1996 in music

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This is a list of notable events in music that occurred in 1996.

Specific locations

• 1996 in British music
• 1996 in Norwegian music
• 1996 in South Korean music

Specific genres

• 1996 in classical music
• 1996 in country music
• 1996 in heavy metal music
• 1996 in hip hop music
• 1996 in Latin music
• 1996 in jazz

Events

January

• January 8 – Robert Hoskins is convicted on five charges of assault, stalking, and threatening to kill Madonna. ^[1]
• January 16
  • Two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, are tried for the murder of Bassett's parents and younger brother. At the trial, defense lawyers attempt to blame the murders on the fact the pair had been listening to "Israel's Son" by Silverchair before the crimes. The murders are dubbed the "Israel's Son Murders." Murmur Records releases an official response, stating that the members of 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." ^[2]
  • 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 during the incident. No one is injured. ^[3]
• January 18 – Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson. ^[4] The two were wed on May 26, 1994.
• January 19–February 4 – The Big Day Out festival takes place in Australia and New Zealand, headlined by Porno for Pyros and Rage Against the Machine. ^[5]
• January 25 – Madonna receives death threats from Argentine Peronists, who are enraged and insulted that she was playing Eva Peron in Evita . ^[6] After she arrives in Argentina, over 50 walls throughout the city are spray-painted with the words: ¡Viva Evita! ¡Fuera Madonna! (Long Live Evita! Get Out, Madonna!). ^[7]
• January 26 – The first public performance of the controversial musical Rent takes place at the New York Theatre Workshop, a day after the death of its creator, Jonathan Larson. ^[8]
• January 28 – Chris Isaak makes a guest appearance on the television show Friends . ^[9]
• January 29
  • La Fenice opera house in Venice, Italy, is destroyed by fire. ^[10]
  • Garth Brooks refuses to accept his American Music Award for Favorite Overall Artist, briefly explaining his belief that all music is "made up of a lot of people." ^[11]

February

• February 4 – Former Milli Vanilli band member Rob Pilatus is hospitalized after being hit over the head with a baseball bat in Hollywood while attempting to steal a man's car. ^[12]
• 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 quickly achieves platinum sales and reaches No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts. ^[13]
  • Take That formally announces that they are disbanding.
• February 14 – The artist formerly known as Prince marries backup dancer Mayte Garcia, who is fifteen years his junior. ^[14]
• February 19 – Jarvis Cocker disrupts a performance by Michael Jackson at the BRIT Awards. During an elaborate staging of "Earth Song," Cocker crashes the stage, lifts his shirt, and points his bottom in Jackson's direction before getting into a scuffle with security. Cocker later states that his actions were "a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing". ^[15]
• February 20
  • Sepultura releases their album Roots .
  • Snoop Dogg and his bodyguard are acquitted of first-degree murder. The jury deadlocks on voluntary manslaughter charges, and a mistrial is declared.
  • Storytellers premieres on VH1. The first episode features Ray Davies.
• February 22 – MCA Records buys half of Interscope Records. Time Warner had owned half of Interscope until September 1995, when it sold off its share due to political pressure over the label's gangsta rap artists' explicit lyrics. ^[16]
• February 28 – The 38th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in Los Angeles, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. Alanis Morissette wins four awards, including Album of the Year for Jagged Little Pill , while Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" wins both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Hootie & the Blowfish win Best New Artist. The ceremony also notably features the reunion of the original lineup of Kiss, introduced by Tupac Shakur, for their first appearance in full makeup and outfits since 1979. ^[17] Frank Sinatra wins the award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance for "Duets II", his first win since 1966.

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. ^[18]
• March 13 – Ramones fans riot in Buenos Aires, Argentina after waiting all night for concert tickets, only to find the show is sold out. ^[19]
• 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 No. 1. "One Sweet Day" enjoyed the longest consecutive stay at No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100's history. ^[20]
• March 18 – The Sex Pistols announce they will reunite for a 20th anniversary tour. ^[21]
• March 28 – Phil Collins announces he is leaving Genesis to focus on his solo career. ^[22]

April

• April 1
  • Roberto Alagna marries Angela Gheorghiu backstage at the New York Metropolitan Opera. ^[23]
  • John Squire announces his departure from The Stone Roses.
• 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 10 – Alice in Chains plays at Majestic Theatre in New York City for an MTV unplugged record and video to be released in July.
• April 15 – The remainder of Jerry Garcia's ashes are scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
• April 16
  • Madonna announces she is four months pregnant by Carlos Leon, her then-boyfriend and trainer.
  • Rage Against the Machine releases their second studio album, Evil Empire .
• April 17 – Carlo Bergonzi gives his American farewell concert at Carnegie Hall.
• April 24 – This Train, Rick Elias, Jimmy A, Phil Keaggy, Carolyn Arends, Third Day and Ashley Cleveland perform a tribute concert for Rich Mullins at Nashville's Cafe Milano. Speakers include 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

• May 8
  • The Galway Early Music Festival is launched in Ireland.
  • A judge rules against Tommy Lee and wife, actress Pamela Anderson Lee, in their attempt to keep Penthouse from publishing still photos taken from an X-rated home movie that was stolen from their home in Los Angeles.
• May 11 – A 17-year-old fan is crushed in the festival seating section at a concert by The Smashing Pumpkins in Dublin, Ireland, despite the presence of 110 security guards and repeated admonishments from the band telling the crowd to stop surging towards the stage. The fan dies of her injuries the next day, and the band cancels that night's show in Belfast as a result. ^[24]
• May 18 – The 1996 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, is won by Irish singer Eimear Quinn, with the song "The Voice". It is Ireland's record seventh, and most recent, win at Eurovision.
• May 25 – Sublime lead singer Bradley Nowell dies of a heroin overdose at age 28.
• 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 nine-month rehabilitation.

June

• June 2 – Alice Cooper performs at Sammy Hagar's club, Cabo Wabo, in Mexico. It will be recorded and released, the following year, as a live album.
• June 8 – Tracy Bonham becomes the first female solo artist to reach number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart with the single "Mother Mother". ^[25]
• June 12 – Julia Fischer, the German violinist and pianist, wins the final of the Eurovision Young Musicians 1996 competition in Lisbon, Portugal.
• June 15–16 – San Francisco holds the first Tibetan Freedom Concerts.
• June 19 – Japanese duo Chage and Aska become the first Asian group to participate in MTV Unplugged . ^[26]
• June 21 – The Sex Pistols start their reunion tour in Lahti, Finland.
• June 25 – Jay-Z releases his debut album Reasonable Doubt .
• June 26 – Sammy Hagar leaves Van Halen.
• June 27 – DJ Screw, creator of chopped and screwed rap and leader of Screwed Up Click, records the 35 minute long June 27 freestyle with Houston rappers Big Moe, Bird, Key-C, Yungstar, Big Pokey, DeMo, Haircut Joe and Kay-Luv. ^[27]
• June 28 – Kiss kicks off the Alive/Worldwide reunion tour at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, the first tour by the original lineup of the band since 1979.

July

• July 3
  • This World release their first album since 1986.
  • Alice in Chains perform their last concert with lead singer Layne Staley in Kansas City, Missouri while touring with Kiss.
• July 8 – The Spice Girls release their debut single "Wannabe" in the United Kingdom. The song proved 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. ^[28]
• 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 overdoses on heroin after a Texas homecoming gig. Anselmo went into cardiac arrest but was revived after about five minutes by paramedics. ^[29]
• July 16 – Michael Jackson performs a concert for Hassanal Bolkiah's 50th birthday at the Jerudong Park Amphitheater.
• July 19 – The Proms in the Park event is launched in London, UK.
• July 27 – Adrian Erlandsson & Patrik Jensen form The Haunted. ^[30]

August

• August 1 – MTV2 is launched. The first video is "Where It's At" by Beck. ^[31]
• August 6 – 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. 2.7 million people apply for tickets and a sold-out crowd of 350,000 attend the concerts; 175,000 each night. Stone Roses guitarist John Squire joins the band onstage to play guitar to Champagne Supernova.
• August 15–16 – Phish hosts The Clifford Ball at Plattsburgh Air Force Base. The event is the first of their festivals, currently totaling ten. ^[32] 70,000 people show up. Some say the event is considered a precursor to the large-scale music festivals of today.
• August 27 – Aaliyah releases her album One in a Million .

September

• September 4 – At the MTV Video Music Awards, Van Halen makes a surprise appearance with original singer David Lee Roth.
• September 7
  • Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot several times in a drive-by shooting, while being driven from the MGM Grand Hotel along Sunset Strip in Las Vegas after seeing the Mike Tyson versus Bruce Seldon boxing match. He dies six days later.
  • Michael Jackson starts the HIStory World Tour.
• September 10 – Wal-Mart announces it will not carry Sheryl Crow's upcoming self-titled album, 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."
• September 11 – David Bowie's single "Telling Lies" becomes the first song offered as a digital single by a major record label (Virgin Records). Bowie launches the single by hosting an online chat in which he and two other people pretending to be him answer questions from the audience; Bowie tells the truth, while the other two are "telling lies". ^[33]
• 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. ^[34]
• September 12 — Ricardo López mails Icelandic singer Björk a device disguised as a book designed to spray sulfuric acid on her face with the goal of disfiguring or killing her, before shooting and killing himself on camera in his apartment in Hollywood, Florida. His body was found on four days later on September 16, and subsequently the device is intercepted by Scotland Yard before it could reach Björk.
• September 13 – Tupac Shakur dies as a result of injuries sustained six days earlier.
• September 17 — Tool releases their second album Ænima.
• September 21 – Meg White marries John Anthony Gillis, who changes his name to Jack White. They will form The White Stripes the following year.
• September 24 – Weezer releases its second record, Pinkerton. Its darker vibe, and departure from their earlier style, mean it sells less well and is critically panned upon its release. However, it later garners a cult following and is eventually considered among the band's best work. ^[35]
• 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 4
  • Eddie and Alex Van Halen announce David Lee Roth will not be continuing as lead singer of Van Halen and Gary Cherone will be the band's next vocalist.
  • C-Block releases the single "So Strung Out", which reaches the fourth chart position in Germany.
• October 6 – Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw marry.
• October 13 – Prince's son Gregory Nelson dies from Pfeiffer Syndrome.
• October 14 – Madonna gives birth to daughter Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon.
• October 15 – Korn's second studio album, Life Is Peachy , debuts at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and goes on to sell 6 million copies worldwide. ^[36]
• October 27 – Pop-Up Video receives its première on VH1.
• October 28 – MTV India launches.
• October 29
  • Slash announces, in a faxed statement, he is officially leaving Guns N' Roses. ^[37]
  • Ian Brown and Mani officially dissolve The Stone Roses.
• October 31 – David Brookes is fined £45 in Hampstead Magistrates' Court for disrupting the "quiet enjoyment" of the public by playing his bagpipes on Hampstead Heath. Described as "a pain in the neck" by a spokesperson for the College of Pipers in Glasgow, Brookes vows to buy a bicycle to continue playing in the open air, so "they'll just have to catch me." He says he has been piping on the heath for twenty years and has been given permission to do so, adding he's surprised by the ruling because social workers are allowed to distribute condoms there. ^[38]

November

• November 8 – After its première at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the film Hype! , a documentary on the Seattle grunge scene, opens to general audiences.
• November 12 – Eminem releases his debut studio album Infinite.
• November 24 – Crowded House play their farewell concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in Australia, in front of an audience of almost 200,000. Proceeds support the Sydney Children's Hospital. The band will reunite a decade later with a new studio album and tour.

December

• December 7 – The Sex Pistols finish their reunion tour in Santiago, Chile.
• December 16 – Max Cavalera leaves Sepultura. Speculation for his departure includes claims that he was upset that the band did not renew his wife Gloria's contract as manager, as well as for being overwhelmed by the death of his stepson. Cavalera later denies those theories and says he left the band simply because the members had grown apart. ^[39]
• December 31 – The twenty-fifth annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC, with appearances by Shawn Colvin, KC & the Sunshine Band, Spice Girls, Squirrel Nut Zippers and Usher.

Also in 1996

• Jesper Strömblad leaves Hammerfall.
• House of Pain break up; this will lead to DJ Lethal joining Limp Bizkit.
• 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. ^[40]
• Coal Chamber signs with Roadrunner Records and Mikey "Bug" Cox replaces John Tor.
• The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is passed in the United States, deregulating the number of radio and TV stations that any one broadcaster can own.

Bands formed

• See Musical groups established in 1996

Bands disbanded

• See Musical groups disestablished in 1996

Bands on hiatus

• Black Sabbath

Bands reunited

• The Monkees
• New Edition
• Poison
• Kiss
• Devo
• Supertramp
• Patti Smith

Albums released

See also: Category:1996 albums

January–March

Date		Album	Artist	Notes
J A N U A R Y	1	Cut in Half and Also Double	Emily Haines	-
		Inquilaab	Junoon	-
		Splay	Shiner	-
	2	Grom	Behemoth	-
	9	Victor	Alex Lifeson	-
		Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp	Kid Rock	-
		Right in the Middle of It	Chely Wright	-
		Young, Rich & Dangerous	Kris Kross	-
	12	Music of My Life	Jo Stafford	-
	15	Loops of Fury	The Chemical Brothers	EP
		Predator	Accept	-
		Total Death	Darkthrone	-
	16	Viva! La Woman	Cibo Matto	-
		Words	Tony Rich	-
	19	Painting on Glass	The 3rd and the Mortal	-
	22	The Cult of Ray	Frank Black	-
	23	Boys for Pele	Tori Amos	-
		Wither Blister Burn & Peel	Stabbing Westward	-
		10 Speed	Mystery Machine	-
		Helter Skelter	The D.O.C.	-
		The Trouble with the Truth	Patty Loveless	-
	25	Hey Man	Mr. Big	Japan
		Stormblåst	Dimmu Borgir	-
	26	Maniacal Laughter	The Bouncing Souls	-
	29	Advance	LFO	[41]
	30	Millions Now Living Will Never Die	Tortoise	-
		Beautiful Girls	Various Artists	Soundtrack
		Diatribes	Napalm Death	-
		Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood	Various Artists	Soundtrack
		Filth Pig	Ministry	-
		Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton	Eazy-E	-
		Total	Total	-
	31	Heavy Petting Zoo	NOFX	-
	?	The Secrets of the Black Arts	Dark Funeral	Debut
F E B R U A R Y	5	Purpendicular	Deep Purple	-
		Don't Stop	Status Quo	-
		Free Spirit	Bonnie Tyler	-
	6	Kids on the Street	Cherry Poppin' Daddies	-
		Sackcloth 'n' Ashes	16 Horsepower	-
		Tennessee Moon	Neil Diamond	-
	7	Beat Out!	Glay	-
	13	All Eyez on Me	2Pac	2x CD
		Congratulations I'm Sorry	Gin Blossoms	-
		Looking East	Jackson Browne	-
		The Score	Fugees	-
	19	Skunkworks	Bruce Dickinson	-
	20	Affliction	Econoline Crush	-
		Bloom	Audio Adrenaline	-
		Come Find Yourself	Fun Lovin' Criminals	Debut
		Firewater	Silkworm	-
		The Jester Race	In Flames	-
		Murder Ballads	Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds	-
		Pies Descalzos	Shakira	-
		Roots	Sepultura	-
		Set the Twilight Reeling	Lou Reed	-
		Take Me to Your Leader	Newsboys	-
	23	Our Band Could Be Your Life: A Tribute to D Boon and the Minutemen	Various Artists	Tribute to Minutemen
	26	Mercury Falling	Sting	-
		The Mission	Captain Jack	-
	27	Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy	The Refreshments	-
		Goldfinger	Goldfinger	-
		The Gray Race	Bad Religion	-
		Heartbreak Town	Steve Azar	-
		High on the Hog	The Band	-
		Lay It Down	Cowboy Junkies	-
		Peach Fuzz	Enuff Z'Nuff	US
		Pogue Mahone	The Pogues	-
		The Process	Skinny Puppy	-
M A R C H	4	Hits	Mike + The Mechanics	Compilation
		Arena	Asia	-
		After Murder Park	The Auteurs	-
		Myra Lee	Cat Power	-
	5	Gravity Kills	Gravity Kills	-
		House of GVSB	Girls Against Boys	-
		I Feel Alright	Steve Earle	-
		Naughty Little Doggie	Iggy Pop	-
		Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip	Various Artists	Red Hot AIDS benefit
		The Time of the Oath	Helloween	US
	11	Beat the Bastards	The Exploited	-
		Refresh the Demon	Annihilator	-
		Regular Urban Survivors	Terrorvision	-
	12	Bad Hair Day	"Weird Al" Yankovic	-
		Black Love	The Afghan Whigs	-
		Falling into You	Celine Dion	US
		Gato Negro	7 Year Bitch	-
		Kiss Unplugged	Kiss	Live
		Roots	Sepultura	-
	18	Emperor Tomato Ketchup	Stereolab	-
		Another Way to Shine	Spiritual Beggars	-
		The Beatles Anthology, Volume 2	The Beatles	Compilation +1 new track
		Karate	Karate	-
	19	Born on a Pirate Ship	Barenaked Ladies	-
		The Burdens of Being Upright	Tracy Bonham	Debut
		Colossal Head	Los Lobos	-
		Girl 6	Prince	Soundtrack
		No. 2 Live Dinner	Robert Earl Keen	Live
		Off Parole	Rappin' 4-Tay	-
		The Resurrection	Geto Boys	-
		Second Toughest in the Infants	Underworld	-
		Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files	Various Artists	Soundtrack to The X-Files TV series
	23	Holy Land	Angra	–
	25	Greatest Hits	Take That	Compilation
		Golden Heart	Mark Knopfler	-
		Made Again	Marillion	2x CD; Live
		Call the Doctor	Sleater-Kinney	-
		Now That's What I Call Music! 33 (UK series)	Various Artists	Compilation
	26	40 More Reasons to Hate Us	Anal Cunt	-
		The Coming	Busta Rhymes	Solo Debut
		Deathshead Extermination	Crisis	-
		On Avery Island	Neutral Milk Hotel	-
		Regretfully Yours	Superdrag	-
		Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop	Stone Temple Pilots	-
		Under the Bushes Under the Stars	Guided by Voices	-
		Villains	The Verve Pipe	-
	?	Blood Brothers	Bruce Springsteen	EP
		Hesher	Nickelback	EP
		Milk & Kisses	Cocteau Twins	-

April–June

Date		Album	Artist	Notes
A P R I L	1	A Maximum High	Shed Seven	UK
		Milk & Kisses	Cocteau Twins	UK
		Democracy	Killing Joke	UK
	2	Count the Days	Citizen King	EP
		The In Sound from Way Out!	Beastie Boys	-
		Crimson	Edge of Sanity	-
		Dopesick	Eyehategod	-
		The Golden Age	Cracker	-
		Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite	Maxwell	Debut
		Oz Factor	Unwritten Law	-
		10 Song Demo	Rosanne Cash	-
	5	Reject All American	Bikini Kill	-
		Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds	Amon Amarth	EP
	8	Moseley Shoals	Ocean Colour Scene	-
	9	Repetition	Unwound	-
		Death Threatz	MC Eiht	-
		The Great Divide	Semisonic	-
		Here to Save You All	Chino XL	-
		Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks	Various Artists	Tribute
		The Villain in Black	MC Ren	-
	15	Today's Specials	The Specials	Covers album
	16	Evil Empire	Rage Against the Machine	-
		The Forgotten Tales	Blind Guardian	Compilation
		As Good as Dead	Local H	-
		Blow It Out Your Ass It's Veruca Salt	Veruca Salt	EP
		Blue Moon	Toby Keith	-
		Borderline	Brooks & Dunn	-
		Farewell	Oingo Boingo	-
		Ice Cream Man	Master P	-
		Make Your Mama Proud	Fastball	-
		Sell, Sell, Sell	David Gray	-
		Shot	The Jesus Lizard	-
		This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About	Modest Mouse	Debut
		You? Me? Us?	Richard Thompson	-
	18	Destroy All Monsters/Live in Japan	Raven	Live
	22	Episode	Stratovarius	-
		Return of the Mack	Mark Morrison	-
		Style	Luna Sea	-
		To the Faithful Departed	The Cranberries	-
		Wildest Dreams	Tina Turner	UK
	23	Blue Clear Sky	George Strait	-
		Fairweather Johnson	Hootie & the Blowfish	-
		Guitar Slinger	The Brian Setzer Orchestra	-
		Just Fred	Fred Schneider	-
		Less Talk, More Rock	Propagandhi	-
		New Beginning	SWV	-
		Through Silver in Blood	Neurosis	-
		Telephono	Spoon	-
	29	Arise Therefore	Palace	-
		Casanova	The Divine Comedy	-
		In Sides	Orbital	-
		Nearly God	Tricky	-
		Klassics with a "K"	Kostars	-
	30	Az Yet	Az Yet	Debut
		Crash	Dave Matthews Band	-
		Do You Know Who You Are?	Texas Is the Reason	-
		Ten Thousand Angels	Mindy McCready	-
	?	Drunk on the Moon	No Knife	-
		Eventually	Paul Westerberg	-
		Tin Cans with Strings to You	Far	-
		Wake Up Jeff!	The Wiggles	-
M A Y	1	7	Apoptygma Berzerk	-
		Ass Cobra	Turbonegro	-
	6	Wild Mood Swings	The Cure	-
		1977	Ash	-
		Backstreet Boys	Backstreet Boys	Debut; Europe only
		Dr. Octagonecologyst	Kool Keith	-
		Electriclarryland	Butthole Surfers	-
		The It Girl	Sleeper	-
		Seasick	Imperial Teen	-
	7	The Great Southern Trendkill	Pantera	-
		Imperial Drag	Imperial Drag	-
		Infotainment?	Pitchshifter	-
		Now in a Minute	Donna Lewis	Debut
		Teri Yakimoto	Guttermouth	-
		Trouble at the Henhouse	The Tragically Hip	-
		Twister: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack [ broken anchor ]	Various Artists	Soundtrack
	13	Older	George Michael	-
		Slang	Def Leppard	-
		Too Much Too Young: The Gold Collection	The Specials	Compilation
	14	All This Useless Beauty	Elvis Costello & The Attractions	-
		Elegy	Amorphis	-
		Amazing Disgrace	The Posies	-
		Long Line	Peter Wolf	-
		Looking in the Shadows	The Raincoats	-
		Now & Forever	Color Me Badd	-
		Milk and Scissors	The Handsome Family	-
		You've Got to Believe in Something	Spin Doctors	-
	15	Curb	Nickelback	Debut
		The Cleanest War	Morning Again	Debut EP
	20	The Beautiful Game	Various artists	-
		Duncan Sheik	Duncan Sheik	-
		Ear Candy	King's X	-
		Everything Must Go	Manic Street Preachers	-
		Fuzzy Logic	Super Furry Animals	Debut
		Love in Space	Hawkwind	Live
		Prozaic	Honeycrack	Debut
	21	Bringing Down the Horse	The Wallflowers	-
		Chim Chim's Badass Revenge	Fishbone	-
		Destruction by Definition	The Suicide Machines	Debut
		Dilate	Ani DiFranco	-
		Down on the Upside	Soundgarden	-
		Gettin' It	Too Short	-
		Let It Rock	Great White	-
		Perspective	Jason Becker	-
		Pure Instinct	Scorpions	-
		Rubbing Doesn't Help	Magnapop	-
		Steel on a Mission	Lil' ½ Dead	-
		Vile	Cannibal Corpse	-
		Walking Wounded	Everything but the Girl	-
	22	Live at the Budokan	Blur	Japan
	25	Roomic Cube	Takako Minekawa	-
	27	Blood on Ice	Bathory	-
		Gabrielle	Gabrielle	-
	28	Good God's Urge	Porno for Pyros	-
		Take It From The Man!	The Brian Jonestown Massacre	-
		Undisputed Attitude	Slayer	-
J U N E	1	Oh Lord! When? How?	The Hives	Debut EP
		Supershitty to the Max!	The Hellacopters	Debut
	3	Love Brace	Tomomi Kahara	-
		Romeo's Heart	John Farnham	-
	4	18 til I Die	Bryan Adams	-
		Banana Wind	Jimmy Buffett	-
		Copperopolis	Grant Lee Buffalo	-
		Delinquent Habits	Delinquent Habits	Debut
		Destiny	Gloria Estefan	US
		Dimestore Hoods	Dimestore Hoods	US
		Future Rhythm	Digital Underground	-
		Hot	Squirrel Nut Zippers	-
		Ice-T VI: Return of the Real	Ice-T	-
		Legal Drug Money	Lost Boyz	Debut
		Load	Metallica	-
		Me and You	Kenny Chesney	-
		My Heart	Donell Jones	-
		Revival	Core	US
		Somebody New	Rhett Akins	-
		Spirit	Willie Nelson	-
	6	Tigermilk	Belle & Sebastian	-
	7	Dreamland	Robert Miles	-
	10	The Light User Syndrome	The Fall	-
		Peace at Last	The Blue Nile	-
		Swansong	Carcass	-
	11	T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M.	George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars	-
	12	One Chord to Another	Sloan	Canada
	17	Don Solaris	808 State	-
		Placebo	Placebo	Debut
		Macarena Non Stop	Los del Río	Compilation
		Nocturnal	Heltah Skeltah	-
		Upgrade & Afterlife	Gastr del Sol	-
	18	Book of Shadows	Zakk Wylde	-
		Gone Again	Patti Smith	-
		High/Low	Nada Surf	-
		Just Like You	Keb' Mo'	-
		Live from Neon Park	Little Feat	Live
		Nocturnal	Heltah Skeltah	-
		Odelay	Beck	-
		The Patti Smith Masters	Patti Smith	Box set
		The Road to Ensenada	Lyle Lovett	-
		Rocket	Primitive Radio Gods	-
		Secrets	Toni Braxton	-
		Somewhere Inside	Chris Cummings	-
		Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request	The Brian Jonestown Massacre	-
		Third Day	Third Day	-
		Very Proud of Ya	AFI	-
	24	Morningrise	Opeth	Europe
	25	America Is Dying Slowly	Various Artists	Red Hot AIDS benefit
		Back To The World	Tevin Campbell	-
		Braver Newer World	Jimmie Dale Gilmore	-
		Dust	Screaming Trees	-
		Get On Up and Dance	Quad City DJ's	-
		H2O	H2O	Debut
		Peace Beyond Passion	Me'shell Ndegeocello	-
		Ranetoe Serdce (Broken Heart)	Lyapis Trubetskoy	-
		Reasonable Doubt	Jay-Z	Debut
		Xtort	KMFDM	-
		You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!	Kiss	Live
	26	Vibe∞	Penicillin	-
	27	The Power of Sex	E-Rotic	-

July–September

Date		Album	Artist	Notes
J U L Y	2	Broken Arrow	Neil Young and Crazy Horse	-
		The Final Tic	Crucial Conflict	-
		It Was Written	Nas	-
		It's Martini Time	The Reverend Horton Heat	-
		Jawbox	Jawbox	-
		Live from the Fall	Blues Traveler	Live
		Stakes Is High	De La Soul	-
		Wax Ecstatic	Sponge	-
	3	None So Vile	Cryptopsy	-
	8	Today Is Another Day	Zard	-
	9	Blue	LeAnn Rimes	-
		Building the Bridge	REO Speedwagon	-
		Chaos and Disorder	Prince	-
		Irresistible Bliss	Soul Coughing	-
		Scenery and Fish	I Mother Earth	-
	15	Shape	Frente!	-
		It Ain't 4 Play	Funk Mobb	-
	16	Stag	Melvins	-
		12 Golden Country Greats	Ween	-
		Lemon Parade	Tonic	-
		No Lunch	D Generation	-
		Outpost	The Samples	-
	20	Sweet 19 Blues	Namie Amuro	Debut solo album
	22	Technicolour	Disco Inferno	-
	23	Demo Evergreen Terrace 1996	Evergreen Terrace	EP
		The Dark Saga	Iced Earth	-
		Miracle of Science	Marshall Crenshaw	-
		Songs for a Blue Guitar	Red House Painters	-
		Static Prevails	Jimmy Eat World	-
		Three Snakes and One Charm	The Black Crowes	-
		Tidal	Fiona Apple	-
	24	Indwell	Penicillin	-
	29	The Crow: City of Angels	Various Artists	Soundtrack
		Drum 'n' Bass for Papa	Plug	-
		Irreligious	Moonspell	-
		A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular	Hooverphonic	Belgium
	30	Beats, Rhymes and Life	A Tribe Called Quest	-
		Mista	Mista	-
		Republica	Republica	-
		Songs	Rich Mullins	Compilation
		Sublime	Sublime	-
		Unplugged	Alice in Chains	Live
	?	Not So Tough Now	Frenzal Rhomb	-
		Rockin' down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert	The Doobie Brothers	Live
		This World	This World	-
A U G U S T	1	Brave Murder Day	Katatonia	-
		Ravendusk in My Heart	Diabolical Masquerade	-
	6	Anne Murray	Anne Murray	-
		Interstate 8	Modest Mouse	EP
		Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle	Olivia Tremor Control	-
		No End of Love	John Hartford	-
		Oedipus Schmoedipus	Barry Adamson	-
		Shake a Lil' Somethin'	2 Live Crew	-
		Songs and Music from "She's the One"	Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers	Soundtrack
		Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation	Various Artists	Vic Chestnutt benefit album
	9	Theli	Therion	-
	12	First Band on the Moon	The Cardigans	Sweden
		Now That's What I Call Music! 34 (UK series)	Various Artists	Compilation
	13	Beautiful Freak	Eels	-
		Presents Author Unknown	Jason Falkner	-
		The Curtain Hits the Cast	Low	-
		Fantastic Planet	Failure	-
		Friction, Baby	Better Than Ezra	-
		Full Circle	Randy Travis	-
		Put it in Your Mouth	Akinyele	EP
		Turn the Radio Off	Reel Big Fish	-
		Unreleased and Revamped	Cypress Hill	EP
		Supersexy Swingin' Sounds	White Zombie	Remix
	18	Acrobatic Tenement	At the Drive-In	-
	19	Becoming X	Sneaker Pimps	-
		Nothing for Juice	The Mountain Goats	-
	20	Cowboy Songs	Riders in the Sky	-
		Die for the Government	Anti-Flag	-
		Into the Unknown	Mercyful Fate	-
		Nada Es Igual	Luis Miguel	-
		October Rust	Type O Negative	-
		Paradise in Me	K's Choice	US
		Songs of Love and Hate	Godflesh	-
	26	Awaken	The Blood Divine	-
		The Half Tail	Wolfstone	-
		Snap! Attack: The Best of Snap!	Snap!	Compilation
		Voyager	Mike Oldfield	-
	27	112	112	-
		ATLiens	OutKast	-
		Bad As I Wanna B	MC Lyte	-
		Don't Back Down	The Queers	-
		Joe Nichols	Joe Nichols	-
		The Latch-Key Child	A+	-
		No Code	Pearl Jam	-
		One in a Million	Aaliyah	-
		Rent: Original Broadway Cast Recording	Broadway cast of Rent	-
		The Restless Kind	Travis Tritt	-
		A Small Circle of Friends: Germs	Various Artists	Germs tribute
		Veiled	Leah Andreone	-
	28	Still Life	The Paradise Motel	-
		Written in the Sand	Michael Schenker Group	-
S E P T E M B E R	2	Bilingual	Pet Shop Boys	UK
		Coming Up	Suede	-
		Double Allergic	Powderfinger	-
		Man	Neneh Cherry	-
		Psyence	hide	-
	3	Did I Shave My Legs for This?	Deana Carter	US
		Jennifer Love Hewitt	Jennifer Love Hewitt	-
	9	Another Level	Blackstreet	-
		C'mon Kids	The Boo Radleys	-
		Excerpts from a Love Circus	Lisa Germano	-
		Face to Face	Face to Face	-
		Forever Alone, Immortal	Lux Occulta	-
		Like Cats and Dogs	Catherine Wheel	Compilation
		Travelling Without Moving	Jamiroquai	UK
		Wrong Side of Beautiful	Dub War	Debut
	10	30° Everywhere	The Promise Ring	-
		The Doctor Came at Dawn	Smog	-
		High School High soundtrack	Various Artists	Soundtrack
		Home Again	New Edition	-
		Mr. Happy Go Lucky	John Mellencamp	-
		New Adventures in Hi-Fi	R.E.M.	US
		Nine Objects of Desire	Suzanne Vega	-
		Not in My Airforce	Robert Pollard	-
		Test for Echo	Rush	-
		What Would the Community Think	Cat Power	-
		William Bloke	Billy Bragg	-
	13	Dynamite	Stina Nordenstam	-
	16	Endtroducing.....	DJ Shadow	UK
		K	Kula Shaker	UK
		In a Bar, Under the Sea	dEUS	-
		Spiders	Space	-
	17	Black Eye	Fluffy	-
		Fashion Nugget	Cake	-
		Fire Garden	Steve Vai	-
		Rhythmeen	ZZ Top	-
		Six	Whodini	-
		White Light, White Heat, White Trash	Social Distortion	-
	23	Angry Machines	Dio	Europe
		Animal Rights	Moby	-
		Better Living Through Chemistry	Fatboy Slim	-
		Best of the Beast	Iron Maiden	Compilation
		Louder Than Hell	Manowar	Europe
		Londinium	Archive	-
		Dance Hall at Louse Point	PJ Harvey and John Parish	-
	24	Acid Bubblegum	Graham Parker	-
		All the Nations Airports	Archers of Loaf	-
		Everything Sucks	Descendents	-
		The Garden	Merril Bainbridge	US
		Illadelph Halflife	The Roots	-
		Pinkerton	Weezer	-
		Sheryl Crow	Sheryl Crow	-
		Susanna Hoffs	Susanna Hoffs	-
		That Thing You Do! Original Motion Picture Soundtrack	Various Artists	Soundtrack
		Walking on Locusts	John Cale	-
		Who Can You Trust?	Morcheeba	-
	27	How Bizarre	OMC	-
		Northern Exposure	Sasha and Digweed	DJ mix
	30	Signify	Porcupine Tree	-
		First Grand Constitution and Bylaws	Secret Chiefs 3	-

October–December

Date		Album	Artist	Notes
O C T O B E R	1	Ænima	Tool	-
		From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah	Nirvana	Live Compilation
		At the Speed of Life	Xzibit	-
		Belly to Belly	Warrant	-
		Black Dots	Bad Brains	-
		A Few Small Repairs	Shawn Colvin	-
		Fountains of Wayne	Fountains of Wayne	Debut
		The Graveyard	King Diamond	-
		Greatest Hits	Thompson Twins	Compilation
		The Moment	Kenny G	-
		The Natural Bridge	Silver Jews	-
		Soul on Ice	Ras Kass	-
		This Is the Time	Michael Bolton	Christmas Album
		Yourself or Someone Like You	Matchbox 20	-
		A Worm's Life	Crash Test Dummies	-
	2	Black Earth	Arch Enemy	-
	3	Plays Metallica by Four Cellos	Apocalyptica	Covers
	7	Broken China	Richard Wright	-
	8	Antichrist Superstar	Marilyn Manson	-
		All Because of You	Daryle Singletary	-
		Baja Sessions	Chris Isaak	-
		Brown	P.O.D.	-
		Christmas Island	Jimmy Buffett	Christmas
		Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes	The Chipmunks	-
		East Side Militia	Chemlab	-
		Factory Showroom	They Might Be Giants	-
		Ginuwine... the Bachelor	Ginuwine	-
		Karen Carpenter	Karen Carpenter	-
		No Doubt	702	-
		No Talking, Just Head	The Heads	Members of Talking Heads
		Satan Is Real Again, or Feeling Good About Bad Thoughts	Country Teasers	-
		Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison	Van Morrison, Georgie Fame, Mose Allison and Ben Sidran	-
		Under These Rocks and Stones	Chantal Kreviazuk	CAN
	11	The Starres Are Marching Sadly Home (Theinmostlightthirdandfinal)	Current 93	EP
	14	Sutras	Donovan	-
	15	Billy Breathes	Phish	-
		Breathe	Midnight Oil	-
		Car Button Cloth	The Lemonheads	-
		Corey Hart	Corey Hart	-
		Genius of America	The Tubes	-
		Justus	The Monkees	-
		Kind Hearted Woman	Michelle Shocked	-
		Life Is Peachy	Korn	-
		No Doy	Moe	-
		Now I Got Worry	Jon Spencer Blues Explosion	-
		Overnight Sensation	Motörhead	-
		Recovering the Satellites	Counting Crows	-
		Red Hot + Rio	Various Artists	Red Hot Organization AIDS benefit
		Stories Told & Untold	Bad Company	-
		This Fire	Paula Cole	-
		Wiseblood	Corrosion of Conformity	-
		Wrath of the Math	Jeru the Damaja	-
	21	Dance into the Light	Phil Collins	-
		Young in Love	Aaron Pritchett	-
	22	Best Of – Volume I	Van Halen	Compilation +2 new tracks
		12 Soulful Nights of Christmas	Jermaine Dupri	Christmas
		Autobiography of Mistachuck	Chuck D	-
		Bow Down	Westside Connection	-
		Get Off the Cross, We Need the Wood for the Fire	Firewater	Debut
		Motel California	Ugly Kid Joe	-
		Public Cowboy #1: The Music of Gene Autry	Riders in the Sky	-
		Soundtracks for the Blind	Swans	-
		Time Will Reveal	Above the Law	-
		Trial by Fire	Journey	-
Truth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again		House of Pain	-
23	Actual Fantasy	Ayreon	-
24	Goatlord	Darkthrone	Demo
25	Thank God for Mental Illness	The Brian Jonestown Massacre	-
	Long Season	Fishmans	-
28	The Beatles Anthology, Volume 3	The Beatles	Compilation; UK
	Evita	Madonna	Soundtrack
	Keys to Ascension	Yes	Studio + Live
	A Different Beat	Boyzone	-
	Hubert Kah	Hubert Kah	-
29	Space Jam: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture	Various Artists	Soundtrack
	Romeo + Juliet	Various Artists	Soundtrack
	American Hardcore	L.A. Guns	-
	Among My Swan	Mazzy Star	-
	Archaeology	The Rutles	-
	Being There	Wilco	Double album
	Danzig 5: Blackacidevil	Danzig	-
	Da Storm	O.G.C.	-
	Fever In Fever Out	Luscious Jackson	-
	From I Extreme II Another	II D Extreme	-
	Ironman	Ghostface Killah	-
	Skillet	Skillet	-
	XTC	Anthony Hamilton	-
31	Back in the Shootin' Match	Ace Troubleshooter	-
	Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.	Slipknot	-
N O V E M B E R	4	Around the World Hit Singles: The Journey So Far	East 17	Compilation
		Dahlia	X Japan	-
		Richard D. James Album	Aphex Twin	[42]
		Spice	Spice Girls	UK
	5	Beavis and Butt-head Do America: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack	Various Artists	Soundtrack
		The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory	Makaveli	-
		II	The Presidents of the United States of America	-
		Just the Same	Terri Clark	-
		Star Bright	Vanessa Williams	Christmas
		Take You There	k-os	-
		Tierna La Noche	Fey	-
		Unchained	Johnny Cash	-
		Unknown Country	The Clean	-
	8	Sahra	Khaled	–
	11	Voice of Love	Diana Ross	Compilation +3 new tracks
		Pre-Millennium Tension	Tricky	-
	12	About to Choke	Vic Chesnutt	-
		Tha Doggfather	Snoop Doggy Dogg	-
		Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1	Chaka Khan	Compilation
		Hard Core	Lil' Kim	Debut
		Infinite	Eminem	Debut
		Losing Streak	Less Than Jake	-
		Nico	Blind Melon	Compilation
	18	Beloved	Glay	-
		If You're Feeling Sinister	Belle & Sebastian	-
		Now That's What I Call Music! 35 (UK series)	Various Artists	Compilation
	19	Daylight: Music from the Motion Picture	Ralph Edelman and Various Artists	Soundtrack
		Dru Hill	Dru Hill	-
		Dusk and Her Embrace	Cradle of Filth	-
		Emancipation	Prince	3xCD
		Endtroducing.....	DJ Shadow	US
		Hell on Earth	Mobb Deep	-
		House of Music	Tony! Toni! Tone!	-
		Ill Na Na	Foxy Brown	-
		Life in General	MxPx	-
		Razorblade Suitcase	Bush	US
		Rock Spectacle	Barenaked Ladies	Live album
		Summer of '78	Barry Manilow	-
		Sunfish Holy Breakfast	Guided by Voices	-
	22	Cacy Cacy Fleischmaschine	Świetliki	-
		Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!	Enigma	-
		Remember	Rusted Root	-
	25	Enter Suicidal Angels	Dark Tranquillity	-
		Friends II	B'z	EP
		Present	Sun Electric	-
		Someday Maybe	The Clarks	-
		Telegram	Björk	UK; Remix
	26	The Aeroplane Flies High	The Smashing Pumpkins	Box Set
		Enigma	Keith Murray	-
		Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996	Poison	Compilation
		The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album	Whitney Houston	Soundtrack
	29	Switchstance	Quarashi	EP
		Tormented	Staind	-
	?	Live Around the World	Meat Loaf	Live
		Further Along	The Dubliners	-
D E C E M B E R	2	Telling Everybody	Human Nature	-
	3	Nerf Herder	Nerf Herder	-
		One Fierce Beer Coaster	Bloodhound Gang	-
		Punk-O-Rama Vol. 2	Various Artists	Compilation
		Christmas on Death Row	Various Artists	Christmas
	10	Five Smokin' Tracks from Lit	Lit	EP
		Lama Rabi Rabi	Ghost	-
		Muddy Waters	Redman	-
		This Is Teen-C Power!	Bis	EP
	12	True	L'Arc-en-Ciel	-
	16	Machines Against the Rage	TISM	Live
	17	666.667 Club	Noir Désir	-
	18	Imaginator	Nelson	Japanese release date

Release date unknown

All the Pretty Little Horses – Current 93 Atom-Powered Action! – Bis – EP Better Can't Make Your Life Better – Lilys Bis vs. the D.I.Y. Corps – Bis Black Eye – Fluffy Boc Maxima – Boards of Canada Chixdiggit! – Chixdiggit Classics – Joey Beltram The Closing Chronicles – Nightingale Corey Hart – Corey Hart Dead Man Walking – Various Artists Digilogue (compact disc version) – :zoviet*France: Creature – Moist Eleventeen (EP) – Eve 6 Garibaldi Guard! – U.S. Bombs G. – Gotthard Get Fired Up – Murk Get Your Legs Broke – Len Hamsters of Rock (EP) – Spacehog Hank Plays Holly – Hank Marvin Hank Plays Live – Hank Marvin Holy Land – Angra In Sides – Orbital Introducing Save Ferris (EP) – Save Ferris Katatonia/Primordial – Katatonia/Primordial La Passione – Chris Rea

Lucky – Skin Lynda – Lynda Thomas Petitioning the Empty Sky – Converge A Man Amongst Men – Bo Diddley Music of Hair – Andrew Bird Nénette et Boni – Tindersticks Neu! '72 Live in Düsseldorf – Neu! Not in My Airforce – Robert Pollard Out of the Everywhere – Angie Aparo Ravendusk in My Heart – Diabolical Masquerade The Secret Vampire Soundtrack – Bis – EP Shakespearean Fish – Melanie Doane Six Pence for the Sauces (EP) – Drake Tungsten The Smiths Is Dead – Various Artists – The Smiths tribute Still Life – The Paradise Motel Tao of the One Inch Punch – One Inch Punch Time – Steeleye Span Vans Warped Music Sampler 1996 – Various Artists Welcome to the Infant Freebase – The Soundtrack of Our Lives Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas - The Wiggles Wild Hog in the Red Brush – John Hartford

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1996.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart entries
1	Spice Girls	"Wannabe"	1996		UK 1 – Jul 1996, US BB 1 of 1997, Netherlands 1 – Aug 1996, Sweden 1 – Aug 1996, Switzerland 1 – Aug 1996, Norway 1 – Aug 1996, Germany 1 – Aug 1996, Republic of Ireland 1 – Aug 1996, New Zealand 1 for 1 week 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	Los Del Rio	"Macarena"	1995		US BB 1 of 1996, Netherlands 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
3	Fugees	"Killing Me Softly with His Song"	1996		UK 1 - Jun 1996 (20 weeks), Holland 1 - Jun 1996 (15 weeks), Finland 1 for 7 weeks - Jul 1996, Austria 1 - Jul 1996 (5 months), Switzerland 1 - Jun 1996 (27 weeks), Norway 1 - Jun 1996 (18 weeks), Belgium 1 - Jul 1996 (17 weeks), Italy 1 for 6 weeks - Jul 1996, Germany 1 - Jun 1996 (5 months), New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks - May 1996, Australia 1 for 7 weeks - Jun 1996, Europe 1 for 8 weeks - Jul 1996, Sweden 5 - Aug 1996 (4 weeks), Switzerland 6 of 1996, Italy 6 of 1996, Brazil 11 of 1996, Japan (Tokyo) 12 - Apr 1996 (22 weeks), US Radio 15 of 1996 (peak 1 16 weeks), POP 21 of 1996
4	Celine Dion	"Because You Loved Me"	1996		US Billboard 1 – Mar 1996 (33 weeks), Japan (Tokyo) 1 – Mar 1996 (19 weeks), Australia 1 of 1996, Australia 1 for 3 weeks – Aug 1996, ASCAP song of 1996, Oscar in 1996 (film 'Up Close & Personal') (Nominated), Grammy in 1996 (Nominated), Golden Globe in 1996 (film 'Up Close & Personal') (Nominated), US Platinum (certified by RIAA in Apr 1996), US BB 3 of 1996, Switzerland 3 – Jun 1996 (32 weeks), ARC 4 of 1996 (peak 1 22 weeks), Holland 4 – May 1996 (15 weeks), Poland 4 – May 1996 (20 weeks), Germany Gold (certified by BMieV in 1996), POP 4 of 1996, UK 5 – Jun 1996 (16 weeks), Belgium 5 – Jun 1996 (16 weeks), US Radio 9 of 1996 (peak 1 21 weeks), Japan (Osaku) 11 of 1996 (peak 2 22 weeks), Sweden 12 – Aug 1996 (4 weeks), Germany 13 – Oct 1996 (3 months), Brazil 19 of 1996, Switzerland 20 of 1996, Austria 23 – Jun 1996 (3 weeks), UK Silver (certified by BPI in Jun 1996), Party 134 of 1999
5	Toni Braxton	"Un-Break My Heart"	1996		US Billboard 1 - Oct 1996 (42 weeks), Sweden 1 - Nov 1996 (12 weeks), Brazil 1 of 1997, Switzerland 1 - Dec 1996 (29 weeks), Poland 1 - Nov 1996 (26 weeks), Europe 1 for 2 weeks - Jan 1997, UK 2 - Nov 1996 (19 weeks), Holland 2 - Oct 1996 (19 weeks), Norway 2 - Dec 1996 (23 weeks), Belgium 2 - Jan 1997 (22 weeks), Germany 2 - Jan 1997 (6 months), ODK Germany 2 - Nov 1996 (31 weeks) (14 weeks in top 10), US Platinum (certified by RIAA in Dec 1996), UK Platinum (certified by BPI in Jan 1997), US BB 4 of 1997, Austria 4 - Jan 1997 (5 months), France Gold (certified by SNEP in Jun 1997), Switzerland 7 of 1997, ARC 8 of 1996 (peak 1 19 weeks), Japan (Tokyo) 9 - Nov 1996 (26 weeks)

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Song title	Artist(s)	Release date(s)	US	UK	Highest chart position	Other Chart Performance(s)
"1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)"	Coolio	February 1996	5	13	2 (Iceland, New Zealand)	See chart performance entry
"1979"	The Smashing Pumpkins	January 1996	12	16	2 (Canada, Iceland)	See chart performance entry
*"All By Myself"	Céline Dion	December 1996	4	6	1 (Canada)	See chart performance entry
"Always Be My Baby"	Mariah Carey	May 1996	1	3	1 (Canada, United States)	See chart performance entry
"Bailando"	Paradisio	September 1996	n/a	n/a	1 (5 countries)	See chart performance entry
"Cosmic Girl"	Jamiroquai	November 1996	n/a	6	2 (Belgium)	See chart performance entry
"Firestarter"	The Prodigy	March 1996	30	1	1 (5 countries)	See chart performance entry

Other Chart hit singles

• 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" - 2Pac & Snoop Dogg
• "Ahead by a Century" – The Tragically Hip
• "Aicha" – Khaled
• "Beautiful Ones" – Suede
• "The Beautiful People" – Marilyn Manson
• "Because You Loved Me" – Celine Dion
• "Before" – Pet Shop Boys
• "Betcha by Golly, Wow" – Prince
• "Between You And Me" – dc Talk
• "Beyond the Invisible" – Enigma
• "Blue Jeans" – Lynda Thomas
• "Bohemian Rhapsody" - The Braids
• "Boomerang" – Blümchen
• "Born Slippy .NUXX" – Underworld
• "Break My Stride" – Unique II
• "Breakfast at Tiffany's" – Deep Blue Something
• "Breathe" – The Prodigy
• "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" – The Smashing Pumpkins
• "Bulls on Parade" – Rage Against the Machine
• "California Love" – Tupac Shakur / Dr. Dre
• "Champagne Supernova" – Oasis
• "Change the World" – Eric Clapton
• "Charmless Man" – Blur
• "Child" – Mark Owen
• "Children" – Robert Miles
• "C'Mon N' Ride It (The Train)" – Quad City DJ's
• "Coco Jamboo" – Mr. President
• "Cold Rock a Party" – MC Lyte & Missy Elliott
• "Cosmic Girl" – Jamiroquai
• "Crash Into Me" – Dave Matthews Band
• "Crying in the Rain" – Culture Beat
• "Da Bomb" – Inner Circle
• "Dance into the Light" – Phil Collins
• "Do You Know (What It Takes)" – Robyn
• "Don't Look Back in Anger" – Oasis
• "Don't Speak" – No Doubt
• "Don't Stop Movin'" – Livin' Joy
• "Down" – 311
• "Drill Instructor" – Captain Jack
• "E-Bow the Letter" – R.E.M. & Patti Smith
• "El Amor No Tiene Edad" – Lynda Thomas
• "Everyday Is a Winding Road" – Sheryl Crow
• "Everything Falls Apart" – Dog's Eye View
• "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
• "Fu-Gee-La" – Fugees
• "Funky" – Tic Tac Toe
• "Get Down (You're the One for Me)" – Backstreet Boys
• "Get Money" – Junior M.A.F.I.A.
• "Gira Que Gira" – Lynda Thomas
• "Give Me One Reason" – Tracy Chapman
• "GoldenEye" – Tina Turner
• "Goldfinger" - Ash
• "Guilty" – Gravity Kills
• "Hand in My Pocket" – Alanis Morissette
• "Head over Feet" – Alanis Morissette
• "Heaven" – U96
• "Heaven Beside You" – Alice in Chains
• "Hero of the Day" – Metallica
• "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 Belong to You" – Gina G
• "I Can't Help Myself" – The Kelly Family
• "I Don't Wanna Be a Star" – Corona
• "I Feel You" - Peter Andre
• "I Give You My Heart" – Mr. President
• "I Love You Always Forever" – Donna Lewis
• "I Need You" – 3T
• "I Want to Come Over" – Melissa Etheridge
• "I Want You Back" – 'N Sync
• "Ich Find' Dich Scheisse" – Tic Tac Toe
• "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" – Nas & Lauryn Hill
• "If It Makes You Happy" – Sheryl Crow
• "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
• "I'm Raving" – Scooter
• "Insomnia" – Faithless
• "Ironic" – Alanis Morissette
• "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" – Celine Dion
• "It's Oh So Quiet" – Björk
• "Jealousy" – Natalie Merchant
• "Jesus to a Child" – George Michael
• "Keep On Jumpin'" – Todd Terry & Martha Wash & Jocelyn Brown
• "Killing Me Softly With His Song" – Fugees
• "King of New Orleans" – Better Than Ezra
• "King Nothing" – Metallica
• "Kleiner Satellit (Piep, Piep)" – Blümchen
• "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" - Dunblane
• "Last Night" – Az Yet
• "Let's Make a Night to Remember" – Bryan Adams
• "Lemon Tree" – Fool's Garden
• "Loungin" – LL Cool J & Total
• "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" – Madonna
• "Love Message" – Love Message
• "Macarena" – Los Del Mar
• "Macarena" – Los Del Rio
• "Mama Said" – Metallica
• "Mysterious Girl" – Peter Andre
• "Name" – Goo Goo Dolls
• "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" – Ace of Base
• "A Neverending Dream" – X-Perience
• "Nobody" – Keith Sweat & Athena Cage
• "Nobody Knows" – The Tony Rich Project
• "No Diggity" – Blackstreet & Dr. Dre
• "Novocaine for the Soul" – Eels
• "No Woman No Cry" – Fugees
• "Number One" – Alexia
• "One and One" – Robert Miles
• "One by One" – Cher
• "One Headlight" – The Wallflowers
• "One in a Million" – Aaliyah
• "One More Chance" – Madonna
• "One Sweet Day" – Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
• "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" – Bryan Adams
• "Ooh Aah...Just a Little Bit" – Gina G
• "Open Arms" – Mariah Carey
• "Over Now" – Alice in Chains
• "Paparazzi" - Xzibit
• "Pepper" – Butthole Surfers
• "Peaches" – The Presidents of the United States of America
• "People of the Sun" – Rage Against the Machine
• "Pony" – Ginuwine
• "Popular" – Nada Surf
• "Pray" – DJ BoBo
• "Pretty Noose" – Soundgarden
• "Professional Widow" – Tori Amos
• "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" – Backstreet Boys
• "Reach" – Gloria Estefan
• "Ready or Not" – Fugees
• "Real Love" – The Beatles
• "Rebel Yell" – Scooter
• "Return of the Mack" – Mark Morrison
• "Roses Are Red" – Aqua
• "Salva Mea" – Faithless
• "Salvation" – The Cranberries
• "Se a vida e (That's the Way Life Is)" – Pet Shop Boys
• "Setting Sun" – The Chemical Brothers
• "Seven Days and One Week" – B.B.E.
• "Sexy Eyes" – Whigfield
• "Sinnerman" – Extra Fancy
• "Slight Return" – The Bluetones
• "So Strung Out" – C-Block
• "Soldier, Soldier" – Captain Jack
• "Spaceman" – Babylon Zoo
• "Spinning the Wheel" – George Michael
• "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand" – Primitive Radio Gods
• "Stranger in Moscow" – Michael Jackson
• "Stupid Girl" – Garbage
• "Summer Is Crazy" – Alexia
• "Take Cover" – Mr. Big
• "Tha Crossroads" – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
• "That Girl" – Maxi Priest & Shaggy
• "That Thing You Do!" – The Wonders
• "That's What My Love Is For" – Anne Murray & Aaron Neville
• "Theme from Mission: Impossible" – Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen
• "They Don't Care About Us" – Michael Jackson
• "Three Lions" – Baddiel & Skinner & Lightning Seeds
• "Tic, Tic Tac" – Carrapicho
• "Time to Say Goodbye" – Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman
• "Throw These Guns Away" - Dunblane
• "To Love You More" – Celine Dion
• "Tonight, Tonight" – The Smashing Pumpkins
• "Trash" – Suede
• "Twisted" – Keith Sweat
• "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
• "When You're Gone" – The Cranberries
• "What I Got" – Sublime
• "Whatever You Want" – Tina Turner
• "What's Love Got to Do with It" – Warren G
• "Where Do You Go" – No Mercy
• "Where It's At" – Beck
• "Who Wants to Live Forever" – Dune
• "Who Will Save Your Soul" – Jewel
• "Who You Are" – Pearl Jam
• "Why" – 3T & Michael Jackson
• "Wonder" – Natalie Merchant
• "Wonderwall" – Oasis
• "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" – Busta Rhymes
• "Words" – Boyzone
• "Wrong" – Everything but the Girl
• "The X-Files" – DJ Dado
• "The X-Files" – Mark Snow
• "You Don't Fool Me" – Queen
• "You Learn" – Alanis Morissette
• "You Must Love Me" – Madonna
• "You Oughta Know" – Alanis Morissette
• "You Showed Me" – The Lightning Seeds
• "You Were Meant For Me" – Jewel
• "You're Makin' Me High" – Toni Braxton
• "Zehn kleine Jagermeister" – Die Toten Hosen
• "Zero" – The Smashing Pumpkins

Notable singles

Song title	Artist(s)	Release date(s)	Other Chart Performance(s)
"1979"	The Smashing Pumpkins	January 1996	See chart performance entry

Other Notable singles

• "Elevator Song" – Dubstar

Classical music

• Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen – Trumpet Concerto No. 2
• Michael Berkeley – Viola Concerto (revised)
• Elliott Carter – Clarinet Concerto
• Mario Davidovsky – Quartet No. 2 for oboe, violin, viola, violoncello
• Peter Maxwell Davies –
  • Strathclyde Concerto No 10: Concerto for Orchestra
  • Symphony No. 6
• Joël-François Durand – Les raisons des forces mouvantes for organ
• Lorenzo Ferrero – My Piece of Africa, for violin, viola, violoncello, and contrabass
• Francesco Filidei – Danza macabra, for organ
• Joep Franssens
  • Sanctus for orchestra
  • Winter Child for piano
• Vinko Globokar – Oblak Semen, for trombone
• Alexander Goehr – Viola Concerto
• Sofia Gubaidulina – Viola Concerto
• Hans Werner Henze – Labyrinth (revision of 1951 work)
• Wilhelm Kaiser-Lindemann – Homage a Nelson Mandela
• Wojciech Kilar –
  • Agnus Dei for mixed choir a cappella
  • Piano Concerto No. 1
• Frederik Magle – Christmas cantata: A newborn child, before eternity, God!
• John Pickard – Third Symphony
• David Sawer – Tiroirs
• John Serry Sr. – Five Children's Pieces, for piano
• Juan Maria Solare – Diez Estudios Escénicos
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Orchester-Finalisten

Opera

• Lorenzo Ferrero – La nascita di Orfeo
• Daron Hagen – Vera of Las Vegas
• Franz Hummel – Gesualdo (14 January 1996, Kaiserslautern) ^[43]
• James MacMillan – Inés de Castro
• Michael Obst – Solaris (4 December, Muffathalle, Munich Biennale) ^[44]
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Freitag aus Licht (12 September, Leipzig Opera) ^[45]

Jazz

Main article: 1996 in jazz

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 opened at the Nederlander Theatre and ran until 2008
• State Fair – Broadway production opened at the Music Box Theatre and ran for 110 performances

Musical films

• Aur Ek Prem Kahani
• Everyone Says I Love You
• Evita
• Glastonbury the Movie
• Grace of My Heart
• Hommage à Noir
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• Hype!
• James and the Giant Peach
• Saajan Chale Sasural
• That Thing You Do!

Births

• January 1
  • Kun, Chinese singer (WayV)
  • Stunna 4 Vegas, American rapper and songwriter
• January 3
  • Florence Pugh, English actress and singer-songwriter
  • MohBad, Nigerian musician (d. 2023)
• January 12 – Ella Henderson, English singer and songwriter
• January 13 – Lauren Sanderson, American singer-songwriter
• January 15 – Dove Cameron, American actress and singer
• January 16 – Jennie Kim, South Korean rapper, singer, and model (Blackpink)
• January 17 – Alma, Finnish singer, songwriter, music producer, musician and activist
• January 23 – Chachi Gonzales, American actress and dancer
• January 25 - Calum Hood, Australian musician and singer (5 Seconds of Summer).
• January 27 – Braeden Lemasters, American actor, musician, voice actor, and singer (Wallows)
• January 28 – Emily Piriz, American singer
• February 1 – Doyoung, South Korean singer (NCT)
• February 2 – Remi Wolf, American singer-songwriter
• February 3 – Rhap Salazar, Filipino singer-songwriter and actor
• February 5 – Fireboy DML, Nigerian singer
• February 6 – Dalton Rapattoni, American singer
• February 8 – Joichiro Fujiwara, Japanese singer (Naniwa Danshi)
• February 9
  • Chungha, South Korean singer
  • Kelli Berglund, American actress, singer and dancer
• February 19
  • Mabel, Spanish-born Swedish-British singer-songwriter and activist
  • Ashnikko, American singer, songwriter, rapper and activist
• February 24 – Cristian Imparato, Italian singer
• February 27 – Ten, Thai singer and dancer (WayV)
• February 29 – Jony, Azerbaijani-Russian singer
• March 2 - Reve (singer), Canadian singer-songwriter
• March 3 – Jeremy Zucker, American singer
• March 12 – Aristo Sham, Hong Kong classical pianist
• March 17 – Tokischa, Dominican rapper, internet entertainer, and performance artist (Close with Madonna)
• March 24 – Jack Edward Johnson, pop rap musician in duo Jack & Jack
• March 26 – Kathryn Bernardo, Filipina singer and actress
• April 2 – Zach Bryan, American singer-songwriter, activist, and USA Navy veteran
• April 3 – Sarah Jeffery Canadian actress, dancer and singer
• April 5 – Mura Masa, a Guernsey-born electronic music producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
• April 10 – Loïc Nottet, Belgian singer
• April 11 – Summer Walker, American singer-songwriter
• April 14 – Abigail Breslin, American singer and actress
• April 18
  • Clau, Brazilian singer
  • Ski Mask the Slump God, American rapper and songwriter
• April 19 – Sam Woolf, American singer
• May 1 – Mahalia (singer), British singer, songwriter and actress
• May 5 – Jax (singer), American singer-songwriter
• May 9 – 6ix9ine, American rapper
• May 10 – Pressa, Canadian rapper
• May 14
  • Martin Garrix – Dutch DJ and record producer
  • Cole Bennett, American music video director and videographer
• May 15 – Birdy (singer), English musician, singer and songwriter
• May 16 – Baby Tate (rapper), American rapper, singer, and record producer
• May 19 - BlocBoy JB, American rapper and songwriter
• May 31 – Normani Kordei, American singer, songwriter and dancer (Fifth Harmony)
• June 2 – Morissette, Filipino singer and songwriter
• June 7 – Shane Eagle, South African rapper and songwriter
• June 15 – Aurora, Norwegian singer-songwriter and producer
• June 19 – Priscilla Alcantara, Brazilian singer
• June 25 – Lele Pons, Venezuelan-American internet personality, actress, singer, dancer and host
• June 27 – Lauren Jauregui, American singer, songwriter and dancer (Fifth Harmony)
• July 2 – Beret, Spanish pop singer
• July 11 – Alessia Cara, Canadian singer-songwriter
• July 13 – Jena Irene, American singer-songwriter
• July 16
  • Kevin Abstract, American rapper, singer and songwriter (Brockhampton)
  • Chayce Beckham, American singer
  • Luke Hemmings, Australian singer-songwriter and musician (5 Seconds of Summer)
• July 18 – Yung Lean, Swedish rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer
• July 23 – Klava Koka, Russian singer
• August 1
  • Cymphonique Miller, American actress and singer
  • Ellona Santiago, Filipino-American singer
• August 8 – Phoebus Ng, Hong Kong singer and actor (P1X3L)
• August 19 - Katja Glieson, an Australian-German singer
• September 1 – Zendaya, American actress, singer and dancer
• September 3 – Joy, South Korean singer, actress and host
• September 5 – Sigrid, Norwegian singer-songwriter
• September 6 – Lil Xan, American rapper
• September 10 – Jack Finnegan Gilinsky, pop rap musician in duo Jack & Jack
• September 11 – Swarmz, British Rapper
• September 16 - Baka Prase, Serbian rapper, YouTuber, internet personality, actor and entertainer
• September 17 – Slayyyter, American musician
• September 19
  • Pia Mia, Guamanian singer, songwriter and model
  • Sabrina Claudio. American singer and songwriter
• September 26 – Marina Sena, Brazilian singer
• October 1 – Shenseea, Jamaican dancehall reggae performer and deejay
• October 7 – Lewis Capaldi, Scottish comedian, singer-songwriter, musician and activist
• October 10 – Oscar Zia, Swedish singer-songwriter
• October 14
  • Lourdes Leon, (Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon), American fashion model, dancer and singer. (first child of Madonna) (As of August 2022, Leon began releasing her music under the moniker Lolahol.)
  • Madison Cunningham, American singer, songwriter and guitarist.
• October 15 – Zelo, South Korean rapper
• October 29
  • Emilia Mernes, Argentine singer
  • Astrid S, Norwegian singer-songwriter-model
• November 1
  • Lil Peep, American rapper (d. 2017)
  • Jeongyeon, South Korean singer (TWICE)
• November 6 – Stefanie Scott, American actress and singer
• November 7 – Lorde, New Zealand singer-songwriter
• November 9 – Momo Hirai, Japanese singer and dancer (TWICE)
• November 19 – RiceGum, American YouTube personality, comedian and musician.
• November 23 – Lia Marie Johnson, American actress, singer, and Internet personality
• December 1 – MC Cheung Tin-fu, Hong Kong singer and actor
• November 6 - Talia Mar, English singer-songwriter and internet personality
• December 9 – AleXa, Korean-American singer.
• December 11
  • Hailee Steinfeld, American actress and singer-songwriter
  • Clementine Creevy, American singer-songwriter, actor, musician and model
• December 12
  • Gabi Martins, Brazilian singer and songwriter
  • Samia (musician), American musician, singer-songwriter and actress
• December 17 – Kungs, French DJ, record producer and musician
• December 29 – Sana Minatozaki, Japanese singer and dancer (TWICE)
• Unknown:
  • Alaska Reid, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • Dora Jar, American bedroom pop musician

Deaths

• January 20 – Gerry Mulligan, saxophonist, 68
• January 21 – the London Boys:
  • Edem Ephraim, 36
  • Dennis Fuller, 36
• January 25 – Jonathan Larson, composer and writer of the hit Broadway musical Rent , 35 (aortic aneurysm)
• January 26 – Henry Lewis, American bassist and conductor, 63 (heart attack)
• January 30 – Bob Thiele, record producer, 73
• February 2 – Gene Kelly, actor and dancer, 83
• February 3 – Audrey Meadows, American actress and singer, 73
• February 7 – Boris Tchaikovsky, composer, 70
• February 15 – Wild Jimmy Spruill, guitarist, 61
• February 16 – Brownie McGhee, blues singer and guitarist, 80
• February 17 – Evelyn Laye, English actress and singer, 95
• February 20 – Toru Takemitsu, composer, 65
• February 21 – Morton Gould, composer, conductor, arranger and ASCAP President, 82
• February 26 – Mieczysław Weinberg, composer, 76
• March 4 – Minnie Pearl, comedian and country musician, 83
• March 15 – Olga Rudge, violinist, 101
• March 22 – Don Murray, drummer (The Turtles), 50 (post-operative complications)
• March 31 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, singer and songwriter (The Gun Club), 37
• April 2 – Booba Barnes, blues singer and guitarist, 59 (cancer)
• April 18 – Bernard Edwards (Chic), 43 (pneumonia)
• May 8 – Celedonio Romero, leader of the Romeros guitar quartet, 83
• May 10 – Ethel Smith, organist, 93
• May 11 – Walter Hyatt, singer-songwriter, 46
• May 17
  • Kevin Gilbert, studio engineer, songwriter with Toy Matinee, Tuesday Night Music Club, 29 (asphyxiation)
  • Johnny "Guitar" Watson – guitarist, 61 (myocardial infarction)
• May 25 – Brad Nowell, lead singer and guitarist of Sublime, 28 (heroin overdose)
• May 30 – John Kahn, rock bassist, 48
• 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, 47
• July 17
  • Chas Chandler (The Animals), 57 (heart attack)
  • Marcel Dadi, French country and western guitarist, 44 (in the crash of TWA Flight 800)
• July 22 – Rob Collins, original keyboardist of The Charlatans, 33
• July 29 – Jason Thirsk, Pennywise bassist, 28 (suicide)
• August 11 – Mel Taylor, drummer (The Ventures), 62 (cancer)
• August 13 – David Tudor, pianist and composer, 70
• August 14
  • Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor, 84
  • Al Cleveland, songwriter and producer, 66 (heart disease)
• August 16 – Miles Goodman, American film and television score composer, 47
• August 23 – Jurriaan Andriessen, Dutch composer, 71
• September 1 – Vagn Holmboe, Danish composer, 83
• September 9 – Bill Monroe, bluegrass singer, composer, and mandolin player, 84
• September 12 – Eleazar de Carvalho, Brazilian orchestral conductor and composer, 84
• September 13 – Tupac Shakur, rapper, poet, actor, 25 (shot)
• September 28 – Bob Gibson, folk singer/songwriter, 64
• October 2 – Joonas Kokkonen, Finnish composer, 75
• October 6 – Ted Daffan, country musician, 84
• 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 5 – Eddie Harris, jazz saxophonist, pianist and organist, 62
• November 10 – Manik Varma, Indian classical musician, 76
• November 13 – Bill Doggett, jazz and R&B pianist and organist, 80 (heart attack)
• November 30 – Tiny Tim, musician, 64
• December 5 – Wilf Carter, Canadian country musician, 91
• December 10 – Faron Young, country singer, 64
• December 15 – Dave Kaye, British pianist, 90
• December 29
  • Mireille, French singer, 90
  • Jerry Knight, vocalist, bassist, songwriter and producer, 44

Awards

• 1996 Country Music Association Awards
• Eurovision Song Contest 1996
• Grammy Awards of 1996
• American Music Awards of 1996
• 1996 MTV Video Music Awards
• 1996 MTV Europe Music Awards
• Brit Awards 1996
• Mercury Music Prize, awarded to Different Class , the album by Pulp.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: 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

• Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1996
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1996
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1996 (U.S.)
• 1996 in British music#Charts
• List of Oricon number-one singles of 1996
• List of number-one singles of 1996 (Canada)

See also

• 1996 in music (UK)
• Category:Record labels established in 1996
• Triple J Hottest 100, 1996

References

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