The COVID-19 pandemic results in the cancellation or postponement of numerous music-related events scheduled to take place this year, including major tours, festivals and television appearances.
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.[3] 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, which includes the viral dance song, Gangnam Style, that becomes the most viewed YouTube video for 5 years.
Rebecca Black releases her debut single, "Friday", to scathing reviews, and being the most disliked YouTube video until it was taken down 6 months later.
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".
Radiohead splits from EMI and independently releases In Rainbows with an online download method of payment that allows the buyer to choose their price.
After four years, Gorillaz release their second studio 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.
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.[4]
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.
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.
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.
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", from the James Cameron film Titanic, became the best selling single of the year and the second best selling single by a female artist of all time.
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.
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.[19]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
British Invasion begins, Beatlemania invades America and becomes international, The Righteous Brothers become the first white act signed to Phil Spector's Philles 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
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.
1539 in music – Jacques Arcadelt's First book of madrigals for four voices is published, the most reprinted madrigal book of the century
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.
1530 in music – Madrigali de diversi musici: libro primo de la Serena is published, the first book of madrigals to use the word 'madrigal' to describe them. The majority of the pieces in it are by Philippe Verdelot.
1520 in music – Musica di messer Bernardo Pisano sopra le canzone del Petrarcha is published, the first printed book of secular music dedicated to a single composer. It contains the first madrigals, though they are not called by that name.
