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From 'King of Bachata' to 'Queen of Pop': List of honorific nicknames celebrities are known for in popular music© Getty Images

From ‘King of Bachata’ to ‘Queen of Pop’: List of honorific nicknames celebrities are known for in popular music

Your go-to guide to find your favorite musician’s nickname


Shirley Gomez
Senior Writer
AUGUST 2, 2021 2:46 PM EDT

Artists’ significance in the music industry and other areas allowed them to receive honorific names that range from father or mother of a genre when the figures are the pioneers; to royal titles such as king and queen when the celebrity is a dominant figure in a field.

It is believed that patterns of naming figures for their contributions popularized in the 1930s and 1940s with jazz and swing music. Later it transferred to rock and roll in the 1950s and continued in other genres, including soul, pop, Latin pop, Bachata, and more.

Today, whether alive or deceased, thanks to their popularity and ability to move the masses, sell out millions of records, concert tickets, and merchandise, singers have secured their honorific nicknames through their positive impact on music.

Let the below be your go-to guide when you need to find your favorite musician’s nickname in popular music.

Aaliyah File Photos© GettyImages

Aaliyah

Princess of R&B and Queen of Urban Pop

LA Pride And Tik-Tok Host "Thrive With Pride" Concert With Charli XCX© GettyImages

Paula Abdul

Dance/Dancing Queen

Roy Acuff...50 Years the King of Country Music© GettyImages

Roy Acuff

King of Country Music

Adele on Saturday Night Live© Courtesy of NBC

Adele

British Queen of Soul

Christina Aguilera© @xtina

Christina Aguilera

Princess of Pop

Louis Satchmo Armstrong In 1956© GettyImages

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong

King of Jazz

Ashanti Visits "Extra"© GettyImages

Ashanti

Princess of Hip Hop and Soul

The Return Of The Legends Concert Featuring Erykah Badu, Goodie Mob, and Juvenile - Detroit, MI© GettyImages

Erykah Badu

Queen of Neo-Soul

Vax Live concert at SoFi Stadium on Sun 5/2 with Foo Fighters, Brian Johnson, Jennifer Lopez, H.E.R., J. Balvin, David Letterman, Selena Gomez, Kevin Frazier© GettyImages

J Balvin

Prince of Reggaeton

Chuck Berry Portrait Session© GettyImages

Chuck Berry

Father of Rock and Roll

Beyonce con corte bob recto© GettyImages

Beyoncé

Queen of 21st Century Pop and Queen of R&B

Justin Bieber In Concert At The MGM Grand© GettyImages

Justin Bieber

Prince of Pop and King of Teen Pop

Mary J Blige: My Life Premiere Presented By Amazon Studios© GettyImages

Mary J Blige

Empress of Soul and Queen of R&B

NAACP 108th Annual Convention© GettyImages

Kurtis Blow

King of Rap

SBS 'K-Pop Star 2' Press Conference© GettyImages

BoA

Queen of K-Pop

29th Annual DIVAS Simply Singing On World AIDS Day© GettyImages

Brandy

Princess of R&B

FILE PHOTO: Chadwick Boseman To Play James Brown In Biopic Role© GettyImages

James Brown

Godfather of Soul

US-ENTERTAINMENT-MUSIC-CAREY© GettyImages

Mariah Carey

Queen of R&B and Songbird Supreme

Photo of CHER© GettyImages

Cher

Goddess of Pop, Empress of Pop, Queen of Reinvention and Queen of Comebacks

The Kelly Clarkson Show - Season 2© GettyImages

Kelly Clarkson

The Original American Idol, Pop Princess and Queen of Covers

US-LATIN GRAMMYS-CELIA CRUZ-ARRIVES© GettyImages

Celia Cruz

Queen of Salsa

Daddy Yankee In Concert - San Juan, PR© GettyImages

Daddy Yankee

King of Reggaetón

Doja Cat© DojaCat

Doja Cat

Pop-rap Queen

2019 Urban One Honors - Show© GettyImages

Missy Elliott

Beat Slayer, First Lady of Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Goddess, and Hip-Hop Heavyweight

Lali Esposito© @lalioficial

Lali Espósito

Queen of Argentine Pop

Gloria Estefan And Ana Villafane Visit "Extra"© GettyImages

Gloria Estefan

Queen of Latin Pop

Vicente Fernandez© GettyImages

Vicente Fernández

King of Ranchera

25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Show© GettyImages

Aretha Franklin

Queen of Soul

Chanel - Photocall - Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Spring Summer 2020© GettyImages

G-Dragon

King of K-Pop

Juan Gabriel© GettyImages

Juan Gabriel

King of Latin Pop

91st Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals© GettyImages

Lady Gaga

Mother Monster, Queen of Pop, and Princess of Pop

Gloria Gaynor Show at amfAR Gala Mexico City 2020© GettyImages

Gloria Gaynor

Queen of Disco

Selena Gomez© Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez

Dance-Pop Princess, Pop Princess, and Queen of Breakup Songs.

62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals© GettyImages

Ariana Grande

Princess of Pop, Queen Of Halloween, and Pop Diva Supreme.

Whitney Houston© GettyImages

Whitney Houston

The Voice, Queen of Pop, Prom Queen of Soul, and Pop Princess.

The Voice UK Final 2019 - Photocall© GettyImages

Jennifer Hudson

The Princess of Soul and America’s Dreamgirl.

Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias

King of Latin Pop

La India© GettyImages

La India

The Princess of Salsa

US-ENTERTAINMENT-MUSIC-GRAMMY-CLIVE DAVIS© GettyImages

Janet Jackson

Princess of Pop, Queen of Pop, Queen of R&B, and Queen of Radio.

Michael Jackson an Konzert in Lausanne, 1988© GettyImages

Michael Jackson

King of Pop and The Gloved One.

2020 Roc Nation THE BRUNCH - Inside© GettyImages

Jay-Z

King of Rap, and King of New York.

Janis Joplin© GettyImages

Janis Joplin

Queen of Rock and Roll

Jose Jose© GettyImages

José José

The Prince of Song

2021 Billboard Music Awards - Backstage© GettyImages

Alicia Keys

Queen of R&B

2021 Newport Folk Festival© GettyImages

Chaka Khan

Queen of Funk

Questlove's "Summer Of Soul" Screening & Live Concert© GettyImages

Gladys Knight

Empress of Soul

BET Awards 2021 - Show© GettyImages

Queen Latifah

Hip-Hop’s First Lady

Celebrities Visit SiriusXM - October 28, 2019© GettyImages

Patti LaBelle

Godmother of Soul and High Priestess of Good Vibrations.

Avril Lavigne on Instagram© Instagram

Avril Lavigne

Pop-Punk Queen, Pop Rock Princess, and Punk Rock Princess.

Willie Colon And Hector Lavoe© GettyImages

Hector Lavoe

El Cantante de los Cantantes

Jennifer Lopez© @lacarba @jlo

Jennifer Lopez

Queen of Las Vegas

62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards - Inside© GettyImages

Demi Lovato

Tween Princess, and Pop Princess.

12th Annual MTV Video Music Awards - Press Room© GettyImages

Madonna

Queen of Pop

Ricky Martin© @worldjunkies/ @rickymartin

Ricky Martin

King of Latin Pop, Latin King of Pop, Latin Music King, Latin Pop God, Puerto Rican Pop King, Crossover Latin King, and King of World Cup.

Luis Miguel

Luis Miguel

The Sun of Mexico