A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays swing, jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music.

Most bandleaders are also performers with their own band. The bandleader role is dependent on a variety of skills, not just musicianship. A bandleader needs to be a music director and performer. In general the bands are named after their bandleaders. Some older bands have continued operating under their bandleaders' names long after the death of the original bandleader.

Noted American bandleaders and their instruments

• Count Basie - piano
• Terence Blanchard - trumpet
• Will Bradley - trombone
• Les Brown - saxophone
• James Brown - singer
• Dave Brubeck - piano
• Miles Davis - trumpet
• Jimmy Dorsey - saxophone
• Tommy Dorsey - trombone
• Duke Ellington - piano
• Benny Goodman - clarinet
• Lionel Hampton - vibraphone, percussion
• Bill Haley - guitar, singer
• Emmylou Harris - guitar, singer
• Isaac Hayes - singer
• Jimi Hendrix - guitar, singer
• Woody Herman - clarinet
• Buddy Holly - guitar, singer
• Elmore James - guitar, singer
• BB King - guitar, singer
• Geddy Lee - vocals, bass
• Jimmie Lunceford - saxophone
• Dave Matthews - guitar, singer
• John Mayer - guitar, singer
• Pat Metheny - guitar
• Glenn Miller - trombone
• Charles Mingus - bass
• Buck Owens - guitar
• Gloria Parker - Marimba
• George Paxton - tenor saxophone
• Arthur Pryor - trombone
• Buddy Rich - drum kit
• Little Richard - piano, singer
• Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - guitar
• B.A. Rolfe - trumpet
• Paul Shaffer - keyboards
• Artie Shaw - clarinet
• Lew Soloff - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
• John Philip Sousa - wind instruments
• Bruce Springsteen - guitar, singer
• Lew Tabackin - tenor saxophone, flute
• Derek Trucks - guitar
• Ernest Tubb - singer-songwriter
• Muddy Waters - guitar, singer
• Barry White - singer
• Maurice White - percussion
• Paul Whiteman - violin
• Anna Mae Winburn - singer
• Frank Zappa - guitar, singer

British bandleaders

• Bert Ambrose
• Ian Anderson - flute, guitar, singer
• Gary Barlow - singer
• Jeff Beck - guitar
• Ian Gillan - singer
• Acker Bilk - clarinet
• John Barry
• David Bowie - saxophone, guitar, singer
• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
• Elvis Costello - guitar, singer
• Billy Cotton
• Stewart Copeland - drummer
• Alex Harvey - singer
• Ted Heath - trombone
• Julian Miles "Jools" Holland - piano
• Spike Hughes
• Jack Hylton
• Yusuf Islam - guitar, singer
• Elton John - piano, singer
• Mark Knopfler - guitar, singer
• Geoff Love
• Simon Park
• Johnny Pearson
• Rod Stewart - singer
• Les Reed

Italian bandleaders

• Pippo Barzizza
• Renato Carosone - piano
• Gorni Kramer
• Mantovani

Swedish bandleaders

• Yngwie J. Malmsteen - guitar

Dutch bandleaders

• Michiel Borstlap
• Willem Breuker - trumpet
• Jack Coenen - trombone, leading the Jack Million Band specialized in the music of Glenn Miller
• Tonny Eijk
• Pim Jacobs
• Erik van der Luijt
• Malando - violin
• Rogier van Otterloo
• André Rieu - violin
• Cees Schrama - keyboards
• Joop Stokkermans - piano
• Lajos Veres - multi-instrumentalist, mostly violin

German bandleaders

• Peter Herbolzheimer
• Bert Kaempfert
• Uli Jon Roth - guitar
• Michael Schenker - guitar
• James Last - double bass
• Max Raabe - singer

French bandleaders

• Raymond Lefevre
• Paul Mauriat
• Franck Pourcel

Belgian bandleaders

• Francis Bay

Argentine bandleaders

• Waldo de los Rios

Japanese bandleaders

• Yoshiki Hayashi - piano & drums
• Toshiko Akiyoshi - piano
• Gackt
• Keisuke Kuwata - guitar multi-instrumentalist

Australian bandleaders

• Stuart Lang - cornet
• Mark "Slim" Roberts - cornet, trumpet

See also

• Bandmaster