The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in 2015 in music in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Notable events

January

*12 – Lady Antebellum performed the

National Anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

at the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship Game. * 30 – The Offspring set a record for longest time between #1 singles on the

Mainstream Rock charts Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...

with Coming for You, their first since Gone Away in 1997.

February

*1 – Idina Menzel performed the

and

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...

performed at the halftime show during Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, making it the most watched, highest-rated, and most tweeted per second halftime show. *8 – The

57th Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time. ...

, hosted by

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

, took place at the

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it was ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. British singer

Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. After rising to prominence in October 2012 by featuring on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, they ...

won the most awards with four including; Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best New Artist.

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...

's ''

Morning Phase ''Morning Phase'' is the twelfth official studio album and twelfth overall by American singer Beck. The album was released in February 2014 by his new label, Capitol Records. According to a press release, ''Morning Phase'' is a "companion piece" ...

'' won

Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...

March

*4 –

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( , ; née Edwards; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her the best-selling female artist in country music history and one of the best-s ...

announced that she will be going on her first tour in eleven years. The ''

Rock This Country Tour The Rock This Country Tour was the third concert tour by Canadian recording artist Shania Twain. The tour was Twain's first tour in eleven years and was billed as her farewell tour. The tour kicked off on June 5, 2015, in Seattle, and concluded ...

'' began on June 5, 2015, and is billed as her farewell tour. She also plans on releasing her first studio album in thirteen years later in the year. *25 –

One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the gr ...

announces that

Zayn Malik Zain Javadd Malik ( ; born 12 January 1993), known mononymously as Zayn, is an English pop and R&B singer. Zayn auditioned as a solo contestant for the British music competition television series ''The X Factor'' in 2010. After being eliminate ...

had left the group. *29 – The

2nd iHeartRadio Music Awards The 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards was the second music award show presented by iHeartMedia's platform iHeartRadio and NBC. The awards were held on March 29, 2015, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and were hosted by Jamie Foxx. Taylor Swi ...

took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

and

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

were among the winners.

April

*19 – The 50th

ACM Awards The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academy ...

were held at

AT&T Stadium AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable roof, retractable-roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. I ...

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...

, hosted by

Luke Bryan Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter, and television personality. He began his music career writing songs for Travis Tritt and Billy Currington before signing with Capitol Reco ...

and Blake Shelton.

May

*12 –

Joey Alexander Josiah Alexander Sila (born 25 June 2003), known professionally as Joey Alexander, is an Indonesian jazz pianist. He became the first Indonesian musician to chart on ''Billboard'' 200 when his album ''My Favorite Things'' debuted at number 174 ...

released his debut jazz instrumental album, ''My Favorite Things'', which led him to a double grammy nomination at the

58th Annual Grammy Awards The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 20 ...

. Becoming the year's youngest Grammy nominee. *13 –

Nick Fradiani Nicholas James Fradiani IV (born November 15, 1985) is an American singer from Guilford, Connecticut. He rose to regional attention as the lead singer of pop/rock band Beach Avenue when they won the Battle of the Bands at Mohegan Sun in 2011. He ...

was named winner of the fifteenth season of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

''.

Clark Beckham Clark Beckham (born May 15, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He finished as the runner-up on the fourteenth season of ''American Idol''. Early life Beckham was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but grew up in White House, Tenn ...

was named winner runner-up. *17 – The

2015 Billboard Music Awards The 2015 ''Billboard'' Music Awards ceremony was held on May 17, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It was aired live on ABC. The show was hosted by Ludacris and Chrissy Teigen. Taylor Swift won 8 out of her 14 nominations, inclu ...

were held at the

MGM Grand Garden Arena The MGM Grand Garden Arena (originally known as the MGM Grand Garden Special Events Center) is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena located within the MGM Grand Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip. Sporting events From its opening on December 18, 1993 ...

. *19 –

Sawyer Fredericks Sawyer Christopher Fredericks (born March 31, 1999) is an American blues singer–songwriter who won the 8th season of ''The Voice'' in 2015. Choosing Pharrell Williams as his coach, Fredericks set series iTunes sales records and became the you ...

was named winner of the eighth season of '' The Voice''. Meghan Linsey was named runner-up. Joshua Davis and

Koryn Hawthorne Koryn Mattanah Hawthorne (born December 26, 1997) is an American contemporary Christian music and gospel singer. Hawthorne was a finalist in season 8 of NBC's singing competition ''The Voice'', at the age of 17, as a member on Pharrell Willia ...

finishing third and fourth place respectively. ** -

Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...

released their first studio album in 18 years, ''

Sol Invictus Sol Invictus (, "Unconquered Sun"), sometimes simply known as Helios, was long considered to be the official sun god of the later Roman Empire. In recent years, however, the scholarly community has become divided on Sol between traditionalists a ...

''. *30 -

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

gets her record 45th number-one song on the dance charts, with the song '' Ghosttown'', surpassing

George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited for ...

for the most number-one entries on any kind of ''Billboard'' chart.

June

*8 – The music video for "

Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...

" by

reached 1 billion views on

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

, making it the first music video by a female artist to do so and the third music video overall to do so. It was the third most-viewed YouTube video of all time, and the most-watched video by a female artist until "

Blank Space "Blank Space" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, ''1989''. The song was released to US radio stations as the second single from ''1989'' on November 10, 2014, by Republic Records in partners ...

" by

took both records a month later. *16 –

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her act ...

released her first album

Breathe In. Breathe Out. ''Breathe In. Breathe Out.'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Hilary Duff. It was released on June 12, 2015, by RCA Records. Duff began work on the album in January 2012, but after scrapping the songs she recorded, she resumed the s ...

in seven years. It hit number 5 in the US.

July

*10 – Starting on this day albums will now be released on Fridays instead of Tuesdays in America. Some reasons for the change is to help prevent illegal downloads and "In the digital world, you can't make consumers wait". **

Veruca Salt Veruca Salt is an American alternative rock band founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1992 by vocalist-guitarists Nina Gordon and Louise Post, drummer Jim Shapiro and bassist Steve Lack. They are best known for their first single, " Seether", that ...

released their first studio album in 9 years, ''

Ghost Notes In music, a ghost note is a musical note with a rhythmic value, but no discernible pitch when played. In musical notation, this is represented by an "X" for a note head instead of an oval, or parentheses around the note head. It should not be c ...

''. This is also the first album to feature the band's original lineup since 1997's ''

Eight Arms to Hold You ''Eight Arms to Hold You'' is the second studio album by alternative rock band Veruca Salt. It was released on February 11, 1997, through Outpost/Geffen Records. Release The album was produced by Bob Rock. The title is a reference to the workin ...

''. *30 – The reunited Savatage played their first show in thirteen years at

Wacken Open Air Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a rock music, rock music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all styles and su ...

in Germany, which took place from July 30 to August 1.

August

*21 – Canadian pop star

Carly Rae Jepsen Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...

released her third album, ''

Emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...

''. It had universal acclaim and was included on several year-end lists from publications such as '' NPR'', ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', '' Complex'', and ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

''. *30 – The

2015 MTV Video Music Awards The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2015. The 32nd installment of the event was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, and hosted by Miley Cyrus. Taylor Swift led the nominations with a total of ten, followe ...

were held at the

Microsoft Theater The Microsoft Theater (formerly Nokia Theatre L.A. Live) is a music and theater venue in downtown Los Angeles, California, at L.A. Live. The theater auditorium seats 7,100 and holds one of the largest indoor stages in the United States. History ...

L.A. Live L.A. Live is an entertainment complex in the South Park District of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It is adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena and Los Angeles Convention Center. L.A. Live was developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Wach ...

in Los Angeles.

was the big winner of the night with four awards, including Video of the Year for " Bad Blood".

September

*11 –

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

released their first album in six years, '' Repentless''. Their album was their first since the death of founding guitarist

Jeff Hanneman Jeffrey John Hanneman (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013) was an American musician, best known as a founding member and guitarist of the thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman composed both music and lyrics for every Slayer album until his death in 20 ...

in 2013 and subsequently proved to be the band's final album following their disbandment in 2019. *18–19 – The 2015

iHeartRadio Music Festival The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year in September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. From 2011 to 2015, the festival was held at the MGM Grand ...

took place at the

in Las Vegas.

October

*2 –

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

releases

Unbreakable Unbreakable may refer to: * '' Unbreakable: My Story, My Way'', a book written by Jenni Rivera * Unbreakable (horse) (1935–1962), a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire Film and television * ''Unbreakable'' (film series), a trilogy directed by M ...

her first album since 2008's

Discipline Discipline refers to rule following behavior, to regulate, order, control and authority. It may also refer to punishment. Discipline is used to create habits, routines, and automatic mechanisms such as blind obedience. It may be inflicted on ot ...

to widespread critical acclaim. The album goes on to top the Billboard 200 chart. *23 – The music video for Adele's " Hello" broke the

Record for the most views within a 24-hour span with 27.7 million views, beating out the previous record held by

's " Bad Blood". It also broke the record for shortest time to attain 100 million Vevo views, previously held by

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

' " Wrecking Ball". In 2017, Swift took back the record with 43.2 million views with the music video for Look What You Made Me Do.

November

*2 – Adele's comeback single " Hello" became the first song with over a million digital sales in a week. *7 – the 49th

Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...

was held at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Brad Paisley and

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...

hosted for the eighth year in a row. *9 – Chester Bennington amicably departs from Stone Temple Pilots as lead singer to focus more on

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer ...

. *13 -

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

released his fourth album, '' Purpose (Justin Bieber album)'' making his sixth album to debut at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Every song on this album has hit the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It was supported by four singles: "What Do You Mean?", "Sorry", "Love Yourself", and "Company". The former three singles all reached number one on the Canadian Hot 100, US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. The album was among the best-selling albums of both 2015 and 2016. *22 – The

2015 American Music Awards The 43rd Annual American Music Awards was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on November 22, 2015. It was broadcast on ABC and hosted by Jennifer Lopez. With three awards, Taylor Swift was the big winner of the night. Jared L ...

was held at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. *28 – ''Billboard'' reported Adele's '' 25'' sold 3.38 million in pure album sales in its first week of release, according to

Nielsen Music Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...

. That's the largest single sales week for an album since Nielsen began tracking point-of-sale music purchases in 1991, surpassing the previous single-week sales record, held by

NSYNC NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...

's '' No Strings Attached'' (2.42 million sold in the week ending March 26, 2000).

December

*3 – Former Stone Temple Pilots &

Velvet Revolver Velvet Revolver was an American hard rock supergroup consisting of Guns N' Roses members Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass, backing vocals) and Matt Sorum (drums, backing vocals), alongside Dave Kushner (rhythm guitar) formerly of punk b ...

singer Scott Weiland is found dead on his tour bus in

Bloomington, Minnesota Bloomington is a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, on the north bank of the Minnesota River, above its confluence with the Mississippi River, south of downtown Minneapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 89,987, ma ...

at the age of 48 while on tour with his band, the Wildabouts. *8 – Nominations for the

were announced, with Kendrick Lamar leading the list. *15 – Jordan Smith was named winner of the ninth season of ''The Voice''. Emily Ann Roberts was named runner-up.

Barrett Baber Barrett Hankins Baber (born May 18, 1980) is an American country musician, where he plays alternative country and country rock music, and who was a contestant on NBC's ''The Voice'', where he auditioned and got a four chair turn during season n ...

and

Jeffery Austin Jeffery Austin McClelland, Jr. (born April 15, 1991), better known by his stage name Jeffery Austin, is an American pop musician and was a contestant on the ninth season of The Voice, turning a single chair and defaulting to be a member of Gwen ...

finishing third and fourth place respectively.

Bands formed

* Almost Monday * Dead & Company * Saint Asonia * DNCE *

Zen From Mars Zen From Mars (often abbreviated as ZFM) is an American recording project formed in 2015 by members of Bang Tango, Kik Tracee, Enuff Z'Nuff, Flipp, and Fear Factory. Background Formation The band was founded in 2015 by, then current, Bang Ta ...

Bands reformed

13th Floor Elevators The 13th Floor Elevators was an American rock band from Austin, Texas, United States, formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland. The band was together from 1965 to 1969, a ...

* The Academy Is... *

A-ha A-ha (usually stylised as ''a-''h''a''; ) is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals), the band ...

* Aiden *

Alexisonfire Alexisonfire (pronounced "Alexis on Fire") is a Canadian post-hardcore band formed in St. Catharines, OntarioRoss, Mike.Band is a scream", CANOE JAM!, April 30, 2004. Retrieved on July 17, 2007. in 2001. The band's members are George Pettit (vo ...

* Armor for Sleep * At the Drive-In *

The Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hil ...

Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of Tim DuBois. Before their formation, both members were solo ...

* The Corrs * Daphne and Celeste * Dashboard Confessional *

Digable Planets Digable Planets () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987. The trio is composed of rappers Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, Mariana "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira, and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving. The group is notable for their contributions to the subgenre ...

Disturbed Disturbed may refer to: Books * ''Disturbed'', a 2011 novel by Kevin O'Brien (author) Film and TV * ''Disturbed'' (film), a 1990 film starring Malcolm McDowell * "Disturbed" (''Numb3rs''), a 2009 episode of ''Numb3rs'' * "The Disturbed", a 20 ...

* Evanescence *

Good Charlotte Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of twin brothers Joel Madden (lead vocals) and Benji Madden (guitar and vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin (g ...

LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy, co-founder of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals, various instruments), Nancy Whang (synthesizer, keyboards, vocals), Pat Mahoney (dr ...

Lush Lush may refer to: People Music * Lush (band), a British rock band * ''Lush'' (Mitski album), a 2012 album by Mitski * ''Lush'' (Snail Mail album), a 2018 album by Snail Mail * "Lush", a single by Skepta featuring Jay Sean * ''Lush 3'', a si ...

The Matches The Matches are an American rock band from Oakland, California, active from 1997 to 2009. Formed as the Locals, the group changed their name after five years to avoid conflict with a Chicago band of the same name. As the Matches, they self-release ...

* Pist.On *

The Promise Ring The Promise Ring was an American rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that is recognized as part of the second wave of emo. Among various other EPs and singles, the band released four studio albums during their initial run: '' 30° Everywhere'' ...

Royal Trux Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band active from 1987 to 2001, reuniting in 2015 but disbanded once again in 2019. It was founded by Neil Hagerty (vocals, guitar) and Jennifer Herrema (vocals). History While still a teenager, Hagerty ...

* Savatage *

Sherwood Sherwood may refer to: Places Australia *Sherwood, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Sherwood, South Australia, a locality *Shire of Sherwood, a former local government area of Queensland *Electoral district of Sherwood, an electoral district from ...

* Supertramp *

Thrice Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school. Early in their career, the band was known ...

Underoath Underoath (stylized as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton on November 30, 1997, in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional member ...

Ween Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, the band are ...

Bands on hiatus

* The Black Keys *

Fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

* Framing Hanley *

fun. Fun (stylized as fun.) is an American pop rock band based in New York City. The band consists of Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train and Bleachers), Andrew Dost (formerly of Anathallo), and Nate Ruess (then-former lead singer of the Format). Fun f ...

The Gaslight Anthem The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals), ...

* The Ghost Inside *

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

* Pinback *

Staind Staind ( ) is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and dr ...

Teenage Bottlerocket Teenage Bottlerocket is an American punk rock band formed in Laramie, Wyoming in 2000. The band was formed by twin brothers Ray and Brandon Carlisle, following the dissolution of their previous band, Homeless Wonders. The band's music is heav ...

* Yeah Yeah Yeahs *

Bands disbanded

3 Inches of Blood 3 Inches of Blood was a Canadian heavy metal band formed in 1999 in Victoria, British Columbia, last consisting of Cam Pipes, Justin Hagberg, Shane Clark, and Ash Pearson, none of whom were original members of the band. Their music was strongl ...

* Avi Buffalo *

The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...

California Breed California Breed was an English-American hard rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2013, the band was a supergroup composed of bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Andrew Watt, and drummer Jason Bonham. Following the bre ...

CBS Orchestra Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band is an American musical ensemble led by Paul Shaffer. It was David Letterman's house band for 33 years. The band formed in 1982 to serve as house band for NBC's ''Late Night with David Letterman'' ...

Cobra Starship Cobra Starship was an American dance-pop band founded in 2005 by Gabe Saporta (ex- Midtown), and headquartered in New York City. He recorded the first album as a solo project, ''While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets''. Saporta later enliste ...

* Device * Erase Errata *

Flesh for Lulu Flesh for Lulu were an English rock band formed in Brixton, London, England, active between 1982 and 1992. They reformed from 2013 to 2015 with a new lineup. Initially part of the post-punk scene, the band's sound shifted to reflect influence ...

* Framing Hanley *

Funeral For a Friend Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001 and currently consists of Matthew Davies-Kreye (lead vocals), Kris Coombs-Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, backing vocals), Darran Smith ...

G.R.L. G.R.L. was an American girl group formed by Robin Antin. The group consists of members Lauren Bennett, Natasha Slayton, and Emmalyn Estrada. The original line-up consisted of Bennett, Slayton, Estrada, Paula van Oppen, and Simone Battle. They ...

I, the Breather I, the Breather is an American metalcore band from Baltimore, Maryland. Formed by Shawn Spann, Justin Huffman and Morgan Wright in late 2009, the group was signed to Sumerian Records and had released three albums through the label before announc ...

* Kill Hannah * Klaxons *

Maybeshewill Maybeshewill are an English post-rock band from Leicester, England. Their music is characterised by the use of programmed and sampled electronic elements alongside guitars, bass, keyboards and drums. History Maybeshewill were formed by guit ...

Mean Creek ''Mean Creek'' is a 2004 American coming-of-age psychological drama film written and directed by Jacob Aaron Estes and starring Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Josh Peck, and Carly Schroeder. It was produced by Susa ...

* MellowHype *

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

Neutral Milk Hotel Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie rock ...

* Noah and the Whale * Obits * Odd Future * The Presidents of the United States of America * The Replacements *

Rise to Remain Rise to Remain was an English, London-based heavy metal band formed in 2006 and disbanded in 2015. The band made appearances at Download Festival, Sonisphere Festival and extensively toured the UK and Europe. The band released three EPs, the m ...

The Rosso Sisters The Rosso Sisters was an American musical group, made up of four expatriate siblings originally from the United Kingdom: Georgina, Milly, Becky, and Lola.Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts Scott Richard Weiland (; né Kline, October 27, 1967 – December 3, 2015) was an American singer and songwriter. During a career spanning three decades, Weiland was best known as the lead singer of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from ...

Sleeper Agent A sleeper agent, also called sleeper cell, is a spy who is placed in a target country or organization not to undertake an immediate mission but to act as a potential asset if activated. Even if unactivated, the "sleeper agent" is still an asset ...

* Tangerine Dream * Texas in July * The Weakerthans

Albums released in 2015

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Top songs on record

''Billboard'' Hot 100 No. 1 Songs

* " Bad Blood" –

feat. Kendrick Lamar * "

" – Taylor Swift * " Can't Feel My Face" – The Weeknd * "

Cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...

" –

OMI is a hereditary noble title (''kabane'') of ancient Japan. It was given to the descendants of the Imperial Family before Emperor Kōgen. Along with ''Muraji'', ''Omi'' was reserved for the head of the most powerful clans during the Kofun period. ...

* " Hello" – Adele * " The Hills" – The Weeknd * " See You Again" –

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...

feat. Charlie Puth * " Uptown Funk" –

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...

feat. Bruno Mars * " What Do You Mean?" –

''Billboard'' Hot 100 Top 20 Hits

All songs that reached the Top 20 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

chart during the year, complete with peak chart placement. {{columns-list, colwidth=20em, * "

679 __NOTOC__ Year 679 ( DCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 679 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar ...

" – Fetty Wap feat.

Remy Boyz Willie Junior Maxwell II (born June 7, 1991), better known by his stage names Fetty Wap or Harlem Fetty, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence after his debut single "Trap Queen" reached number two on the U.S. ''B ...

{{small, (#4) * " 7/11" –

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

{{small, (#13 in 2014, #18 in 2015) * "

All About That Bass "All About That Bass" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, released on June 30, 2014, through Epic Records. The song was included on Trainor's debut extended play (EP) ''Title (EP), Title'' (2014) and her debut Title ( ...

" – Meghan Trainor {{small, (#1 in 2014, #5 in 2015) * " All Day" –

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

feat.

Theophilus London Theophilus Musa London (born February 23, 1987) is an American rapper and singer. A frequent collaborator of Kanye West, London was a producer on the 2022 album Donda 2 and was featured on West's 2015 single " All Day" which was nominated for sev ...

Allan Kingdom Allan Kyariga (born January 6, 1994), better known by his stage name Allan Kingdom, is a Canadian rapper and record producer based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He was a member of Thestand4rd along with Bobby Raps, Corbin, and Psymun. He was featured ...

and

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

{{small, (#15) * " Animals" –

Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...

{{small, (#3 in 2014, #8 in 2015) * " Antidote" – Travis Scott {{small, (#16) * " Bad Blood" –

feat. Kendrick Lamar {{small, (#1) * "

Bang Bang Bang Bang or Bang Bang Bang or similar may refer to: Food * Bang bang chicken, a Chinese dish *Bang bang shrimp, a Chinese dish People * Abdul Razzaq (cricketer) (born 1979), nicknamed Bang Bang Razzaq * Bang Bang (Dubliner) (1906–1981), ...

" –

Jessie J Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

and

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

{{small, (#3 in 2014, #15 in 2015) * "

Bitch Better Have My Money "Bitch Better Have My Money" (otherwise known in clean and radio versions as "B**** Better Have My Money" or simply "Better Have My Money") is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was written by Rihanna, Bibi Bourelly, producer Deputy ...

" –

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

{{small, (#15) * "

" – Taylor Swift {{small, (#1) * " Can't Feel My Face" – The Weeknd {{small, (#1) * " Centuries" –

Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...

{{small, (#10) * "

Chains A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...

" – Nick Jonas {{small, (#13) * "

Chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...

" –

Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...

{{small, (#8 in 2014, #20 in 2015) * "

" –

{{small, (#1) * " CoCo" –

O.T. Genasis Odis Oliver Flores (born June 18, 1987), better known by his stage name O.T. Genasis, is an American rapper, actor and singer. Early life Odis Oliver Flores was born on June 18, 1987, in Atlanta to Garifunas from Belize. He is a Garifuna Amer ...

{{small, (#20) * "

Cool for the Summer "Cool for the Summer" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato. It was released as the lead single from her fifth studio album ''Confident (album), Confident'' (2015) on July 1, 2015, by Hollywood Records and Island Records, and premiered on ra ...

" –

Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...

{{small, (#11) * "

Dear Future Husband "Dear Future Husband" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor. It was included on ''Title (EP), Title'', her 2014 extended play, and later on her 2015 Title (album), studio album of the same name. Trainor wrote the song with it ...

" – Meghan Trainor {{small, (#14) * "

Don't Don't, Dont, or DONT may refer to: Films * ''Don't'' (1925 film), a 1925 silent comedy film * ''Don't'' (1974 film), a 1974 film about the monarch butterfly * ''Don't'', a fake trailer from the film ''Grindhouse'' (2007) Songs * "Don't" (Bill ...

" –

Bryson Tiller Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer and rapper. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began his career in 2011 with a mixtape entitled ''Killer Instinct Vol. 1''. Tiller initially gained mainstream success in 2015 follow ...

{{small, (#20) * "

" – Ed Sheeran {{small, (#9 in 2014, #19 in 2015) * "

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

" – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Eric Nally,

Melle Mel Melvin Glover (born May 15, 1961 in The Bronx), better known by his stage name Grandmaster Melle Mel (or simply Melle Mel) () is an American hip hop recording artist who was the lead vocalist and songwriter of Grandmaster Flash and the Furiou ...

, Kool Moe Dee and

Grandmaster Caz Curtis Brown (born April 18, 1960), better known by the stage name Grandmaster Caz or Casanova Fly, is an American rapper, songwriter, and DJ. He was a member of the hip hop group The Cold Crush Brothers from 1979 to the mid-1980s. He is best know ...

{{small, (#12) * " Drag Me Down" –

{{small, (#3) * " Earned It" – The Weeknd {{small, (#3) * "

Elastic Heart "Elastic Heart" is a song written by Australian singer Sia, featuring Canadian singer the Weeknd and American record producer Diplo, for the soundtrack of '' The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'', a film based on the novel of the same name by S ...

" – Sia {{small, (#17) * "

Ex's & Oh's "Ex's & Oh's" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Elle King for her debut studio album, ''Love Stuff'' (2015). It was released on September 23, 2014, as King's debut solo single and the album's lead single via RCA Records. The ...

" – Elle King {{small, (#10) * "

Fight Song A fight song is a rousing short song associated with a sports team. The term is most common in the United States and Canada. In Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand these songs are called the team anthem, team song, or games song. First associated ...

" –

Rachel Platten Rachel Ashley Platten (born May 20, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and author. After releasing two albums independently in 2003 and 2011, she signed with Columbia Records in 2015 and released her mainstream debut single, "Fight Song", w ...

{{small, (#6) * " Focus" –

{{small, (#7) * "

FourFiveSeconds "FourFiveSeconds" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, American rapper Kanye West, and English musician Paul McCartney. It was written and produced by McCartney, Kanye West, Mike Dean, Dave Longstreth and Noah Goldstein with additiona ...

" – Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney {{small, (#4) * " G.D.F.R." –

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...

feat. Sage the Gemini and

Lookas Lucas Rego, known by his stage name Lookas, is an American music producer and DJ. He is best known for his contribution to Flo Rida's charted single, " G.D.F.R.". Career Rego began his music career as a teenager, when he chose music over colleg ...

{{small, (#8) * "

Girl Crush "Girl Crush" is a song written by Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey and Liz Rose, and performed by American country music group Little Big Town. It was released on December 15, 2014 as the second single from their sixth studio album, ''Pain Killer''. ...

" – Little Big Town {{small, (#18) * " Good for You" – Selena Gomez feat. ASAP Rocky {{small, (#5) * "

Habits (Stay High) "Habits (Stay High)" is a song recorded by Swedish singer Tove Lo from her debut extended play (EP), ''Truth Serum'', and her debut studio album, ''Queen of the Clouds'' (2014). It was written by Lo with Ludvig Söderberg and Jakob Jerlström, ...

" – Tove Lo {{small, (#3 in 2014, #16 in 2015) * " Hello" – Adele {{small, (#1) * "

Here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a TV ...

" –

Alessia Cara Alessia Caracciolo (born July 11, 1996), known professionally as Alessia Cara (), is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Born in Mississauga, Ontario, to Italian Canadian parents, she began posting covers of songs on YouTube at age 13. After uploadi ...

{{small, (#7) * " Hey Mama" –

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...

feat.

, Bebe Rexha and

Afrojack Nick Leonardus van de Wall (; born 9 September 1987), better known as Afrojack, is a Dutch DJ, music producer and remixer from Spijkenisse, South Holland. In 2007, he founded the record label Wall Recordings; his debut album '' Forget the World' ...

{{small, (#8) * " Hit the Quan" –

iLoveMemphis Richard Maurice Colbert (born March 29, 1993), better known by his stage name iLoveMemphis, or iHeartMemphis, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for his debut single "Hit the Quan" which peaked at number 15 on the Bi ...

{{small, (#15) * " Honey, I'm Good" – Andy Grammer {{small, (#9) * "

Hotline Bling "Hotline Bling" is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake, which serves as the lead single from his fourth studio album ''Views'' (2016). The song is credited as a bonus track on the album. It was made available for digital download on July 31 ...

" –

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

{{small, (#2) * " I Don't Fuck with You" –

Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. Anderson began his music career in 2007 and gained popularity in 2010 with his third mixtape '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big''. He then s ...

feat. E-40 {{small, (#11 in 2014, #12 in 2015) * " I Don't Mind" –

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...

feat. Juicy J {{small, (#11) * " I Want You to Know" – Zedd feat. Selena Gomez {{small, (#17) * " I'll Show You" –

{{small, (#19) * " I'm Not the Only One" –

{{small, (#5) * " In the Night" – The Weeknd {{small, (#20) * "

Jealous Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust. ...

" – Nick Jonas {{small, (#7) * " Jumpman" – Drake and

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...

{{small, (#14) * " Lay Me Down" – Sam Smith {{small, (#8) * "

Lean On "Lean On" is a song recorded by American electronic dance music group Major Lazer and French DJ and record producer DJ Snake featuring vocals from Danish singer MØ. It was released on March 2, 2015, as the lead single from Major Lazer's third ...

" –

Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...

and

DJ Snake William Sami Étienne Grigahcine (born 13 June 1986), known by his stage name DJ Snake, is an Algerian French music producer and DJ, first achieving international recognition in 2013 by releasing an instrumentation-oriented single called " Turn D ...

feat.

MØ Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted Andersen (; born 13 August 1988), known professionally as MØ (), is a Danish singer and songwriter. She signed a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment in 2012, releasing her debut extended play, ''Bikini ...

{{small, (#4) * "

Like I'm Gonna Lose You "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor from her debut major-label studio album ''Title'' (2015), featuring guest vocals from John Legend. Trainor wrote the song with Justin Weaver and Caitlyn Smith ...

" – Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend {{small, (#8) * " Lips Are Movin" – Meghan Trainor {{small, (#4) * "

Locked Away "Locked Away" is a song by Virgin Islands production duo R. City featuring American singer Adam Levine, the lead singer of pop rock band Maroon 5. The song was released on June 29, 2015, by Kemosabe Records and RCA Records. The song peaked at n ...

" –

R. City R. City (short for Rock City; and formerly Planet VI) is a Virgin Islands musical duo formed in 2003, from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The duo is composed of brothers Theron "Uptown AP" Thomas and Timot ...

feat.

Adam Levine Adam Noah Levine (; born March 18, 1979) is an American singer and songwriter. He serves as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the pop rock band Maroon 5. Levine began his musical career in 1994 with the band Kara's Flowers, of which ...

{{small, (#6) * " Love Me Harder" – Ariana Grande and The Weeknd {{small, (#7) * " Love Me Like You Do" –

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...

{{small, (#3) * " Love Yourself" – Justin Bieber {{small, (#3) * " My Way" – Fetty Wap feat. Monty {{small, (#7) * "

Nasty Freestyle "Nasty Freestyle" is the debut single by American rapper T-Wayne. The song, a freestyle over the beat to Bandit Gang Marco's " Nasty" (2014), became a viral sensation in the spring of 2015; in particular, popular user-generated videos posted to ...

" – T-Wayne {{small, (#9) * "

No Type "No Type" is a hip hop song by American hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd. It was released on September 15, 2014, by EarDrummers Entertainment and Interscope Records, as the second single from their debut studio album ''SremmLife'' (2015). The song was ...

" –

Rae Sremmurd Rae Sremmurd ( ; "Drummers Ear" spelled backwards) is an American hip hop duo originating from Tupelo, Mississippi, formed by two brothers, Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee. In 2013, they signed a record deal with Mike Will Made It's EarDrummers impri ...

{{small, (#16 in 2014, #18 in 2015) * " On My Mind" – Ellie Goulding {{small, (#13) * " One Last Time" – Ariana Grande {{small, (#13) * "

Only Only may refer to: Music Albums * ''Only'' (album), by Tommy Emmanuel, 2000 * ''The Only'', an EP by Dua Lipa, 2017 Songs * "Only" (Anthrax song), 1993 * "Only" (Nine Inch Nails song), 2005 * "Only" (Nicki Minaj song), 2014 * "The Only", by ...

" – Nicki Minaj feat. Drake,

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

and

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...

{{small, (#12 in 2014, #15 in 2015) * " Perfect" – One Direction {{small, (#10) * " Piece by Piece" –

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

{{small, (#8) * "

Photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...

" – Ed Sheeran {{small, (#10) * " Post to Be" – Omarion feat. Chris Brown and

Jhené Aiko Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (; born March 16, 1988) is an American singer who embarked on her music career contributing vocals and appearing in several music videos for R&B group B2K. In an effort to promote Aiko and cultivate a following for he ...

{{small, (#13) * " Renegades" –

X Ambassadors X Ambassadors (also stylized XA) are an American pop rock band from Ithaca, New York. Its members currently include lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris, and drummer Adam Levin. Russ Flynn is a touring member that plays guitar and ...

{{small, (#17) * "

Same Old Love "Same Old Love" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez, who included it on and released it from her second studio album ''Revival (Selena Gomez album), Revival'' (2015). The song was written by Charli XCX, Ross Golan, and its produ ...

" – Selena Gomez {{small, (#6) * " See You Again" –

feat. Charlie Puth {{small, (#1) * "

Shake It Off "Shake It Off" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, ''1989''. Swift wrote the lyrics and composed the melody with producers Max Martin and Shellback. An uptempo dance-pop song featuring a saxop ...

" – Taylor Swift {{small, (#1 in 2014, #5 in 2015) * " She Knows" – Ne-Yo feat. Juicy J {{small, (#19) * " Shut Up and Dance" – Walk the Moon {{small, (#4) * " Somebody" –

Natalie La Rose Natalie Monica La Rose (born 11 July 1988) is a Surinamese–Dutch singer, songwriter and dancer. In 2013, she signed a recording contract with American rapper Flo Rida's International Music Group imprint and Republic Records. Early life La R ...

feat. Jeremih {{small, (#10) * " Sorry" – Justin Bieber {{small, (#2) * " Stay with Me" – Sam Smith {{small, (#2 in 2014, #11 in 2015) * " Stitches" – Shawn Mendes {{small, (#4) * " Style" – Taylor Swift {{small, (#6) * "

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

" – Maroon 5 {{small, (#2) * "

Take Me to Church "Take Me to Church" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier (musician), Hozier. It was released as his debut single on 13 September 2013, originally featuring on his extended play of the same name, before being featured as the opening track ...

" –

Hozier Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (born 17 March 1990), known professionally as Hozier ( ), is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. His music primarily draws from folk, soul and blues, often using religious and literary themes. He had his interna ...

{{small, (#2) * " Take Your Time" – Sam Hunt {{small, (#20) * "

Talking Body "Talking Body" is a song by Swedish singer and songwriter Tove Lo, released to American contemporary hit radio on 13 January 2015 by Republic Records. It served as the second single from her debut studio album, ''Queen of the Clouds'' (2014). It ...

" – Tove Lo {{small, (#12) * " Tennessee Whiskey" –

Chris Stapleton Christopher Alvin Stapleton (born April 15, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in Staffordsville, Kentucky. In 2001, Stapleton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to ...

{{small, (#20) * " The Hanging Tree" –

James Newton Howard James Newton Howard (born June 9, 1951) is an American film composer, music producer and keyboardist. He has scored over 100 films and is the recipient of a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, and nine nominations for Academy Awards. His film scores ...

feat.

Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide to date. She appeared in ''Time''s 100 most influential people i ...

{{small, (#12 in 2014, #13 in 2015) * "

The Heart Wants What It Wants "The Heart Wants What It Wants" is a song by American singer Selena Gomez. It was released on November 6, 2014, through Hollywood Records, as the lead and only single from her compilation album '' For You'' (2014). The song was written by Gome ...

" – Selena Gomez {{small, (#6 in 2014, #13 in 2015) * " The Hills" – The Weeknd {{small, (#1) * " Thinking Out Loud" – Ed Sheeran {{small, (#2) * " Time of Our Lives" –

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

feat. Ne-Yo {{small, (#9) * " Trap Queen" – Fetty Wap {{small, (#2) * "

Truffle Butter Truffle butter is a compound butter made with butter combined with other ingredients, including truffle A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In ...

" – Nicki Minaj feat. Drake and Lil Wayne {{small, (#14) * " Tuesday" – ILoveMakonnen feat. Drake {{small, (#12 in 2014, #15 in 2015) * " Uptown Funk" –

feat. Bruno Mars {{small, (#1) * " Want to Want Me" –

Jason Derulo Jason Joel Desrouleaux (born September 21, 1989), known professionally as Jason Derulo (; formerly stylized as Derülo), is an American singer and songwriter.

{{small, (#5) * " Wasted Love" –

Matt McAndrew Matthew Brendan McAndrew (born September 6, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his appearance in Season 7 of NBC's reality TV singing competition ''The Voice'', where he finished as the runner-up as part of team Adam. In Janu ...

{{small, (#14) * " Watch Me" – Silentó {{small, (#3) * "

Waves Waves most often refers to: *Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass. * Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water. Waves may also refer to: Music * Waves (ban ...

" –

Mr. Probz Dennis Princewell Stehr (born May 15, 1984), better known by his stage name Mr. Probz, is a Dutch music producer, singer and singer-songwriter. He became known for the songs ''Drivin, ''Sukkel voor de liefde'', ''Nothing Really Matters (Mr. Pro ...

{{small, (#14 in 2014, #18 in 2015) * " What Do You Mean?" – Justin Bieber {{small, (#1) * " Where Are U Now" – Skrillex and

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...

feat. Justin Bieber {{small, (#8) * " Wildest Dreams" – Taylor Swift {{small, (#5) * " Worth It" – Fifth Harmony feat. Kid Ink {{small, (#12) * "

You Know You Like It "You Know You Like It" is a song by English electronic music duo AlunaGeorge from their debut studio album, '' Body Music'' (2013). The track was released in the United Kingdom on 20 April 2012 as the album's lead single. The song peaked at numbe ...

" – DJ Snake and AlunaGeorge {{small, (#13)

Deaths

{{Div col, colwidth=30em * January 1 – Jeff Golub, 59, jazz guitarist * January 2 –

Little Jimmy Dickens James Cecil Dickens (December 19, 1920 – January 2, 2015), better known by his stage name Little Jimmy Dickens, was an American country music singer and songwriter famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size (4'11" 50 cm, and h ...

, 94, country singer * January 4 – Lance Diamond, 72, singer * January 8 **

Andraé Crouch Andraé Edward Crouch (July 1, 1942 – January 8, 2015) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. Referred to as "the father of modern gospel music" by contemporary Christian and gospel music profess ...

, 72, gospel singer-songwriter and producer ** Curtis Lee, 75, singer-songwriter * January 10 **

Tim Drummond Timothy Lee Drummond (20 April 1940 – 10 January 2015) was an American musician from Canton, Illinois. Drummond's primary instrument was bass guitar and he toured and recorded with many notable artists, including Conway Twitty, Bob Dylan, James ...

, 75, rock bass player and songwriter ** George Probert, 87, jazz saxophonist and clarinet player ( Firehouse Five Plus Two) * January 12 **

Frank Glazer Frank Glazer (February 19, 1915 – January 13, 2015) was an American pianist, composer, and teacher of music. Career details Glazer was born in Chester, Wisconsin on February 19, 1915, the sixth child of Benjamin and Clara Glazer, Jewish emig ...

, 99, pianist and composer **

A. J. Masters Arthur John Masaracchia (December 20, 1950 – January 12, 2015), better known as A. J. Masters, was an American country music singer. He charted eight singles on the Hot Country Songs chart, between 1985 and 1987. He also wrote songs for John B ...

, 64, singer-songwriter and guitarist * January 15 **

Ervin Drake Ervin Drake (born Ervin Maurice Druckman; April 3, 1919 – January 15, 2015) was an American songwriter whose works include such American Songbook standards as "I Believe (1953 song), I Believe" and "It Was a Very Good Year". He wrote in a variet ...

, 95, songwriter **

Kim Fowley Kim Vincent Fowley (July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015) was the American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed The Runaways in the 1970s. He has been ...

, 75, singer-songwriter, producer, and manager * January 18 ** Cynthia Layne, 51, jazz singer-songwriter ** Dallas Taylor, 66, rock drummer ( Manassas,

Clear Light Clear Light was an American psychedelic rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1966. The group released one studio album, ''Clear Light''. It had moderate national success before the group disbanded. History In 1966, The Brain Tr ...

) * January 19 ** John Bilezikjian, 66, oud player **

Ward Swingle Ward Lamar Swingle (September 21, 1927 – January 19, 2015) was an American vocalist and jazz musician who founded The Swingle Singers in France in 1962. Life and career Born in Mobile, Alabama, Swingle studied music, particularly jazz, from a ...

, 87, jazz singer (

Les Double Six Les Double Six (also known as the Double Six of Paris) was a French vocal jazz group established in 1959 by Mimi Perrin. The group established an international reputation in the early 1960s. The name of the group was an allusion to the fact that the ...

) * January 20 – Rose Marie McCoy, 92, songwriter * January 27 –

Neil Levang Neil is a masculine name of Gaelic and Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. ...

, 83, guitarist and banjo player * January 29 –

Rod McKuen Rodney Marvin McKuen (; April 29, 1933 – January 29, 2015) was an American poet, singer-songwriter, and actor. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range ...

, 81, singer-songwriter * January 31 –

Don Covay Donald James Randolph (March 24, 1936 – January 31, 2015), better known by the stage name Don Covay, was an American R&B, rock and roll, and soul singer-songwriter most active from the 1950s to the 1970s. His most successful recordings incl ...

, 76, singer-songwriter * February 1 –

Anita Darian Anita Darian (April 26, 1927 – February 1, 2015) was an American singer and actress who had an extensive career from the 1950s to the 2010s. A soprano, Darian performed roles with the New York City Opera and was a featured soloist with the New ...

, 87, soprano * February 2 ** Joseph Alfidi, 65, pianist, composer, and conductor ** The Jacka, 37, rapper ( Mob Figaz) **

Zane Musa Zane Musa (January 1, 1979 – February 2, 2015) is an Alto/Soprano/Tenor saxophonist and vocalist, most widely known for his command of the saxophone. Zane Musa was raised in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles but his work is known worldwide. ...

, 36, saxophonist * February 3 ** Mary Healy, 96, variety entertainer, singer, and actress **

William Thomas McKinley William Thomas McKinley (December 9, 1938 – February 3, 2015) was an American composer and jazz pianist born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania). He wrote more than 300 musical compositions in what he called a neo-tonal style, of which Margalit Fo ...

, 76, pianist and composer * February 7 –

Joe B. Mauldin Joseph Benson Mauldin, Jr. (July 8, 1940 – February 7, 2015) was an American bass player, songwriter, and audio engineer who was best known as the bassist for the early rock and roll group the Crickets. Mauldin initially played a double (stand ...

, 74, bass player ( The Crickets) * February 8 – Keith Knudsen, 56, singer-songwriter and drummer * February 9 –

Marvin David Levy Marvin David Levy (August 2, 1932 – February 9, 2015) was an American composer, best known for his opera ''Mourning Becomes Electra''. ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' was given its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in 1967. Although deemed ...

, 82, composer * February 12 ** Sam Andrew, 73, singer-songwriter and guitarist (

Big Brother and the Holding Company Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After some in ...

) **

John-Edward Kelly John-Edward Kelly (October 7, 1958 – February 12, 2015) was an American conductor and saxophonist. Born in Fairfield, California, Kelly began music studies in Belleville, Illinois studying clarinet, saxophone, flute and voice. Kelly focused o ...

, 56, saxophonist and conductor **

Mosie Lister Thomas Mosie Lister (September 8, 1921 – February 12, 2015) was an American singer and Baptist minister. He was best known for writing the Gospel songs "Where No One Stands Alone", "Till the Storm Passes By", "Then I Met the Master" and "How ...

, 93, singer-songwriter ( The Statesmen Quartet) **

Richie Pratt Richie Pratt (born Richard Dean Tyree; March 11, 1943 – February 12, 2015) was an American jazz drummer. He embarked upon a career as a professional musician on the New York scene in the early 1970s, it was as much due to an unanticipated sporti ...

, 71, jazz drummer and composer * February 14 – Hulon, 58, jazz saxophonist * February 16 –

Lesley Gore Lesley Sue Goldstein (May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015), known professionally as Lesley Gore, was an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. At the age of 16, she recorded the pop music, pop hit "It's My Party (Lesley Gore song), I ...

, 68, singer-songwriter * February 18 –

Dave Cloud David Bliss Cloud (August 3, 1956 – February 18, 2015) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, storyteller and occasional actor. Cloud was known foremost for his amusing earthy concert performances and garage rock recordings with his ba ...

, 58, singer-songwriter * February 21 –

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duke ...

, 94, jazz trumpeter and composer * February 23 – Ron Edgar, 68, drummer ( The Music Machine) * February 24 –

Robert Belfour Robert "Wolfman" Belfour (September 11, 1940 – February 24, 2015) was an American blues musician. He was born in Red Banks, Mississippi. When he was a child, his father, Grant Belfour, taught him to play the guitar, and he continued his tut ...

, 74, blues singer-songwriter and guitarist * February 27 –

Tod Dockstader Tod Dockstader (March 20, 1932 – February 27, 2015) was an American electronic music composer and sound designer. He is particularly regarded as one of the first American ''musique concrète'' composers. Biography Dockstader was born in Saint ...

, 82, composer * February 28 – Ezra Laderman, 90, classical composer * March 1 – Orrin Keepnews, 91, record producer, co-founded

Riverside Records Riverside Records was an American jazz record company and label. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, Jr, under his firm Bill Grauer Productions in 1953, the label played an important role in the jazz record industry for a decade. Riverside ...

* March 8 – Lew Soloff, 71, trumpet player and composer ( Blood, Sweat & Tears and

Mingus Big Band The Mingus Big Band is a 14-piece ensemble, based in New York City, that specializes in the compositions of Charles Mingus. It was managed by his widow, Sue Mingus, along with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. In addition to its weekly Monda ...

) * March 9 ** Jerry Brightman, 61, guitarist ( The Buckaroos) **

Wayne Kemp Wayne Kemp (June 11, 1940 – March 9, 2015) was an American country music singer-songwriter. He recorded between 1964 and 1986 for JAB Records, Decca, MCA, United Artists, Mercury and Door Knob Records, and charted twenty-four singles on the Ho ...

, 73, country singer and guitarist * March 11 –

Jimmy Greenspoon James Boyd Greenspoon (February 7, 1948 – March 11, 2015) was an American keyboard player and composer, best known as a member of the band Three Dog Night. Early life and education Greenspoon was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in ...

, 67, singer-songwriter and keyboard player ( Three Dog Night) * March 15 – Mike Porcaro, 59, rock bass player ( Toto) * March 16 **

Bruce Crump Bruce Hull Crump, Jr. (July 17, 1957 – March 16, 2015) was the drummer with the rock band Molly Hatchet from 1976 to 1982 (including their 1980 hit song "Flirtin' with Disaster" ) and 1984 to 1991. He also played as a member of the Canadian ban ...

, 57, rock drummer ( Molly Hatchet and Gator Country) ** Don Robertson, 92, pianist and songwriter * March 18 –

Samuel Charters Samuel Barclay Charters IV (August 1, 1929 – March 18, 2015) was an American music historian, writer, record producer, musician, and poet. He was a widely published author on the subjects of blues and jazz. He also wrote fiction. Overview Cha ...

, 85, record producer * March 19 – Michael Brown, 65, keyboard player and songwriter ( The Left Banke) * March 20 **

Paul Jeffrey Paul Jeffrey (April 8, 1933 – March 20, 2015) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, arranger, and educator. He was a member of Thelonious Monk's regular group from 1970–1975, and also worked extensively with other musicians such as Charles ...

, 81, jazz saxophonist **

A. J. Pero Anthony Jude Pero (October 14, 1959 – March 20, 2015) was an American drummer, in American heavy metal bands Twisted Sister and Adrenaline Mob. Biography Pero went to St. Peter's Boys High School in Staten Island but left because the faculty ...

, 55, rock drummer (

Twisted Sister Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band originally from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York. Their best-known songs include " We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with m ...

and Adrenaline Mob) * March 21 –

Miriam Bienstock Miriam Bienstock (''née'' Kahan, later Abramson, January 4, 1923 – March 21, 2015) was an American record company executive who was influential in the early days of Atlantic Records, becoming the company's vice president in 1958. She later ...

, 92, record executive * March 22 –

Norman Scribner Norman Orville Scribner (February 25, 1936 – March 22, 2015) was an American conductor, composer, pianist and organist.Aryeh OronNorman Scribner (Conductor, Organ) Bach Cantatas Website, September 2001 (visited Aug. 20, 2010), citing, ''inter ...

, 79, pianist, composer, and conductor * March 24 –

Scott Clendenin Scott Clendenin (January 17, 1968 – March 24, 2015) was an American musician most notable for his time spent in the bands Death and Control Denied, both of which were formed by Chuck Schuldiner. Following Schuldiner's passing, Death disband ...

, 48, bass player (

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

and

Control Denied Control Denied was a progressive metal band formed by death metal musician and Death founder Chuck Schuldiner. History The band started in 1996 as Schuldiner wanted to create a more melodic style than was possible with Death. The project was in ...

) * March 27 ** B.J. Crosby, 63, jazz singer **

Johnny Helms John Newton "Johnny" Helms (February 10, 1935 – March 27, 2015) was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, and music educator from Columbia, South Carolina. He performed with Chris Potter, Tommy Newsom, Bill Watrous, Red Rodney, Woo ...

, 80, jazz trumpet player and bandleader * March 30 –

Preston Ritter Preston James Ritter (April 24, 1949 – March 30, 2015) was an American drummer, drum teacher and author of drum methods. He joined The Electric Prunes in 1966, and played on their debut studio album, ''The Electric Prunes'', and two hit singl ...

, 65, drummer (

The Electric Prunes The Electric Prunes are an American psychedelic rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. Much of the band's music was, as music historian Richie Unterberger described it, possessed of "an eerie and sometimes anguished ambiance." T ...

) * March 31 –

Ralph Sharon Ralph Simon Sharon (September 17, 1923 – March 31, 2015) was a British-American jazz pianist and arranger. He is best known for working with Tony Bennett as his pianist on numerous recordings and live performances. Biography Ralph Sharon was bo ...

, 91, pianist, composer, and conductor * April 1 – Billy Butler, 69, soul singer-songwriter and guitarist * April 2 –

Doug Sax Doug Lionel Sax (April 26, 1936 – April 2, 2015) was an American mastering engineer from Los Angeles, California. He mastered three of The Doors' albums, including their 1967 debut; six of Pink Floyd's albums, including ''The Wall''; Ray Charles ...

, 78, sound engineer * April 3 – Bob Burns, 64, rock drummer (

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Ju ...

) * April 5 ** Richard LaSalle, 97, pianist and composer **

Julie Wilson Julie May Wilson (October 21, 1924 – April 5, 2015) was an American singer and actress widely regarded as "the queen of cabaret". She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1989 for her performance in ''Leg ...

, 90, singer * April 6 **

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

, 96, singer-songwriter and conductor ** Milton DeLugg, 96, jazz accordion player and composer * April 7 –

Stan Freberg Stan Freberg (born Stanley Friberg; August 7, 1926 – April 7, 2015) was an American actor, author, comedian, musician, radio personality, puppeteer and advertising creative director. His best-known works include " St. George and the Dragonet ...

, 88, recording artist * April 9 –

Tut Taylor Robert Arthur "Tut" Taylor Sr. (November 20, 1923 – April 9, 2015) was an American bluegrass musician. Taylor played banjo and mandolin as a child, and began playing dobro at age 14, learning to use the instrument with a distinctive flat-pick ...

, 91, bluegrass guitarist ( Dixie Gentlemen) * April 10 –

Keith McCormack Keith McCormack (October 19, 1940 – April 10, 2015) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter. McCormack was born in Dalhart, Texas, but was raised in Plainview. He sang and played guitar for the Patio Kids, the Rock 'n' Rollers, the ...

, 74, singer-songwriter and guitarist * April 14 – Percy Sledge, 74, singer * April 15 –

Billy Ray Hearn Billy Ray Hearn (April 26, 1929April 15, 2015) was the founder and chairman of the Capitol Christian Music Group (formerly EMI Christian Music Group) the world's largest Christian music label.McNeil, W. K. Encyclopedia of American gospel music.' ...

, 85, record executive, founded Sparrow Records and

Myrrh Records __NOTOC__ Myrrh Records (also known as Myrrh Worship) was an American Christian music record label. According to ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music'', the label was instrumental in developing a popular following for contemporary Christian ...

* April 16 –

Johnny Kemp Jonathan "Johnny" Kemp (August 2, 1959 – April 16, 2015) was a Bahamian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a songwriter in late 1979 and is perhaps best known for his solo work, including his single " Just Got Pai ...

, 55, singer * April 19 –

Bernard Stollman Bernard Stollman (July 19, 1929 – April 19, 2015) was an American lawyer and the founder of the ESP-Disk record label. Biography He was born to a Jewish family in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and grew up in Plattsburgh, upstate New York, where ...

, 85, record executive, founded

ESP-Disk ESP-Disk is a New York-based record company and label founded in 1963 by lawyer Bernard Stollman. History Though it originally existed to release Esperanto-based music, beginning with its second release (Albert Ayler's ''Spiritual Unity''), ESP b ...

* April 21 – Wally Lester, 73, singer (

The Skyliners The Skyliners are an American doo-wop group from Pittsburgh. The original lineup was: Jimmy Beaumont (lead), Janet Vogel (soprano), Wally Lester (tenor), Jackie Taylor (bass voice, guitarist), Joe Verscharen (baritone). The Skyliners were best ...

) * April 24 –

Sid Tepper Sid Tepper (June 25, 1918 – April 24, 2015) was an American songwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 son ...

, 96, songwriter * April 27 **

Jack Ely Jack Brown Ely (September 11, 1943 – April 28, 2015) was an American guitarist and singer, best known for singing the Kingsmen's version of "Louie Louie". Classically trained in piano, he began playing guitar after seeing Elvis Presley on tel ...

, 71, singer and guitarist (

The Kingsmen The Kingsmen are a 1960s rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of R&B singer Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the No. 2 spot on the ''Billboard'' charts for six weeks and ha ...

) **

Marty Napoleon Marty Napoleon (June 2, 1921 – April 27, 2015) was an American jazz pianist. He replaced Earl Hines in Louis Armstrong's All Stars band in 1952. In 1946 he worked with Gene Krupa and went on to work with his uncle Phil Napoleon, a trumpeter, in ...

, 93, jazz pianist * April 30 – Ben E. King, 76, singer-songwriter and producer (

The Drifters The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/Soul music, soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, f ...

) * May 1 –

Grace Lee Whitney Grace Lee Whitney (born Mary Ann Chase; April 1, 1930 – May 1, 2015) was an American actress and singer. She played Janice Rand on the original ''Star Trek'' television series and subsequent ''Star Trek'' films. Early life Whitney was born on ...

, 85, singer * May 2 –

Guy Carawan Guy Hughes Carawan Jr. (July 28, 1927 – May 2, 2015) was an American folk music, folk musician and musicology, musicologist. He served as music director and song leader for the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tenn ...

, 87, singer and musicologist * May 5 –

Craig Gruber Craig M. Gruber (June 15, 1951 – May 5, 2015) was an American rock bassist, best known as the original bassist in Rainbow. He also played in Elf, consisting of vocalist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Mickey Lee Soule, drummer Gary Driscoll and gu ...

, 63, bass player ( Rainbow, Elf,

Bible Black is an eroge video game developed by ActiveSoft and published on July 14, 2000. Sei Shoujo is the original creator of the game's artwork, character design and penned the original script for the game. Milky Studio has since adapted the ga ...

, and Raven Lord) * May 6 –

Jerome Cooper Jerome Douglas Cooper (December 14, 1946 – May 6, 2015) was an American free jazz musician. In addition to trap drums, Cooper played balafon, chirimia and various electronic instruments, and referred to himself as a "multi-dimensional drummer," ...

, 68, jazz drummer * May 9 – Johnny Gimble, 88, singer-songwriter and fiddler * May 10 –

Victor Salvi Victor Salvi (\ˈvik-tər\ \ˈsal-vē \); (March 4, 1920 – May 10, 2015) was an American-born harpist, harp maker, and entrepreneur. Salvi, who has been called "harpmaker of the world", was of Italian descent. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he ...

, 95, classical harpist * May 11 –

Stan Cornyn Carl Stanley Cornyn (July 8, 1933 – May 11, 2015) was an American record label executive and the author of ''Exploding: The Highs, Hits, Hype, Heroes, and Hustlers of the Warner Music Group'' (). He also wrote three privately published family ge ...

, 81, record executive * May 12 –

Bobby Jameson Robert Parker Jameson (April 20, 1945 – May 12, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter who was briefly promoted as a major star in the early 1960s and later attracted a cult following with his 1965 album ''Songs of Protest and Anti-Protest (alb ...

, 70, singer-songwriter * May 13 – Robert Drasnin, 87, clarinet player and composer * May 14 –

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...

, 89, blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer * May 15 – Ortheia Barnes, 70, singer * May 17 **

Chinx Lionel Du Fon Pickens (December 4, 1983 – May 17, 2015), better known by his stage name Chinx (formerly Chinx Drugz), was an American rapper. He was a member of The Rockaway Riot Squad alongside fellow slain rapper Stack Bundles. Chinx later joi ...

, 31, rapper **

Tranquility Bass Tranquility Bass was the stage name of Michael Adam Kandel (1967/1968 – May 17, 2015), an American musician whose music has been variously categorized as ambient house, trip hop, and funk rock. He released various singles during the 1990s, follow ...

, 47, rapper * May 18 –

Elbert West Elbert Lee West (July 22, 1967 – May 18, 2015) was an American country music artist. Initially a session songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, West saw his first chart success in the 1990s as a co-writer on singles for country singer Tracy Lawre ...

, 47, country singer-songwriter * May 19 –

Bruce Lundvall Bruce Lundvall (September 13, 1935 – May 19, 2015) was an American record company executive, best known for his period as the President and CEO of the Blue Note Label Group, reporting directly to Eric Nicoli, the Chief Executive Officer of EMI ...

, 79, record executive * May 20 –

Bob Belden James Robert Belden (October 31, 1956 – May 20, 2015) was an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, bandleader, and producer. As a composer he may be best known for his Grammy Award winning orchestral jazz recording, ''Black Dahlia'' (2001) ...

, 58, saxophonist, composer, conductor, and producer * May 21 – Louis Johnson, 60, bass player ( The Brothers Johnson) * May 24 –

Marcus Belgrave Marcus Batista Belgrave (June 12, 1936 – May 24, 2015) was an American jazz trumpet player from Detroit, born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He recorded with numerous musicians from the 1950s onwards. Belgrave was inducted into the class of 2017 ...

, 78, jazz trumpet player * May 26 **

Rocky Frisco Don Roscoe Joseph III (July 26, 1937 – May 26, 2015), professionally known as Rocky Frisco and Rocky Curtiss, was an American musician. He was best known as the longtime pianist for J. J. Cale, and for his role in the development of the music s ...

, 77, pianist ** Art Thieme, 73, folk singer * May 28 –

Steven Gerber Steven Roy Gerber (September 28, 1948, Washington, D. C. – May 28, 2015, New York City) was an American composer of classical music. He attended Haverford College, graduating in 1969 at the age of twenty. He then attended Princeton University w ...

, 66, composer * May 30 – Jim Bailey, 77, singer * May 31 **

Nico Castel Nico Castel (August 1, 1931 – May 31, 2015), born Naftali Chaim Castel Kalinhoff, was a comprimario tenor and well-known language and diction coach, as well as a prolific translator of libretti and writer of books on singing diction. Although Cas ...

, 83, tenor **

Will Holt Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

, 86, singer-songwriter **

Slim Richey David Michael Richey (February 11, 1938 – May 31, 2015), known professionally as Slim Richey, was an American jazz guitarist, fiddle player, bandleader, and publisher. Early life Richey was born in Atlanta, Texas, and became a jazz enthusias ...

, 77, jazz guitarist and fiddler * June 1 – Jean Ritchie, 92, folk singer-songwriter * June 6 – Ronnie Gilbert, 88, folk singer-songwriter ( The Weavers) * June 8 – Paul Bacon, 91, jazz musician * June 9 – Pumpkinhead, 39, rapper * June 11 ** Jim Ed Brown, 81, country singer-songwriter ( The Browns) **

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...

85, jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpet player, and composer * June 12 – Monica Lewis, 93, singer * June 13 ** Buddy Boudreaux, 97, jazz saxophonist and clarinet player **

Big Time Sarah Sarah Streeter (January 31, 1953 – June 13, 2015), better known by her stage name Big Time Sarah, was an American blues singer. Biography She was born in Coldwater, Mississippi, and raised in Chicago, where she sang in gospel choirs in South ...

, 62, blues singer * June 16 – Mighty Sam McClain, 72, singer-songwriter * June 19 – Harold Battiste, 83, saxophonist, pianist, and composer * June 21 – Gunther Schuller, 89, horn player, composer, and conductor * June 22 **

Joseph de Pasquale Joseph de Pasquale (October 14, 1919 – June 22, 2015) was an American violist. Career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Joseph de Pasquale was a student of Louis Bailly, Max Aronoff and William Primrose at the Curtis Institute of Music. He ...

, 95, viola player ** James Horner, 61, composer and conductor * June 27 – Chris Squire, 67, singer-songwriter and bass player (

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...

Conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...

, The Syn, and XYZ) * July 1 –

Red Lane Red Lane, born Hollis Rudolph DeLaughter with surname pronounced ''Dee-LAW-ter'' (February 9, 1939 – July 1, 2015), was an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist who was a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1993) ...

, 76, country singer-songwriter * July 2 –

Roy C. Bennett Roy C. Bennett (August 12, 1918 – July 2, 2015) was an American songwriter known for the songs he wrote with Sid Tepper, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs. Biograp ...

, 96, songwriter * July 6 **

Julio Angel Julio is the Spanish equivalent of the month July and may refer to: *Julio (given name) *Julio (surname) *Júlio de Castilhos, a municipality of the western part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * ''Julio'' (album), a 1983 compilation albu ...

, 69, singer ** Camille Bob, 77, singer and drummer * July 8 –

Ernie Maresca Ernest Peter Maresca (August 21, 1938 – July 8, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter and record company executive, best known for writing or co-writing some of Dion's biggest hits, including "Runaround Sue" and " The Wanderer". Biogr ...

, 76, singer-songwriter and producer ( The Regents) * July 9 – Michael Masser, 74, songwriter and producer * July 10 **

Hussein Fatal Bruce Edward Washington Jr. (April 3, 1973July 10, 2015), better known by his stage name Hussein Fatal or sometimes as Fatal Hussein, was an American rapper, best known for his collaborative work with Tupac Shakur as a member of the rap group Ou ...

, 38, rapper ( Outlawz) ** Jon Vickers, 88, opera singer * July 11 – Joey Robinson, Jr., 53, Sugar Hill Records executive (

West Street Mob West Street Mob were an American boogie and electro music trio, active between 1981 and 1984, best known for their 1983 song "Break Dance — Electric Boogie." The band comprised Joey Robinson, Jr., Warren Moore and singer Sabrina Gillison. H ...

) * July 13 –

Arthur G. Wright Arthur George Wright (May 28, 1937 – July 4, 2015) was an American R&B session guitarist, arranger, record producer and vocalist, sometimes credited as Art Wright. He learned guitar as a child in Los Angeles, and started working with bands ...

, 78, soul guitarist * July 14 –

Dave Somerville David Troy Somerville (October 2, 1933 – July 14, 2015) was a Canadian singer operating primarily in the United States, best known as the co-founder, and original lead singer, of The Diamonds, one of the most popular vocal groups of the 195 ...

, 81, singer ( The Diamonds) * July 15 ** Alan Curtis, 80, harpsichord player and conductor ** Howard Rumsey, 97, jazz bassist * July 18 – Buddy Buie, 74, songwriter and producer * July 19 ** Van Alexander, 100, composer and bandleader **

Carmino Ravosa Carmino Ravosa (January 29, 1930 – July 19, 2015) was an American composer and lyricist, singer, pianist, as well as a producer, director, and musical historian. Ravosa, who wrote music for children for decades, was one of the most popular so ...

, 85, pianist and composer * July 20 – Wayne Carson, 72, singer-songwriter and producer * July 21 **

Mitch Aliotta Mitchell A. "Mitch" Aliotta (May 30, 1944 – July 22, 2015) was an American vocalist and bassist, who was involved in the psychedelic soul movement in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Aliotta played bass guitar in Rotary Connection, and later for ...

, 71, bass player ( Rotary Connection and Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah) ** Theodore Bikel, 91, folk singer-songwriter ** Paul Freeman, 79, conductor **Justin Lowe, 32, metal guitarist ( After the Burial) * July 22 ** Don Joyce, 71, singer ( Negativland) **

Daron Norwood Daron Jay Norwood (September 30, 1965 – July 22, 2015) was an American country music singer. He released two albums for Giant Records and charted six times on Hot Country Songs. Musical career Signed to Giant Records in 1993, he released two a ...

, 49, country singer-songwriter * July 26 **

Bobbi Kristina Brown Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown (March 4, 1993 – July 26, 2015) was an American reality television personality. She was the daughter and only child of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Her parents' fame kept Brown in the public eye, a ...

, 22, singer ** Vic Firth, 85, drummer * July 27 – Rickey Grundy, 56, gospel singer-songwriter * July 29 –

Buddy Emmons Buddy Gene Emmons (January 27, 1937 – July 21, 2015) was an American musician who is widely regarded as the world's foremost pedal steel guitarist of his day. He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1981. Affectionately known by ...

, 78, guitarist * July 30 –

Lynn Anderson Lynn Renée Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) was an American country singer and television personality. Her crossover signature recording, "Rose Garden," was a number one hit in the United States and internationally. She charte ...

, 67, country singer * July 31 – Pamela Brandt, 68, country-rock bassist, singer and songwriter (

The Deadly Nightshade The Deadly Nightshade is a New England-based rock and country trio consisting of members Anne Bowen, Pamela Brandt, and Helen Hooke, who originally began performing under the name Ariel in 1967, along with Gretchen Pfeifer and Beverly Rodgers. It ...

) * August 2 – J. Durward Morsch, 94, trombonist and composer * August 4 –

Billy Sherrill Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger best known for his association with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Gle ...

, 78, songwriter and producer * August 5 –

Raphy Leavitt Raphy Leavitt (September 17, 1948 – August 5, 2015) was a Puerto Rican composer and founder of the salsa orchestra, La Selecta. Early years Rafael Angel Leavitt Rey, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was the second of four siblings in his family ...

, 66, composer and conductor * August 8 – Sean Price, 43, rapper ( Boot Camp Clik and Heltah Skeltah) * August 11 –

Eddie Cusic Eddie Cusic (January 4, 1926 – August 11, 2015) was an American Mississippi blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His small body of recorded works includes some erroneously credited to "Eddie Quesie" and "Eddie Cusie". Cusic had musical con ...

, 89, blues singer-songwriter and guitarist * August 13 –

Harold Ousley Harold Lomax Ousley (January 23, 1929 – August 13, 2015) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flautist. Background Born in Chicago, Ousley began playing in the late-1940s and 1950s. He accompanied Billie Holiday and recorded with Dinah ...

, 86, saxophonist and flute player * August 14 – Bob Johnston, 83 record producer * August 15 –

Danny Sembello Daniel Sembello (January 15, 1963 – August 15, 2015) was an American songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He produced recordings by artists including George Benson and Pebbles, and he had his compositions recorded by Chaka K ...

, 52, songwriter and producer * August 27 –

George Cleve George Wolfgang Cleve (July 9, 1936 – August 27, 2015) was an Austrian-born American conductor. He was best known for his interpretation of Mozart. Life Born in Vienna, the son of Felix Cleve (born Feb. 8th, 1890 in Vienna) and the former ...

, 79, conductor * September 1 –

Boomer Castleman Owens "Boomer" Castleman (July 18, 1945 – September 1, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Career as musician He was born and raised in Farmers Branch, Texas, United States. Castleman first started playing professionally at ...

, 70, singer-songwriter and guitarist * September 2 –

Brianna Lea Pruett Brianna Lea Pruett (January 18, 1983 – September 2, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, painter, poet and filmmaker. Early life and family Brianna Lea Pruett was born in Sacramento, California. Her family lived at a Northern Ca ...

, 32, singer-songwriter * September 5 – Frederick "Dennis" Greene, 66, singer ( Sha Na Na) * September 7 –

Susan Allen Susan Allen (born March 27, 1963) is an American politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 62B, a southside district encompa ...

, 64, harp player * September 13 –

Gary Richrath Gary Dean Richrath (October 18, 1949 – September 13, 2015) was an American guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist and a songwriter for the band REO Speedwagon from 1970 until 1989. Early life Richrath was born in Peoria, Illinois, on Octob ...

, 65, guitarist and songwriter (

REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon) is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. The ...

) * September 16 – Peggy Jones, 75, guitarist * September 18 – Daniel Kyre, 21, guitarist (Cyndago) * September 21 –

Ben Cauley Ben S. Cauley, Jr. (October 3, 1947 – September 21, 2015) was an American trumpet player, vocalist, songwriter, and founding member of the Stax recording group the Bar-Kays. He was the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that claimed the live ...

, 76, trumpet player and songwriter (

The Bar-Kays The Bar-Kays are an American funk band formed in 1964. The band had dozens of record chart, charting single (music), singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including "Soul Finger" (US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number 17, Hot R&B/Hip ...

) * September 27 ** Wilton Felder, 75, saxophonist and bass player ( The Crusaders) ** Denise Lor, 86, singer * September 28 – Frankie Ford, 76, singer * September 29 ** Benjamin Hutto, 67, conductor ** Phil Woods, 83, saxophonist and composer * October 2 – Willie Akins, 76, jazz saxophonist * October 4 –

Dave Pike David Samuel Pike (March 23, 1938 – October 3, 2015) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. He appeared on many albums by Nick Brignola, Paul Bley and Kenny Clarke, Bill Evans, and Herbie Mann. He also recorded extensively as lea ...

, 77, vibraphone player and composer * October 6 **

Smokey Johnson Joseph "Smokey" Johnson Jr. (November 14, 1936 – October 6, 2015) was an American drummer. He was one of the musicians, session players, and songwriters who served as the backbone for New Orleans' output of jazz, funk, blues, soul, and R ...

, 78, drummer ** Billy Joe Royal, 73, pop and country singer * October 9 **

Koopsta Knicca Robert Cooper Phillips (April 27, 1975 – October 9, 2015), better known by his stage name Koopsta Knicca, was an American rapper. He was best known as one of the members of the Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia, as well as a member of the rap co ...

, 40, rapper (

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...

) ** Larry Rosen, 75, jazz producer * October 10 ** Steve Mackay, 66, saxophonist (

The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...

) **

Robbin Thompson Robert Wickens "Robbin" Thompson (June 16, 1949 – October 10, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter based in Richmond, Virginia. Since 1976 he recorded several albums which included guest appearances by Melissa Manchester, Steve Cropper, ...

, 66, singer-songwriter (

Steel Mill A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-finish ...

) * October 11 –

Smokin' Joe Kubek Smokin' Joe Kubek (November 30, 1956 – October 11, 2015) was an American Texas blues electric guitarist, songwriter and performer. Biography Born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, Kubek grew up in the Dallas, Texas area. In the 1970s during his tee ...

, 58, guitarist and songwriter * October 13 –

Skatemaster Tate Gerry Hurtado (September 9, 1959 – October 13, 2015), known professionally as Skatemaster Tate, was an American musician and former television show host. Biography Tate was born Gerry Hurtado in Los Angeles, California to his father Jorge, a lo ...

, 56, singer and producer * October 16 –

John Jennings John Jennings may refer to: Politicians * John Jenyns (1660–1717), MP * John Jennings (Burton MP) (1903–1990), British Conservative Party politician * John Jennings (American politician) (1880–1956), U.S. Representative from Tennessee, 1939 ...

, 61, guitarist and producer * October 18 – Frank Watkins, 47, bass player ( Gorgoroth and

Obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...

) * October 20 – Cory Wells, 74, singer ( Three Dog Night) * October 22 – Mark Murphy, 83, singer-songwriter * October 23 –

Leon Bibb Leon Bibb (born October 5, 1944 in Butler, Alabama) is an American news anchor and commentator for WKYC in Cleveland, Ohio, and was a member of the BGSU Board of Trustees. Leon Bibb was the first African American primetime news anchor in Ohio. ...

, 93, folk singer * October 25 –

Lee Shaw Lee Shaw (June 25, 1926 – October 25, 2015), was an American jazz pianist and composer. Born Londa Lee Moore in Cushing, Oklahoma, but raised in Ada, Shaw would listen to the radio then play on the piano the songs she heard, as well as learn son ...

, 89, pianist and composer * October 26 – David Rodriguez, 63, singer-songwriter * October 27 – Herbie Goins, 76, R&B singer (

Blues Incorporated Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, or simply Blues Incorporated, were an English blues band formed in London in 1961, led by Alexis Korner and including at various times Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Terry Cox, Davy Graham, Ginger Baker, Art Woo ...

) * November 2 **

Tommy Overstreet Thomas Cary Overstreet (September 10, 1937 – November 2, 2015) was an American country music singer. Often referred to as "T.O." by fans and radio disc jockeys, Overstreet had five top-five hit single, hit single (music), singles in the ''Bill ...

, 78, country singer-songwriter and guitarist **

David Stock David Frederick Stock (June 3, 1939 – November 2, 2015) was an American composer and conductor. Stock was a longtime resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he served as a professor of composition and as the conductor of the Contemporary En ...

, 76, composer and conductor * November 6 –

Chuck Pyle Chuck Pyle (January 28, 1945 – November 6, 2015) also known as the "Zen Cowboy" was an American country-folk singer-songwriter and guitarist whose career spanned more than 40 years, during which he recorded 13 albums. Early years Chuck Pyle w ...

, 70, country-folk singer-songwriter * November 7 –

Eddie Hoh Edward Hoh (October 16, 1944 – November 7, 2015) was an American rock drummer who was active in the 1960s. Although primarily a studio session and touring drummer, Hoh exhibited a degree of originality and showmanship that set him apart and se ...

, 71, drummer * November 10 ** Robert Craft, 92 conductor **

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descri ...

, 77, singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer * November 15 –

P. F. Sloan Philip Gary "Flip" Sloan (born Philip Gary Schlein; September 18, 1945 – November 15, 2015), known professionally as P. F. Sloan, was an American singer and songwriter. During the mid-1960s, he wrote, performed, and produced many Billboard H ...

, 70, singer-songwriter * November 16 –

Betty Ann Grove Betty Ann Grove (September 9, 1929 – November 13, 2015) was an American actress and singer. Early years Grove was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her mother was "an exhibition ballroom dancer" who performed with Ray Bolger and Jack Haley, a ...

, 86, singer * November 17 ** Al Aarons, 83, trumpet player (

Count Basie Orchestra The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 195 ...

) ** David VanLanding, 51, singer (

Michael Schenker Group The Michael Schenker Group (often abbreviated as MSG) are a guitar-oriented hard rock band, formed in London in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Schenke ...

) * November 18 –

Daniel Ferro Daniel Ferro (born Daniel Eisen, 10 April 1921 – 18 November 2015) was an American bass-baritone and voice teacher. He was known primarily as a teacher whose students have included many prominent opera singers,Blier, Steven (August 2003)"A singer ...

, 94 opera singer * November 21 –

Joseph Silverstein Joseph Harry Silverstein (March 21, 1932 – November 21, 2015) was an American violinist and conductor. Known to family, friends and colleagues as "Joey", Silverstein was born in Detroit. As a youth, Silverstein studied with his father, Bernard ...

, 83, violinist and conductor * November 23 – Cynthia Robinson, 71, trumpet player and singer ( Sly and the Family Stone) * November 26 –

Ronnie Bright Ronald David Bright (October 18, 1938 – November 26, 2015) was an American R&B and doo-wop singer of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He was born in New York City. Biography Bright was the bass vocalist for doo-wop groups the Valentines, the Cad ...

, 77, singer (

The Cadillacs The Cadillacs were an American rock and roll and doo-wop group from Harlem, New York, active from 1953 to 1962. The group was noted for their 1955 hit "Speedo", written by Esther Navarro, which was instrumental in attracting white audiences to ...

and The Coasters) * November 29 – Buddy Moreno, 103, singer * December 1 –

Shirley Gunter Shirley M. Gunter (September 29, 1934 – December 1, 2015)John Eaton John Eaton may refer to: * John Eaton (divine) (born 1575), English divine *John Eaton (pirate) (fl. 1683–1686), English buccaneer *Sir John Craig Eaton (1876–1922), Canadian businessman *John Craig Eaton II (born 1937), Canadian businessman an ...

, 85, composer ** Wally Roker, 78, singer (

The Heartbeats The Heartbeats were a 1950s American doo-wop group best known for their song "A Thousand Miles Away", which charted at No. 53 in the US ''Billboard'' listings in 1957. Career The Heartbeats began as a quartet in early 1953 in Jamaica, Queens a ...

) * December 3 – Scott Weiland, 48, rock singer-songwriter ( Stone Temple Pilots,

, and

The Wondergirls The Wondergirls are a rock supergroup and side project formed in 1999. In its initial, short lived incarnation, the band featured Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray, Ian Astbury of The Cult, Shannon Leto of Thi ...

) * December 8 **

Mattiwilda Dobbs Mattiwilda Dobbs (July 11, 1925 – December 8, 2015) was an American coloratura soprano and was one of the first black singers to enjoy a major international career in opera. She was the first black singer to perform at La Scala in Italy, the f ...

, 90, soprano ** Bonnie Lou, 91, country singer-songwriter **

Gary Marker Gary "Magic" Marker (May 23, 1943 – December 8, 2015) was an American bass guitarist and recording engineer, best known for his involvement in various psychedelic rock bands of the 1960s. A bass player with jazz leanings, who had studied at Ber ...

, 72, bass player (

Rising Sons Rising Sons was an American, Los Angeles, California-based blues rock and folk music band, which was founded in 1965. Their initial career was short-lived, but the group found retrospective fame for launching the careers of singer Taj Mahal and g ...

) * December 9 – Rusty Jones, 73, jazz drummer * December 13 – Luigi Creatore, 92, songwriter and producer * December 14 –

Edmund Lyndeck Edmund Lyndeck (October 4, 1925 – December 14, 2015) was an American actor and musical theatre performer. He is best known for originating the roles of Judge Turpin in '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' and Cinderella’s Fat ...

, 90, singer * December 16 – Snuff Garrett, 77, record producer * December 19 –

Kurt Masur Kurt Masur (18 July 1927 – 19 December 2015) was a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Or ...

, 88, conductor ( New York Philharmonic) * December 21 –

Sam Dockery Samuel Dockery (1929 – December 21, 2015), nicknamed Sure-Footed Sam, was a hard bop pianist and well-respected musician on the Philadelphia jazz scene since the early 1950s.Allmusic Biography See als"A Veteran Piano Man Just Keeps on Playing" ''P ...

, 86, jazz pianist * December 24 – William Guest, 74, R&B singer ( Gladys Knight & the Pips) * December 28 **

Joe Houston Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

, 89, saxophonist **

Lemmy Kilmister Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead singer, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he wa ...

, 70, cancer * December 31 ** Natalie Cole, 65, singer-songwriter **

Marion James Marion Agness James (October 8, 1934 – December 31, 2015) was an American blues singer and songwriter. She was considered Nashville's "Queen of the Blues." Her career spanned sixty years, where she wrote a hit song, "That's My Man". A flamboya ...

, 81, blues singer-songwriter {{div col end

References

{{Reflist, 30em

Notable events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Bands formed

Bands reformed

Bands on hiatus

Bands disbanded

Albums released in 2015

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Top songs on record

''Billboard'' Hot 100 No. 1 Songs

''Billboard'' Hot 100 Top 20 Hits

Deaths

See also

References