Smooth Icons 2023: George Michael is voted the greatest artist of all time

28 August 2023, 19:00

George Michael tops the Smooth Icons vote. Picture: Getty/Smooth/Global

By Tom Eames

After thousands of votes, we have crowned the winner of Smooth Icons 2023!

George Michae was voted by Smooth Radio listeners and SmoothRadio.com readers as the best artist of all time in the fifth annual Smooth Icons countdown, retaining his crown from 2019.

Over 15,000 votes were cast in the poll, which saw George beat 2022's winner Michael Jackson.

The highest group was Queen at four, while the highest female solo artist Whitney Houston was at three, and Elton John at five.

Smooth Icons aired on Smooth Radio on Monday (August 28), after an online vote asked listeners to vote for their favourite artists of all time.

The full top 10:

  1. George Michael
  2. Michael Jackson
  3. Whitney Houston
  4. Queen
  5. Elton John
  6. ABBA
  7. Elvis Presley
  8. Tina Turner
  9. Celine Dion
  10. Bee Gees

If you missed the countdown, you can listen again on Global Player for seven days after broadcast.