Top 10 Most Eccentric Musicians in History

Björk is easily Iceland’s most famous musician. She first rose to prominence in the 1980s, as the lead singer of The Sugarcubes, before achieving even greater success as a solo artist. Her music, known for its highly experimental and innovative edge, became increasingly eccentric over her first three albums, and has remained consistently quirky. Björk’s peculiarities extend beyond her music; her art, videos, and fashion all stand out for their surreal aesthetic. Perhaps one of her most iconic looks was the Swan dress she wore to the 2001 Oscars, which The Telegraph hailed as one of the most iconic red carpet looks. Björk’s fearless embrace of her peculiarity has made her a musical giant, inspiring countless fans globally with her unique vision.

Captain Beefheart’s most iconic work, “Trout Mask Replica,” produced by Frank Zappa and performed with his Magic Band, is as much a hot mess as it is a meticulously crafted masterpiece. Beefheart wrote every song on piano in nine hours, despite having never played the instrument before. Each instrumental part was transcribed, and the musicians played them as perfectly as they could. However, the recording process was grueling. At one point, the drummer was pushed down a flight of stairs for failing to “play a strawberry”. None of the parts were in sync, and Beefheart recorded vocals without hearing the instrumentals, resulting in music’s most carefully composed mess. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, the full story is too long to recount here.

It’s no exaggeration to claim that Black Sabbath and their frontman, the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, pioneered heavy metal. Since the band’s monumental debut in 1970, Osbourne has gone on to become one of music’s most significant, and bizarre, figures. There’s an abundance of whacky stories surrounding the singer, like the infamous 1982 incident when he bit the head off a bat on stage. A year earlier, a dove suffered a similar fate at his hands, reflecting his history of shocking acts involving animals. This behavior may trace back to his time working in a slaughterhouse, which likely desensitized him to animal cruelty. Another crazy story involved accidentally drugging a vicar after his wife unknowingly gave him a spacey cake.

Claiming to be a messiah sent from Saturn by cosmic beings to “speak through music” is quite a curious backstory for a musician, and is one of many reasons Sun Ra is considered so eccentric. During his life, he composed more than a hundred full-length, experimental jazz albums. His music was unlike anything on Earth, creating sounds he believed aligned with the cosmos’ vibrations. Sun Ra pioneered Afrofuturism, an aesthetic combining African culture with science fiction. He rejected his given name, racial identity, and earthly constraints, and embraced an otherworldly persona, as an act of liberation. Although he passed away in 1993, his legacy endures, and his music will continue to inspire many for decades.

Yoko is one of music’s most polarizing figures, considered a misunderstood genius by some, and despised by others. Contrary to popular belief, she didn’t break up the Beatles, although she has made many questionable art choices, like putting John Lennon’s bloodied glasses on an album cover. Much of the hostility she faces stems from racism and misogyny, but despite individual opinions of her, everyone agrees she’s pretty peculiar. Ono is famous for her avant-garde scream, used as a way to express feelings words fail to convey. However, not everyone appreciates it. For example, she belted her lungs out while performing with Chuck Berry once, which was so out of place that the sound engineer muted her completely.

Rising to fame as one of the Jackson 5, the King of Pop became the most famous person in the world at the peak of his career. His eccentricity was a result of his unique, and tragic upbringing, along with the isolation caused by his stardom. He had a childlike love for toys, cartoons, and animals, stemming from a desire to recapture the childhood he never had. This longing was reflected in his private amusement park, Neverland Ranch, where his moonwalking pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, lived. Known for his peculiar purchases, Jackson reportedly attempted to buy the Elephant Man’s bones for 1 million dollars, but his bid was rejected. His uniqueness as an artist has solidified him as one of music history’s most fascinating figures.

Prince was a musician, performer, and cultural icon who cultivated an unconventional image that still stands out. A musical prodigy, he seamlessly blended a multitude of genres and mastered several instruments. Prince was a Jehovah’s Witness, which meant he would have gone knocking on strangers’ doors, enlightening them about his faith. He took this work seriously, one time knocking on a Jewish household’s door and insisting on finishing his message despite their disinterest. He also didn’t believe in time, refusing to count his age. In 1993, he created Glam Slam Ulysses, a funk-infused adaptation of Homer’s epic. Prince was an icon who truly lived life on his own terms, which is something we can all look up to.

In his own words, Frank Zappa “never set out to be weird. It was always other people who called [him] weird”. Zappa was a renowned bandleader, guitarist, and composer who rejected norms and embraced unconventionality. One of his first TV appearances featured him showing how to play a bicycle, foreshadowing his unusual career. Zappa despised apathy and encouraged his fans to vote by putting registration booths at live shows. He also upheld artists’ rights when in 1985, he testified at Congress in opposition to a proposed censorship law. During his monumental speech, he famously said “bad facts make bad law,” and contributed to blocking the passage of the bill. Decades after his death, he’s still considered one of music’s most innovative stars.

One of the most celebrated musicians of all time, David Bowie constantly displayed boundary-pushing levels of creativity. His eccentricity was a fundamental part of his artistic identity, with an unparalleled ability to constantly reinvent his image. From Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke, he constantly transformed stylistically. There are countless stories highlighting Bowie’s oddities, like the fact that he kept urine in his fridge, to protect it from witches. Another is that while recording “Station to Station,” his diet was primarily peppers, milk, and narcotics. Bowie frequently challenged the industry’s standards, which has become an essential part of his lasting legacy.

Many struggle to understand how innovative Mozart was, with his music being over 200 years old now. During his life, many of his works were groundbreaking and also controversial. He was a peculiar person, by the standards of any period. For instance, he once proposed to Aloysia Weber, who later gave him the cold shoulder. Outraged, he played a revenge tune, essentially telling her to kiss his behind. He later married her sister, whom he controlled obsessively, banning her from walking alone, going to casinos, and even restricting her bathtime, out of fear that she’d drown. Mozart was rebellious for the era, and will forever be remembered as one of history’s most original composers.


Who do you think takes the cake for being the oddest musician of all time? Let us know in the comments section!