Popular World music artists

World music is an easy way for people to describe the melding traditional and nontraditional music from foreign countries. Generally, world music refers to sounds from the non-Western part of the world. Known for its fusion, world music was term coined in the 1960s and also includes the incorporation of traditional instruments from other parts of the world that haven't been used primarily by Western artists. The beauty of World music artists is that their sound, while entrenched and grounded in Eastern music, it can mean any type of traditional sound as long as it's from there.

So, what are the best World music artists? Any list needs to have Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Jonathan Scales, Trilok Gurtu and Loreena McKennitt on any world music artists list. These are among the most well known artists in the genre and their music is as unique as any. They incorporate new age and foreign sounds that is not only unique, but allows for them to stand out from many of their contemporaries.

That said, it's up to you to decide what are the best World music artists. It's not an easy question, but ultimately it's your job to decide. If you notice someone is missing from the list, feel free to add them. This list answers the questions "who are the best world music bands of all time?" and "who is the greatest world music musician ever?" If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band's music instead of just voting for the most popular world music bands that you might've heard of. (329 items)