This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2005.

• 2005 in British music
• 2005 in Irish music
• 2005 in Norwegian music
• 2005 in South Korean music
• 2005 in Swiss music

• 2005 in classical music
• 2005 in country music
• 2005 in heavy metal music
• 2005 in hip hop music
• 2005 in Latin music
• 2005 in jazz
• 2005 in South Korean music

• January 1 – In most of Europe, copyright expired on a number of classic pop and rock'n'roll songs recorded in 1954 and earlier, includingBill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock", and "Only You" byThe Platters.^[1]
• January 7 – Welshpunk bandMclusky officially announce their disbanding via their website. Weeks later, Welsh noisecore/punk bandJarcrew disband due to their drummer becoming aJehovah's Witness – remnants of the two bands later went on to join forces and becomeFuture of the Left.
• January 13 –Duran Duran begins theirAstronaut inLondon, England.
• January 17 – Prior to missing 2 live shows,Mike Tempesta is officially no longer part ofPowerman 5000 due to fighting with the band.
• January 20 –Leonard Slatkin conducts the debut concert ofPhilip Glass'sSymphony No. 7 "Toltec".
• January 21–February 6 – TheBig Day Out festival takes place inAustralia andNew Zealand, headlined byBeastie Boys,The Chemical Brothers andSystem of a Down.
• January 22 – TheTsunami Relief concert is held at theMillennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales – the largest live music event in the UK since theLive Aid concert of 1985. Performers includedMadonna,Eric Clapton,Jools Holland,Manic Street Preachers,Lulu,Aled Jones,Charlotte Church,Katherine Jenkins,Feeder,Snow Patrol,Liberty X.
• January 29 –Avril Lavigne,Chantal Kreviazuk, theBarenaked Ladies,Raine Maida, andSarah McLachlan conduct a concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, fortsunami relief.
• January 31
  • Tiesto releases a new single from his albumJust Be entitledAdagio for Strings.
  • Jon Levasseur leavesCryptopsy, saying he has lost interest in Extreme Music.

• February 7 – TheBRIT Awards are held in London.Scissor Sisters,Keane,Franz Ferdinand, andJoss Stone are among the winners.
• February 8 –Matchbox Twenty frontmanRob Thomas releasesLonely No More, his first solo hit. It peaked at #1 in Adult Contemporary.
• February 13 – The47th Grammy Awards are held inStaples Center,Los Angeles,California, hosted byQueen Latifah. The lateRay Charles becomes the big winner at the ceremony, winning five awards, includingAlbum of the Year forGenius Loves Company andRecord of the Year for a re-recorded duet version of "Here We Go Again" withNorah Jones.John Mayer's "Daughters" winsSong of the Year, whileMaroon 5 winBest New Artist.Britney Spears earned her firstGrammy in the category ofBest Dance Recording for her hit singleToxic.
• February 15 –Sonny Mayo replacesClint Lowery inSevendust.
• February 22
  • After being silent since late 2004,Blink-182 announce that they will be taking an indefinite hiatus, the news comes as a big shock for fans. According to guitaristTom DeLonge, the band will not come completely inactive.
  • Brian Welch, guitarist ofKorn, leaves the band after converting to Christianity.
• February 28 –Static-X firesTripp Eisen because of his arrest for sex offenses involving a minor.

• March 7 –Koichi Fukuda rejoinsStatic-X on guitar after 5 years away from the band. Fukuda replacesTripp Eisen, who was arrested twice in February over two separate charges of sexual intercourse with underage girls.
• March 26 – Australian drummer ofCrowded House,Paul Hester, is found dead in a Melbourne Park.
• March 29 –Mariah Carey releases her second single, "We Belong Together", from her tenth studio album,The Emancipation of Mimi. The song would hold the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, the highest record for the entire decade.Will Smith releases his fourth studio album (first under Interscope Records)Lost and Found.

• April 3
  • Country music legendKenny Rogers signs a major worldwide record deal withCapitol Records.
  • Alice in Chains original bass playerMike Starr is arrested for "investigation of property destruction and theft". He was also sentenced to 30 days for misdemeanor drug possession in April 1994, two years after being replaced from the group during the recording ofDirt.
• April 7 – The concertSelena ¡VIVE! takes place atReliant Stadium in Houston. The memorial concert was held on the 10th anniversary of the murder by firearm of Selena, "The Queen of Tejano Music". Performers includeThalía,Gloria Estefan,Paulina Rubio,Pepe Aguilar,Banda el Recodo,Alejandra Guzmán andFey.
• April 9 –Destiny's Child launch their World TourDestiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It inHiroshima, Japan.
• April 12 –Mariah Carey releases her tenth studio album,The Emancipation of Mimi. The album went on to become the best-selling album of 2005 in the US, and the second-best seller worldwide, with global sales of 10 million copies.^[2] Its second single, "We Belong Together", was later hailed "Song of the Decade" byBillboard^[3] and accumulated 14 weeks at number one in the US, while its third single,"Shake It Off", reached number two. The album begins a career revival is her biggest success of the decade.

• May–June –Operation Ivy/Rancid bassistMatt Freeman is diagnosed with lung cancer.
• May 2
  • Legendaryblues-rock groupCream reunites for four shows in London'sRoyal Albert Hall.
  • Linkin Park issues a press release demanding to end its contract withWarner Music Group, on the grounds that the label would fail to meet its "fiduciary responsibility to market and promote Linkin Park" due to cost-cutting efforts at the company.^[4]
  • Nu metal BandLimp Bizkit Released their EPThe Unquestionable Truth (Part 1).
• May 6 –Audioslave becomes the first American rock group to perform a free outdoor concert inCuba.
• May 17 –Kylie Minogue is diagnosed with breast cancer. Thus she has to cancel herShowgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour.
  • System of a Down release their fourth studio albumMezmerize.
• May 19–21 – The 50thEurovision Song Contest, held at thePalace of Sports inKyiv,Ukraine, is won by Greek-Swedish singerHelena Paparizou, representingGreece with the song "My Number One". It is the first contest to be broadcast inwidescreen16:9 format.
• May 21 – The Los Angeles radio stationKROQ-FM airs the 13th AnnualWeenie Roast show withAlkaline Trio,Audioslave,Bloc Party,The Bravery,The Dead 60s,Foo Fighters,Hot Hot Heat,Interpol,Jimmy Eat World,The Killers,The Mars Volta,Mötley Crüe,MxPx,My Chemical Romance,Queens of the Stone Age andThe Transplants.
• May 24 –Audioslave releases their second studio albumOut of Exile. The album debuted No. 1 on theBillboard 200.
• May 25 –Carrie Underwood wins the fourth season ofAmerican Idol.Bo Bice is named runner-up.
• May 27 –Gretchen Wilson guestMiranda Lambert at theSchottenstein Center inColumbus, Ohio.

• June 4 –Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" became her sixteenth chart topper on theUS Billboard Hot 100. The song then spent 14 non-consecutive weeks at number one on both the USBillboardHot 100 andHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It made history when it became the first song to simultaneously occupy the number one position on nineBillboard charts (the week ending August 6, 2005): the Hot 100, Hot 100 Airplay, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs,Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay,Pop 100 Airplay,Top 40 Mainstream,Rhythmic Airplay Chart,Hot Dance Club Songs, andHot Ringtones.
• June 10-12 – The annualDownload Festival takes place atDonington Park inLeicestershire, England, the festival's first three-day event.Feeder,Black Sabbath andSystem of a Down headline the main stage, while the Snickers stage is headlined byBilly Idol,In Flames andMotörhead, the Napster stage byNapalm Death,Helmet andTherapy?, and the Snickers Bowl stage byTAT,Reuben andElectric Eel Shock.
• June 12 –Pink Floyd announce that they will reunite with former bassistRoger Waters, who left the band in 1985, on July 2 for theLive 8 London concert. This will be the first time the band played together as a quartet sinceThe Wall tour in 1981, and the first public performance by Pink Floyd since 1994.
• June 13 –Michael Jackson is found not guilty of child molestation.
• June 14 – TheBackstreet Boys came back and released their fifth studio albumNever Gone after a nearly 5-year hiatus
• June 15 –Destiny's Child announce they will disband upon completion of their world tour.
• June 16 –Motörhead celebrate their 30th anniversary with a concert in theHammersmith Apollo, which is later released on DVD.
• June 18–19 –Green Day films their first ever live CD/DVDBullet in a Bible at theNational Bowl inMilton Keynes, England. They played to over 130,000 fans in two days.
• June 21 –Billy Corgan announces that he wants to reform his popularalternative rock groupThe Smashing Pumpkins, which disbanded on December 2, 2000.
• June 25 –Patti Smith curates theMeltdown festival.

• July 2 –Live 8benefit concerts are held around the world, as part of theMake Poverty History campaign.
• July 4 –The Charlie Daniels Band plays (and makes a concert DVD) at Riverfront Park inNashville, Tennessee
• July 6 –Lil' Kim is sentenced to a year and a day in prison for lying to a federal grand jury about her knowledge of suspects in a 2001 shooting outside a New York radio station.^[5]
• July 21 –Gigantour runs through to September 11, a festival organised byMegadeth frontmanDave Mustaine with bands includingDream Theater,Anthrax,Fear Factory andNevermore.
• July 23–24 – The annualSplendour in the Grass music festival is held inByron Bay,Australia, headlined byQueens of the Stone Age andMoby.
• August 9 –Staind releasesChapter V, which becomes their third-straight studio album to reach #1 on the USBillboard 200 album charts.
• August 18 –Interscope Records reports thatEminem has entered rehab for dependency on sleep medication. The rapper had canceled the European leg of theAnger Management 3 Tour two days earlier, citing exhaustion.^[6] A four-year hiatus would ensue until the release of theRelapse album in 2009.
• August 24-31 – The UNESCO-sponsored Fifth Sharq Taronalari (Melodies of the East) International Music Festival is held in Samarkand.^[7]
• August 26 –Rihanna releases her debut albumMusic of the Sun, which debuts at number 10 on the USBillboard 200. The album produced two singles that achieved international chart success, including first single "Pon de Replay", which topped number 2 at the USBillboard Hot 100.
• August 28 –Death Row Records CEOSuge Knight is shot in the leg at anMTV Video Music Awards pre-party in Miami.^[8] No one is ever charged in the shooting.
• August 30 -Kanye West releases his 2nd studio album "Late Registration".

• September 2
  • A statue ofEdward Elgar by Jemma Pearson is unveiled near Hereford Cathedral.
  • A Concert for Hurricane Relief airs on NBC and its affiliates, the first of several benefit concerts held to raise funds forHurricane Katrina relief efforts.Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast andReAct Now: Music & Relief air the following week.From the Big Apple to the Big Easy, a pair of simultaneous benefit concerts atMadison Square Garden andRadio City Music Hall, are held on September 20. On A Concert for Hurricane Relief, rapperKanye West makes controversial statement, "George Bush doesn't care about black people".
• September 9 – The bandScooter perform at the All-State Arena in Chicago, IL, their first performance in the United States.
• September 10 – Destiny's Child breaks up after the finishing of their Destiny Fulfilled...and Lovin' it Tour.
• September 20 –J.D. Fortune winsRock Star: INXS, a reality TV singing contest to become the new lead vocalist of Australian rock bandINXS.
• September 27 – American rock bandPanic! at the Disco released their debut album "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out". ActorDrake Bell releases his debut musical albumTelegraph. Dancehall artistSean Paul releases his third album titledThe Trinity. American rapperCommon releases the single"Testify" for his 2005 albumBe.
• October 1
  • Sentenced plays their final show.
  • Akcent releases their first single (and video) from their albumFrench Kiss with Kylie entitled Kylie.
• October 4 –J.D. Fortune releases his first single withINXS calledPretty Vegas
• October 15 – Media reported that Latin starLuis Miguel has released his own vintage of wine, "Unico. Luis Miguel", aCabernet Sauvignon.
• October 21 –Nightwish perform at theHartwall Areena, later to be released as theEnd of an Era DVD. The following day, singerTarja Turunen is dismissed in an open letter.^[9]
• October 25 –NSYNC releases their first compilation albumGreatest Hits three years after their breakup.
• October 31 –Greatest Hits is released. It is a collection ofBlink-182's greatest singles. At the time of the release,Blink-182 were on an indefinite hiatus but would later reunite in 2009 and release their sixth studio albumNeighborhoods in 2011.

• November 5, guitaristLink Wray of the Ray Men dies at age 76 in Copenhagen, Denmark
• November 6 –Madonna earns her 36th Top Ten single withWarner Bros. Records-based, ABBA-sampled "Hung Up". This ties her withElvis Presley for the most Top Ten singles.The Beatles have 34. "Hung Up" is also Madonna's 47th Top Forty single – the most for any female artist. Her new albumConfessions On A Dance Floor hits #1 in 40 countries during the month, a new record. (The Beatles also previously held this record whenThe Beatles 1 went to #1 in 36 countries in 2000.)
• November 8 – The firstGuitar Hero video game is released for thePlayStation 2. The game becomes a major hit, would help makerhythm games one of the most popular video game genres, and increased the sales of artists who have their songs included in the games.
• November 14 –Country music superstarsTrisha Yearwood,Martina McBride,Barbara Mandrell,Carrie Underwood andJo Dee Messina at theCNN'sLarry King Live.
• November 15
  • TheSony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal breaks asSony BMG announces that it will recall all remaining stock of an estimated 15 million CDs containing copy protection that exposes the computers of consumers to serious security risks if played in their PC disc drives. Several class action lawsuits are filed against Sony in the ensuing public relations disaster.^[10]
  • All-female groupDanity Kane is formed on MTV showMaking The Band.
• November 20 –Madonna's Warner Bros. Records-based (Festival Mushroom Records in Australia) single, "Hung Up" takes the title as the ARIA #1 single.
• November 21 –Kate DeAraugo takes the title ofAustralian Idol 2005, ahead ofEmily Williams.
• November 22
  • The 33rd annualAmerican Music Awards are held. Multiple winners areDestiny's Child,Tim McGraw,Kelly Clarkson,The Black Eyed Peas, andGreen Day.
  • System of a Down becomes the third musical act to have two number 1 albums in the same year. The other two to do this record wereDMX &The Beatles.
  • Britney Spears releases her firstremix album,B in the Mix: The Remixes. The album had sold 1 million copies worldwide, making it one of thebest selling remix album of all time.
• November 24 –Carrie Underwood releases the music video for "Jesus, Take the Wheel".
• November 29 –Chris Brown comes onto the music scene at age 16 with the release of his debut albumChris Brown. Making him the second youngest male R&B artist to come into the music business sinceUsher in 1994.
• November 30 –Apocalyptica change locations of the shoot of their DVD "The Life Burns Tour" fromErfurt, Germany (Dec. 2) toDüsseldorf, Germany (Dec. 4) due to technical reasons.

• December 3 –Marilyn Manson andDita Von Teese hold a wedding ceremony in Ireland.
• December 6 –Korn's seventh studio album,See You on the Other Side, debuts at number 3 on theBillboard 200. This is the first album without longtime guitaristBrian "Head" Welch and is the last to feature original drummerDavid Silveria.
• December 7 – The nominations for the 48thGrammy Awards are announced. The top-nominated artists includeMariah Carey,John Legend, andKanye West, with eight nominations each. Other nominated artists includeGwen Stefani,Beyoncé Knowles (two of her own, plus four withDestiny's Child),Kelly Clarkson, and50 Cent.
• December 10
  • Amnesty International launches its "Make Some Noise" music initiative.
  • The Los Angeles radio stationKROQ-FM airs the 16th annualAcoustic Christmas. On November 10, 2005, KROQ's official website announced that it will includeAvenged Sevenfold,Fall Out Boy,Korn,Nine Inch Nails,Rise Against,System of a Down andThrice for the first night. The second night is held the following day, as also announced at KROQ's official website on November 15, 2005 and includesThe Bravery,Coldplay,Death Cab for Cutie,Depeche Mode,Hot Hot Heat,Jack Johnson,Nada Surf andThe White Stripes.
• December 11 –Peter Wichers leavesSoilwork.
• December 15 –Madonna's Warner Bros. Records-based single, "Hung Up" sets a new record in the download charts by staying at #1 for 7 consecutive weeks. The single first appears on Z100 New York, closely followed by 2Day FM (Sydney), Fox FM (Melbourne) and Nova 96.9 (Sydney) other stations follow including:Mix 106.5 (Sydney),Mix 101.1 (Melbourne),Vega 95.3 (Sydney),Vega 91.5 (Melbourne) and the rest of the MIX FM stations.
• December 17 –Shayne Ward is named winner of thesecond series ofThe X Factor UK.Andy Abraham is named runner-up, whileJourney South andBrenda Edwards finish third and fourth respectively.
• December 21 –Elton John marriesDavid Furnish in London. This marriage comes in the wake of new British laws affording gay unions the same legal protection enjoyed within straight marriages.
• December 31
  • Mariah Carey earns her 17th #1 single with "Don't Forget About Us", tying with Elvis for second as the act with the most #1 singles.The Beatles have 20. She also becomes the first act to perform live inTimes Square on theDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve television special on this day.
  • Glue Gun reforms after eight years, with frontman Bob Oedy the only original member. The new line-up is Bob Oedy (vocals), Joey Rimicci (guitars), Brian Priess (bass) and Andy Alverez (drums). Rimicci and Priess were previously members ofJughead's Revenge.

• UNESCO declares the MongolianLong song one of theMasterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity^[11]

SeeCategory:Musical groups established in 2005

• 30 Seconds to Mars (first studio album since 2002)
• American Hi-Fi (first studio album since 2003)
• Bloodhound Gang (first studio album since 2000)
• Daft Punk (first studio album since 2001)
• Garbage (first studio album since 2001)
• Gym Class Heroes (first studio album since 2001)
• INXS (first studio album since 1997)
• Silver Jews (first studio album since 2001)
• The Rolling Stones (first studio album since 1997)
• Will Smith (first studio album since 2002)
• Kate Bush (first studio album since 1993)

SeeCategory:Musical groups disestablished in 2005

• Alice in Chains
• Backstreet Boys (Hiatus since 2002)
• Buckcherry
• Devourment
• Luv'
• Junior M.A.F.I.A.
• Van der Graaf Generator

• "2 Bajki" –Virgin
• "Aún hay algo" –RBD
• "Bokutachi no Yukue" –Hitomi Takahashi
• "C'est les vacances" –Ilona Mitrecey
• "Come se non fosse stato mai amore" –Laura Pausini
• "Dans ma fusée" –Ilona Mitrecey
• "Den döda vinkeln" –Kent^[12]
• "Écris l'histoire" –Grégory Lemarchal
• "Fuck Them All" –Mylène Farmer
• "Glósóli" –Sigur Rós
• "Hoppípolla" –Sigur Rós^[13]
• "Jing! Jingeling! Der Weihnachtsschnappi!" –Schnappi
• "Le Casse de Brice" –Jean Dujardin
• "Liebt sie dich so wie ich?" –Christina Stürmer
• "Ma Philosophie" –Amel Bent
• "Me pregunto" –Belanova
• "Mon Plus Beau Noël" –Johnny Hallyday
• "Per Sempre (for Always)" –Anthony Callea
• "Po Tebe" –Toše Proeski
• "San ou (La Rivière)" –Dezil'
• "Santiano" –Star Academy
• "Say Na Say Na" –Aneela Mirza
• "Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil" –Schnappi
• "Space Soap (La Soupe aux choux)" – Mister Cosmic vs Fat Dog
• "T'es pas cap Pinocchio" – Pinocchio
• "Un Monde parfait" –Ilona Mitrecey

The following composers' works were composed, premiered, or published this year, as noted in the citation.

• Kalevi Aho – Clarinet Concerto

• Louis Andriessen –De Opening

• Leonardo Balada – Symphony No. 6Symphony of Sorrows

• Joël-François Durand – String Quartet

• Lorenzo Ferrero –Macuilli Mexihcateteouh (Five Aztec Gods), for string quartet

• Christian Forshaw –Mortal Flesh

• Philip Glass
  • Symphony No. 7
  • Symphony No. 8

• Alun Hoddinott –Celebration Fanfare (one-off composition for the wedding ofCharles, Prince of Wales)

• Mehdi Hosseini –Symphony of Monody

• Karl Jenkins –Requiem: In These Horizons Stones Sing

• Wojciech Kilar –
  • Ricordanza per archi, for string orchestra
  • Symphony No. 4Sinfonia de motu, for solo voices, choir and orchestra or instrumental ensemble
  • Paschal Symphony (unfinished)

• Claus Kühnl – Piano Sonata No. 1

• Peter Maxwell Davies
  • Naxos Quartet No. 6
  • Naxos Quartet No. 7

• Marc Mellits –Gonzalo Speaks

• Krzysztof Penderecki – Symphony No. 8Lieder der Vergänglichkeit

• Marijn Simons –Smoking Mirror, for ensemble or chamber orchestra, Op. 32

• Karlheinz Stockhausen –
  • Freude (Joy) for two harps
  • Himmels-Tür (Heaven's Door) for a percussionist and a little girl
• John Tavener –Fragment for the Virgin, written for violinistNicola Benedetti.^[14]

• Stephen Warbeck –Peter Pan (ballet)

• Ian Wilson –Sullen Earth (concerto)

• Mark Adamo –Lysistrata, or The Nude Goddess
• John Coolidge Adams –Doctor Atomic
• Philippe Boesmans –Julie
• Richard Danielpour –Margaret Garner
• Matthew Dewey –The Death of Chatterton
• Lorenzo Ferrero –La Conquista
• Nicholas Lens –The Accacha Chronicles Trilogy:Amor Aeternus – Hymns of Love
• Lorin Maazel –1984
• Roger Scruton –Violet
• Roger Waters –Ça Ira

• Acorn Antiques: The Musical! – London production opened at theTheatre Royal, Haymarket, in February
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Broadway production opened at theCircle in the Square Theatre on May 2 and ran for 1136 performances
• All Shook Up (Joe DiPietro) – Broadway production opened at thePalace Theatre on March 24 and ran for 213 performances
• Billy Elliot the Musical (Elton John &Lee Hall) --London production opened at theVictoria Palace Theatre in March
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Broadway production opened at theFoxwoods Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre) on April 28 and ran for 285 performances
• The Color Purple - Broadway production opened at theBroadway Theatre on December 1 and ran for 910 performances
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – Broadway production opened at theImperial Theatre on March 3 and ran for 627 performances
• Good Vibrations – Broadway production opened at theEugene O'Neill Theatre on February 2 and ran for 94 performances
• Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar opened at the Rialto Theatre,Madrid.
• Lennon (John Lennon,Don Scardino) – Broadway production opened at theBroadhurst Theatre on August 14 and ran for 49 performances
• The Light in the Piazza (Craig Lucas &Adam Guettel) – Broadway production opened at theVivian Beaumont Theater on April 18 and ran for 504 performances
• Little Women (Allan Knee,Mindi Dickstein &Jason Howland) – Broadway production opened at theVirginia Theatre on January 23 and ran for 137 performances
• Monty Python'sSpamalot – Chicago production opened at the Shubert Theatre
• The Woman in White – Broadway production opened at theMarquis Theatre on November 17 and ran for 109 performances

• Bhagya Chakra
• Boss'n Up (December 6)
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Confessions of a Thug
• Corpse Bride
• Custom Made 10.30 (Kasutomu Meido Jū Ten San Zero; October 29)
• Habana Blues
• Hustle & Flow
• Koi Tujh Sa Kahaan (August 12)
• Makalkku
• Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School
• Molla Barir Bou
• Mrs Henderson Presents starringJudi Dench,Bob Hoskins andWill Young
• Naran (September 3)
• Perhaps Love (December 8)
• The Phantom Of The Opera (January 21)
• The Producers (December 16)
• Rent (November 23)
• Romance & Cigarettes
• Thommanum Makkalum (March 18)
• Two Sons of Francisco (2 Filhos de Francisco)
• Walk the Line

• January 20 -Glaive, American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer
• January 21 -IShowSpeed, American rapper, YouTuber, streamer
• March 28 –d4vd, American singer and songwriter
• April 2 –FloyyMenor, Chilean singer and songwriter
• April 4 –Lil Mabu, American rapper
• May 31 - coshki - rapper
• July 17 -Theoz, Swedish singer
• August 3 – Owen Isabelle Landau, daughter ofMichelle Branch and husbandTeddy Landau
• September 14 – Sean Preston Federline, son ofBritney Spears andKevin Federline
• September 24 – Aiden Michael Bice, son ofBo Bice and wife Caroline Fisher.

• January 5 –Danny Sugerman, American talent manager, 50
• January 11
  • Spencer Dryden, American drummer ofJefferson Airplane, 61
  • Jimmy Griffin, co-founder ofBread, 61
  • Miriam Hyde, Australian composer, 91
• January 15 –Victoria de los Ángeles, Catalan soprano, 81
• January 20 –Solomon King, American pop singer, 74
• January 21 –Kaljo Raid, Estonian cellist and composer, 83
• January 24 –June Bronhill, Australian soprano, 75
• January 25 –Ray Peterson, pop singer, 65
• January 28 –Jim Capaldi, British drummer and vocalist, 60
• January 29 –Eric Griffiths, guitarist (The Quarrymen), 64
• January 30 –Martyn Bennett, Scottish bagpiper, 33 (cancer)
• February 1 –Franco Mannino, Italian composer, 80
• February 3
  • David Hönigsberg, composer and conductor, 45
  • Andreas Makris, Greek-American violinist and composer, 74
• February 6 –Merle Kilgore, singer-songwriter, 70
• February 8
  • Helmut Eder, Austrian composer, 88
  • Keith Knudsen, drummer (The Doobie Brothers), 56
  • Jimmy Smith, American jazz organist, 77
• February 9 –Tyrone Davis, American soul singer, 66
• February 12 –Sammi Smith, American singer-songwriter, 61
• February 13 –Sixten Ehrling, Swedish conductor, 86
• February 16 –Marcello Viotti, Swiss conductor, 50 (stroke)
• February 25 –Edward Patten, R&B/soul singer (Gladys Knight & the Pips), 65
• February 28 –Chris Curtis, British drummer and vocalist, 63
• February 28 -Phil Fuemana, New Zealand vocalistOMC, 41

• March 4 –Una Hale, soprano, 82
• March 6 –Tommy Vance, DJ, 63
• March 9
  • Chris LeDoux,country music singer, 56
  • Kathie Kay, big band singer, 86
• March 10 –Danny Joe Brown, lead singer ofMolly Hatchet, 53 (kidney failure)
• March 13 –Lyn Collins, soul singer, 56
• March 16 –Justin Hinds, Jamaican ska vocalist, 62
• March 16 –Vassar Clements, fiddler, 76
• March 21
  • Stanley Sadie, musicologist 74
  • Bobby Short, cabaret singer, 80
• March 22 –Rod Price, guitarist, 57 (Foghat)
• March 26 –Paul Hester, drummer for Crowded House and Split Enz, 46 (suicide)
• March 27
  • Grant Johannesen, pianist, 83
  • Rigo Tovar, Mexican singer and composer, 58
• March 28 –Moura Lympany, pianist, 88
• March 30 –Derrick Plourde, drummer (Lagwagon andthe Ataris), 33 (suicide)
• April 2 –Alexander Brott, conductor and composer, 90
• April 7 –Grigoris Bithikotsis, Greek singer, 82
• April 10 –Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist, 82
• April 11 –Jerry Byrd, lap steel guitarist, 85
• April 12 –Ehud Manor, Israeli songwriter, 63
• April 13 –Johnnie Johnson, American pianist, 80
• April 14 –John Fred, pop singer, 64
• April 18 –Kenneth Schermerhorn, conductor, 75
• April 19
  • Bryan Ottoson, guitarist ofAmerican Head Charge, 27 (overdose)
  • Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish jazz bassist, 58^[15]
• April 21 –Cyril Tawney, traditional singer, 74
• April 23 –Robert Farnon, composer, arranger, 87
• April 25 –Hasil Adkins, Americanrockabilly musician, 67
• April 28 –Percy Heath, jazz musician, 81

• May 8 –Nasrat Parsa, Afghan singer, 36 (murdered)
• May 10 –David Wayne, former singer ofMetal Church, 47 (injuries resulting from car crash)
• May 11 –Michalis Genitsaris, Greek singer-songwriter, 87
• May 12 –Frankie LaRocka, rock drummer and producer, 51
• May 14 –Jimmy Martin,bluegrass musician, 77
• May 22 –Thurl Ravenscroft, US singer, 91
• May 25
  • Ruth Laredo, pianist, 67
  • Domenic Troiano, guitaristThe Guess Who, 59
• May 29
  • Oscar Brown, jazz singer-songwriter, 78
  • George Rochberg, composer, 86
• June 13 –David Diamond, American composer, 89
• June 14 –Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor, 91
• June 17 –Karl Mueller, bassist ofSoul Asylum, 41
• June 29 –Mikkel Flagstad, Norwegian saxophonist, 75
• June 30 –Clancy Eccles, ska/reggae singer, 64 (complications after heart attack)

• July 1
  • Luther Vandross, R&B singer, 54
  • Renaldo "Obie" Benson, R&B/soul singer (Four Tops), 69
• July 5
  • Ray "Stingray" Davis, bassist (Parliament-Funkadelic), 65
  • Shirley Goodman, American singer (Shirley & Company), 69
• July 6 –Richard Verreau, operatictenor, 79
• July 7 –Henri Betti, French composer and pianist, 87
• July 11 –Frances Langford, US singer and actress, 91
• July 14 –Michael Dahlquist, drummer (Silkworm), 39 (car crash)
• July 17 –Laurel Aitken, ska singer, heart attack, 78
• July 18 –John Herald songwriter, musician, member ofThe Greenbriar Boys, 65
• July 21 –Long John Baldry, R&B singer, 64
• July 22 –Eugene Record, singer (The Chi-Lites), 64
• July 23 –Myron Floren, accordionist, 85
• July 27 –Robert Wright, songwriter, 90
• July 29 –Hildegarde, US singer, 99
• August 1 –Al Aronowitz, American music journalist, 77
• August 4 –Little Milton, blues musician, 70
• August 6
  • Ibrahim Ferrer, Afro-Cuban singer, 78
  • Carlo Little, British studio musician, drummer, 67
• August 13 –Arnold Cooke, British composer, 98
• August 16 –Vassar Clements, fiddler, 77
• August 21 –Robert Moog, electronic music pioneer, 71
• August 22 –Luc Ferrari, composer, 76
• August 26 –Denis D'Amour, guitarist ofVoivod, 45

• September 1
  • R. L. Burnside, blues musician, 78
  • Barry Cowsill, member ofThe Cowsills (ruled to have drowned duringHurricane Katrina, date of death approximate), 50
• September 10 –Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, blues musician, 81
• September 15
  • Jeronimas Kačinskas, Lithuanian-born composer and conductor, 98
  • Sidney Luft, ex-husband ofJudy Garland, father ofLorna Luft, and producer ofA Star Is Born, 89
• September 17 –Alfred Reed, American composer of concert band music, 84
• September 18
  • Joel Hirschhorn, American songwriter, 66
• September 19
  • Willie Hutch, singer, songwriter and producer, 60
  • William Vacchiano, trumpet player, 93
• October 1 –Paul Pena, singer, songwriter and guitarist, 55
• October 2 –Hamilton Camp, singer, songwriter and actor, 70
• October 10 –Nick Hawkins, guitarist (Big Audio Dynamite II), 40
• October 12 –Baker Knight, songwriter and musician, 72
• October 18 –Marshall Rohner, guitarist forT.S.O.L.,The Cruzados, 42
• October 20 –Shirley Horn, jazz singer and pianist, 71
• October 22 –Franky Gee (Captain Jack), 43 (cerebral haemorrhage)
• October 31 – John "Beatz" Holohan, drummer forBayside, 31 (road accident)^[16]

• November 4 –Mana Nishiura, drummer (Shonen Knife,DMBQ), 34 (car accident)
• November 5 –Link Wray, rock and roll guitarist and singer, 76
• November 6 –Minako Honda, Japanese singer, 38 (leukemia)
• November 10 –Gardner Read, American composer, 92
• November 20
  • Fritz Richmond, jug and washtub bass musician, 66
  • Chris Whitley, singer-songwriter, 45 (lung cancer)
• November 26
  • Mark Craney, drummer (Jethro Tull,Jean-Luc Ponty), 53
  • Joe Jones, 79
• November 28 –Tony Meehan, former drummer ofThe Shadows, 62
• November 29 –Deon van der Walt, tenor, 47 (shot)
• December 8 –Danny Williams, singer, 63
• December 9 –Mike Botts, drummer, 61
• December 14 –Gordon Duncan, bagpiper and composer, 41
• December 24 –Constance Keene, American pianist, 84
• December 25
  • Derek Bailey, guitarist, 75
  • Birgit Nilsson, Swedish soprano, 87

• ARIA Music Awards of 2005
• 2005 BRIT Awards
• 2005 Country Music Association Awards
• Eurovision Song Contest 2005
• Grammy Awards of 2005
• Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2005
• Juno Awards of 2005
• Mercury Prize 2005
• Triple J Hottest 100, 2005

• 2005 in British music
• 2005 in country music
• 2005 in Swiss music
• 2005 in heavy metal music

• Pause & Play's Past 2005 Releases