1996 in music
List of years in music (Table) |
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… 1986 . 1987 . 1988 . 1989 . 1990 . 1991 . 1992 … 1993 . 1994 . 1995 -1996- 1997 . 1998 . 1999 … 2000 . 2001 . 2002 . 2003 . 2004 . 2005 . 2006 … |
Related time period or subjects |
… 1993 . 1994 . 1995 – 1996 – 1997 . 1998 . 1999 … … 1960s . 1970s . 1980s – 1990s – 2000s . 2010s . 2020s … … 19th century – 20th century – 21st century … |
Art . Archaeology . Architecture . Literature . Music . Science . more… |
See also:
Contents |
Events
- January 8 - Madonna's stalker, is found guilty and convicted on five charges of assault, stalking, and threatening to kill the singer.
- January 16 - Jamaican authorities open fire on Jimmy Buffett's seaplane, mistaking it for a drug trafficker's plane. U2 singer Bono was also on the plane; neither singer was injured.
- January 18 - Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson.
- January 25 - Madonna receives death threats from Argentine conservatives who are enraged and insulted that she is playing Eva Peron in Evita. After she arrives in Argentina, over 50 walls throughout the city have been spray-painted with the words: ¡Viva Evita! ¡Fuera Madonna! (Long Live Evita! Get Out, Madonna!).
- January 28 - Chris Isaak makes a guest appearance on the television show Friends.
- January 29
- Fire destroys La Fenice, Venice's opera house.
- Kiss reveals to the world that they have reunited with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss with a surprise appearance on the American Music Awards. Kiss steals the show when the band takes to the stage in full makeup and costume for the first time since 1980. The band takes to the road and becomes the highest grossing tour of 1996, selling out their first show at Tiger Stadium in 43 minutes.
- Garth Brooks refuses to accept his American Music Award for "Favorite Overall Artist". Brooks says that Hootie and the Blowfish had done more for music that year than he did.
- February 4 - Former Milli-Vanilli member Rob Pilatus is hospitalized when a man hits him over the head with a baseball bat in Hollywood, California. Pilatus was attempting to steal the man's car.
- February 13 - Take That announce their split, saying that How Deep Is Your Love will be their last single.
- February 14 - The Artist Formerly Known As Prince marries backup singer Mayte Garcia.
- February 20 - Snoop Doggy Dogg and his bodyguard are acquitted of first degree murder. The jury deadlocks on voluntary manslaughter charges and a mistrial is declared.
- March 4 - The Beatles' second reunion song is released, as part of their first reunion since the band's breakup 26 years earlier. The song is simply a finished version of a John Lennon demo from 1980; a song called Real Love.
- March 13 - Ramones fans riot in Buenos Aires, Argentina after waiting all night for concert tickets only to find out that the show had been sold out.
- March 16 - Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men end their 16th consecutive week at No. 1 with "One Sweet Day". It is the longest consecutive week stay at No. 1 in Billboard Hot 100 history.
- March 18 - The Sex Pistols announce that they are reuniting for a 20th anniversary tour.
- March 28 - Phil Collins announces that he is leaving Genesis to focus on his solo career.
- April 3 - M.C. Hammer files for bankruptcy.
- April 4 - The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia's widow, Deborah, scatter part of Garcia's ashes in the Ganges River in India.
- April 15 - The remaining part of Jerry Garcia's ashes are scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.
- April 16 - Madonna announces that she is four months pregnant by Carlos Leon, her then-boyfriend and trainer.
- April 24 - This Train, Rick Elias, Jimmy A, Phil Keaggy, Carolyn Arends, Third Day & Ashley Cleveland perform a tribute concert for Rich Mullins at Nashville's Cafe Milano. Speakers included Reunion Records executive , record producer Reed Arvin, disc jockey , & author Brennan Manning.
- April 28 - Oasis play the second of two gigs in Maine Road, home of Manchester City F.C., featured on the video "...There and Then".
- May - The is launched in Ireland.
- May 8 - In Los Angeles, California, a judge rules against Tommy Lee and wife actress Pamela Anderson Lee in their attempt to keep Penthouse magazine from publishing still photos taken from an X-rated home movie that was stolen from their home.
- May 25 - Brad Nowell, lead singer of the band Sublime, is found dead of a heroin overdose in his San Francisco motel room.
- June 21 - The Sex Pistols start their reunion tour in Lahtis, Finland.
- Alice Cooper performs at Sammy Hagar's club Cabo Wabo in Mexico. It was recorded and released the next year is a live album.
- July - The Smashing Pumpkins drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, is arrested for possession of a controlled substance. The other band members fire him because they said his "insidious battle with drugs and alcohol" had nearly ruined everything for the band.
- July 11 - Robert Simpson's second string quintet premiered at the Cheltenham International Festival (by the Maggini Quartet with , cellist. [1]).
- August 1 - MTV2 makes its original launch.
- August 6 - The Ramones play their last ever show at Lollapalooza.
- August 10 and August 11 - Oasis plays at Knebworth two consecutive nights in front of 250.000 people. It's considered the peak of the britpop movement.
- Launch of the event in London.
- September 7 - Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot four times in Las Vegas, Nevada, while leaving the MGM Grand hotel after seeing the Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon boxing match, in what is apparently a drive-by shooting.
- September 12 - Controversy follows The Eagles when the band dedicates "Peaceful Easy Feeling" to Saddam Hussein at a United States Democratic Party fundraiser held in Los Angeles.
- September 13 - Tupac Shakur dies in hospital after his wounds from his September 7th shooting.
- October 6 - country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw get married.
- October 14 - Madonna's first child, Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, is born in Los Angeles.
- November 8 - After having first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the film Hype!, a documentary on the Seattle grunge scene, opens to general audiences
- November 24 - Crowded House plays its final concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in front of an audience of almost 100,000. Proceeds from this concert support the Sydney Children's Hospital.
- December 7 - The Sex Pistols finish their reunion tour in Santiago, Chile.
Unknown Dates
- Sheryl Crow's self titled album is banned from Wal-Mart stores because of the lyric "Watch out sister, watch out brother/watch our children while they kill each other/with a gun they bought at Wal-Mart Discount Stores".
- Slash leaves Guns N' Roses, citing musical differences with singer Axl Rose, leaving Axl as the sole remaining original member of the band.
- The Monkees embark on their 30th Anniversary Reunion Tour
- Singer Tori Amos is sued when a man crashes his car after being distracted by a billboard advertising her album; the billboard featured a photo of Amos breastfeeding a piglet.
- David Bowie's single "Telling Lies" becomes the first song offered as a free digital download by a major record label (Virgin Records).
- Roberto Alagna marries Angela Gheorghiu.
- November 3 İs
Bands formed
- Ace Troubleshooter
- Agalloch
- Alabama Thunderpussy
- Alkaline Trio
- All Systems Go!
- Arch Enemy
- Belle and Sebastian
- Chamberlain
- Disturbed
- Dressy Bessy
- Engine Down
- Good Charlotte
- Godsmack
- Iceman
- Linkin Park
- Mudvayne
- Nightwish
- Quarashi
- Park Ave.
- Skillet
- Slipknot
- Sum 41
- Switchfoot
- Within Temptation
- Matchbox Twenty
- Zebrahead
- Hadag Nahash
Bands disbanded
- Arrested Development
- Belly
- Carcass
- Cluster (they reform in 2007)
- Heavenly
- Jawbreaker
- Jodeci
- Lush
- Ned's Atomic Dustbin
- The Pogues
- The Ramones
- The Stone Roses
- Sublime
- Take That
Bands return
Albums released
- 18 Til I Die - Bryan Adams
- 1977 - Ash
- 40 More Reasons To Hate Us - Anal Cunt
- A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular - Hooverphonic
- Abhinanda - Abhinanda
- Actual Fantasy - Ayreon
- After Murder Park - The Auteurs
- Afterlife - The Godfathers
- - RAM
- - Ebiet G Ade
- All Eyez on Me - Tupac Shakur
- All the Pretty Little Horses - Current 93
- All We Got Iz Us - Onyx
- Antichrist Superstar - Marilyn Manson
- Arise Therefore - Palace
- As Good as Dead - Local H
- - Turbonegro
- At the Speed of Life - Xzibit
- ATLiens - Outkast
- Awaken - The Blood Divine
- -
- Back in the Shootin' Match - Ace Troubleshooter
- Backstreet Boys (International) - Backstreet Boys
- Bad Hair Day - "Weird Al" Yankovic
- Beat The Bastards - The Exploited
- Beats, Rhymes and Life - A Tribe Called Quest
- Becoming X - Sneaker Pimps (debut)
- Best of, Volume 1 - Van Halen
- Better Living Through Chemistry - Fatboy Slim.
- Bionic - Sandbox (Debut)
- Bilingual - Pet Shop Boys
- Black Earth - Arch Enemy
- Bow Down - Westside Connection
- Boys for Pele - Tori Amos
- Breathe - Midnight Oil
- Bringing Down the Horse - The Wallflowers
- Broken China - Richard Wright
- Brown - P.O.D.
- Call the Doctor - Sleater-Kinney
- - The Germs
- Cowboy Songs - Riders in the Sky
- Crash - Dave Matthews Band
- Crimson - Edge of Sanity
- Curb - Nickelback
- Dance Into the Light - Phil Collins
- - MC Ren
- Death Threatz - MC Eiht
- Demo - Nightwish
- Destiny - Gloria Estefan
- Down on the Upside - Soundgarden (final album before disbanding)
- Drum 'n' Bass for Papa - Plug
- Drunk on the Moon - No Knife
- Dynamite - Stina Nordenstam
- - Kid Rock
- East Side Militia - Chemlab
- Elegy - Amorphis
- Emancipation - Prince (3-disc box set)
- Emperor Tomato Ketchup - Stereolab
- Endtroducing... - DJ Shadow
- Episode - Stratovarius
- - Social Deviantz
- Everything Must Go - Manic Street Preachers
- Evil Empire - Rage Against the Machine
- Evita - Madonna (soundtrack)
- face to face - face to face
- Factory Showroom - They Might Be Giants
- Falling Into You - Celine Dion
- Fairweather Johnson - Hootie & the Blowfish
- Fashion Nugget - Cake
- Fever In Fever Out - Luscious Jackson
- Filth Pig - Ministry
- First Band on the Moon - The Cardigans
- First Grand Constitution and Bylaws - Secret Chiefs 3
- Fountains of Wayne - Fountains of Wayne
- Friction, Baby - Better Than Ezra
- From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah - Nirvana
- Frozen - Gridlock
- Gabrielle - Gabrielle
- - US Bombs
- - The Tubes
- Gravity Kills - Gravity Kills (debut)
- Good God's Urge - Porno for Pyros
- Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996 - Poison
- Here To Save You All - Chino XL
- Hesher - Nickelback
- High/Low - Nada Surf
- How Long Has This Been Going On - Van Morrison
- If You're Feeling Sinister - Belle & Sebastian
- Illadelph Halflife - The Roots
- Imperial Drag - Imperial
- In a Bar, Under the Sea - Deus
- Inquilaab - Junoon
- Ironman - Ghostface Killah
- Irreligious - Moonspell
- Irresistible Bliss - Soul Coughing
- It Was Written - Nas
- Justus - The Monkees
- K - Kula Shaker
- Kiss Unplugged - Kiss
- KRS-One - KRS-One
- Lama Rabi Rabi - Ghost
- Lemon Parade - Tonic
- - Die Flippers
- Life Is Peachy - KoЯn
- - Sun Dial
- Live from the Fall - Blues Traveler
- Load - Metallica
- - Loso
- Looking in the Shadows - The Raincoats
- Losing Streak - Less Than Jake
- Louder Than Hell - Manowar
- Machines Against the Rage - TISM
- Man - Neneh Cherry
- Maniacal Laughter - The Bouncing Souls
- - Cocteau Twins
- Millions Now Living Will Never Die - Tortoise
- Moneda - Toque Profundo
- Muddy Waters - Redman
- Murder Ballads - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle -
- Nerf Herder - Nerf Herder (debut)
- Neu! '72 Live In Dusseldorf - Neu!
- - El Vez
- New Adventures in Hi-Fi - R.E.M.
- Nico - Blind Melon
- No. 2 LIVE Dinner - Robert Earl Keen
- None So Vile - Cryptopsy
- No Code - Pearl Jam
- Ocean Drive - Lighthouse Family
- Odelay - Beck
- Off Parole - Rappin' 4-Tay
- One Chord to Another - Sloan
- One Fierce Beer Coaster - The Bloodhound Gang
- One in a Million - Aaliyah
- - Brian Green
- Overnight Sensation - Motörhead
- - Kanpech
- Paradise in Me - K's Choice
- Perspective - Jason Becker
- Pieces Of You - Jewel
- Pies Descalzos - Shakira
- Pinkerton - Weezer
- Plays Metallica by Four Cellos - Apocalyptica (Debut)
- - Valeriy Meladze
- Purpendicular - Deep Purple
- - Mekons with Kathy Acker
- Public Cowboy #1: The Music of Gene Autry - Riders in the Sky
- Razorblade Suitcase - Bush
- Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z
- Refresh the Demon - Annihilator
- Regretfully Yours - Superdrag
- Republica - Republica
- Resident Alien - Spacehog
- - Boukan Ginen
- Richard D. James Album - Aphex Twin
- Rock!!!!! - Violent Femmes
- Rocket - Primitive Radio Gods
- Roots - Sepultura
- - Die Flippers
- Running on Ice - Vertical Horizon
- - Country Teasers
- Scenery And Fish - I Mother Earth
- Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
- Skillet - Skillet
- Skunkworks - Bruce Dickinson
- Slang - Def Leppard
- Signify - Porcupine Tree
- Soul On Ice - Ras Kass
- Soundtracks for the Blind - Swans
- Spice - Spice Girls
- Spiders - Space
- Sublime - Sublime (final album, released just 2 months after frontman Brad Nowell's death)
- -
- Sutras - Donovan
- Swansong - Carcass
- - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
- - TKZee
- Take Me to Your Leader - Newsboys
- Technicolour - Disco Inferno
- Teri Yakimoto - Guttermouth
- Test for Echo - Rush
- - George Clinton (funk musician)
- Tha Doggfather - Snoop Dogg
- Thank God for Mental Illness - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
- The Beatles Anthology, volume 2 - The Beatles
- The Beatles Anthology, volume 3 - The Beatles
- 311 - 311
- The Dark Saga - Iced Earth
- The Doctor Came at Dawn - Smog
- The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory - Tupac Shakur (Also Known As Makaveli)
- The Final Tic - Crucial Conflict
- The Gray Race - Bad Religion
- The Great Southern Trendkill - Pantera
- The Latch-Key Child - A+
- The Light User Syndrome - The Fall
- The Natural Bridge - Silver Jews
- The Process - Skinny Puppy
- The Scene Is Not for Sale - Glue Gun (final album before disbanding)
- The Score - The Fugees
- The Time Of The Oath - Helloween
- - Miriam Yeung
- Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
- This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About - Modest Mouse
- Three Snakes & One Charm - The Black Crowes
- Tidal - Fiona Apple (debut)
- Tigermilk - Belle & Sebastian
- Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop - Stone Temple Pilots
- Tormented - Staind
- Travelling Without Moving - Jamiroquai
- Turn the Radio Off - Reel Big Fish
- - La Mafia
- Unknown Country - The Clean
- Veiled - Leah Andreone (debut)
- Very Proud of Ya - AFI
- Victor - Alex Lifeson
- Vile - Cannibal Corpse
- - Cenotaph
- Wax Ecstatic - Sponge
- White Light, White Heat, White Trash - Social Distortion
- Wild Mood Swings - The Cure
- Xtort - KMFDM
- Yourself or Someone Like You - Matchbox Twenty
- - Dalida (remix album)
- - Maria Bethânia
- Ænima - Tool
- Today is Another Day - Zard
Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1996.
# | Artist | Title | Year | Chart Entries |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Spice Girls | Wannabe | 1996 | UK 1 - Jul 1996, US BB 1 of 1997, US BB 3 of 1997, Holland 1 - Aug 1996, Sweden 1 - Aug 1996, Austria 4 - Aug 1996, Switzerland 1 - Aug 1996, Norway 1 - Aug 1996, Australia 5 of 1996, Germany 170 of the 1990s, Germany 1 - Aug 1996, Éire 1 - Aug 1996, New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks Nov 1996, Australia 1 for 11 weeks Jan 1997, Global 33 (5 M sold) - 1996, RYM 94 of 1996, POP 3 of 1997, Scrobulate 59 of pop, Acclaimed 1504, OzNet 963 |
2 | The Fugees | Killing Me Softly | 1996 | UK 1 - Jun 1996, US BB 17 of 1996, Holland 1 - Jun 1996, Sweden 5 - Aug 1996, Austria 1 - Jul 1996, Switzerland 1 - Jun 1996, Norway 1 - Jun 1996, Australia 3 of 1996, Germany 35 of the 1990s, Germany 1 - Jun 1996, Éire 1 - Jun 1996, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks May 1996, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Aug 1996, Europe 98 of the 1990s, RYM 97 of 1996, POP 21 of 1996, Scrobulate 6 of hip-hop, Acclaimed 837 |
3 | Los Del Rio | Macarena | 1996 | UK 2 - Jul 1996, US BB 1 of 1996, US BB 2 of 1996, Holland 1 - Aug 1993, Sweden 8 - Jun 1996, Austria 1 - Feb 1996, Switzerland 1 - Mar 1996, Norway 2 - Jun 1996, Australia 2 of 1996, Germany 26 of the 1990s, Germany 1 - Apr 1996, Australia 1 for 9 weeks Nov 1996, Global 7 (10 M sold) - 1993, POP 2 of 1996, Party 102 of 2007 |
4 | Oasis | Wonderwall | 1996 | UK 2 - Nov 1995, US BB 8 of 1996, US BB 16 of 1996, Holland 9 - Dec 1995, Sweden 4 - Nov 1995, Austria 12 - Mar 1996, Switzerland 17 - Feb 1996, Norway 5 - Dec 1995, Australia 10 of 1996, Germany 24 - Feb 1996, New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks Mar 1996, Australia 1 for 1 weeks May 1996, Europe 70 of the 1990s, Belgium 146 of all time, Virgin 22, RYM 4 of 1995, POP 20 of 1996, Scrobulate 2 of rock, WXPN 856, Acclaimed 123 |
5 | Robert Miles | Children | 1996 | UK 2 - Feb 1996, US BB 21 of 1996, Holland 3 - Feb 1996, Sweden 1 - Mar 1996, France 2 - Feb 1996, Austria 1 - Apr 1996, Switzerland 1 - Jan 1996, Norway 1 - Apr 1996, Australia 26 of 1996, Germany 32 of the 1990s, Germany 1 - Feb 1996, RYM 159 of 1996, Scrobulate 71 of house, OzNet 336 |
Top hits on record
- "1979"- The Smashing Pumpkins
- "6th Avenue Heartache" - The Wallflowers
- "Aeroplane" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
- "All Mixed Up" - 311
- "Always Be My Baby" - Mariah Carey
- "Aneurysm" live - Nirvana
- "Because You Loved Me" - Celine Dion
- "Big Me" - Foo Fighters
- "Breathe Babylon" - P.O.D.
- "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" - The Smashing Pumpkins
- "Bulls on Parade" - Rage Against the Machine
- "California Love" - Tupac Shakur / Dr. Dre
- "" - Lenny Kravitz
- "Change the World" - Eric Clapton, written by Wayne Kirkpatrick, Gordon Kennedy and Tommy Sims, won a Grammy award for song of the year in 1997
- "Charmless Man" - Blur
- "Children" - Robert Miles
- "" - Dalida (remix)
- "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" - Madonna
- "Don't Look Back in Anger" - Oasis
- "Down (311 song)" - 311
- "Drain You" live - Nirvana
- "Free as a Bird" - The Beatles
- "" - Tracy Chapman
- "Guilty" - Gravity Kills
- "Hand in My Pocket" - Alanis Morissette
- "Head over Feet" - Alanis Morissette
- "" - Metallica
- "" - The Tubes
- "How Do U Want It" - 2Pac
- "" - Melissa Etheridge
- "If It Makes You Happy" - Sheryl Crow
- "If You Could Only See" - Tonic
- "I'll Never Break Your Heart" - Backstreet Boys
- "I'll Stick Around" - Foo Fighters
- "Interstate Love Song" - Stone Temple Pilots
- "Ironic" - Alanis Morissette
- "" - Sade
- "Killing Me Softly With His Song" - The Fugees
- "King Nothing" - Metallica
- "" - Dalida (inédit)
- "" - Dalida (remix)
- "Long Way Down (song)" - Goo Goo Dolls
- "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" - Madonna
- "Macarena" - Los Del Rio
- "Mama Said" - Metallica
- "Motel California" - Ugly Kid Joe
- "My Boo" - Ghost Town DJ's
- "" - Luscious Jackson
- "Naked" - Goo Goo Dolls
- "Novocaine for the Soul" - Eels
- "One Headlight" - The Wallflowers
- "One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey" and Boyz II Men
- "People of the Sun" - Rage Against the Machine
- "Pretty Noose" - Soundgarden
- "Professional Widow (Star Trunk Funkin' Mix)" - Tori Amos
- "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" - Backstreet Boys
- "Return of the Mack" - Mark Morrison
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" live Nirvana
- "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand" - Primitive Radio Gods
- "Stupid Girl" - Garbage
- "Tahitian Moon" - Porno for Pyros
- "Tha Crossroads" - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony won a grammy for best rap song in 1997, topped #1 in the billboard pop charts for 9 weeks, and tied The Beatles' 32 year-old record for fastest-rising single.
- "The Beautiful People" - Marilyn Manson
- "Tonight, Tonight" - The Smashing Pumpkins
- "Un-Break My Heart" - Toni Braxton
- "Until It Sleeps" - Metallica
- "Vapors" - Snoop Doggy Dogg
- "Virtual Insanity" - Jamiroquai
- "Wannabe" - Spice Girls
- "" - Vertical Horizon
- "What I Got" - Sublime
- "" - Beck
- "Who Will Save Your Soul" - Jewel
- "You Learn" - Alanis Morissette
- "You Must Love Me" - Madonna
- "You Oughta Know" - Alanis Morissette
- "You Were Meant For Me" - Jewel, held longest chart run for single. 1996-1998
- "Zero" - The Smashing Pumpkins
See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1996
Classical music
- Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen - Trumpet Concerto No. 2
- Michael Berkeley - Viola Concerto (revised)
- Elliott Carter - Clarinet Concerto
- Mario Davidovsky - Quartetto No. 2 for oboe, violin, viola, violoncello
- Peter Maxwell Davies - Strathclyde Concerto No 10: Concerto for Orchestra
- Joël-François Durand - Les raisons des forces mouvantes for organ
- Alexander Goehr - Viola Concerto
- Sofia Gubaidulina - Viola Concerto
- Hans Werner Henze - Labyrinth (revision of 1951 work)
- - Homage a Nelson Mandela
- John Pickard - Third Symphony
- Wolfgang Rihm - Deus Passus (oratorio)
- Juan Maria Solare - Diez Estudios Escénicos
Opera
- Peter Maxwell Davies - The Doctor of Myddfai
- Daron Hagen - Vera of Las Vegas
Musical theater
- Chicago (Kander and Ebb) - Broadway revival
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Stephen Sondheim) - Broadway revival
- I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change off-Broadway production
- The King and I (Rodgers and Hammerstein) - Broadway revival
- Once Upon a Mattress- Broadway revival
- Rent (Jonathan Larson) - Broadway production (originally off-Broadway}
- State Fair Broadway production
Musical films
- Everyone Says I Love You
- Evita
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame animated feature
- James and the Giant Peach animated feature
Births
- October 14 - Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, daughter of Madonna and Carlos Leon.
Deaths
- January 20 - Gerry Mulligan, 68, saxophonist
- January 25 - Jonathan Larson, composer
- February 7 - Boris Tchaikovsky, composer (b. 1925)
- February 17 - Evelyn Laye, 95, English actress and singer
- February 20 - Toru Takemitsu, composer
- February 26 - Mieczysław Weinberg, composer (b. 1919)
- March 4 - Minnie Pearl (84)
- March 15 - Olga Rudge (101), violinist
- March 22 - Don Murray, The Turtles
- April 18 - Bernard Edwards, Chic, pneumonia
- May 8 - Celedonio Romero, leader of the Romeros guitar quartet,
- May 17 - Kevin Gilbert, Songwriter Toy Matinee, Tuesday Night Music Club, Engineer
- May 25 - Brad Nowell, lead singer and guitarist for Sublime
- June 14 - , Heavenly drummer
- June 15 - Ella Fitzgerald, jazz singer
- July 16 - John Panozzo, 48, drummer for Styx and brother of Chuck Panozzo
- July 17 - Marcel Dadi 45, French country and western guitarist died in crash of TWA flight 800
- July 29 - Jason Thirsk, Pennywise bassist
- August 13 - David Tudor, pianist and composer
- August 14 - Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor (b. 1912)
- August 23 - Jurriaan Andriessen, Dutch composer (b. 1925)
- September 1 - Vagn Holmboe, Danish composer (b. 1909)
- September 13 - Tupac Shakur, rapper, poet, actor
- October 2 - Joonas Kokkonen, Finnish composer (b. 1921)
- October 17 - Berthold Goldschmidt, German composer (b. 1903)
- October 17 - Chris Acland, Lush drummer (b. 1966)
- November 2 - , American Vocalist (b. 1963)
- November 30 - Tiny Tim, musician
- December 29 - Mireille, French singer
Awards
- The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: David Bowie, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Jefferson Airplane, Little Willie John, Pink Floyd, The Shirelles and The Velvet Underground
Grammy Awards
Country Music Association Awards
Eurovision Song Contest
Mercury Music Prize
- Different Class - Pulp wins.