2001 in music

January

January 9 – Apple Inc. introduces the iTunes media player.

January 12 – January 21 – Rock in Rio 3 is held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Headlining acts consist of Sting, R.E.M., 'N Sync, Iron Maiden, Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers and a new line-up of Guns N' Roses.

January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band.

January 20 – At the American Music Awards, the Backstreet Boys perform their hit single Larger than Life, during the performance they're surprisingly joined on stage by 'N Sync. It is the only time that the two rival boy bands performed on the same stage together at the same time.

January 26 – A crowd crush occurs during the a set by Limp Bizkit at the Sydney Big Day Out music festival. Jessica Michalik is killed and the band subsequently leaves the country after threats to their safety.

February

February 1 – CFXJ (Flow 93.5), Canada's first urban music station, goes to air for the first time as a testing signal (its official debut is on March 1.) This is considered a breakthrough for Canadian hip hop and R&B musicians.

Jennifer Lopez becomes first female and artist to have both a number one album (J.Lo) and a number one movie (The Wedding Planner) in the same week.

February 3 – The song ResuRection by PPK is released.

February 6 – Don Felder is fired from the Eagles. Felder sues the band for wrongful termination, and is countersued by Don Henley and Glenn Frey for breach of contract. The suits are settled out of court.

February 13 – Peter Frampton receives the Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award.

February 17 – Manic Street Preachers become the first western rock band to play in Cuba. (Fidel Castro is in attendance.) They did not tour however, meaning that the unsigned British rock band Sandstone Veterans are the only band from the western world to tour Cuba.

February 18 – James Taylor weds for the third time, marrying Caroline "Kim" Smedvig, director of public relations and marketing for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

February 28 – Courtney Love sues to get out of her contract with Vivendi Universal, on the grounds that music industry contracts are unfairly long compared to those in other industries.

March

March 1 – Collin Raye is awarded the Artist Humanitarian Award from Country Radio Broadcasters. The award was given in recognition of Raye's work on behalf of a number of different charitable organizations including Childhelp USA, USA Weekend's Make A Difference Day and the Native American organization Hecel Oyakapi.

March 8 – Melanie Chisholm announces she does not intend to do any more work with the Spice Girls. Although the group denies it is splitting, it would not be active again until 2007.

March 9

Janet Jackson's single "All for You" breaks several airplay records, becoming the first song to be added to every station in three mainstream radio formats within its first week of release. It was also the highest debut for a single not commercially available in both the United States and France, and the highest debut and largest opening airplay figure on the Radio Songs chart.

Eric Singer replaces Peter Criss as the drummer for Kiss as the band continues its farewell tour in Yokohama, Japan. Singer dons the "Catman" make-up, ending the band's tradition of creating new make-up and personas for replacement members.

March 14 – The Court of Appeals in Rome finds Michael Jackson "not guilty" of plagiarism, reversing a decision made in 1999 by a lower court. Italian songwriter Albano Carrisi had claimed that Jackson's "Will You Be There" was a copy of his song "I Cigni Di Balaka."

March 16 – Sean "Puffy" Combs is acquitted on all charges stemming from a December 1999 nightclub shooting in Manhattan. However, an artist on his Bad Boy Records label, Shyne, is convicted of two counts of assault as well as reckless endangerment and gun possession.

March 24 – John Connolly of Sevendust marries Lori Kirkley.

March 28

Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 replaces Max Bruch's violin concerto at #1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame.

Two super-mega hit albums : Hikaru Utada's Distance and Ayumi Hamasaki's A Best are released on exactly the same date. Their debut week sales are 3,002,720 and 2,874,870, respectively, setting the world's #1 and #2 one-week album sales records.

March 31 – Disgraced couple Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown were thrown out and banned for life from Hollywood's Bel Air Hotel and arrested and jailed after destroying their room. Property that was allegedly damaged included a TV and two doors. According to hotel workers, the walls and carpets were also stained by alcohol. The hotel closed down the room for five days for repairs.

April–May

April 3 – Mariah Carey signs a blockbuster contract with Virgin Records, worth $80 million for four albums.

April 4 – Original Zombies lead singer Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent reunite for a two-part performance at London's Jazz Cafe, the first time the two had performed together in over 30 years.

April 14 – Janet Jackson's "All for You" reaches number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains atop the chart for seven non-consecutive weeks. It becomes the longest reigning hit of the year.

April 15 – The Dutch DJ Tiësto releases his first solo album, In My Memory, on Black Hole Recordings.

April 21 – The first Top Chinese Music Awards ceremony is held.

April 24 – Janet Jackson releases her seventh studio album, All for You. It becomes her fifth consecutive album to open at number one, with sales exceeding 600,000 copies. It receives three Grammy Award nominations, winning for Best Dance Recording.

May 1

Huey Lewis and the News makes a comeback with their album Plan B, their first album of new material in a decade.

The 4th EJCF is held in Basel. The next time was in 2004.

May 12 – Joey Fatone of 'N Sync injures his leg in a trap door during rehearsals for the new tour.

May 15 – Charley Pride's A Tribute to Jim Reeves is the first compact disc to have copy protection, '80s band The Go Go's release their first album in 17 years: God Bless The Go Go's

May 22 – Mötley Crüe publishes their collective autobiography The Dirt.

June

June 2 – Christina Aguilera scores her fourth number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 for "Lady Marmalade" a collaboration with Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink. The video wins the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.

June 5 - Radiohead Releases their 5th studio album, "Amnesiac".

June 9 – Madonna kicks off her first concert tour in 8 years, the Drowned World Tour, in Barcelona, Spain.

June 12 – Blink-182 release their fourth studio album Take Off Your Pants And Jacket which would later sell 14 million copies worldwide. This was the band's second successful album. Electric Light Orchestra release Zoom, their first album in 15 years.

June 15 – Bad Religion drummer Bobby Schayer, who had been with the band since 1991, is forced to give up music after experiencing a "most unfortunate career-ending injury". This leads to his leaving Bad Religion for good; he is replaced by current dummer Brooks Wackerman. By this time, Bad Religion were dropped from Atlantic Records and had returned to their original label Epitaph, and founding guitarist Brett Gurewitz had just rejoined the band after a 7-year hiatus.

June 16 – The Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM airs the 9th Annual of the Weenie Roast show with Blink-182, Coldplay, Crazy Town, The Cult, Disturbed, Jane's Addiction, Linkin Park, The Living End, New Found Glory, Pennywise, Papa Roach, Stabbing Westward, Staind, Stone Temple Pilots, Sum 41 and 311.

June 19 – Gorillaz release their self-titled debut album, Gorillaz (album).

June 24 – Jazz pianist John Hicks marries flautist Elise Wood.

July

July 2

Willy Denzey makes his first appearance at Les Francofolies de La Rochelle.

Napster shuts down its entire network in order to comply with a court injunction ordering it to halt the trading of copyrighted files.

July 7 – Janet Jackson begins her All for You Tour.

July 9 – Backstreet Boys put their Black & Blue summer tour on hold to allow A. J. McLean to enter a rehabilitation facility to deal with alcoholism and depression.

July 10 – Dream Street releases their debut album, Dream Street

July 17–22 – The fourth Yoyo A Go Go punk and indie rock festival opens in Olympia, Washington.

July 19 – Ol' Dirty Bastard is sentenced to 2 to 4 years in prison for drug possession.

July 24 – NSYNC releases their third studio album, Celebrity

July 25 – Mariah Carey checks into a hospital for what a spokesperson terms "extreme exhaustion". Carey had exhibited several incidents of bizarre behavior during the previous week, including performing a strange striptease during an unscheduled visit to MTV's Total Request Live and posting a rambling message on her website in which she wrote, "I don't know what's going on with life".

July 30 - The Strokes release their debut album "Is This It"

August

August 3 – Whitney Houston signs the largest contract in music history with Arista Records, a six-album deal worth over $100 million.

August 6 – Death Row Records founder Suge Knight is released from prison after serving five years of a nine-year sentence for a parole violation.

August 7 – Aaron Carter comes back with his third studio album (second under Jive Records) Oh Aaron.

August 13 – Two weeks before its official release, Spider One of Powerman 5000 pulls Anyone for Doomsday? off the market because it sounds too much like their previous release Tonight the Stars Revolt!. Later he releases the album on their website. Two months later, Al 3 & Dorian 27 leave the band.

August 15 – Wilco signs a buy-out deal with Reprise Records after the label rejects the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album and the band refuses to make any changes. Wilco leaves with the rights to the album in their possession.

August 25 – A Cessna 402 aircraft carrying 9 people, including R&B singer Aaliyah, crashes in the Bahamas, killing all aboard.

September

September 4 – The second studio album from Armenian-American band System of a Down, Toxicity, is released worldwide. After the 9/11 attacks, the single "Chop Suey!" is put on the list of songs deemed inappropriate by Clear Channel.

September 5 – A performance of John Cage's As Slow as Possible on a specially-built organ in Sankt-Burchardi-Church in Halberstadt, Germany, scheduled to last until the year 2640 begins with an 18-month pause.

September 6 – At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, Britney Spears performs her new single I'm a Slave 4 U in a very revealing outfit and featuring a number of exotic animals including a white and live albino Burmese Python on her shoulder, leading to a great deal of criticism from animal rights organisation PETA. Nevertheless, MTV named the performance as the most memorable moment in VMA history.

September 7-10 – The Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special tribute concerts are held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

September 10 – Blink-182 start shooting a video for "Stay Together for the Kids", featuring the band playing in a derelict house. When they try to finish the video the following day, the 9–11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City occur, and the band abandon the attempt and decide to shoot a different video for the song.

September 11 – The September 11 attacks result in the cancellation or postponement of many musical events, due to the halting of many commercial flights and the somber mood of communities around the world. MTV and VH1 suspend regular programming to carry a newsfeed from CBS, and the 2001 Latin Grammy Awards broadcast is canceled. Sting, who had planned to stream a performance in Italy on the Internet, reduces the Webcast to one song, "Fragile". The MuchMusic Video Awards scheduled for September 23 are also canceled. Gerard Way witnesses the attacks and is inspired to start a band, which later becomes My Chemical Romance. Prior to this, The Blueprint, an album by Jay-Z, would be released.

September 14 – Clear Channel Communications issues a controversial memorandum to its radio stations containing a list of 165 songs considered "lyrically questionable" in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. The list includes "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", all songs by Rage Against the Machine and John Lennon's "Imagine".

September 21 – America: A Tribute to Heroes airs uninterrupted on all major networks. The solemn concert, only 10 days after the September 11 attacks, included performances by Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Celine Dion, Neil Young, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews, Faith Hill, Mariah Carey, and others.

September 25 – XM Satellite Radio is launched.

September 29

The First International Accordion Festival begins at La Villita in San Antonio, Texas, celebrating the multicultural traditions of the accordion with artists performing German, Colombian, Irish, Argentinian tango, Cajun-zydeco, Dominican merengue and conjunto-Tejano music.

Jennifer Lopez weds back-up dancer Cris Judd. The marriage would end in June 2002.

October

October 6

Burton C. Bell gets into a fight with his bandmate Dino Cazares about a manager they fired. The event triggers the demise of Fear Factory.

Pop Idol premieres on ITV.

October 9 – The first CD in the Kidz Bop series, consisting of Top 40 hits sung by children, is released.

October 10 – Heavy metal band Anthrax issues a press release in response to the 2001 anthrax attacks jokingly stating that they will be changing the name of the group to "Basket Full of Puppies". It concludes, "we don't want to change the name of the band, not because it would be a pain in the ass, but because we hope that no further negative events will happen and it won't be necessary. We hope and pray that this problem goes away quietly and we all grow old and fat together." The band has reported increased traffic to their website due to Internet users going to anthrax.com looking for information about the disease.

October 12 – Wes Borland leaves Limp Bizkit.

October 16 – Michael Jackson releases special editions of his albums Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad and Dangerous.

October 20

The Concert for New York City airs on VH1, with performances by Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi The Who, Billy Joel and others.

Volunteers For America benefit concert is held in Atlanta, MC was Drew Carey with performances by Edgar Winter Group, Mark Farner, Jack Blades, John Waite, The Knack, Eddie Money, Peter Frampton, Survivor, Kansas, Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and others.

October 21

United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert is held at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., with performances by Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, Mariah Carey, James Brown, Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, and others.

Volunteers For America benefit concert is held at Smirnoff Music Centre in Dallas, Texas, MC was Drew Carey with performances by Edgar Winter Group, Mark Farner, Jack Blades, John Waite, The Knack, Eddie Money, Peter Frampton, Survivor, Kansas, Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Bad Company, and others.

October 23

The Backstreet Boys release their first compilation album The Hits: Chapter One

The first iPod is released by Apple Inc.

Incubus releases their third full-length major label album entitled Morning View. It debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at the #2 spot (266,000 copies were sold in its first week). This was the highest ever placement for Incubus. At the same time, "Wish You Were Here" was at #2 on the Modern Rock Charts, and "Drive" sat at #48 on the Hot 100 chart.

October 25 – Quarashi performs a live concert with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra (the band, Botnleðja also performed) in the Háskólabíó in Reykjavík, Iceland, which is notable for being the first time that a rap act performed a live concert with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. Quarashi perform seven songs from their (at the time) upcoming album, Jinx.

October 30 – Michael Jackson releases Invincible, which debuts at number one.

October 31 – Britney Spears comes back to the music scene with the release of her third studio album Britney

November–December

November 1

The governing body of the UK Singles Chart, Chart Information Network Ltd. (CIN), changes its name to The Official UK Charts Company.

Britney Spears starts her Dream Within a Dream Tour, in support her self-titled third studio album. The tour was accompanied by many extravagant special effect including a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage during the encore. The tour was commercial success, all the venues on the 2001 leg are largely sold out and grossed $43.7 million from 68 show.

November 5 – In the UK, BMG becomes the first major label to release a compact disc with copy protection, Natalie Imbruglia's White Lilies Island. Within two weeks BMG announces they will re-issue the disc without the copy protection, due to complaints from consumers who were unable to play the CDs in their personal computers.

November 6

Britney Spears' third album, Britney debuts at #1, making her the first female artist to have her first three albums enter the US charts at #1.

The soundtrack album of the Nickelodeon movie Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is released.

December 1 – Mike Turner quits Our Lady Peace.

December 4 – Gospel music singer Yolanda Adams releases her eighth studio album Believe.

December 12 – Surviving Nirvana members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl sue Courtney Love in an effort to oust her from the board controlling the management of the band's affairs, calling her "irrational, mercurial, self-centered, unmanageable, inconsistent and unpredictable." The legal battle over the band's legacy has blocked the release of a planned Nirvana box set containing the unreleased track "You Know You're Right".

Also in 2001

Area One music festival brings together a variety of acts including Moby, Incubus, Outkast, New Order, Nelly Furtado, The Roots, Rinocerose, Paul Oakenfold, and Carl Cox.

The Republic of France awards Jean-Yves Thibaudet the honour of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Deporitaz releases Microwave this CD, his second album, on MP3.com.

Sean Beasley joins Dying Fetus.

Bands formed

See Musical groups established in 2001

Bands disbanded

See Musical groups disestablished in 2001

Bands reformed

Army of Lovers

Devourment

Electric Light Orchestra (with new members except for original members, Jeff Lynne and Richard Tandy)

Level 42

The Monkees

Maroon 5

Roxy Music

Zebra

Sunny Day Real Estate

Release date unknown

Breaking Benjamin – Breaking Benjamin

First Album – Miss Kittin & The Hacker

On the Edge – Iron Fire

Polen – Lynda Thomas

Songs For A Small Room – Fantastic Something

Yule Ritual – Hawkwind

Top 5 Selling Albums of Billboard Year

1. Hybrid Theory – Linkin Park
2. 1 – The Beatles
3. Invincible – Michael Jackson
4. All That You Can't Leave Behind – U2
5. Aaliyah (album) – Aaliyah

Top 10 Best Selling Albums 2001 (Soundscan)

1. Invincible / Michael Jackson ~ 6,500,000
2. Hot Shot / Shaggy ~ 4,507,568
3. Celebrity / NSYNC ~ 4,421,231
4. A Day Without Rain / Enya ~ 4,410,053
5. Hikaru Utada / Distance ~ 4,404,290
6. Ayumi Hamasaki / A Best ~ 4,248,640
7. Break the Cycle / Staind ~ 4,242,507
8. Songs in A Minor / Alicia Keys ~ 4,102,482
9. J.Lo / Jennifer Lopez ~ 4,056,985
10. Survivor / Destiny's Child ~ 3,718,446

Popular songs

"19-2000" – Gorillaz (June 25 (UK) July 17 (US))

"À ma place" – Axel Bauer and Zazie

"All for You" – Janet Jackson (March 27)

"All or Nothing" – O-Town (January 23)

"American Psycho" – Treble Charger

"Another Chance" – Roger Sanchez

"Another Day In Paradise" – Brandy feat. Ray J (March)

"Bad Ambassador" – The Divine Comedy (April 17)

"Because I Got High" – Afroman

"Bodies" – Drowning Pool

"Bootylicious" – Destiny's Child (June 26 (US), July 3 (worldwide))

"Brand New Low" – Treble Charger

"Buck Rogers" – Feeder (January 8)

"Butterfly" – Crazy Town

"Butterfly" – Kylie Minogue (November 12)

"California" – Wave

"Candy" – Ash (October 1)

"Can't Get You Out of My Head" – Kylie Minogue (September 17)

"Chop Suey!" – System of a Down (August)

"Clint Eastwood" – Gorillaz (March 5 (UK))

"Come Along" – Titiyo

"Control" – Puddle of Mudd (July)

"Crawling" – Linkin Park (April 17)

"Crying at the Discoteque" – Alcazar

"Crystal" – New Order (13 August)

"Digital Love" – Daft Punk

"Don't Tell Me" – Madonna (November 21, 2000 (non-US); January 16, 2001 (US))

"Don't Stop Movin'" – S Club 7

"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" – Train (February 20)

"Drowning" – Backstreet Boys

"Elevation" – U2

"Eternity/The Road to Mandalay" – Robbie Williams (July 9)

"Eple" – Röyksopp

"Fallin'" – Alicia Keys (July 10)

"Family Affair" – Mary J. Blige

"Fat Lip" – Sum 41 (August 28 USA; October 1 UK)

"Fight Music" – D12

"First Date" – Blink-182 (September 24)

"Freedom" – Paul McCartney (Written about the September 11th attacks)

"Get Ur Freak On" – Missy Elliott (February 20)

"Get the Party Started" -- P!nk (October 9)

"Gone" – NSYNC (October)

"Handbags and Gladrags" – Stereophonics

"Hanging By A Moment" – Lifehouse

"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" – Daft Punk

"Hard to Explain" – The Strokes (June 25, 2001 (UK), April 30, 2002 (USA))

"Have a Nice Day" – Stereophonics

"Heaven" – DJ Sammy & Yanou featuring Do

"Heaven Is A Halfpipe" – OPM

"Here With Me" – Dido

"Hero" – Enrique Iglesias (November)

"How We Roll" – Big Pun

"How You Remind Me" – Nickelback

"I Believe" – Galleon

"I Don't Want a Lover (remix)" – Texas

"I Feel Loved" – Depeche Mode (July 30 UK; July 31 US)

"I'm a Slave 4 U" – Britney Spears (October 23 [US]; October 8 [UK])

"I'm Real" – Jennifer Lopez (October 16)

"Imitation of Life" – R.E.M. (April)

"Inner Smile" – Texas

"In the End" – Linkin Park (November 20)

"In Too Deep – Sum 41 (December 3 UK)

"Island in the Sun"- Weezer (August 28)

"Irresistible"- Jessica Simpson (April 12)

"It's Been Awhile"- Staind (June 26)

"It's Raining Men" – Geri Halliwell (April 30 [UK])

"I Wanna Be Bad" – Willa Ford (May 22)

"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" – Jay Z (July 17)

"Jaded" – Aerosmith (March 13)

"Just Push Play" – Aerosmith

"Juxtapozed with U" – Super Furry Animals

"Knives Out" – Radiohead August 14 (Pt.1, Pt.2); August 28 (US CD); September 25, 2001 (Pt. 3)

"La Musique (Angelica)" – Star Academy France (December)

"La Negra Tiene Tumbao" – Celia Cruz (October 2, 2001)

"Lady Marmalade"- Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim & Mýa (May 8)

"Last Nite" – The Strokes

"Left Behind" – Slipknot

"Let Me Blow Ya Mind" – Eve featuring Gwen Stefani (May 15)

"Life" – E-Type featuring Nana Hedin

"Liquid Dreams" – O-Town

"Lo Mejor de Mi" – Lynda Thomas

"Love Don't Cost A Thing" – Jennifer Lopez (January 30)

"Love What You Do" – The Divine Comedy

"Loverboy" – Mariah Carey (July 16)

"Mr. Writer" – Stereophonics

"More Than a Woman – Aaliyah (November 13, 2001 [US]; February 19, 2002 [UK]; March 5, 2002 [AUS])

"My Sacrifice" – Creed (December 11)

"My Way" – Limp Bizkit (May)

"Ocean Spray" – Manic Street Preachers (June 4)

"One Last Breath" – Creed

"One Minute Man" – Missy Elliott (featuring Ludacris and Trina)

"One More Time" – Daft Punk

"Only Time – Enya

"Out of Reach" – Gabrielle

"Outside" – Staind (May)

"Overprotected" – Britney Spears (December)

"Pagan Poetry" – Björk

"Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song)" – Safri Duo

"Play" – Jennifer Lopez

"Pop" – NSYNC (July 17)

"Purple Hills" – D12 featuring Eminem

"Pyramid Song" – Radiohead (May 29, 2001; June 19, 2001 (Pt.1, Pt.2); December 11, 2001 (Japan CD)

"Queen of My Heart" – Westlife (UK)

"Ramp! (The Logical Song)" – Scooter

"Ride Wit Me" – Nelly Featuring City Spud (July 24)

"Rock The Boat" – Aaliyah (August 2001 (North America); March 5, 2002 (Australia); May 6, 2002 (UK))

"Sail Away" – David Gray

"Salsoul Nugget (If U Wanna)" – M&S Pres. The Girl Next Door

"Seul" – Garou

"Sexual Guarantee" – Alcazar (November 26)

"Shining Light" – Ash (January 29)

"Schism" – Tool

"Short Skirt/Long Jacket" – Cake

"Sick Cycle Carousel" – Lifehouse

"Side" – Travis (September 17)

"Sing" – Travis (May 28)

"Smooth Criminal" – Alien Ant Farm

"Someone To Call My Lover" – Janet Jackson

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" (medley) – Cliff Richard

"Standing Still" – Jewel

"Starlight" – The Supermen Lovers

"Step On My Old Size Nines" – Stereophonics

"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" – U2

"Superman (It's Not Easy)" – Five For Fighting

"Superstylin'" – Groove Armada

"Survivor" – Destiny's Child

"Thank You" – Dido (21 May)

"The Rock Show" – Blink-182 (July 1)

"There Must Be an Angel" – No Angels

"The Way You Like It" – Adema

"This Year's Love" – David Gray

"Toutes les femmes de ta vie" – L5

"Turn off the Light" – Nelly Furtado (August 14)

"Up On The Downside" – Ocean Colour Scene

"Uptown Girl" – Westlife (UK)

"Upside Down" – A*Teens

"Us Against The World" - Play (September 11)

"Walk On" – U2 (November 19) (UK/Eur); November 26(Aus)

"Want You Bad" – The Offspring

" We Come 1" – Faithless

"We Need A Resolution" – Aaliyah (April 24)

"Weapon of Choice" – Fatboy Slim

"What It Feels Like for a Girl" – Madonna

"Whenever, Wherever" – Shakira

"Wherever You Will Go" – The Calling

"Who Do You Love Now?" – Riva featuring Dannii Minogue (November 19)

"Whole Again" – Atomic Kitten

"With Arms Wide Open" – Creed

"Wish You Were Here" – Incubus

"Wrong Impression" – Natalie Imbruglia

"Yellow" – Coldplay

"You Rock My World" – Michael Jackson

Classical music

John Adams –

American Berserk, for piano

Nancy's Fancy, for ensemble

Louis Andriessen –

Passeggiata in tram in America e ritorno, for female Italian voice, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, electric guitar, electric violin, double bass, piano, and percussion

De vleugels van de herinnering, for voice and piano

Fanfare om te beginnen, for sx groups of horns

Georges Aperghis –

Le petit chaperon rouge, for chamber ensemble

Rasch, for violin and viola

Milton Babbitt – A Lifetime or So, for tenor and piano

Leonardo Balada – Cello Concerto No. 2 New Orleans

Osvaldas Balakauskas – Symphony No. 5

Gerald Barry –

Dead March, for large ensemble

God Save the Queen, for solo boy's voice, choir, and large ensemble

Snow is White, for piano quartet

String Quartet No. 3 (Six Marches)

Luciano Berio – Sonata, for piano

Christophe Bertrand –

Dikha, for clarinet/bass clarinet and electronics

Ektra, for solo flute

Full, for four vibraphones, piano, and eight amplified voices

Frank Michael Beyer – Klangtore, for orchestra

Harrison Birtwistle –

Fanfare, for brass and percussion

Saraband, for piano

The Shadow of Night, for orchestra

Tenebrae David, for brass ensemble

Pierre Boulez – Incises, for piano (revised version)

Elliott Carter

Concerto for Cello and Orchestra

Figment II, for cello

Hiyoku, for two clarinets

Quartet, for oboe, violin, viola, and cello

Steep Steps, for bass clarinet

Anna Clyne –

Arclight, for tape

Manipura, for chamber ensemble

One, for tape

Wish, for voice or voices

John Corigliano – Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra

George Crumb – Unto the Hills for soprano, percussion quartet and piano

Peter Maxwell Davies – Symphony No. 8 (Antarctic Symphony)

Alexandra du Bois –

Júdica Me, for a cappella chorus

Preludes to Solitude, for guitar

String Quintet: A Requiem for the Living for two violins, viola and two double basses

Songs (4), for mezzo-soprano and orchestra

Joël-François Durand – Athanor for orchestra

Péter Eötvös – Snatches of a Conversation, for ensemble

Brian Ferneyhough –

In nomine à 3, for piccolo, oboe, and clarinet

Stelae for Failed Time, for 12 voices and live electronics

Lorenzo Ferrero

Two Cathedrals in the South concertino for trumpet and orchestra

Moonlight Sonata for five percussion instruments

Michael Finnissy – The History of Photography in Sound

Alexandra Fol –

Concerto for violin and orchestra

Requiem No. 1, for chorus and orchestra, Op. 19

Joep Franssens – Harmony of the spheres, for mixed choir and string orchestra

Frans Geysen –

City of Smiles, twenty solos for one recorder player, playing soprano to bass

Ehrung an M.C.E. (E=mc²), for alto recorder

Met vel, rand en tand, for three percussionists

Met zijn twaalven, for twelve recorders

Möbiusband 15, for string quartet

Op de fles, for four players on 16 bottles

Philip Glass – Concerto, for cello and orchestra

Friedrich Goldmann –

Concerto a 8 (Octet), for two oboes, two clarinets, two horns, and two bassoons

Drei Strophen, for clarinet and violin

Study, for two pianos

Tombeau (in memoriam Iannis Xenakis), for bass clarinet, bassoon, trombone, piano, viola, and cello

Howard Goodall – In Memoriam Anne Frank

Georg Friedrich Haas

Blumenstück

De terrae fine, for violin solo

Flow and Friction, for sixteenth-tone piano four-hands

Sodass ich's hernach mit einem Blick gleichsam wie ein schönes Bild... im Geist

Übersehe

Jeff Hamburg – Aychah, for choir and orchestra

Jonathan Harvey – The Summer Cloud's Awakening, for choir, flute, cello, and electronics

York Höller

Ex tempore, for flute, oboe, clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), percussion, violin, viola, cello, harp, and piano

Trias, for alto saxophone, percussion, and piano

Der ewige Tag, for chorus, orchestra, and electronics

Mauricio Kagel – Piano Trio No. 2

Helmut Lachenmann – Grido (string quartet)

György Ligeti –Études, Book 3, for piano

James MacMillan –

The Birds of Rhiannon, for orchestra with optional chorus

O Bone Jesu, for SSAATTBB choir with soli

Robin Maconie – Songs for The Caucasian Chalk Circle (15), after Brecht

Frederik Magle – The Hope for brass band, choir, organ and percussion.

Mesías Maiguashca – La noche cíclica, for violin, cello, piano, marimba, and 4 envelope followers

Tomás Marco – Laberinto marino, for cello and orchestra

Anna Mikhailova –

Sonata for piano

Songs (4), for baritone and piano

Stuart Mitchell – Seven Wonders Suite, for choir and orchestra

Onutė Narbutaitė – Symphony No. 2

Olga Neuwirth –

Ecstaloop, for soprano, speaker, sampler, and ensemble

Incidental music for Abenteuer in Sachen Haut, after Dylan Thomas, by Peter Carp

Locus...doublure...solus, for piano and orchestra (or chamber ensemble)

Michael Obst –

Piano Trio No. 1

Transit, for orchestra

Henri Pousseur –

Berceuses (4), for unaccompanied voice or unison choir

Eclipticare, ou les périples constellés, for one, two, or three instruments, surrounded or not, each a "consort"

Sursauts, for violin (doubling viola), trombone, and piano

Jaime Reis – Estátua de Pessanha, piano, bass flute, and real-time video

Wolfgang Rihm –

Jagden und Formen, for chamber orchestra

Sechs Gedichte von Friedrich Nietzsche, for voice and piano

Peter Ruzicka – Trans – Requiem für Giuseppe Sinopoli

Vahram Sargsyan – Luys Zvart [Joyful Light], for female chorus

Bright Sheng –

Distant Birthday Bells, for piano

Tibetan Dance, for violin, clarinet, and piano

Stuart Saunders Smith –

And Cold for xylophone/narrator

Breath for mezzo-soprano and orchestra bells (glockenspiel)

Family Portraits: Ligeia (Daughter) for soprano voice and piano

Light Dew for solo double bass

Madness for xylophone/narrator

Minor for solo violin

Pond for xylophone/narrator

Sometime Then for xylophone/narrator

Juan María Solare –

Les atavismes du crépuscule [Atavisms of twilight], for clarinet, alto saxophone, and trombone

Blind Date, for two bass clarinets (with theatral elements)

Blues en mí [Blues in E / Blues in Me], for piano

Fastango for piano

Icarus, for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano

Pasaje Seaver, tango for piano

RED: A Deconstructed Blues (Music for Marcel Worms) for piano

Winchmore Hill for piano

Karlheinz Stockhausen – Stop und Start, for six instrumental groups, Nr. 18⅔

Dennis Tobenski –

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, for mixed choir

Three Poems of Thomas Hardy, for voice and piano

Stephen Truelove –

Broken Song, for solo horn

Preludium and Chakratour, for string quartet

Three Songs to Poems by Frank Anderton, for soprano and piano

Michel van der Aa – Here [to Be Found], for soprano, chamber orchestra, and soundtrack

Kevin Volans –

Concerto for Double Orchestra

Zeno at 4 am, theatre piece for shadow puppets, actors, bass, string quartet, and chorus

Dafina Zeqiri –

Dialog for violin and piano

My Mother for mixed chorus

Walter Zimmermann –

Clinamen I–IV, for six orchestral groups

La fleur Inverse, for organ

Schatten der Ideen 6, 'Blaupause', for piano

Die Sorge geht über den Fluss, for solo violin

Umbræ Idearum (Schatten der Ideen 4), for piano and string quartet

Ellen Taaffe Zwillich – Openings

Opera

Jason Kao Hwang – The Floating Box: A Story in Chinatown

Theo Loevendie – Johnny & Jones

Sven-David Sandström – Jeppe: The Cruel Comedy

David Sawer – From Morning to Midnight

Michel van der Aa – Vuur

Musical theater

Atgof o'r Sêr – first performed by Bryn Terfel and Cor Rhuthun in north Wales. Commissioned for the National Eisteddfod of Wales at Denbigh.

A Class Act - Broadway production opened at the Ambassador Theatre on March 11 and ran for 105 performances

42nd Street - Broadway revival opened at the Ford Center on May 2

Mamma Mia! - Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on October 18 and ran for 5773 performances. It was the eighth longest run in Broadway musical history.

The Producers - Broadway production opened at St. James Theatre on April 19 and ran for 2502 performances. The show won a record twelve Tony Awards.

Urinetown - Broadway production opened at the Hudson Theatre on September 20 and ran for 965 performances

Musical films

Beijing Rocks

Carmen: A Hip Hopera

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, starring Sunny Deol, Amisha Patel and Amrish Puri

Glitter released September 21, starring Mariah Carey and Max Beesley

Hedwig and the Angry Inch, directed by and starring John Cameron Mitchell

Hysteria – The Def Leppard Story

Love You Hamesha, starring Akshaye Khanna and Sonali Bendre

Moulin Rouge! released May 18, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor

On the Road to Emmaus, starring Peter Franzén

One Night the Moon, starring Paul Kelly and Kaarin Fairfax

Rebelové, starring Zuzana Norisová and Tomáš Hanák

Rock Star

Scratch

Deaths

January 4 – Les Brown, bandleader (89)

January 5 – Milan Hlavsa, Czech musician (Plastic People of the Universe) (49)

January 7 – James Carr, soul singer (58)

January 10 – Bryan Gregory, guitarist (The Cramps)(49)

January 24 – Leif Thybo, Danish composer and organist (78)

February 4

J.J. Johnson, jazz bebop trombonist (77)

Iannis Xenakis, Greek composer (78)

February 10 – Buddy Tate, jazz musician (87)

February 13 – George T. Simon, music critic and original Glenn Miller Orchestra drummer (pneumonia)

February 19 – Charles Trenet French singer and songwriter (87)

February 21

Ronnie Hilton, English singer (75)

Malcolm Yelvington, rockabilly musician (82)

February 22 – John Fahey, guitarist, indie label owner (61)

March 4 – Glenn Hughes, The Village People (50)

March 12 – Sir Lancelot, calypso singer (98)

March 18 – John Phillips, singer-songwriter, co-founder of The Mamas & the Papas (65)

March 20 – Francis Grasso, disc jockey (51)

March 28 – Moe Koffman, Canadian jazz singer (73)

March 29 – John Lewis, jazz pianist (80)

April 6 – Charles Pettigrew, of Charles & Eddie (37) (cancer)

April 9 – Graziella Sciutti, operatic soprano (73)

April 11

Sandy Bull, folk musician (60)

Graciela Naranjo, bolero singer and actress (84)

Sir Harry Secombe, entertainer (79)

April 15 – Joey Ramone, lead singer of The Ramones (49) (lymphoma)

April 20 – Giuseppe Sinopoli, composer and conductor (54)(heart attack)

May 3 – Billy Higgins, jazz drummer (64)

May 5 – Boozoo Chavis, zydeco musician (70)

May 10 – James E. Myers, songwriter ("Rock Around the Clock") (81)

May 12 – Perry Como, American crooner (88)

May 16 – Prince Ital Joe, reggae singer (38) (car accident)

May 20 – Renato Carosone, Italian musician and singer (81)

June 4 – John Hartford, bluegrass musician (64)

June 7 – Carole Fredericks, singer

June 13 – Marcelo Fromer, guitarist for Brazilian band Titãs (39) (rammed by a motorcycle)

June 18 – Davorin Popović, lead singer for Bosnian band Indexi (55)

June 21 – John Lee Hooker, blues musician (88)

June 30

Chet Atkins, country musician (77)

Joe Henderson, jazz saxophonist (64)

July 3

Delia Derbyshire, English electronic composer (64)

Johnny Russell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (61)

July 5 – Ernie K-Doe, R & B singer (65)

July 7 – Fred Neil, folk singer-songwriter (65)

July 15 – Anthony Ian Berkeley, rapper (Brothers Grym, Gravediggaz) (36) (colon cancer)

July 18 – Mimi Fariña, singer-songwriter (56) (neuroendocrine cancer)

July 23 – Richie Lee, singer and bassist (Acetone)(34)(suicide)

July 27

Harold Land, hard bop saxophonist (73)

Leon Wilkeson, bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd (49)

August 2 – Ronald Townson, American singer and actor (The 5th Dimension) (68)

August 18 – Roland Cardon, Belgian composer and multi-instrumentalist (72)

August 25 – Aaliyah, American singer, model, dancer and actress (22)(plane crash)

August 27 – Karl Ulrich Schnabel, pianist (92)

August 29 – Graeme "Shirley" Strachan, lead singer of Skyhooks (49)

September 1 – Ted Mulry, lead singer with Ted Mulry Gang (54)

September 6 – Carl Crack, techno musician (Atari Teenage Riot)(30)

September 22 – Isaac Stern, violinist (81)

October 3 – Tatiana Menotti, operatic soprano (92)

October 5 – Ivan Hrušovský, Slovak composer (74)

October 10 – Barry McCauley, operatic tenor (51)(lung cancer)

October 17 – Jay Livingston, songwriter (86)

November 17 – Michael Karoli, guitarist, violinist and composer (53)(cancer)

November 21 – Ralph Burns, American songwriter, bandleader, composer, conductor, arranger and bebop pianist (79)

November 24 – Melanie Thornton, singer (La Bouche) (34)(air crash)

November 28 – Kal Mann, American lyricist ("Teddy Bear", "Butterfly")(84)

November 29 – George Harrison, musician and former member of The Beatles (58)(lung cancer)

December 13 – Chuck Schuldiner, vocalist and guitarist with Death (34)(cancer)

December 15 – Rufus Thomas, singer (84)

December 16 – Stuart Adamson, guitarist with Big Country (43)(suicide)

December 17 – Débria Brown, operatic soprano (65)

December 18 – Gilbert Bécaud, singer-songwriter (74)

December 22 – Norman Granz, American producer (83)

December 29 – Cássia Eller, Brazilian singer (39)

Awards

The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Aerosmith, Solomon Burke, The Flamingos, Michael Jackson, Queen, Paul Simon, Steely Dan and Ritchie Valens

Inductees of the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame include Larry Norman, and Elvis Presley

ARIA Music Awards

ARIA Music Awards of 2001

Grammy Awards

Grammy Awards of 2001

Juno Awards

Juno Awards of 2001

March 4 – Bruce Cockburn is inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame

Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 2001

Mercury Music Prize

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea – PJ Harvey wins.

MTV Video Music Awards

2001 MTV Video Music Awards