The following is a list of events and releases that have happened or are expected to happen in 2026 in music in the United States.
Notable events
January
- 9 – The Protomen released their first studio album in nearly seventeen years, Act III: This City Made Us, which serves as the conclusion to their three-act rock opera inspired by the story of the Mega Man video game franchise.[1]
- 16 – ASAP Rocky released his first studio album in eight years, Don't Be Dumb, over three years after its original announcement in December 2022.[2]
- 19 – Jamal Roberts sings the national anthem at the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship.[4]
- 23 – Megadeth release their self-titled final album, their first in four years.[5]
- Lina releases her first album in over ten years, Melodrama.
- Goldfinger release their first studio album in nearly six years, Nine Lives.
- The Format released their first album in nearly twenty years, Boycott Heaven. It is also vocalist Nate Ruess' first album on which he is credited as a primary member in eleven years.
- Alec Duckart, under his alias Searows, released his first studio album in four years, Death in the Business of Whaling.
- 30 – Joyce Manor released their first album in nearly four years, I Used to Go to This Bar.[6]
- By Storm, formed from surviving members of Injury Reserve, released their debut studio album, My Ghosts Go Ghost. It is the first album in nearly five years for members RiTchie with a T and Parker Corey.
February
- 1 – The 68th Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Kendrick Lamar won the most awards with five including Record of the Year, shared with SZA for "Luther". Bad Bunny won Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell won their third Song of the Year award for "Wildflower" and English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean won Best New Artist.[7] This was the last year the ceremony aired on CBS, as ABC will air it under a ten-year deal starting in 2027.[8]
- 5 – Twisted Sister cancel their 50th Anniversary tour after lead singer Dee Snider resigned due to health issues.[9]
- 6 – Puscifer released their first studio album in nearly six years, Normal Isn't.
- 7 – 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold dies in his sleep from stage 4 renal cell carcinoma at the age of 47.
- 8 – Charlie Puth performed the national anthem and Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, and Ricky Martin performed the halftime show during Super Bowl LX at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.[10] Green Day performed pre-game.[11]
- 13 – Converge released their first studio album in nearly five years, Love Is Not Enough. It was followed by their next album, Hum of Hurt, only four months later.
- The Bronx, under their moniker Mariachi El Bronx, released their first studio album in five years, Mariachi El Bronx IV.
- The Lone Bellow released their first studio album in nearly four years, What a Time to Be Alive.
- 20 – New Found Glory released their first studio album in nearly six years, Listen Up!.[12]
- 27 – Neil Sedaka died at the age of 86.
- Bruno Mars released his first solo studio album in nearly ten years and his first overall in nearly five years, The Romantic.
- Rob Zombie released his first studio album in five years, The Great Satan.
- Bill Callahan released his first studio album in four years, My Days of 58.
- Ritt Momney released his first studio album in five years, Base.
- A Wilhelm Scream released their first studio album in four years, Cheap Heat.
- Voxtrot released their first studio album in nineteen years, Dreamers in Exile.
March
- 6 – Surfbort released their first studio album in five years, Reality Star.
- Vial release their first studio album in five years, Hellhound.
- Whiplash release their first studio album in seventeen years, Thrashquake.[13]
- 13 – Lamb of God released their first studio album in four years, Into Oblivion.
- The Fray released their first studio album in twelve years, A Light That Waits. This is their first album without original lead singer Issac Slade who left the band in 2022.
- Sweet Pill released their first studio album in four years, Still There's a Glow.
- 20 – Exodus release their first studio album in five years, Goliath. It is the band's first album in sixteen years to feature returning vocalist Rob Dukes, following Steve Souza's second departure in 2025.
- 27 – Black Label Society released their first studio album in five years, Engines of Demolition.
April
- 3 – Corrosion of Conformity released their first studio album in eight years, Good God / Baad Man. It is their first album in more than three decades without original bassist Mike Dean, who was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, and their first in more than two decades with drummer Stanton Moore, who replaced Reed Mullin after his death in 2020.
- 11 – No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease but confirmed he would continue to perform.[15]
- 12 – Australian actress Ruby Rose alleged in a Threads post that Katy Perry sexually assaulted her at Spice Market Nightclub in Melbourne, Australia in 2010. A representative for Perry responded with a statement to Variety that stated the allegations between Rose and Perry were both false and lies, and also stated that Rose "has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named." The Victoria Police began investigating the allegations.[16]
- 14 – Alexia Jayy won the twenty-ninth season of The Voice. Liv Ciara was named runner-up.[17]
- 17 – Vanessa Carlton released her first studio album in six years, Veils.[18]
- 21 – Azealia Banks released her first studio album in twelve years, Zenzealia.
- 24 – Akon released his first studio album in seven years, Beautiful Day.[20]
May
- 1 – Isaiah Rashad released his first studio album in five years, It's Been Awful.
- 8 – Amy Grant released her first solo studio album in almost ten years, The Me That Remains.
- 11 – Hannah Harper won the twenty-fourth season of American Idol. Jordan McCullough was named runner-up.
- 15 – The All-American Rejects released their first studio album in fourteen years, Sandbox.
- Mya released her first studio album in eight years, Retrospect.
- Kevin Morby released his first studio album in four years, Little Wide Open.
- Pro-Pain released their first studio album in eleven years, Stone Cold Anger.
- 17 – The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards took place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
- 22 – Armored Saint released their first studio album in six years, Emotion Factory Reset.[24]
- Lowertown released their first studio album in four years, Ugly Duckling Union.
- Rapper Rob Base died from cancer at the age of 59.
- 25 – The American Music Awards of 2026 took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
- 29 – Kurt Vile released his first studio album in four years, Philadelphia's Been Good to Me.
- Shinedown released their first studio album in four years, Eight.
- Sparta released their first studio album in four years, Cut a Silhouette.[25]
June
- 2 – Peabo Bryson died from a stroke at age 75.
- 5 – Bedouine released her first studio album in five years, Neon Summer Skin.
- 12 – Baauer released his first studio album in six years, U.
- 14 – Singer Oliver Tree was killed in a mid-air helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, along with five other individuals while Tree was on his first world tour at age 32.[29]
- 17 – Woodwind musician and Chicago founding member Walter Parazaider died from Alzheimer's disease at the age of 81.
- 18 – Sixpence None the Richer bassist Justin Cary died from a stroke at age 50.
- 19 – D12 released their first studio album in twenty-two years, D12 Forever (Vol. 1). It is the group's first album since the murder of member Proof in 2006, and the departures of former members Eminem and Mr. Porter in 2018, being Porter's second departure, and features a posthumous appearance from Proof.
- 22 – Music executive and record producer Clive Davis died at age 94.
- 26 – Butthole Surfers released their first studio album in twenty-five years, After the Astronaut. Originally intended to be released in 1998 as the successor to 1996's Electriclarryland, the album was initially canceled due to record label politics.[30]
- 30 – Victor Willis, the cop/admiral and founding member of the Village People, died at the age of 74.
August
- 12 – Smash Mouth released their first studio album of original material in fourteen years, Mercury Comet. It is their first original album to feature current vocalist Zach Goode, following founding member Steve Harwell's retirement in 2021 amid various health problems and live controversies, and subsequent death in 2023.
- 14 – Carly Simon released her first studio album in seventeen years and her first of original material in eighteen years, Comes in Waves.
- 16 – Actress and singer Hayden Panettiere was found dead in an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina at the age of 36. It was discovered that she had been in cardiac arrest prior to her death.[34]
- 17 – ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard died at the age of 77 in Richardson, Texas while in hospice care.[35]
- 21 – Weezer released their seventh self-titled album, also known as the Gold Album. It is the band's first studio album in four years and their first traditional studio album in five years.
- 25 – Country music legend Dolly Parton died at the age of 80 after a "brief battle" with cancer.[36][37]
- 28 – Alabama Shakes will release their first studio album in eleven years, I Must Be Dreaming. It will be their first album without drummer Steve Johnson, who was fired from the band following various legal troubles in 2020 and 2021.
- Lauren Alaina will release her first studio album in five years, Stages.
- Sara Bareilles will release her first studio album in seven years, Good Grief.
- Dinosaur Jr. will release their first studio album in five years, There Near.
- Everlast will release his first studio album in eight years, Embers to Ashes.
- Little Big Town will release their first studio album of all original material in four years, It's A Dying Art.
- Mastodon will release their first studio album in five years, Marrow Deep. It will be their first album since the 2025 departure and subsequent death of former lead guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds.
- Interpol will release their first studio album in four years, This Mirror Weighs a Ton.
- Mike D will release his debut solo studio album, Thank You. It will be his first full album of new material in the fourteen years since the Beastie Boys' disbandment.
- Russian Circles will release their first studio album in four years, Nine.
- Train will release their first studio album in four years, Mad Dog in the Fog.
- Saul Williams will release his first solo studio album in seven years, Leap Life.
September
- 3 – Sleep will release their first studio album in eight years, Hemispheres. It will be their first album with former Void guitarist Bubba Dupree and Melvins drummer Dale Crover, following Jason Roeder's firing in 2024 and Matt Pike's departure in June.
- Hieroglyphics will release their first studio album in thirteen years, All Said and Done.
- 4 – Mykki Blanco will release his first studio album in four years, Cafe Paradiso.
- 11 – Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem will release his first solo album in five years, Not Bad for New Jersey.
- 18 – Anthrax will release their first studio album in ten years, Cursum Perficio.
- Beck will release his first studio album in seven years, Ride Lonesome.
- Cartel will release their first studio album in thirteen years, Learning How to Cope.
- Chaka Khan will release her first studio album in seven years, Chakzilla.
- Nonpoint will release their first studio album in eight years, The Last Word.
- Son Lux will release their first studio album in five years, Out Into.
- Emma Ruth Rundle will release her first solo studio album in five years, These Killing Times.
- 25 – Tom Morello will release his first solo studio album in five years, Everyone Gets Everything They Want.
- Ian Noe will release his first studio album in four years, Canyon Falls Trailer Band.
October
- 2 – Wynonna Judd will release her first studio album in ten years, The Hard Truth. It will be her first album released since the death of her mother and duo partner in the Judds, Naomi Judd, in 2022.
- Miss May I will release their first studio album in four years, No Place for Me.
- Stef Chura will release her first studio album in seven years, Dancing Alone on the Concrete.
- Lee Brice will release his first studio album in six years, Sunriser.[38]
- 9 – Danielle Ponder will release her first studio album in four years, Everything Has Changed.
- Laura Cortese will release her first solo studio album in ten years and her first overall in six years, Lucky Water.
- 16 – Sadurn will release their first studio album in four years, The Underworld.
- The Number Twelve Looks Like You will release their first studio album in seven years, Howls from the Holographic Heart.
- @ will release their first studio album in five years, Autosmile.
- 23 – The Olivia Tremor Control will release their final studio album and their first in twenty-seven years, The Same Place. The album will feature posthumous appearances from members Bill Doss and Will Cullen Hart, who died in 2012 and 2024, respectively.
- Forbidden will release their self-titled studio album, their first in sixteen years. It will be the band's first album to feature their new lead vocalist Norman Skinner as the replacement of original vocalist Russ Anderson, who is retired.
- 30 – Fuel will release their first studio album in five years, Pendulum. It will be their first album with vocalist Aaron Scott, who was hired by the band to replace previous vocalist John Corsale in 2022.
November
- 6 – Hatebreed will release their first studio album in six years, Fatal Paradox.
- 13 – Walls of Jericho will release their first studio album in ten years, System Error: Humanity.
- 20 – Down will release their first studio album in nineteen years, Volume V.
Unknown date
- 4 Non Blondes will release their first studio album in thirty-four years.[39]
- Abysmal Dawn will release their first studio album in six years.[40]
- Adema will release their first studio album in nineteen years, Cruel Machine.[41]
- American Hi-Fi will release their first studio album in twelve years.[42]
- The Ataris will release their first studio album in nineteen years, Revolution Summer.[43]
- Bad Religion will release their first studio album in seven years.[44]
- Blondie will release their first studio album in nine years, High Noon. It will be their first since the 2025 death of longtime drummer Clem Burke, who contributed to the album prior to his death.[45]
- Lindsey Buckingham will release his first solo studio album in five years.[46]
- Cake will release their first studio album in fifteen years.[44]
- Chiodos will release their first studio album in twelve years.[47]
- Clutch will release their first studio album in four years.[48]
- Cold will release their first studio album in seven years.[49]
- Cro-Mags will release their first studio album in six years.[50]
- Dangerous Toys will release their first studio album in thirty-one years.[51]
- Death Angel will release their first studio album in seven years.[52]
- Drowning Pool will release their first studio album in four years. It will be the band's first album in sixteen years to feature returning vocalist Ryan McCombs, following Jasen Moreno's departure in 2023.[53]
- Everclear will release their first studio album in eleven years.[54]
- Excel will release their first studio album in thirty-one years.[55]
- Fear Factory will release their first studio album in five years. It will be the band's first album with current lead vocalist Milo Silvestro and current drummer Pete Webber, both of whom joined in 2023.[56]
- Lita Ford will release her first studio album in ten years and her first of all-new material in fourteen years.[57]
- Guns N' Roses will release their first studio album in eighteen years. It will be the band's first album in thirty-three years, and their first of all-new material in thirty-five years, to feature guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan.[46]
- Heathen will release their first studio album in six years.[58]
- Icon will release their first studio album in thirty-seven years.[59]
- Incubus will release their first studio album in nine years, Something in the Water.[46] It will be their first studio album to feature bassist Nicole Row following the departure of longtime bassist Ben Kenney in 2023.
- The Interrupters will release their first studio album in four years.[60]
- Korn will release their first studio album in four years.[61]
- Limp Bizkit will release their first studio album in five years. It will be their first since the 2025 death of original bassist Sam Rivers, who had contributed to new music with the band by the time he died.[62][63]
- Living Colour will release their first studio album in nine years.[46]
- Meliah Rage will release their first studio album in eight years, Slaves in the Afterlife.[64]
- Mudvayne will release their first studio album in seventeen years.[65]
- Murphy's Law will release their first studio album in twenty-five years.[66]
- Stevie Nicks will release her first solo studio album in twelve years, and her first of all-new material in fifteen years.[46]
- Papa Roach will release their first studio album in four years.[67]
- Power Trip will release their first studio album in nine years. It will be their first album recorded since the death of original frontman Riley Gale in 2020, and also their first to feature lead vocals by his replacement, Seth Gilmore.[68]
- Queensrÿche will release their first studio album in four years.[69]
- Red Hot Chili Peppers will release their first studio album in four years. It will be their third album together with guitarist John Frusciante since his second return to the band in 2019.[70]
- Sacred Reich will release their first studio album in seven years, Into the Abyss.[71]
- Savatage will release their first studio album in twenty-five years, Curtain Call.[72]
- Snot will release their first studio album in twenty-six years. It will be the band's first album to feature their new lead vocalist Andy Knapp as the replacement of original vocalist Lynn Strait, who died in 1998.[73]
- Soil will release their first studio album in thirteen years.[74]
- Soundgarden will release their first studio album in fourteen years. Intended as their final studio album, it will include the final recordings of frontman Chris Cornell, who died in 2017.[75][76][77]
- Spineshank will release their first studio album in fourteen years.[78]
- Bruce Springsteen will release his first studio album in four years and his first non-archival album of original material in six years.[79]
- Suicidal Tendencies will release their first studio album in eight years, and their first of all-new material in ten years. It will be their first release with guitarist Ben Weinman and bassist Tye Trujillo (son of former Suicidal Tendencies bassist Robert Trujillo).[80]
- Symphony X will release their first studio album in eleven years.[81]
- Trivium will release their first studio album in five years.[82]
- Ugly Kid Joe will release their first studio album in four years.[83]
- Vinnie Vincent Invasion will release their first studio album in thirty-eight years, Judgment Day Guitarmageddon.[84]
- Vio-lence will release their first studio album in thirty-three years.[85]
- Joe Walsh will release his first solo studio album in fourteen years.[46]
- ZZ Top will release their first studio album in fourteen years.[46] It will be their first since the 2021 death of original bassist Dusty Hill, and will include unreleased tracks recorded with him.[86]
List of albums set to be released
Top songs on record
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 Songs
Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 Hits
- "2 Hard 4 the Radio" – Drake (#9)
- "20 Cigarettes" – Morgan Wallen (#15)
- "A Holly Jolly Christmas" – Burl Ives (#4 in 2020, #12 in 2026)
- "All I Want for Christmas Is You" – Mariah Carey (#1)
- "American Cars" – Noah Kahan (#16)
- "American Girls" – Harry Styles (#4)
- "Aperture" – Harry Styles (#1)
- "B's on the Table" – Drake feat. 21 Savage (#12)
- "Babydoll" – Dominic Fike (#16)
- "Back to Friends" – Sombr (#7)
- "Baile Inolvidable" – Bad Bunny (#2)
- "Be By You" – Luke Combs (#12)
- "Be Her" – Ella Langley (#2)
- "Beauty and a Beat" – Justin Bieber feat. Nicki Minaj (#5 in 2013, #11 in 2026)
- "Been By Now" – Morgan Wallen (#2)
- "Begged" – Olivia Rodrigo (#16)
- "Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson (#1 in 1983, #15 in 2026)
- "Body" – Don Toliver (#14)
- "Boston" – Stella Lefty (#2)
- "Bottom of Your Boots" – Ella Langley (#20)
- "Burning Bridges" – Drake (#13)
- "Choosin' Texas" – Ella Langley (#1)
- "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" – Darlene Love (#14)
- "Coming Up Roses" – Harry Styles (#18)
- "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" – Toby Keith (#11)
- "Dai Dai" – Shakira and Burna Boy (#17)
- "Daisies" – Justin Bieber (#2 in 2025, #10 in 2026)
- "Dashboard" – Noah Kahan (#19)
- "Dead Fresh" – Lil Baby (#18)
- "Deck the Halls" – Nat King Cole (#16 in 2022, #20 in 2026)
- "Die on This Hill" – Sienna Spiro (#19)
- "Don't We" – Morgan Wallen (#16)
- "Doors" – Noah Kahan (#9)
- "Dracula" – Tame Impala and Jennie (#5)
- "Drop Dead" – Olivia Rodrigo (#1)
- "DTMF" – Bad Bunny (#1)
- "Dust" – Drake (#8)
- "E85" – Don Toliver (#15)
- "Earrings" – Malcolm Todd (#20)
- "End of August" – Noah Kahan (#14)
- "End of Beginning" – Djo (#6)
- "Eoo" – Bad Bunny (#11)
- "Expectations" – Olivia Rodrigo (#20)
- "FDO" – Pooh Shiesty (#12)
- "Feliz Navidad" – José Feliciano (#6 in 2021, #11 in 2026)
- "Folded" – Kehlani (#6)
- "Golden" – Huntrix (#1 in 2025, #2 in 2026)
- "Hate That I Made You Love Me" – Ariana Grande (#1)
- "Homewrecker" – Sombr (#15)
- "Honeybee" – Olivia Rodrigo (#9)
- "I Can't Love You Anymore" – Ella Langley and Morgan Wallen (#4)
- "I Got Better" – Morgan Wallen (#7 in 2025, #11 in 2026)
- "I Just Might" – Bruno Mars (#1)
- "I Knew It, I Knew You" – Taylor Swift (#1)
- "Iloveitiloveitiloveit" – Bella Kay (#17)
- "It Depends" – Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller (#16 in 2025, #17 in 2026)
- "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" – Michael Bublé (#12 in 2025, #13 in 2026)
- "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" – Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres and His Orchestra (#12 in 2020, #18 in 2026)
- "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" – Andy Williams (#5 in 2021, #9 in 2026)
- "Jaded" – Koe Wetzel and Ella Langley (#19)
- "Janice STFU" – Drake (#1)
- "Jingle Bell Rock" – Bobby Helms (#2 in 2025, #3 in 2026)
- "Jingle Bells" – Frank Sinatra (#16 in 2023, #17 in 2026)
- "Last Christmas" – Wham! (#2 in 2025, #4 in 2026)
- "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" – Dean Martin (#7)
- "Little Birdie" – Drake (#18)
- "Loser" – Tame Impala (#18)
- "Maggots for Brains" – Olivia Rodrigo (#12)
- "Make Them Cry" – Drake (#7)
- "Make Them Pay" – Drake (#10)
- "Make Them Remember" – Drake (#19)
- "Man I Need" – Olivia Dean (#2)
- "Manchild" – Sabrina Carpenter (#1 in 2025, #18 in 2026)
- "Midnight Sun" – Zara Larsson (#14)
- "Mutt" – Leon Thomas (#6 in 2025, #9 in 2026)
- "My Way" – Olivia Rodrigo (#15)
- "National Treasures" – Drake (#6)
- "Nuevayol" – Bad Bunny (#5)
- "Oh Yeah?" – Steve Lacy (#19)
- "Opalite" – Taylor Swift (#1)
- "Ordinary" – Alex Warren (#1 in 2025, #2 in 2026)
- "Petal" – Ariana Grande (#4)
- "Plastic Cigarette" – Zach Bryan (#13)
- "Plot Twist" – Drake (#11)
- "Porch Light" – Noah Kahan (#20)
- "Ran to Atlanta" – Drake feat. Future and Molly Santana (#2)
- "Ready, Steady, Go!" – Harry Styles (#15)
- "Risk It All" – Bruno Mars (#4)
- "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" – Brenda Lee (#1 in 2023, #2 in 2026)
- "Run Rudolph Run" – Chuck Berry (#10 in 2021, #15 in 2026)
- "Santa Baby" – Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra (#19)
- "Santa Tell Me" – Ariana Grande (#5)
- "Shabang" – Drake (#4)
- "Sleepless in a Hotel Room" – Luke Combs (#11)
- "Sleigh Ride" – The Ronettes (#8 in 2023, #10 in 2026)
- "So Easy (To Fall in Love)" – Olivia Dean (#5)
- "Spend Dat" – Yung Miami (#17)
- "Stateside" – PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson (#6)
- "Stupid Song" – Olivia Rodrigo (#3)
- "Swim" – BTS (#1)
- "Taste Back" – Harry Styles (#17)
- "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" – Nat King Cole (#6)
- "The Cure" – Olivia Rodrigo (#5)
- "The Fate of Ophelia" – Taylor Swift (#1)
- "The Great Divide" – Noah Kahan (#6)
- "Tit for Tat" – Tate McRae (#3 in 2025, #20 in 2026)
- "Tití Me Preguntó" – Bad Bunny (#5 in 2022, #7 in 2026)
- "Two Six" – J. Cole (#16)
- "U + Me = <3" – Olivia Rodrigo (#19)
- "Underneath the Tree" – Kelly Clarkson (#7 in 2025, #8 in 2026)
- "Voy a Llevarte Pa' PR" – Bad Bunny (#14)
- "WGFT" – Gunna feat. Burna Boy (#16)
- "What Did I Miss?" – Drake (#2 in 2025, #15 in 2026)
- "What I Want" – Morgan Wallen feat. Tate McRae (#1 in 2025, #19 in 2026)
- "What You Saying" – Lil Uzi Vert (#12)
- "What's Wrong with Me" – Olivia Rodrigo and Robert Smith (#17)
- "Where Is My Husband!" – Raye (#11)
- "Whisper My Name" – Drake (#3)
- "White Christmas" – Bing Crosby (#12 in 1962, #16 in 2026)
- "Yukon" – Justin Bieber (#12)
Deaths
- January 2 – Johnny Legend, 77, rockabilly musician[111]
- January 6 – Jim McBride, 78, country music songwriter
- January 8 – Guy Moon, 63, television composer (scooter accident)[112]
- January 10 – Bob Weir, 78, rock singer and guitarist (Grateful Dead)[113]
- January 17 – Tucker Zimmerman, 84, singer-songwriter
- January 18 – Ralph Towner, 85, jazz multi-instrumentalist
- January 19 – Billy Parker, 88, country music singer and DJ, guitarist
- January 23 – Guy Hovis, 84, country, jazz, and gospel singer
- January 25 – Gabe Lopez, 43, singer, songwriter, producer
- January 26 – Richie Beirach, 78, jazz pianist and composer
- January 28 – Bryan Loren, 59, songwriter and producer
- January 30 – Parthenon Huxley, 70, singer, songwriter, producer (ELO Part II, The Or Orchestra)
- January 31 –
- February 1 – Steve Washington, 67, trumpeter (Slave, Aurra)
- February 2 –
- February 3 –
- February 4 – Tommy Crook, 81, blue grass, country and jazz guitarist
- February 5 – Fred Smith, 77, funk and soul bassist (Television, Blondie)[114]
- February 6 – Lynn Blakey, singer (Tres Chicas, Let's Active)
- February 7 –
- February 9 – Garland Green, 83, soul singer and pianist
- February 11 – Jerry Kennedy, 85, producer, songwriter, guitarist
- February 14 – Tim Very, 42, rock drummer (Manchester Orchestra)[116]
- February 15 – Wayne Proctor (We the People)[117]
- February 16 – Billy Steinberg, 75, songwriter
- February 18 – Lil Poppa, 25, rapper
- February 21 – Willie Colón, 75, salsa musician
- February 22 – Luci4, 23, rapper, songwriter, producer
- February 23 –
- February 24 – Oliver "Power" Grant, 55, producer
- February 27 –
- February 28 – John P. Hammond, 83, blues singer and guitarist
- March 1 –
- March 3 – Roy Book Binder, 82, blues musician[121]
- March 5 – Lee Turner, 89, musician, (The Dream Weavers)
- March 7 –
- March 9 –
- March 10 – Willie Anthony Waters, 74, opera conductor
- March 14 – Paul Geremia, 81, blues singer and acoustic guitarist
- March 16 – Wayne Perkins, 74, rock and R&B guitarist, singer, songwriter, session musician
- March 18 – Robert White, 89, tenor
- March 20 – Louie Louie, 63, singer and producer
- March 22 – Ronnie Bowman, 64, bluegrass singer, guitarist, and songwriter
- March 23 –
- March 25 – Dash Crofts, 87, soft-rock singer and songwriter (Seals & Crofts)
- March 26 – Ross the Boss, 72, guitarist (The Dictators, Manowar)
- March 27 – Jon Dee Graham, 67, musician, guitarist, singer (The Skunks, True Believers)
- March 28 –
- March 29 –
- March 30 –
- April 2 –
- April 3 – Fred Lite, 74, singer (The Chi-Lites, The Lost Generation)
- April 5 – Donn Landee, 79, producer and recording engineer
- April 6 – Blondy, 66, rapper (The Sequence)
- April 9 – Afrika Bambaataa, 68, DJ, rapper, record producer
- April 10 – Harry Kim, 74, trumpeter (The Phenix Horns)
- April 14 – Dan Wall, 72, jazz organist and pianist
- April 16 – Don Schlitz, 73, songwriter and musician
- April 20 – Alan Osmond, 76, pop and country singer (The Osmonds)
- May 22 – Rob Base, 59, rapper (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock)
- June 14 – Oliver Tree, 32, alternative rock singer, songwriter and rapper
- June 17 – Walter Parazaider, 81, rock guitarist and woodwind musician (Chicago)
- June 18 –
- June 22 – Clive Davis, 94, music executive and record producer
- June 30 – Victor Willis, 74, R&B singer and songwriter (Village People)
- July 18 – Jennifer Finch, 59, rock bassist (L7)
- July 24 – Lou Koller, 59, punk rock singer (Sick of It All, Blood from the Soul)
- August 16 – Hayden Panettiere, 36, singer and actress
- August 17 – Frank Beard, 77, rock drummer (ZZ Top)
- August 22 – Shelley Fabares, 82, singer and actress
- August 25 – Dolly Parton, 80, country music singer, songwriter, actress
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- ↑ Bob Power, Legendary Music Engineer And Producer, Passes Away At 74
- ↑ St. Pete blues guitar legend Roy Book Binder dies
- ↑ Singer David Brigati Dies at 85
- ↑ ‘Country Joe’ McDonald, Who Urged the Crowd at the ’69 Woodstock Festival to ‘Gimme an F,’ Dies
- ↑ Augie Meyers, Founding Member of the Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornados, Dies
