2008 in music

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (December 2010)

In 2008 Lady Gaga and Katy Perry first became popular. Also this year saw the start of the decline of hip hop^{[citation needed]} and the rise of synthpop with acts such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Ne-Yo, Pitbull. This trend continues well into the 2010s.^{[citation needed]}

Events

January

• 5 January – The Salzburg Festival launches the "Herbert von Karajan Jubilee Year" with a concert in Salzburg's Grosses Festspielhaus.^[1]
• 12 January – The Vienna Boys' Choir begins a tour of South Korea with a concert at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul.^[2]
• 29 January
  • Face to Face announce that they will reunite for select shows in the US and internationally.^[3]
  • Rage Against the Machine headline the Big Day Out festivals in Australia and New Zealand, their first shows outside the United States since reforming, and their first Australian shows in 12 years.^[4]
• 31 January – Laura Attwood of the King Edward VI School in Morpeth wins the second Eileen Bowler Award.^[5]

February

• February – Ola Frenning, Quits, Soilwork.
• 8 February – Michael Jackson's Thriller album, the world's best selling album of all time, was reissued to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
• 10 February – The 50th Grammy Awards take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, USA.^[6]
• 14 February – Celine Dion's Taking Chances World Tour begins in South Africa.^{[citation needed]}
• 19 February – System of a Down guitarist, Daron Malakian, tells MTV.com that the band is not likely to reform as he will be concentrating on his new project Scars on Broadway.^[7]
• 20 – 25 February – Viña del Mar International Song Festival is held in Chile.^[8]
• 23 February – 3 March – The second annual Soundwave festival is held in Australia.^[9]
• 26 February – Last performance in The Return of the Spice Girls tour in Toronto.

March

• 5 March – Avril Lavigne kicks off her third world tour The Best Damn Tour in Victoria, Canada.^{[citation needed]}
• 6–9 March – The 2008 Langerado Music Festival is held on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation in southern Florida.^[10]
• 7 March – The Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival 2008 takes place in Indonesia.^[11]
• 7–16 March – The 2008 South by Southwest Conference and Festival is held in Austin, Texas, USA.^[12]
• 11 March – Jazz musician and broadcaster Humphrey Lyttelton announces his retirement from presenting BBC Radio 2's jazz programme after forty years.^[13]
• 18 March – Danity Kane's second album Welcome To The Dollhouse debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums, making them the only girl group in history to have their first two albums debut at No. 1 in the USA.^{[citation needed]}
• 25–29 March – Miami Winter Music Conference.^[14]
• 26 March – Guitarist Clint Lowery rejoins Sevendust, replacing Sonny Mayo.^{[citation needed]}
• 27 March – Def Leppard begin the first leg of their world tour to promote their album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge.^{[citation needed]}
• 31 March – theJazz radio station stops broadcasting.^{[citation needed]}

April

• 1 April – Scott Weiland's departure from rock band Velvet Revolver becomes official.^[15] Weiland's reunion with his former band, Stone Temple Pilots, and tensions between Weiland and the rest of Velvet Revolver, led to his departure.^[16]
• 2 April – Madonna's new single, "4 Minutes", from her album Hard Candy, becomes her 37th top 10 single in the United States, making her the artist with the most top 10 hit singles.^{[citation needed]}
• 5 April – The reunited Face to Face perform together for the first time in four-and-a-half-years at The Bamboozle Left in Irvine, California, USA.^[3]
• 7 April – The newly reunited Stone Temple Pilots hold a press conference announcing a 65-date reunion tour and play for the first time since 2002 in Los Angeles, USA.^{[citation needed]}
• 8 April – Japanese superstar Ayumi Hamasaki celebrates the beginning of her 10th year in the music industry. Mariah Carey's eleventh studio album E=MC2 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 463,000 copies making it her biggest opening album sells of her career and tied her with Janet Jackson with most number one albums by a female artist.^{[citation needed]}
• 12 April – announced that "Touch My Body" became Mariah Carey's 18th number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, pushing her to second place among artists with the most number 1 singles in the rock era and first place as a solo artist in the same category, surpassing Elvis Presley.
• 15 April – Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa officially proclaims Mariah Carey Day in Los Angeles, California, USA.^[17]
• 19 April – With her single, "I'm a Fire", Donna Summer becomes the first artist to have a song reach number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in every decade since the chart's inception in 1974.^{[citation needed]}
• 19–20 April – The Festival Imperial 2008 is held in Autódromo La Guácima, Alajuela, Costa Rica.^{[citation needed]}
• 22 April – Andrey Baranov of Russia wins First Prize in the Second Benjamin Britten International Violin Competition in London.^[18]
• 25–27 April – The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is held in Indio, California, USA.^{[citation needed]}
• 26 April – The MTV Australia Awards 2008 take place in Sydney, Australia.^{[citation needed]}
• 27 April – Madonna's eleventh studio album Hard Candy debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making her the female artist with second most number-one albums (behind Barbra Streisand). The album reaches number one in 37 countries.^{[citation needed]}

May

• 3 May – Girls Aloud begin their Tangled Up Tour in Belfast, UK.^[19]
• 3–4 May – The sixth annual The Bamboozle festival is held at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA.
• 10–11 May – The Give It A Name 2008 festival is held at Earls Court, London, UK.^[20]
• 14 May – The "Spirit of Change" Gospel Choir celebrates their tenth anniversary with the 20th Zündorfer Gospelnacht concert in the Catholic Parish Church of St. Mariae Geburt, in Zündorf.^[21]
• 16 May – The Offspring begin the first leg of their Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace Tour to promote their new album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace.
• 17 May – The sixteenth annual KROQ Weenie Roast is held at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine, California, USA.
• 21 May – David Cook defeats David Archuleta to win season 7 of American Idol, with the contest decided by 97.5 million votes, a record for the show.
• 24 May – 43 countries competed in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest final in Belgrade, Serbia, including newcomers San Marino and Azerbaijan.^[22] The contest was won by Russia, with Believe by Dima Bilan.
• 24–26 May – The Sasquatch! Music Festival is held over Memorial Day weekend at The Gorge Amphitheatre in central Washington, USA.
• 25 May – The Slovak preliminary round of the first Bluegrass competition (toward the annual Czech Festival Banjo Jamboree) is held in Hviezdoslavovo námestie, Bratislava.^[23]
• 30 May – 1 June
  • Rock In Rio Lisboa 2008 takes place in Parque da Bela Vista, Chelas, Lisbon, Portugal, continuing on 5–6 June.
  • The fourth annual Mountain Jam Festival is held in Hunter Mountain, New York, USA.

June

• 1 June – Westlife play their 10th anniversary concert at Europe's fourth biggest stadium, Croke Park, in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.^[24]
• 6–7 June – Foo Fighters play their biggest UK stadium shows at Wembley Stadium in London.^{[citation needed]}
• 6–8 June – The 2008 Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival is held at Clinton State Park near Lawrence, Kansas, USA.^[25]
• 10 June – Lil Wayne's sixth album Tha Carter III sold 1 million copies in its debut week.^[26]
• 12–15 June – The 2008 Bonnaroo Music Festival is held in Manchester, Tennessee, USA.^[27]
• 13–15 June
  • The seventh Isle of Wight Festival takes place in Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight, UK.^[28]
  • The sixth annual Download Festival takes place in Donington Park, UK.^{[citation needed]}
• 14 June – After a 45-year wait, Ukrainian fans of The Beatles finally get to see former Beatle Paul McCartney perform on their soil, in Kiev.^{[citation needed]}
• 15 June – Mr. E. Kallai from Hungary wins First Prize in the 11th Carl Fleisch International Violin Competition in Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary.^[29]
• 17 June – George Michael begins the American leg of his 25 Live tour in San Diego, USA, his first U.S. tour for 17 years.^{[citation needed]}
• 20 June – My Bloody Valentine play their first reunion show at the Roundhouse, London, UK.^[30]
• 27 June – The Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute charity concert takes place in Hyde Park in London, in support of Mandela's 46664 Aids Foundation.^{[citation needed]}
• 27–29 June –
  • The Eidgenössiches Jodlerfest is held in Lucerne.^[31]
  • Glastonbury Festival is held at Worthy Farm, Somerset, UK.^{[citation needed]}
• 29 June
  • Release of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, the first video game in the Guitar Hero series to be based around a single music group.^[32]
  • The Marquee at Cork Festival is held in Ireland.^{[citation needed]}
  • Linkin Park and Jay-Z perform at Projekt Revolution at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, UK.^{[citation needed]}

July

• July – The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment relocates to Kings Place.^{[citation needed]}
• 1 July – Crüe Fest commences in West Palm Beach, Florida.^{[citation needed]}
• 3–6 July
  • The O2 Wireless Festival takes place in Hyde Park, London, UK.^[33]
  • The Roskilde Festival takes place in Denmark.^{[citation needed]}
  • The Rothbury Music Festival takes place in Rothbury, Michigan, USA.^{[citation needed]}
• 3–7 July – The Rock Werchter festival takes place in Belgium.^{[citation needed]}
• 3–13 July – The Ottawa Bluesfest takes place in Ottawa, Canada.^{[citation needed]}
• 4–6 July – The Heineken Open'er Festival took place in Gdynia, Poland.^{[citation needed]}
• 10–13 July – The EXIT Festival 08 takes place at Petrovaradin Fortress, in Novi Sad, Serbia.^{[citation needed]}
• 14 July – Coheed and Cambria announce the first two dates for Neverender, a four night concert where they play an album a day.^{[citation needed]}
• 18 July – "Girlfriend" music video by Avril Lavigne became the 2nd most viewed video of all time in YouTube Behind Evolution of Dance.^{[citation needed]}
• 20 July
  • The T4 On The Beach music festival takes place in Weston-super-Mare, UK.^{[citation needed]}
  • The Oxegen music festival takes place in Kildare, Republic of Ireland.^{[citation needed]}
  • The All Good Music Festival takes place in Masontown, West Virginia, USA.^{[citation needed]}
  • The T in the Park music festival takes place at Balado airfield, Kinross, Scotland.^{[citation needed]}
• 23–26 July – The 2008 10,000 Lakes Festival is held.^[34]
• 24–28 July – The Fifth International Symposium of throat-singing, "Khoomei—Cultural Phenomenon of the Peoples of Central Asia" is held in Tuva.^[35]

August

• 1–3 August – The Lollapalooza music festival takes place in Chicago, USA.
• 10 August – Coheed And Cambria announce Chicago and London dates for Neverender.
• 12–18 August – Sziget Festival 2008 takes place in Budapest, Hungary.
• 16 August – Madonna celebrates her 50th birthday.
• 19 August – Founding member of the Dave Matthews Band and saxophonist LeRoi Moore passes away.
• 22–23 August – Coke Live Music Festival takes place in Poland with artists such as Sean Paul, Timbaland and The Prodigy performing.
• 22–24 August – Leeds and Reading Festival takes place.
• 23 August – Madonna starts her Sticky & Sweet Tour which is set to become the highest-grossing tour for both a female and solo artist.
  • Michael Nicklasson quits Dark Tranquility
• 24 August – Season 6 of the television talent contest Australian Idol began.
• 29 August – Michael Jackson celebrates his 50th birthday.
• 30 August
  • Filipino rock band Eraserheads hold their one-night-only reunion concert in the Fort open field, their first concert since 2001. After the 20-minute break, vocalist Ely Buendia is rushed to the hospital because of chest pain due to emotional stress.
  • American Idol Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta's debut single "Crush" scores the highest debut of a song on the Billboard Hot 100 by an American Idol finalist not performed on the show. The track opened at No. 2 after selling 166,000 downloads in its first week of release.
• 31 August – Chrome Division Fires, Eddie Guz

September

• 6 September – Six members of The Specials re-unite at the Bestival as a 'Surprise Act'. They use the name "Terry Hall and Friends", because Jerry Dammers, who owns the band's name, did not participate.
• 7 September – The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards event took place at Paramount Studios, Hollywood also being called Britney Spears' night who won the awards for Video of the Year, Best Pop Video and Best Female Video for Piece of Me. Christina Aguilera also made her return to music since giving birth to her first child with the debut of her single Keeps Gettin' Better.
• 9 September – Jessica Simpson released her first album in 2 years, Do You Know her first country album. The album debuted at No. 1 in the Billboard Country Charts and at No. 4 in the Billboard 200 with sales of 65,000.
• 10 September – The 22nd Annual ARIA Music Awards are held in Sydney, Australia, recognizing Australian music in 2008. Dance-punk group The Presets win Album of the Year.
• 11 – Christian Älvestam, Quits, Scar Symmetry.
• 12 September – Season 4 of the Finnish talent contest, Idols, begins.
• 15 September – Kris Drever, John McCusker and Roddy Woomble released Before the Ruin
• 18 – Soilwork hires former member, Peter Wichers to replace and fire, Daniel Antonsson.^[36]
  • Ben Folds Five play a sold out reunion show in Chapel Hill, NC performing the entirety of their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, that was filmed for DVD and web release by MySpace in benefit for Operation Smile^[37]
    • Crystal Castles play their biggest headline show to date, at Electric Ballroom in Camden, London.
• 19 September – Travis Barker and Adam Goldstein (DJ AM) survive a plane crash that claims four lives.
• 20 September – Pink scores her first solo number-one hit in her native USA, with "So What".
• 21 September – At the Gates play their final Show.
  • The Eric Burdon show in Oklahoma is cancelled due his health problems.
• 24 September – Within Temptation release Black Symphony DVD, featuring the Metropole Orchestra and guest musicians.
• 25 September – Former Beatle Paul McCartney performs at Tel Aviv park, his first performance in Israel since The Beatles were banned from the country in 1965.

October

• 1 October – Tina Turner leaves semi-retirement to embark on her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, which grossed over US$130 million dollars.
• 5 October – Stephanie Jeong wins the Second Prize (no First Prize was awarded) in the Premio Paganini international violin competition in Genoa.^[38]
• 8 October – Beyoncé releases first two singles off I Am... Sasha Fierce titled "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)".^{[citation needed]}
• The Cheetah Girls start on their final tour One World Tour^{[citation needed]}
• 10 October –
  • The Fourth Waakirchener Zither Festival takes place in Waakirchen, Bavaria.^[39]
  • Ringo Starr announced on his website that after 20 October he does not want anymore fan mail.^{[citation needed]}
• 12 October – Opening of the VII Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra, in Rome and the Vatican City (until 30 November).^[40]
• 14 October – Sean Combs officially sets the record straight on his platinum-selling girl group Danity Kane. Both Aubrey O'Day and D. Woods are kicked out of the band in the live finale, leaving the remaining members- Dawn Richard, Shannon Bex and Aundrea Fimbres to ponder the group's future as a threesome.^{[citation needed]}
• 16 October – Britney Spears sets a new record for the biggest jump to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, rising from number 96 to number one in just one week, with her single "Womanizer". It is Spears' first American number one since her debut single "...Baby One More Time".^[41] It also garnered first-week download sales of 286,000, the biggest opening-week tally by a female artist.
• 18 October – Rihanna scores her fifth number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 (as a featured artist on T.I.'s "Live Your Life", which followed "SOS", "Umbrella", "Take a Bow", and "Disturbia"), becoming the leading solo female artist with the most number ones to have charted in this decade Until Beyoncé Knowles break her record (as a solo artist).^[42]
• 22 October
  • Coheed and Cambria begin the much anticipated series of concerts called Neverender.^{[citation needed]}
  • Guns N' Roses release their first single in 9 years, the title track from their Chinese Democracy album.^{[citation needed]}

November

• In Australia, Lady GaGa becomes the only artist to achieve two number-one singles in 2008 with "Just Dance" and "Poker Face".^{[citation needed]}
• 2 November –
  • The Fauxharmonic Orchestra loses in its debut confrontation with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra in a Bargemusic concert.^[43]
  • AC/DC become the first band to have their own version of the video game Rock Band, following the release of "AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack"^{[citation needed]}
• 6 November – Michael Tilson Thomas makes his Philadelphia Orchestra subscription-concert conducting debut.^[44]
• 17 November – Korean violinist Hyun-Su Shin wins First Prize in the Jacques Thibaud International Violin Competition in Paris^[45]
• 24 November – The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra announces the appointment of Pinchas Zukerman as principal guest conductor, to begin in January 2009.^[46]

December

• December – Beyoncé makes Billboard history along with rapper T.I. by both having two singles simultaneously in the top 4 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; with Beyoncé having "If I Were a Boy" at No. 3 and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" at No. 2, and T.I. with "Whatever You Like" at No. 4 and "Live Your Life (ft. Rihanna)" at #1.^{[citation needed]}
• 2 December – Britney Spears becomes the only artist in music history to have four albums (which is the most number of albums) to have a first-week sales of at least 500,000 units, with the albums Oops!...I Did It Again, Britney, In The Zone and Circus.^{[citation needed]}
• 9 December – Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon say that Blur will reunite for a concert at Hyde Park on 3 July 2009. Tickets for the concert sell out within two minutes of release, and Blur announce another date on 2 July 2009.^[47][48]
• 13 December – Joel Feldman and Shayna Cohen rewrite the American classic "Baby, It's Cold Outside", making it more suitable for the 21st century.^{[citation needed]}
  • Alexandra Burke becomes the winner of the UK's X Factor 2008 with the majority vote over fellow finalists Eoghan and JLS.^{[citation needed]}
  • Beyoncé Knowles scores her fifth number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", which followed "Crazy in Love", "Baby Boy", "Check on It", and "Irreplaceable", tying with Rihanna as the leading solo female artist with the most number ones to have charted in this decade.^[42]
• 20 December – Britney Spears scores her first top ten debut on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Circus" selling 212,000 copies only with download sales. With "Womanizer" at No. 10, she also has two singles in the top ten for the first time in her career.^{[citation needed]}
• 21 December – Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" becomes the first song to simultaneously reach the first and second positions in the UK Singles Chart since 1957 with Alexandra Burke's and Jeff Buckley's covers.^{[citation needed]}
• 22 December – Live Nation announced Madonna Sticky & Sweet Tour is the highest-grossing tour for solo artist with US$280 million in ticket sales and 2,350,282 fans attending the 58 shows during the 3 leg tour across Europe and the Americas.^[49]

Bands formed

• See Category:Musical groups established in 2008

Bands reformed

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Returning performers

• AC/DC (first album since 2000)
• Anastacia (last studio album released in 2004)
• Ashanti (last studio album released in 2004)
• Ashlee Simpson (last studio album released in 2005)
• Billy Bragg (first studio album since 2002, first under his own name since 1996)
• Bomb the Bass (first full-length album since 1995)
• Boyzone (first studio album released in 1999)
• Brandy (last studio album released in 2004)
• David Byrne & Brian Eno (first album since 1981)
• Dido (last studio album released in 2003)
• Donna Summer (first studio album since 1991)
• Erykah Badu (first album since 2003)
• Extreme (first studio album since 1995)
• Grace Jones (first studio album since 1989)
• Guns N' Roses (first album of original material since 1991)
• Jason Donovan (first studio album since 1993)
• Lenny Kravitz (first album since 2004)
• Metallica (first album since 2003)
• Mötley Crüe (first album with all members since 1997)
• New Kids on the Block (first album since 1994)
• Polvo (first tour since 1998)
• Queen (first studio album since 1995, and first with Paul Rodgers on lead vocals)
• The Cure (first studio album since 2004)
• The Offspring (first album since 2003)
• The Screaming Jets (first studio album since 2000)
• The Specials (as "Terry Hall and Friends")
• The Verve (first album since 1997)
• Third Eye Blind (first single/release since 2003)
• Toadies (first album since 2001)
• Vanessa Amorosi (debut international album and first Australian Album since 1999)

Bands disbanded

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Bands on hiatus

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• ¡Forward, Russia! (indefinite hiatus)^[71]
• Big & Rich (until 2009, due to a neck injury suffered by Big Kenny)^[72]
• The Dresden Dolls (indefinite break)
• Evanescence – Consisting of Amy Lee, Tim McCord, Terry Balsamo.
• Fear Factory
• Foo Fighters
• The Format
• From Autumn to Ashes
• Glue Gun
• Hell Is for Heroes
• Incubus (on break from touring and recording)^[73]
• Monkey Swallows the Universe (indefinite hiatus)
• My Chemical Romance (on an extended break after a US tour)
• Kaddisfly (On hiatus after bassist Kile Brewer left. Remaining members now called Waters & Bodies)
• Phantom Planet
• Red Hot Chili Peppers (two-year hiatus)^[74]
• Rhapsody of Fire
• Reuben
• Rilo Kiley (due to the success of lead singer Jenny Lewis' solo career)
• Social Distortion (due to their lead singer undertaking a solo tour)
• The Starting Line (indefinite break)^[75]
• Velvet Revolver (while looking for a new lead singer)
• Westlife (a one year break)
• Wolfmother (whilst looking for new musicians)
• Yellowcard (indefinitely)

Albums released

Best-selling albums globally & United States

The best-selling records in 2008 according to IFPI:^[76]

The best-selling album in United States:^[77]

Hit records

The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (December 2010)

United States

Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 Hits:

• "Low" – Flo Rida featuring T-Pain (10 weeks)
• "Love in This Club" – Usher featuring Young Jeezy (3 weeks)
• "Bleeding Love" – Leona Lewis (4 weeks)
• "Touch My Body" – Mariah Carey (2 weeks)
• "Lollipop" – Lil Wayne featuring Static Major (5 weeks)
• "Take a Bow" – Rihanna (1 week)
• "Viva la Vida" – Coldplay (1 week)
• "I Kissed a Girl" – Katy Perry (7 weeks)
• "Disturbia" – Rihanna (2 weeks)
• "Whatever You Like" – T.I. (7 weeks)
• "So What" – Pink (1 week)
• "Live Your Life" – T.I. featuring Rihanna (6 weeks)
• "Womanizer" – Britney Spears (1 week)
• "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" – Beyoncé (2 weeks in 2008/2 weeks in 2009)

Singles which have ranked within Top 20 within the Billboard Hot 100 Hits

• "4 Minutes" – Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (#3)
• "7 Things" – Miley Cyrus (#9)
• "Addicted" – Saving Abel (#20)
• "All I Want to Do" – Sugarland (#18)
• "All Summer Long" – Hit Masters (#19)
• "American Boy" – Estelle featuring Kanye West (#9)
• "Apologize" – Timbaland featuring OneRepublic (#3)
• "A Little Bit Longer" – Jonas Brothers (#11)
• "A Milli" – Lil Wayne (#6)
• "Beat It" – Fall Out Boy featuring John Mayer (#19)
• "Beautiful" – Akon featuring Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall (#19)
• "Better In Time" – Leona Lewis (#11)
• "Big Girls Don't Cry" – Fergie (#20 – Hit No. 1 in 2007)
• "Bubbly" – Colbie Caillat (#7)
• "Burnin' Up" – Jonas Brothers (#5)
• "Bust It Baby Part 2" – Plies featuring Ne-Yo (#7)
• "Bye Bye" – Mariah Carey (#19)
• "Can't Believe It" – T-Pain featuring Lil Wayne (#7)
• "Change" – Taylor Swift (#10)
• "Chicken Fried" – Zac Brown Band (#20)
• "Circus" – Britney Spears (#3)
• "Closer" – Ne-Yo (#7)
• "Clumsy" – Fergie (#5)
• "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" – Soulja Boy Tell'em (#5 – Hit No. 1 in 2007)
• "Crush" – David Archuleta (#2)
• "Cyclone" – Baby Bash featuring T-Pain (#11)
• "Damaged" – Danity Kane featuring Diddy (#10)
• "Dangerous" – Kardinal Offishall (#5)
• "Don't Stop the Music" – Rihanna (#3)
• "Dream Big" – David Cook (#15)
• "Dreamer" – Chris Brown (#16)
• "Elevator" – Flo Rida featuring Timbaland (#16)
• "Fearless" – Taylor Swift (#9)
• "Feedback" – Janet Jackson (#19)
• "Forever" – Chris Brown (#2)
• "Get Like Me" – David Banner featuring Chris Brown (#16)
• "Good Life" – Kanye West featuring T-Pain (#14)
• "Gotta Be Somebody" – Nickelback (#10)
• "Got Money" – Lil Wayne featuring T-Pain (#10)
• "Hate That I Love You" – Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo (#10)
• "Heartless" – Kanye West (#4)
• "Hot n Cold" – Katy Perry (#3)
• "Hypnotized" – Plies featuring Akon (#17)
• "If I Were a Boy" – Beyoncé (#3)
• "Independent" – Webbie featuring Lil Boosie and Lil Phat (#9)
• "In the Ayer" – Flo Rida featuring will.i.am (#9)
• "It's Not My Time" – 3 Doors Down (#17)
• "I Luv Your Girl" – The-Dream (#20)
• "I'm Yours" – Jason Mraz (#6)
• "Just Dance" – Lady GaGa featuring Colby O'Donis (#3)
• "Just Stand Up!" – Artists Stand Up to Cancer (#11)
• "Keeps Gettin' Better" – Christina Aguilera (#7)
• "Kiss Kiss" – Chris Brown featuring T-Pain (#4 – Hit No. 1 in 2007)
• "Last Name" – Carrie Underwood (#19)
• "Leavin'" – Jesse McCartney (#10)
• "Let It Rock" – Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne (#5)
• "Light On" – David Cook (#17)
• "Like You'll Never See Me Again" – Alicia Keys (#12)
• "Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)" – Three 6 Mafia featuring Project Pat, Young D, and SuperPower (#18)
• "Love in This Club, Part II" – Usher featuring Beyoncé and Lil Wayne (#18)
• "Love like This" – Natasha Bedingfield featuring Sean Kingston (#11)
• "Love Lockdown" – Kanye West (#3)
• "Love Song" – Sara Bareilles (#4)
• "Love Story" – Taylor Swift (#5)
• "Miss Independent" – Ne-Yo (#7)
• "Mrs. Officer" – Lil Wayne featuring Bobby Valentino (#16)
• "New Soul" – Yael Naïm" (#7)
• "No Air" – Jordin Sparks featuring Chris Brown (#3)
• "No One" – Alicia Keys (#2 – Hit No. 1 in 2007)
• "One Step At A Time" – Jordin Sparks (#17)
• "Our Song" – Taylor Swift (#16)
• "Paper Planes" – M.I.A. (#4)
• "Paralyzer" – Finger Eleven (#6)
• "Piece of Me" – Britney Spears (#18)
• "Play My Music" – Jonas Brothers (#20)
• "Pocketful of Sunshine" – Natasha Bedingfield (#5)
• "Pushin' Me Away" – Jonas Brothers (#16)
• "Put On" – Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West (#12)
• "Realize" – Colbie Caillat (#20)
• "Right Now (Na Na Na)" – Akon (#8)
• "Say" – John Mayer (#12)
• "See You Again" – Miley Cyrus (#10)
• "Sensual Seduction" – Snoop Dogg (#7)
• "Sexy Can I" – Ray J featuring Yung Berg (#3)
• "Shadow of the Day" – Linkin Park (#15)
• "Shake It" – Metro Station (#10)
• "Shawty Get Loose" – Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain (#10)
• "Sorry" – Buckcherry (#9)
• "Stop and Stare" – OneRepublic (#12)
• "Stronger" – Kanye West (#14 – Hit No. 1 in 2007)
• "Suffocate" – J. Holiday (#18)
• "Superstar" – Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos (#10)
• "Swagga Like Us" – Jay-Z featuring T.I., Kanye West, and Lil Wayne (#5)
• "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" – Wyclef Jean featuring Akon, Lil Wayne, and Niia (#12)
• "Take You There" – Sean Kingston (#7)
• "Tattoo" – Jordin Sparks (#8)
• "Teardrops on My Guitar" – Taylor Swift (#13)
• "The Boss" – Rick Ross featuring T-Pain (#17)
• "The Time of My Life" – David Cook (#3)
• "Tonight" – Jonas Brothers (#8)
• "What About Now" – Daughtry (#18)
• "What You Got" – Colby O'Donis featuring Akon (#14)
• "When I Grow Up" – The Pussycat Dolls (#9)
• "White Horse" – Taylor Swift (#13)
• "With You" – Chris Brown (#2)
• "You Belong with Me" – Taylor Swift (#12)
• "You Found Me" – The Fray (#15)
• "You're Gonna Miss This" – Trace Adkins (#12)
• "You're Not Sorry" – Taylor Swift (#11)

United Kingdom

UK Official Top 75 No. 1 Hits

• "When You Believe" – Leon Jackson (1 week in 2007/2 weeks in 2008)
• "Now You're Gone" – Basshunter (5 weeks)
• "Mercy" – Duffy (5 weeks)
• "American Boy" – Estelle featuring Kanye West (4 weeks)
• "4 Minutes" – Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (4 weeks)
• "That's Not My Name" – The Ting Tings (1 week)
• "Take a Bow" – Rihanna (2 weeks)
• "Singin' in the Rain" – Mint Royale (2 weeks)
• "Viva la Vida" – Coldplay (1 week)
• "Closer" – Ne-Yo (1 week)
• "Dance wiv Me" – Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris and Chrome (4 weeks)
• "All Summer Long" – Kid Rock (1 week)
• "I Kissed a Girl" – Katy Perry (5 weeks)
• "Sex on Fire" – Kings of Leon (3 weeks)
• "So What" – Pink (3 weeks)
• "The Promise" – Girls Aloud (1 week)
• "Hero" – The X Factor Finalists 2008 (3 weeks)
• "If I Were a Boy" – Beyoncé (1 week)
• "Greatest Day" – Take That (1 week)
• "Run" – Leona Lewis (2 weeks)
• "Hallelujah" – Alexandra Burke (2 weeks)

UK Official Top 75 Hits – Singles which have ranked within Top 20

• "Us Against the World" – Westlife (#8)

Australia

Australia Official Top 50 No. 1 Hits

Australia Official Top 50 Hits – Singles which have ranked within Top 20

Classical music

Instrumental music

• Martin Bresnick – Joaquin is Dreaming
• Elliott Carter
  • Concerto for flute and orchestra
  • Duetto for violin and cello (first of the Due Duetti)
  • Tinntinabulation, for percussion sextet
  • Wind Rose, for wind ensemble
• Joël-François Durand – Le Tombeau de Rameau, for flute, viola and harp
• Lorenzo Ferrero
  • Freedom Variations
  • 2 Agosto. Prima variazione (from Quatro variazioni su un tema di Banchieri)
  • Tourists and Oracles
• Jennifer Higdon - Violin Concerto

Opera

• John Adams – Doctor Atomic

Other

• Elliott Carter
  • Poems of Louis Zukofsky, for mezzo-soprano and clarinet
  • On Conversing with Paradise, for baritone and chamber orchestra
• Karl Jenkins – Stabat Mater

Deaths

January

• January 3 – Henri Chopin, 85, French sound poet
• January 10 – Dave Day, 66 (heart attack), American guitarist (The Monks)
• January 11 – Pete Candoli, 84 (prostate cancer), American jazz trumpeter
• January 13 – Sergejus Larinas, 51, Russian tenor
• January 17 – Madeleine Michaud, 105, French librettist
• January 19
  • Andy Palacio, 47, Belizean Punta musician
  • Trevor Taylor, 50 (heart attack), German singer (Bad Boys Blue)
  • John Stewart, 68, American singer-songwriter (The Kingston Trio)
• January 20 – Tommy McQuater, 93, British jazz trumpeter
• January 25 – Evelyn Barbirolli, 97, British oboist
• January 30 – Miles Kington, 66, British bassist

February

• February 3 – Jackie Orszaczky, 60, Hungarian jazz bass-guitarist and composer
• February 4 – Tata Güines, 77, Cuban percussionist and composer
• February 10
  • Freddie Bell, 76, American musician
  • Inga Nielsen, 61 (cancer), Danish soprano
• February 13 – Henri Salvador, 90 (ruptured aneurysm), French singer
• February 15 – Willie P. Bennett, 56 (heart attack), Canadian folk singer-songwriter
• February 19
  • Yegor Letov, 43 (heart stopped), Russian punk singer
  • Teo Macero, 82, American jazz saxophonist, record producer and composer
• February 21 – Joe Gibbs, 65 (heart attack), Jamaican record producer
• February 24 – Larry Norman, 60, American musician
• February 25 – Stephen "Static Major" Garrett, 33, American rapper
• February 26 – Buddy Miles, 60, American drummer (Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys)
• February 27
  • Ray Kane, 82, American slack-key guitarist
  • Ivan Rebroff, 76, German singer of traditional Russian music
• February 28
  • Mike Conley, 48, American punk singer (M.I.A.)
  • Mike Smith, 64 (pneumonia), British singer and producer (The Dave Clark Five)

March

• March 2 – Jeff Healey, 41 (cancer), Canadian blues guitarist
• March 3
  • Giuseppe Di Stefano, 86, Italian tenor
  • Norman Smith, 85, British record producer and musician
• March 4 – Leonard Rosenman, 83 (heart attack), American composer
• March 12 – Alun Hoddinott, 78, British composer
• March 13 – Bill Bolick, 90, country musician (The Blue Sky Boys)
• March 15 – Mikey Dread, 53 (brain tumor), Jamaican reggae musician and broadcaster
• March 16
  • Ola Brunkert, 61 (fatal cut), Swedish drummer (ABBA; as a session drummer)
  • Daniel MacMaster, 39 (Group A streptococcal infection), Canadian vocalist (Bonham)
• March 21
  • Klaus Dinger, 61, German drummer (Neu!)
  • Shusha Guppy, 72, Iranian folk-singer and composer
• March 22 – Cachao López, 89 (kidney failure), Cuban bassist
• March 23 – Neil Aspinall, 66 (lung cancer), British music industry executive
• March 29 – Allan Ganley, 77, British jazz drummer
• March 30 – Sean LeVert, 39, American vocalist (LeVert)

April

• April 6 – Larry Brown, 63 (respiratory condition), American vocalist (Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes)
• April 15
  • Sean Costello, 28 (drug overdose), American blues musician
  • Brian Davison, 65, British drummer (The Nice)
• April 17 – Danny Federici, 58 (melanoma), American rock multi-instrumentalist (E Street Band)
• April 20
  • Bebe Barron, 82, American electronic music pioneer
  • VL Mike, 30 (shot), American rap artist
• April 22 – Paul Davis, American singer-songwriter
• April 24
  • Tristram Cary, 82, British composer
  • Jimmy Giuffre, 86 (pneumonia), American jazz musician
• April 25 – Humphrey Lyttelton, 86, British jazz musician
• April 26 – Henry Brant, 94, American composer
• April 27 – Frances Yeend, 95, American soprano
• April 29 – Micky Waller, 66, British drummer

May

• May 4 – Kishan Maharaj, 84, Indian tabla player
• May 5 – Jerry Wallace, 79 (congestive heart failure), American country music singer
• May 6 – Franz Jackson, 95, American jazz saxophonist
• May 8
  • Eddy Arnold, 89, American country music singer
  • Larry Levine, 80, American audio engineer
• May 10 – Leyla Gencer, 79, Turkish soprano
• May 11
  • Dottie Rambo, 74 (bus accident), American gospel singer
  • John Rutsey, 54 or 55 (heart attack), Canadian drummer (Rush)
• May 15
  • Alexander Courage, 88, American composer
  • Bob Florence, 75, American jazz pianist
• May 17 – Wilfrid Mellers, 94, British musicologist and composer
• May 21 – Siegmund Nissel, 86, Austrian violinist
• May 23 – Utah Phillips, 73 (heart disease), American folk singer-songwriter
• May 24 – Jimmy McGriff, 72 (multiple sclerosis), American jazz organist
• May 25 – Camu Tao, 30 (lung cancer), rapper
• May 26 – Earle Hagen, 88, American composer
• May 28 – Danny Moss, 80, British jazz saxophonist
• May 30
  • Campbell Burnap, 68 (cancer), British jazz trombonist and broadcaster
  • Nat Temple, 94, British big band leader

June

• June 1 – Al Jones, 62, British folk musician
• June 2 – Bo Diddley, 79 (heart failure), American rock and roll and blues singer, songwriter and guitarist
• June 4 – Bill Finegan, 91, American jazz pianist and arranger
• June 8 – Šaban Bajramović, 72 (heart attack), Serbian Roma musician
• June 12 – Danny Davis, 83 (heart attack), American band leader
• June 14
  • Jamelão, 95 (multiple organ failure), Brazilian samba singer
  • Esbjörn Svensson, 44, Swedish jazz pianist
• June 16 – Margaret Kitchin, 94, Swiss pianist
• June 17 – Cyd Charisse, 86 (heart attack), American dancer and actress
• June 24 – Ira Tucker, 83 (cardiovascular disease), American gospel singer (The Dixie Hummingbirds)
• June 27
  • Raymond Lefèvre, 78, French easy listening musician
  • Daihachi Oguchi, 84 (car accident), Japanese drummer
  • Leonard Pennario, 83 (Parkinson's disease), American pianist
• June 30 – Ángel Tavira, 83 (kidney complications), Mexican violinist and composer

July

• July 1 – Mel Galley, 60 (esophagus cancer), British guitarist (Whitesnake, Trapeze, Finders Keepers and Phenomena)
• July 2 – Natasha Shneider, 52 (cancer), Russian keyboardist and vocalist
• July 3 – Oliver Schroer, 52 (leukemia), Canadian fiddler and composer
• July 6 – Bobby Durham, 71, American jazz drummer
• July 7 – Hugh Mendl, 88, British record producer
• July 13 – Gerald Wiggins, 86, American jazz pianist
• July 16 – Jo Stafford, 90 (congestive heart failure), American singer
• July 18
  • Tauno Marttinen, 95, Finnish composer
  • Dennis Townhill, 83, British organist and composer
• July 20 – Artie Traum, 65, American folk musician and composer
• July 22 – Joe Beck, 62 (lung cancer), American jazz guitarist
• July 24 – Norman Dello Joio, 95, American composer
• July 25
  • Hiram Bullock, 52 (throat cancer), American jazz fusion guitarist
  • Johnny Griffin, 80 (heart attack), American jazz saxophonist
• July 27 – Horst Stein, 80, German conductor
• July 28 – Wendo Kolosoy, 83, Congolese rumba musician
• July 31 – Lee Young, 94, American jazz drummer and singer

August

• August 3
  • Erik Darling, 74, American folk musician
  • Louis Teicher, 83, American pianist
• August 4 – Nicola Rescigno, 92, Italian American conductor
• August 5
  • Robert Hazard, 59, American songwriter
  • Reg Lindsay, 79, Australian country music singer
• August 10
  • Isaac Hayes, 65, American rhythm and blues musician
  • Alexander Slobodyanik, 66, Ukrainian pianist
• August 11 – Don Helms, 81, American steel guitarist
• August 12 – Donald Erb, 81, American composer
• August 14 – Lita Roza, 82, British singer
• August 15 – Jerry Wexler, 91, American producer
• August 16
  • Dorival Caymmi, 94, Brazilian singer-songwriter
  • Ronnie Drew, 73, Irish folk musician (The Dubliners)
  • Johnny Moore, 70, Jamaican trumpeter (The Skatalites)
• August 18 – Pervis Jackson, 70, American R&B singer (The Spinners)
• August 19 – LeRoi Moore, 46, American saxophonist (Dave Matthews Band)
• August 20 – Phil Guy, 68, American blues guitarist
• August 21
  • Jerry Finn, 39, American record producer
  • Buddy Harman, 79, American session drummer
• August 25 – Pehr Henrik Nordgren, 64, Finnish composer
• August 31 – Jerry Reed, 71, American country musician

September

• September 2 – Arne Domnérus, 83, Swedish jazz saxophonist
• September 6 – Nicole Lai, 34 (skin cancer), Singaporean singer
• September 7
  • Christian Dudek, 42, German drummer (Sodom)
  • Dino Dvornik, 44, Croatian singer, songwriter and music producer
  • Peter Glossop, 80, British opera singer
• September 8
  • Bheki Mseleku, 53 (diabetes-related), jazz musician
  • Jason Stuart, 39, British keyboardist (Hawkwind)
  • Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, 73, Indian violinist
  • Hector Zazou, 60, French composer and producer
• September 10 – Vernon Handley, 77, British conductor
• September 12
  • Marjorie Thomas, 85, British contralto
  • Charlie Walker, 81, American country musician
• September 15 – Richard Wright, 65, British keyboardist (Pink Floyd)
• September 16
  • Norman Whitfield, 68, American songwriter and producer
  • Andrei Volkonsky, 75, Russian (émigré/defector) composer, conductor and harpsichordist
• September 18
  • Opal Courtney Jr, 71, American R&B/doo-wop singer (The Spaniels)
  • Mauricio Kagel, 76, Argentine composer
• September 19
  • Earl Palmer, 84, American drummer, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • Dick Sudhalter, 70, American jazz trumpeter and critic
• September 20 – Nappy Brown, 78, American blues singer
• September 22 – Connie Haines, 87, American singer
• September 24 – Vice Vukov, 72, Croatian singer
• September 25 – Horaţiu Rădulescu, 66, Romanian composer
• September 26
  • Bernadette Greevy, 68, Irish mezzo-soprano
  • Yonty Solomon, 71, South African pianist

October

• October 1 – Nick Reynolds, 75, American folk musician
• October 3 – Johnny "J", 39, American songwriter, music producer and rapper
• October 4
  • Levi Kereama, 27, Australian musician
  • Alfred Gallodoro, 95, American jazz musician
• October 9 – Gidget Gein, 39, American bassist (Marilyn Manson)
• October 10
  • Alton Ellis, 70, Jamaican rocksteady musician
  • Dave Wright, 64, The Troggs
• October 11
  • Russ Hamilton, 78, British singer
  • Neal Hefti, 85, American jazz trumpeter and composer
• October 13 – Gus Chambers, 52, British vocalist
• October 15 – Frankie Venom, 51, Canadian vocalist (Teenage Head)
• October 17 – Levi Stubbs, 72, American vocalist (The Four Tops)
• October 18
  • Peter Gordeno, 69, Burmese singer
  • Dave McKenna, 78, American jazz pianist
  • Dee Dee Warwick, 63, American soul singer
• October 24 – Merl Saunders, 74, American musician^[78]
• October 27 – Ray Ellis, 85, American musician^[79]
• October 29 – Mike Baker, 45, American singer (Shadow Gallery)^[80]
• October 31 – Frank Navetta, 46, American punk rock guitarist (Descendents)^[81]

November

• November 1
  • Jack Reno, 72, American country singer
  • Jimmy Carl Black, 70, American drummer (The Mothers of Invention)
  • Nathaniel Mayer, 64, American R&B singer^[82]
• November 4
  • Alan Hazeldine, 60, Scottish conductor and pianist^[83]
  • Byron Lee, 73, Jamaican musician
• November 7 – Jody Reynolds, 75, American singer
• November 10 – Miriam Makeba, 76, South African singer
• November 12 – Mitch Mitchell, 61, British drummer (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
• November 22 – MC Breed, 37, American Rapper
• November 23 – Richard Hickox, 60, British conductor
• November 24
  • Michael Lee, 39, British drummer (The Cult)
  • Kenny MacLean, 52, Canadian bassist (Platinum Blonde)
• November 26 – Pekka Pohjola, 56, Finnish composer
• November 30 – Munetaka Higuchi, 49, Japanese drummer (Loudness)

December

• December 2 – Odetta, 77, American folk musician
• December 9
  • Steve Isham, 56, American keybordist (Autograph)
  • Dennis Yost, 65, American vocalist (Classics IV)
• December 14 – Jay E. Welch, American Musician
• December 15
  • Davey Graham, 68, British guitarist
  • Sandeé, 46, Freestyle singer (Exposé) (Seizure)
• December 17
  • John Sean Byrne, 61, Irish guitarist (Count Five)
  • Feliciano Vierra Tavares, 88, American Musician
• December 25
  • Eartha Kitt, 81, American singer and actress
  • Robert Ward, 70, American blues musician
• December 27 – Roque Cordero, 91, composer
• December 28 – Vincent Ford, 68, Jamaican reggae songwriter
• December 29 – Freddie Hubbard, 70, American jazz trumpeter

Musical Films

• Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert premiered on 1 February 2008 in Disney Digital 3D.
• The Cheetah Girls: One World premiered 22 August bringing over 6.2 million viewers in the U.S. although the lowest viewing of the series had amazing success.^{[citation needed]}

Announcements

• Former Beatle Ringo Starr makes an announcement saying he will no longer respond to fan mail or sign autographs after the next 10 days.

See also

• List of albums released in 2008
• Timeline of musical events

References