The World's Biggest Heartthrobs By Decade

From the 1940s to 2020s, talented actors and acclaimed musicians spawned legions of devoted fans and became bonafide heartthrobs. Here are the top heartthrobs, from Elvis to Timothée Chalamet, who changed pop culture forever.

When hearing the term "heartthrob," it's evident the image of a few good looking men come to your mind. Whether it's handsome men who are popular now, or all the way back from the '40s, there will always be a celebrity that makes you feel some type of way. These men rose to fame through their talents, ranging from acting to singing to even race car driving, and it's no surprise that their charisma and good looks also helped pave their way to stardom. Whether it's their rugged features or alluring accents, these male celebrities became the ultimate crushes for multiple generations.

We all went through the phase of having their posters all over our walls, and to this day they remain in our hearts. Today, Harry Styles is considered one of the most well-known male celebrities—from being a starring member in One Direction to his iconic style, and now his very own solo music career taking flight, there's no doubt he's included in this list. Back in the '90s, iconic men like Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio were considered everyone's main crushes, stealing people's hearts all over the world because of their talents and, of course, great looks.

Recent events showed us that these handsome men are also connected, no matter their age. Today, '70s heartthrob and Grease star John Travolta congratulated current heartthrob Timothée Chalamet on becoming the first actor after him to break a box office record, with popular films Wonka and Dune. On an Instagram post, Travolta wrote “Congratulations Timothée! It’s great to have someone to share my box office record with. Sincerely, JT.”

From the bad boys of the '50s like Elvis Presley and James Dean to now the "soft boys" of the 2020s, take a trip down memory lane to look at these iconic celebrity heartthrobs throughout the years.

1940s

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From his roles in "The Philadelphia Story" (1940) to "Suspicion" (1941), Cary Grant became one of the original heartthrobs during the era of Old Hollywood.

1950s

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Considered the “King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis Presley made fans swoon over his bad boy appearance, baritone voice, and provocative dance moves.

Widely known for his role as Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause, James Dean was considered the epitome of the "bad boy" persona in the '50s. Although he died at the age of 24 in a tragic car accident, Dean has left a legacy as one of Hollywood's biggest cultural icons.

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From his roles in A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront in the '50s to his critically-acclaimed portrayal as Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972), Marlon Brando's charming smile and mesmerizing acting skills have graced the silver screen for more than four decades.

1960s

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Audiences can't help but stare into Paul Newman's signature bright blue eyes while watching his films. The actor and race car driver appeared in many films throughout the '60s, including Cool Hand Luke, The Hustler, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

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Known for his role as the cunning and incredibly handsome Clyde Barrow in the 1967 film, Bonnie and Clyde, Warren Beatty became one of the most notable figures of the New Hollywood era.

1970s

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Known for his appearances in Spaghetti Westerns and action films, Clint Eastwood easily pulled off a cowboy hat with his rugged features and raspy voice.

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From “Welcome Back, Kotter” (1975-1979) to “Saturday Night Fever” (1977) to “Grease” (1978), John Travolta’s feathered hair and attractive smile made him the epitome of the phrase, “Tall, dark and handsome.”

Widely considered the most iconic figure of martial arts cinema, Bruce Lee was sensational on screen with his well-defined physique and graceful, yet powerful kung fu moves. His most notable films include "Fist of Fury" (1972), "The Way of the Dragon" (1972), and "Enter the Dragon" (1973).

1980s

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Richard Gere attracted audiences with his charming good looks and amazing head of hair, starring as the leading man in films like "American Gigolo" (1980) and "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982).

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Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington not only wows audiences with his performances on screen, he is also considered one of Hollywood's sexiest men of all time.

1990s

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Brad Pitt instantly won our hearts in his breakout film role as the sexy hitchhiker in Thelma & Louise (1991). From his eventual leading roles in Se7en (1995) and Meet Joe Black (1998) to dating famous actresses like Jennifer Aniston, Juliette Lewis, and Gwyneth Paltrow, Pitt is considered one of Hollywood's most handsome men of the 90's.

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Arguably the ultime heartthrob, Leonardo DiCaprio become one of Hollywood's most successful actors at a young age. From his roles as Romeo in "Romeo & Juliet" (1996) to Jack Dawson in "Titanic" (1997), DiCaprio has been an alluring presence on the silver screen.

Although Johnny Depp tends to transform into eccentric characters on screen, the actor captured people's hearts with his dreamy eyes and effortless smoulder.

Audiences fell in love with the suave Spanish actor for his portrayal as the titular character in ‘“The Mask of Zorro” (1998). His other notable films in the ’90s include “Desperado” (1995) and “Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles” (1994).

2000s

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With his salt and pepper hairstyle and sexy voice, George Clooney is a prime example of a silver fox, and arguably considered the most handsome guy of the 2000s.

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Andy García's charisma was evident in movies like "The Godfather: Part III" (1990) and "When a Man Loves a Woman" (1994) in the '90s. In the early 2000s, the Cuban American actor continued to captivate audiences as Terry Benedict in "Ocean's Eleven" (2001) and the following two films of the franchise.

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Who couldn't resist falling for the dreamy Noah Calhoun in "The Notebook" (2004)? With his chiseled abs and striking blue eyes, Ryan Gosling still makes our hearts skip a beat.

Widely known for his role as Wolverine in the "X-Men" franchise, the multi-talented Hugh Jackman has won audiences over with his rugged good looks and Australian accent.

2010s

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Following his roles in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" (2010) and "Not Another Teen Movie" (2001), Chris Evans rose to prominence as Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, in the Marvel franchise. Evans is still in the list of Marvel's most handsome men.

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Whether he's playing the underdog light heavyweight boxer in "Creed" (2015) or the ferocious villian in "Black Panther" (2018), Michael B. Jordan makes fans fawn over him with every move he makes.

2020s

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From his chiseled jawline to wavy locks, Timothée Chalamet is one of Hollywood's current heartthrobs to watch on screen.

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With his seductive British accent and bright smile, it's no wonder Henry Golding played the leading man in rom-coms like "Crazy Rich Asians" (2018) and "Last Christmas" (2019).

Although he rose to fame as a member of pop boy band One Direction in 2010, Harry Styles continues to dominate the music charts as a solo artist in the past few years. With his daring fashion choices and sweet British accent, it's hard to resist calling him the most handsome guy of the decade.