2017 in American music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of events and releases that happened in 2017 in music in the United States.
Notable events
January
- 6 – Dropkick Murphys released their first album in four years, 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory.
- 9 – Little Big Town performed the National Anthem at the third annual College Football Playoff National Championship at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
- 27 – Bell Biv DeVoe released their first album in sixteen years, Three Stripes.
- Lauren Alaina released her first album in a little over five years, Road Less Traveled.
February
- 5 – Luke Bryan performed the National Anthem, and Lady Gaga performed during halftime at Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston.[1] Lady Gaga's halftime set garnered 117.5 million television viewers, becoming the second most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history.
- 6 – Jipsta[2] released his third studio album, Ban2oozle, marking his return to the industry since recovering from the injuries sustained during a hate crime attack in March 2014.[3][4]
- 12 – The 59th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by James Corden, took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Adele won the most awards of the night with five wins including Album of the Year for 25. This is the second time she has won Album of the Year after winning for her previous album in 2012, and is the second female to win the award more than once after Taylor Swift. She also won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Hello". Adele ties Paul Simon for the most Grammys won in the general categories, with 7. Chance the Rapper becomes the first ever unsigned artist to win a Grammy. The awards he won are Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Album.
- 17 – Alison Krauss released her first solo studio album in seventeen and a half years, Windy City.
March
- 5 – The iHeartRadio Music Awards took place at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
- 10 – The Shins released their first album in five years, Heartworms.[5]
- Josh Turner released his first album in five years, Deep South.[6]
April
- 2 – The 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
- 7 – Michelle Branch released her first studio album in 14 years, Hopeless Romantic.
- 21 – Incubus released their first album in six years, 8.
May
- 5 – Blondie released their first album in six years, Pollinator.
- At the Drive-In released In•ter a•li•a, their first studio album in 17 years.
- 12 – Danzig released their first album in seven years, Black Laden Crown.
- Paramore released their first album in four years, After Laughter. The album marked the return of drummer and co-founder Zac Farro, who had previously departed from the band in 2010.
- 18 – Chris Cornell, frontman for Soundgarden and Audioslave, dies in Detroit at the age of 52 after performing a concert with Soundgarden. It was found that he had hanged himself in his Detroit hotel room. Fans and media outlets took notice of Cornell's choice of date and method and their direct parallels with the suicide of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis exactly 37 years prior; Joy Division's music was popular among the members of Soundgarden.
- 21 – The Billboard Music Awards took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
- 23 – Chris Blue won the twelfth season of The Voice. Lauren Duski was named runner-up. Aliyah Moulden and Jesse Larson finished third and fourth place respectively.
June
- 7 – The CMT Music Awards took place at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
- 9 – Katy Perry released her first album in four years, Witness.
- Glen Campbell released his final studio album and first in four years, Adios.
- Chuck Berry's first studio album in 38 years (as well as his final album), Chuck, was released, less than 3 months after his death.
- 23 – Imagine Dragons released their 3rd album (and their first album in 2 years), Evolve.
- 30 – Jay-Z released his first album in four years, 4:44.
July
- 7 – Haim released their first album in four years, Something to Tell You.
- 15 – Dodger Stadium hosts the first night of the Classic West concert. This is the full first Eagles live performance after the death of January 2016 founding member Glenn Frey, his place has been taken by his son Deacon Frey and American Country artist Vince Gill with supporting acts The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan.
- 16 – Dodger Stadium also hosts the second night of the Classic West concert with Earth, Wind & Fire, Journey, and Fleetwood Mac.
- 20 – Linkin Park and former Stone Temple Pilots and Dead by Sunrise frontman Chester Bennington is found dead at his Los Angeles home from hanging himself. He was 41. Parallels were tied to the suicide even more, on what would have been Chris Cornell's 53rd birthday,[7] Bennington's death occurring only two months after Cornell's death.
- 21 – Parmalee released their first album in four years, 27861.
August
- 4 – Randy Newman released his first studio new album in nine years, Dark Matter.[8]
- Dan Wilson released his first solo album in ten years, Re-Covered.[9]
- 8 – Legendary country music singer, songwriter Glen Campbell died after suffering from Alzheimer's disease for six years.[10]
- 11 – Kesha released her first album in five years, Rainbow.
- 25 – Taylor Swift released "Look What You Made Me Do", the lead single from her sixth studio album Reputation. The music video gained 43.2 million views in 24 hours, which broke the 24-hour Vevo record previously held by Adele.
- 27 – The MTV Video Music Awards took place at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
September
- 8 – Living Colour released their first album in eight years, Shade.
- Jack Johnson released his first album in four years, All the Light Above It Too.[11]
- Erin McCarley released her first album in five years, YUYĪ.[12]
- Troy Gentry of the country music duo Montgomery Gentry was killed in a helicopter crash hours before a concert in New Jersey. He was 50 years old.[13]
- 22 – Fergie released her first album in eleven years, Double Dutchess.[14]
- The Killers released their first album in five years, Wonderful Wonderful.[15]
October
- 1 – During Jason Aldean's set at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, a gunman opens fire, killing 60 people and injuring 869 others.
- 2 – Tom Petty dies of cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, California at the age of 66.
- 6 – L.A. Guns released their first album in five years, The Missing Piece.
- 13 – Jessie James Decker released her first studio album in nine years, Southern Girl City Lights.
- P!nk released her first album in five years, Beautiful Trauma.[16]
November
- 8 – The 51st CMA Awards took place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. This marked the tenth year in a row that Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood have co-hosted the show.
- 10 – Taylor Swift released her sixth studio album Reputation. It went on to sell 1,238,000 units in the US, and 2,000,000 worldwide in its first week of release.[17]
- 14 – Stone Temple Pilots hire former Dry Cell vocalist Jeff Gutt as their new official lead singer, replacing the late Chester Bennington after a two-year hiatus.
- 17 – Tim McGraw & Faith Hill released their first collaborative album, The Rest of Our Life. The album is Hill's first studio release in twelve years.[18]
- 19 – The American Music Awards took place at the Microsoft Theater.
December
- 1 – Danielle Bradbery released her first album in four years, I Don't Believe We've Met.
- – Morbid Angel released their first album in six years, Kingdoms Disdained.
- – Glassjaw released Material Control, their first album in 15 years.
- 8 – Walker Hayes released his first album in six years, Boom.
- 19 – Chloe Kohanski won the thirteenth season of The Voice. Addison Agen was named runner-up. Brooke Simpson and Red Marlow finishing third and fourth place respectively.
Bands reformed
Bands formed
Bands on hiatus
Bands disbanded
- Alex & Sierra
- Audioslave
- Bad Seed Rising
- Chairlift
- Cheap Girls
- Cibo Matto
- Cinderella
- Coal Chamber
- The Dillinger Escape Plan
- Emblem3
- Friendzone
- Howler
- Letlive
- Metro Station
- Mindless Behavior
- Mobb Deep
- Montgomery Gentry
- Poured Out
- The Roches
- A Skylit Drive
- Spawn of Possession
- Those Who Fear
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Trap Them
- A Tribe Called Quest
- Vanna
- The Walters
- William Control
- Yellowcard
- Your Memorial
Albums released in 2017
January
February
March
| Date | Album | Artist | Genre (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Bruises | Dia Frampton | |
| The Manson Family | Heart Attack Man | ||
| American Teen | Khalid | ||
| 50 Song Memoir | The Magnetic Fields | Indie pop | |
| Voids[76] | Minus the Bear | ||
| 10 | In Droves[77] | Black Map | Alternative metal |
| Millport | Greg Graffin | Indie folk | |
| Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora | Darkest Hour | ||
| Heartworms[5] | The Shins | Indie rock | |
| Deep South[6] | Josh Turner | ||
| 17 | Rekihndled[78] | Greg Kihn Band | Rock |
| Salutations[79] | Conor Oberst | ||
| Climate Change[80] | Pitbull | ||
| Rather You Than Me[81] | Rick Ross | Hip hop | |
| Hot Thoughts[82] | Spoon[83] | Indie rock | |
| 24 | Whiplash Splash | The Dollyrots | Pop punk |
| WildHorse[84] | RaeLynn | Country | |
| Rock and Roll Bye Bye | Skaters | Garage rock | |
| 31 | Bloodlust[85] | Body Count | Heavy metal |
| Triplicate[86] | Bob Dylan | ||
| As the Sun Sleeps[87] | Invidia | ||
| Emperor of Sand[88] | Mastodon | Heavy metal | |
| Brand New Day[89] | The Mavericks | ||
| Already All Ready[90] | La'Porsha Renae | R&B |
April
May
| Date | Album | Artist | Genre (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | In Spades | The Afghan Whigs | Alternative rock |
| In•ter a•li•a | At the Drive-In | ||
| Pollinator | Blondie | ||
| The Days We Had[106] | Day Wave | ||
| Noenemies | Flobots | ||
| Everybody[107] | Logic | Hip hop | |
| Big Bad Luv[105] | John Moreland | Country | |
| Graveyard Shift | Motionless in White | ||
| No Shape | Perfume Genius | ||
| From A Room: Volume 1[105] | Chris Stapleton | ||
| 12 | Night Drive | Cannons | Indie rock |
| Young Stunners | Junior Prom | Alternative rock | |
| After Laughter[108][109] | Paramore | Alternative rock | |
| Welcome Home[105] | Zac Brown Band | Country | |
| 19 | Shake the Shudder[110] | !!! | |
| Step into Light[111] | Fastball | ||
| Things Change | Grabbitz | ||
| One More Light[112] | Linkin Park | ||
| In the Wind | Magic Giant | ||
| Undercurrent[113] | Matisyahu | ||
| Loner | Missio | Electronic | |
| Connect the Dots[114] | MisterWives | Indie pop | |
| Crooked Teeth | Papa Roach | ||
| Back to Us[105] | Rascal Flatts | Country | |
| You're Welcome[115] | Wavves | ||
| 26 | Black Laden Crown | Danzig | |
| Kids in the Street[105] | Justin Townes Earle | Country | |
| Other People's Greatest Hits | Patent Pending | ||
| 26 | 3-D The Catalogue | Kraftwerk |
June
July
| Date | Album | Artist | Genre (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Something to Tell You[117] | Haim | |
| Girl Disrupted | Sevyn Streeter | ||
| 14 | Juniper Road | Dishwalla | Alternative rock |
| Quazarz: Robed in Rareness | Shabazz Palaces[117] | Experimental hip hop | |
| Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star | |||
| Out in the Storm[131] | Waxahatchee | Indie rock | |
| 19 | Add Violence (EP) | Nine Inch Nails | Industrial rock |
| 21 | Sacred Hearts Club | Foster the People | |
| The Knife | Goldfinger | Pop punk | |
| Lust for Life | Lana Del Rey | Pop | |
| Lay It on Down[citation needed] | Kenny Wayne Shepherd | Rock | |
| Flower Boy | Tyler, The Creator | Alternative hip hop, Jazz rap, Soul | |
| 28 | Paranormal | Alice Cooper | Rock |
| Content | Joywave | ||
| Tremendous Sea of Love | Passion Pit | ||
| Red Hands Black Deeds | Shaman's Harvest | Rock | |
| 29 | A Black Mile to the Surface | Manchester Orchestra | Indie rock |
August
| Date | Album | Artist | Genre (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Brett Eldredge[117] | Brett Eldredge | Country |
| One of Us[132] | Mystery Skulls | ||
| Dark Matter[8] | Randy Newman | ||
| All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell | PVRIS | Electropop | |
| Revival[133] | Third Day | ||
| Deadweight | Wage War | Metalcore | |
| Re-Covered[9] | Dan Wilson | ||
| 11 | Ballads | Paula Cole | |
| Cost of Living[134] | Downtown Boys | Punk rock | |
| Rainbow | Kesha | ||
| Musings | Little Image | ||
| Cage Tropical | Frankie Rose | Electropop | |
| 14 | Road Rage | Quiet Riot | |
| 15 | Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 1 | Lil Peep | |
| 17 | Science Fiction | Brand New | |
| 18 | Painted Ruins[117] | Grizzly Bear | |
| 1 Up Top Ahk[135] | Mozzy | Rap | |
| 25 | Exile in the Outer Ring | EMA | Noise rock |
| Legacy[136] | The Cadillac Three | Southern rock | |
| Fifth Harmony | Fifth Harmony | ||
| Invitation | Filthy Friends | Alternative rock | |
| Bad Habits | Giovannie and the Hired Guns | Country rock | |
| TFCF | Liars | Rock | |
| Happy Endings | Old Dominion[117] | Country | |
| Villains | Queens of the Stone Age | ||
| A Deeper Understanding[137] | The War on Drugs | Indie rock |
September
October
November
December
Top songs on record
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 Songs
- "Bad and Boujee" – Migos feat. Lil Uzi Vert (3 weeks)
- "Black Beatles" – Rae Sremmurd feat. Gucci Mane (6 weeks in 2016, 1 week in 2017)
- "Bodak Yellow" – Cardi B (3 weeks)
- "Despacito" – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber (16 weeks)
- "Humble" – Kendrick Lamar (1 week)
- "I'm the One" – DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne (1 week)
- "Look What You Made Me Do" – Taylor Swift (3 weeks)
- "Perfect" – Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (2 weeks)
- "Rockstar" – Post Malone feat. 21 Savage (8 weeks)
- "Shape of You" – Ed Sheeran (12 weeks)
- "Starboy" – The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk (1 week)
- "That's What I Like" – Bruno Mars (1 week)
Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 Hits
All songs that reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the year, complete with peak chart placement.
- "1-800-273-8255" – Logic feat. Alessia Cara and Khalid (#3)
- "2U" – David Guetta feat. Justin Bieber (#16)
- "24K Magic" – Bruno Mars (#4)
- "All I Want for Christmas Is You" – Mariah Carey (#9)
- "All Time Low" – Jon Bellion (#16)
- "Almost Like Praying" – Lin-Manuel Miranda feat. Artists for Puerto Rico (#20)
- "Attention" – Charlie Puth (#5)
- "Bad and Boujee" – Migos feat. Lil Uzi Vert (#1)
- "Bad at Love" – Halsey (#8)
- "Bad Liar" – Selena Gomez (#20)
- "Bad Things" – Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello (#4)
- "Bank Account" – 21 Savage (#12)
- "Believer" – Imagine Dragons (#4)
- "Black Beatles" – Rae Sremmurd feat. Gucci Mane (#1)
- "Bodak Yellow" – Cardi B (#1)
- "Body Like a Back Road" – Sam Hunt (#6)
- "Bounce Back" – Big Sean (#6)
- "Broccoli" – DRAM feat. Lil Yachty (#5 in 2016, #10 in 2017)
- "Can't Stop the Feeling!" – Justin Timberlake (#1 in 2016, #13 in 2017)
- "Caroline" – Aminé (#11)
- "Castle on the Hill" – Ed Sheeran (#6)
- "Chained to the Rhythm" – Katy Perry feat. Skip Marley (#4)
- "Closer" – The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey (#1 in 2016, #3 in 2017)
- "Cold" – Maroon 5 feat. Future (#16)
- "Congratulations" – Post Malone feat. Quavo (#8)
- "Despacito" – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber (#1)
- "DNA" – Kendrick Lamar (#4)
- "Don't Wanna Know" – Maroon 5 feat. Kendrick Lamar (#6)
- "Element" – Kendrick Lamar (#16)
- "Fake Love" – Drake (#8)
- "Feel It Still" – Portugal. The Man (#4)
- "Feels" – Calvin Harris feat. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry and Big Sean (#20)
- "Free Smoke" – Drake (#18)
- "Friends" – Justin Bieber and BloodPop (#20)
- "Gorgeous" – Taylor Swift (#13)
- "Green Light" – Lorde (#19)
- "Gucci Gang" – Lil Pump (#3)
- "Gummo" – 6ix9ine (#12)
- "Havana" – Camila Cabello feat. Young Thug (#2)
- "Heathens" – Twenty One Pilots (#2 in 2016, #12 in 2017)
- "Humble" – Kendrick Lamar (#1)
- "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" – Zayn and Taylor Swift (#2)
- "I Fall Apart" – Post Malone (#19)
- "I Feel It Coming" – The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk (#4)
- "I Get the Bag" – Gucci Mane feat. Migos (#11)
- "I'm the One" – DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne (#1)
- "In Case You Didn't Know" – Brett Young (#19)
- "iSpy" – Kyle feat. Lil Yachty (#4)
- "Issues" – Julia Michaels (#11)
- "It Ain't Me" – Kygo and Selena Gomez (#10)
- "Juju on that Beat (TZ Anthem)" – Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall (#5)
- "Let Me Love You" – DJ Snake feat. Justin Bieber (#4)
- "Let You Down" – NF (#16)
- "Location" – Khalid (#16)
- "Look What You Made Me Do" – Taylor Swift (#1)
- "Love" – Kendrick Lamar feat. Zacari (#18)
- "Love on the Brain" – Rihanna (#5)
- "Loyalty" – Kendrick Lamar feat. Rihanna (#14)
- "Malibu" – Miley Cyrus (#10)
- "Mask Off" – Future (#5)
- "Mercy" – Shawn Mendes (#15)
- "Mi Gente" – J Balvin and Willy William feat. Beyoncé (#3)
- "Million Reasons" – Lady Gaga (#4)
- "MotorSport" – Migos, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B (#6)
- "New Rules" – Dua Lipa (#14 in 2017, #6 in 2018)
- "No Frauds" – Nicki Minaj, Drake and Lil Wayne (#14)
- "No Limit" – G-Eazy feat. ASAP Rocky and Cardi B (#7)
- "Now or Never" – Halsey (#17)
- "Ooouuu" – Young M.A (#19)
- "Paris" – The Chainsmokers (#6)
- "Passionfruit" – Drake (#8)
- "Perfect" – Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#1)
- "Portland" – Drake feat. Quavo and Travis Scott (#9)
- "Rake It Up" – Yo Gotti feat. Nicki Minaj (#8)
- "...Ready for It?" – Taylor Swift (#4)
- "Redbone" – Childish Gambino (#12)
- "Rockabye" – Clean Bandit feat. Sean Paul and Anne-Marie (#9)
- "Rockstar" – Post Malone feat. 21 Savage (#1)
- "Rolex" – Ayo & Teo (#20)
- "Say You Won't Let Go" – James Arthur (#11)
- "Scars to Your Beautiful" – Alessia Cara (#8)
- "Shape of You" – Ed Sheeran (#1)
- "Side to Side" – Ariana Grande feat. Nicki Minaj (#4 in 2016, #6 in 2017)
- "Sign of the Times" – Harry Styles (#4)
- "Slow Hands" – Niall Horan (#11)
- "Something Just Like This" – The Chainsmokers and Coldplay (#3)
- "Sorry Not Sorry" – Demi Lovato (#6)
- "Starboy" – The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk (#1)
- "Starving" – Hailee Steinfeld and Grey feat. Zedd (#12 in 2016, #17 in 2017)
- "Stay" – Zedd and Alessia Cara (#7)
- "Strip That Down" – Liam Payne feat. Quavo (#10)
- "T-Shirt" – Migos (#19)
- "That's What I Like" – Bruno Mars (#1)
- "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" – Shawn Mendes (#6)
- "This Town" – Niall Horan (#20)
- "Thunder" – Imagine Dragons (#4)
- "Too Good at Goodbyes" – Sam Smith (#4)
- "Tunnel Vision" – Kodak Black (#6)
- "Unforgettable" – French Montana feat. Swae Lee (#3)
- "Walk on Water" – Eminem feat. Beyoncé (#14)
- "What About Us" – Pink (#13)
- "What Lovers Do" – Maroon 5 feat. SZA (#9)
- "Wild Thoughts" – DJ Khaled feat. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (#2)
- "Wolves" – Selena Gomez and Marshmello (#20)
- "XO Tour Llif3" – Lil Uzi Vert (#7)
Deaths
- January 6 – Sylvester Potts, 78, singer (The Contours)
- January 8 – Buddy Bregman, 86, arranger, producer, and composer
- January 9 – Crazy Toones, 45, hip-hop record producer and DJ (WC and the Maad Circle)
- January 10 – Buddy Greco, 90, jazz and pop singer and actor
- January 11 – Tommy Allsup, 85, rockabilly and swing musician
- January 13 –
- Dick Gautier, 85, actor and singer
- Richie Ingui, 69, singer (Soul Survivors)
- Alan Jabbour, 74, fiddler and folklorist
- January 15 – Greg Trooper, 61, singer-songwriter
- January 16 –
- Charles "Bobo" Shaw, 69, jazz drummer
- Steve Wright, bassist (The Greg Kihn Band)
- January 18 – Roberta Peters, 86, coloratura soprano
- January 20 –
- Ronald "Bingo" Mundy, 76, singer (The Marcels)
- Joey Powers, 82, singer-songwriter
- Tommy Tate, 71, singer-songwriter
- January 21 –
- Karl Hendricks, 46, singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Karl Hendricks Trio)
- Walter "Junie" Morrison, 62, keyboardist (Ohio Players)
- Maggie Roche, 65, singer-songwriter (The Roches)
- January 23 –
- Bobby Freeman, 76, singer
- Marvell Thomas, 75, keyboardist, record producer and arranger
- January 24 –
- Gil Ray, 60, drummer (Game Theory, The Loud Family)
- Butch Trucks, 69, drummer (The Allman Brothers Band)
- January 27 – Stan Boreson, 91, comedian, accordionist and singer
- January 28 – Guitar Gable, 79, blues guitarist and singer
- February 5
- David Axelrod, 85, arranger, composer and record producer (The Electric Prunes)
- Sonny Geraci, 70, singer (The Outsiders, Climax)
- February 12
- Barbara Carroll, 92, jazz pianist and singer
- Robert Fisher, 59, singer (Willard Grant Conspiracy)
- Al Jarreau, 76, singer
- February 17 – Dave Yorko, 73, guitarist (Johnny and the Hurricanes)
- February 18 – Clyde Stubblefield, 73, drummer
- February 19 – Larry Coryell, 73, jazz guitarist
- February 23 – Leon Ware, 77, singer-songwriter and record producer
- February 28 – Ric Marlow, 91, songwriter and actor
- March 3 – Jim Fuller, 69, guitarist (The Surfaris)
- March 4
- Valerie Carter, 64, singer-songwriter
- Tommy Page, 46, singer-songwriter
- March 6
- Ritchie Adams, 78, songwriter and singer (The Fireflies)
- Robbie Hoddinott, 62, guitarist (Kingfish)
- March 8 – Dave Valentin, 64, jazz flutist
- March 10 – Joni Sledge, 60, singer (Sister Sledge)
- March 11 –
- Evan Johns, 60, guitarist (The LeRoi Brothers)
- Don Warden, 87, country musician and manager
- March 12 –
- Joey Alves, 63, guitarist (Y&T)
- Robert "P-Nut" Johnson, 69, singer (Bootsy's Rubber Band, Sweat Band)
- March 13 – Tommy LiPuma, 80, music producer
- March 16 – James Cotton, 81, blues harmonica player
- March 18 – Chuck Berry, 90, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- March 20 –
- Tony Terran, 90, trumpeter, and session musician
- Buck Hill, 90, jazz saxophonist
- March 22 – Sib Hashian, 67, drummer (Boston)
- March 24 – Avo Uvezian, 91, Armenian-American jazz pianist, and cigar manufacturer
- March 26 – Jimmy Dotson, 83, blues musician
- March 27 – Arthur Blythe, 76, jazz alto saxophonist, and composer
- March 28 – Terry Fischer, 70, singer (The Murmaids)
- March 30 – Rosie Hamlin, 71, singer (Rosie and the Originals)
- April 1 –
- Lonnie Brooks, 83, blues singer and guitarist
- Bob Cunningham, 82, jazz bassist
- April 3 – Brenda Jones, 62, singer (The Jones Girls)
- April 5 – Paul O'Neill, 61, producer, composer and songwriter (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
- April 6 – David Peel, 74, musician and political activist
- April 8 – Keni Richards, 60, drummer (Autograph)
- April 9 – Bob Wootton, 75, guitarist (The Tennessee Three)
- April 10 –
- Linda Hopkins, 92, actress and blues and gospel singer
- Banner Thomas, 62, bassist (Molly Hatchet)
- April 11 –
- J. Geils, 71, guitarist (The J. Geils Band)
- Scotty Miller, 65, drummer (Instant Funk)
- April 12 –
- April 14 – Bruce Langhorne, 78, folk musician
- April 15 –
- Matt Holt, 39, singer (Nothingface)
- Sylvia Moy, 78, songwriter
- April 19 – Dick Contino, 87, accordionist
- April 20 – Cuba Gooding Sr., 72, singer (The Main Ingredient)
- May 2 – Kevin Garcia, 41, bassist (Grandaddy)
- May 9 – Michael Parks, 77, actor and singer
- May 10 – Pierre DeMudd, 64, trumpeter and singer (Dazz Band)
- May 14 – Keith Mitchell, drummer (Mazzy Star)
- May 17 – Chris Cornell, 52, singer-songwriter and musician (Soundgarden, Audioslave)
- May 21
- Kenny Cordray, 62, guitarist and songwriter
- Jimmy LaFave, 61, folk singer-songwriter and guitarist
- Curtis Womack, 74, singer (The Valentinos)
- May 22 – Mickey Roker, 84, jazz drummer
- May 27 – Gregg Allman, 69, singer-songwriter and musician (The Allman Brothers Band)
- May 29 – Arleen Lanzotti, 73, pop singer (The Delicates)
- May 31 – Bern Nix, 69, jazz guitarist (worked with Ornette Coleman)
- June 8 – Norro Wilson, 79, singer-songwriter and record producer
- June 20
- June 22 – Jimmy Nalls, 66, guitarist (Sea Level)
- June 28 – Gary DeCarlo, 75, singer-songwriter (Steam)
- July 9 – Erik Cartwright, 66, guitarist (Foghat)
- July 13 – Chris Wong Won, 53, rapper (2 Live Crew)
- July 14 – David Zablidowsky, 38, bass guitarist
- July 20 – Chester Bennington, 41, singer, songwriter, musician (Linkin Park)
- July 25 – Michael Johnson, 72, singer-songwriter
- July 27 – Billy Joe Walker Jr., 64, record producer
- July 28 – D.L. Menard, 85, Cajun singer
- July 31 – Chuck Loeb, 61, drummer (Fourplay)
- August 8 – Glen Campbell, 81, country singer, songwriter, actor
- August 20 – Jerry Lewis, 91, actor and singer
- August 21 – Sonny Burgess, 88, rockabilly singer
- August 22 – John Abercrombie, 73, jazz guitarist
- August 29 – Larry Elgart, 95, jazz bandleader and alto saxophonist
- September 2 – Dave Hlubek, 66, guitarist (Molly Hatchet)
- September 3 – Walter Becker, 67, jazz guitarist, songwriter, record producer (Steely Dan)
- September 8 –
- Troy Gentry, 50, country singer (Montgomery Gentry)
- Don Williams, 78, singer
- September 13 – Grant Hart, 56, drummer and songwriter (Hüsker Dü)
- September 22
- Eric Eycke, 41 heavy metal singer (Corrosion of Conformity)
- Ammon Tharp, 75, drummer (Bill Deal and the Rhondels)
- September 23 – Charles Bradley, 68, soul singer
- September 27 – CeDell Davis, 91, blues guitarist
- September 30 – Tom Paley, 89, folk guitarist and banjoist
- October 2 – Tom Petty, 66, rock singer and songwriter
- October 4 – Janis Hansen, 74, singer (Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66, The Carnival)
- October 5 – Alvin DeGuzman, 42, hardcore guitarist
- October 6 – Bunny Sigler, 76, singer songwriter and record producer
- October 7 – Jimmy Beaumont, 76, doo-wop singer (The Skyliners)
- October 8 – Grady Tate, 85, jazz drummer and singer
- October 22
- Al Hurricane, 81, folk singer and songwriter
- Scott Putesky, 49, guitarist (Marilyn Manson)
- October 24
- Fats Domino, 89, soul singer
- Larry Raye, 63, guitarist
- October 27 –
- Mike Hudson, 61, punk rock singer
- Dick Noel, 90, big band singer
- October 28 – Bruce Black, 56, heavy metal drummer (Meliah Rage)
- October 29
- Billy Mize, 88, steel guitarist, band leader and singer-songwriter
- Keith Wilder, 65, funk singer (Heatwave)
- November 1
- Katie Lee, 98, folk singer
- Scott Wily, singer
- November 5
- Danny Anaya, 52, heavy metal drummer (MX Machine)
- Robert Knight, 72, singer-songwriter
- November 9
- Fred Cole, 69, garage singer and guitarist
- Chuck Mosley, 57, singer-songwriter (Faith No More)
- November 12 – Chad Hanks, 46, bassist (American Head Charge)
- November 15 – Lil Peep, 21, Swedish-American rapper and singer
- November 18 – Ben Riley, 84, jazz drummer
- November 19
- Warren "Pete" Moore, 79, singer-songwriter (The Miracles)
- Della Reese, 86, singer and actress
- Mel Tillis, 85, country singer
- November 21
- David Cassidy, 67, singer and actor
- Wayne Cochran, 78, singer-songwriter
- November 22 – Tommy Keene, 59, singer-songwriter
- November 23 –
- John Coates Jr., 79, jazz pianist
- Jon Hendricks, 96, jazz singer
- November 24 – Mitch Margo, 70, singer-songwriter (The Tokens)
- November 27 – Robert Popwell, 66, jazz and rock bassist
- November 29 – Robert Walker, 80, blues guitarist
- November 30 – Jim Nabors, 87, actor and singer
- December 2 – Mundell Lowe, 95, guitarist
- December 8 – Gloria Ann Taylor, 73, soul singer
- December 12 – Pat DiNizio, 62, singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Smithereens)
- December 13
- Dave Christenson, 54, singer (Stabilizers)
- Willie Pickens, 86 jazz pianist
- Warrel Dane, 56 heavy metal singer
- December 16
- Ralph Carney, 61 Rock and jazz saxophonist and clarinetest
- Richard Dobson, 75 country singer and songwriter
- Keely Smith, 89 Jazz Singer
- December 17 – Kevin Mahogany, 59 jazz singer
- December 19
- Jim Forrester, 43 American hard rock guitarist
- Leo Welch, 85 American gospel blues singer and guitarist
- December 21
- Roswell Rudd, 82 American jazz trombonist
- Marylin Tyler, 91 American opera singer
- December 22 – Pam the Funkstress, American hip hop DJ
- December 28 – Curly Seckler, 98 American bluegrass guitarist and mandolinist