Honorific nicknames in popular music

Honorific nicknames in popular music are terms used, most often in the media or by fans, to indicate the significance of an artist, and are often religious, familial, or (most frequently) royal and aristocratic titles, used metaphorically. Honorific nicknames were used in classical music in Europe as early as the early nineteenth century, with figures such as Mozart being called "The father of modern music" and Bach "The father of modern piano music".^[1] They were also particularly prominent in African-American culture in the post-Civil War era, perhaps as a means of conferring status that had been negated by slavery,^[2] and as a result entered early jazz and blues music, including figures such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie.^[3]

In American culture, despite its republican constitution and ideology,^[4] honorific nicknames have been used to describe leading figures in various areas of activity, such as industry, commerce, sports, and the media; father or mother have been used for innovators, and royal titles such as king and queen for dominant figures in a field.^[5][6] In the 1930s and 1940s, as jazz and swing music were gaining popularity, it was the more commercially successful white artists Paul Whiteman and Benny Goodman who became known as "The King of Jazz" and "The King of Swing" respectively, despite there being more highly regarded contemporary African-American artists.^[7] These patterns of naming were transferred to rock and roll when it emerged in the 1950s. There was a series of attempts to find (and a number of claimants to be) the "King of Rock 'n' Roll", a title that became most associated with Elvis Presley.^[8] This has been characterized as part of a process of the appropriation of credit for innovation of the then new music by a white establishment.^[9] Different honorifics have been taken or given for other leading figures in the genre, such as "The Architect of Rock and Roll", by Little Richard from the 1990s,^[10] but this term, like many, is also used for other important figures, in this case including pioneer electric guitarist Les Paul.^[11]

Similar honorific nicknames have been given in other genres, including Aretha Franklin, who was literally crowned "Queen of Soul" by disk jockey Pervis Spann on stage in 1968.^[12] Michael Jackson and Madonna have been closely associated with the terms "King and Queen of Pop".^[13][14] Some nicknames have been strongly promulgated and contested by various artists^[15] and occasionally disowned or played down by their subjects.^[16] Some notable honorific nicknames are in general usage and commonly identified with particular individuals.

Individual titles

A

American singer Aaliyah is known as the "Princess of R&B".

English singer Adele is known as the "British Queen of Soul".

American singer Christina Aguilera is known as "The Voice of a Generation".

American trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong is known as "The King of Jazz".

South Korean singer BoA is known as the "Queen of K-Pop".

American musician James Brown was known as the "Godfather of Soul", "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business","Mr Dynamite", and "Soul Brother number one".

American singer Ruth Brown has been referred to as the "Queen of R&B".

American entertainer Cher, known as the "Goddess of Pop".

Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung has been deemed the "God of Songs".

English rock and blues guitarist, singer and, songwriter Eric Clapton is widely known as "God" or "Slowhand"

Cuban singer Celia Cruz has been called the "Queen of Salsa".

American singer Ella Fitzgerald is known as the "Queen of Jazz" and "America's First Lady of Song".

American singer Aretha Franklin has been identified as the "Queen of Soul".

Philippine entertainer Sarah Geronimo, widely known as "Popstar Royalty".

American clarinetist Benny Goodman is known as the "King of Swing".

South Korean singer G-Dragon has been referred to as the "King of K-pop".

Due to her vocal ability, American singer Whitney Houston has been often referred as "The Voice".

American singer Mahalia Jackson is known as the "Queen of Gospel".

American singer Michael Jackson is most often identified as the "King of Pop".

American composer and pianist Scott Joplin was dubbed the "King of Ragtime".

American musician B.B. King is known as the "King of the Blues".

American DJ, record producer and remixer Frankie Knuckles is known as "The Godfather of House".

American singer Kenny Loggins is known as the "King of the Movie Soundtrack" for his contribution to movies.

American rapper and singer Lil' Kim is known as the "Queen Bee".

English singer Vera Lynn is widely acknowledged as the "Forces Sweetheart" for her services during the Second World War.

American singer Madonna has been referred as the "Queen of Pop".

Jamaican musician Bob Marley is known as the "King of Reggae".

American actress and singer Liza Minnelli has established herself as "The Queen of Broadway".

Australian singer Kylie Minogue has been referred as the "Princess of Pop".

Malaysian singer Siti Nurhaliza is known as "Voice of Asia" and "Asia's Celine Dion".

English singer Ozzy Osbourne has been identified as the "Godfather of Heavy Metal" and the "Prince of Darkness".

Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti has been identified as the "King of the High C's".

American singer Elvis Presley is known as "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Pakistani singer Ahmed Rushdi, known as "Magician of Voice", was the first regular pop singer of South Asia.

The nickname "The Boss" has been synonymous with American singer Bruce Springsteen.

American singer Donna Summer has been referred to as the "Queen of Disco".

American singer Selena, here on drawing, is known as the "Queen of Tejano Music", "Queen of Latin Music" and the "Tejano Madonna".

American singer Taylor Swift is known as the "Country Queen" and "Pop princess".

English musician Pete Townshend has been referred to as the "Godfather of Punk".

Japanese singer Hikaru Utada has been identified as "The Diva of the Heisei period".

Canadian musician Neil Young is known as the "Godfather of Grunge".

Artist	Title	Country	Source
Aaliyah	Princess of R&B	United States	[17]
	Queen of Urban Pop		[18]
Paula Abdul	Dancing Queen	United States	[19]
Roy Acuff	King of Country	United States	[20]
Ivi Adamou	Pop Queen	Cyprus/Greece	[21][22]
	Teen Idol
Adele	British Queen of Soul	United Kingdom	[23]
	Princess of Pop		[24]
Christina Aguilar	Queen of Dance	Thailand	[25]
Christina Aguilera	Princess of Pop	United States	[26]
	The Voice of a Generation		[27]
Laurel Aitken	Godfather of Ska	Jamaica	[28]
Paulina Álvarez	Empress of the Danzonete	Cuba	[29][30]
Namie Amuro	Queen of Japanese Pop	Japan	[31]
	The Japanese Madonna		[32]
Julie Andrews	Britain's Youngest Prima Donna	United Kingdom	[33][34]
Anne Kansiime	African Queen of Comedy	Uganda	[35]
Antonio Arcaño	The Monarch of Danzón	Cuba	[36][37][38]
Don Arden	The English Godfather	United Kingdom	[39]
	Mr. Big		[39]
Louis Armstrong	King of Jazz	United States	[40]
Ashanti	Princess of Hip Hop and Soul	United States	[41]
Annaleigh Ashford	The New Queen of Disco	United States	[42]
Chet Atkins	Mr. Guitar	United States	[43]

Group and collective titles

See also

• Jazz royalty
• Sobriquet
• Teen idol

Notes