1993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.
playing event on Washington Mall before the inauguration of US President Bill Clinton.
Specific locations
- 1993 in British music
- 1993 in Norwegian music
Specific genres
- 1993 in country music
- 1993 in heavy metal music
- 1993 in hip hop music
- 1993 in Latin music
- 1993 in jazz
Events
January–February
- January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992.
- January 9 – becomes the first album in history, since the Nielsen SoundScan introduced a computerized sales monitoring system in May 1992, to sell over 1 million copies in one week in the US.
- January 12 – Cream reunites for a performance at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles, USA. Other inductees include Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ruth Brown, The Doors, Van Morrison, and Sly & The Family Stone.
- January 13 – Bobby Brown is arrested in Augusta, Georgia, USA for simulating a sex act onstage.
- January 25 – Musician and anti-government activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is charged with murder and conspiracy after an electrician was beaten to death at his home by his bodyguards.
- January 31 – Michael Jackson plays the halftime show of Super Bowl XXVII. The performance is a ratings success and begins a trend of the NFL signing big-name acts to play at the Super Bowl in order to increase the spectacle and hype surrounding the game.
- February 10 – Oprah Winfrey interviews Michael Jackson during a US television prime time special. It becomes one of the most watched interviews in television history and is Jackson's first in fourteen years.
- February 14 – Harry Nilsson suffers a non-fatal heart attack.
- February 19 – Elton John is forced to end a concert in Melbourne, Australia a half-hour early when a swarm of grasshoppers invades the stage.
March–April
- March 4 – Patti LaBelle receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, USA.
- March 6 – Whitney Houston's single "I Will Always Love You" posts its 14th week at number 1 in the US, becoming the longest-running number 1 single of all time.
- March 20–28 – The second Kempsey Country Music Heritage Week is held in Kempsey, New South Wales.
- March 22 – Depeche Mode becomes the first alternative British band to achieve the number one in U.S.A. on the Billboard 200, with the album Songs of Faith and Devotion.
- March 23 – Luciano Pavarotti undergoes surgery in Rome to remove part of the cartilage in his right knee, after cancelling his La Scala debut of I Pagliacci when he could no longer stand because of acute pain.
- March 29 – Suede release their eponymous debut album. It enters the album chart at number 1 in the UK, setting a new record for the fastest-selling debut album by a UK act in Britain.
- April 12
- *Actress Lisa Bonet files for divorce from Lenny Kravitz, after a two-year separation.
- *The Grateful Dead sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the San Francisco Giants' home opener at Candlestick Park.
- April 16 – Paul McCartney headlines a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, USA to celebrate "Earth Day". Other performers included Ringo Starr, Steve Miller and Don Henley.
- April 17 – The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs marries screenwriter Jay Roach in Los Angeles, USA.
- April 21 – Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman marries designer Suzanne Accosta in France.
- April 22 – The Who's Tommy opens on Broadway.
- April 24 – Willie Nelson, John Cougar Mellencamp, Neil Young and more than 30 other artists perform at Farm Aid 6 in Ames, Iowa, USA.
- April 29 – An animated version of Barry White appears on an episode of the US television cartoon series, The Simpsons.
May–June
- May 6 – A government official announced that the Malaysian cabinet will commission musicians to speed up the tempo of the country's national anthem in an effort to make it more dynamic.
- May 10 – Hugh Whitaker, former drummer of The Housemartins, is sentenced to six years in jail for attacking an ex–business partner with an axe.
- May 27 – June 6 – The second Brisbane Biennial International Music Festival is held.
- May 31 – Oasis plays at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, UK supporting 18 Wheeler. Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who is in the audience, offers them their first recording contract after the show.
- June 4 – Kurt Cobain is taken to jail after a domestic row with wife Courtney Love. No charges are filed.
- June 5 – Mariah Carey weds music executive Tommy Mottola in Manhattan.
- June 7
- *On his 35th birthday, Prince announces that he is changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol. This led to him being called The Artist Formerly Known as Prince until 2000.
- *The groundbreaking ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is held in Cleveland with Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry and Billy Joel among those in attendance. The museum will open in 1995.
July–August
- July 7 – Singer Mia Zapata of punk band The Gits is found dead after being beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled in the Capitol Hill district of Seattle. Her murder goes unsolved for a decade until DNA evidence leads to an arrest and conviction.
- July 17 – Guns N' Roses play the final gig on their Use Your Illusion Tour. This will be the last time the original band plays together on stage until 2016.
- July 18 – At a Lollapalooza concert in Philadelphia, Rage Against the Machine uses their entire 14-minute performance time to protest their single "Killing in the Name" being banned from radio. With only guitar feedback for sound, the group appears on stage naked with the letters "PMRC" painted on their chests and electrical duct tape over their mouths.
- July 21 – Ilaiyaraaja becomes the first Asian composer to have a symphony performed by a major UK orchestra.
- August 3 – Aharon Gorev's Klezmer Symphony, the first of its kind, is featured on the opening concert of the sixth annual International Klezmer Festival in Safed, Israel.
- August 5 – Singer Natalie Merchant announces on MTV that she is leaving 10,000 Maniacs after 12 years in the band.
- August 10 – Mayhem guitarist Euronymous is stabbed to death by fellow band member Varg Vikernes in Oslo, Norway, causing the temporary end of Mayhem.
- August 24 – News breaks to the public that Michael Jackson is being investigated on allegations of child molestation.
- August 28 – Bruce Dickinson plays his final show with Iron Maiden in London. The show is broadcast on British television, and later released on VHS and DVD.
September–October
- September 2 – Snoop Dogg and his bodyguard are charged with the August 25 murder of a 20-year-old gang member in a drive-by shooting. They are cleared of the charges in 1996.
- September 14 – A civil lawsuit is filed against Michael Jackson by thirteen-year-old Jordan Chandler and his parents, accusing the singer of sexually abusing the boy over the course of their friendship.
- September 20 – Depeche Mode becomes among the earliest bands to go on the Internet to interact with fans, as the group holds a question-and-answer session on AOL. The event is marred by technical difficulties as many participants, including the band members themselves, have trouble logging on to the chat.
- September 25 – Madonna starts The Girlie Show World Tour in London, England. And visit some countries for the very first time like Brazil, Argentina, Israel, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Australia.
- September 30 – October 2 – The Abu Ghosh Vocal Music Festival is held, featuring music of Jewish, Christian, and Moslem cultural traditions, and a performance of Handel's Messiah by the Ave Sol Choir from Riga and the Rehovot Camerata Orchestra directed by Avner Biron.
- October 1 – MTV Latin America is launched.
- October 1–3 – Annual Australian Bush Music Festival takes place in Glen Innes.
- October 17 – Savatage guitarist and co-founder Christopher Michael "Criss" Oliva killed in a car accident by a seven-time drunk driver.
- October 31 – Tupac Shakur is arrested and charged with shooting two off-duty police officers in Atlanta. The charges are later dropped.
November–December
- November 6–7 – The second annual Tooheys Sydney Country Music Festival, is held at Clarendon Racecourse, in Sydney.
- November 11 – Michael Jackson ends his Dangerous World Tour in Mexico City, Mexico.
- November 12 – Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, responding to an announcement by the Arts Council that they would fund only two of London's four orchestras starting in 1994, confirms he plans to hand back his knighthood and consider leaving the country if this support were to be withdrawn.
- November 18 – Nirvana play their unplugged concert in New York for MTV.
- November 19 – Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder is arrested in New Orleans, USA on charges of public drunkenness after a bar room brawl.
- November 19 – Madonna ends her tour in Tokyo, Japan.
- December 22 – Michael Jackson makes his first public statement regarding the child molestation allegations leveled against him. In a videotaped address, Jackson calls the accusations "totally false" and asks the public to "wait to hear the truth before you label or condemn me."
- December 31 – The 22nd annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC, with appearances by Brooks & Dunn, Daryl Hall, Kiss, Joey Lawrence, SWV, and Barry Manilow.
Also in 1993
- Anders Fridén quits Dark Tranquillity from his lead vocalist position. Then guitarist/vocalist, Mikael Stanne fills in Fridén's position while abandoning his guitarist position. The band hires Fredrik Johansson to fill the vacant guitar position.
- Rick Astley retires from the music industry at the age of 27 after selling 40 million records in a five-year period.
- Jesper Strömblad leaves Ceremonial Oath while Anders Fridén joins the band.
- New Order break up whilst on the tour for their album Republic, and apparently do not speak to each other for another 5 years.
- Christian rock label Tooth & Nail Records is formed.
- Keiko Abe becomes the first woman to be inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.
Bands formed
- See :Category:Musical groups established in 1993|Musical groups established in 1993
Bands disbanded
- See :Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1993|Musical groups disestablished in 1993
Bands reformed
- Big Star
- Luv'
- Steely Dan
- The Seekers
Albums released
January–March
April–June
July–September
October–December
Release date unknown
- ' – Deicide
- And the Forests Dream Eternally – Behemoth
- Anthem for a New Tomorrow – Screeching Weasel
- Attitude – April Wine
- Belgium...One Point – Telex
- Big Red Letter Day – Buffalo Tom
- Blood Music – Chapterhouse
- Bridges to Bert – Leftover Salmon
- Classics – Model 500
- Chronologie – Jean Michel Jarre
- Demoluca – Pezz
- !!Destroy-Oh-Boy!! – New Bomb Turks
- The Downward Road – The Pursuit of Happiness
- Dragonfly Summer – Michael Franks
- Far Gone – Love Battery
- Footsoldier in the Moonlight – Donnie Iris
- Four – Seaweed
- From the Vaults – Nazareth
- The Gods of Earth and Heaven – Army of Lovers
- Golden Feelings – Beck
- Great Big Sea – Great Big Sea
- Heartbeat – Hank Marvin
- Hey Zeus! – X
- Is It... Man or Astroman? – Man or Astro-man?
- It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous – Hawkwind
- Jackpot Plus! – Jawbox
- Jericho – Prism
- Kings & Queens – Sham 69
- Live at the Royal Albert Hall – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- Love Makes No Sense – Alexander O'Neal
- Mr. Mention – Buju Banton
- Najgolemi Hitovi – Ferus Mustafov
- Near Death Experience – Cro-Mags
- Original Dubliners – The Dubliners
- Our Bodies Our Selves – The Mr. T Experience
- Out the Shizzy – 7 Seconds
- Piss – Slank
- Quetzacoatl – J Church
- Reason Street – Carolyne Mas
- The Serpentine Similar – Gastr del Sol
- Shiva Space Machine – Me Mom and Morgentaler
- Sound as Ever – You Am I
- Space Is the Place – Sun Ra
- Super Tasty – Gumball
- Take the Leap! – Toyah
- The Album – Haddaway
- This Should Not Be – Bo Diddley
- Tribal Thunder – Dick Dale
- II D Extreme – II D Extreme
- Ultraelectromagneticpop! – Eraserheads
- Perverse – Jesus Jones
- Ultimate Alternative Wavers – Built to Spill
- Vampire on Titus – Guided by Voices
- ' – Bad Company
- Wiggle – Screeching Weasel
Biggest hit singles
in the charts of 1993.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart entries |
| 1 | Meat Loaf | I'd Do Anything For Love | 1993 |  | UK 1 – Oct 1993, US BB 1 of 1993, The Netherlands 1 – Oct 1993, Austria 1 – Nov 1993, Switzerland 1 – Nov 1993, Norway 1 – Oct 1993, Germany 1 – Jan 1994, Republic of Ireland 1 – Oct 1993, New Zealand 1 for 5 weeks Sep 1993, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Dec 1993, Sweden 2 – Oct 1993, Poland 5 – Nov 1993, Australia 5 of 1993, France 10 – Sep 1993, US BB 15 of 1993, Europe 20 of the 1990s, Germany 28 of the 1990s, US CashBox 32 of 1994, POP 34 of 1993, Belgium 210 of all time, OzNet 375 |
| 2 | UB40 | I Can't Help Falling in Love With You | 1993 |  | UK 1 – May 1993, US BB 1 of 1993, US CashBox 1 of 1993, The Netherlands 1 – May 1993, Sweden 1 – Jun 1993, Austria 1 – Jul 1993, New Zealand 1 for 11 weeks Jun 1993, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Oct 1993, Switzerland 2 – Jun 1993, Germany 2 – Jun 1993, Australia 3 of 1993, Norway 4 – Jun 1993, US BB 6 of 1993, POP 6 of 1993, France 10 – May 1993, Poland 12 – Aug 1993, Scrobulate 48 of reggae, Germany 85 of the 1990s, Italy 88 of 1993, OzNet 836 |
| 3 | 4 Non Blondes | What's Up? | 1993 | | The Netherlands 1 – Jul 1993, Sweden 1 – Aug 1993, Austria 1 – Aug 1993, Switzerland 1 – Jul 1993, Norway 1 – Jul 1993, Poland 1 – Jul 1993, Germany 1 – Jul 1993, Republic of Ireland 1 – Jul 1993, UK 2 – Jun 1993, Italy 8 of 1993, Australia 10 of 1993, US BB 14 of 1993, Germany 17 of the 1990s, US BB 31 of 1993, Scrobulate 46 of 90s, US CashBox 50 of 1993, RYM 61 of 1993, Europe 62 of the 1990s, POP 67 of 1993, Belgium 209 of all time |
| 4 | Snow | Informer | 1992 |  | US BB 1 of 1993, Sweden 1 – Mar 1993, Switzerland 1 – Apr 1993, Norway 1 – Apr 1993, Germany 1 – Apr 1993, Republic of Ireland 1 – Apr 1993, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks May 1993, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Sep 1993, UK 2 – Mar 1993, The Netherlands 2 – Mar 1993, Austria 3 – May 1993, Australia 6 of 1993, US CashBox 9 of 1993, US BB 13 of 1993, POP 51 of 1993, Germany 52 of the 1990s, Italy 68 of 1993 |
| 5 | Haddaway | What is Love? | 1993 |  | US BB 1 of 1993, The Netherlands 1 – Apr 1993, France 1 – Apr 1993, Austria 1 – May 1993, Switzerland 1 – Apr 1993, Norway 1 – Apr 1993, Republic of Ireland 1 – Jul 1993, POP 1 of 1993, UK 2 – Jun 1993, Sweden 2 – Mar 1993, Germany 2 – Mar 1993, Scrobulate 4 of 90s, Italy 5 of 1993, Germany 10 of the 1990s, US BB 11 of 1993, RYM 154 of 1993 |
Top hits
Top 10 selling albums of the year
- – Whitney Houston
- Breathless – Kenny G
- Unplugged- Eric Clapton
- janet. – Janet Jackson
- Some Gave All – Billy Ray Cyrus
- The Chronic – Dr. Dre
- Pocket Full Of Kryptonite – Spin Doctors
- Ten – Pearl Jam
- The Chase – Garth Brooks
- Core – Stone Temple Pilots
Top 10 best albums of the Year
- Nirvana – In Utero
- The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
- Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu-Tang
- Pearl Jam – Vs.
- Counting Crows – August And Everything After
- Björk – Debut
- Blur – Modern Life is Rubbish
- Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
- Suede – Suede
- Slowdive – Souvlaki
Classical music
- John Adams – Violin Concerto
- Mounir Anastas – Né du néant for alto saxophone & fixed media
- Luciano Berio – Rage and Outrage
- Pierre Boulez – ...explosante-fixe...
- Alvin Curran – VSTO
- Michael Daugherty – Bizarro
- Mario Davidovsky – Shulamit's Dream for soprano and orchestra
- David Diamond – Symphony No. 11
- Joël-François Durand – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
- Ivan Fedele – Piano Concerto
- Lorenzo Ferrero
- *Introito
- *Maschere
- Philip Glass – In the Summer House, incidental music
- Vinko Globokar – Discours IX, for two pianos
- Klaus Huber – Winter Seeds, for accordion
- Houtaf Khoury
- *Concerto No. 1, for viola and orchestra
- *Intermezzo, for large orchestra
- *Sonate-Poème, for violin and piano
- *String Quartet No. 2
- *Cantata, for baritone and large orchestra
- *Piece, for piano
- Frederik Magle – Symphony for organ No. 2, Let There Be Light
- Krzysztof Penderecki – Polish Requiem
- R. Murray Schafer – Concerto for Accordion and Orchestra
- Harold Schiffmann – Sestetto concertato
- Alfred Schnittke
- *Symphony No. 7
- *Concerto Grosso No. 6 for piano, violin and string orchestra
- *Peer Gynt: Epiloque, for violoncello, piano and tape
- *Improvisation, for solo cello
- Karlheinz Stockhausen – Helikopter-Streichquartett
- Bent Sørensen – Sterbende Gärten for violin and orchestra
- Takashi Yoshimatsu – Concerto for Trombone, Op. 55, Orion Machine
Opera
- Daron Hagen – Shining Brow
- Theo Loevendie – Gassir, the Hero
- Michael Nyman – Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs
- Randolph Peters – Nosferatu
- Steve Reich – The Cave
- Alfred Schnittke – Gesualdo
- Karlheinz Stockhausen – Dienstag aus Licht
- Hugo Weisgall – Esther
Jazz
Musical theater
- Annie Warbucks—off-Broadway production
- Blood Brothers – Broadway production opened at the Music Box Theatre and ran for 840 performances
- —Broadway production opened at the Neil Simon Theatre and ran for 137 performances
- The Goodbye Girl—Broadway production opened at the Marquis Theatre and ran for 188 performances
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat—Broadway revival
- Kiss of the Spider Woman—Broadway production opened at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for 904 performances
- My Fair Lady – Broadway revival
- She Loves Me—Broadway revival
Musical films
- CB4
- Funes, a Great Love
- Gypsy, starring Bette Midler
- Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King
- Just Friends
- Lotrando a Zubejda
- Swing Kids
- The Line, the Cross and the Curve
- What's Love Got to Do with It
- Zero Patience
Births
- January 2 – Bryson Tiller, American singer-songwriter
- January 7 – Nico Santos, German singer-songwriter
- January 12 – Zayn Malik, British singer of the band
- January 13 – Sachika Misawa, Japanese voice actress and singer
- January 30 -Cautious Clay, American singer-songwriter and record producer
- February 6 – Tinashe, American singer-songwriter, dancer, performer and actress
- February 19 – Victoria Justice, American singer-songwriter and actress
- March 4 – Bobbi Kristina Brown, American singer
- March 9 – Suga, South Korean rapper, songwriter, record producer, and member of BTS
- March 15 – Alyssa Reid, Canadian singer-songwriter
- March 30 – Anitta, Brazilian singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and record producer.
- April 14
- * Graham Phillips, actor and singer
- * Ellington Ratliff, drummer and actor
- * Rozes, American musician, singer and songwriter
- April 16 – Chance the Rapper, independent American Christian rapper
- April 18 – Nathan Sykes, English singer, songwriter and record producer, former member of The Wanted
- April 25 – Shiloh, Canadian singer
- *Ashe, American singer-songwriter and musician
- May 1 – Victoria Monet, American singer-songwriter and musician
- May 6 – Naomi Scott, English actress and singer
- May 11 – James Reid, Filipino singer-actor
- May 13
- *Debby Ryan, American singer and actress
- *Tones and I, Australian singer-songwriter
- May 14 – Miranda Cosgrove, American singer and actress
- May 17 – GoldLink, American rapper
- May 18 – Kyle, American rapper, singer and songwriter
- June 6
- * Vic Mensa, American rapper
- * Tom Swoon, Polish DJ and producer
- June 7 – George Ezra, English singer-songwriter and musician
- June 25 – Piero Vergara, Filipino singer-songwriter and actor
- June 26 – Ariana Grande, American singer-songwriter, actress, performer, musician and advocate
- June 27 – Rejjie Snow, an Irish hip hop recording artist and record producer
- July 3 – Vince Staples, American rapper and actor
- July 5 – Hollie Cavanagh, English-American singer
- July 6 – Melissa Steel, British singer
- July 7
- * Capital Steez, American rapper
- * Ally Brooke, American singer, dancer and songwriter, member of Fifth Harmony
- July 10 – Perrie Edwards, English singer-songwriter, dancer and member of Little Mix
- July 17 – Kali Uchis, Colombian-American singer, songwriter, poet, record producer, music video director, and fashion designer
- July 18
- * Lee Taemin, Korean singer
- * Casey Veggies, American rapper and songwriter
- July 28 – Cher Lloyd, British rapper, singer songwriter
- July 26
- * Taylor Momsen, American rock singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, former actress and model
- * Stormzy, English grime and hip hop artist
- July 28 – La'Porsha Renae, American singer-songwriter and Americal Idol alumni
- August 6 – Yaeji, Korean-American multilingual musician and music producer
- August 11 – Alyson Stoner, American dancer, singer, actor, youtuber and model
- August 23 – Keke Palmer, American actress, singer, songwriter and presenter
- August 29 – Liam Payne, British singer of the band One Direction
- September 1 – Megan Nicole, American singer-songwriter and youtuber
- September 7 – Mohamed Ali, Danish singer
- September 13
- *Niall Horan, Irish singer, songwriter and musician
- * Alice Merton, German-Canadian-English singer and songwriter
- September 16 – Tayla Parx, American RNB songwriter and producer
- September 24
- *Ben Platt, American singer-songwriter and actor
- * Alina Baraz, American RNB soul singer-songwriter
- September 25 – Rosalía, Spanish singer and songwriter
- October 4 – Mina, German singer
- October 13 – Tiffany Trump, American Georgetown Law student, singer and socialite
- October 25 – Grandson, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and musician
- November 13 – Julia Michaels, American singer and songwriter
- November 24 – Ivi Adamou, Greek Cypriot singer
- November 26 – Erena Ono, Japanese singer
- November 27 – Aubrey Peeples, American actress and singer
- November 29 – Alex Hope, Australian ARIA and APRA Award winning producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
- December 7 – Jasmine Villegas, American singer
- December 10 – Rachel Trachtenburg, American singer and actress
- December 22
- * Ali Lohan, American actress, model and singer
- * Meghan Trainor, American singer-songwriter, musician and producer
- December 29 – Chloe Kohanski, American singer-songwriter, 2017 American The Voice winner
- December 30 – Krishane, Jamaican pop artist
Deaths
- January 6
- *Dizzy Gillespie, jazz trumpet virtuoso and co-founder of bebop, 76
- *Rudolf Nureyev, ballet dancer, 54
- January 13 – Gordon Tobing, Indonesian folk singer, 67
- January 15 – Sammy Cahn, songwriter, 79
- February 3 – Karel Goeyvaerts, composer, 69
- February 25 – Toy Caldwell, guitarist, 45
- February 26 – Pina Carmirelli, violinist, founder member of the Boccherini Quintet, 78
- March 3 – Carlos Montoya, guitarist, 89
- March 31 – Mitchell Parish, 92, US lyric writer
- April 19 – Steve Douglas, saxophonist, 54
- April 23 – Daniel Jones, composer, 80
- April 30 – Mick Ronson, guitarist, 46
- May 22 – Juice Wilson, jazz violinist, 89
- May 30 – Sun Ra, jazz composer, 79
- June 5 – Conway Twitty country rock singer, 59
- June 9 – Arthur Alexander, country soul singer, 53
- June 10 – Arleen Auger, American operatic soprano, 53
- June 13 – John Campbell, blues guitarist, 41
- June 28 – GG Allin, punk singer, 36
- July 7 – Mia Zapata, 27
- July 14 – Léo Ferré, French singer, songwriter and composer, 76
- July 19 – Szymon Goldberg, Polish-born American violinist and conductor, 84
- July 21 – Richard Tee, pianist and singer, 49
- August 5 – Eugen Suchoň, Slovak composer, 84
- August 7 – Roy Budd, jazz pianist and film composer, 46
- August 10 – Øystein Aarseth, aka Euronymous, black metal guitarist of Mayhem fame, 25
- August 17 – Phil Seymour, drummer, guitarist and singer, 41
- August 21 – Tatiana Troyanos, operatic mezzo-soprano, 54
- August 25 – Janna Allen, songwriter, 36
- August 26 – Rockin' Dopsie, zydeco accordionist and singer, 61
- September 9 – Helen O'Connell, singer, actress and dancer, 73
- September 22 – Maurice Abravanel, conductor, 90
- September 24 – Ian Stuart Donaldson, musician, frontman of Skrewdriver, 36
- October 23 – Elena Nicolai, opera singer, 88
- October 31 – River Phoenix, actor and singer of Aleka's Attic, 23
- November 3 – Léon Theremin, inventor of the Theremin musical instrument, 97
- November 6 – Torsten Fenslau,, 29
- November 7 – Adelaide Hall, jazz singer, actress, entertainer, 92
- November 11 – Erskine Hawkins, trumpet player and bandleader, 79
- November 16 – Lucia Popp, Slovak operatic soprano, 54
- November 18 – Arvid Fladmoe, Norwegian composer and conductor, 78
- November 20 – Sidney Griller, violinist and founder of the Griller Quartet, 82
- November 22 – Anthony Burgess, composer and polymath best known as a novelist, 76
- November 24 – Albert Collins, blues guitarist and singer, 61
- November 26 – César Guerra-Peixe, violinist and composer, 79
- November 30 – David Houston, singer, 57
- December 1 – Ray Gillen, former vocalist of Black Sabbath and Badlands, 34
- December 4 – Frank Zappa, "Mothers of Invention" musician/composer, 52
- December 5 – Doug Hopkins, guitarist and songwriter for Gin Blossoms, 32
- December 12 – Joan Cross, operatic soprano, 93
- December 19 – Michael Clarke, drummer, 47
Awards
Filmfare Awards
- Kumar Sanu – Filmfare Best Male Playback Award
- Alka Yagnik & Ila Arun win the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
[Grammy Award]s
- 1993 Grammy Awards
[Country Music Association] Awards
- 1993 CMA Awards
Country Music Hall of Fame">Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum">Country Music Hall of Fame
- Willie Nelson
Eurovision Song Contest
- Eurovision Song Contest 1993
Japan Record Awards
- 35th Japan Record Awards
Mercury Music Prize
- Suede – Suede wins.
Glenn Gould Prize
- Oscar Peterson, Benny Green
[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]
- The Doors, Cream, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly and the Family Stone, Etta James, Van Morrison, Ruth Brown and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers
Charts