The Groove

The greatest downtempo artists of all time

101 artists ranked by the Groove — music.nw’s own measure of renown. Not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. Why?

No. 1

Air

France · 1995– · downtempo

18.728

Why this number?

The full board · page 2

25 光田康典

Japan · 1972– · ambient 1.588

Sia

Australia · 1975– · pop 1.581

27 George Michael

United Kingdom · 1963–2016 · pop 1.516

Cocteau Twins

United Kingdom · 1979–1997 · dream pop 1.503

29 The Future Sound of London

United Kingdom · 1988– · electronic 1.483

Beck

United States of America · 1970– · alternative rock 1.444

31 UNKLE

United Kingdom · 1994– · electronic 1.440

32 Carbon Based Lifeforms

Sweden · 1996– · ambient 1.350

33 KT Tunstall

United Kingdom · 1975– · folk 1.295

34 Tosca

Austria · 1994– · electronica 1.294

Coldplay

United Kingdom · 1996– · alternative rock 1.248

36 Feist

Canada · 1976– · indie pop 1.155

37 Akira Yamaoka

Japan · 1968– · electronic 1.144

38 Kruder & Dorfmeister

Austria · 1993– · electronica 1.122

39 Four Tet

United Kingdom · 1977– · electronic 1.091

deadmau5

Canada · 1981– · progressive house 1.028

41 Imogen Heap

United Kingdom · 1977– · electronic 1.022

42 AURORA

Norway · 1996– · art pop 1.000

43 宇多田ヒカル

Japan · 1983– · j-pop 0.971

44 Puscifer

United States of America · 1995– · rock 0.940

45 DJ Shadow

United States of America · 1972– · trip hop 0.927

46 Kings of Convenience

Norway · 1999– · folk rock 0.921

Sinéad O’Connor

Ireland · 1966–2023 · rock 0.820

Autechre

United Kingdom · 1991– · idm 0.809