1996 in music

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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 – Robert Hoskins is found guilty and convicted on five charges of assault, stalking, and threatening to kill Madonna.^[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 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 26 - The controversial musical Rent makes its first public performance at the New York Theatre Workshop, a day after the death of its creator, Jonathan Larson.^[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 1983.^[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, while Pilatus is attempting to steal the man's car.^[11]
• February 13
  • Tupac Shakur releases 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 No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts.^{[citation needed]}
  • Take That formally announce that they are splitting up.
• 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 riot 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 No. 1 in the American charts with "One Sweet Day" ends when Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" reaches #1. "One Sweet Day" enjoyed the longest consecutive stay at No. 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 - Roberto Alagna marries Angela Gheorghiu backstage at the New York Metropolitan Opera.^[17]
• 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.
• 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, 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 30 Depeche Mode leader Dave Gahan is arrested upon his release from hospital, having overdosed on a heroin and cocaine 'speedball' in a Los Angeles hotel room and been pronounced clinically dead for two minutes in an ambulance. Gahan is ordered by the court to complete a 9-month rehabilitation.

June

• June 19 - Japanese duo Chage and Aska become the first Asian group to participate in MTV Unplugged.^[18]
• June 21 – The Sex Pistols start their reunion tour in Lahti, Finland.

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 11 – Robert Simpson's second string quintet receives its première at the Cheltenham International Festival by the Maggini Quartet with Pal Banda, cellist.
• July 13 – Phil Anselmo of Pantera overdosed on heroin after a Texas homecoming gig
• July 27 – Adrian Erlandsson & Patrik Jensen form The Haunted.^[19]

August

• August 1 – MTV2 is launched.^{[citation needed]}
• August 6 – Influential punk rock group The Ramones play their final show at The Palace in Hollywood.
• August 10 & 11 – Oasis play the largest free-standing gigs in British history at Knebworth House, Stevenage.
• 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 21 – Meg White marries John Anthony Gillis, who took Meg's name and changed his name to Jack White. They would form The White Stripes one year later.
• September 24 - Weezer releases its second record, "Pinkerton". Due to its darker vibe and its departure from their earlier style, it sold less well and was critically panned. However, it has since become arguably the biggest cult record of the decade, topping "best of" lists by different critics.
• September 27 - Sasha and Digweed release Northern Exposure, which has gone on to be considered one of the greatest dance albums of all time.

October

• October 6 – Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw get married.
• October 28 - MTV India is launched.
• 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 been premièred 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 farewell 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).
• 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

• See Musical groups disestablished in 1996

Bands reunited

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

• 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
• Ravendusk in My Heart – Diabolical Masquerade
• 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
• Brave Murder Day – Katatonia
• Scarlet Heavens – Katatonia/Primordial
• Democracy – Killing Joke
• Get Your Legs Broke – Len
• Hank Plays Holly – Hank Marvin
• Hank Plays Live – Hank Marvin
• Get Fired Up – Murk
• Neu! '72 Live in Dusseldorf – Neu!
• Curb – Nickelback
• Hesher – Nickelback
• The Closing Chronicles – Nightingale
• Tao of the One Inch Punch – One Inch Punch
• "Still Life" – The Paradise Motel
• Billy Breathes – Phish
• 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.^[20]

#	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

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

• "1979" – The Smashing Pumpkins
• "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" – 2Pac & Snoop Dogg
• "6th Avenue Heartache" – The Wallflowers
• "Aeroplane" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "Ahead By A Century" – The Tragically Hip
• "Aicha" - Khaled
• "All Mixed Up" – 311
• "Always Be My Baby" – Mariah Carey
• "Amish Paradise" – "Weird Al" Yankovic
• "A Neverending Dream" - X-Perience
• "Beautiful Ones" - Suede
• "Because You Loved Me" – Celine Dion
• "Big Me" – Foo Fighters
• "Breathe" - The Prodigy
• "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
• "Champagne Supernova" – Oasis
• "Charmless Man" – Blur
• "Child" - Mark Owen
• "Children (song)" – Robert Miles
• "Closer to Free" – BoDeans
• "C'Mon N' Ride It (The Train)" – Quad City DJ's
• "Coco Jamboo" - Mr. President
• "Crash Into Me" – Dave Matthews Band
• "Dance into the Light" - Phil Collins
• "Darla dirladada" – Dalida (remix)
• "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" – Madonna
• "Don't Look Back in Anger" – Oasis
• "Don't Speak" – No Doubt
• "Down" – 311
• "Drain You" live – Nirvana
• "Drill Instructor" - Captain Jack
• "E-Bow the Letter" – R.E.M. featuring Patti Smith
• "Everyday Is a Winding Road" – Sheryl Crow
• "Fable" - Robert Miles
• "Falling into You" - Celine Dion
• "Fastlove" - George Michael
• "Firestarter" - The Prodigy
• "Flava" - Peter Andre
• "Follow You Down" – Gin Blossoms
• "Forever Love" - Gary Barlow
• "Free as a Bird" – The Beatles
• "Freed from Desire" - Gala
• "Freedom" - Robbie Williams
• "Funky" - Tic Tac Toe
• "Get Down (You're the One for Me)" - Backstreet Boys
• "Get Money" – Junior M.A.F.I.A.
• "Give Me One Reason" – Tracy Chapman
• "GoldenEye" - Tina Turner
• "Guilty" – Gravity Kills
• "Hand in My Pocket" – Alanis Morissette
• "Head over Feet" – Alanis Morissette
• "Heaven" - U96
• "Hero of the Day" - Metallica
• "Have a Little Faith in Me" " – John Farnham
• "How Bizarre - OMC
• "How Can You Live With Yourself" – The Tubes
• "How Deep Is Your Love" - Take That
• "How Do U Want It" – Tupac Shakur
• "I Ain't Mad at Cha" – 2Pac
• "I Believe I Can Fly" – R. Kelly
• "I Can't Help Myself" - The Kelly Family
• "Ich Find' Dich Scheisse" - Tic Tac Toe
• "I Love You Always Forever" – Donna Lewis
• "I Want to Come Over" – Melissa Etheridge
• "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" – Nas featuring Lauryn Hill
• "If It Makes You Happy" – Sheryl Crow
• "If You Could Only See" – Tonic
• "If You Ever" - East 17 & Gabrielle
• "If Your Girl Only Knew" – Aaliyah
• "I'll Never Break Your Heart" - Backstreet Boys
• "I'll Stick Around" – Foo Fighters
• "It's Oh So Quiet" – Björk
• "Insomnia" - Faithless
• "Interstate Love Song" – Stone Temple Pilots
• "Ironic" – Alanis Morissette
• "Is It a Crime" – Sade
• "it's All Coming Back to Me Now" - Celine Dion
• "I Want You Back" - 'N Sync
• "Jealousy" – Natalie Merchant
• "Jesus to a Child" - George Michael
• "Killing Me Softly With His Song" – The Fugees
• "King Nothing" – Metallica
• "Let's Make a Night to Remember" – Bryan Adams
• "La Mamma" – Dalida (inédit)
• "Là-bas dans le noir" – Dalida (remix)
• "Lemon Tree" - Fool's Garden
• "Long Way Down" – 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
• "Mysterious Girl" - Peter Andre
• "Naked Eye" – Luscious Jackson
• "Naked" – Goo Goo Dolls
• "Name" – Goo Goo Dolls
• "No Diggity" – Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre
• "Novocaine for the Soul" – Eels
• "One and One" - Robert Miles
• "One by One" - Cher
• "One Headlight" – The Wallflowers
• "One in a Million" – Aaliyah
• "One Sweet Day" – Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (released in 1995)
• "Ooh Aah...Just a Little Bit" - Gina G
• "Pepper" – Butthole Surfers
• "People of the Sun" – Rage Against the Machine
• "Piu bella cosa" - Eros Ramazotti
• "Pray" - DJ BoBo
• "Pretty Noose" – Soundgarden
• "Professional Widow (Star Trunk Funkin' Mix)" – Tori Amos
• "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" – Backstreet Boys
• "Ready or Not" – Fugees
• "Reach" - Gloria Estefan
• "Real Love" - The Beatles
• "Return of the Mack" – Mark Morrison
• "Roses Are Red" - Aqua
• "Se a vida e (That's the Way Life Is)" - Pet Shop Boys
• "Soldier, Soldier" - Captain Jack
• "So Much To Say" – Dave Matthews Band
• "Spaceman" - Babylon Zoo
• "Spinning the Wheel" - George Michael
• "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand" – Primitive Radio Gods
• "Steelo" – 702
• "Stranger in Moscow" - Michael Jackson
• "Stupid Girl" – Garbage
• "Tahitian Moon" – Porno for Pyros
• "Tha Crossroads" – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
• "That Thing You Do" - The Wonders
• "Theme from Mission: Impossible" - Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen
• "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" - Bryan Adams
• "They Don't Care About Us" – Michael Jackson
• "The Beautiful People" – Marilyn Manson
• "The Earth,The Sun,The Rain" – Color Me Badd
• "The X-Files" - DJ Dado
• "The X-Files" - Mark Snow
• "Tic, Tic Tac" – Carrapicho
• "Time to Say Goodbye" - Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman
• "To Love You More" - Celine Dion
• "Tonight, Tonight" – The Smashing Pumpkins
• "Trash" - Suede
• "Un-Break My Heart" – Toni Braxton
• "Until It Sleeps" – Metallica
• "Vapors" – Snoop Doggy Dogg
• "Verpiss Dich" -Tic Tac Toe
• "Virtual Insanity" – Jamiroquai
• "Walking on the Milky Way" - OMD
• "Wannabe - Spice Girls
• "We've Got It Goin' On" - Backstreet Boys
• "Wash Away" – Vertical Horizon
• "When You're Gone" – The Cranberries
• "Whatever You Want" - Tina Turner
• "What I Got" – Sublime
• "What's Love Got to Do with It" - Warren G
• "The Wedding" – Cliff Richard and Helen Hobson
• "Where Do You Go" - No Mercy
• "Where It's At" – Beck
• "Who Will Save Your Soul" – Jewel
• "Why" – 3T feat. Michael Jackson
• "Wonder" – Natalie Merchant
• "Wonderwall" – Oasis (released in 1995)
• "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" – Busta Rhymes
• "Words" - Boyzone
• "You Don't Fool Me" - Queen
• "You Learn" – Alanis Morissette
• "You Must Love Me" – Madonna
• "You Oughta Know" – Alanis Morissette (released in 1995)
• "You're Makin' Me High" - Toni Braxton
• "You Were Meant For Me" – Jewel, held longest chart run for single. 1996–1998
• "Zehn kleine Jagermeister" - Die Toten Hosen
• "Zero" – The Smashing Pumpkins

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

• Aur Ek Prem Kahani
• Bal Bramhachari
• Everyone Says I Love You
• Evita
• Glastonbury the Movie
• Hommage à Noir
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• James and the Giant Peach
• Saajan Chale Sasural

Births

• October 14 – Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, first child of Madonna, in Los Angeles, California.

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 4and writer of the hit Broadway musical Rent, 35 (aortic aneurysm)
• February 2 – Gene Kelly, actor and dancer, 83
• February 7 – Boris Tchaikovsky, composer, 70
• February 17 – Evelyn Laye, English actress and singer, 95
• February 20 – Toru Takemitsu, composer, 66
• February 26 – Mieczysław Weinberg, composer, 76
• March 4 – Minnie Pearl, comedienne and country musician, 84
• March 15 – Olga Rudge, violinist, 101
• March 22 – Don Murray, drummer (The Turtles), 50 (post-operative complications)
• April 18 – Bernard Edwards (Chic), 43 (pneumonia)
• May 8 – Celedonio Romero, leader of the Romeros guitar quartet, 83
• May 10 – Ethel Smith, organist, 85
• May 17 – Kevin Gilbert, studio engineer, songwriter with Toy Matinee, Tuesday Night Music Club (asphyxiation)
• May 25 – Brad Nowell, lead singer and guitarist of Sublime, 28 (heroin overdose)
• June 14 – Matthew Fletcher, drummer of Heavenly
• June 15 – Ella Fitzgerald, jazz singer, 79
• June 20 – Jim Ellison, singer and guitarist of Material Issue, 32
• July 12 – Jonathan Melvoin, touring keyboardist for The Smashing Pumpkins, 34 (heroin overdose)
• 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, 70
• 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 (shot)
• 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 (skin cancer)
• November 10 - Manik Varma, Indian classical musician, 76
• 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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Music in 1996