Bjork is the pixieish Icelandic pop star who continues to defy musical conventions and dress codes.

Bjork Gudmundsdóttir grew up in a hippy commune and precociously recorded her first album at the age of 11. By 13, she'd immersed herself in the Icelandic punk scene, and after forming a number of punk-inspired bands including Tappi Tíkarrass and KUKL, she came to prominence in the late 1980s as vocalist for the Sugarcubes. In 1993, she decamped to London and launched her eccentric solo career with Debut. She's continued to expand her musical repertoire and confound fans ever since.

Bjork's musical career has spanned genres ranging from punk and "Gothic rock" to dance and hip-hop, but it's her uncompromising weirdness that's made her an indie icon. In recent years, her freakishness has manifested itself outside the musical fold with collaborations with Danish director Lars Von Trier and her boyfriend Matthew Barney. Her warped fashion sense has also managed to convey her eccentricity quite nicely. Remember that swan dress at the 2001 Oscars? Yeah, she didn't want you to forget.

Bjork was romantically linked to musicians Goldie and Tricky before getting together with her current partner, the jock-turned-art star Matthew Barney. The couple has a daughter, Isadora, and Bjork has a son, Sindri, from her relationship with Sugarcubes' guitarist Thor Eldon. [Image via Getty]