From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.

Events

January

• January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact the pair had been listening to "Israel's Son" by Silverchair prior to the crimes, which are dubbed the "Israel's Son Murders". Murmur Records released an official response, stating that Silverchair do not condone violence of any kind and that the song "seeks to criticize violence and war by portraying them in all their horror." ^[1]
• January 8 – Madonna's stalker, Robert Hoskins is found guilty and convicted on five charges of assault, stalking, and threatening to kill the singer.^[2]
• January 16 – Jamaican authorities open fire on Jimmy Buffett's seaplane, Hemisphere Dancer, mistaking it for a drug trafficker's plane. U2 singer Bono and Island Records executive, Chris Blackwell, are also on the plane; no-one is injured.^[3]
• January 18 – Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson.^[4]
• January 19 – The Album, Antichrist by Gorgoroth is Completed.
• January 25 – Madonna receives death threats from Argentine conservatives who are enraged and insulted that she is playing Eva Peron in Evita.^{[citation needed]} After she arrives in Argentina, over 50 walls throughout the city have been spray-painted with the words: ¡Viva Evita! ¡Fuera Madonna! (Long Live Evita! Get Out, Madonna!).^[5]
• January 25 – Jonathan Larson, composer and writer of the hit Broadway musical Rent, dies at age thirty-five of an aortic aneurysm. His death occurs the morning before Rent is scheduled to make its first public performance at the New York Theatre Workshop.^[6]
• January 28 – Chris Isaak makes a guest appearance on the television show Friends.^[7]
• January 29
  • La Fenice opera house in Venice, Italy, is destroyed by fire.^[8]
  • Kiss reveals that they have reunited with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, with a surprise appearance on the American Music Awards. The band took to the stage in full makeup and costume for the first time since 1980.^[9]
  • Garth Brooks refuses to accept his American Music Award for Favorite Overall Artist.^[10] Brooks says that Hootie and the Blowfish had done more for music that year than he did.^{[citation needed]}

February

• February 4 – Former Milli-Vanilli band member Rob Pilatus is hospitalized when a man hits him over the head with a baseball bat in Hollywood, California, while Pilatus is attempting to steal the man's car.^[11]
• February 13 – Tupac Shakur released the first ever rap double album, All Eyez on Me, one of the most influential albums in hip hop history. All Eyez on Me achieves platinum sales in just four hours and reaches #1 on the Billboard 200 charts.^{[citation needed]}
• February 13 – Take That split
• February 14 – The Artist Formerly Known As Prince marries backup singer Mayte Garcia.^{[citation needed]}
• February 20 – Snoop Dogg and his bodyguard are acquitted of first degree murder. The jury deadlocks on voluntary manslaughter charges and a mistrial is declared.

March

• March 4 – The Beatles' second reunion song is released as part of their first reunion since the band's breakup 26 years earlier. The song is a finished version of "Real Love", a John Lennon demo from 1980.^[12]
• March 13 – Ramones fans rioted in Buenos Aires, Argentina after waiting all night for concert tickets only to find out that the show had been sold out.^[13]
• March 16 – Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's 16th consecutive week stay at #1 in the American charts with "One Sweet Day" ended when Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me hit #1. "One Sweet Day" is the longest consecutive week stay at #1 in the Billboard Hot 100's history.^[14]
• March 18 – The Sex Pistols announce that they will be reuniting for a 20th anniversary tour.^[15]
• March 28 – Phil Collins announces that he is leaving Genesis to focus on his solo career.^[16]

April

• April 3 – M.C. Hammer files for bankruptcy.
• April 4 – The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia's widow, Deborah, scatter part of Garcia's ashes in the Ganges River in India.
• April 15 – The remaining part of Jerry Garcia's ashes are scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.
• April 16 – Madonna announces that she is four months pregnant by Carlos Leon, her then boyfriend and trainer.
• April 24 – This Train, Rick Elias, Jimmy A, Phil Keaggy, Carolyn Arends, Third Day & Ashley Cleveland perform a tribute concert for Rich Mullins at Nashville's Cafe Milano. Speakers included Reunion Records executive Terry Hemmings, record producer Reed Arvin, disc jockey Jon Rivers, and author Brennan Manning.
• April 28 – Oasis play the second of two gigs in Maine Road, home of Manchester City F.C., featured on the video "…There and Then".

May

• The Galway Early Music Festival is launched in Ireland.
• May 8 – In Los Angeles, California, a judge rules against Tommy Lee and wife, actress Pamela Anderson Lee, in their attempt to keep Penthouse magazine from publishing still photos taken from an X-rated home movie that was stolen from their home.
• May 25 – Brad Nowell, lead singer and guitarist of the band Sublime, is found dead of a heroin overdose in his San Francisco motel room.
• May 28 – Depeche Mode leader Dave Gahan overdosed on a heroin and cocaine 'speedball' in a Los Angeles hotel room. On the way to the hospital, he was pronounced clinically dead for two minutes. He was arrested upon his release two days later, and ordered by the court to complete a 9 month rehabilitation.

June

• June 21 – The Sex Pistols start their reunion tour in Lahti, Finland.
• June 9 – "Wannabe", the best-selling single by any female pop group, is released in the UK by the Spice Girls.

July

• July 3 - Alice in Chains performs their last concert with lead singer Layne Staley in Kansas City, Missouri while touring with Kiss (band).
• July 8 – The Spice Girls release their debut single "Wannabe" in the United Kingdom.The song proves to be a global hit, hitting number 1 in 31 countries and becoming not only the biggest selling debut single by an all-female group but also the biggest-selling single by an all-female group of all time.
• July 13 – Phil Anselmo of Pantera overdosed on heroin after a Texas homecoming gig
• July 11 – Robert Simpson's second string quintet premiered at the Cheltenham International Festival by the Maggini Quartet with Pal Banda, cellist.
• July 29 – Jason Matthew Thirsk, bassist of the band Pennywise, dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

• June 25 – Rapper Jay-Z releases debut album Reasonable Doubt

August

• August 1 – MTV2 is launched.^{[citation needed]}
• August 10 – August 11 – Oasis played at Knebworth, UK, for two consecutive nights in front of 250,000 people. It is considered the peak of the Britpop movement.^{[citation needed]}
• August 6 – Influential punk rock group The Ramones play their final show at The Palace in Hollywood.
• August 27 – Aaliyah released her album One in a Million

September

• September 7
  • Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot four times in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, while leaving the MGM Grand hotel after seeing the Mike Tyson versus Bruce Seldon boxing match, in what is apparently a drive-by shooting
  • Michael Jackson starts the HIStory World Tour
• September 12 – Controversy follows The Eagles when the band dedicates "Peaceful Easy Feeling" to Saddam Hussein at a United States Democratic Party fundraiser held in Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]}
• September 13 – Tupac Shakur dies in hospital after his wounds from his September 7 shooting.

October

• October 6 – Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw get married.
• October 8 – Marilyn Manson released their second album Antichrist Superstar
• October 14 – Madonna's first child, Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, is born in Los Angeles, California.
• October 15 - Korn (band) release their second album Life is Peachy
• October 30 – Slash officially leaves Guns N' Roses.
• October 31 – Slipknot release their limited edition album Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat..

November

• November 8 – After having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the film Hype!, a documentary on the Seattle grunge scene, opens to general audiences
• November 24 – Crowded House plays its final concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in Australia, in front of an audience of almost 200,000. Proceeds from this concert support the Sydney Children's Hospital.

December

• December 7 – The Sex Pistols finish their reunion tour in Santiago, Chile.
• December 16 – Max Cavalera leaves Sepultura because of Sepultura not renewing his wife, Gloria's, contract as manager as well as being overwhelmed by the death of his stepson.^{[citation needed]}

Date unknown

• Jesper Strömblad leaves Hammerfall.
• House of Pain breaks up which leads to DJ Lethal joining Limp Bizkit.
• Sheryl Crow's self titled album is banned from Wal-Mart stores because of the lyric "Watch out sister, watch out brother/watch our children while they kill each other/with a gun they bought at Wal-Mart Discount Stores".
• The Monkees embark on their 30th Anniversary Reunion Tour.
• Singer Tori Amos is sued when a man crashes his car after being distracted by a billboard advertising her album. The billboard featured a photo of Amos breastfeeding a piglet.^{[citation needed]}
• David Bowie's single "Telling Lies" becomes the first song offered as a free digital download by a major record label (Virgin Records).
• Roberto Alagna marries Angela Gheorghiu.
• Coal Chamber signs with Roadrunner Records and Mikey "Bug" Cox replaces John Tor.
• Alice Cooper performs at Sammy Hagar's club, Cabo Wabo, in Mexico. It was recorded and released the next year as a live album.
• The Proms in the Park event is launched in London, UK.

Bands formed

• See Musical groups established in 1996

Bands disbanded

• 2 Unlimited
• Arrested Development (they reform in 2000)
• At The Gates
• Army of Lovers
• Belly
• Bivouac
• Carcass (they reform in 2007)
• Cluster (they reform in 2007)
• Cocteau Twins
• Cop Shoot Cop
• Crowded House (they reform in 2007)
• Dandelion (band)
• Eric's Trip
• Extreme
• Fu-Schnickens
• Girlfriend
• Heavenly
• House of Pain (Reformed in 2009)
• Into Another
• Jawbreaker
• Jodeci (hiatus, until 2006)
• Killdozer
• The Kinks
• Kitchens of Distinction
• Lush
• Ned's Atomic Dustbin
• Pale Saints
• The Pogues
• Pop Will Eat Itself
• The Ramones
• Ride
• Shakespears Sister
• Siouxsie & The Banshees
• Skankin' Pickle
• The Stone Roses
• Sublime
• Take That (they reform in 2005)
• Vaya Con Dios
• Velocity Girl

Bands return

• The Monkees
• New Edition
• Poison
• Kiss
• Devo
• Supertramp
• Patti Smith

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Release Date Unknown

• Back in the Shootin' Match – Ace Troubleshooter
• Die for the Government – Anti-Flag
• Out of the Everywhere – Angie Aparo
• Music of Hair – Andrew Bird
• Take It From The Man! – The Brian Jonestown Massacre
• Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request – The Brian Jonestown Massacre
• Testing Positive – George Clinton
• All the Pretty Little Horses – Current 93
• A Man Amongst Men – Bo Diddley
• Six Pence for the Sauces (EP) – Drake Tungsten
• Eleventeen (EP) – Eve 6
• Cut in Half and Also Double – Emily Haines
• Love in Space – Hawkwind
• Inquilaab – Junoon
• Democracy – Killing Joke
• Get Your Legs Broke – Len
• Get Fired Up – Murk
• Neu! '72 Live in Dusseldorf – Neu!
• Curb – Nickelback
• Hesher – Nickelback
• Tao of the One Inch Punch – One Inch Punch
• Brown – P.O.D.
• La Passione – Chris Rea
• Introducing Save Ferris (EP) – Save Ferris
• Welcome to the Infant Freebase – The Soundtrack of Our Lives
• Hamsters of Rock (EP) – Spacehog
• Telephono – Spoon
• Time – Steeleye Span
• Nénette et Boni – Tindersticks
• Garibaldi Guard! – U.S. Bombs
• Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation – Various Artists

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest positions in the charts of 1996.^[17]

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Spice Girls	Wannabe	1996		UK 1 – Jul 1996, US BB 1 of 1997, Holland 1 – Aug 1996, Sweden 1 – Aug 1996, Switzerland 1 – Aug 1996, Norway 1 – Aug 1996, Germany 1 – Aug 1996, Éire 1 – Aug 1996, New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks Nov 1996, Australia 1 for 11 weeks Jan 1997, US BB 3 of 1997, POP 3 of 1997, Austria 4 – Aug 1996, Australia 5 of 1996, Poland 22 – Aug 1996, Italy 31 of 1996, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1996, Scrobulate 59 of pop, RYM 94 of 1996, Germany 170 of the 1990s, OzNet 963, Acclaimed 1504
2	The Fugees	Killing Me Softly	1996		UK 1 – Jun 1996, Holland 1 – Jun 1996, Austria 1 – Jul 1996, Switzerland 1 – Jun 1996, Norway 1 – Jun 1996, Germany 1 – Jun 1996, Éire 1 – Jun 1996, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks May 1996, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Aug 1996, Poland 2 – Jun 1996, Australia 3 of 1996, Sweden 5 – Aug 1996, Italy 6 of 1996, Scrobulate 6 of hip-hop, US BB 17 of 1996, POP 21 of 1996, Germany 35 of the 1990s, RYM 97 of 1996, Europe 98 of the 1990s, Acclaimed 837
3	Los Del Rio	Macarena	1996		US BB 1 of 1996, Holland 1 – Aug 1993, Austria 1 – Feb 1996, Switzerland 1 – Mar 1996, Germany 1 – Apr 1996, Australia 1 for 9 weeks Nov 1996, UK 2 – Jul 1996, US BB 2 of 1996, Norway 2 – Jun 1996, Australia 2 of 1996, POP 2 of 1996, Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1993, Sweden 8 – Jun 1996, Germany 26 of the 1990s, Party 102 of 2007
4	Oasis	Wonderwall	1996		New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks Mar 1996, Australia 1 for 1 weeks May 1996, UK 2 – Nov 1995, Scrobulate 2 of rock, Sweden 4 – Nov 1995, RYM 4 of 1995, Norway 5 – Dec 1995, US BB 8 of 1996, Holland 9 – Dec 1995, Australia 10 of 1996, Austria 12 – Mar 1996, Poland 15 – Jan 1996, US BB 16 of 1996, Switzerland 17 – Feb 1996, POP 20 of 1996, Virgin 22, Germany 24 – Feb 1996, Europe 70 of the 1990s, Acclaimed 123, Belgium 146 of all time, WXPN 856
5	Robert Miles	Children	1996		Sweden 1 – Mar 1996, Austria 1 – Apr 1996, Switzerland 1 – Jan 1996, Norway 1 – Apr 1996, Germany 1 – Feb 1996, UK 2 – Feb 1996, France 2 – Feb 1996, Holland 3 – Feb 1996, Italy 3 of 1996, US BB 21 of 1996, Australia 26 of 1996, Germany 32 of the 1990s, Scrobulate 71 of house, RYM 159 of 1996, OzNet 336

Top hits on record

• "1979"- The Smashing Pumpkins
• "6th Avenue Heartache" – The Wallflowers
• "Aeroplane" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "Ahead By A Century" – The Tragically Hip
• "All Mixed Up" – 311
• "Always Be My Baby" – Mariah Carey
• "Bad Hair Day" – "Weird Al" Yankovic
• "Because You Loved Me" – Celine Dion
• "Big Me" – Foo Fighters
• "Breathe Babylon" – P.O.D.
• "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" – The Smashing Pumpkins
• "Bulls on Parade" – Rage Against the Machine
• "California Love" – Tupac Shakur / Dr. Dre
• "Can't Get You Off My Mind" – Lenny Kravitz
• "Change the World" – Eric Clapton, written by Wayne Kirkpatrick, Gordon Kennedy and Tommy Sims, won a Grammy award for song of the year in 1997
• "Charmless Man" – Blur
• "Children" – Robert Miles
• "C'Mon N' Ride It (The Train)" – Quad City DJ's
• "Crash Into Me" – Dave Matthews Band
• "Darla dirladada" – Dalida (remix)
• "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" – Madonna
• "Don't Look Back in Anger" – Oasis
• "Down (311 song)" – 311
• "Drain You" live – Nirvana
• "E-Bow the Letter" – R.E.M. featuring Patti Smith
• "Free as a Bird" – The Beatles
• "Get Money" – Junior M.A.F.I.A.
• "Give Me One Reason" – Tracy Chapman
• "Guilty" – Gravity Kills
• "Hand in My Pocket" – Alanis Morissette
• "Head over Feet" – Alanis Morissette
• "Hero of the Day" – Metallica
• "How Can You Live With Yourself" – The Tubes
• "How Do U Want It" – 2Pac
• "I Want To Come Over" – Melissa Etheridge
• "If It Makes You Happy" – Sheryl Crow
• "If You Could Only See" – Tonic
• "If Your Girl Only Knew" - Aaliyah
• "I'll Stick Around" – Foo Fighters
• "It's Oh So Quiet" – Björk
• "Interstate Love Song" – Stone Temple Pilots
• "Ironic" – Alanis Morissette
• "Is It a Crime" – Sade
• "Jealousy" – Natalie Merchant
• "Killing Me Softly With His Song" – The Fugees
• "King Nothing" – Metallica
• "La Mamma" – Dalida (inédit)
• "Là-bas dans le noir" – Dalida (remix)
• "Long Way Down (song)" – Goo Goo Dolls
• "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" – Madonna
• "Macarena" – Los Del Rio
• "Mama Said" – Metallica
• "Motel California" – Ugly Kid Joe
• "My Boo" – Ghost Town DJ's
• "Naked Eye" – Luscious Jackson
• "Naked" – Goo Goo Dolls
• "No Diggity" – Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre
• "Novocaine for the Soul" – Eels
• "One Headlight" – The Wallflowers
• "One Sweet Day – Mariah Carey" and Boyz II Men
• "Pepper" – Butthole Surfers
• "People of the Sun" – Rage Against the Machine
• "Pretty Noose" – Soundgarden
• "Professional Widow (Star Trunk Funkin' Mix)" – Tori Amos
• "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" – Backstreet Boys
• "Ready or Not" – Fugees
• "Return of the Mack" – Mark Morrison
• "So Much To Say" – Dave Matthews Band
• "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand" – Primitive Radio Gods
• "Steelo – 702"
• "Stupid Girl" – Garbage
• "Tahitian Moon" – Porno for Pyros
• "Tha Crossroads" – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony won a grammy for best rap song in 1997, topped #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for 8 weeks, and tied The Beatles' 32 year-old record for fastest-rising single.^{[citation needed]}
• "They Don't Care About Us" – Michael Jackson
• "The Beautiful People" – Marilyn Manson
• "The Earth,The Sun,The Rain" – Color Me Badd
• "Tic, Tic Tac" – Carrapicho
• "Tonight, Tonight" – The Smashing Pumpkins
• "Un-Break My Heart" – Toni Braxton
• "Until It Sleeps" – Metallica
• "Vapors" – Snoop Doggy Dogg
• "Virtual Insanity" – Jamiroquai
• "Wash Away" – Vertical Horizon
• "When You're Gone" – The Cranberries
• "What I Got" – Sublime
• "Where It's At" – Beck
• "Who Will Save Your Soul" – Jewel
• "Why" – 3T feat. Michael Jackson
• "Wonder" – Natalie Merchant
• "Wonderwall" – Oasis
• "You Learn" – Alanis Morissette
• "You Must Love Me" – Madonna
• "You Oughta Know" – Alanis Morissette
• "You Were Meant For Me" – Jewel, held longest chart run for single. 1996–1998
• "Zero" – The Smashing Pumpkins

See also: Hot 100 number-one hits of 1996 (United States)

Most critically acclaimed songs of 1996

This list is taken from acclaimedmusic.net.^[18]

• 1. "Firestarter", The Prodigy
• 2. "Where It's At", Beck
• 3. "No Diggity", Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre
• 4. "Setting Sun", The Chemical Brothers
• 5. "A Design for Life", Manic Street Preachers
• 6. "Woo-Hah!! (Got You All in Check)", Busta Rhymes
• 7. "California Love", 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman
• 8. "Ready or Not", Fugees
• 9. "Devil's Haircut", Beck
• 10. "Hyperballad", Björk

Classical music

• Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen – Trumpet Concerto No. 2
• Michael Berkeley – Viola Concerto (revised)
• Elliott Carter – Clarinet Concerto
• Mario Davidovsky – Quartetto No. 2 for oboe, violin, viola, violoncello
• Peter Maxwell Davies – Strathclyde Concerto No 10: Concerto for Orchestra
• Joël-François Durand – Les raisons des forces mouvantes for organ
• Lorenzo Ferrero
  • La noche triste (symphonic poem)
  • Capriccio
  • Tempi di quartetto
  • My Piece of Africa
  • Seven Portraits of the Same Person
• Alexander Goehr – Viola Concerto
• Sofia Gubaidulina – Viola Concerto
• Hans Werner Henze – Labyrinth (revision of 1951 work)
• Wilhelm Kaiser-Lindemann – Homage a Nelson Mandela
• John Pickard – Third Symphony
• Juan Maria Solare – Diez Estudios Escénicos
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Orchester-Finalisten

Opera

• Peter Maxwell Davies – The Doctor of Myddfai
• Lorenzo Ferrero – La nascita di Orfeo
• Daron Hagen – Vera of Las Vegas
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Freitag aus Licht

Musical theater

• Chicago (Kander and Ebb) – Broadway revival
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Stephen Sondheim) – Broadway revival
• I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change – off Broadway production
• The King and I (Rodgers and Hammerstein) – Broadway revival
• Once Upon a Mattress – Broadway revival
• Rent (Jonathan Larson) – Broadway production (originally off Broadway)
• State Fair – Broadway production

Musical films

• Everyone Says I Love You
• Evita
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• James and the Giant Peach

Deaths

• January 20 – Gerry Mulligan, saxophonist, 68
• January 21, in a car accident, the London Boys:
  • Edem Ephraim, 37
  • Dennis Fuller, 37
• January 25 – Jonathan Larson, composer
• February 2 - Gene Kelly, actor and dancer
• February 7 – Boris Tchaikovsky, composer
• February 17 – Evelyn Laye, English actress and singer, 95
• February 20 – Toru Takemitsu, composer
• February 26 – Mieczysław Weinberg, composer
• March 4 – Minnie Pearl, comedienne and country musician, 84
• March 15 – Olga Rudge, violinist, 101
• March 22 – Don Murray, The Turtles
• April 18 – Bernard Edwards, Chic, pneumonia
• May 8 – Celedonio Romero, leader of the Romeros guitar quartet
• May 10 – Ethel Smith, organist, 85
• May 17 – Kevin Gilbert, studio engineer, songwriter with Toy Matinee, Tuesday Night Music Club
• May 25 – Brad Nowell, lead singer and guitarist for Sublime, 28 (heroin overdose)
• June 14 – Matthew Fletcher, drummer with Heavenly
• June 15 – Ella Fitzgerald, jazz singer
• June 20 – Jim Ellison, singer and guitarist for Material Issue, 32
• July 12 – Jonathan Melvoin, touring keyboardist for The Smashing Pumpkins, 34
• July 16 – John Panozzo, drummer for Styx and brother of Chuck Panozzo, 48
• July 17
  • Chas Chandler, The Animals, 57 (heart attack)
  • Marcel Dadi, French country and western guitarist, 45 (in the crash of TWA flight 800)
• July 22 – Rob Collins, original keyboardist of The Charlatans, 31
• July 29 – Jason Thirsk, Pennywise bassist, 28 (suicide)
• August 13 – David Tudor, pianist and composer
• August 14 – Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor, 84
• August 23 – Jurriaan Andriessen, Dutch composer, 71
• September 1 – Vagn Holmboe, Danish composer, 83
• September 13 – Tupac Shakur, rapper, poet, actor, 25
• October 2 – Joonas Kokkonen, Finnish composer, 75
• October 11 – Renato Russo, lead singer and composer for Legião Urbana, 36
• October 17
  • Berthold Goldschmidt, German composer, 93
  • Chris Acland, Lush drummer, 30 (suicide)
• November 2 – Eva Cassidy, American vocalist, 33
• November 30 – Tiny Tim, musician, 64
• December 10 – Faron Young, country singer, 64
• December 29 – Mireille, French singer, 90

Awards

• Eurovision Song Contest Main article: Eurovision Song Contest 1996
• Grammy Awards Main article: Grammy Awards of 1996
• MTV Video Music Awards Main article: 1996 MTV Video Music Awards
• Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Different Class, the album by Pulp.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The following artists were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: David Bowie, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Jefferson Airplane, Little Willie John, Pink Floyd, The Shirelles and The Velvet Underground.

Glenn Gould Prize

• Toru Takemitsu (laureate), Tan Dun (protégé)

Charts

• Triple J Hottest 100 Main article: Triple J Hottest 100, 1996

See also

• 1996 in music (UK)
• Record labels established in 1996

References