2015 in music

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

Specific locations[edit]

Specific genres[edit]

Albums released[edit]

List of 2015 albums

Awards[edit]

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
57th Japan Record Awards
Grand Prix: "Unfair World" (ja) by Sandaime J Soul Brothers from Exile Tribe • Best Singer: Seiko Matsuda • Best New Artist: Magnolia Factory • Best Song: several
2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards
Artist of the Year: Big Bang • Album of the Year: Exodus by Exo • Song of the Year: "Bang Bang Bang" by Big Bang • Best Music Video: Bae Bae by Big Bang
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
The 3rd V Chart Awards
Top Male Artist : Vision Wei with By Your Side • Top Female Artist: Jane Zhang with You Are Mine (我是我的) • Top Group: Top Combine with Large Pear (鸭梨大) • Top New Artist: Henry Huo
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Inductees: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band • Joan Jett & The Blackhearts • Green Day • Lou Reed • Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble • Bill Withers
25th Seoul Music Awards
Grand Prize: Exo • Best Album: Time by Beast • Best Song: "Some" by Soyou & Lil Boi • Best New Artist: Red Velvet, Got7, Eddy Kim

Bands formed[edit]

Soloist debuts[edit]

Bands reformed[edit]

Bands disbanded[edit]

Deaths[edit]

January[edit]

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.
19 – Ward Swingle (87), American jazz singer (The Swingle Singers).
22 – Joan Hinde (81), British trumpet player.
27 – Margot Moir (55), Scottish-born Australian singer (The Moir Sisters).^[3]
29 – Danny McCulloch (69), British bassist (Eric Burdon & The Animals).

February[edit]

12 – Steve Strange (55), British musician (Visage).^[4]
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[edit]

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

April[edit]

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.
17 – Brian Couzens (86), British music industry executive (Chandos Records).^[11]

May[edit]

6 – 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[edit]

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[edit]

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).
31 – Pamela Brandt (68), American country-rock bassist, singer and songwriter (The Deadly Nightshade)

August[edit]

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[edit]

4 – Hal Willis (82), Canadian country music singer
29 – Phil Woods (83), American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer^[23]

October[edit]

9 – Larry Rosen (75), American drummer, entrepreneur, and music producer.^[24]
22 – Mark Murphy (83), American singer.^[25]
28 – Diane Charlemagne (51), English dance singer (52nd Stree, Urban Cookie Collective)

November[edit]

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

December[edit]

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]

References[edit]

^ Livesey, Jon (January 3, 2015). "Musician whose band starred in The Inbetweeners dies on New Year's Day". Mirror.co.uk.
^ "Percival – Deaths Announcements – Telegraph Announcements". Announcements.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
^ "R.I.P Margot Moir Of The Moir Sisters 1959–2015". Noise11.com. 26 January 2015.
^ "New Romantic pioneer Steve Strange dies". The Guardian. 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
^ Keepnews, Peter (2015-02-22). "Clark Terry, Master of Jazz Trumpet, Dies at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
^ Stendahl, Bjørn (2015-03-04). "Nekrolog: Erik Amundsen". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2016-02-26.
^ Escudero, Victor M. (2015-03-22). "Eurovision winner Jørgen Ingmann died". Eurovision. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
^ "Dave Ball passed away". Dmme.net.
^ Huizenga, Tom (3 April 2015). "Multifaceted Music Critic Andrew Porter Dies At 86". Npr.org.
^ "Veteran writer Ronald Hambleton dies at 97 – Toronto Star". Thestar.com. 16 April 2015.
^ "Brian Couzens: Businessman who founded the Chandos record label and". Independent.co.uk. 26 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01.
^ Leopold, Todd (2015-05-16). "Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89". CNN. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
^ Stutz, Colin (2015-05-20). "Bob Belden, Jazz Saxophonist & Renaissance Man, Dead at 58". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
^ Stedman, Alex (2015-05-24). "Marcus Belgrave, Famed Detroit Jazz Trumpeter, Dies at 78". Variety. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
^ Curtin, Kevin (2015-06-01). "Slim Richey 1938–2015: Austin's jazz maverick peaces out". CNN. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
^ Ratliff, Ben (2015-06-11). "Ornette Coleman, Saxophonist Who Rewrote the Language of Jazz, Dies at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
^ "Monica Lewis, Actress Who Sang in Chiquita Banana Cartoons, Dies at 93". Variety. 2015-06-12. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
^ Kozinn, Allan (2015-06-21). "Gunther Schuller Dies at 89; Composer Synthesized Classical and Jazz". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
^ McKie, David; Bowen, Meirion (2 July 2015). "Edward Greenfield obituary". The Guardian.
^ "RIP Eric Wrixon – Music – News – Hot Press". Hotpress.com.
^ "News – About – Saint Thomas Church". Saintthomaschurch.org. Archived from the original on 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
^ "Music industry manager Jazz Summers dies". Digitalspy.co.uk. 15 August 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
^ La Rosa, David (2015-09-29). "Alto Sax Legend Phil Woods Has Died At 83". TheJazzLine.com. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
^ Gans, Charles J. (2015-10-10). "Larry Rosen, music producer and label founder, dies at 75". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
^ Tamarkin, Jeff (2015-10-23). "Vocalist Mark Murphy dies at 83". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
^ Hustad, Helge Voll (2015-11-06). "Norwegians mourn Brockstedt's death". NewsInEnglish.no. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
^ Andersen, Arild; Stendahl, Bjørn (2015-03-04). "Nekrolog: Svein Christiansen". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2016-02-26.
^ Cohen, Sandy; Fekadu, Mesfin (2016-01-01). "Natalie Cole, Grammy winning singer, has died". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2016-03-15.

[1] Livesey, Jon (January 3, 2015). "Musician whose band starred in The Inbetweeners dies on New Year's Day". Mirror.co.uk.

[2] "Percival – Deaths Announcements – Telegraph Announcements". Announcements.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2017-02-01.

[3] "R.I.P Margot Moir Of The Moir Sisters 1959–2015". Noise11.com. 26 January 2015.

[4] "New Romantic pioneer Steve Strange dies". The Guardian. 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2017-04-10.

[5] Keepnews, Peter (2015-02-22). "Clark Terry, Master of Jazz Trumpet, Dies at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-02-26.

[6] Stendahl, Bjørn (2015-03-04). "Nekrolog: Erik Amundsen". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2016-02-26.

[7] Escudero, Victor M. (2015-03-22). "Eurovision winner Jørgen Ingmann died". Eurovision. Retrieved 2016-04-16.

[8] "Dave Ball passed away". Dmme.net.

[9] Huizenga, Tom (3 April 2015). "Multifaceted Music Critic Andrew Porter Dies At 86". Npr.org.

[10] "Veteran writer Ronald Hambleton dies at 97 – Toronto Star". Thestar.com. 16 April 2015.

[11] "Brian Couzens: Businessman who founded the Chandos record label and". Independent.co.uk. 26 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01.

[12] Leopold, Todd (2015-05-16). "Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89". CNN. Retrieved 2016-04-15.

[13] Stutz, Colin (2015-05-20). "Bob Belden, Jazz Saxophonist & Renaissance Man, Dead at 58". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-04-11.

[14] Stedman, Alex (2015-05-24). "Marcus Belgrave, Famed Detroit Jazz Trumpeter, Dies at 78". Variety. Retrieved 2016-04-11.

[15] Curtin, Kevin (2015-06-01). "Slim Richey 1938–2015: Austin's jazz maverick peaces out". CNN. Retrieved 2016-04-15.

[16] Ratliff, Ben (2015-06-11). "Ornette Coleman, Saxophonist Who Rewrote the Language of Jazz, Dies at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-02-26.

[17] "Monica Lewis, Actress Who Sang in Chiquita Banana Cartoons, Dies at 93". Variety. 2015-06-12. Retrieved 2016-04-15.

[18] Kozinn, Allan (2015-06-21). "Gunther Schuller Dies at 89; Composer Synthesized Classical and Jazz". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-04-15.

[19] McKie, David; Bowen, Meirion (2 July 2015). "Edward Greenfield obituary". The Guardian.

[20] "RIP Eric Wrixon – Music – News – Hot Press". Hotpress.com.

[21] "News – About – Saint Thomas Church". Saintthomaschurch.org. Archived from the original on 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2017-02-01.

[22] "Music industry manager Jazz Summers dies". Digitalspy.co.uk. 15 August 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2017.

[23] La Rosa, David (2015-09-29). "Alto Sax Legend Phil Woods Has Died At 83". TheJazzLine.com. Retrieved 2016-04-15.

[24] Gans, Charles J. (2015-10-10). "Larry Rosen, music producer and label founder, dies at 75". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-04-15.

[25] Tamarkin, Jeff (2015-10-23). "Vocalist Mark Murphy dies at 83". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2016-04-15.

[26] Hustad, Helge Voll (2015-11-06). "Norwegians mourn Brockstedt's death". NewsInEnglish.no. Retrieved 2016-02-26.

[27] Andersen, Arild; Stendahl, Bjørn (2015-03-04). "Nekrolog: Svein Christiansen". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2016-02-26.

[28] Cohen, Sandy; Fekadu, Mesfin (2016-01-01). "Natalie Cole, Grammy winning singer, has died". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2016-03-15.

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2015 in music

Specific locations[edit]

Specific genres[edit]

Albums released[edit]

Awards[edit]

Bands formed[edit]

Soloist debuts[edit]

Bands reformed[edit]

Bands disbanded[edit]

Deaths[edit]

January[edit]

February[edit]

March[edit]

April[edit]

May[edit]

June[edit]

July[edit]

August[edit]

September[edit]

October[edit]

November[edit]

December[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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