James Blunt (GB)

About

Also known as: James Blount, James Hillier Blount

Before he ever set foot in a recording studio, James Blunt was a British Army captain who found himself in the middle of a tense standoff with Russian troops at Pristina Airport during the Kosovo War. He had his guitar strapped to the outside of his tank during that deployment, which is where he wrote the song "No Bravery". That backstory alone sets him apart from most pop acts. His 2004 debut Back to Bedlam turned into one of the best selling albums in UK chart history, shifting over 12 million copies worldwide. "You're Beautiful" hit number one in thirteen countries, and "Goodbye My Lover" became another fan favourite. He kept releasing albums roughly every three years, including All the Lost Souls, Moon Landing, The Afterlove and Once Upon a Mind, building a catalogue that had reached over 23 million sales worldwide by 2021. His seventh album, Who We Used to Be, arrived in 2023.