Timeline of musical events
This page indexes the individual year in music pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point.
See also: Timeline of trends in music (1900-1950), Timeline of trends in music (1951-present)
2000s
- 2003 in music - The Ataris releases So Long, Astoria
- 2002 in music - Baha Men release the movie hits collection Greatest Movie Hits
- 2001 in music - Napster's popularity peaks
- 2000 in music - The Beatles release the greatest hits collection 1
1990s
- 1999 in music - Red Hot Chili Peppers release Californication
- 1998 in music - Offspring release Americana
- 1997 in music - Radiohead release Ok Computer
- 1996 in music - Death of Tupac Shakur
- 1995 in music - MxPx release Teenage Politics
- 1994 in music - Weezer release The Blue Album
- 1993 in music - Tool release Undertow
- 1992 in music - Dr. Dre releases The Chronic
- 1991 in music - Nirvana release Nevermind
- 1990 in music - Public Enemy releases Fear Of A Black Planet
1980s
- 1989 in music - N.W.A. release Straight Outta Compton
- 1988 in music - Jane's Addiction release Nothing's Shocking
- 1987 in music - U2 release The Joshua Tree
- 1986 in music - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens
- 1985 in music - Live Aid concert raises money for African famine relief
- 1984 in music - Tina Turner releases Private Dancer
- 1983 in music - Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney join to make single "Say, Say, Say"
- 1982 in music - Michael Jackson releases Thriller
- 1981 in music - MTV first airs
- 1980 in music - John Lennon is murdered
1970s
- 1979 in music - The Clash releases London Calling
- 1978 in music - Sony introduce the Walkman
- 1977 in music - Elvis Presley dies
- 1976 in music - The Eagles release Hotel California
- 1975 in music - Bruce Springsteen releases Born to Run
- 1974 in music - Jackson Browne releases Late for the Sky
- 1973 in music - Pink Floyd releases Dark Side of the Moon
- 1972 in music - Deep Purple releases Machine Head
- 1971 in music - Marvin Gaye releases What's Going On?
- 1970 in music - Simon & Garfunkel release Bridge Over Troubled Water
1960s
- 1969 in music - Woodstock music festival held in Bethel, New York
- 1968 in music - Jimi Hendrix releases Electric Ladyland
- 1967 in music - The Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
- 1966 in music - The Beach Boys release Pet Sounds
- 1965 in music - The Beatles play Shea Stadium
- 1964 in music - Roy Orbison releases "Oh, Pretty Woman'", the fastest selling single in history
- 1963 in music - Surfin' U.S.A. released by The Beach Boys
- 1962 in music - Dee Dee Sharp releases Mashed Potato Time
- 1961 in music - Hello Mary Lou released by Ricky Nelson
- 1960 in music - "Cathy's Clown" is a hit for the The Everly Brothers
1950s
- 1959 in music - Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper die in a plane crash
- 1958 in music - Jerry Lee Lewis has a hit with "Great balls of fire"
- 1957 in music - John Coltrane releases Blue Train
- 1956 in music - Elvis Presley has a hit with "Hound dog"
- 1955 in music - Chuck Berry releases "Maybellene"
- 1954 in music - Bill Haley and his Comets release "Rock Around the Clock"
- 1953 in music - Fats Domino has a hit with "Please Don't Leave Me"
- 1952 in music - The Weavers have a hit with "Wimoweh"
- 1951 in music - Patti Page tops the charts with Mockingbird Hill
- 1950 in music - Sun Records opens at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee
1940s
- 1949 in music - Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats releases "Rocket 88"
- 1948 in music - 331/3 RPM LPs introduced
- 1947 in music -
- 1946 in music - Frank Sinatra releases Voice of Frank Sinatra
- 1945 in music - Glenn Miller's album Glenn Miller is released.
- 1944 in music - Glenn Miller dies
- 1943 in music -
- 1942 in music - Bing Crosby releases "White Christmas"
- 1941 in music - Les Paul builds the first solid-body electric guitar
- 1940 in music -
1930s
- 1939 in music - Charlie Christian's musical career begins
- 1938 in music - Pete Seeger's musical career begins
- 1937 in music - Hank Williams' and Sonny Boy Williamson's musical careers begin
- 1936 in music - Tony Bennett's and Nat King Cole's musical careers begin
- 1935 in music - Frank Sinatra's and Ella Fitzgerald's musical career begins
- 1934 in music - Sun Ra's and Django Reinhart's musical careers begin
- 1933 in music - Billie Holliday's musical career begins
- 1932 in music
- 1931 in music - Roy Rogers' musical career begins
- 1930 in music - Bukka White begins performing
1920s
- 1929 in music - Cab Calloway's, and Gene Autry's musical careers begin
- 1928 in music - Sammy Davis Jr.'s musical career begins
- 1927 in music - Blind Willie McTell's, recording career begins
- 1926 in music
- 1925 in music - Blind Lemon Jefferson's recording career begins
- 1924 in music
- 1923 in music - Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, and many other African American artists begin recording careers
- 1922 in music - Louis Armstrong moves from New Orleans to Chicago
- 1921 in music
- 1920 in music - Mamie Smith has Blues recording hit
1910s
- 1919 in music
- 1918 in music
- 1917 in music - First Jazz recordings by Original Dixieland Jass Band
- 1916 in music
- 1915 in music
- 1914 in music
- 1913 in music - near-riot at premiere of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring
- 1912 in music - W.C. Handy publishes "The Memphis Blues"
- 1911 in music
- 1910 in music
1900s
- 1909 in music
- 1908 in music
- 1907 in music
- 1906 in music
- 1905 in music
- 1904 in music
- 1903 in music - Mississippi John Hurt begins performing
- 1902 in music - Leadbelly begins performing
- 1901 in music- Louis Armstrong born, August 4th, New Orleans, Louisiana
- 1900 in music
1890s
- 1899 in music - Scott Joplin publishes the Maple Leaf Rag
- 1898 in music
- 1897 in music
- 1896 in music
- 1895 in music
- 1894 in music - Enrico Caruso's musical career begins
- 1893 in music
- 1892 in music
- 1891 in music
- 1890 in music
1880s
- 1889 in music - Berliner Gramophone makes first commercial disc records
- 1888 in music - wax phonograph cylinders commercially marketed
- 1887 in music
- 1886 in music
- 1885 in music
- 1884 in music
- 1883 in music
- 1882 in music
- 1881 in music
- 1880 in music