January 6 – The annual Park Lane Group Young Artists festival of contemporary music opens with two concerts in the Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre, London. The first concert, given by the Gallimaufry Ensemble, includes the premiere of a new wind quintet by 23-year-old Benjamin Wallfisch; the second concert features solo bass clarinettist Sarah Watts, who premieres Marc Yeats Vox for solo bass clarinet and Michael Smetanin's Ladder of Escape for bass clarinet with prerecorded ensemble of six bass and two contrabass clarinets.
January 7 – Opening of the Philip on Film Live festival (until January 11) at the Barbican Centre, London, featuring films with music by Philip Glass performed live by the Philip Glass Ensemble, conducted by Michael Riesman.
January 9 – The Vienna Philharmonic belatedly announce that violist Ursula Plaichinger has become the first official female member of the orchestra, 158 years after their founding and six years after they have been forced to allow women to audition, under threat of having their state subsidies stopped. At the same time, it is disclosed that orchestra boss Clemens Hellsberg has formally banned Plaichinger from giving interviews to the press.
January 10
Andrew Lack, former chief of NBC news, is named the new head of Sony's music division, to the surprise of the music industry, because he had no previous experience of the record industry. He replaced Tommy Mottola, who resigned the previous day amidst reports of friction with higher Sony executives over huge financial losses in the music division.
Following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in the UK and the Netherlands recover 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested. The tapes have been used for bootleg releases for years.
January 13 – The Who guitarist Pete Townshend is arrested by British police on suspicion of possessing and making indecent images of children and of incitement to distribute them. Townshend claims in a statement that he did not download any such images and accessed Web sites advertising child pornography because he was researching material for his autobiography, which will include passages about his abusive childhood.
January 18
The Indian Air Force band, the Air Warriors, played a concert in the Homi Baba Auditorium in Colaba (Mumbai), which included Muthuswami Dikshitar's Vathapiganapathi in a version combining military band with traditional Carnatic instruments.
A two-day festival of the music of Mark-Anthony Turnage is given at the Barbican Centre, London, with three world premieres and chamber concerts by the Nash Ensemble and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.
January 22 – Nikolaus Harnoncourt cancels a European tour after being ordered by his doctors to take a two-month rest.
February 3
Police respond to a 911 phone call from one of Phil Spector's neighbors and discover the body of actress Lana Clarkson, with a gunshot wound, at Spector's his home in Alhambra, California. Spector is arrested on suspicion of murder."
The Martin Bashir television film Living with Michael Jackson premieres on ITV in the UK. It airs on ABC in the US three days later. A total of 53 million viewers in the two countries watch the special.
February 8 – Avril Lavigne scores her third #1 single "I'm with You", making her the second artist in history to have three consecutive #1 songs from a début album in the Billboard Mainstream Top 40.
February 20 – The Station nightclub fire: Fire engulfs a Rhode Island nightclub during a fireworks display which was part of the performance by rock band Great White. The fire quickly spreads across the ceiling, filling the building with thick, black smoke, killing 100 people and injuring 160 others as audience members rush for the exits. Many people are missing for some time, including Great White guitarist Ty Longley, who is later confirmed to be dead.
February 23 – New York City is the site of The 45th Annual Grammy Awards, featuring Nickelback, No Doubt, Foo Fighters, Beyoncé and other performers.
February 24 - Robert Trujillo joins Metallica.
March 3 – Avril Lavigne kicks off her first headlining tour the "Try To Shut Me Up Tour".
March 10
Johnny Cash is admitted to Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee to undergo treatment for pneumonia.
The Dixie Chicks unleash a firestorm of controversy at a concert in London when lead singer Natalie Maines announces to the audience that "just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas". The group is dropped from radio playlists all over the United States and receives death threats as a result.
March 21 - Ex-Neighbours star Delta Goodrem releases her debut album Innocent Eyes which became Australia's monster smash hit of 2003 and included the releases of the new singles "Born to Try" and "Lost Without You".
March 24 - Meteora by Linkin Park debuts at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart.
March 25 - Céline Dion begins A New Day..., her Las Vegas residency show. It would run for almost five years and over 700 shows.
April 1 – Dozens of fans walk out during a Pearl Jam concert when lead singer Eddie Vedder makes comments opposing the Iraq war and insulting remarks about U.S. President George W. Bush. Other audience members boo and shout at Vedder telling him to "shut up." Vedder attempts to calm the crowd by adding "just to clarify... we support the troops."
April 8 – Godsmack releases their third studio album Faceless.
April 16 - Luther Vandross suffers a severe stroke at his home in New York City. He emerges from a coma six weeks later.
April 21 – S Club announce live on stage at London's Docklands Arena that they've decided to split up after five years together. Their final single, "Say Goodbye", enters the chart at #2 a month after the announcement. Rachel Stevens from the group launched her successful solo career shortly afterwards with the song "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex".
April 28 - Apple Inc. opens the iTunes Music Store, offering 200,000 songs for download at a cost of 99 cents each. More than 1 million songs are sold in the store's first week.
May 7 - Pete Townshend is cleared of the charges stemming from his arrest in January on suspicion of possessing child pornography, but is formally cautioned and placed on the sex offenders register for five years.
May 19 - The former TV channel MuchMusic USA relaunches as Fuse.
May 21 - Ruben Studdard wins the second season of American Idol, edging Clay Aiken.
May 24
Turkish singer Sertab Erener wins the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Riga, Latvia, with the song "Everyway That I Can". It is the last time that the contest is a one-night event.
After a 40-year wait, Russian fans of The Beatles finally get to see former Beatle Paul McCartney perform on their soil, on the Red Square in Moscow.
June 14
Alexander Kuoppala quit Children of Bodom.
David Del Tredici's Wondrous the Merge for string quartet and narrator, based on a homoerotic poem by James Broughton, makes its controversial debut at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival.
Henry Ranta quits Soilwork.
Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera kicked off their summer Justified & Stripped Tour.
Los Angeles, California radio station KROQ-FM airs the 11th Annual of the Weenie Roast show with AFI, The Ataris, Blur, Chevelle, Deftones, Finch, Foo Fighters, Godsmack, Good Charlotte, Hot Hot Heat, Interpol, Jane's Addiction, Less Than Jake, Liam Lynch, Staind, Sum 41, Thrice, The Transplants, The Used, The White Stripes and Pete Yorn.
Alice Cooper begins production of his 26th album. It is a departure from the heavy metal sound of previous albums and is more influenced by his albums of the 1970s.
June 22
Beyoncé releases her No.1 debut solo album "Dangerously in Love", which would earn her 5 Grammys in a single night. It also spawned two No.1 singles in the US and has sold 11 million copies to date.
Nick Oshiro replaces Ken Jay in Static-X.
June 27–29 – In the Glastonbury Festival, U.K., headline acts included David Gray, R.E.M., Primal Scream, Morcheeba, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Super Furry Animals, Lamb, Macy Gray, Feeder, Manic Street Preachers, Moby and Doves. The weather is mostly dry and the festival deemed a success from both a security and entertainment viewpoint by Michael Eavis.
July 2
A-Teens and many others perform at the Stockholm Pride festival.
Delta Goodrem is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease.
July 5 - Lollapalooza returns after a six-year absence from the music festival circuit. Jane's Addiction, Audioslave, Incubus and Queens of the Stone Age are among the featured acts.
July 11 - Judas Priest announces that Rob Halford has rejoined the band, with a reunion tour to follow in 2004.
July 14 - The eurodance and alternative rock musician Lynda Thomas made her last public appearance; she suddenly left the music industry and public life altogether.
July 20 - An auto accident in Oregon kills three of the four members of The Exploding Hearts, ending the band after just one album.
July 30 – The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Rush, The Guess Who and others headline a benefit concert in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to prove that the city is safe from SARS. With 450 000 spectators, it is the largest concert in Canadian history.
August 19 – Jessica Simpson releases her third studio album In This Skin. The album would later go triple platinum in the U.S. and would produce the hit single "With You".
August 28 – Madonna sparks media controversy by kissing popstars Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. The situation even ignited a quick war of words between Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera over the kiss.
September 15 - Billy Corgan announces that Zwan has broken up.
September 16 - Ryan Malcolm wins the first season of Canadian Idol.
September 22 – Max Cavalera & Gloria Cavalera fire Marcello D. Rapp causing Roy Mayorga & Mike Doling to leave the band Soulfly in protest.
September 23 – Limp Bizkit release Results May Vary their first album in 3 years and their 4th album overall.
October - Indie/Rock band Conway wins the National "Battle of the Bands" Competition at the Fountain Pub in Tottenham, London, UK. The Norfolk, UK, band consists of Chris Burgoyne (vocals), Andrew Norman (lead guitar / vocals), Tristan McKelvey (guitar), Leon Chapman (bass) and Peter Rednall (drums).
October 4 – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's The Rising Tour concludes after 120 shows over 14 months, with record-setting sales in U.S. stadiums during the summer and early autumn.
October 15 – A two-week-long international conference, "Fuori tempo, dire, fare, sentire la musica oggi", opens in Genoa, Italy, bringing together performers, composers, scholars and administrators from classical, folk and popular music, with a keynote address by Charles Rosen. Featured participants include Nuria Schoenberg (daughter of Arnold Schoenberg and widow of Luigi Nono); musicologist James Harrison; opera conductor Roberto Abbado; violinist Ivry Gitlis; composers Salvatore Sciarrino, Lorenzo Ferrero and Andrea Liberovici; poet Edoardo Sanguineti; popular singer-songwriters Teresa De Sio, Gianna Nannini and Gino Paoli; rock and jazz artists Peppe Servalo and Peppe D'Argenzio of the Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel; and administrators Anna Cammarano (director of classical music at RAI Trade), Gennaro di Benedetto (superintendent of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa) and Joseph Hussek (director of the artistic programme at the Salzburg Festival).
October 16 – Simon & Garfunkel begin their "Old Friends" U.S. reunion tour, twenty years after their 1983 world tour.
October 20 – Britney Spears releases the first single, "Me Against The Music", featuring American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her upcoming album In the Zone, marketed as a comeback single in the US; it goes on to be an international success, reaching the top three in several countries.
October 21 – Delta Goodrem wins 7 ARIA Awards and defeats Amiel's "Lovesong" for and a Gold ARIA for Single of the Year, Born to Try. ARIAs host Rove McManus announced that John Farnham will raise the very loud speakers to 1985/1986's "You're the Voice" after being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
October 29 - A legal version of the Napster file sharing network relaunches as a pay service, offering song downloads for 99 cents apiece or $9.99 for unlimited listening.
November 4 - Aaron Carter releases his first compilation album (fifth overall album under Jive Records) Most Requested Hits
November 5
Cryptopsy rehires Lord Worm.
Evanescence's lead guitarist and founding member Ben Moody leaves the band on their first world tour.
November 6 - Marco Aro quits his vocalist position in The Haunted. The band rehires their first vocalist, Peter Dolving.
November 7 – Steve Kmak, aka "Fuzz," is fired from Disturbed as a result of personality clashes with others in the band.
November 14
The legal incarnation of the band Pink Floyd reunites to perform at the funeral of their manager Steve O'Rourke.
Byron Stroud is confirmed as an official member of Fear Factory.
November 18
Blink-182 release their fifth studio album blink-182. This album was regarded as a change of musical style for Blink-182 as the music has darkened and matured since their previous albums.
Britney Spears releases In the Zone. She breaks her own record as the first female artist to have 3 albums in #1 to become the first female artist to have 4 albums in #1 consecutively.
Michael Jackson releases the compilation album Number Ones.
November 19 – Guy Sebastian becomes the first winner of Australian Idol, receiving a contract with BMG Australia. He subsequently records the studio album, Just As I Am.
November 20 – Michael Jackson is arrested on charges of child molestation. The singer faced similar charges in 1993 that were dropped after an out-of-court financial settlement was reached with the family of a boy. In light of the new accusations, the television network CBS chooses to pull the scheduled November 26 airing of a one-hour television special intended to promote Jackson's new greatest hits album, Number Ones.
November 21 – Korn release their sixth studio album, Take a Look in the Mirror. It is the last album that features the original lineup of Korn.
November 22 – The band Five Iron Frenzy plays its last show at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver.
December 6
Elvis Costello and Diana Krall are married in a private ceremony at Elton John's estate in England.
P-Funk founder George Clinton is arrested and charged with drug possession in Tallahassee, Florida.
December 8 - Ozzy Osbourne is rushed into emergency surgery after having a serious accident riding an all-terrain vehicle on the grounds of his English estate. Osbourne broke his collarbone, eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck.
December 12 - Mick Jagger is knighted for services to music by The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.
December 13-14 – The Los Angeles, California radio station KROQ-FM airs the 14th Annual of the Acoustic Christmas show with AFI, Blink-182, Brand New, Chevelle, The Distillers, Jane's Addiction, Jet, KoЯn, Linkin Park, The Offspring, P.O.D., Pennywise, Puddle of Mudd, Rancid, Staind, 311, Thrice and Trapt.
December 30-31 – The New Year's Eve Falls Festival in Australia, traditionally held in Lorne, Victoria, holds events in both Lorne and Marion Bay, Tasmania, at the same time. The same artists perform at both events, alternating between the two venues each night.
See Musical groups established in 2003
The Stooges
Edge of Sanity
Bands disbanded
See Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2003
All Got Our Runnins EP – The Streets
Arcade Fire – Arcade Fire
Crusader - Scribe
Glitter 4 Your Soul - Rikki Rockett
Kill Sound Before Sound Kills You - Kid 606
Bayside/Name Taken Split – Bayside / Name Taken
Blitzen Trapper – Blitzen Trapper
Bootlegged, Distorted, Remixed and Uploaded – Pitchshifter
The Concept – The Spill Canvas
For Stars and Moon – Angie Aparo
Hunted EP – Year of the Rabbit
Live from the Gaiety – The Dubliners (live)
Louis XIV – Louis XIV
Prime Time – Bell, Book & Candle
Saturday Rock Action EP – Hawk Nelson
First Demo Tape - Minor Threat || EP
The Sauce – Eddie Spaghetti
Snowfield Demo EP – Editors (as Snowfield)
Still Electric – Primitive Radio Gods
Strawberry Bubblegum – 10cc - Compilation
The Sunday Best EP – This Providence
Throw the Fight (EP) – Throw the Fight
To Madagascar and Back EP/DVD – Flickerstick
Try Honesty / Living in the Shadows EP – Billy Talent
25 Miles to Kissimmee – Fools Garden
Velvet Lined Shell EP – Toyah
Watching the Snow – Michael Franks (Japanese release)
- 50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin'
- Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
- Beyoncé – Dangerously in Love
- Michael Jackson – Number Ones
- Dixie Chicks – Home
- Get Rich or Die Tryin' – 50 Cent
- Come Away with Me – Norah Jones
- Stripped – Christina Aguilera
- Number Ones – Michael Jackson
- Meteora – Linkin Park
- Dangerously in Love – Beyoncé
- A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay
- Fallen – Evanescence
- In the Zone – Britney Spears
- Let Go – Avril Lavigne
"2+2=5" – Radiohead
"21 Questions" - 50 Cent
"Addicted" – Simple Plan
"The Anthem" – Good Charlotte
"All I Have" – Jennifer Lopez
"American Life" – Madonna
"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" – Jet
"Baby Boy" – Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul
"Beautiful" – Christina Aguilera
"The Beautiful Occupation" – Travis
"Be Mine" – David Gray
"Behind Blue Eyes" – Limp Bizkit
"Born to Try" – Delta Goodrem
"Bring Me to Life" – Evanescence
"Business" - Eminem
"California" – Phantom Planet
"Cannonball" – Damien Rice
"Can't Hold Us Down" – Christina Aguilera featuring Lil' Kim
"Can't Stop" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Cassé" – Nolwenn Leroy
"Chihuahua" – DJ Bobo
"Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)" – The Darkness
"Clocks" – Coldplay
"COLORS – Hikaru Utada
"Come Clean" – Hilary Duff
"Come Over" – Aaliyah
"Crazy in Love" – Beyoncé
"Cry Me A River" – Justin Timberlake
"Did My Time" – KoЯn
"Don't Know Why" – Norah Jones (held over from 2002)
"Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" – Dannii Minogue
"Entre Nous" – Chimène Badi
"Everyway That I Can" – Sertab Erener
"Faint" - Linkin Park
"Fan" – Pascal Obispo
"Feel" – Robbie Williams
"Feeling This" – Blink-182
"Feel Good Time" – Pink
"Fighter" – Christina Aguilera
"Forever and for Always" – Shania Twain
"God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" – Coldplay
"Go to Sleep" – Radiohead
"Going Under" - Evanescence
"Girls & Boys" – Good Charlotte
"Headstrong" – Trapt
"The Hell Song" - Sum 41
"Hit That" - The Offspring
"Hold On"- Good Charlotte
"Hey Oh" – Tragédie
"Hey Ya!" – OutKast
"I Begin to Wonder" – Dannii Minogue
"I Believe in a Thing Called Love" – The Darkness
"I'm with You" – Avril Lavigne
"If I Can't" - 50 Cent
"In Da Club" – 50 Cent
"Imperium" - Machine Head
"Innocent Eyes" – Delta Goodrem
"Into the West" – Annie Lennox
"It's My Life" – No Doubt
"Just the Way I'm Feeling" – Feeder
"L'Orange" – Star Academy 3
"Laisse parler les gens" – Jocelyne Labylle and Cheela featuring Jacob Desvarieux and Passi
"The Last Song" - The All-American Rejects
"Laura" – Scissor Sisters
"Le Frunkp" – Alphonse Brown
"Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" - Good Charlotte
"Like a Stone" – Audioslave
"Losing Grip" – Avril Lavigne
"Lost Without You" – Delta Goodrem
"Love at First Sight" – Kylie Minogue
"Mad World" – Gary Jules and Michael Andrews
"Ma Liberté de penser" – Florent Pagny
"Mandy" – Westlife (UK)
"Maybe Tomorrow" – Stereophonics
"Me Against the Music" – Britney Spears featuring Madonna
"Me Myself and I" – Beyoncé
"Ménage à Trois" – Alcazar
"Miss Independent" – Kelly Clarkson
"Milkshake" – Kelis
"Minerva" – Deftones
"Mobile" - Avril Lavigne
"Move Your Feet" - Junior Senior
"My Immortal" - Evanescence
"My Love Is Like...Wo" – Mýa
"No Good Advice" – Girls Aloud
"Not Gonna Get Us" – t.A.T.u.
"Not a Sinner Nor a Saint" – Alcazar
"Not Me, Not I" – Delta Goodrem
"Nothing But You" – Paul van Dyk
"Numb" – Linkin Park
"One More Chance" – Michael Jackson
"Out of Control" – Hoobastank
"Out of Time" – Blur
"Over My Head (Better Off Dead)" - Sum 41
"Papi chulo... (te traigo el mmmm...)" – Lorna
"Paris-Latino" – Star Academy France
"Perfect" – Simple Plan
"P.I.M.P." – 50 Cent
"Price to Play - Staind
"Pump It Up" – Joe Budden
"Punk Rock 101" – Bowling for Soup
"Right Thurr" – Chingy
"The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" – Jason Mraz
"Remember" – Disturbed
"Rock wit U (Awww Baby)" – Ashanti
"Rock Your Body" – Justin Timberlake
"Satisfaction – Benny Benassi
"Señorita" - Justin Timberlake
"Seven Nation Army" – The White Stripes
"Silver and Cold" - AFI
"Sing for the Moment" – Eminem
"Shake Ya Tailfeather" – Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
"So Far Away" - Staind
"So Yesterday" – Hilary Duff
"Someday" – Nickelback
"Somewhere I Belong" – Linkin Park
"Songbird" – Oasis
"Spitting Games" – Snow Patrol
"St. Anger" – Metallica
"Stacy's Mom" – Fountains of Wayne
"Still Waiting" - Sum 41
"Stupid Girl" – Cold
"Summer Jam" – The Underdog Project
"Superman" - Eminem
"Sur un air latino" – Lorie
"Swing, Swing" – The All-American Rejects
"There There" – Radiohead
"Times Like These" – Foo Fighters
"Time Stands Still" - The All-American Rejects
"Trouble" – Pink
"Universally Speaking" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Until the Day I Die" - Story of the Year
"Unwell" – Matchbox Twenty
"The Voice Within" – Christina Aguilera
"Way Away" - Yellowcard
"The Way You Move" – OutKast & Sleepy Brown
"Where Is the Love?" – The Black Eyed Peas featuring Justin Timberlake
"White Flag" – Dido
"The Wreckoning" – Boomkat
"Why Can't I?" – Liz Phair
"Why Not" – Hilary Duff
"Year 3000" – Busted
"You Said No" – Busted
Leonardo Balada – Ebony Fantasies (cantata for choir and orchestra)
George Crumb
A Journey Beyond Time for soprano, percussion quartet and piano.
Otherworldly Resonances for two pianos
River of Life for soprano, percussion quartet and piano
Mario Davidovsky – Duo Capriccioso for piano and violin
Peter Maxwell Davies
Naxos Quartet No. 2
Naxos Quartet No. 3
Péter Eötvös
Erdenklavier-Himmelklavier, for piano
Jet Stream, concerto for trumpet and orchestra
Rolf Gehlhaar – Cybersong for tenor and wearable electronics
Philip Glass
Dreaming Awake for piano
Taoist Sacred Dance for piano and flute
Music from The Sound of a Voice for flute, pipa, violin, cello and percussion
Andrew Glover – The Death of Angels: A Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
Friedrich Goldmann
Herzstück, mini-drama for soprano, flute and guitar
Klangszenen III for orchestra
Haflidi Hallgrímsson – Cello Concerto
Mauricio Kagel
Andere Gesänge, intermezzi for soprano and orchestra
Auftakte, achthändig for two pianos and two percussionists
György Ligeti – Hamburg Concerto for solo horn and chamber orchestra with four obbligato natural horns (1998–99, 2003)
Frederik Magle – Phoenix for mixed choir and organ or piano four-hands
Mesías Maiguashca – K.O. Tagebücher, for two cellos, two percussionists and electronics
Henri Pousseur
Arioso monodie for female voice
Javanitas for violin and trombone
Litanie du miel des nuits hivernales for viola and piano
Rossignolade for female voice and clarinet
Voix et vues planétaires, multimedia
Alexander Raskatov – The Last Freedom
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Amour, for saxophone
Klavierstück XIX
Mixtur 2003, for five instrumental groups, four sinewave-generator players, four sound mixers with four ring modulators and sound director
Vibra-Elufa, for vibraphone,
Steven Stucky
Jeu de timbres
Second Concerto for Orchestra
Deborah Drattell – Nicholas and Alexandra
Philip Glass – The Sound of a Voice
Osvaldo Golijov – Ainadamar
Michael Nyman – Man and Boy: Dada
Krzysztof Penderecki – Ubu Rex
Rachel Portman – The Little Prince
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Sonntag aus Licht (and with it, the entire Licht cycle of seven operas)
Avenue Q - Broadway production ran for 2534 performances (ranked 23rd on the list of all-time Broadway shows)
Bounce - Chicago and Washington D. C. productions
The Boy from Oz - Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 365 performances
Caroline or Change, book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and score by Jeanine Tesori, off-Broadway production
Fame on 42nd Street - Broadway production opened at the Little Shubert Theatre on November 11 and ran for 264 performances
The Full Monty - Melbourne production
Jerry Springer - The Opera - London production
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - London revival
Never Gonna Dance - Broadway production opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on December 4 and ran for 84 performances
Showtune, a Jerry Herman musical revue - off-Broadway production
Taboo - Broadway production opened November 13 and ran for 103 performances
Thoroughly Modern Millie - London production
Tonight's The Night - London production
Wicked - Broadway production opened at the George Gershwin Theatre on October 30 and is continuing its run, with over 5300 performances to date.
The Adventure of Iron Pussy
Brother Bear (animated feature)
Camp
The Cheetah Girls (Disney Channel Original Movie - the first musical film by Disney Channel, bringing in over 84 million viewers)
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
From Justin to Kelly
Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem
The Jungle Book 2 (animated feature)
Love Under the Sun
A Mighty Wind
Pas sur la bouche
Pop Carn
School of Rock
The Singing Detective
Tupac: Resurrection
Vivir Intentando
October 28 - Beatrice Millie McCartney, daughter of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills. The McCartneys fooled the press into publishing misleading details about the birth.
unknown - Keshav, tabla prodigy
January 1 – Giorgio Gaber (63), actor, singer-songwriter
January 5 – Daphne Oram (77), composer and electronic musician
January 8 – Ron Goodwin (77), composer and conductor
January 11 – Mickey Finn (55), bongo player and T.Rex sideman (liver failure)
January 12 – Maurice Gibb (53), Bee Gees singer and bassist (cardiac arrest)
January 15 – Doris Fisher (87), singer-songwriter
January 23 – Nell Carter (54), singer and actress (heart disease)
February 1 – Mongo Santamaría (80), Latin jazz percussionist
February 2
Vincent "Randy" Chin (65), Jamaican record producer
Lou Harrison (85), composer
February 4 - Charlie Biddle, American-Canadian bassist, 76
February 11 - Moses Hogan (55), American pianist and composer
February 16 - Rusty Magee (47), American actor and composer
February 19 – Johnny Paycheck (64), country singer
February 20 – Ty Longley (31), guitarist of Great White (fire accident)
February 23 – Howie Epstein (47), bassist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
February 26 - Othar Turner (95), fife player
March 3
Hank Ballard (75), R&B singer (throat cancer)
Malcolm Williamson (71), composer
March 8 – Adam Faith (62), singer, actor (heart attack)
April 1 – Leslie Cheung (46), actor, musician (suicide)
April 2 – Edwin Starr (61), soul singer (heart attack)
April 6 – Babatunde Olatunji (75), drummer (diabetes)
April 10 -- Little Eva (59), singer _cervical cancer)
April 13 – Alex Baroni (35), singer (motorbike accident)
April 17 – Earl King (69), blues musician
April 19 – Conrad Leonard (104), composer and pianist
April 20 - Teddy Edwards (78), jazz saxophonist
April 21 – Nina Simone (70), singer and pianist
April 22 – Felice Bryant (77), Hall of Fame songwriter
May 11 – Noel Redding (57), bassist of The Jimi Hendrix Experience (cirrhosis of the liver)
May 15 – June Carter Cash (73), musician and singer
May 19 - Ivo Žídek (76), operatic tenor
May 25 - Jeremy Michael Ward (27), sound technician and guitarist
May 27 – Luciano Berio (77), composer
May 30 – Mickie Most (64), record producer (mesothelioma)
June 6 – Dave Rowberry (63), keyboardist (The Animals) (ulcer haemorrhage)
June 17 - Marcella Pobbé (81), operatic soprano
July 1 – Herbie Mann (73), jazz flautist (prostate cancer)
July 3 - Skip Scarborough (58), songwriter
July 4
André Claveau (87), singer
Barry White (58), singer and record producer (renal failure)
July 5 – Bebu Silvetti (59), pianist, composer, arranger and record producer (respiratory failure)
July 6
Skip Battin (69), singer-songwriter and bassist
Buddy Ebsen (95), actor and singer
July 7 – Izhak Graziani (79), conductor
July 12 – Benny Carter (95), jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and bandleader (bronchitis)
July 13 - Compay Segundo (95), Cuban guitarist, singer and composer
July 16 – Celia Cruz (77), salsa singer (brain tumor)
July 17 – Rosalyn Tureck (88), pianist
July 25 – Erik Braunn (52), guitarist Iron Butterfly (heart attack)
July 26 – Richard Wayne Dirksen (81), organist and choirmaster
July 27 – Bob Hope (100), actor, comedian and singer
July 30 – Sam Philips (80), producer and founder of Sun Records
August 2 – Don Estelle (70), actor and singer
August 5 – Tite Curet Alonso (77), songwriter (heart attack)
August 8 – Julius Baker (87), flautist
August 9 – Gregory Hines (58), actor, singer and dancer
August 10 – Carmita Jiménez, singer
August 13 – Ed Townsend (74), singer-songwriter
August 15 - Robert Moulson (70), operatic tenor
August 18 - Tony Jackson (55), bass player and singer (The Searchers)
August 21 – Wesley Willis (40), novelty musician
August 23 – Imperio Argentina (96), singer and actress
September 4
Lola Bobesco (82), violinist
Susan Chilcott (40), operatic soprano (breast cancer)
Tibor Varga (82), violinist and conductor
September 5 – Gisele MacKenzie (76), singer
September 7 – Warren Zevon (56), rock and roll singer; mesothelioma
September 12 – Johnny Cash (71), country and rock 'n roll singer
September 14 – John Serry, Sr. (88) concert accordionist, organist, composer, arranger
September 19 – Slim Dusty (76), country singer
September 25 - Matthew Jay (24), English singer-songwriter
September 26 – Robert Palmer (54), singer (heart attack)
September 27 – Donald O'Connor (78), actor, singer and dancer (congestive heart failure)
September 30 - Ronnie Dawson (64), rockabilly singer and guitarist
October 5 – Denis Quilley (75), actor and singer (liver cancer)
October 10 – Eugene Istomin (77), pianist (liver cancer)
October 21 – Elliott Smith (34), singer-songwriter
October 22 - Gabriella Gatti (95), operatic soprano
October 23 – Tony Capstick (59), comedian, actor and musician
October 24 – Rosie Nix Adams, singer-songwriter
October 29 – Franco Corelli (82), operatic tenor
October 30 - Franco Bonisolli (65), operatic tenor
November 5 – Bobby Hatfield (63), singer (The Righteous Brothers)
November 9 - Buddy Arnold (77), jazz saxophonist
November 12 – Tony Thompson (48), drummer of Chic (kidney cancer)
November 14 – Gene Anthony Ray (41), actor and dancer (complications of a stroke)
November 15
Dorothy Loudon (70), actress and singer
Speedy West (79), American guitarist and producer (b. 1924)
November 17
Arthur Conley (57), soul singer (intestinal cancer)
Don Gibson (75), country musician
November 18 – Michael Kamen (55), composer, conductor and musician (heart attack)
November 19 - Greg Ridley (56), English bassist (Humble Pie)
November 26 – Soulja Slim (26), rapper (homicide)
November 28 – Thekra, Tunisian singer (murdered by her husband)
December 8 – Rubén González (84), pianist
December 16 – Gary Stewart (59), country singer (suicide)
December 22 – Dave Dudley (75), country singer (heart attack)
December 27 – Vestal Goodman (74), gospel singer (influenza complications)
December 30 – Anita Mui (40), Hong Kong pop singer
December 31 - Sieglinde Wagner (82), operatic contralto
The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: AC/DC, The Clash, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, The Police, The Righteous Brothers
Leonard Cohen is made a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest honour.
ARIA Music Awards of 2003
Entertainer of the Year: Alan Jackson
Female Vocalist of the Year: Martina McBride
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2003
Grammy Awards of 2003
Boy in Da Corner – Dizzee Rascal wins.
Triple J Hottest 100, 2003
