too—her brother Cherokee Parks, who stands at 6’11” tall, played in the NBA.
Albert King
6’4” tall
This influential blues guitarist and singer is best known for his song “Born Under a Bad Sign”. He earned the nickname “The Velvet Bulldozer” due to his smooth voice and large size—and because he drove a bulldozer before he was famous.
Grant Gouldon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Luke Hemmings (5 Seconds of Summer)
6’4” tall
This Australian is the tallest member of pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, and he also released a solo album in 2021.
Wiz Khalifa
6’4” tall
The “Black and Yellow” and “See You Again” rapper and singer hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and his real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz.
Ric Ocasek (The Cars)
6’4” tall
Another class pairing between musician and supermodel, The Cars’ frontman Ric Ocasek was married to Paulina Porizkova, 5’11” tall, from 1989 until his passing in 2019.
Miro Vrlik Photography, Shutterstock
Alan Jackson
6’4” tall
There are a few country artists on this list who have made immeasurable contributions to the genre—but few have written a song as fun to sing along to as Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee”. Jackson originally wanted an uptempo song and penned the lyrics about growing up and having fun, never expecting it to be as big a hit as it was—and continues to be.
The Game
6’4” tall
The Game came up on his own and was often hailed as a potential savior of West Coast rap before he was placed in 50 Cent’s group G-Unit by record producer Jimmy Iovine. Though he left the group on bad terms soon after, he’s still been a fixture in hip-hop ever since, beloved by critics and a fervent group of fans.
Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Tyson Ritter (The All-American Rejects)
6’4” tall
Ritter met his future bandmates at a party in high school, and the group had their first hit, “Swing, Swing,” in 2002. Ritter is also an actor, and has appeared on the TV shows House and Parenthood.
Snoop Dogg
6’4” tall
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr, AKA Snoop Dogg, has been a mainstay in rap since his first appearance as a guest on Dr Dre’s debut solo single “Deep Cover” in 1992. At 6’4” tall, Snoop towers over his friend and frequent co-host Martha Stewart, who is already above average herself at 5’9” tall.
Jørund Føreland Pedersen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Blake Shelton
6’5” tall
This country star is nearly a whole foot taller than his wife Gwen Stefani. He’s been a mainstay on the country charts since his first hit, “Austin,” in 2001.
2 Chainz
6’5” tall
Tauheed K Epps adopted the name 2 Chainz in 2011. Prior to that, he was known as “Tity Boi” when he was with the group Playaz Circle.
Ed O’Brien (Radiohead)
6’5″
Radiohead’s guitarist stands a full foot taller than the group’s frontman Thom Yorke. He originally met his bandmates at school in Oxford, England.
Calvin Harris
6’5” tall
The producer was teased for his stature in high school, saying "It wasn't until I was 16 or 17 that I became too tall compared to everyone else. But I have never been a fighter and never will be. I was the softest person in school and I'm still rubbish at fighting."
Tom Scholz (Boston)
6’5” tall
Tom Scholz is not only the singer, lead guitarist, main songwriter, and founding member of the group Boston, he’s also the group’s only remaining original member. He’s responsible for hits like “Rock & Roll Band” and “More Than a Feeling”.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Danny Carey (Tool)
6’5″
Carey is the drummer for prog-metal band Tool, but he doesn’t stop there. He’s also drummed for groups and performers like Zaum, Green Jellö, Pigface, Skinny Puppy, Adrian Belew, Carole King, Collide, the Meat Puppets, Lusk, and the Melvins.
Selbymay, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Win Butler (Arcade Fire)
6’5” tall
This indie singer and songwriter, best known as a member of Arcade Fire, was born in Truckee, California, but met his future AF bandmates while attending McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac)
6’6″
Fleetwood Mac saw a whole lot of line-up changes, but as drummer and leader of the band, Mick Fleetwood stuck around—even though he had an affair with Stevie Nicks, who was not only his bandmate, but also his other bandmate Lindsey Buckingham’s ex-girlfriend.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Adrian Vandenberg (Whitesnake)
6’6″
This Dutch guitarist played with Whitesnake during the height of their fame in the 80s, but also kept his own band, Vandenburg, going at the same time. Aside from music, he is also an accomplished airbrush artist.
Jim Root (Slipknot, Stone Sour)
6’6″
This metal guitarist is best known as #4 in Slipknot, and was the lead guitarist for Slipknot bandmate Corey Taylor’s side project Stone Sour.
bill, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Oliver Riedel (Rammstein)
6’7″
This 53-year-old German musician was one of the founding members of Rammstein, best known for their hit “Du Hast,”—but before that, he was in a folk-punk band with the tongue-twisting name the Inchtabokatables.
Krist Novoselic (Nirvana)
6’7″
Krist Novoselic towered over his Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain, who was 5’9” tall. After Cobain took his own life and Nirvana dissolved, Novoselic became an activist and politician, and helped start a coalition called JAMPAC, the Joint Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee.
Long John Baldry
6’7” tall
This English musician and actor—government name John William Baldry—lived up to his name at 6’7” tall. He was a contemporary of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles and is best known for songs like “Let the Heartaches Begin” and his cover of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”.
Montell Jordan
6’8” tall
Often maligned as a one-hit wonder, the man behind “This is How We Do It,” did in fact have other hits in the 1990s. In the years since, he’s become a worship leader at a Christian megachurch in Georgia.
Jamie Lamor Thompson, Shutterstock
Peter Steele (Type O Negative)
6’8″ tall
Born Peter Thomas Ratajczyk, this American musician was born in Red Hook, New York, and was the singer, bassist, and songwriter for the gothic metal group Type O Negative. He had a huge following—and was definitely a heartthrob for metal fans and goths alike—before his untimely passing in 2010.
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