Ever since his mainstream debut in 2004, John Legend (real name John Stephens) has in equal measures lived up to the old-school implications of the "Legend" moniker while still sounding of the moment.
After years of working behind the scenes as a pianist for Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z and others, Legend first flew solo with 2004's Get Lifted. Behind the smash single "Ordinary People," the album has gone on to multi-platinum certification.
In 2006, Legend's early career successes resulted in him winning the Grammys' prestigious Best New Artist prize. He hasn't slowed down since, both solo and with such collaborators as Andre 3000 and Meghan Trainor.
To drive home his pop cultural influence since emerging as a pop star, consider that Legend is an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner. Meaning, he's won not only 12 Grammys but also an Emmy (as a producer of NBC's 2018 adaptation of "Jesus Christ Superstar"), Oscar (Best Original Song for "Glory," with Common) and Tony (as a producer of the Broadway play "Jitney").
Of course, spending multiple seasons as a beloved coach on "The Voice" backs up the Legend tag. Legend returns to his spinning chair when the singing competition series returns on Feb. 26.
Read on for our 20 favorite songs from Legend's catalog.
Mindy Small/WireImage Legend's most recent song is for a film he executive co-produced with Angelina Jolie. Musically, it lands somewhere between classical, jazz and brooding pop music. Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images The first of several collaborations to make our list, "Last Time I Say I'm Sorry" finds Kane Brown holding his own as a vocalist with one of the best in all of popular music. Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Gucci Experimental hip-hop producer Metro Boomin began his Heroes & Villains album with a huge get when it comes to special guests. Legend's smooth, soothing vocals somehow hit an otherwise unnerving mishmash of sounds. Debra L Rothenberg/Getty Images For the extended version of his album The Show, Niall Horan turned to Legend, a fellow coach on "The Voice," for a duet version of the indie-influenced title track. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Before Horan did the same for "The Show," Sam Smith recruited Legend for a dream duet when it came time to add a shiny new coat of paint to "Lay Me Down." Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Few in the game today do slow, sultry, jazzy numbers quite like Legend does them. Our first such example exalts a special someone via a sweet serenade. Paras Griffin/Getty Images Contemporary great Gary Clark Jr. flavors this heartfelt rock-meets-soul tune with next-level guitar heroics. Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Nordstrom Aside from maybe Dan + Shay, no one's done a better job than Legend at weaving into a song the modern practice of looking at your phone way too much before or after love blossoms. Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS Typically, Legend comes across like a modern-day Casanova. Yet as its title teases, "Nervous" concedes that even a love song balladeer gets a little anxious about the object of their affection. Denise Truscello/Getty Images for iHeartRadio Here, Legend pointed back to a number of sensual soul and R&B singers — namely Marvin Gaye — without sounding like too much of a throwback. Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation Legend's first crucial deep cut came on his debut album. It's one of the best sunshiny R&B flashbacks in Legend's catalog and outshines quite a few of his singles. John Sciulli/Getty Images for Google Though it lacked the initial cart push of some of our top picks, "Conversations in the Dark" belongs in any discussion about Legend's classiest and most instantly classic love ballads. George Napolitano/FilmMagic In line with what we've come to expect from Outkast-member-turned-noted-flutist Andre 3000, "Green Light" doesn't fit neatly into a genre-specific box. Kevin Mazur/BMA2015/WireImage In less than 10 years, Meghan Trainor and Legend's duet has piled up over 1 billion Spotify streams. No wonder, as it's one of the best-executed classic soul homages in recent memory. Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images Thanks in part to a sample of "Stormy" by '60s rock 'n' rollers Classics IV, "Save Room" became a dance hit while previewing retro sounds to come from Legend and his collaborators. Jason Merritt/Getty Images Legend's greatest cross-genre collaboration, "Glory" falls in the same lineage of the folk songs and spirituals associated with the Civil Rights Movement. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Our favorite Legend collaboration pairs him will a fellow powerhouse vocalist and fashion icon Faouzia for an instantly timeless sophisticated pop gem. Gregg DeGuire/WireImage Beneath layers of sound that add a modern pop sheen, "Love Me Now" is a piano-based ballad sung by a generational talent. Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Although it's less than 20 years old, "Ordinary People" sounds as timeless as any other pop hit from any other decade. At its heart, the song's about the gambles that are necessary when two people who are as flawed as the rest of us maneuver romance. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images At its peak, "All of Me" ended the 10-week run of "Happy" by Pharrell Williams atop the pop charts. A piano love ballad that was inspired by Chrissy Teigen, the song's gone on to compile over 2 billion global streams on Spotify. By multiple measures, it's one of the biggest pop songs of the 21st century."Don't Need to Sleep" ("Dare to Dream" Soundtrack, 2023)
"Last Time I Say I'm Sorry" (With Kane Brown) (Single, 2020)
"On Time" (With Metro Boomin) (Metro Boomin's Heroes & Villains, 2022)
"The Show" (With Niall Horan) (Horan's The Show: The Encore, 2023)
"Lay Me Down" (With Sam Smith) (Smith's In the Lonely Hour (Drowning Shadows Edition))
"Wonder Woman" (Legend, 2022)
"Wild" (Feat. Gary Clark Jr.) (Bigger Love, 2020)
"Preach" (Single, 2019)
"Nervous" (Legend, 2022)
"One Woman Man" ("Fifty Shades Darker" Soundtrack, 2017)
"Stay With You" (Get Lifted, 2004)
"Conversations in the Dark" (Bigger Love, 2020)
"Green Light" (Feat. Andre 3000) (Evolver, 2008)
"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" (With Meghan Trainor) (Title, 2015)
"Save Room" (Once Again, 2006)
"Glory" (With Common) ("Selma" Soundtrack, 2014)
"Minefields" (With Faouzia) (Single, 2020)
"L0ve Me Now" (Darkness and Light, 2016)
"Ordinary People" (Get Lifted, 2004)
"All of Me" (Love in the Future, 2013)
