1975 in music explained
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1975.__TOC__
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
January–April
- January 2 – New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case.
- January 5 – The Wiz, a new musical version of the classic Wizard of Oz story, opens at Broadway's Majestic Theater in New York City.
- January 6 – Approximately 1.000 Led Zeppelin fans, waiting for tickets to go on sale for Led Zeppelin's February 4 concert, cause an estimated $30,000 in damage to the lobby of the Boston Garden. The fans reportedly broke chairs and doors and caused other damage to the building. Boston Mayor Kevin White cancels the upcoming show.
- January 8 – Three Led Zeppelin concerts at Madison Square Garden sell out in a record four hours.
- January 12 – "The Warner Brothers Music Show" begins a nine-city, 18-show tour of Europe. The tour included Warner Brothers acts Little Feat, Tower of Power, the Doobie Brothers, Bonaroo, Montrose, and Graham Central Station.
- January 24 – Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett plays the solo improvisation 'The Köln Concert' at the Cologne Opera, which, recorded live, becomes the best-selling piano recording in history.[1]
- February 13 – The film Slade In Flame, starring the members of Slade, premieres at the Metropole Theatre in London.
- February 21 – John Lennon releases his Rock 'n' Roll LP, featuring his favorite rock songs from the 1950s. To promote the album he conducts a telephone interview with 20 rock radio stations simultaneously.
- March 1 – The 17th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in New York, hosted by Andy Williams. Stevie Wonder's Fulfillingness' First Finale wins Album of the Year, Olivia Newton-John's "I Honestly Love You" wins Record of the Year and Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were" wins Song of the Year. Marvin Hamlisch wins Best New Artist.
- March 2 – Los Angeles Police make a routine traffic stop that turns out to be Paul McCartney and his wife Linda. Linda is arrested for having 170 to 225 grams (six to eight ounces) of marijuana in her pocketbook.
- March 21 – Alice Cooper, now a solo artist, begins the Welcome to My Nightmare tour in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The elaborate show is among the largest stage spectacles of the decade.
- March 22 – In the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden, the Dutch group Teach-In wins with the song "Ding-A-Dong".
- March 23 – Promoter Bill Graham stages the S.N.A.C.K. (Students Need Athletics, Culture and Kicks) charity concert at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, California, to benefit the city's educational system. Almost 60,000 people come to see The Grateful Dead, The Doobie Brothers, Santana, Jefferson Starship, Tower of Power, Eddie Palmieri, Joan Baez, Graham Central Station and Neil Young joined by members of The Band along with a surprise appearance by Bob Dylan. It's the largest benefit concert in history to date.
- March 26 – The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London.
- March 29 – Jeff Beck releases the album Blow by Blow. It is the first album to be released using just his name.
- April 3 – Steve Miller is arrested and charged with setting fire to the clothes and personal effects of a friend, Benita DiOrio, and resisting arrest. DiOrio drops the charges the following day.
- April 7 – Ritchie Blackmore plays a final show with Deep Purple in Paris before quitting to form his own group, Rainbow.
- April 17 – Cambodian singer-songwriter Sinn Sisamouth and his pregnant wife are among millions forced out of Phnom Penh by the Khmer Rouge.
- April 18 – Alice Cooper's first television special, Welcome to My Nightmare: The Making of a Record Album airs.
- April 24 – Pete Ham, founder of the group Badfinger, is found hanged in his London garage. His death is ruled a suicide.
- April 28 – Tom Snyder interviews John Lennon on the Tomorrow Show.
May–August
- May 1 – The Rolling Stones announce their forthcoming North American tour by performing Brown Sugar from a flatbed truck on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The occasion was guitarist Ronnie Wood's debut with the band.
- May 10 – Stevie Wonder performs before 125,000 people at the Washington Monument as part of Human Kindness Day festivities.
- June 1 – The Rolling Stones open their North American Tour in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- June 20 – Talking Heads perform their first show at CBGB in New York.
- June 23 – Alice Cooper falls off the stage during a concert in Vancouver, Canada, breaking six ribs.
- June 24 – "Gens du pays", the unofficial national anthem of Quebec, is performed for the first time by Gilles Vigneault in a concert on Montreal's Mount Royal.
- June 30 – Cher and Gregg Allman are married in a Las Vegas hotel suite. That same day, The Jackson 5 leave Motown for CBS Records, but the brothers are forced to change their name to The Jacksons because Motown owns the Jackson 5 name. Jermaine Jackson stays with Motown when his brothers break their contracts and leave for CBS; he is replaced by youngest Jackson brother Randy as a result.
- July 4 – The Texas Senate declares the Fourth of July "Willie Nelson Day", as more than 70,000 fans visit Liberty Hill for the third annual picnic and country rock show headlined by Willie himself.
- August 4 – Robert Plant and his wife Maureen are seriously injured in a car accident while vacationing on the Greek island of Rhodes. The immediate future of Led Zeppelin is cast into doubt, as Plant will not recover for quite some time.
- August 9
- The Bee Gees begin their mid-1970s international comeback when "Jive Talkin'" reaches #1 and goes platinum with sales over 1 million.
- Renato Carosone's comeback concert after a 15-year retirement.
- The first Rock Music Awards, produced by Don Kirshner, are held in Los Angeles, co-hosted by Elton John and Diana Ross. John wins "Outstanding Rock Personality of the Year". The Who's film Tommy wins "Rock Movie of the Year".
- August 23 – Peter Gabriel leaves British progressive rock group Genesis.
September–December
- September 12 – Pink Floyd releases their ninth album, Wish You Were Here.
- September 29 – Singer Jackie Wilson suffers a massive heart attack while performing on stage in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He survives but never physically recovers.
- October 3 – The Who release their seventh studio album, The Who By Numbers.
- October 7 – John Lennon finally wins his battle to stay in the United States after the New York Court of Appeals overturns Lennon's 1972 deportation order.
- October 9
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono become parents of Sean Ono Lennon at 2:00 AM. The birth heralds the beginning of John's temporary retirement from the music business as he vows to devote himself to family for the next five years.
- Rock band Kiss earns publicity by playing the homecoming dance of Cadillac High School in Cadillac, Michigan.
- October 11 – Bruce Springsteen appears at the Monmouth Arts Center (Count Basie Theater) for The Homecoming Concert.
- October 18 – Simon & Garfunkel reunite on the second-ever episode of Saturday Night Live on NBC, performing "The Boxer", "Scarborough Fair", and new collaboration "My Little Town".
- October 27 – Bruce Springsteen appears on the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines on the same week.
- October 30 – Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour begins with a concert at Memorial Hall in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
- November 6 – The Sex Pistols play their first concert at St. Martin's School of Art in London.
- November 10 – Lev Leshchenko revives "Den Pobedy", one of the most popular World War II songs in the Soviet Union.
- November 21 – Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" goes to number one in the U.K., where it remains for five weeks of 1975 and four weeks of 1976.
- December 6 – The Who set the record for largest indoor concert at the Pontiac Silverdome, attended by 78,000 fans.
- December 10 – The John Denver holiday special Rocky Mountain Christmas airs on ABC.
- December 18 – The official break-up of Faces is announced at a London press conference. Rod Stewart will continue his solo career while Ronnie Wood is widely expected to be announced as an official member of The Rolling Stones in the near future.
- December 24 – The first issue of Punk magazine is released with a January 1976 cover date. A drawing of Lou Reed is on the cover.
- December 25 – Bassist Steve Harris forms Iron Maiden, drawing the name from a torture device mentioned in The Man in the Iron Mask.
-
- Elvis Presley performs before the biggest audience of his career, at Pontiac, Michigan's Silverdome. During the show, Elvis rips his pants onstage and has to leave to change.
Also in 1975
Bands formed
- See Musical groups established in 1975
Bands disbanded
- See Musical groups disestablished in 1975
Albums released
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Release date unknown
Billboard Top popular records of 1975
"TOP RECORDS OF 1975 (from Billboard December 27, 1975)
The information compiled for the top records survey is based on the weekly chart positioning and length of time records were on the respective charts from the issue dates of November 2, 1974 through November 1, 1975. These recaps, as well as the weekly charts, do not reflect actual sales figures. The ratings take into account the number of weeks the disk was on the chart, plus the weekly positions it held during its chart life. Each disk was given points accordingly for its respective chart, and in addition, the number one disk each week was assigned bonus points equal to the total number of positions on its respective charts."
Unfortunately, Billboard's late December print deadline prevented approximately 60 records from completing their full chart runs, and includes data of approximately 50 records from 1976, some of which have enough points to rank in the current years chart. In contrast with the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975, the chart below does not truncate or split chart runs between years. It does not add two months from 1974, delete two months from 1975 and then call itself the "Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975", which it is obviously not. Joel Whitburn's Records Research books, archived issues of Billboard for November-December 1974 and December 1975-March 1976, and Hot 100 Year-End formulas were used to complete the year-end chart reprinted here.
The completed Billboard year-end list for 1975 is composed of records that entered the Billboard Hot 100 between November 1974 and December 1975. Records with chart runs that started in 1974 and ended in 1975, or started in 1975 and ended in 1976, made this chart if the majority of their chart weeks were in 1975. If not, they were ranked in the year-end charts for 1974 or 1976. If their weeks were equal, they were listed in the year they first entered. Appearing in multiple years is not permitted. Each week thirty points were awarded to the number one record, then nineteen points for number two, eighteen points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. The complete chart life of each record is represented, with number of points accrued. There are no ties, even when multiple records have the same number of points. The next ranking category is peak chart position, then weeks at peak chart position, weeks on Hot 100 chart, weeks in top forty, and finally weeks in top ten. All chart rankings represented below for the Top Soul Singles, Top Country Singles, Top Easy Listening Singles, and Top CashBox pop singles were all calculated in the same manner.
The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header. Additional details for each record can be accessed by clicking on the song title, and referring to the Infobox in the right column of the song page. Billboard also has chart summaries on its website. Sales information was derived from the RIAA's Gold and Platinum database, the BRIT Certified database and The Book of Golden Discs,[16] but numbers listed should be regarded as estimates. Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry information with sources can be found on Wikipedia.
| Artist | Title | Label | Recorded | Release Date | CB | Sales | Charts, Awards |
---|
1 | | "Rhinestone Cowboy" | Capitol 4095 | | March 19, 1975 | | May 26, 1975 | 3 | 3.25 | US Billboard 1975 #1, US Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 22 total weeks, 212 points, Top Country Singles 1975 #1, Country Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 21 total weeks, 196 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1975 #5, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 1 week, 15 total weeks, 168 points |
2 | | "Philadelphia Freedom" | MCA 40364 | | August 1974 | | February 24, 1975 | 4 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1975 #2, US Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 21 total weeks, 207 points |
3 | | "Love Will Keep Us Together" | A&M 1672 | | 1975 | | April 1975 | 7 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1975 #3, US Hot100 #1 for 4 weeks, 23 total weeks, 204 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2022 |
4 | | "I'm Sorry/Calypso" | RCA 10353 | | May 1975 | | July 1975 | 36 | 5.00 | US Billboard 1975 #4, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 18 total weeks, 188 points, Top Country Singles 1975 #5, Country Singles #1 for 1 weeks, 18 total weeks, 142 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1975 #4, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks, 172 points |
5 | | "Love Rollercoaster" | Mercury 73734 | | 1975 | | November 9, 1975 | 16 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1975 #5, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 16 total weeks, 188 points |
6 | | "One of These Nights" | Asylum 45257 | | 1975 | | May 19, 1975 | 15 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1975 #6, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks, 179 points, Top Mainstream Rock 1975 #9 |
7 | | "That's The Way (I Like It)" | T.K. 1015 | | 1975 | | June 10, 1975 | 1 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1975 #7, US Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks, 176 points |
8 | | "Fame" | RCA Victor 10320 | | January 1975 | | June 1975 | 17 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1975 #8, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks, 166 points |
9 | Elton John | "Island Girl" | MCA 40461 | | July 1975 | | September 29, 1975 | 9 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1975 #9, US Hot100 #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks, 163 points |
10 | | "Jive Talkin'" | RSO 510 | | February 19, 1975 | | May 1975 | 2 | 2.00 | US Billboard 1975 #10, US Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 17 total weeks, 162 points |
11 | | "Shining Star" | Columbia 10090 | | October 1974 | | January 21, 1975 | 11 | 1.25 | US Billboard 1975 #11, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 20 total weeks, 160 points, Top Soul Singles 1975 #8, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks, 144 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2008, from album "That's the Way of the World"-Columbia 33280, Grammy Hall of Fame 2004 |
12 | | "Lovin' You" | Epic 50057 | | October 1974 | | January 1975 | 5 | 3.25 | US Billboard 1975 #12, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 18 total weeks, 159 points |
13 | | "Fly, Robin, Fly" | Midland Int'l. 10339 | | March 1975 | | September 1975 | 14 | 2.25 | US Billboard 1975 #13, US Hot100 #1 for 3 weeks, 17 total weeks, 155 points |
14 | | "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" | Elektra 45240 | | December 1974 | | March 1975 | 34 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1975 #14, US Hot100 #1 for 3 weeks, 14 total weeks, 152 points |
15 | | "The Hustle" | Avco 4653 | | 1975 |
|| |April 18, 1975 || 18 || 6.00 || US Billboard 1975 #15, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 19 total weeks, 151 points, Top Soul Singles 1975 #6, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 1 weeks, 19 total weeks, 155 points|-| 16 ||
LaBelle || "Lady Marmalade (Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi)" || Epic 50048 || |May 1975 || |June 10, 1975 || 6 || 3.00 || US Billboard 1975 #16, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 18 total weeks, 151 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2003, National Recording Registry 2020|-| 17 ||
Neil Sedaka || "
Bad Blood" || Rocket 40460 || |March 1975 || |September 2, 1975 || 13 || 1.25 || US Billboard 1975 #17, US Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks, 149 points|-| 18 || Diana Ross || "
Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" || Motown 1377 || |March 1975 || |September 1975 || 41 || 1.50 || US Billboard 1975 #18, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks, 148 points|-| 19 ||
The Doobie Brothers || "
Black Water" || Warner Bros. 8062 || |March 18, 1975 || |July 16, 1975 || 27 || 2.25 || US Billboard 1975 #19, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks, 148 points|-| 20 || Linda Ronstadt || "
You're No Good" || Capitol 3990 || |July 5, 1974 || |November 19, 1974 || 24 || 1.50 || US Billboard 1975 #20, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 16 total weeks, 135 points|-| 21 || Olivia Newton-John || "
Have You Never Been Mellow" || MCA 40349 || |October 1974 || |January 21, 1975 || 10 || 1.50 || US Billboard 1975 #21, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 16 total weeks, 134|-| 22 ||
Freddy Fender || "
Before the Next Teardrop Falls" || Dot 17540 || |October 1974 || |January 1975 || 29 || 1.50 || US Billboard 1975 #22, US Hot100 #1 for 1 week, 21 total weeks, 134 points, Top Country Singles 1975 #6, Country Singles #1 for 2 weeks, 17 total weeks, 124 points|-| 23 || Eagles || "
Best Of My Love" || Asylum 45218 || |1974 || |November 5, 1974 || 47 || 1.50 || US Billboard 1975 #23, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 19 total weeks, 134 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1975 #10, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks, 146 points|-| 24 || Olivia Newton-John || "
Please Mr. Please" || MCA 40418 || |October 1974 || |May 11, 1975 || 21 || 1.50 || US Billboard 1975 #24, US Hot100 #3 for 2 weeks, 15 total weeks, 134 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1975 #8, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 13 total weeks, 161 points|-| 25 || Elton John || "
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" || MCA 40344 || |June 1974 || |November 18, 1974 || 35 || 3.00 || US Billboard 1975 #25, US Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks, 133 points|-| 26 ||
The Miracles || "
Love Machine (Part 1)" || United Artists 940 || |June 13, 1975 || |August 21, 1975 || 8 || 2.00 || US Billboard 1975 #25, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 28 total weeks, 133 points|-| 27 ||
Paul McCartney and Wings || "
Listen to What the Man Said" || Capitol 4091 || |February 20, 1975 || |March 16, 1975 || 25 || 3.00 || US Billboard 1975 #26, US #1 for 1 weeks, 14 total weeks, 133 points|-| 28 || John Denver || "
Thank God I'm A Country Boy" || RCA 10353 || |August 26, 1974 || |March 1975 || 22 || 5.00 || US Billboard 1975 #27, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 19 total weeks, 132 points|-| 29 ||
Morris Albert || "
Feelings" || Arista 0244 || |1975 || |May 1975 || 57 || 2.00 || US Billboard 1975 #28, US Hot100 #6 for 1 weeks, 32 total weeks, 132 points|-| 30 || Ohio Players || "
Fire" || Mercury 73643 || |Feb-Aug 1974 || |November 1974 || 39 || 6.5 || US Billboard 1975 #30, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks, 130 points,
Top Soul Singles 1975 #1, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks, 192 points|-| 31 || Eagles || "
Lyin' Eyes" || Asylum 45279 || |January 1975 || |September 8, 1975 || 28 || 1.50 || US Billboard 1975 #29, US Hot100 #2 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks, 130 points, Top Mainstream Rock 1975 #5|-| 32 ||
AWB || "
Pick Up The Pieces" || Atlantic 3229 || |May 1974 || |October 21, 1974 || 11 || 1.25 || US Billboard 1975 #30, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks, 129 points|-| 33 ||
The Staple Singers || "
Let's Do It Again" || Curtom 0109 || |1975 || |October 1975 || 30 || 1.25 || US Billboard 1975 #31, US Hot100 #1 for 1 weeks, 15 total weeks, 129 points, Top Soul Singles 1975 #4, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks, 174 points|-| 178 || Bruce Springsteen || "
Born to Run" || Columbia 10209 || |Feb-Aug 1974 || |August 25, 1975 || 94 || 6.5 || US Billboard 1975 #178, US Hot100 #23 for 2 weeks, 11 total weeks,
Top Rock 1975 #1, Grammy Hall of Fame 2003, National Recording Registry 2003, from album "
Born to Run"-Columbia 33795, Grammy Hall of Fame 2003.|}
Chronological table of U.S. and UK number one hit singles
Note: best sellers of the year are
bold.
Top 40 Chart hit singles
Song title | Artist(s) | Release date(s) | US | UK | Highest chart position | Other Chart Performance(s) |
---|
"Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" | | | August 1975 | 8 | n/a | 2 (Canada) | See chart performance entry |
"At Seventeen" | | | July 1975 | 3 | n/a | 3 (United States) | 1 (Canada RPM Adult Contemporary) - 1 (US Billboard Adult Contemporary) - 1 (U.S. Cash Box Hot 100) - 6 (Canada RPM Top Singles) = 18 (Australia) - 37 (New Zealand) - 53 (France) | |
Notable singles
Other Notable singles
Published popular music
Classical music
- Samuel Adler – Symphony No. 5, We are the Echoes
- Osvaldas Balakauskas – Sonata of the Mountains
- Claude Bolling and Jean-Pierre Rampal – Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano
- Mario Davidovsky – Scenes from Shir ha-Shirim for soprano, two tenors, bass soli and chamber ensemble
- Klaus Huber – Blätterlos for piano
- Wojciech Kilar – Bogurodzica for mixed choir and orchestra
- Theo Loevendie – Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Orchestra, Incantations
- Witold Lutosławski – Les Espaces du sommeil
- Krzysztof Meyer
- Sonata for piano, No. 5
- Sonata for solo violin
- Frederic Rzewski – The People United Will Never Be Defeated!
-
- Der kleine Harlekin, for clarinet, Nr. 42½
- Musik im Bauch, for six percussionists and music boxes, Nr. 41
- Tierkreis, for a melody and/or chording instrument, Nr. 41½
- Alexander Vustin – The Word
- Dmitri Shostakovich – Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147 (his final work)
Opera
Jazz
See main article: 1975 in jazz.
Musical theatre
Musical films
Births
January
- January 2
- January 3 – Thomas Bangalter, French record producer, singer-songwriter, DJ and composer (Daft Punk)
- January 5 – Bradley Cooper, American singer, actor, film maker, voice actor and producer (A Star Is Born, 2018, starring Lady Gaga)
- January 8 – Harris Jayaraj, Indian film composer and producer
- January 11 - Venetian Snares, electronic dance music composer, influential in breackcore January 13 – Jason King, radio DJ
- Belinda Chapple, Australian singer, actress and creative director
- January 17 Rami Yacoub, Swedish-born Palestinian music producer and songwriter (Cheiron Studios and Maratone)
- Coco Lee, Hong Kong–born American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actress
- January 22 - Balthazar Getty, American actor, musician and member of Getty family.
- January 24 – Paul Marazzi, English singer (A1)
- January 28
- January 29 – Kelly Packard, American singer-actress-hostess
- January 30 – Yumi Yoshimura, Japanese singer (Puffy Amiyumi)
February
- February 1 – Big Boi (OutKast)
- February 4 – Natalie Imbruglia, Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress
- February 5 – Adam Carson, drummer (AFI)
- February 6 – Tomoko Kawase, Japanese singer
- February 7 – Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit)
- February 14 – Scott Owen, Australian rock musician (The Living End)
- February 17 – Harisu, South Korean singer, model and actress
- February 18 – Simon Kvamm, Danish singer, keyboard player, and actor (Nephew)
- February 19 – Daniel Adair, Canadian rock drummer (Nickelback)
- February 20 – Brian Littrell, American singer (Backstreet Boys)
- February 21 – Heri Joensen, Faroese rock musician (Týr)
- February 22 - Sébastien Tellier, an independent French singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (Worked with Dita Von Teese)
- February 23 – Robert Lopez, American composer and lyricist of musicals
March
- March 4 – Hawksley Workman, Canadian rock singer-songwriter
- March 8 – Peggy Zina, Greek singer
- March 10 – Jerry Horton (Papa Roach)
- March 11 – Big Boy, Puerto Rican reggaeton and hip hop rapper
- March 12 – Kelle Bryan, British singer (Eternal)
- March 15 – will.i.am, American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ, record producer, entrepreneur (The Black Eyed Peas)
- March 17
- March 18 – Sutton Foster, American actress, singer and dancer
- March 19 – Brann Dailor, American drummer and singer (Mastodon)
- March 25 – Melanie Blatt, English singer-songwriter and actress (All Saints)
- March 27 – Fergie, (Stacy Ferguson) American singer-songwriter, dancer (The Black Eyed Peas)
April
May
- May 3 – Maksim Mrvica, Croatian crossover pianist
- May 8 – Enrique Iglesias, Spanish singer-songwriter, actor and record producer
- May 15
- May 16
- May 18 – Jack Johnson, American singer-songwriter, musician and documentary film-maker
- May 19 – Jonas Renkse, Swedish vocalist (Katatonia) and bassist (Bloodbath)
- May 20 – Andrew Sega, American electronic musician
- May 24 – Alex Lacamoire, American musical arranger (Hamilton)
- May 25 – Lauryn Hill, American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actress (The Fugees)
- May 27
- May 29 – Melanie Brown, English singer-songwriter, presenter, television personality, dancer, actress, author and model (Spice Girls)
June
July
- July 1 – Sufjan Stevens, American folk musician
- July 2 – Erik Ohlsson, Millencolin
- July 5 – Gunnar H. Thomsen, Faroese rock bassist (Týr)
- July 6 – 50 Cent, American rapper, actor, businessman, and investor
- July 9
- July 11 – Lil' Kim, American rapper
- July 12 – Tracie Spencer, American singer and actress
- July 14
- July 18
- July 21 – Fredrik Johansson, Swedish rock guitarist
- July 22 – Aile Asszonyi, operatic soprano
- July 25 – Håvard Ellefsen (Mortiis)
August
September
- September 1
- September 2 – MC Chris, American rapper, comedian, voice actor and writer
- September 3 – Redfoo, American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, record producer and DJ
- September 4 – Mark Ronson, British DJ and music producer
- September 8 – Richard Hughes, British drummer (Keane)
- September 9 – Michael Bublé, Canadian-Italian big band, swing, vocal jazz singer, songwriter, actor and record producer.
- September 11 – Brad Fischetti, LFO
- September 16 – Shannon Noll, Australian singer
- September 17 – Constantine Maroulis, American singer (Pray for the Soul of Betty)
- September 20 – Asia Argento, Italian actress, singer, model, activist and director.
-
- U-Jean, American pop, R&B and hip-hop artist
- September 22 – Mystikal, rapper
- September 23 – Chris Hawkins, British radio personality
- September 27 – Tim Campbell (actor), Australian stage actor, actor, singer and musician (Anthony Callea)
- September 30
October
November
December
- December 5 – Paula Patton, American songwriter under the pseudonym "Max"
- December 13 – Tom Delonge, American musician (blink-182)
- December 14 – Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October)
- December 16 – Benjamin Kowalewicz, Canadian rock lead singer (Billy Talent)
- December 18 – Sia, Australian singer-songwriter, record producer and music video director (Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Kate Pierson)
- December 21 – Paloma Herrera, Argentine ballet dancer
- December 22 – Amy Wadge, British singer-songwriter
- December 27
- December 30 – Yoma Komatsu, former member of the female J-Pop group BeForU
Unknown month
Deaths
- January 8 – Richard Tucker, operatic tenor, 61 (heart attack)
- January 11 – Max Lorenz, Wagnerian tenor, 73
- January 16 – Paul Beaver, electronic jazz keyboardist, 49
- January 26 – Toti Dal Monte, operatic soprano, 81
- January 30 – Boris Blacher, composer, 72
- February 2 – Eleanor French, singer, 59[18]
- February 3 – Umm Kulthum, singer, songwriter and actress
- February 4 – Louis Jordan, jazz musician, 66
- February 10 – Dave Alexander, bassist (The Stooges), 27 (pulmonary edema)
- February 13 – Eric Thiman, English composer, 74
- February 16–- Norman Treigle, operatic bass-baritone, 47
- February 19 – Luigi Dallapiccola, composer, 71
- February 22 – Lionel Tertis, viola player, 98
- March 3 – Sandy MacPherson, theatre organist, 78
- March 4 – Cornel Chiriac, Romanian record producer, broadcaster and jazz musician, 33 (murdered)
- March 14 – Will Mastin, American vaudevillian, 100
- March 15 – Sandy Brown, jazz musician, 46 (heart attack)
- March 16 – T-Bone Walker, African-American musician, 64
- March 27 – Sir Arthur Bliss, Master of the Queen's Musick, 83
- April 12 – Josephine Baker, African-American dancer, 68
- April 14 – Michael Flanders, lyricist, actor, humorist and singer (Flanders and Swann), 53 (intracranial berry aneurysm)
- April 21 – Sir Jack Westrup, musicologist, 70
- April 23 – Pete Ham, singer and songwriter (Badfinger), 27 (suicide)
- May 2 – Conchita Badía, operatic soprano, 77
- May 13 – Bob Wills, American Western swing bandleader, 70
- May 18 – Leroy Anderson, American composer and conductor, 66
- June 4 – Frida Leider, operatic soprano, 87
- June 7 – Robert Schmertz, American folk musician and architect, 77
- June 16 – Don Robey, songwriter and producer, 72
- June 21 – David Tamkin, composer, 68
- June 29 – Tim Buckley, singer-songwriter, 28 (drug overdose)
- July 5 – Gilda Dalla Rizza, operatic soprano, 82
- July 10 – Ernst Fischer, composer, 75
- July 14 – Zutty Singleton, American jazz drummer, 77
- July 19 – Lefty Frizzell, Country Music Hall of Fame singer, 47 (stroke)
- August 8 – Cannonball Adderley, American saxophonist, 46
- August 9 – Dmitri Shostakovich, composer, 68 (heart attack)
- August 10 – Neva Carr Glyn, operatic contralto, 67
- September – Flora Perini, operatic soprano, 87
- September 5
- September 6 – Shelton Brooks, Canadian-born African American song composer, 89
- September 20 – Vincent Lopez, American bandleader, 79
- October 1 – Al Jackson, Jr., R&B drummer, 39 (shot)
- October 19 – Cátulo Castillo, tango composer, 69
- October 28 – Oliver Nelson, jazz saxophonist, 43
- October 30 – John Scott Trotter, U.S. arranger and conductor
- December 8 – Gary Thain, rock bassist, 27 (heroin overdose)
- December 14 – Mongezi Feza, jazz trumpeter and flautist, 30 (pneumonia)
- December 17
- December 24
- December 25 – Julio Cueva, trumpeter, bandleader and composer, 78
Awards
Grammy Awards
Eurovision Song Contest
Notes and References
- Web site: Keith Jarrett – Biography . . 9 April 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110318092416/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=7984 . 18 March 2011 . dead .
- Web site: BPI.
- Web site: Earth, Wind & Fire: That's The Way Of The World. RIAA. riaa.com.
- Book: Guinness Book of Rock Stars. Rees. Dafydd. Crampton. Luke. Guinness Publishing Ltd.. 1991. 0-85112-971-4. Enfield. 1.
- Web site: BPI.
- Web site: RIAA.
- Book: The Great Rock Discography. 603. 1995 . 9780862415419 . Strong . Martin Charles .
- Web site: Deep Purple certifications.
- Book: Thompson, Dave . Dancing Barefoot: The Patti Smith Story . Dave Thompson (author) . . 2011 . 978-1-56976-325-4. 123.
- Web site: BPI.
- Web site: BPI certification.
- Web site: Vangelis | A musical journey | (Page 2 of 15) | Vangelis Papathanassiou . . NemoStudios.co.uk . https://web.archive.org/web/20171216003704/http://www.nemostudios.co.uk/nemo/main/vangelis/v02.htm . December 16, 2017 . March 9, 2019 . "The first studio album to emerge from Nemo Studios was entitled 'Heaven and Hell', which was released in November 1975.".
- Elva kvinnor i ett hus . Elva kvinnor i ett hus . . 1975 . Agnetha . Fältskog . Carlgren . Bosse . liner notes . . CLPS 351 . Stockholm, Sweden.
- Dragoumanos, Petros (2009). Elliniki Diskografia 1950-2009 (Greek Discography 1950-2009)
- Book: Novas, Himilce. The Hispanic 100: a ranking of the Latino men and women who have most influenced American thought and culture. registration. 24 December 2012. 1 January 1995. Carol Pub. Group. 978-0-8065-1651-6. 201.
- Book: Murrells, Joseph . The book of golden discs . 1978 . London : Barrie & Jenkins . Internet Archive . 978-0-214-20512-5.
- Grow . Kory . Joey Jordison, Founding Slipknot Drummer, Dead at 46 . Rolling Stone . 28 July 2021 . 27 July 2021.
- News: Eleanor French, 59, Dies; Cafe Singer of 30's and 40's. The New York Times. February 5, 1975.