John Legend performs onstage during The Event hosted by the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation on October 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation

20 John Legend Songs That Justify His Stage Name

He lives up to the Legend moniker.

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.

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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.

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