The Best Musical Guests on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' in 2019

Updated January 13, 2020 1.7k votes 208 voters 2.4k views73 items

List RulesVote up the best musical guests that have appeared on Stephen Colbert.

Update - Check out the musical guests on Colbert in 2020!

This list contains videos and information about the 2019 musical guests on Stephen Colbert. Recent musical guests on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert come in many forms. Some Colbert musical guests are legends of classic rock while other best musical guests on Stephen Colbert are buzz-worthy rappers. Some great Colbert Show musical guests are even up-and-coming pop stars.

Who are some of the recent best musical guests on Stephen Colbert? Of course, BTS has to be near the top. The K-pop superstars performed “Make It Right” on May 17, 2019. They also sat down for an interview and recreated the Beatles iconic TV debut during their Late Show appearance. Fellow K-poppers BLACKPINK also stopped by Colbert in 2019 to perform “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” on February 11th.

Spike Jonze directed Karen O and Danger Mouse's March 18, 2019, Colbert set in the style of a live music video. Other great 2019 Late Show musical guests include Cage the Elephant, Future, and The National.

Which recent Late Show performance is the best? Vote your favorites to the top of this list.

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BTS
K-pop, Hip hop
Albums: 2 Cool 4 Skool, DARK&WILD, SKOOL LUV AFFAIR SPECIAL ADDITION
May 17, 2019 - Performed "Make It Right" from their EP Map of the Soul: Persona.

Bangtan Boys, also known as BTS, is a seven member South Korean boy group formed by Big Hit... more
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72
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BLACKPINK
K-pop, EDM
February 11, 2019 - Performed "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" from their album Square Up (EP).

Blackpink (commonly stylized as BLACKPINK or BLΛƆKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by... more
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17
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Tori Kelly
Pop music, Rhythm and blues
Albums: Fill a Heart, Foreword, P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing), Handmade Songs By Tori Kelly
August 14, 2019 - Performed "Sorry Would Go a Long Way" from her album Inspired by True Events.

Victoria Loren Kelly (born December 14, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and... more
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Pharrell Williams
Pop, Funk
Albums: In My Mind, In My Mind: The Prequel, ADD SUV, G I R L, Frontin'
December 4, 2019 - Performed "Letter to My Godfather", from the film The Black Godfather

Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter... more
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17
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Thomas Rhett
Country
Albums: Thomas Rhett, It Goes Like This, Something to Do With My Hands, It Goes Like This
December 11, 2019 - Performed "Notice" from his album Center Point Road.

Thomas Rhett Akins, Jr., better known by his stage name Thomas Rhett, is an American country... more
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Hootie & the Blowfish
Jangle pop, Heartland rock
Albums: Cracked Rear View, Hootie & the Blowfish, Fairweather Johnson, Musical Chairs, Kootchypop
May 1, 2019 - Performed "Hold My Hand" from their album Cracked Rear View.

"Hootie" is a nickname for the following people: Hootie Ingram (born 1933), former Clemson... more
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Paul Simon
Rock music, Folk music
Albums: Graceland, Still Crazy After All These Years, So Beautiful or So What, Paul Simon, The Rhythm of the Saints
April 15, 2019 - Performed "That Was Your Mother" from his album Graceland.

Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and actor.... more

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Mark Ronson featuring Lykke Li
Electronic, Funk
Albums: Version, Here Comes the Fuzz, Record Collection, Just (feat. Alex Greenwald), Valerie
June 13, 2019 - Performed "Late Night Feelings"

Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British–American musician, DJ, songwriter and... more
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Sharon Van Etten featuring Norah Jones
Folk music, Indie rock
Albums: Are We There, Tramp, Taking Chances, Because I Was in Love, Leonard
December 19, 2019 - Performed "Seventeen" from her album Remind Me Tomorrow, featuring Norah Jones.

Sharon Katharine Van Etten (born February 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and... more
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Mumford & Sons
Pop music, Folk rock
Albums: Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire, London (Deluxe Companion), Babel, Mumford & Sons, iTunes Festival: London 2010
March 7, 2019 - Performed "Beloved" from their album Delta.

Mumford & Sons are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 2007. The band consists... more
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The 1975
Indie pop, Nu gaze
Albums: The 1975, Music for Cars, Sex, iTunes Festival: London 2013, Facedown
November 18, 2019 - Performed "Frail State of Mind" from their upcoming album Notes on a Conditional Form.

The 1975 is an English indie rock band formed in Manchester. The group consists of Matthew... more
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The Claypool Lennon Delirium
February 18, 2019 - Performed "Blood and Rockets" from their album South of Reality.
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Thom Yorke
Electronic music, Experimental rock
Albums: The Eraser, Harrowdown Hill, Spitting Feathers, The Eraser Rmxs, This
November 14, 2019 - Performed "Daily Battles"

Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and was born in... more
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Bonnie Raitt
Blues-rock, Blue-eyed soul
Albums: Nick of Time, Nine Lives, Fundamental, Silver Lining, Longing in Their Hearts
May 8, 2019 - Performed "Angel from Montgomery" from her album Streetlights.

Bonnie Lynn Raitt (born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer, guitarist, songwriter,... more
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11
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Barenaked Ladies
Rock music, Folk rock
Albums: Gordon, Barenaked for the Holidays, Maybe You Should Drive, Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits (1991–2001), Everything to Everyone
May 16, 2019 - Performed "Big Bang Theory Theme."

The Barenaked Ladies are a Canadian rock band, formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The... more
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James Taylor
Blues-rock, Disco
Albums: Sweet Baby James, A Christmas Album, James Taylor at Christmas, Never Die Young, Hourglass
May 2, 2019 - Performed "Carolina in My Mind" from his self-titled debut album.

James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A... more
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The Smashing Pumpkins
Shoegazing, Gothic rock
Albums: Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Oceania, Gish, Adore
August 7, 2019 - Performed "Knights of Malta" from their album Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun..

The Smashing Pumpkins (or Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from... more
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Lady A
Country, Pop
Albums: Need You Now, Lady Antebellum, A Merry Little Christmas, Need You Now, Own the Night
November 21, 2019 - Performed "Ocean" from their album of the same name.

Lady A (formerly known as Lady Antebellum) is an American country music group formed in... more
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8
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Lewis Capaldi
Pop
June 5, 2019 - Performed "Someone You Loved" from his album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent.

Lewis Capaldi (born October 7, 1996) is a Scottish singer and songwriter originating from... more
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10
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Karen O & Danger Mouse
Alternative rock, Art rock
Albums: Where the Wild Things Are, Pinky's Dream, I Shot the Sheriff, The Moon Song, Immigrant Song
March 18, 2019 - Performed "Woman" from their collaborative album Lux Prima.

Karen Lee Orzolek (born November 22, 1978), is a South Korean-born American singer,... more
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Spiritualized
Shoegazing, Rock music
Albums: Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, Let It Come Down, Songs in A&E, Amazing Grace, Pure Phase
June 4, 2019 - Performed "I'm Your Man" from their album And Nothing Hurt

Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason... more
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Jessie Buckley
June 18, 2019 - Performed "Glasgow (No Place Like Home)"

Jessie Buckley (born 28 December 1989) is an Irish singer and actress. Her career began in... more
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Cage the Elephant
Punk blues, Garage rock
Albums: Thank You, Happy Birthday, Cage the Elephant, Melophobia, Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
April 18, 2019 - Performed "Ready to Let Go" from their album Social Cues.

Cage the Elephant is an American rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, that formed in 2006.... more
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King Princess
Pop
November 7, 2019 - Performed "Hit the Back" from her album Cheap Queen.

Mikaela Straus (born December 19, 1998), known by her stage name King Princess, is an American... more
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Big Thief
October 10, 2019 - Performed "Not" from their album Two Hands.

Thomas Rhett

The Claypool Lennon Delirium

Jessie Buckley

Big Thief