2015 in music explained

This topic covers notable events and articles related to music in 2015.

Albums released

• List of 2015 albums

Awards

2015 Billboard Music Awards
Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift – New Artist of the Year: Sam Smith – Top Hot 100 Song: All About That Bass – Top Billboard 200 Album: 1989
2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
Video of the Year: Bad Blood – Best Male Video: Uptown Funk – Best Female Video: Blank Space – Artist to Watch: Fetty Wap
MTV Europe Music Awards
Best Song: Bad Blood – Best Video: Downtown – Best Female: Rihanna – Best Male: Justin Bieber
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Bands formed

• 3776
• 1Punch
• Akishibu Project
• April
• Atarashii Gakko!
• Bastarz
• Big Brain
• Billie Idle
• Bish
• Burning Witches
• Bursters
• Camellia Factory
• CLC
• Day6
• DIA
• Earphones
• Ebisu Muscats
• Fate Gear
• GFriend
• The Hoopers
• iamnot
• Idol Renaissance
• Iginari Tohoku San
• iKon
• JJY Band
• Kolme
• La PomPon
• Ladybaby
• lol
• Magnolia Factory
• MAP6
• Meet Me at the Altar
• MeloMance
• Monsta X
• Mrs. Green Apple
• MyB
• Myth & Roid
• N.Flying
• Official Hige Dandism
• Oh My Girl
• OxT
• Pasocom Music Club
• The Peggies
• Pentagon
• Playback
• Pretty Brown
• POP
• Romeo
• Rubber Soul
• Seventeen
• Snuper
• Srv.Vinci
• Sora tob sakana
• Suchmos
• Tacoyaki Rainbow
• Tokimeki Sendenbu
• TrySail
• Twice
• Unicorn
• UP10TION
• VAV
• VIXX LR
• Wednesday Campanella
• Whiteeeen

Soloist debuts

• Aimyon
• Alina Baraz
• Alessia Cara
• Alex Gonzaga
• Amber
• Anly
• Anne-Marie
• Aurora
• Baek Yerin
• Bea Miller
• Charlie Puth
• Choa
• Daoko
• Daya
• Dean
• Declan McKenna
• Dua Lipa
• Elo
• Elsie
• Halsey
• Horan
• Faouzia
• Ferlyn G
• G2
• Gaeko
• G.Soul
• Goo Hara
• Hailee Steinfeld
• Iñigo Pascual
• Jacob Benedicto
• Jang Hyun-seung
• Jeremy Zucker
• Julien Baker
• Jung Yong-hwa
• Junoflo
• Jonghyun
• Julian Trono
• Kehlani
• Kiiara
• Lee Hongki
• Lizzy
• Mabel
• Marlo Mortel
• Matteo Guidicelli
• Morissette
• Minah
• Miwoo
• Niel
• Park Jimin
• Patrick Brasca
• Poppy
• Post Malone
• Reol
• Reese Lansangan
• Rita De Guzman
• RM
• Sakura Fujiwara
• Shaun
• Taeyeon
• Wuno
• Lee Tae-il
• Ugly Duck
• Yassi Pressman
• Yezi

Bands reformed

• 13th Floor Elevators
• The Academy Is...
• A-ha
• Aiden
• Alexisonfire
• Armor for Sleep
• As One
• At the Drive-In
• Bay City Rollers
• The Black Eyed Peas
• Black Grape
• The Bluetones
• Brooks & Dunn
• Busted
• The Corrs
• Daphne and Celeste
• Dashboard Confessional
• Digable Planets
• Disturbed
• Evanescence
• Faithless
• Good Charlotte
• LCD Soundsystem
• Lush
• Matchbook Romance
• The Matches
• Pist.On
• The Promise Ring
• Rainbow
• Royal Trux
• Savatage
• Simply Red
• The Starting Line
• Supertramp
• Symphony Number One
• Thrice
• A Tribe Called Quest
• Underoath
• Ween

Bands disbanded

• 3 Inches of Blood
• Avi Buffalo
• The Black Crowes
• Burzum
• California Breed
• Cali Swag District
• CBS Orchestra
• Cobra Starship
• Device
• Eastern Conference Champions
• Erase Errata
• Flesh for Lulu
• Framing Hanley
• Funeral For a Friend
• Goodbye to Gravity
• G.R.L.
• I, the Breather
• James Last Orchestra
• Kill Hannah
• Klaxons
• Maybeshewill
• Mean Creek
• MellowHype
• Mötley Crüe
• Motörhead
• Neutral Milk Hotel
• Noah and the Whale
• Obits
• Odd Future
• The Replacements
• Rise to Remain
• The Rosso Sisters
• Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts
• Sleeper Agent
• Stereo Kicks
• Texas in July
• The Weakerthans

Deaths

January

• 1 – Matthew Cogley (30), British musician and songwriter (Failsafe).^[1]
• 6 – Lance Percival (81), British actor and singer.^[2]
• 13
  • Ronnie Ronalde (91), British siffleur and yodeller.
  • Trevor Ward-Davies (70), English bassist (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich)
• 19 – Ward Swingle (87), American jazz singer (The Swingle Singers).
• 22 – Joan Hinde (81), British trumpet player
• 25 – Demis Roussos (68), Greek singer and musician
• 27 – Margot Moir (55), Scottish-born Australian singer (The Moir Sisters).^[3]
• 29 – Danny McCulloch (69), British bassist (Eric Burdon & The Animals).

February

• 12 – Steve Strange (55), British musician (Visage).^[4]
• 16 – Lesley Gore (68), American singer
• 21 – Clark Terry (94), American jazz trumpeter.^[5]
• 22 – Erik Amundsen (78), Norwegian jazz upright-bassist.^[6]
• 23 – Ron Edgar (68), American rock drummer (The Music Machine)

March

• 21 – Jørgen Ingmann, (89), Danish guitarist.^[7]

April

• 1
  • Dave Ball (65), British musician (Procol Harum).^[8]
  • Sandy Mason (75), American country music singer-songwriter
• 3 – Andrew Porter (86), British organist, music critic, and opera director^[9]
• 10 – Ronald Hambleton (97), English-born Canadian broadcaster and music critic (Toronto Star).^[10]
• 13 – Ronnie Carroll (80), Northern Irish singer
• 14 – Percy Sledge (74), American soul, gospel and R&B singer
• 17 – Brian Couzens (86), British music industry executive (Chandos Records).^[11]
• 18 – Ben E. King (76), American soul and R&B singer

May

• 6
  • Errol Brown (71), British-Jamaican singer (Hot Chocolate)
  • Dottie Dillard (91), American pop singer (The Anita Kerr Quartet)
• 14 – B.B. King (89), American blues guitarist.^[12]
• 20 – Bob Belden (58), American jazz saxophonist.^[13]
• 23 – Marcus Belgrave (78), American jazz trumpeter.^[14]
• 31 – Slim Richey (77), American jazz guitarist.^[15]

June

• 11 – Ornette Coleman (85), American jazz saxophonist.^[16]
• 12 – Monica Lewis (93), American singer and actress.^[17]
• 21 – Gunther Schuller (89), American composer, conductor, and horn player.^[18]
• 27 – Joe Bennett (75), American rock and roll singer, songwriter, and guitarist (Joe Bennett & the Sparkletones)

July

• 1
  • Val Doonican (88), Irish-born singer.
  • Edward Greenfield (86), British music critic and broadcaster.^[19]
• 13 – Eric Wrixon (68), British musician from Belfast, Northern Ireland (Them, Thin Lizzy).^[20]
• 22
  • Daron Norwood (49), American country music singer
  • Eddie Hardin (66), British singer-songwriter and pianist (The Spencer Davis Group and Axis Point).
• 30 – Lynn Anderson (67), American country singer
• 31 – Pamela Brandt (68), American country-rock bassist, singer and songwriter (The Deadly Nightshade)

August

• 1 – Cilla Black (72), British singer and presenter.
• 12 – John Scott (59), British organist and choirmaster.^[21]
• 14 – Jazz Summers (71), British music manager (Scissor Sisters, The Verve, Snow Patrol), (lung cancer)^[22]
• 20 – Laurent Rossi (67), French singer, songwriter, and record producer (Bimbo Jet)

September

• 4 – Hal Willis (82), Canadian country music singer
• 13 – Gary Richrath (65), American guitarist (REO Speedwagon)
• 29 – Phil Woods (83), American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer^[23]

October

• 8 – Jim Diamond, Scottish singer (Ph.D.)
• 9 – Larry Rosen (75), American drummer, entrepreneur, and music producer.^[24]
• 20 – Cory Wells (74), American singer (Three Dog Night)
• 22 – Mark Murphy (83), American singer.^[25]
• 28 – Diane Charlemagne (51), English dance singer (52nd Stree, Urban Cookie Collective)

November

• 5 – Nora Brockstedt, Norwegian singer (92).^[26]
• 25 – Svein Christiansen, Norwegian drummer (74).^[27]

December

• 3 – Scott Weiland (48), American musician, singer and songwriter (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver and Art of Anarchy)
• 28
  • Guru Josh (51), acid house DJ
  • Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister (70), English musician, singer and songwriter (Motörhead, Hawkwind, The Rockin' Vickers)
• 30 – Zjef Vanuytsel (70), Belgian folk singer.
• 31 – Natalie Cole (65), American singer, songwriter, and actress (congestive heart failure).^[28]

See also

• Once Upon a Time in Shaolin
• Timeline of musical events
• Women in music

Notes and References

1. Web site: Musician whose band starred in The Inbetweeners dies on New Year's Day. Jon. Livesey. January 3, 2015. Mirror.co.uk.
2. Web site: Percival – Deaths Announcements – Telegraph Announcements. Announcements.telegraph.co.uk. 2017-02-01. 2015-01-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20150109224318/http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/185934/percival. dead.
3. Web site: R.I.P Margot Moir Of The Moir Sisters 1959–2015 . Noise11.com. 26 January 2015 .
4. Web site: New Romantic pioneer Steve Strange dies. The Guardian. 2015-02-12. 2017-04-10.
5. News: Clark Terry, Master of Jazz Trumpet, Dies at 94 . Peter . Keepnews . . 2015-02-22 . 2016-02-26.
6. News: Nekrolog: Erik Amundsen . no . Bjørn . Stendahl . . 2015-03-04 . 2016-02-26.
7. Web site: Eurovision winner Jørgen Ingmann died . Victor M. . Escudero . . 2015-03-22 . 2016-04-16.
8. Web site: Dave Ball passed away. Dmme.net.
9. Web site: Multifaceted Music Critic Andrew Porter Dies At 86. Npr.org. 3 April 2015 . Huizenga . Tom .
10. Web site: Veteran writer Ronald Hambleton dies at 97 – Toronto Star. Thestar.com. 16 April 2015 .
11. Web site: Brian Couzens: Businessman who founded the Chandos record label and. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/brian-couzens-businessman-who-founded-the-chandos-record-label-and-led-the-way-for-independents-in-the-classical-music-market-10204822.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 26 April 2015. Independent.co.uk.
12. News: Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89 . Todd . Leopold . . 2015-05-16 . 2016-04-15.
13. Bob Belden, Jazz Saxophonist & Renaissance Man, Dead at 58 . Colin . Stutz . . 2015-05-20 . 2016-04-11.
14. News: Marcus Belgrave, Famed Detroit Jazz Trumpeter, Dies at 78 . Alex . Stedman . . 2015-05-24 . 2016-04-11.
15. News: Slim Richey 1938–2015: Austin's jazz maverick peaces out . Kevin . Curtin . . 2015-06-01 . 2016-04-15.
16. News: Ornette Coleman, Saxophonist Who Rewrote the Language of Jazz, Dies at 85 . Ben . Ratliff . . 2015-06-11 . 2016-02-26.
17. News: Monica Lewis, Actress Who Sang in Chiquita Banana Cartoons, Dies at 93 . . 2015-06-12 . 2016-04-15.
18. News: Gunther Schuller Dies at 89; Composer Synthesized Classical and Jazz . Allan . Kozinn . . 2015-06-21 . 2016-04-15.
19. News: Edward Greenfield obituary. David. McKie. Meirion. Bowen. 2 July 2015. The Guardian.
20. Web site: RIP Eric Wrixon – Music – News – Hot Press. Hotpress.com.
21. Web site: News – About – Saint Thomas Church. Saintthomaschurch.org. 2017-02-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20150815031431/http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/about/news/342/john-scott-1956-2015. 2015-08-15. dead.
22. Web site: Music industry manager Jazz Summers dies. 15 August 2015. Digitalspy.co.uk. 1 February 2017. 16 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150816090742/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a663615/former-scissor-sisters-the-verve-and-lisa-stansfield-manager-jazz-summers-dies-aged-71.html. dead.
23. News: Alto Sax Legend Phil Woods Has Died At 83 . David . La Rosa . TheJazzLine.com . 2015-09-29 . 2016-04-15.
24. News: Larry Rosen, music producer and label founder, dies at 75 . Charles J. . Gans . . 2015-10-10 . 2016-04-15.
25. News: Vocalist Mark Murphy dies at 83 . Jeff . Tamarkin . . 2015-10-23 . 2016-04-15.
26. News: Norwegians mourn Brockstedt's death . Helge Voll . Hustad . NewsInEnglish.no . 2015-11-06 . 2016-02-26.
27. News: Nekrolog: Svein Christiansen . no . Arild . Andersen . Bjørn . Stendahl . . 2015-03-04 . 2016-02-26.
28. News: Natalie Cole, Grammy winning singer, has died . Sandy . Cohen . Mesfin . Fekadu . . 2016-01-01 . 2016-03-15 . 2016-03-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160307151156/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6a4c103be2a74a2587334ec6eff65c13/natalie-cole-grammy-winning-singer-has-died . dead .