This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year1998.

• 1998 in British music
• 1998 in Norwegian music
• 1998 in South Korean music

• 1998 in classical music
• 1998 in country music
• 1998 in heavy metal music
• 1998 in hip hop music
• 1998 in Latin music
• 1998 in jazz

• January 28
  • Interscope Records pays a radio station in Portland, Oregon, USA, $5000 to play theLimp Bizkit single "Counterfeit" fifty times. The business move is widely criticized in the media as "payola", but the controversy serves to further increase publicity for the band.^[1]
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic getsLASIK surgery to cure hismyopia. At the same time, he grows out his hair and shaves off hismoustache, radically changing hissignature look.^[2]

• February 5
  • Carnatic vocalistM. S. Subbulakshmi becomes the first musician ever to be awarded theBharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.^[3]
  • FormerJudas Priest frontmanRob Halford publicly reveals his homosexuality for the first time in an interview with MTV.^[4]
• February 15 – SirEdward Elgar's unfinishedThird Symphony, completed byAnthony Payne, is performed for the first time at theRoyal Festival Hall, London, UK.^[5]
• February 19 –The Stray Cats reunite for a benefit show for theCarl Perkins Foundation atHouse of Blues in Los Angeles, USA.^[6]
• February 21 –Misia makes her official CD debut with the single "Tsutsumikomu Yō ni...".^[7]
• February 23 – "Frozen", the first single fromMadonna's eighth studio album,Ray of Light, is released. The single is a worldwide hit, peaking at #2 on USBillboard Hot 100 and becoming her first single to enter the charts at #1 in the UK.^[8]
• February 24 –Elton John is knighted by QueenElizabeth II of the United Kingdom atBuckingham Palace, London, UK. He was mistakenly introduced as "Sir John Elton", but was renamed "Sir Elton John".^[9]
• February 25 – The40th Annual Grammy Awards are presented inNew York, hosted byKelsey Grammer.Bob Dylan,Alison Krauss andR. Kelly all win three awards each, with Dylan winningAlbum of the Year forTime Out of Mind.Shawn Colvin's "Sunny Came Home" wins bothRecord of the Year andSong of the Year.Paula Cole winsBest New Artist.
• February 28 – Haitian groupRAM survive an assassination attempt while performing at a carnival, after a disagreement with the newly elected mayor of Port-au-Prince.^{[citation needed]}

• March 3 –Madonna releases her seventh studio albumRay of Light. The album eventually sells over 16 million copies worldwide. The album received near universal acclaim upon release. Her collaborations with producerWilliam Orbit, as well as her conversion toKabbalah resulted in a completely new lyric and musical approach for Madonna, which gains her numerous awards, including fourGrammy Awards out of a total of six nominations.^[10]
• March 10 – The South Korean-madeMPMan, the first mass-produced digital audio player, is launched at theCeBIT trade fair in Hanover, Germany.^[11]
• March 13 –The Smashing Pumpkins file a US$1 million lawsuit against UK-based Sound And Media Ltd, alleging that the company has released a book and CD about the band without permission.^[12]

• April 3 –Dave Navarro is fired by theRed Hot Chili Peppers.^[13]
• April 6 – Organizers announce thatLollapalooza will not be staged in 1998 due to the inability to sign a major headlining act. The festival would return in 2003.
• April 7 –George Michael is arrested in a public restroom inBeverly Hills, California, USA for lewd conduct. He is subsequently sentenced to community service, and later describes it as a "subconsciously deliberate act".^[14]
• April 8 –Ayumi Hamasaki makes her debut underAvex Trax with the single "Poker Face".^[15]
• April 14 – The firstVH1 Divas Live concert is broadcast on VH1, starringAretha Franklin,Gloria Estefan,Céline Dion,Shania Twain andMariah Carey.^[16]
• April 17–19 – The secondTerrastockfestival takes place in San Francisco, USA.
• April 29 –Steven Tyler breaks his knee at a concert inAnchorage, Alaska, USA, delayingAerosmith'sNine Lives Tour and necessitating camera angle adjustments for the filming of the video for "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing".^{[citation needed]}

• May 5 – South Korean boy band,Shinhwa debut underSM Entertainment.
• May 8
  • The third European Festival of Youth Choirs is held inBasel, Switzerland.
  • A British court rules in favor ofthe Beatles andJohn Lennon's widow,Yoko Ono, stopping the release of anotherLive at the Star Club recording. All copies of the recording and the original tape are awarded to the Beatles, as well as damages and legal costs.
• May 9 – The 43rdEurovision Song Contest, held inBirmingham, United Kingdom, is won byIsrael'stransgender performerDana International with the song"Diva" See:1998 – Diggiloo Thrush
• May 26 –Anggun releases her debut album,Snow on the Sahara in North America, which would go on to sell 1 million copies across Europe and America and becoming the best-selling album by Asian artist outside Asia.^[17]
• May 27 –Ringo Sheena releases her debut single "Kōfukuron".^[18]
• May 31 –Geri Halliwell goes into hiding as her public relations representative, Julian Torton, confirms that she has left theSpice Girls permanently.^[19]

• June 1 –Scott Weiland's public problems with drugs continue when he is arrested in New York after buying heroin.

• July 3 –Westlife is formally created and signed to the record labelBMG.
• July 5 – Teen singerBillie Piper starts her career by becoming the youngest British solo artist to debut at #1 on the UK singles charts with "Because We Want To".
• July 17 –Aiko makes her major label debut with the song "Ashita".^[20]

• August 1 –VH1 Smooth is launched. The first music video played is acover of "Makin' Whoopee" byBranford Marsalis.^[21]
• August 18 –Korn's third studio album,Follow the Leader, entersBillboard 200 at number 1, with 268,000 copies sold in its first week. It goes on to be certified 5× Platinum by theRIAA and sell over 14 million copies worldwide, thus launchingnu metal into the mainstream.
• August 25 –Lauryn Hill releases her breakthrough debut albumThe Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. The album goes on to be certified 7× Platinum by theRIAA and sell over 19 million copies worldwide.
• August 29 – TheBee Gees open theirOne Night Only tour in Dublin, Ireland^[22]

• September 14 –Total Request Live is broadcast for the first time on MTV.
• September 16 –Lou Reed performs for President of the Czech RepublicVáclav Havel at the White House.
• September 28 –Britney Spears' debut single, "...Baby One More Time", is released. It would become the top-selling single of 1999, selling over ten million units worldwide. It was also the biggest hit single of 1999. The "...Baby One More Time" music video was ranked as number three on Billboard's 2010 list of "Best Music Videos of All Time".

• October 5 –MuchMoreMusic is launched in Canada.
• October 6 –Kurupt's debut studio album,Kuruption!, is released byAntra Records. It peaks at #8 on the Billboard 200 on October 24, 1998.
• October 8 – TheRecording Industry Association of America files in court againstDiamond Multimedia in an attempt to block the release of the newRio PMP300, arguing that the MP3 digital audio player is a music piracy device. The RIAA's application is denied on October 26, clearing the way for the PMP300 to become the first commercially successful MP3 player.
• October 19 –"Believe", the first single ofCher's twenty-second studio albumof the same name is released, becoming a smash hit. After seven consecutive weeks atop the UK official singles chart, it becomes the UK’s bestselling single of the year, and also the bestselling single by a female artist in UK history. On March 13, 1999,Believe becomes Cher's 5th number-one single in the US, spending four consecutive weeks at #1 and becoming the bestselling single of that year.
• October 22 – Cher releases her twenty-second studio albumBelieve, which becomes the most successful of her career: It peaks at number one in seven countries, #4 in the US, and #7 in the UK. The album goes on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide and is certified platinum in at least sixteen countries, becoming one of the bestselling albums of all time.
• October 27 – TheCopyright Term Extension Act is signed into law, giving the entertainment industry 20 more years of exclusive rights to all works created since 1923.

• November 17 –The Offspring releaseAmericana to massive mainstream success.^[23][24][25] It goes on to be certified 5× platinum by theRIAA and sells over 11 million copies worldwide. The hit single "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" becomes one of the best charting worldwide punk songs of all time, topping charts in 9 countries.

• December 5
  • Young violinistsNicola Benedetti andAlina Ibragimova play Bach's double violin concerto under the baton ofYehudi Menuhin at the opening ceremony of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at UNESCO in Paris.
  • Billboard changes its policy for itsHot 100 chart to allow airplay-only singles or album cuts to be accounted in the chart.^{[citation needed]}
• December 9 –Hikaru Utada makes their debut with the double A-side single "Automatic (Hikaru Utadasong)" / "Time Will Tell".^[26]
• December 29 –India issues a set of postage stamps on the subject of Indian musical instruments.^[27]

• TheRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra launches its own recording label, RLPO Live.^[28]
• SingersBrandy andMonica dominate theBillboard charts with the duet, "The Boy Is Mine", holding theBillboard Hot 100 No. 1 spot for 13 weeks.
• ComposerJohn Harbison was awarded a Heinz Award for the Arts and Humanities.^{[citation needed]}
• TheGoo Goo Dolls single, "Iris", set a newBillboardHot 100 Airplay record in the U.S. by achieving 18 weeks at number one.^[29]

• SeeMusical groups established in 1998

• Modern Talking
• Culture Club

• SeeMusical groups disestablished in 1998

• The Bullies Have All Gone to Rest -John Hartford &Jim Wood
• The First 40 Years, The Very Best of –Hank Marvin andThe Shadows (2 CDs)
• Hometown –Hush
• Live at the Beeb –Nazareth
• Deviate –Kill II This
• Six Organs of Admittance –Six Organs of Admittance
• The Star and the Wiseman: The Best of Ladysmith Black Mambazo –Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Sum of the Parts –Ed Summerlin
• Through the Trees –The Handsome Family
• Youth Is Wasted on the Young –Caesars
• Va Va Voom –Cinerama

The followingsingles achieved the highest aggregated chart positions in 1998, according to TsorT.^[31]

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart entries
1	Celine Dion	My Heart Will Go On	1997		UK 1 – Feb 1998; US BB 1 of 1998; Netherlands 1 – Jan 1998; Sweden 1 – Feb 1998; Austria 1 – Feb 1998; Switzerland 1 – Jan 1998; Norway 1 – Feb 1998; Germany 1 – Jan 1998; Republic of Ireland 1 – Feb 1998; Australia 1 for 4 weeks Apr 1998; Oscar in 1997; Grammy in 1998; Poland 2 – Jan 1998; Australia 3 of 1998; Italy 4 of 1998; Germany 7 of the 1990s; Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1997; POP 9 of 1998; Europe 14 of the 1990s; AFI 14; US BB 24 of 1998; Party 48 of 1999; Scrobulate 67 of soundtrack; OzNet 162; RIAA 246; Acclaimed 1784
2	Cher	Believe	1998		UK 1 – Oct 1998; US BB 1 of 1999; Netherlands 1 – Nov 1998; Sweden 1 – Nov 1998; Switzerland 1 – Nov 1998; Norway 1 – Jan 1998; Germany 1 – Jan 1999; Republic of Ireland 1 – Nov 1998; New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks Jan 1999; Australia 1 for 5 weeks May 1999; Austria 2 – Nov 1998; Poland 2 – Nov 1998; Italy 2 of 1999; Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1998; US BB 8 of 1999; POP 8 of 1999; Scrobulate 10 of gay; Australia 14 of 1999; Germany 31 of the 1990s; Europe 72 of the 1990s; OzNet 252; Acclaimed 1839
3	Aerosmith	I Don't Want to Miss a Thing	1998		US BB 1 of 1998; Sweden 1 – Aug 1998; Austria 1 – Aug 1998; Switzerland 1 – Aug 1998; Norway 1 – Aug 1998; Italy 1 of 1998; Germany 1 – Jul 1998; Republic of Ireland 1 – Oct 1998; Australia 1 for 9 weeks Jan 1999; POP 1 of 1998; US BB 2 of 1998; Australia 2 of 1998; Netherlands 3 – Aug 1998; UK 4 – Sep 1998; Poland 4 – Jul 1998; Scrobulate 26 of soundtrack; Party 52 of 2007; Germany 71 of the 1990s; Europe 80 of the 1990s; RYM 100 of 1998; OzNet 974
4	Run-DMC &Jason Nevins	It's Like That	1998		UK 1 – Mar 1998; Netherlands 1 – Dec 1997; Switzerland 1 – Dec 1997; Norway 1 – Feb 1998; Germany 1 – Jan 1998; Republic of Ireland 1 – Mar 1998; New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks May 1998; Australia 1 for 1 weeks May 1998; Austria 2 – Jan 1998; Australia 4 of 1998; Sweden 6 – Jan 1998; RYM 29 of 1983; Italy 31 of 1997; Poland 33 – Feb 1998; Germany 34 of the 1990s; Acclaimed 1050
5	Shania Twain	You're Still The One	1998		US Country 1 – May 2; 1998; US Country Sales 1 – May 1998; US Adult 1- May 1998; Australia 1- May 10; 1998; Canada 1- March 1998; Philippines 1 – April 1998; US BB 2 – May 23; 1998; Canada RPM 2 – March 1998; US Dance 3- May 1998; US BB Top 40 3 – June 1998; Taiwan 4 – May 1998; US Adult Top 40 6- April 1998; Japan 16 – May 1998; Dutch 10 – May 1998; Belgium 16 – June 1998; The Biggest Hit in Country Music in 1998 winning Best selling Country Single; Song of the Year; Music Video of the Year; Single of the Year in all Country Music awards; and 2 Grammy Award for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Performance in 1998.

• Leonardo Balada – Folk Dreams (Three Pieces for Orchestra)
• Osvaldas Balakauskas – Symphony No. 4
• Louis Andriessen –Writing to Vermeer
• John Barry –The Beyondness of Things
• George Crumb –Mundus Canis (A Dog's World) for guitar and percussion
• Mario Davidovsky – String Quartet No. 5
• Ludovico Einaudi –Arie
• Lorenzo Ferrero –A Red Wedding Dress, for organ
• Beat Furrer
  • Still for ensemble
  • Spur for piano and string quartet
• Philip Glass –Days and Nights in Rocinha, for orchestra
• Georg Friedrich Haas
  • Concerto for violin and orchestra
  • String Quartet No. 2
• Jake Heggie –Sophie's Song
• Wojciech Kilar –What a piece of work is a man, movie theme from “A Week in the Life of a Man”
• Frederik Magle –Cantata to Saint Cecilia
• Gordon McPherson –Miami
• Hans Otte –Stundenbuch for piano
• Zbigniew Preisner –Requiem for My Friend
• Einojuhani Rautavaara – Piano Concerto No. 3Gift of Dreams
• Vache Sharafyan –The Sun, the Wine and the Wind of Time, forduduk, violin, cello and piano
• Juan Maria Solare –Spaghettisssimo
• Morton Subotnick –Echoes from the Silent Call of Girona

• Mark Adamo –Little Women
• Christopher Butterfield –Zurich 1916
• Philip Glass –White Raven
• Heinz Holliger –Schneewittchen
• Constantine Koukias –The Divine Kiss
• Ryan Ostrander –Madame Butterfly

• March 5 –The Boy from Oz, Sydney production opened.
• Notre-Dame de Paris – musical
• Cabaret (Kander and Ebb) – Broadway revival
• Footloose – Broadway production opened at theRichard Rodgers Theatre and ran for 709 performances
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Stephen Trask) –off Broadway production
• High Society – Broadway production opened at theSt James Theatre and ran for 144 performances
• Ragtime – Broadway production at theFord Center for the Performing Arts and ran for 834 performances
• The Sound of Music (Rodgers &Hammerstein) – Broadway revival

• Blues Brothers 2000
• Meeting People Is Easy
• Mulan
• The Prince of Egypt
• Velvet Goldmine
• Why Do Fools Fall in Love

• January 2 –Sinnie Ng, Hong Kong singer (Lolly Talk)
• January 4 –Coco Jones, American actress and singer
• January 11 –Louisa Johnson, English singer-songwriter
• January 22
  • Silentó, American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor
  • Biig Piig, Irish singer and rapper
• January 23 –XXXTentacion, American rapper and singer-songwriter (d. 2018)
• January 24
  • Jay Versace, American record producer
  • Briston Maroney, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Dating Samia)
• January 27 –Albina Kelmendi, Kosovo-Albanian singer
• January 29 –Mion Mukaichi, Japanese girl group singer
• February 8 –Šarlote Lēnmane, Latvian singer-songwriter
• February 11 –Khalid, American singer-songwriter
• February 19 -Chappell Roan, American singer-songwriter, activist and musician
• February 20
  • Corbin, American singer-songwriter and record producer
  • Gracey (singer), English singer
• February 24 -Mike Sabath, American record producer, songwriter, and musician
• March 24 -Ethel Cain, American singer-songwriter, artist and producer
• April 2 -Peach PRC, Australian pop singer, songwriter, social media personality, and performer
• April 3 –Paris Jackson, American actor, singer, dancer, musician, activist and model (daughter ofMichael Jackson)
• April 20 –Felix Mallard, Australian musician, actor and model
• April 21 –Zé Felipe, Brazilian singer
• April 23 –Jeffrey Ngai, Hong Kong singer, actor and model
• May 4 –Rex Orange County, English singer-songwriter and musician
• May 21 -Ari Ólafsson, Icelandic singer
• May 22 -Gretta Ray, Australian singer-songwriter
• May 23 –Steve Lacy, American singer-songwriter, musician, and member of American band,The Internet
• May 25 –Andrew Lambrou, Australian singer
• May 28 –Dahyun, South Korean singer (TWICE)
• May 29 –Cochise, American rapper
• June 4 –Central Cee, British rapper and songwriter
• June 18 –Patricia Janečková, German-born Czech soprano (died 2023)
• June 24 –Tana Mongeau, American rapper and internet personality
• July 1 –Chloe Bailey ofChloe x Halle, American singer and actress
• July 8
  • Jaden Smith, American actor, rapper, singer and songwriter (son ofWill Smith andJada Pinkett Smith, brother ofWillow Smith)
  • Maya Hawke, American actress, model and singer-songwriter (daughter ofEthan Hawke andUma Thurman)
• July 15 –Kailee Morgue, American singer-songwriter, activist
• July 18 –Luísa Sonza, Brazilian singer-songwriter
• July 21 –Maggie Lindemann, American singer-songwriter
• July 23 –Houdini, Canadian rapper
• July 28 –Risa Watanabe, Japanese idol and model
• August 2 –Cai Xukun, Chinese singer
• August 4 –Lil Skies, American rapper
• August 8 –Shawn Mendes, Canadian musician, singer-songwriter, voice actor and model.
• August 11 –Nadia Azzi, American classical pianist
• August 14 –Doechii, American rapper and singer
• August 18 –Clairo, American singer-songwriter andelectropop recording artist
• August 25
  • Abraham Mateo, Spanish singer and actor
  • China Anne McClain, American singer and actress
• August 26 –Soyeon, Korean rapper, songwriter, record producer, and member of(G)I-dle
• August 29 –Bizarrap, Argentine DJ and record producer
• September 6 –Kayan9896, Hong Kong singer, actress and model
• September 15 –Kevinho, Brazilian singer
• September 25 –mallrat, Australian musician
• October 22 –Roddy Ricch, American rapper
• October 23
  • Emily Ann Roberts, American country singer
  • Amandla Stenberg, American singer and actress
• October 24 –Daya, American singer-songwriter
• October 28 –Ellie Drennan, Australian singer-songwriter, The Voice Australia winner of series 4,Jessie J was her coach
• November 1 -Rachel Chinouriri, English singer-songwriter
• November 7 -Hongjoong, South Korean rapper, singer, producer, and songwriter, and member ofAteez
• November 16 –Bárbara Tinoco, Portuguese singer
• November 23
  • Just Sam, American singer
  • Emily Keener, American singer-songwriter'
• November 28 -UPSAHL, American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
• December 2 –Juice WRLD, American singer, rapper, and songwriter (d. 2019)
• December 5 –Conan Gray, American musician
• December 15 –Cavetown, British musician and activist
• December 19
  • Frans Jeppsson Wall, Swedish singer-songwriter
  • King Princess, American multi instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, activist and record producer
• December 21 -Lexie Liu, Chinese singer, rapper and songwriter
• December 22 -Latto, American rapper
• December 24 –Declan McKenna, English singer-songwriter and musician
• Unknown –Joy, Australian musician, singer and producer
• Unknown -Kim Dracula, an Australian trap metal/hardcore music artist

• January 2 –Nick Venet, record producer, 61 (Burkitt's lymphoma)
• January 4 –Mae Questel, singer and actress, the voice ofBetty Boop,Olive Oyl,Little Audrey &Little Lulu, 89
• January 5 –Sonny Bono, singer and songwriter, 63
• January 7 –Owen Bradley, record producer, 82
• January 8 –Sir Michael Tippett, composer, 93
• January 11 –Klaus Tennstedt, conductor, 71
• January 15 –Junior Wells, harmonica player, 64
• January 17 –Junior Kimbrough, blues guitarist and singer, 67
• January 19 –Carl Perkins, singer 65, complications following a series of strokes
• January 22 –Anselmo Sacasas, jazz pianist and bandleader, 85
• January 24 –Justin Tubb, country music singer and songwriter, 62
• January 26
  • Orlando DiGirolamo, jazz accordionist, pianist, composer, and teacher, 73
  • Shinichi Suzuki, violinist and inventor of the international Suzuki method of music education, 99
• February 3 –Fat Pat, American rapper 27 (shot)
• February 5
  • Tim Kelly, guitarist (Slaughter), 35 (car accident)
  • Nick Webb, jazz guitarist, 43 or 44 (pancreatic cancer)
• February 6
  • Carl Wilson,The Beach Boys, 51 (lung cancer)
  • Falco, rock star, 40 (car accident)
• February 10 –Alex Kramer, Canadian songwriter, 94
• February 13 –Thomas Chapin, composer and saxophonist, 40 (leukemia)
• February 17 –Bob Merrill, songwriter, 76 (suicide)
• February 19 –Grandpa Jones, star ofHee Haw, comedian and musician, 84
• February 25 –Rockin' Sidney, soul musician, 59
• February 28 –Todd Duncan, first Porgy inPorgy and Bess, 95
• March 8 – Roger Christian,The Christians
• March 13 –Judge Dread, ska and reggae performer, 52 (heart attack on stage)^[32]
• March 15 –Tim Maia, Brazilian singer and songwriter, 55
• March 29 –Nada Tončić, operatic soprano, 88
• March 31 –Joel Ryce-Menuhin, pianist, 64
• April 1 –Rozz Williams, founder ofChristian Death, suicide (hanging)^{[citation needed]}
• April 2 –Rob Pilatus, member ofMilli Vanilli, 32
• April 4 –Pierre Lantier, pianist and composer, 87
• April 5 –Cozy Powell, drummer forRainbow andBlack Sabbath, 50 (car accident)
• April 6 –Tammy Wynette, country singer, 55
• April 7 –Wendy O. Williams,Plasmatics, 48 (suicide)^{[citation needed]}
• April 9 –Tom Cora, cellist and composer, 44
• April 11 –Lillian Briggs, US singer and trombonist, 65 (lung cancer)
• April 15 –Rose Maddox, country singer, 72
• April 17 –Linda McCartney, rock photographer, keyboard player (Wings) and entrepreneur, wife of Paul McCartney, 56 (breast cancer)
• May 2 –Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto, Japanese rock artist, 33, (hanging, apparently accidental)
• May 5 –Tommy McCook, Jamaican saxophonist, 71
• May 7 –Eddie Rabbitt, country singer, 56, lung cancer
• May 9 –Alice Faye, actress and singer, 83
• May 10
  • Lester Butler, blues harmonica player and singer, 38 (drug overdose)
  • Clara Rockmore,thereminist and violinist, 87
• May 11 —Willy Corsari, singer and composer (100)^[33]
• May 14 –Frank Sinatra, singer and actor, 82 (heart attack)
• May 19 –Dorothy Donegan, jazz pianist, 76
• May 20 –Robert Normann, Norwegian jazz guitarist, 81
• May 22 –Royce Kendall, country musician, 62
• June 2 –Ricky Hyslop, violinist, conductor, composer, and arranger, 83
• June 8 –Harry Lookofsky, jazz violinist, 84
• June 10 –Steve Sanders,the Oak Ridge Boys, 45, suicide
• June 25 –Lounès Matoub, assassinated^{[citation needed]}
• July 3 –George Lloyd, British composer, 85
• July 6 –Roy Rogers, actor and singer, 86
• July 14 –Herman David Koppel, pianist and composer, 89
• July 21 –O'Landa Draper, O'Landa Draper and the Associates (gospel choir), 34 (renal failure)
• July 23 –André Gertler, violinist, 90
• July 28 –Olga De Blanck Martín, pianist, guitarist and composer, 62
• August 3 –Alfred Schnittke, composer, 63
• August 11 –Benny Waters, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, 96
• August 19
  • Ilva Ligabue, operatic soprano, 66
  • Sylvia Stahlman, operatic soprano, 69
• August 22 –Sergio Fiorentino, pianist, 70
• August 24 –Gene Page, arranger, producer and conductor, 58
• August 25 –Lamar Crowson, pianist, 72
• August 29 –Charlie Feathers, country blues musician, 66
• September 4 –Lal Waterson, folk singer-songwriter, 55
• September 9 –Habib Hassan Touma, composer and ethnomusicologist, 63
• September 14 –Johnny Adams, blues, jazz and gospel singer, 66
• September 18 –Charlie Foxx, R & B and soul musician, 58 (leukemia)
• September 26 –Betty Carter, jazz singer, 69
• September 30 –Pavel Štěpán, pianist, 73
• October 1 –Pauline Julien, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress, 60
• October 2 –Gene Autry, actor and country singer, 91
• October 5 –Jacques Abram, pianist, 83
• October 7 –Arnold Jacobs, American tuba player and educator, 83
• October 8 –Anatol Vieru, composer, 82
• October 14 –Frankie Yankovic, America's "Polka King", 83
• October 17 –Antonio Agri, violinist, conductor and composer, 66
• October 25 –Warren Wiebe, "Soulful Rain Man", vocalist and session artist, 45 (suicide)
• November 8
  • Consuelo Villalon Aleman, pianist, 91
  • Lonnie Pitchford, blues musician, 43 (AIDS)
• November 12 –Kenny Kirkland, jazz keyboardist, 43 (congestive heart failure)
• November 20 –Roland Alphonso, saxophonist, 67
• November 27 –Barbara Acklin, soul singer, 55
• December 4 –Egil Johansen, jazz drummer, 64
• December 11 –Lynn Strait, (Snot), 30 (car accident)
• December 21
  • Avril Coleridge-Taylor, pianist, conductor and composer, 95
  • Karl Denver, Scottish singer, 67
• December 25 –Bryan MacLean, singer, guitarist and songwriter (Love), 52 (heart attack)
• December 30 –Johnny Moore, R & B singer, 64

• The following artists are inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame: TheEagles,Fleetwood Mac,The Mamas & the Papas,Lloyd Price,Santana andGene Vincent
• Inductees of theGMAGospel Music Hall of Fame includeAndrae Crouch,The Imperials,The Jordanaires andThe LeFevres

• Bring It On –Gomez wins.

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1998
• 1998 in British music#Charts
• List of Oricon number-one singles of 1998

• 1998 in music (UK)
• Musical groups established in 1998
• Record labels established in 1998