2015 in American music explained
The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in 2015 in music in the United States.
Notable events
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
- 10 – Starting on this day albums will now be released on Fridays instead of Tuesdays in America. Some reasons for the change is to help prevent illegal downloads and "In the digital world, you can't make consumers wait".[7]
- 30 – The reunited Savatage played their first show in thirteen years at Wacken Open Air in Germany, which took place from July 30 to August 1.[8]
August
September
October
- 2 – Janet Jackson releases Unbreakable her first album since 2008's Discipline to widespread critical acclaim. The album goes on to top the Billboard 200 chart.
- 4 – Van Halen concluded their 2015 North American tour, performing the final date at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. It would ultimately prove to be the band's final performance before they officially disbanded, due to Eddie Van Halen's death almost exactly five years later.
- 23 – The music video for Adele's "Hello" broke the Vevo Record for the most views within a 24-hour span with 27.7 million views, beating out the previous record held by Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood".[9] It also broke the record for shortest time to attain 100 million Vevo views, previously held by Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball".[10] In 2017, Swift took back the record with 43.2 million views with the music video for Look What You Made Me Do.[11]
November
- 2 – Adele's comeback single "Hello" became the first song with over a million digital sales in a week.[12]
- 7 – the 49th Country Music Association Awards was held at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.[13] Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood hosted for the eighth year in a row.
- 9 – Chester Bennington amicably departs from Stone Temple Pilots as lead singer to focus more on Linkin Park.
- 13 - Justin Bieber released his fourth album, Purpose (Justin Bieber album) making his sixth album to debut at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Every song on this album has hit the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It was supported by four singles: "What Do You Mean?", "Sorry", "Love Yourself", and "Company". The former three singles all reached number one on the Canadian Hot 100, US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. The album was among the best-selling albums of both 2015 and 2016.
- 22 – The 2015 American Music Awards was held at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.
- 28 – Billboard reported Adele's 25 sold 3.38 million in pure album sales in its first week of release, according to Nielsen Music. That's the largest single sales week for an album since Nielsen began tracking point-of-sale music purchases in 1991, surpassing the previous single-week sales record, held by NSYNC's No Strings Attached (2.42 million sold in the week ending March 26, 2000).[14]
December
Bands formed
Bands reformed
Bands on hiatus
Bands disbanded
Albums released in 2015
See also: List of 2015 albums.
January
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
6 | The Balcony | Catfish and the Bottlemen | Indie rock |
Onward and Sideways | Joshua Radin | Acoustic, folk |
SremmLife | Rae Sremmurd | Hip hop |
13 | Redemption of the Beast | DMX | Hip hop |
Sand in the Sky | The Expendables | Reggae, rock, ska |
Lesser Oceans | Fences | Pop rock, alternative rock, indie rock |
Evermotion | Guster | Alternative rock, indie rock |
My Garden | Kat Dahlia | Alternative R&B, Hip hop |
The Pale Emperor | Marilyn Manson | Alternative rock, hard rock, blues rock |
Nonstop Feeling | Turnstile | Punk rock, hardcore punk |
20 | Vulnicura | Björk | Alternative rock, electronica, classical, ambient |
Chapter One | Ella Henderson | Pop |
The Soundtrack of My Life | Donny Osmond | Pop |
Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper | Panda Bear | Electronica |
Uptown Special | Mark Ronson | Funk, R&B, pop |
Reality Show | Jazmine Sullivan | R&B, pop |
Super Critical | The Ting Tings | Pop, disco, funk |
Title | Meghan Trainor | Pop, doo-wop |
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World | The Decemberists | Indie rock |
American Beauty/American Psycho | Fall Out Boy | Pop punk |
Tetsuo & Youth | Lupe Fiasco | Hip hop |
B4.Da.$$ | Joey Bada$$ | Hip hop |
27 | Reflection | Fifth Harmony | Pop, R&B |
Tony Lucca | Tony Lucca | Acoustic/folk |
Control | Milo Greene | Indie pop, alternative rock |
Non-Fiction | Ne-Yo | R&B |
F.E.A.R. | Papa Roach | Rock | |
February
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
3 | Lost Themes | John Carpenter | Electronic |
Shadows in the Night | Bob Dylan | Traditional pop |
Reflection | Fifth Harmony | |
Full Speed | Kid Ink | Hip hop |
Wallflower | Diana Krall | Vocal jazz |
Man It Feels Like Space Again | Pond | Psychedelic rock, psychedelic pop, neo-psychedelia, space rock |
Afraid of Ghosts | Butch Walker | Alternative rock, pop rock, folk rock |
10 | Holding All the Roses | Blackberry Smoke | Country rock |
Face the Fire | Michelle Chamuel | Pop |
Los Dúo | Juan Gabriel | Latin |
Coming Up for Air | Kodaline | Alternative rock |
A Quien Quiera Escuchar | Ricky Martin | Latin pop |
Last Dragon | Sisqó | R&B, hip hop |
13 | If You're Reading This It's Too Late | Drake | Hip hop |
14 | Echoes from Forgotten Hearts | Vision Eternel | Ambient rock |
17 | Love Stuff | Elle King | Alternative rock, indie pop |
True Romance | Estelle | |
Smoke + Mirrors | Imagine Dragons | Alternative rock |
Transfixiation | A Place to Bury Strangers | Noise rock |
23 | Restarter | Torche | Sludge metal |
24 | Dope Machines | The Airborne Toxic Event | Alternative rock, indie rock |
The Order of Things | All That Remains | Melodic metalcore |
Dark Sky Paradise | Big Sean | Hip hop |
| Chris Brown & Tyga | Hip hop, R&B |
Just Like You | Falling in Reverse | Post-hardcore, metalcore, electronic rock |
Just Kids | Mat Kearney | Contemporary Christian music, Christian Rock |
First Kiss | Kid Rock | Rock |
Of Beauty and Rage | Red | Alternative rock, Christian rock, alternative metal |
Our Own House | MisterWives | Indie pop, alternative pop |
27 | Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü | Jack Ü | EDM, trap | |
March
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
3 | Cult White Edition | Bayside | Punk rock, alternative rock |
The Firewatcher's Daughter | Brandi Carlile | Folk rock |
Piece by Piece | Kelly Clarkson | Pop, EDM, electropop, orchestral pop |
The Beast Is G-Unit | G-Unit | Hip hop |
The Neck Is a Bridge to the Body | Kaki King | |
Chasing Yesterday | Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds | Alternative rock |
Another Eternity | Purity Ring | Electronic, dream pop, witch house |
Let the Road | Rixton | Pop, R&B |
The Throes of Winter | Seven Lions | Dubstep |
| Third Day | |
10 | Spring Break...Checkin' Out | Luke Bryan | Country |
War Of Kings | Europe | Hard rock, heavy metal |
Lesser Oceans | Fences | Pop rock, alternative rock, indie rock |
Rebel Heart | Madonna | Pop |
Never Been Better | Olly Murs | Pop |
Bombs Away | Sheppard | Indie pop |
Policy | Will Butler | Indie rock, garage rock, indie pop |
13 | Eclipse | Twin Shadow | Indie pop, new wave, chillwave |
16 | To Pimp a Butterfly | Kendrick Lamar | Hip hop |
Froot | Marina and the Diamonds | |
17 | Blurryface | | Rap, pop, alternative rock, rock, rap rock, hip hop, reggae, indie pop, pop rock, folk rock, indietronica, synthpop |
Run | Awolnation | Indie rock, electronic rock, alternative dance, industrial rock |
Little Neon Limelight | Houndmouth | Alternative country, indie pop, indie rock |
Tracker | Mark Knopfler | Blues rock, roots rock |
Strangers to Ourselves | Modest Mouse | Indie rock |
Madness | Sleeping With Sirens | Post-hardcore |
23 | I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside | Earl Sweatshirt | Hip hop |
Mr. Wonderful | Action Bronson | Hip hop |
2.0 | Big Data | Electropop, alternative dance |
Time to Go Home | Chastity Belt | Indie rock, noise pop |
24 | Chaos and the Calm | James Bay | Indie pop, soul, alternative rock |
Dark Energy | Jlin | Footwork, electronic |
Kidz Bop 28 | Kidz Bop Kidz | Children's, pop |
Lovetap! | Smallpools | Indie pop |
31 | Day of the Dead | Hollywood Undead | Rap rock, rap metal, nu metal, alternative rock |
Kintsugi | Death Cab for Cutie | Indie rock |
Southern Style | Darius Rucker | Country |
American Nights | Plain White T's | Indie rock, alternative rock |
Blaster | Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts | Rock |
The Album About Nothing | Wale | Hip hop |
Ludaversal | Ludacris | Hip hop |
American Candy | The Maine | Pop rock |
Postcards from Paradise | Ringo Starr | Rock |
Human | Three Days Grace[21] | Hard rock, alternative metal | |
April
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
7 | Future Hearts | All Time Low | Pop punk, alternative rock |
After It All | Delta Rae | Blues rock, country rock |
Into the Wild Life | Halestorm | Rock |
What For? | Toro y Moi | Synthpop, chillwave |
No Pier Pressure | Brian Wilson | Rock, pop |
My House | Flo Rida | Hip hop |
14 | Cherry Bomb | Tyler, The Creator | Alternative hip hop |
Welcome to Los Santos | The Alchemist and Oh No | Hip hop, synthpop, dancehall |
Handwritten | Shawn Mendes | Pop |
Hey, Killer | Local H | Alternative rock |
Love Somebody | Reba McEntire | Country |
Kids in Love | The Mowgli's | Alternative rock, rock |
Second Hand Heart | Dwight Yoakam | Country |
21 | Sound & Color | Alabama Shakes | Southern rock, roots rock, blues rock |
Untethered Moon | Built to Spill | Indie rock |
Eyes Wide Open | Sabrina Carpenter | Pop, folk rock, folk pop |
To the Stars | Tom DeLonge | Pop punk, alternative rock, punk rock, acoustic |
How Do You Feel Now? | Joywave | Indie rock, alternative rock |
Kindred | Passion Pit | |
Foil Deer | Speedy Ortiz | Alternative rock, indie rock, pop punk |
Damogen Furies | Squarepusher | Drum and bass, IDM, glitch |
Love Story | Yelawolf | Hip hop, rap rock |
24 | Black Is the New Black | Everclear | Alternative rock, hard rock |
25 | RKS | Rainbow Kitten Surprise | Indie rock |
27 | Dead Trees | From First to Last | Post-hardcore |
28 | You Should Be Here | Kehlani | R&B, hip hop |
Songs of God and Whiskey | The Airborne Toxic Event | Acoustic |
Suffer in Peace | Tyler Farr | |
Stages | Josh Groban | |
Jekyll + Hyde | Zac Brown Band | Country, country rock, country pop | |
May
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
1 | California Nights | Best Coast | Indie pop, alternative rock |
4 | What Color Is Your Sky | Jason Michael Carroll | Country |
Jackie | Ciara | R&B, pop |
The Waterfall | My Morning Jacket | Alternative rock, indie rock |
Wilder Mind | Mumford & Sons | Alternative rock, folk rock |
5 | Lost in New York | Penguin Prison | Synth-pop, electropop, indie pop |
Traveller[22] | Chris Stapleton | Country, southern rock |
12 | Neon Future II | Steve Aoki | EDM |
Imbue | The Early November | Alternative rock |
Trust Fall (Side A) (EP) | Incubus | Alternative rock |
When the Smoke Clears | Hinder | Hard rock, glam rock, alternative rock |
| Nashville cast | Country, country pop, country rock |
BUSH | Snoop Dogg | Hip hop, funk |
18 | It's Like You Never Went Away | Goldroom | Nu-disco, deep house, electropop |
- 1 to Infinity
| Mariah Carey | R&B, pop, hip hop, soul |
True Colors | Zedd | EDM, electro house, progressive house |
| Jamie Foxx | R&B |
19 | Old Bones | Broadside | Pop punk |
The Desired Effect | Brandon Flowers | Alternative rock |
The First Time | Kelsea Ballerini | Country |
Blurryface | Twenty One Pilots | Indie pop, electropop, reggae, rock |
Sol Invictus | Faith No More | Alternative metal |
Rivals | Coal Chamber | Metal |
Flying Lessons | Fool's Gold | World, tropical, indie rock |
Drug for the Modern Age | Kopecky | Indie rock |
22 | Forever | Alesso | House |
26 | American Spring | Anti-Flag | Punk rock |
At. Long. Last. A$AP | A$AP Rocky | Hip hop |
Touch Down 2 Cause Hell | Boosie Badazz | Hip hop |
Out of the Wasteland | Lifehouse | Alternative rock, pop rock, power pop |
King Gucci | Gucci Man | Hip hop |
Sylva w/ The Metropole Orchestra | Snarky Puppy | Jazz fusion |
English Graffiti | The Vaccines | Indie rock, garage rock, post-punk revival |
29 | In Colour | Jamie xx | Electronica | |
June
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
1 | Peace Is the Mission | Major Lazer | EDM, trap, dancehall, moombahton |
Flockaveli 2 | Waka Flocka Flame | Hip hop |
2 | Summer Forever | Billy Currington | Country |
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful | Florence + the Machine | Indie rock |
Four Year Strong | Four Year Strong | Pop punk, melodic hardcore |
Everything Is 4 | Jason Derulo | Dance-pop, R&B |
Kicker | Zella Day | Pop, indie pop |
9 | Another Piece of Me | Laura Bell Bundy | Country |
FFS | FFS | Indie rock, art rock, pop rock, baroque rock, dance-rock |
Folks Like Us | Montgomery Gentry | Country |
Drones | Muse | Alternative rock, new prog |
Beneath the Skin | Of Monsters and Men | Indie folk, indie pop, pop |
Real Stories of True People Who Kind of Looked Like Monsters | Oso Oso | Emo, pop punk |
Now That's What I Call Country Volume 8 | Various | Country |
16 | Grand Romantic | Nate Ruess | Indie pop, indie rock |
The Original High | Adam Lambert | Pop |
Breathe In. Breathe Out. | Hilary Duff | Pop |
The Fool | Ryn Weaver | Indie pop, alternative, synthpop, electropop |
23 | Shadows & Diamonds | Elijah Blake | R&B |
Feels Like | Bully | Alternative rock, indie rock |
Pageant Material | Kacey Musgraves | Country |
Dark Before Dawn | Breaking Benjamin | Alternative metal, post-grunge |
Coming Home | Leon Bridges | R&B, soul |
Unbreakable Smile | Tori Kelly | Pop |
| Tyga | Hip hop |
Bronco | Canaan Smith | Country |
Tres Caballeros | The Aristocrats | Jazz fusion |
28 | No Life for Me | Wavves & Cloud Nothings | Post-punk, indie rock |
29 | Venus | Joy Williams[23] | Pop rock |
Dreams Worth More Than Money | Meek Mill | Rap |
Wildheart | Miguel | R&B |
The Monsanto Years | Neil Young | Rock |
30 | About to Get Real | Easton Corbin[24] | Country |
The Heart Is a Monster | Failure | Alternative rock, post-grunge, space rock |
The Nothing,Nowhere LP | Nothing,Nowhere | Indie rock, emo rap |
Pull the Thorns from Your Heart | Senses Fail | Metalcore |
VHS | X Ambassadors | Pop rock, alternative rock | |
July
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
10 | Mobile Orchestra | Owl City | Electronica, synthpop, EDM |
Sometime Last Night | R5 | Alternative rock, pop rock |
Black Rose | Tyrese | R&B |
Ghost Notes | Veruca Salt | Alternative rock |
16 | Star Wars | Wilco | Alternative rock, indie rock |
17 | Recreational Love | The Bird and the Bee | Indie pop, synthpop |
Angels and Alcohol | Alan Jackson | Country[25] |
Mister Asylum | Highly Suspect | Alternative rock |
Dale | Pitbull | Rap |
DS2 | Future | Hip hop |
How Does It Feel | MS MR | Indie pop, indie rock |
Attitude City | Ninja Sex Party | Comedy rock, synthpop |
Men Amongst Mountains | The Revivalists | Roots rock, alternative rock |
White Reaper Does It Again | White Reaper | Garage rock, punk rock |
24 | Pound Syndrome | Hopsin | Hip hop |
The Blade | Ashley Monroe[26] | Country |
Not an Apology | Bea Miller[27] | Pop rock, pop |
And the Wave Has Two Sides | On An On | Dream pop, indie rock, alternative rock |
Shockwave Supernova | Joe Satriani[28] | Instrumental rock |
Woman | Jill Scott | R&B, soul |
31 | Momentary Masters | Albert Hammond, Jr. | Indie rock, alternative rock |
Saint Asonia | Saint Asonia | Hard rock, heavy metal, alternative metal | |
August
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
7 | Kill the Lights | Luke Bryan[29] | Country, country pop |
Compton | Dr. Dre | Hip hop |
21 | Hunter Hayes | Country, country pop |
Love Is Free | Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique | Pop |
14 | Psycadelik Thoughtz | B.o.B. | Hip hop |
Venom | Bullet for My Valentine | Thrash metal,[30] heavy metal, metalcore |
Vikings | New Politics | Alternative rock |
21 | E·MO·TION | Carly Rae Jepsen | Pop |
Immortalized | Disturbed | Heavy metal, alternative metal |
The Meth Lab | Method Man | Hip hop |
Wild Ones | Kip Moore | Country |
I Cry When I Laugh | Jess Glynne | R&B, house, dance-pop |
III | JoJo | R&B, pop, dance-pop |
The Awakening | P.O.D. | Christian metal, nu metal |
Right Here, Right Now | Jordin Sparks | R&B, pop |
The Great Unknown | Rob Thomas | Pop rock, alternative rock |
25 | FRAGMENTS | | Synth-pop, New wave music |
28 | Badlands | Halsey | Electropop, Indie Pop |
Beauty Behind the Madness | The Weeknd | Pop, R&B, PBR&B |
Inanimate Objects | Atlas Genius | Indie rock |
30 | Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz | | Psychedelic pop, Experimental pop | |
September
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
4 | Cast in Steel | a-ha | Alternative rock, pop rock |
Era | Atomic Tom | Indie rock, alternative rock |
Too | FIDLAR | |
Got Your Six | Five Finger Death Punch | Heavy metal |
The Book of Souls | Iron Maiden | Heavy metal |
Only Way Is Up | K Camp | Hip hop |
Deeply Rooted | Scarface | Hip hop |
Rodeo[31] | Travis Scott | Hip hop |
11 | The Story of Sonny Boy Slim | Gary Clark, Jr. | Blues rock, R&B, neo-soul |
The Calm Before the Storm | Colton Dixon | Contemporary Christian |
Paper Gods | Duran Duran | New wave, pop rock, pop |
Illinois | Brett Eldredge | Country |
So There | Ben Folds | Baroque pop |
I Cry When I Laugh | Jess Glynne | Dance-pop, soul, house, R&B |
Picking Up the Pieces | Jewel | Country |
I Am | Leona Lewis | R&B, pop |
90059 | Jay Rock | Hip hop |
Repentless | Slayer | Thrash metal |
Between II Worlds | Nero | Electronic rock, dubstep, electro house, big beat |
18 | Southern Drawl | Alabama | Country |
Long Live | Atreyu | Metalcore, alternative metal |
Digital Vein | David Cook | Rock, pop rock, post-grunge |
Higher Truth | Chris Cornell | Rock |
In the Cards | Robert DeLong | Electronic, alternative rock |
Rattle That Lock | David Gilmour | Progressive rock |
Honeymoon | Lana Del Rey | Dream pop |
Hysteria | Katharine McPhee | Pop |
Pagans in Vegas | Metric | Indie rock, new wave |
| Mac Miller | Hip hop |
Sorry | Meg Myers | Alternative rock, pop rock |
Crosseyed Heart | Keith Richards | Rock |
Threat to Survival | Shinedown | Rock |
20 | What a Time to Be Alive | Drake & Future | Hip hop |
21 | 1989 | Ryan Adams | Rock |
25 | Every Open Eye | Chvrches | Synthpop, indie pop |
Dodge and Burn | The Dead Weather | Alternative rock, blues rock |
Caracal | Disclosure | House, UK garage, dubstep |
Fetty Wap | Fetty Wap | Hip hop, trap, R&B |
JR JR | JR JR | Indie pop, alternative rock |
Servant of Love | Patty Griffin | Americana, Folk, folk rock |
Music Complete | New Order | Alternative rock, electronic rock, new wave, pop rock |
Permanence | No Devotion | Alternative rock |
Sugar | Robin Schulz | Deep house |
Rub | Peaches | Electroclash, synthpop, electropunk, electro house, techno |
Automatic | Kaskade | Dance, progressive house, deep house |
Better Nature | Silversun Pickups | Alternative rock, dream pop |
Tangled Up | Thomas Rhett | Country | |
October
Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) |
---|
2 | Stories | Avicii | EDM, house |
Trapsoul | Bryson Tiller | R&B, Hip hop |
See What You Started by Continuing | Collective Soul | Alternative rock, post-grunge |
Psychic Warfare | Clutch | Hard rock, stoner rock, blues rock |
Zipper Down | Eagles of Death Metal | Garage rock, indie rock |
Unbreakable | Janet Jackson | Pop, R&B |
Calling All Lovers | Tamar Braxton | R&B |
Silence in the Snow | Trivium | Heavy metal |
Golgotha | W.A.S.P. | Heavy metal, hard rock |
V | Wavves | Alternative rock, indie rock, surf rock |
9 | If I Should Go Before You | City and Colour | Alternative rock |
The Documentary 2 | The Game | Hip hop |
Revival[32] | Selena Gomez | Pop |
35 MPH Town | Toby Keith | Country |
Black Lines | Mayday Parade | Emo, pop punk, punk rock |
ASD | A Skylit Drive | Post-hardcore, metalcore |
16 | The Color Before the Sun | Coheed and Cambria | Progressive rock |
The Documentary 2.5 | The Game | Hip hop |
Confident | Demi Lovato | Pop |
General Admission | Machine Gun Kelly | Hip hop |
Vega Intl. Night School | Neon Indian | Electronic, indie pop |
Around the World and Back | State Champs | Pop rock, pop punk |
Holdin' the Bag | The Supersuckers | Rock |
23 | Sounds Good Feels Good | 5 Seconds of Summer | Pop punk |
Liberman | Vanessa Carlton | Indie pop |
I Changed a Lot | DJ Khaled | Hip hop |
Divers | Joanna Newsom | Indie folk, indie pop, chamber folk |
Reloaded: 20 #1 Hits | Blake Shelton[33] | Country |
Storyteller | Carrie Underwood | Country |
Reasons | Omarion | R&B |
25 | Another Country | Rod Stewart | Rock |
29 | Embrace | Armin Van Buuren | Trance progressive house |
30 | Teens of Style | Car Seat Headrest | Indie rock |
Def Leppard | Def Leppard | Hard rock |
Wiped Out! | The Neighbourhood | Alternative rock |
Money Shot | Puscifer | Alternative rock | |
November
December
Top songs on record
See also: List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 2015, List of Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in 2015 and Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2015.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 Songs
Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 Hits
All songs that reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the year, complete with peak chart placement.
Deaths
- January 1 – Jeff Golub, 59, jazz guitarist
- January 2 – Little Jimmy Dickens, 94, country singer
- January 4 – Lance Diamond, 72, singer
- January 8
- January 10
- January 12
- January 15
- Ervin Drake, 95, songwriter
- Kim Fowley, 75, singer-songwriter, producer, and manager
- January 18
- January 19
- January 20 – Rose Marie McCoy, 92, songwriter
- January 27 – Neil Levang, 83, guitarist and banjo player
- January 29 – Rod McKuen, 81, singer-songwriter
- January 31 – Don Covay, 76, singer-songwriter
- February 1 – Anita Darian, 87, soprano
- February 2
- February 3
- February 7 – Joe B. Mauldin, 74, bass player (The Crickets)
- February 8 – Keith Knudsen, 56, singer-songwriter and drummer
- February 9 – Marvin David Levy, 82, composer
- February 12
- February 14 – Hulon, 58, jazz saxophonist
- February 16 – Lesley Gore, 68, singer-songwriter
- February 18 – Dave Cloud, 58, singer-songwriter
- February 21 – Clark Terry, 94, jazz trumpeter and composer
- February 23 – Ron Edgar, 68, drummer (The Music Machine)
- February 24 – Robert Belfour, 74, blues singer-songwriter and guitarist
- February 27 – Tod Dockstader, 82, composer
- February 28 – Ezra Laderman, 90, classical composer
- March 1 – Orrin Keepnews, 91, record producer, co-founded Riverside Records
- March 8 – Lew Soloff, 71, trumpet player and composer (Blood, Sweat & Tears and Mingus Big Band)
- March 9
- March 11 – Jimmy Greenspoon, 67, singer-songwriter and keyboard player (Three Dog Night)
- March 15 – Mike Porcaro, 59, rock bass player (Toto)
- March 16
- March 18 – Samuel Charters, 85, record producer
- March 19 – Michael Brown, 65, keyboard player and songwriter (The Left Banke)
- March 20
- March 21 – Miriam Bienstock, 92, record executive
- March 22 – Norman Scribner, 79, pianist, composer, and conductor
- March 24 – Scott Clendenin, 48, bass player (Death and Control Denied)
- March 27
- March 30 – Preston Ritter, 65, drummer (The Electric Prunes)
- March 31 – Ralph Sharon, 91, pianist, composer, and conductor
- April 1 – Billy Butler, 69, soul singer-songwriter and guitarist
- April 2 – Doug Sax, 78, sound engineer
- April 3 – Bob Burns, 64, rock drummer (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
- April 5
- April 6
- April 7 – Stan Freberg, 88, recording artist
- April 9 – Tut Taylor, 91, bluegrass guitarist (Dixie Gentlemen)
- April 10 – Keith McCormack, 74, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- April 14 – Percy Sledge, 74, singer
- April 15 – Billy Ray Hearn, 85, record executive, founded Sparrow Records and Myrrh Records
- April 16 – Johnny Kemp, 55, singer
- April 19 – Bernard Stollman, 85, record executive, founded ESP-Disk
- April 21 – Wally Lester, 73, singer (The Skyliners)
- April 24 – Sid Tepper, 96, songwriter
- April 27
- April 30 – Ben E. King, 76, singer-songwriter and producer (The Drifters)
- May 1 – Grace Lee Whitney, 85, singer
- May 2 – Guy Carawan, 87, singer and musicologist
- May 5 – Craig Gruber, 63, bass player (Rainbow, Elf, Bible Black, and Raven Lord)
- May 6 – Jerome Cooper, 68, jazz drummer
- May 9 – Johnny Gimble, 88, singer-songwriter and fiddler
- May 10 – Victor Salvi, 95, classical harpist
- May 11 – Stan Cornyn, 81, record executive
- May 12 – Bobby Jameson, 70, singer-songwriter
- May 13 – Robert Drasnin, 87, clarinet player and composer
- May 14 – B.B. King, 89, blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- May 15 – Ortheia Barnes, 70, singer
- May 17
- May 18 – Elbert West, 47, country singer-songwriter
- May 19 – Bruce Lundvall, 79, record executive
- May 20 – Bob Belden, 58, saxophonist, composer, conductor, and producer
- May 21 – Louis Johnson, 60, bass player (The Brothers Johnson)
- May 24 – Marcus Belgrave, 78, jazz trumpet player
- May 26
- May 28 – Steven Gerber, 66, composer
- May 30 – Jim Bailey, 77, singer
- May 31
- June 1 – Jean Ritchie, 92, folk singer-songwriter
- June 6 – Ronnie Gilbert, 88, folk singer-songwriter (The Weavers)
- June 8 – Paul Bacon, 91, jazz musician
- June 9 – Pumpkinhead, 39, rapper
- June 11
- June 12 – Monica Lewis, 93, singer
- June 13
- June 16 – Mighty Sam McClain, 72, singer-songwriter
- June 19 – Harold Battiste, 83, saxophonist, pianist, and composer
- June 21 – Gunther Schuller, 89, horn player, composer, and conductor
- June 22
- June 27 – Chris Squire, 67, singer-songwriter and bass player (Yes, Conspiracy, The Syn, and XYZ)
- July 1 – Red Lane, 76, country singer-songwriter
- July 2 – Roy C. Bennett, 96, songwriter
- July 6
- July 8 – Ernie Maresca, 76, singer-songwriter and producer (The Regents)
- July 9 – Michael Masser, 74, songwriter and producer
- July 10
- July 11 – Joey Robinson, Jr., 53, Sugar Hill Records executive (West Street Mob)
- July 13 – Arthur G. Wright, 78, soul guitarist
- July 14 – Dave Somerville, 81, singer (The Diamonds)
- July 15
- July 18 – Buddy Buie, 74, songwriter and producer
- July 19
- July 20 – Wayne Carson, 72, singer-songwriter and producer
- July 21
- July 22
- July 26
- July 27 – Rickey Grundy, 56, gospel singer-songwriter
- July 29 – Buddy Emmons, 78, guitarist
- July 30 – Lynn Anderson, 67, country singer
- July 31 – Pamela Brandt, 68, country-rock bassist, singer and songwriter (The Deadly Nightshade)
- August 2 – J. Durward Morsch, 94, trombonist and composer
- August 4 – Billy Sherrill, 78, songwriter and producer
- August 5 – Raphy Leavitt, 66, composer and conductor
- August 8 – Sean Price, 43, rapper (Boot Camp Clik and Heltah Skeltah)
- August 11 – Eddie Cusic, 89, blues singer-songwriter and guitarist
- August 13 – Harold Ousley, 86, saxophonist and flute player
- August 14 – Bob Johnston, 83 record producer
- August 15 – Danny Sembello, 52, songwriter and producer
- August 27 – George Cleve, 79, conductor
- September 1 – Boomer Castleman, 70, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- September 2 – Brianna Lea Pruett, 32, singer-songwriter
- September 5 – Frederick "Dennis" Greene, 66, singer (Sha Na Na)
- September 7 – Susan Allen, 64, harp player
- September 13 – Gary Richrath, 65, guitarist and songwriter (REO Speedwagon)
- September 16 – Peggy Jones, 75, guitarist
- September 18 – Daniel Kyre, 21, guitarist (Cyndago)
- September 21 – Ben Cauley, 76, trumpet player and songwriter (The Bar-Kays)
- September 27
- September 28 – Frankie Ford, 76, singer
- September 29
- October 2 – Willie Akins, 76, jazz saxophonist
- October 4 – Dave Pike, 77, vibraphone player and composer
- October 6
- October 9
- Koopsta Knicca, 40, rapper (Three 6 Mafia)
- Larry Rosen, 75, jazz producer
- October 10
- October 11 – Smokin' Joe Kubek, 58, guitarist and songwriter
- October 13 – Skatemaster Tate, 56, singer and producer
- October 16 – John Jennings, 61, guitarist and producer
- October 18 – Frank Watkins, 47, bass player (Gorgoroth and Obituary)
- October 20 – Cory Wells, 74, singer (Three Dog Night)
- October 22 – Mark Murphy, 83, singer-songwriter
- October 23 – Leon Bibb, 93, folk singer
- October 25 – Lee Shaw, 89, pianist and composer
- October 26 – David Rodriguez, 63, singer-songwriter
- October 27 – Herbie Goins, 76, R&B singer (Blues Incorporated)
- November 2
- November 6 – Chuck Pyle, 70, country-folk singer-songwriter
- November 7 – Eddie Hoh, 71, drummer
- November 10
- November 15 – P. F. Sloan, 70, singer-songwriter
- November 16 – Betty Ann Grove, 86, singer
- November 17
- November 18 – Daniel Ferro, 94 opera singer
- November 21 – Joseph Silverstein, 83, violinist and conductor
- November 23 – Cynthia Robinson, 71, trumpet player and singer (Sly and the Family Stone)
- November 26 – Ronnie Bright, 77, singer (The Cadillacs and The Coasters)
- November 29 – Buddy Moreno, 103, singer
- December 1 – Shirley Gunter, 81, R&B singer-songwriter
- December 2
- December 3 – Scott Weiland, 48, rock singer-songwriter (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, and The Wondergirls)
- December 8
- December 9 – Rusty Jones, 73, jazz drummer
- December 13 – Luigi Creatore, 92, songwriter and producer
- December 14 – Edmund Lyndeck, 90, singer
- December 16 – Snuff Garrett, 77, record producer
- December 19 – Kurt Masur, 88, conductor (New York Philharmonic)
- December 21 – Sam Dockery, 86, jazz pianist
- December 24 – William Guest, 74, R&B singer (Gladys Knight & the Pips)
- December 28
- Joe Houston, 89, saxophonist
- Lemmy Kilmister, 70, cancer
- December 31
See also
Notes and References
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- http://time.com/3487517/katy-perry-will-play-next-years-super-bowl-halftime-show/ Katy *Perry Will Play Next Year's Super Bowl Halftime Show
- Web site: Shania Twain Bringing Her 'Final' Tour To Minneapolis « CBS Minnesota . Minnesota.cbslocal.com . 4 March 2015. 2015-03-05.
- Web site: Cathy. Applefeld Olson. Taylor Swift, Madonna, Justin Timberlake Own the 2015 iHeartRadio Awards. Billboard. March 30, 2015. March 30, 2015.
- Billboard Music Awards 2015: See the Full List of Finalists . . April 7, 2015 . April 7, 2015.
- Web site: Most Viewed Videos of All Time (Over 100 million views). YouTube. February 15, 2015.
- Web site: Scarpelli. Leah. Goodbye, Music Tuesday: Starting Today, Albums Come Out On Friday. npr.org. npr. July 10, 2015. July 13, 2015.
- Web site: W:O:A 2015 – first band announcements! . wacken.com . August 2, 2014 . October 18, 2014 . August 4, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140804202525/http://www.wacken.com/en/woa2014/main-news/news/ansicht/article/woa-2015-erste-bands-bestaetigt-9725 . dead .
- Web site:
- Hello, 27.7M views in one day! @Adele just snatched the 24 hr record
. Twitter. 26 October 2015. 26 October 2015.
- http://www.eonline.com/news/711235/adele-s-hello-music-video-shatters-miley-cyrus-vevo-record "Hello" shatters Miley Cyrus' record
- Taylor Swift Tops PSY's 24-Hour YouTube Record with 'Look What You Made Me Do'. .
- Adele Says 'Hello' to No. 1 Hot 100 Debut; First Song to Sell 1 Million Downloads in a Week . Prometheus Global Media . Billboard . 2 November 2015 . 2 November 2015.
- CMA Awards 2015: The Complete Winners List . Rolling Stone . November 4, 2015 . November 7, 2015.
- Adele's '25' Official First Week U.S. Sales: 3.38 Million . Prometheus Global Media . Billboard . November 28, 2015 . November 28, 2015.
- Grammy Nominations 2016: See the Full List of Nominees . Prometheus Global Media . Billboard . December 7, 2015 . December 7, 2015.
- News: KIK TRACEE, ENUFF Z'NUFF, FEAR FACTORY Members Join Forces In ZEN FROM MARS Project. 2016-08-09. BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 2018-03-26. en-US.
- Web site: 13th Floor Elevators to reunite for their first show since 1967. Rife. Katie. 16 Feb 2015. The A.V. Club. 17 February 2014.
- Web site: Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire to Headline New Show in Las Vegas. Anderson. Danielle. 4 December 2014. People. 16 December 2014.
- http://www.ournameisfun.com/post/110131366776/a-message-from-nate-jack-andrew News post, titled "A Message from Nate, Jack, and Andrew."
- Web site: The Gaslight Anthem Announce Indefinite Hiatus . Kerrang! . 2015-07-30 . 2015-10-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151001182915/http://www.kerrang.com/34165/gaslight-anthem-announce-indefinite-hiatus/ . 2015-10-01 . dead .
- Web site: Three Days Grace To Release 'Human' Album In March . Blabbermouth.net . 2015-01-27 . 2015-10-25.
- Web site: CMA Awards: Stapleton, Little Big Town are winners . The Tennessean . November 4, 2015 . November 5, 2015 . Watts, Cindy.
- Web site: Nelson . Jeff . Joy Williams on Civil Wars Breakup, Justin Timberlake Friendship and Marriage . People.com . 2015-10-25.
- Web site: Chareunsy . Don . Q+A: Easton Corbin releases 'Baby Be My Love Song,' looks forward to album in new year – Las Vegas Sun News . Lasvegassun.com . 2015-10-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151117001416/http://lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2014/dec/03/easton-corbin-releases-baby-be-my-love-song-looks-/ . 2015-11-17 . dead .
- Web site: Leahey . Andrew . Alan Jackson Turns to 'Angels and Alcohol' for New Album . Rolling Stone . 2015-04-09 . 2015-10-25.
- Web site: Bjorke. Matt. Ashley Monroe Sets July Release Date For Next Album. 4 May 2015. 5 May 2015.
- Web site: iTunes – Music – Not an Apology by Bea Miller. iTunes Store (United States). March 17, 2015. March 17, 2015.
- Web site: Joe Satriani Releasing New Album 'Shockwave Supernova' in July. 12 May 2015.
- Web site: Luke Bryan Currently Working On New Album. Win 98.5. 11 November 2014. 29 December 2014.
- Web site: Bullet for My Valentine Announce New Album Producer: 'We Wanted Someone to Go 'It's Not Metal Enough|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/bullet_for_my_valentine_announce_new_album_producer_we_wanted_someone_to_go_its_not_metal_enough.html?no_takeover. Ultimate Guitar. 21 May 2015. 23 October 2013.
- Web site: Official release date of Rodeo. 2015-07-20. 2015-06-27. Twitter.com. Nelson, Travis.
- Web site: Burnes. Mary Kate. Selena Gomez Announces Title, Release Date for Second Studio Album. ryanseacrest.com. Ryan Seacrest Enterprises. July 21, 2015.
- Web site: Leahey . Andrew . Blake Shelton Celebrates 20 Chart-Toppers With Greatest Hits Album . Rolling Stone . 2015-09-08 . 2015-10-25.
- Web site: Justin Bieber: New Album Gets November 13 Release Date, Per Sources . Billboard . 2015-10-25.