Timeline of musical events

2010s

2017 in music, 2017 in American music, 2017 in British music, 2017 in Norwegian music

Deaths of Al Jarreau, Chuck Berry

Notable releases:

Sepultura's Machine Messiah

Ed Sheeran's Divide

2016 in music, 2016 in American music, 2016 in British music, 2016 in Norwegian music

Deaths of Juan Gabriel, Paul Bley, Pierre Boulez, Elizabeth Swados, David Bowie, Paul Kantner, Glenn Frey, Leif Solberg, Harald Devold, George Martin, Naná Vasconcelos, Keith Emerson, Merle Haggard, Christina Grimmie, Glenn Yarbrough, Dan Hicks, Maurice White, Pete Burns, John Berry, Vanity, Prince, Oscar Brand, Mose Allison, Nick Menza, Viola Beach, Leon Russell, Fred Hellerman, Leonard Cohen, Greg Lake and George Michael

Notable releases:

David Bowie's Blackstar

Leonard Cohen's You Want It Darker

Tord Gustavsen's What Was Said

Jon Balke's Warp

Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman

Suede's Night Thoughts

Britney Spears' Glory

Nick Jonas's Last Year Was Complicated

Bruno Mars's 24K Magic

Green Day's Revolution Radio

Blink-182's California

Sum 41's 13 Voices

Lady Gaga's Joanne

Beyoncé's Lemonade

Rihanna's Anti

Tove Lo's Lady Wood

The Weeknd's Starboy

Avenged Sevenfold's The Stage

Metal Church's XI

Metallica's Hardwired... to Self-Destruct

Megadeth's Dystopia

Anthrax's For All Kings

Testament's Brotherhood of the Snake

Bon Jovi's This House Is Not for Sale

Kings of Leon's Walls

Frank Ocean's Blonde

Jackie Evancho's Someday at Christmas

2015 in music, 2015 in American music, 2015 in British music, 2015 in Norwegian music

Death of Lemmy, Clark Terry, Erik Amundsen, Rod McKuen, Lesley Gore, Percy Sledge, Ben E. King, B.B. King, Jean Ritchie, Ronnie Gilbert, Ornette Coleman, Theodore Bikel, Bob Johnston, Nora Brockstedt, Scott Weiland, Svein Christiansen, Gary Richrath, Dallas Taylor, Kim Fowley, and Natalie Cole.

Notable releases:

Twenty One Pilots's Blurryface

Blur's The Magic Whip

Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly

Breaking Benjamin's Dark Before Dawn

Disturbed's Immortalized

Jeff Lynne's ELO's Alone in the Universe

Adele's 25

Iron Maiden's The Book of Souls

Slayer's Repentless

Madonna's Rebel Heart

Marius Neset's Pinball

Dag Arnesen's Grieg, Tveitt & I

Olga Konkova Trio's The Goldilocks Zone

Pentatonix's Pentatonix

Hamilton

Faith No More's Sol Invictus

Jerry Lee Lewis embarks on a final tour of the UK.

2014 in music, 2014 in American music, 2014 in British music, 2014 in Norwegian music

Death of Phil Everly, Pete Seeger, Casey Kasem, Bobby Womack, Tommy Ramone, Johnny Winter, Paco De Lucia, Jack Bruce, Bobby Keys, Joe Cocker

Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney perform together on 50th anniversary celebration to the Beatles, with performances by various artists.

Notable releases:

Ed Sheeran's x

Linkin Park's The Hunting Party

Slipknot's .5: The Gray Chapter

Coldplay's Ghost Stories

Jackie Evancho's Awakening

Taylor Swift's 1989

Jake Bugg's Shangri-La

Bob Dylan's The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete

U2's Songs of Innocence

Beck's Morning Phase

Sam Smith's In the Lonely Hour

Nicki Minaj's Pinkprint

Pharrell Williams's Girl

Exodus' Blood In, Blood Out

2013 in music, 2013 in British music, 2013 in Norwegian music

Death of Patti Page, Cecil Womack, Lil Snupe, Alvin Lee, Clive Burr, Jeff Hanneman, Lou Reed, and Ray Manzarek.

Notable release:

Lorde's Pure Heroine

Lady Gaga's Artpop

Katy Perry's Prism

Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience

2012 in music, 2012 in British music, 2012 in Canadian music, 2012 in Norwegian music

Death of Ian Bargh, Whitney Houston, Etta James, Ravi Shankar, Davy Jones, Earl Scruggs, Levon Helm, Adam Yauch, Donna Summer, Robin Gibb, Doc Watson, Bob Welch, Kitty Wells, Jon Lord, Andy Williams, Jenni Rivera, Mitch Lucker, Dave Brubeck and Richard Rodney Bennett.

The Beach Boys embark on a 2012 world tour celebrating their 50th Anniversary.

Swedish House Mafia announce their break up and embark on One Last Tour.

English singer-songwriter Jake Bugg releases his debut album, Jake Bugg.

Madonna's 12th studio album is released, entitled MDNA. It tops the charts across the globe including the United Kingdom where she becomes the solo artist with the most number one albums and the UK breaks the iTunes pre-order record. To support the album she embarks on The MDNA Tour which grosses over $305 million and becomes the second highest grossing female tour, behind her own Sticky and Sweet Tour.

South Korean pop singer Psy releases his album Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1.

Nicki Minaj releases her album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

Kesha releases Warrior

Taylor Swift releases Red

2011 in music, 2011 in British music, 2011 in Norwegian music

Death of Gerry Rafferty, Gary Moore, George Shearing, Mike Starr, Ferlin Husky, Gil Scott-Heron, Clarence Clemons, Amy Winehouse, Sylvia Robinson, Bert Jansch, and Dobie Gray.

English singer Adele released the album 21, which had sold 26.4 million copies worldwide according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, became the best selling album in the past 15 years, and also won six Grammys.

Lady Gaga releases her album Born This Way

Jessie J releases her debut album, Who You Are

2010 in music, 2010 in British music, 2010 in Japanese music, 2010 in Norwegian music

Tour of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax perform together for the first time as part of the Big 4 shows.

Death of Teddy Pendergrass, Ed Thigpen, Kate McGarrigle, Ronnie James Dio, Peter Steele, Paul Gray, Lena Horne, Jimmy Dean, Tuli Kupferberg, Eddie Fisher, Joan Sutherland and Bobby Farrell.

Notable releases:

Gorillaz' "Plastic Beach"

Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday

Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Katy Perry's Teenage Dream

Kesha releases her first studio album, Kesha, as well as her first EP, Cannibal.

2000s

2009 in music, 2009 in British music, 2009 in Norwegian music

Deaths of Michael Jackson, James Owen Sullivan, Leon Kirchner, Les Paul, Ali Akbar Khan, Merce Cunningham, Ron Asheton, Henri Pousseur, Mary Travers, Stephen Gately, and Alain Bashung.

Lady Gaga releases The Fame Monster

Flo Rida releases his studio album R.O.O.T.S.. His lead single "Right Round" introduces future pop star Kesha to a mainstream audience.

Noel Gallagher departs from Oasis after 18 years.

Phoenix release worldwide hit Lisztomania centered around the fan-frenzy towards composer Franz Liszt.

The Black Eyed Peas's The E.N.D

2008 in music, 2008 in British music, 2008 in Norwegian music

Deaths of Mauricio Kagel, Artie Traum, Wilfrid Mellers, LeRoi Moore, Erik Darling, Isaac Hayes, Bo Diddley, Richard Wright, Nick Reynolds, Mitch Mitchell, Miriam Makeba, Odetta, Eartha Kitt, Freddie Hubbard, and Robert Hazard.

Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" becomes her 18th U.S. chart-topper, setting the record for most U.S. number ones singles by a solo artist – only behind The Beatles with 20 – and most weeks at number one on the Hot 100 chart with a total of 79.

Lil Wayne released Tha Carter III and sold 1 million copies in the first week, becoming the best selling album of 2008.

Madonna's Sticky and Sweet Tour becomes the highest grossing female tour of all-time (surpassing her own record) and then the highest grossing solo tour of all time. It promotes her 11th studio album Hard Candy which sells 4 million copies and includes the international hit song "4 Minutes".

Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak

Lady Gaga's first studio album, The Fame

Katy Perry releases her first studio album, One of the Boys

Taylor Swift's second studio album, Fearless releases.

2007 in music, 2007 in British music, 2007 in Norwegian music

Deaths of Beverly Sills, Max Roach, Oscar Peterson, Izumi Sakai, Luciano Pavarotti, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Don Arden.

Live Earth and Led Zeppelin reunion.

Radiohead splits from EMI and independently releases In Rainbows with an online download method of payment that allows the buyer to choose their price.

The Mars Volta releases one of the first USB flash drive albums, as part of their The Bedlam in Goliath.

Kanye West releases Graduation.

2006 in music, 2006 in British music, 2006 in Norwegian music, 2006 in Swiss music

Taylor Swift releases her debut album, Taylor Swift

Deaths of James Brown and Syd Barrett.

2005 in music, 2005 in British music, 2005 in Norwegian music, 2005 in Swiss music

Gorillaz release the hit album, "Demon Days."

Mariah Carey releases her 10-million selling The Emancipation of Mimi, the best-selling album of the year worldwide, alongside the album's second single "We Belong Together", the year's most successful single, and the Song of the Decade 2000–2009.

Death of Luther Vandross and John Herald.

Pink Floyd reunion for Live 8.

Madonna releases Confessions on a Dance Floor, her 10th studio album. It wins a Grammy award, Brit award, sells in excess of 12 million copies and has the worldwide hit "Hung Up" which tops the charts in a record-breaking 41 countries.

Kanye West releases his album Late Registration

Debuts by:

Bullet for My Valentine's The Poison

2004 in music, 2004 in British music, 2004 in Norwegian music

Death of Ray Charles and Dimebag Darrell.

Danger Mouse releases The Grey Album, sparking days of electronic disobedience by Internet file sharers against EMI.

Green Day releases American Idiot to critical acclaim.

Canadian singer Celine Dion became recipient of the Diamond award, and she was honored in 2004 by World Music Awards receiving the best selling female artist of all time.

Debut by:

Kanye West The College Dropout

Notable releases:

Wicked

O-Zone release Dragostea Din Tei, which became an Internet sensation.

2003 in music, 2003 in British music, 2003 in Norwegian music

Death of Celia Cruz, Johnny Cash, and John Serry Sr..

Notable releases:

Linkin Park's Meteora

Evanescence's Fallen

The Black Eyed Peas's Elephunk

2002 in music, 2002 in British music, 2002 in Norwegian music

Death of Waylon Jennings, Dave Van Ronk, Layne Staley, Lisa Left-Eye Lopes, Lonnie Donegan and Joe Strummer.

Beginning of American Idol (initially titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar) which brings the arrival of first winner Kelly Clarkson.

Alan Jackson releases Drive.

2001 in music, 2001 in British music, 2001 in Norwegian music

Duran Duran is reunited with the original five members and goes on tour for the first time since 1985.

Michael Jackson's last studio album Invincible released.

Gorillaz' self-titled debut album Gorillaz is released.

Napster's popularity peaks.

Deaths of Aaliyah, George Harrison, John Lee Hooker, John Phillips, Perry Como, and Chuck Schuldiner.

Metallica and Dr. Dre sue Napster over illegal distribution of their music.

Debuts by:

Avenged Sevenfold's Sounding the Seventh Trumpet

2000 in music, 2000 in British music, 2000 in Norwegian music

Mariah Carey becomes the Best-Selling Artist of the Millennium according to the World Music Awards.

Britney Spears' Oops!... I Did It Again sells over 23 million copies and becomes the best-selling album by a female artist of the decade.

Blink-182 enjoy mainstream success (mainly from their hit single "All the Small Things") and lead pop-punk into the 21st Century.

Madonna releases her album Music, which goes on to sell 15 million copies, becomes universally acclaimed, and gets nominated for 5 Grammy awards. It follows her 1998 comeback Ray of Light.

Debuts by:

Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory

List of 10 best-selling albums of the 2000s

1. The Beatles – 1 – 31 million – 2000
2. Norah Jones – Come Away with Me – 26 million – 2002
3. Backstreet Boys – Black & Blue – 24 million – 2000
4. Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory – 24 million – 2000
5. Britney Spears – Oops!... I Did It Again – 20 million – 2000
6. Usher – Confessions – 20 million – 2004
7. Eminem – The Eminem Show – 19 million – 2002
8. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP – 19 million – 2000
9. Avril Lavigne – Let Go – 17 million – 2002
10. Evanescence – Fallen – 17 million – 2003

1990s

1999 in music, 1999 in British music, 1999 in Norwegian music

Arrival of Britney Spears, Coldplay, Jenni Rivera, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Slipknot, Muse and Jennifer Lopez.

Death of Rick Danko and Curtis Mayfield.

Notable releases:

Blink-182's Enema of the State

Lynda Thomas' Mi Día de la Independencia

Backstreet Boys' Millennium

1998 in music, 1998 in British music.

Deaths of:

Frank Sinatra

Hide

Lauryn Hill releases The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

The Offspring releases Americana.

"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith becomes the first song by a rock band to debut at No. 1.

Insane Clown Posse gets dropped from the Walt Disney Company's record label Hollywood Records after the release of The Great Milenko, in order for Disney to prevent a violent Southern Baptist Church protest due to Walt Disney World's Gay Days events.

Madonna releases her seventh studio album Ray of Light which goes on to sell over 16 million copies, become universally acclaimed and win 4 Grammy Awards.

Geri Halliwell leaves the Spice Girls

Death releases their final album The Sound of Perservance.

1997 in music, 1997 in British music

Debut of Backstreet Boys

Death of John Denver, Jeff Buckley, Townes Van Zandt, The Notorious B.I.G., Michael Hutchence, and Velvet.

Notable releases:

Radiohead's OK Computer

Mariah Carey's #1's, selling 17 million copies.

Blur release the single Song 2 to a chart-topping success.

Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love, which sold over 31 million copies worldwide. Lead single "My Heart Will Go On" became the best selling single of the year and the second best selling single by a female artist of all time.

The Verve's Urban Hymns

1996 in music, 1996 in British music

Death of Ella Fitzgerald, Tupac Shakur, and Brad Nowell.

Arrival of Lynda Thomas, Spice Girls.

Guns N' Roses break up, later reuniting for 2008's Chinese Democracy.

Pink Floyd disband.

Celine Dion released the album Falling into You, selling over 32 million copies worldwide.

Max Cavalera leaves Sepultura, later going on to form Soulfly.

Notable releases:

Sepultura's Roots

1995 in music, 1995 in British music

Michael Jackson releases HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, the best-selling multi-disc album of all time. This double album contains "You Are Not Alone" – the first single ever to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number one.

Death of Jerry Garcia, Dean Martin, Phyllis Hyman, Selena, Burl Ives, and Eazy-E.

Mariah Carey becomes the first female artist in history to have a song debut at number one with Fantasy.

Mariah Carey and band Boyz II Men releases the multiple-record holding "One Sweet Day", the single with the most weeks at number and the Song of the Decade 1990–1999.

Queen releases their final album Made in Heaven following the death of frontman Freddie Mercury.

Notable releases:

Death's Symbolic

Riverdance

1994 in music, 1994 in British music

Deaths of:

Dinah Shore

Kurt Cobain

Debuts by:

Oasis (Definitely Maybe)

Weezer (The Blue Album)

Brandy

Other albums released:

Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, their last album until 2014's The Endless River.

Madonna's Bedtime Stories

Blur's Parklife

Green Day's major-label debut, Dookie, with the hits "Longview", "Welcome to Paradise", "Basket Case", "When I Come Around" and "She".

The Offspring's Smash

Soundgarden's Superunknown

R.E.M.'s Monster

NOFX's Punk in Drublic

Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral

Bad Religion's Stranger Than Fiction. With this album, the band earned their first (and only) US gold record in its 15-year career.

Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas, with its multi-platinum lead single "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which eventually becomes the nineteenth best-selling digital single of the 20th century.

Beck's major-label debut, Mellow Gold.

1993 in music, 1993 in British music

Debuts by:

Cynic (Focus)

Rancid (Rancid)

Snoop Doggy Dogg (Doggystyle)

Tool (Undertow)

Wu-Tang Clan (Enter the Wu-Tang)

Nirvana release their final album, titled In Utero.

Deaths of Frank Zappa, Marian Anderson, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Mariah Carey releases her 32-million selling Music Box album.

Bad Religion signs to Atlantic Records, where the band later achieves success.

Other albums released:

Death's Individual Thought Patterns

Duran Duran's The Wedding Album

Morbid Angel's Covenant

Pestilence's Spheres

Sepultura's Chaos A.D.

Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales

1992 in music, 1992 in British music

Debut albums by Body Count (Body Count), Dr. Dre (The Chronic), Pavement (Slanted and Enchanted), Rage Against the Machine (Rage Against the Machine), Stone Temple Pilots (Core), Supergrass (I Should Coco), Sublime (40oz. to Freedom), Therapy? (Nurse), Ugly Kid Joe (America's Least Wanted) and Tori Amos (Little Earthquakes) are released.

Death of John Cage and Yutaka Ozaki.

U2 start the Zoo TV Tour

Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert

Other releases:

R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People

Madonna's sexually-provocative book Sex, which was accompanied by the double-platinum album Erotica. It becomes one of the most controversial books and albums ever released, but enjoys commercial success. From it, Madonna made $500 million for her label.

The soundtrack to the film The Bodyguard, the best selling soundtrack album of all time, selling over 45 million copies worldwide to date. Its leading single "I Will Always Love You" became the best selling single by a female artist (Whitney Houston) of all time, selling over 15 million copies.

Faith No More's Angel Dust

Obituary's The End Complete

1991 in music, 1991 in British music

Debut albums by:

Blur (Leisure)

Cypress Hill (Cypress Hill)

EMF (Schubert Dip)

The Infectious Grooves (The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves)

Kyuss (Wretch)

Massive Attack (Blue Lines)

Pearl Jam (Ten)

The Smashing Pumpkins (Gish)

Beck (Golden Feelings)

Death of Miles Davis, Freddie Mercury, Eric Carr, Steve Clark.

Notable releases:

Death's Human

Michael Jackson's Dangerous

Metallica's Metallica

Morbid Angel's Blessed Are the Sick

Nirvana's Nevermind

Pestilence's Testimony of the Ancients

Sepultura's Arise

U2's Achtung Baby

Mariah Carey wins the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Mariah Carey becomes the only artist in history to have their first 5 consecutive singles reach number one in the United States.

1990 in music, 1990 in British music

Debut albums by Alice in Chains (Facelift), Cannibal Corpse (Eaten Back to Life), Mariah Carey (Mariah Carey), Deee-Lite (World Clique), Green Day (39/Smooth), Helmet (Strap It On), Ice Cube (AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted), Primus (Frizzle Fry), Ride (Nowhere) and A Tribe Called Quest (People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm) are released.

Death of Sarah Vaughan, Leonard Bernstein, Johnnie Ray, and Sammy Davis, Jr..

Milli Vanilli becomes exposed as a music fraud.

The Three Tenors; Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti give their first concert, at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.

Notable releases:

Obituary's Cause of Death

Pantera's Cowboys from Hell

Megadeth's Rust in Peace

List of 10 best-selling albums of the 1990s

1. Whitney Houston / Various artists – The Bodyguard – 45 million – 1992
2. Backstreet Boys – Millennium – 30 million – 1999
3. Shania Twain – Come on Over – 40 million – 1997
4. Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill – 33 million – 1995
5. Mariah Carey – Music Box – 32 million – 1993
6. Celine Dion – Falling into You – 32 million – 1996
7. Michael Jackson – Dangerous – 32 million – 1991
8. Celine Dion – Let's Talk About Love – 31 million – 1997
9. Madonna – The Immaculate Collection – 30 million – 1990
10. Britney Spears – ...Baby One More Time – 30 million – 1999

1980s

1989 in music, 1989 in British music

Debut albums are released by:

3rd Bass (The Cactus Album)

De La Soul (3 Feet High and Rising)

The D.O.C. (No One Can Do It Better)

Morbid Angel (Altars of Madness)

Nine Inch Nails (Pretty Hate Machine)

Nirvana (Bleach)

Obituary (Slowly We Rot)

The Offspring (The Offspring)

The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses)

Other albums released:

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

Mötley Crüe's Dr. Feelgood, one of the notable hard rock/heavy metal albums to top the Billboard 200

Pestilence's Consuming Impulse

Sepultura's Beneath the Remains

"Weird Al" Yankovic's soundtrack to the film UHF

Ice Cube departs from N.W.A after financial problems and several conflicts with their manager Jerry Heller and the group's founder Eazy-E, and begins a solo career.

1988 in music

Debut albums are released by:

Biz Markie (Goin' Off)

Tracy Chapman (Tracy Chapman)

Danzig (Danzig)

Eazy-E (Eazy-Duz-It)

EPMD (Strictly Business)

Jane's Addiction (Nothing's Shocking)

Living Colour (Vivid)

Morrissey (Viva Hate)

N.W.A (Straight Outta Compton)

NOFX (Liberal Animation)

Pestilence (Malleus Maleficarum)

The Pixies (Surfer Rosa)

Soundgarden (Ultramega OK)

Other albums released:

Bon Jovi's New Jersey, which charts five consecutive Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the most ever for a hard rock album

Bad Religion's Suffer

Bathory's Blood Fire Death, marking the arrival of the Viking metal genre

Whitney Houston with "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" all peaked at number one on the US Hot 100 chart, which gave her a total of seven consecutive number one hits, breaking the record of six previously shared by The Beatles and the Bee Gees.

Formation of the Traveling Wilburys

Death of Roy Orbison

Births of:

B.o.B

Big Sean

Rihanna

1987 in music –

Notable releases:

Anthrax's Among the Living

Michael Jackson's Bad, which is the first album to have 5 consecutive No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Whitney Houston's Whitney, making her the first female artist in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and the first artist to enter the albums chart at number one in both the US and UK, while also hitting number one or top ten in dozens of other countries around the world. The album's first single, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", was also a massive hit worldwide, peaking at No. 1.

Sepultura's Schizophrenia

Def Leppard's Hysteria

U2's The Joshua Tree, with the No. 1 hits "With or Without You", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "Where the Streets Have No Name"

The Beastie Boys' debut Licensed to Ill, released the year before, becomes the first hip hop record to reach number one on the Billboard 200.

Death of legendary record producer John H. Hammond.

Debuts by:

Death (Scream Bloody Gore)

Guns N' Roses (Appetite for Destruction)

Testament (The Legacy)

Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up)

1986 in music

Aerosmith re-records "Walk This Way" with rap group Run-D.M.C. which blends rock and rap music, introduces rap music to a mainstream audience for the first time, and marks the beginning of the resurrection of Aerosmith's career, one of rock's most remarkable comebacks

Debuts by:

Sepultura (Morbid Visions)

Notable releases:

Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet which stays at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for 4 weeks

Metallica's Master of Puppets

Megadeth's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying

Slayer's Reign in Blood

Janet Jackson's Control

Madonna's True Blue, which goes on to sell over 25 million copies and becomes the best-selling female album of the decade.

Stephen Sondheim Into the Woods

Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera

Deaths of:

Benny Goodman

Richard Manuel

Cliff Burton

1985 in music –

Death of Ricky Nelson

Live Aid and Farm Aid benefit concerts take place.

Duran Duran records "A View to a Kill" to the James Bond movie of the same name. This single remains the only Bond theme to go to Number 1 on the US charts, and the highest-placed Bond theme on the UK chart where it reached Number 2.

The famous hard rock band Guns N' Roses was formed in Los Angeles.

Debuts by:

Exodus (Bonded by Blood)

Whitney Houston (self-titled)

Megadeth (Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!)

Overkill (Feel the Fire)

Notable releases:

Phil Collins' No Jacket Required

Slayer's Hell Awaits

Alain Boublil and Claude-MiChelsea Schönberg's Les Misérables

Tears for Fears' Songs from the Big Chair

1984 in music –

Deaths of:

Marvin Gaye

Jackie Wilson

Akhnaten by Philip Glass premieres in Stuttgart

Notable releases:

The Bob Marley & The Wailers compilation album Legend, the best-selling reggae album of all time

Mercyful Fate's Don't Break the Oath

Metallica's Ride the Lightning

Prince's soundtrack to the film Purple Rain

Tina Turner's Private Dancer

Van Halen's 1984, which contains the No. 1 single "Jump" and becomes their last studio album to feature David Lee Roth on vocals until 2012's A Different Kind of Truth

Debuts by:

Anthrax (Fistful of Metal)

Bathory (self-titled)

Bon Jovi (self-titled)

Celtic Frost (Morbid Tales)

Yngwie Malmsteen (Rising Force)

Metal Church (self-titled)

Ratt (Out of the Cellar)

Voivod (War and Pain)

W.A.S.P. (self-titled)

Duran Duran was the first group ever to utilize a monitor in concert to project their performance.

R. Murray Schafer's Concerto for flute and orchestra peroformed featuring Robert Aitken on flute.

Michael Jackson's album Thriller wins a record-breaking 8 Grammy Awards at the 1984 Grammys.

1983 in music

Death of Muddy Waters

Notable releases:

Accept's Balls to the Wall

Def Leppard's Pyromania

Iron Maiden's Piece of Mind

Mötley Crüe's Shout at the Devil

New Order's Power, Corruption & Lies and "Blue Monday", the biggest-selling 12-inch record of all time.

Ozzy Osbourne's Bark at the Moon

The Police's Synchronicity

Quiet Riot's Metal Health, which is the first heavy metal album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.

Debuts by:

D.R.I. (Dirty Rotten EP/LP)

Dio (Holy Diver)

Dokken (Breaking the Chains)

Cyndi Lauper (She's So Unusual)

Madonna (self-titled)

Mercyful Fate (Melissa)

Metallica (Kill 'Em All)

Pantera (Metal Magic)

Queensrÿche (self-titled EP)

R.E.M. (Murmur)

Slayer (Show No Mercy)

Sonic Youth (Confusion Is Sex)

Suicidal Tendencies (self-titled)

Tears for Fears (The Hurting)

Wham! (Fantastic)

Stevie Ray Vaughan (Texas Flood)

"Weird Al" Yankovic (self-titled)

Irene Cara releases her top hit "Flashdance... What a Feeling".

1982 in music –

The compact disc is introduced.

Blondie disband.

Ronnie James Dio leaves Black Sabbath and forms Dio.

Metallica makes its debut on record, appearing on the first Metal Massacre compilation album. "Hit the Lights", the track recorded for this compilation album, would be re-recorded a year later for their debut album Kill 'Em All.

Deaths of:

Thelonious Monk

Lightnin' Hopkins

Glenn Gould

Randy Rhoads

Debuts by:

Asia (Asia)

Notable releases:

Accept's Restless and Wild

Phil Collins' Hello, I Must Be Going!

Duran Duran's Rio

INXS' Shabooh Shoobah

Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast

Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance

Michael Jackson's Thriller, the best-selling album of all time.

Roxy Music's Avalon

Rush's Signals

Venom's Black Metal, coining the term which would later be associated with the black metal genre.

1981 in music –

MTV first airs

Death of Bob Marley

Bands formed:

Anthrax

Asia

Metallica

Mötley Crüe

Slayer

Tears for Fears

Debuts by:

Phil Collins (Face Value)

Duran Duran (self-titled)

Mötley Crüe (Too Fast for Love)

Venom (Welcome to Hell)

Notable releases:

Genesis' Abacab

Rush's Moving Pictures

1980 in music –

Deaths of:

Ian Curtis

Bon Scott

John Lennon

John Bonham

Tim Hardin

Vinicius de Moraes

Debuts by:

U2 (Boy)

Bryan Adams (self-titled)

Iron Maiden (self-titled)

Sheena Easton (Take My Time)

Notable releases:

AC/DC's Back in Black

Rush's Permanent Waves

1970s

1979 in music

Deaths of:

Richard Rodgers

Charles Mingus

Sid Vicious

Birth of Norah Jones

The Sony Walkman goes on sale

Notable releases:

The Clash's London Calling

Pink Floyd's The Wall

Michael Jackson's Off the Wall

Donna Summer's Bad Girls

Anita Ward's Ring My Bell

Public Image Ltd.'s Metal Box

Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight", made the official popularity of rap

1978 in music

Notable releases:

The Who's Who Are You

Blondie's Parallel Lines

Death of Keith Moon

Debuts by:

Prince (For You)

Van Halen (Van Halen)

Dire Straits (Dire Straits)

Public Image Ltd. (Public Image: First Issue)

1977 in music – Sex Pistols release Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols; Death of Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Marc Bolan; Fleetwood Mac releases Rumours; Bee Gees – Saturday Night Fever; Lynyrd Skynyrd Convair 240 plane crash; Steve Hackett leaves Genesis; Birth of Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance, Birth of Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and Fort Minor

1976 in music – Birth of Chester Bennington; Death of Paul Robeson, Phil Ochs, Howlin' Wolf; The Eagles release Hotel California, ABBA release Dancing Queen, the Ramones release their self-titled debut album; The Band has a final concert called The Last Waltz; Birth of Emma Bunton

1975 in music – Death of Dmitri Shostakovich, Tim Buckley, Umm Kulthum; Bob Dylan begins Rolling Thunder Revue; Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run; Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks; Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti; Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic; Patti Smith – Horses; Release of Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby; Peter Gabriel leaves Genesis; Queen releases A Night at the Opera; Birth of Melanie Brown

1974 in music – Death of Duke Ellington, Nick Drake; Birth of Melanie Chisholm and Victoria Beckham; Release of Genesis's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway; ABBA win the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo, Olivia Newton-John places fourth with Long Live Love.

1973 in music – Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon, Death of Bobby Darin, Gram Parsons; Birth of Ferry Corsten; The Who's Quadrophenia Released; Buffalo, Volcanic Rock, Diana Ross released Touch Me in the Morning, Maureen McGovern releases The Morning After, Roberta Flack releases Killing Me Softly With His Song, Marie Osmond releases Paper Roses

1972 in music – Birth of The Notorious B.I.G., The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. Birth of Rob Thomas from Matchbox Twenty; Birth of Eminem, Geri Halliwell, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool and Mark Hoppus; Bette Midler releases The Divine Miss M

1971 in music – Birth of Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg; Death of Igor Stravinsky, Duane Allman, Louis Armstrong, Jim Morrison, Carl Ruggles; Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV, Marvin Gaye – What's Going On, The Who – Who's Next, Joni Mitchell – Blue; Birth of the band Queen

1970 in music – Birth of Mariah Carey. The Beatles disband; Death of Jimi Hendrix, Death of Janis Joplin; John Lennon releases John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Diana Ross departs from The Supremes and releases Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Black Sabbath releases debut album, George Harrison releases All Things Must Pass

1960s

1969 in music – Death of Brian Jones; – Death of Judy Garland; Woodstock music festival held in Bethel, New York; Birth of Dave Grohl, Jennifer Lopez, Jenni Rivera and Tiësto; The Beatles – Abbey Road, Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline, The Who's Tommy released, Jackson 5 appearance on Ed Sullivan, King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King

1968 in music – Birth of Toni Braxton; – Van Morrison – Astral Weeks, The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet, The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland, Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin, The Beatles – The Beatles (AKA The White Album), Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison, The Band – Music from Big Pink; Birth of John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) and Thom Yorke Anne Murray releases What About Me

1967 in music – Birth of Kurt Cobain, Chuck Schuldiner; Death of Woody Guthrie, John Coltrane, Otis Redding; The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour, The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico, The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold as Love, Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, The Doors – The Doors (with the hit single, "Light My Fire"), Bob Dylan – John Wesley Harding, The 13th Floor Elevators – Easter Everywhere; Monterey Pop Festival

1966 in music – The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds, Cream – Fresh Cream, The Beatles – Revolver, Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde, The 13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators; Birth of Rick Astley

1965 in music – The Beatles – Help!, The Beatles – Rubber Soul, Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited (with the single "Like a Rolling Stone"), The Rolling Stones – Out of Our Heads (with the single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"), Herman's Hermits debut; Death of Edgard Varèse, Nat King Cole.

1964 in music – Birth of Robert Trujillo – Death of Sam Cooke, Milton Babbitt, Ensembles For Synthesizer; The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show; The Beatles – A Hard Day's Night, Bill Lear invents 8-track tape cartridge; Bob Dylan – The Times They Are a-Changin', British Invasion begins, Beatlemania invades America and becomes international, The Righteous Brothers become the first white act signed to Phil Spector's Philles label. The Beach Boys – I Get Around released and hits No. 1.

1963 in music – First cassette tapes made by Philips, The Beatles – Please Please Me, Birth of Paul Oakenfold, Birth of Whitney Houston, Birth of Eazy-E, Birth of James Hetfield; Death of Patsy Cline, Édith Piaf; Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, The Righteous Brothers "Little Latin Lupe Lu" is released on the Moonglow label; Stevie Wonder releases his first big hit 'finger-tips – part 2' aged only 13, arguably making Motown music commercially popular for the first time even though its birth was in 1959; Elvis Presley records Today, Tomorrow and Forever with Ann-Margret, which uses the melody of Franz Liszt's Liebesträume.

1962 in music – "Love Me Do" released as a single by The Beatles; Bob Dylan is the debut album from the highly influential American artist of the same name. It was released on March 19, 1962 on Columbia Records, when Dylan was 20 years old. Birth of Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Jon Bon Jovi, Axl Rose; Death of Marilyn Monroe

1961 in music – Birth of Dave Mustaine; Death of Cisco Houston, Moss Hart

1960 in music – Birth of Bono; Death of Oscar Hammerstein II

1950s

1959 in music

Birth of Sheena Easton, Irene Cara, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Pete Burns (from Dead or Alive), and Marie Osmond.

Death of Billie Holiday, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Heitor Villa-Lobos.

Motown Records was created, with their first hit being (Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)").

Miles Davis releases Kind of Blue.

Charles Mingus releases Mingus Ah Um.

My Eyes Have Seen is the third influential album by American folk singer Odetta who was an important voice of the folk music revival movement in the early 1960s.

Bobby Darin's Mack the Knife hits No. 1 and remains there for nine weeks.

Rodgers and Hammerstein release The Sound of Music.

1958 in music Death of Ralph Vaughan Williams; Cannonball Adderley records Somethin' Else; Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Moanin'; Bruce Dickinson, Nikki Sixx, Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson are born. Born Bossa Nova a Brazilian kind of music. Carl Ruggles, Exaltation in honour of his late wife, Charlotte. Cliff Richard and The Drifters release Move It, considered Britain's first rock and roll hit single. Little Richard enters seminary.

1957 in music – Death of Jean Sibelius;Birth of Anita Ward; "That'll Be the Day" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets becomes a US No. 1 hit; Harry Belafonte has a big hit that reached number five on the Billboard charts with the calypso song "Day-O"; At the Gate of Horn is the second solo album by American folk singer Odetta who was a seminal influence on the folksingers of the 1960s. John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet in Liverpool.

1956 in music – The first Eurovision Song Contest is held on 24 May, Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show; Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues is the influential debut solo album by American folk singer Odetta.

1955 in music – Cole Porter's Silk Stockings; Death of Charlie Parker, "Rock Around the Clock" becomes first worldwide No. 1 rock and roll record; Little Richard records "Tutti-Frutti", one of the first rock and roll songs; Birth of Yo-Yo Ma, Harry James signs with Capital releasing Harry James in Hi-Fi, Lonnie Donegan released "Rock Island Line".

1954 in music – Death of Billy Murray (singer) Elvis Presley releases "That's Alright Mama" on Sun Records; First Fender Stratocaster produced

1953 in music – Cole Porter's Can-Can; Death of Hank Williams, Death of Sergei Prokofiev, Soviet composer and pianist

1952 in music, 1952 in music – Birth of Joe Strummer, Johnny Thunders, The official UK singles chart is launched; Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA) established

1951 in music – "Rocket 88" is recorded by Ike Turner and hailed as the first rock 'n' roll song; The Rake's Progress by Igor Stravinsky premieres in Venice. Birth of Joey Ramone; The King and I by Rodgers and Hammerstein

1950 in music – Birth of Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, Agnetha Fältskog; Death of Kurt Weill, Al Jolson, Vaslav Nijinsky

1940s

1949 in music – Birth of Bruce Springsteen, Maureen McGovern, Valery Leontiev, Paul Rodgers, Billy Joel, Roger Taylor and Mark Knopfler; RCA Victor introduces 45 RPM records; South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein

1948 in music – Birth of Robert Plant, John Bonham, Steven Tyler, Donna Summer, Johnny Ramone, Ted Nugent, James Taylor, Alice Cooper, Jackson Browne, Kenny Loggins, Ian Paice, Olivia Newton-John, and Ozzy Osbourne; Kiss Me, Kate – Cole Porter; Four Last Songs – Richard Strauss; Columbia Records introduces 331/3 RPM (LP) records.

1947 in music – Birth of Elton John, David Bowie, Bob Weir, Brian Johnson, Emmylou Harris, Arlo Guthrie, Tracy Nelson, Paul Brady, Tim Buckley, Jim Messina, Mick Fleetwood, Organum, Jeff Lynne and Carlos Santana

1946 in music – Birth of Freddie Mercury, Toquinho, Keith Moon, Benny Andersson, Bon Scott, Donovan, Linda Ronstadt, Marianne Faithfull, Gram Parsons, Cher, Patti Smith David Gilmour, John Paul Jones and Dolly Parton

1945 in music – Birth of Bob Marley, Pete Townshend, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Bob Seger, Bette Midler, Deborah Harry, Anne Murray, Carly Simon, John Fogerty, Rod Stewart, Kim Carnes, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, John McVie, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ritchie Blackmore, Itzhak Perlman, Debbie Harry and Eric Clapton; Death of Jerome Kern; Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten premieres in London; Carousel – Rodgers and Hammerstein; Metamorphosen by Richard Strauss;

1944 in music – Birth of Keith Emerson, Barry White, Diana Ross, Jeff Beck, Chico Buarque, Marvin Hamlisch, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Booker T. Jones, Joe Cocker, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Gary Glitter, Brenda Lee, Townes Van Zandt, Mary Wilson (singer) and Jimmy Page; Disappearance of Glenn Miller,

1943 in music – Birth of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jim Morrison, George Harrison, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, John Denver, Jack Bruce, Barry Manilow, Christine McVie, Jim Croce, Carlos, Gavin Bryars, Bobby Sherman, Roger Waters and Richard Wright; Death of Lorenz Hart, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Formation of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Carl Ruggles, Evocations; The original Broadway production of Oklahoma! opened on March 31, 1943 at the St. James Theatre in New York City.

1942 in music – Birth of Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, John P. Hammond, Ronnie James Dio, Brian Wilson, Jerry Garcia, Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Rick Danko, Lou Reed, Paul Butterfield, Jerry Jeff Walker and Tammy Wynette; Death of George M. Cohan

1941 in music – Birth of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Hank Marvin, Otis Redding, Jon Lord, Chubby Checker, Aaron Neville, Charlie Watts, Neil Diamond, Richie Havens, Cass Elliot, Wilson Pickett and Ritchie Valens; Les Paul builds one of the first solid-body electric guitars;

1940 in music – Birth of John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Frank Zappa, Tom Jones, Vicente Fernández, Dionne Warwick, Cliff Richard, Phil Ochs, Levon Helm, Nancy Sinatra, Denny Doherty, Smokey Robinson, Ricky Nelson, Tim Hardin, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Hatfield, Bill Medley and (both of the Righteous Brothers)

1930s

1939 in music – Birth of Judy Collins, Marvin Gaye, Ray Manzarek, Ginger Baker, Tina Turner and Grace Slick; Cole Porter's DuBarry Was a Lady

1938 in music – Birth of Peter Yarrow, Gordon Lightfoot, Ben E. King, Death of Robert Johnson, Benny Goodman presents a jazz concert in Carnegie Hall; Death of Dan W. Quinn

1937 in music – Death of George Gershwin, Birth of Roberta Flack, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Garth Hudson, Tom Paxton, Philip Glass, Dame Shirley Bassey, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana premieres

1936 in music – Birth of Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Kris Kristofferson, Bill Wyman, Dave Van Ronk, Steve Reich, Bobby Darin, Billboard publishes first U.S. music chart

1935 in music – Birth of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, Luciano Pavarotti, Ronnie Hawkins, Johnnie Mathis, John Phillips, Lou Rawls, La Monte Young, Terry Riley; Audiovox produce first electric bass guitar; Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin premieres in New York

1934 in music – Cole Porter's Anything Goes; Birth of Leonard Cohen, Jackie Wilson; Tammy Grimes, Bob Shane, King Curtis, Florence Henderson, Renata Scotto, Shirley Jones, Otis Rush, Frankie Valli, Pat Boone, André Prévost, Freddie King, Brian Epstein, Dave Guard, Del Shannon; Deaths of Edward Elgar and Gustav Holst

1933 in music – Birth of James Brown, Quincy Jones, Willie Nelson, Nina Simone, Yoko Ono, Nick Reynolds

1932 in music – Night and Day by Cole Porter; Birth of Johnny Cash, Petula Clark, Patsy Cline, Glenn Gould, Loretta Lynn, Miriam Makeba Carl Perkins, Little Richard, and John Williams; Death of John Philip Sousa; Adolph Rickenbacker produces first electric guitar; Bell Labs creates first stereophonic sound recordings

1931 in music – Birth of Teresa Brewer, Sam Cooke, João Gilberto, George Jones and Phyllis McGuire; Death of Anna Pavlova

1930 in music – Birth of Ray Charles, Herbie Mann, Odetta, Sonny Rollins, Stephen Sondheim, and The Big Bopper

1920s

1929 in music – Cole Porter's Fifty Million Frenchmen; Birth of Beverly Sills, Bill Evans, Dick Clark, Berry Gordy, Henri Pousseur

1928 in music – Birth of Bo Diddley and Karlheinz Stockhausen; Fats Domino The Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht (libretto) premieres in Berlin

1927 in music – Jerome Kern's Show Boat; Igor Stravinsky's Apollo; Birth of Harry Belafonte, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Patti Page, Ralph Stanley

1926 in music – Tapiola by Jean Sibelius; Birth of Marilyn Monroe, Joan Sutherland, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, Tony Bennett, Big Mama Thornton; Turandot by Giacomo Puccini premieres in Milan

1925 in music – Birth of Celia Cruz, B.B. King and Pierre Boulez; Big record labels begin using electric microphones for recording; 78 RPM adopted as standard for records; BBC makes first radio broadcast in stereo; Wozzeck by Alban Berg premieres in Berlin, Carl Ruggles, Portals. Debut of the Grand Ole Opry.

1924 in music – Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue premieres in New York; the Symphony No. 7 by Jean Sibelius; Death of Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini, Italian opera composer, Carl Ruggles. Men and Mountains. Debut of the National Barn Dance, the first radio program devoted to country music.

1923 in music – Birth of Hank Williams, First recordings by Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, and many other African-American artists, Carl Ruggles, Vox clamans in deserto

1922 in music – Birth of Ali Akbar Khan, The first commercial radio station in the United States begins broadcasting

1921 in music – Death of Enrico Caruso, Carl Ruggles Angels

1920 in music – Birth of Charlie Parker, Ravi Shankar, Isaac Stern; Death of Alberto Nepomuceno, Brazilian composer, pianist, organist and conductor.

1910s

1919 in music – Birth of Pete Seeger, Merce Cunningham, Carl Ruggles, Toys

1918 in music – Phonograph cylinders become obsolete; the Society for Private Musical Performances is founded in Vienna by Arnold Schoenberg; Death of Claude Debussy

1917 in music – Birth of Lou Harrison, Ella Fitzgerald, John Lee Hooker, Dinu Lipatti, Isang Yun; First hit jazz recordings by Original Dixieland Jass Band, Death of Scott Joplin

1916 in music -Birth of Milton Babbitt, Henri Dutilleux, Alberto Ginastera, Betty Grable, Harry James, Dinah Shore,

1915 in music – An Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss; Birth of Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, John Serry, Sr.; Tom Brown starts billing his group as a "Jass Band"

1914 in music – "St. Louis Blues" published; first calypso music recordings

1913 in music – Birth of Muddy Waters, Vinicius de Moraes; Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring is premiered in Paris.

1912 in music – Birth of Woody Guthrie, Lightnin' Hopkins, John Cage

1911 in music – Birth of Robert Johnson, Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss premieres in Dresden, Death of Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer and conductor

1910 in music – Birth of Howlin' Wolf, Artie Shaw, John H. Hammond, Django Reinhardt

1900s

1909 in music – Death of Francisco Tárrega; Elektra by Richard Strauss premieres in Dresden; Birth of Benny Goodman

1908 in music The two first atonal pieces are composed, first by Béla Bartók and then by Arnold Schoenberg.

1907 in music – Death of Edvard Grieg, Norwegian composer (b. 1843); Birth of Gene Autry, Cab Calloway, Benny Carter, Kate Smith

1906 in music – Birth of Dmitri Shostakowich, soviet composer and pianist, Victor begins selling the Victrola phonograph player for $15.00; Len Spencer, I Am The Edison Phonograph --- earliest recorded advert played in Phonograph shops to sell the devices; the Symphony No. 8 by Gustav Mahler

1905 in music – The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár premieres in Vienna; Salome by Richard Strauss premieres in Dresden

1904 in music – The Violin Concerto (Sibelius) by Jean Sibelius; Death of Antonín Dvořák, Czech composer, Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini premieres in Milan

1903 in music – Valse triste by Jean Sibelius; Birth of Bing Crosby and Vladimir Horowitz

1902 in music – Birth of Richard Rodgers, Pelléas et Mélisande by Claude Debussy premieres in Paris

1901 in music – Birth of Louis Armstrong, Death of Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer

1900 in music – Tosca by Giacomo Puccini premieres in Rome

1890s

1899 in music – Rusalka by Antonín Dvorák; Finlandia first published by Jean Sibelius; Death of Johann Strauss II; Birth of Duke Ellington.

1898 in music – Birth of George Gershwin, Paul Robeson

1897 in music – Ragtime music becomes popular in the United States; Death of Brahms, Birth of Marian Anderson

1896 in music – Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss; Jungfrun i tornet by Jean Sibelius; Death of Carlos Gomes, Brazilian composer and opera composer and Anton Bruckner, Austrian composer and organist

1895 in music – The Swan of Tuonela by Jean Sibelius; Birth of Carl Orff, Oscar Hammerstein II, George W. Johnson becomes first Afro-American recording artist with "The Laughing Song"; Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks by Richard Strauss

""1895 in music"" - William Grant Still called the Dean of African-American music was born

1894 in music – Cello Concerto (Dvorák) and Humoresques by Antonín Dvorák

1893 in music – Symphony No. 9 and String Quartet No. 12 by Antonín Dvorák; The Symphony No. 3 (Mahler) by Gustav Mahler; the Karelia Suite by Jean Sibelius; Death of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikowsky, Russian composer

1892 in music – Dan W. Quinn makes first recordings in New York City; Kullervo (Sibelius) by Jean Sibelius; The Nutcracker by Marius Petipa

1891 in music – Piano Trio No. 4 by Antonín Dvorák; Birth of Sergei Prokofiev, Soviet composer and pianist

1890 in music – John Philip Sousa makes first recordings with Columbia Phonograph Company; Birth of Bronislava Nijinska, choreographer (d.1972)

1880s

1889 in music – Birth of Vaslav Nijinsky, – Ballet dancer (d. 1950); Effie Stewart records first serious classical music at Edison's Menlo Park; First Phonograph Parlor opens in San Francisco; Kaiser-Walzer by Johann Strauss II; Death and Transfiguration by Richard Strauss.

1888 in music – The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler; Birth of Lead Belly; Death of Charles-Valentin Alkan, French composer and ultra virtuoso pianist; Wax phonograph cylinders commercially marketed; Emile Berliner invents lateral-cut disc records.

1887 in music – The Havanaise (Saint-Saëns) by Camille Saint-Saëns; Birth of Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazilian composer, cellist, and guitarist

1886 in music – The Carnival of the Animals and the Symphony No. 3 by Camille Saint-Saëns; birth of Marcel Dupré, Al Jolson, Paul Paray, Othmar Schoeck; Franz Liszt publishes his final Hungarian Rhapsody; death of Franz Liszt.

1885 in music – The Mikado – Arthur Sullivan; The Gypsy Baron by Johann Strauss II; Birth of Jerome Kern

1884 in music – Birth of Sophie Tucker

1883 in music – Birth of Edgard Varèse, Death of Richard Wagner, German composer

1882 in music – Birth of Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer, Parsifal by Richard Wagner premieres in Bayreuth; Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture premiere

1881 in music – Birth of Béla Bartók

1880 in music – Stabat Mater and "Songs My Mother Taught Me" by Antonín Dvorák; The Violin Concerto No. 3 (Saint-Saëns) by Camille Saint-Saëns; Death of Jacques Offenbach, composer (b. 1819)

1870s

1879 in music – Birth of Jean Cras

1878 in music – Birth of George M. Cohan; William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, H.M.S. Pinafore; reshapes British and American musical theater;

1877 in music – Phonograph and phonograph cylinder invented by Thomas Alva Edison; Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns Birth of Billy Murray (singer)

1876 in music – Siegfried and Götterdämmerung by Richard Wagner premiere in Bayreuth; Birth of Carl Ruggles

1875 in music – Birth of Joseph-Maurice Ravel, French composer and pianist; Carmen by Georges Bizet premieres in Paris; Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky premiers

1874 in music – Boris Gudonov by Modest Mussorgsky premieres in Saint Petersburg; Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II premieres in Vienna; Richard Wagner concludes Götterdämmerung, finishing The Ring Cycle; Requiem (Verdi) by Giuseppe Verdi; Danse macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns; Birth of Arnold Schoenberg

1873 in music – Birth of Enrico Caruso, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian composer, ultra virtuoso pianist and conductor

1872 in music – The Cello Concerto No. 1 (Saint-Saëns) by Camille Saint-Saëns; Birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams, English composer; birth of Sergei Diaghilev, choreographer (d. 1929)

1871 in music – Richard Wagner concludes Siegfried; Aida by Giuseppe Verdi premieres in Cairo

1870 in music – Die Walküre (the Valkyrie) by Richard Wagner premieres in Munich

1860s

1869 in music – Death of Hector Berlioz, French composer, Das Rheingold by Richard Wagner premieres in Munich

1868 in music – Death of Gioachino Rossini, Italian composer, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner premières in Munich; Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms premières in Bremen; Wiegenlied by Brahms (Brahms' Lullaby); Tales from the Vienna Woods by Johann Strauss II; the Piano Concerto No. 2 (Saint-Saëns) by Camille Saint-Saëns

1867 in music Birth of Scott Joplin, famous ragtime composer; The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II

1866 in music – Franz Liszt completes his oratorio Christus; Birth of French composer Erik Satie.

1865 in music – Birth of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius; Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner premieres in Munich, marking the beginning of the end for traditional tonality; The Symphony No. 1 by Antonín Dvorak; Franz Liszt publishes his solo piano transcriptions of the full Beethoven Symphonies 1 – 9.

1864 in music Birth of Richard Strauss, German composer, Alberto Nepomuceno, Brazilian composer, pianist, organist and conductor

1863 in music– The Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saëns; Birth of Ernesto Nazareth

1862 in music – Birth of French composer Claude Debussy

1861 in music – Birth of Anton Arensky; Franz Liszt completes his first Mephisto Waltz The Dance in the Village Inn.

1860 in music – Birth of Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer and conductor

1850s

1859 in music – Faust by Charles Gounod premieres in Paris; Richard Wagner concludes Tristan und Isolde; In 1859, John Freeman Young published the English translation of Silent Night that is most frequently sung today.

1858 in music – Birth of Medardo Rosso and Giacomo Puccini, Italian opera composer, Orphée aux enfers by Jacques Offenbach, the first operetta, premieres in Paris; Hector Berlioz writes Les Troyens; Johann Strauss II writes Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka

1857 in music – First public performance of Franz Liszt's Piano Sonata in B Minor

1856 in music – Death of Robert Schuman, German composer and pianist; Richard Wagner, German composer, concludes Die Walküre

1855 in music – Birth of Ernest Chausson

1854 in music – Richard Wagner, German composer, concludes Das Rheingold

1853 in music – Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi premieres in Rome; La traviata by Verdi premieres in Venice

1852 in music – Birth of Charles Villiers Stanford, Irish composer, teacher and conductor; birth of Francisco Tárrega, Spanish composer and guitarist

1851 in music – Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi premieres in Venice

1850 in music – Lohengrin by Richard Wagner premieres in Weimar; Foster's Plantation Melodies by Stephen Foster, including "Camptown Races"

1840s

1849 in music – Death of Frédéric Chopin, Polish composer and pianist; Franz Liszt publishes his Three Concert Études, alongside completing Funérailles.

1848 in music – Album for the Young by Robert Schumann; Death of Gaetano Donizetti, Italian opera composer

1847 in music – "Oh! Susanna" by Stephen Foster published

1846 in music – Adolphe Sax invents the saxophone

1845 in music – Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner premières in Dresden; The Violin Concerto by Felix Mendelssohn

1844 in music – Birth of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Charles-Marie Widor

1843 in music – Birth of Edvard Grieg, Norwegian composer (d. 1907); Minstrel show premieres in United States; The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner premieres in Dresden

1842 in music – "Lisztomania" sweeps Europe

1841 in music – Birth of Antonín Dvořák, Czech composer; Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi

1840 in music – Birth of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer; Death of Niccolò Paganini, Italian composer and ultra virtuoso violinist

1830s

1839 in music – Blumenstück by Robert Schumann

1838 in music – Kinderszenen by Robert Schumann

1837 in music – Requiem (Berlioz) by Hector Berlioz

1836 in music – Birth of Carlos Gomes, Brazilian composer and opera composer, Les Huguenots by Giacomo Meyerbeer premieres in Paris

1835 in music – Death of Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini, Italian opera composer, Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti premieres in Naples; Gaetano Corticelli is in vogue in salons of Bologna, Italy featuring his terzettis and fantasies; I puritani by Vincenzo Bellini premieres

1834 in music – Die Neue Zeitschrift für Musik first published by Robert Schumann

1833 in music – Johannes Brahms born

1832 in music – Death of Muzio Clementi, Italian composer and pianist

1831 in music – La sonnambula and Norma by Vincenzo Bellini

1830 in music – Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz is written; The Hebrides (overture) by Felix Mendelssohn; Anna Bolena and I Capuleti e i Montecchi by Vincenzo Bellini

1820s

1829 in music – The Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, and the Songs Without Words by Felix Mendelssohn; Birth of Anton Rubinstein, Russian composer and ultra virtuoso pianist

1828 in music – Franz Schubert dies

1827 in music – Ludwig van Beethoven dies; Winterreise by Franz Schubert; Il pirata by Vincenzo Bellini

1826 in music – June 5, Death of Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber, German opera composer. String Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp minor by Ludwig van Beethoven was completed. October 31, Muzio Clementi's complete Gradus ad Parnassum (100 pieces) appears for the first time, simultaneously in Paris, Leipzig and London.

1825 in music – Birth of Johann Strauss II, Austrian composer; Songs from Sir Walter Scott by Franz Schubert, including "Ellens dritter Gesang" (Schubert's Ave Maria); The Octet by Felix Mendelssohn

1824 in music – Birth of Anton Bruckner, Austrian composer and organist; Beethoven's 9th Symphony

1823 in music' – Die schöne Müllerin by Franz Schubert

1822 in music

1821 in music – Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber, premieres in Berlin

1820 in music

1810s

1819 in music – April 16, The publication of Muzio Clementi's Gradus ad Parnassum Volume II is entered at Stationer's Hall, London. September 13, Birth of Clara Schumann, German pianist and composer.

1818 in music – Hammerklavier sonate by Ludwig van Beethoven; "Silent Night" written by Josef Mohr and composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, – The first performance of Silent Night on December 25, (Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria).

1817 in music – March 1, Muzio Clementi's Gradus ad Parnassum Volume I is published simultaneously in London, Paris and Leipzig.

1816 in music – Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) by Gioachino Rossini, premieres in Rome

1815 in music

1814 in music

1813 in music – Birth of French-Jewish composer and ultra virtuoso pianist Charles-Valentin Alkan; Birth of German composer Richard Wagner; Birth of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi.

1812 in music – Birth of German composer Friedrich von Flotow; Birth of Swiss composer and virtuoso pianist Sigismund Thalberg.

1811 in music – Birth of Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt.

1810 in music – Birth of Polish composer and virtuoso pianist Frédéric Chopin; Birth of German composer and virtuoso pianist Robert Schumann; Ludwig van Beethoven completes his Fifth Piano Concerto Emperor.

1800s

1809 in music – Birth of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, German composer, pianist, organist and conductor; Death of Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer

1808 in music – Beethoven completes his 6th Symphony "Pastoral", Beethoven's 5th Symphony

1807 in music – La Vestale by Gaspare Spontini

1806 in music – Fourth Piano Concerto,Violin Concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven

1805 in music – Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven

1804 in music – Symphony No. 3 'Eroica' by Ludwig van Beethoven

1803 in music – Birth of Hector Berlioz, French composer

1802 in music – Bach's Sonatas and partitas for solo violin are published by Bote and Bock

1801 in music – Birth of Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini, Italian opera composer, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

1800 in music –

1790s

1799 in music –

1798 in music – Joseph Haydn's The Creation

1797 in music – Joseph Haydn's Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser; Birth of Franz Schubert, Austrian composer and pianist and Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti, Italian opera composer

1796 in music –

1795 in music – First Beethoven Piano Sonatas written (Op. 2)

1794 in music –

1793 in music – Scots Wha Hae

1792 in music – Birth of Gioachino Antonio Rossini, Italian composer

1791 in music – Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute); death of Mozart

1790 in music –

1780s

1789 in music – Mozart's Così fan tutte

1788 in music – Death of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, German composer and keyboardist

1787 in music – Mozart's Don Giovanni

1786 in music – Birth of Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber, German opera composer, Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro (The marriage of Figaro)

1785 in music – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composes his Piano Concerto No. 21

1784 in music –

1783 in music –

1782 in music – Birth of Niccolò Paganini, Italian composer and ultra virtuoso violinist; Death of Johann Christian Bach, German composer, Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio)

1781 in music –

1780 in music –

1770s

1779 in music –

1778 in music –

1777 in music – Il mondo della luna by Joseph Haydn, premieres in Eszterháza, Hungary

1776 in music –

1775 in music –

1774 in music –

1773 in music –

1772 in music –

1771 in music –

1770 in music – Ludwig van Beethoven born

1760s

1769 in music –

1768 in music –

1767 in music –

1766 in music –

1765 in music –

1764 in music – Death of Jean-Philippe Rameau, French composer and music theorist

1763 in music –

1762 in music – Orfeo ed Euridice by Christoph Willibald Gluck, premieres in Vienna

1761 in music –

1760 in music – La buona figliuola by Niccolò Piccinni, premieres in Rome

1750s

1759 in music – George Frideric Handel dies

1758 in music –

1757 in music – Death of Domenico Scarlatti, Italian composer and harpsichordist

1756 in music – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born

1755 in music –

1754 in music –

1753 in music –

1752 in music – Muzio Clementi born

1751 in music –

1750 in music – Johann Sebastian Bach dies, Antonio Salieri born

1740s

1749 in music – Johann Sebastian Bach finishes his Mass in B Minor; George Frideric Handel composes the Music for the Royal Fireworks

1747 in music – Johann Sebastian Bach finishes his Musical Offering

1746 in music –

1745 in music –

1744 in music – Johann Sebastian Bach finishes the Book II from The Well-Tempered Clavier

1743 in music –

1742 in music – première of Messiah by George Frideric Handel, in Dublin

1741 in music – Bach's Goldberg Variations are published

1740 in music – Death of Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, Italian composer and violinist

1730s

1739 in music – The Clavier-Übung III by Johann Sebastian Bach is published

1738 in music –

1737 in music –

1736 in music – Alexander's Feast by George Frideric Handel

1735 in music – Birth of Johann Christian Bach, German composer

1734 in music –

1733 in music – La serva padrona by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, the first opera buffa, premieres in Naples; Hippolyte et Aricie by Jean-Philippe Rameau, premieres in Paris, Death of François Couperin, French composer and harpsichordist

1732 in music – Joseph Haydn born

1731 in music –

1730 in music –

1720s

1729 in music –

1728 in music – The Beggar's Opera by John Gay and Johann Christoph Pepusch, premieres in London

1727 in music – Zadok the Priest (the coronation anthem) by George Frideric Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach finishes and presents his St Matthew Passion

1726 in music –

1725 in music – publication of Twelve concerti, Op. 8 by Antonio Vivaldi, including the Four Seasons – Death of Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian composer

1724 in music – Giulio Cesare by George Frideric Handel premières in London, Johann Sebastian Bach presents his St John Passion

1723 in music – Vivaldi composes The Four Seasons

1722 in music – Johann Sebastian Bach finishes the Book I from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Traité de l'harmonie by Jean-Philippe Rameau causes a revolution in music theory.

1721 in music –

1720 in music – Johann Sebastian Bach presents his Brandenburg Concertos to Christian Ludwig; Johann Sebastian Bach completes the Sonatas and partitas for solo violin

1710s

1719 in music –

1718 in music –

1717 in music – Water Music by George Frideric Handel

1716 in music – Juditha triumphans is composed by Antonio Vivaldi

1715 in music –

1714 in music – Birth of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, German composer

1713 in music – Death: Arcangelo Corelli, Italian composer and violinist

1712 in music –

1711 in music – Rinaldo by Handel, premieres in London, the first all-Italian opera performed in London

1710 in music – Agrippina by Handel, premieres in Venice

1700s

1709 in music –

1708 in music –

1707 in music –

1706 in music – Johann Pachelbel dies

1705 in music –

1704 in music –

1703 in music –

1702 in music –

1701 in music –

1700 in music –

1690s

1699 in music –

1698 in music –

1697 in music –

1696 in music –

1695 in music – Henry Purcell dies

1694 in music –

1693 in music –

1692 in music –

1691 in music – King Arthur by Henry Purcell

1690 in music –

1680s

1689 in music – Dido and Aeneas, opera, by Henry Purcell and Nahum Tate (libretto) performed

1688 in music –

1687 in music – Death of Jean-Baptiste Lully, French composer

1686 in music –

1685 in music – Albion and Albanius, opera, by Louis Grabu; Birth of: Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Friedrich Häendel (German composers, organists and harpsichordists); Domenico Scarlatti, Italian composer and harpsichordist

1684 in music –

1683 in music – Birth of Jean-Philippe Rameau, French composer and music theorist

1682 in music –

1681 in music –

1680 in music –

1670s

1679 in music –

1678 in music – Birth of Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, Italian composer and violinist

1677 in music –

1676 in music –

1675 in music – Psyche by Matthew Locke

1674 in music –

1673 in music –

1672 in music –

1671 in music –

1670 in music –

1660s

1669 in music –

1668 in music – Birth of François Couperin, French composer and harpsichordist

1667 in music –

1666 in music –

1665 in music –

1664 in music – Heinrich Schutz completes Weihnachtstorie

1663 in music –

1662 in music –

1661 in music –

1660 in music – Birth of Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian composer and harpsichordist

1650s

1659 in music – Henry Purcell born

1658 in music –

1657 in music –

1656 in music –

1655 in music –

1654 in music –

1653 in music – Arcangelo Corelli, Johann Pachelbel born

1652 in music –

1651 in music – La Calisto by Francesco Cavalli

1650 in music –

1640s

1649 in music – Giasone by Francesco Cavalli, premieres in Venice, the first opera to separate aria and recitative

1648 in music –

1647 in music –

1646 in music –

1645 in music –

1644 in music – Ormindo by Francesco Cavalli, premieres in Venice

1643 in music – death of Claudio Monteverdi

1642 in music – L'incoronazione di Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi, premiered in Venice

1641 in music –

1640 in music – Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria by Claudio Monteverdi, premieres in Venice

1630s

1639 in music –

1638 in music –

1637 in music –

1636 in music –

1635 in music –

1634 in music –

1633 in music –

1632 in music – Birth of Jean-Baptiste Lully, French composer

1631 in music –

1630 in music –

1620s

1629 in music –

1628 in music –

1627 in music –

1626 in music –

1625 in music –

1624 in music –

1623 in music –

1622 in music –

1621 in music –

1620 in music –

1610s

1619 in music – Michael Praetorius, Polyhymnia caduceatrix

1618 in music –

1617 in music – Johann Hermann Schein, Banchetto musicale

1616 in music –

1615 in music –

1614 in music – Marco da Gagliano, Sacrarum cantionum

1613 in music –

1612 in music –

1611 in music – William Byrd, Fantasia a 6, No. 3; Carlo Gesualdo, Morro lasso al mio duolo

1610 in music – Claudio Monteverdi, Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610

1600s

1609 in music –

1608 in music – Lamento d'Arianna by Claudio Monteverdi; Since Robin Hood by Thomas Weelkes

1607 in music – La Favola D'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi

1606 in music –

1605 in music –

1604 in music –

1603 in music –

1602 in music –

1601 in music – Le nuove musiche by Giulio Caccini

1600 in music – the first oratorio: Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo by Emilio de' Cavalieri

1590s

1599 in music –

1598 in music –

1597 in music – John Dowland's First Book of Lute Songs; Dafne, the first known opera

1596 in music –

1595 in music –

1594 in music – Orlande de Lassus completes Lagrime di San Pietro (posthumously published); Orlande de Lassus dies

1593 in music –

1592 in music –

1591 in music –

1590 in music – Claudio Monteverdi, Il secondo libro de madrigali a 5

1580s

1589 in music –

1588 in music –

1587 in music –

1586 in music –

1585 in music –

1584 in music –

1583 in music –

1582 in music –

1581 in music – The court entertainment Ballet comique de la reine by Balthazar de Beaujoyeulx was presented on Oct 15

1580 in music – Appearance of three Fantasias for viol consort by William Byrd. Founding of Concerto delle donne under the direction of Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Consisting of women voices, this group becomes a significant part of Alfonso II d'Este's court entertainment.

1570s

1579 in music –

1578 in music –

1577 in music –

1576 in music –

1575 in music –

1574 in music –

1573 in music –

1572 in music –

1571 in music –

1570 in music –

1560s

1569 in music –

1568 in music –

1567 in music – Birth of Claudio Monteverdi, Italian composer and singer

1566 in music –

1565 in music –

1564 in music –

1563 in music –

1562 in music –

1561 in music –

1560 in music – First works for Viol Consort attributed to William Byrd

1550s

1559 in music –

1558 in music –

1557 in music –

1556 in music –

1555 in music –

1554 in music –

1553 in music –

1552 in music –

1551 in music –

1550 in music –

1540s

1549 in music –

1548 in music –

1547 in music –

1546 in music –

1545 in music –

1544 in music –

1543 in music –

1542 in music –

1541 in music –

1540 in music – Thomas Tallis begins writing his first works for the Latin church service.

1530s

1539 in music –

1538 in music – printing of the first Protestant hymn-book, Ein Hubsch new Gesangbuch; publication of the first book of madrigals by Maddalena Casulana, the first printed book of music by a woman in European history.

1537 in music –

1536 in music –

1535 in music –

1534 in music –

1533 in music –

1532 in music –

1531 in music –

1530 in music –

1520s

1529 in music –

1528 in music –

1527 in music –

1526 in music –

1525 in music – birth of Palestrina

1524 in music –

1523 in music –

1522 in music – death of Jean Mouton (c. 1459 – October 30, 1522)

1521 in music – death of Josquin

1520 in music –

1510s

1519 in music –

1518 in music –

1517 in music –

1516 in music –

1515 in music –

1514 in music –

1513 in music –

1512 in music –

1511 in music –

1510 in music – Josquin des Prez composes the Missa de Beata Virgine

1500s

1509 in music –

1508 in music –

1507 in music –

1506 in music –

1505 in music –

1504 in music –

1503 in music –

1502 in music –

1501 in music – publication of Harmonice Musices Odhecaton by Ottaviano Petrucci, the first printed collection of polyphonic music

1500 in music –

15th century

Josquin des Prez composes the Domine, ne in fuore tuo

1490s in music – Josquin des Prez – Nymphes des bois; The Chigi codex is compiled.

1480s in music – Johannes Ockeghem completes Requiem; Josquin de Prez composes the Missa L'homme armé super voces musicales

1460s in music – Anna Inglese sings at the festivities for the marriage of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan and Bona of Savoy

1450s in music – Antoine Busnois writes the O Crux Lignum

1440s in music – Bianca de' Medici is born

14th century

1360s in music Guillaume de Machaut composes Messe de Nostre Dame, the first complete polyphonic ordinary of the mass.

The Old Hall Manuscript is compiled.

13th century

The Worcester Fragments are compiled.

12th century

The Magnus Liber is compiled by Léonin

Ancient music

1st millennium in music

1st millennium BC in music

2nd millennium BC in music