Elon Musk Names Johann Sebastian Bach the Greatest Musician of All Time

Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk has named the late German composer Johann Sebastian Bach as the greatest musician of all time, describing him as the William Shakespeare of music.

Musk shared his opinion in a post on his X account, praising the classical composer for his enduring musical legacy.

“Johann Sebastian Bach is the Shakespeare of music. Best there ever was,” Musk wrote.

Bach was an 18th-century German composer, keyboardist, violinist and organist whose work became a major influence on Western classical music. He was also known for his work as a music director and for producing compositions across several musical forms.

His best-known works include the Brandenburg Concertos, a collection of orchestral compositions, and The Well-Tempered Clavier, a major work for keyboard instruments.

Other notable compositions include the Goldberg Variations, the Cello Suites and the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. His organ music includes the widely recognised Toccata and Fugue in D minor.

Bach also composed major works for choir and orchestra, including the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. These compositions have helped sustain his reputation as one of the most influential figures in classical music.

Musk’s description of Bach as the greatest musician of all time reflects his personal assessment. Bach’s standing in music history is widely recognised, although identifying a single greatest musician remains a matter of individual taste and musical preference.