2020 in music

Specific locations

• African music
• American music
• Asian music
• Australian music
• Brazilian music
• British music
• Canadian music
• Chinese music
• Czech music
• Danish music
• European music
• Finnish music
• French music
• German music
• Icelandic music
• Indian music
• Irish music
• Japanese music
• Latin music
• Malaysian music
• Mongolian music
• Norwegian music
• Philippine music
• Polynesian music
• Scandinavian music
• South Korean music
• Swedish music
• Taiwanese music
• Vietnamese music

  Specific genres

• Classical
• Country
• Electronic
• Jazz
• Latin
• Heavy metal
• Hip hop
• Rock

  Albums released

Awards

Bands formed

• B.O.Y
• Cravity

  Bands reformed

• The Format
• Genesis
• Linkin Park
• Rage Against the Machine

  Bands on hiatus

• Ladies' Code

  Bands disbanded

• Absu
• Black Dresses
• Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers
• In Real Life
• S!sters
• X1

  Deaths

January

• 1
• * Lexii Alijai, 21, American rapper
• * Marty Grebb, 74, American rock keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist
• * Tommy Hancock, 90, American country singer
• 2 – Lorraine Chandler, 73, American soul singer
• 3 – Bo Winberg, 80, Swedish rock guitarist
• 4 – Emanuel Borok, 75, Russian-born American classical violinist
• 5 – Martin Griffin, British space rock drummer
• 7 - Neil Peart, 67, Canadian progressive rock drummer and songwriter
• 8 – Edd Byrnes, 87, American actor and pop singer
• 9
• * Tom Alexander, 85, Scottish folk accordionist
• * Bobby Comstock, 78, American rock and roll singer
• 10 – Wolfgang Dauner, 84, German jazz pianist
• 13 – Hylda Sims, 87, British skiffle guitarist
• 14
• * Steve Martin Caro, 71, American baroque pop singer
• * Chamín Correa, 90, Mexican classical guitarist
• * Guy Deplus, 95, French chamber music clarinetist
• * Barry Mayger, 73, English pop bassist
• * Bruno Nettl, 89, Czech-born American ethnomusicologist and musicologist.
• 15 – Chris Darrow, 75, American country and rock singer and multi-instrumentalist
• 18
• * Dennis Garcia, 67, Filipino pop rock bassist
• * David Olney, 71, American folk singer-songwriter
• 19
• * Dan Andrei Aldea, 69, Romanian progressive rock singer and multi-instrumentalist
• * Jimmy Heath, 93, American jazz saxophonist
• * Robert Parker, 89, American R&B singer
• * Sunanda Patnaik, 85, Indian classical singer
• 21 – Meritxell Negre, 48, Spanish pop singer
• 24
• * Joe Payne, 35, American metal bassist
• * Sean Reinert, 48, American metal drummer
• 25
• * Bob Gullotti, 71, American free jazz drummer
• * Vernon Sandusky, 80, American rock singer and guitarist
• 26 – Bob Shane, 85, American folk singer and guitarist
• 27 – Reed Mullin, 53, American sludge metal drummer
• 28 – Bob Nave, 75, American bubblegum pop keyboardist
• 30 – Lucien Barbarin, 63, American jazz trombonist

  February

• 1
• * Harold Beane, 73, American funk guitarist
• * Andy Gill, 64, British post-punk guitarist
• * Peter Serkin, 72, American classical pianist
• 2
• * Kofi B, Ghanaian highlife singer
• * Ivan Král, 71, Czech-American rock bassist and songwriter
• 4
• * Andrew Brough, New Zealand indie rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist
• * Buddy Cage, 73, Canadian folk pedal steel guitarist
• * Ljiljana Petrović, 80, Serbian pop singer
• 6
• * Lynn Evans, 95, American pop singer
• * Diego Farias, 27, American progressive metalcore guitarist
• * Nello Santi, 88, Italian classical conductor
• 7
• * Nexhmije Pagarusha, 86, Albanian-Kosovan pop singer
• * Steve Weber, 76, American folk singer and guitarist
• 9 – Sergei Slonimsky, 87, Russian classical composer
• 10 – Lyle Mays, 66, American jazz fusion keyboardist
• 11 – Joseph Shabalala, 78, South African isicathamiya and mbube singer
• 12
• * Paul English, 87, American country drummer
• * Victor Olaiya, 89, Nigerian highlife trumpeter
• 13
• * Buzzy Linhart, 76, American folk rock singer-songwriter
• * Jacob Thiele, 40, American indie rock keyboardist
• 14
• * Reinbert de Leeuw, 81, Dutch classical pianist and conductor
• * Sonam Sherpa, 48, Indian blues rock guitarist
• 15 – Cavan Grogan, 70, Welsh rock and roll singer
• 16
• * Pearl Carr, 98, British pop singer
• * Graeme Allwright, 93, New Zealand-French folk and jazz singer-songwriter
• 17
• * Kizito Mihigo, 38, Rwandan gospel singer
• * Andrew Weatherall, 56, British electronic musician and record producer
• 18 – Jon Christensen, 78, Norwegian jazz drummer
• 19
• * Bob Cobert, 95, American composer
• * Pop Smoke, 20, American rapper
• 24 – Jahn Teigen, 70, Norwegian pop and progressive rock singer
• 25 – David Roback, 61, American alternative rock and dream pop guitarist
• 26
• * Hans Deinzer, 86, German classical clarinetist
• * Sergei Dorensky, 88, Russian classical pianist
• 28 – Mike Somerville, 67, American rock guitarist and songwriter
• 29
• * Odile Pierre, 87, French classical organist and composer
• * Bill Smith, 93, American classical and jazz clarinetist

  March

• 2
• * Jan Vyčítal, 77, Czech country singer
• * Susan Weinert, 54, German jazz fusion guitarist
• * Peter Wieland, 89, German pop singer
• 3
• * Les Cauchi, 77, American pop singer
• * Alf Cranner, 83, Norwegian folk singer
• 4 – Barbara Martin, 76, American R&B singer
• 6
• * McCoy Tyner, 81, American jazz pianist
• * Elinor Ross, 93, American opera soprano
• 7
• * Jim Owen, 78, American country singer-songwriter
• * Laura Smith, Canadian folk singer-songwriter
• 9
• * Keith Olsen, 74, American psychedelic rock bassist and record producer
• * Eric Taylor, 70, American folk singer-songwriter
• 10
• * Marcelo Peralta, 59, Argentine jazz saxophonist
• * Beba Selimović, 80, Bosnian folk singer
• 11 – Charles Wuorinen, 81, American classical composer
• 12 – Don Burrows, 91, Australian jazz multi-instrumentalist
• 14
• * Phil Phillips, 94, American pop singer-songwriter
• * Eva Pilarová, 80, Czech jazz singer
• * Genesis P-Orridge, 70, British industrial singer, songwriter and bassist
• 16
• * Sergio Bassi, 69, Italian folk rock singer-songwriter
• * Jason Rainey, 53, American thrash metal guitarist
• 17 – Thái Thanh, 85, Vietnamese-American pop singer
• 19 – Aurlus Mabélé, 66, Congolese soukous singer
• 20
• * Kenny Rogers, 81, American country and pop singer-songwriter
• * Jerry Slick, 80, American psychedelic rock drummer
• 21 – Hellmut Stern, 91, German classical violinist
• 22
• * Gabi Delgado-López, 61, Spanish-born German electronic singer
• * Julie Felix, 81, American-British folk singer
• * Mike Longo, 83, American jazz pianist
• * Peter Stapleton, 65, New Zealand alternative rock drummer
• * Eric Weissberg, 80, American country and bluegrass banjoist
• 23 – Tres Warren, 41, American psychedelic rock singer and guitarist
• 24
• * Manu Dibango, 86, Cameroonian makossa and jazz saxophonist
• * Bill Rieflin, 59, American rock drummer
• 25 – Detto Mariano, 82, Italian rock keyboardist and film composer
• 26
• * Olle Holmquist, 83, Swedish big band trombonist
• * Bill Martin, 81, British pop songwriter
• 27
• * Bob Andy, 75, Jamaican reggae singer-songwriter
• * Mirna Doris, 79, Italian canzone Napoletana singer
• * Delroy Washington, 67, Jamaican-born British reggae singer
• 28 – Jan Howard, 91, American country singer-songwriter
• 29
• * Joe Diffie, 61, American country singer and songwriter
• * Alan Merrill, 69, American pop rock singer and bassist
• * Paravai Muniyamma, 82, Indian folk singer
• * Krzysztof Penderecki, 86, Polish classical composer and conductor
• 30
• * Riachão, 98, Brazilian samba singer
• * Bill Withers, 81, American soul singer-songwriter
• 31 – Wallace Roney, 59, American jazz trumpeter

  April

• 1
• * Cristina, 61, American no wave singer
• * Ellis Marsalis Jr., 85, American jazz pianist
• * Bucky Pizzarelli, 94, American jazz guitarist
• * Harold Rubin, 87, South African-born Israeli free jazz clarinetist
• * Adam Schlesinger, 52, American power pop singer, songwriter and bassist
• 2 – Vaughan Mason, 69, American funk and electronic multi-instrumentalist
• 3 – Helin Bölek, 28, Turkish folk rock singer
• 4
• * Timothy Brown, 82, American pop and soul singer
• * Patrick Gibson, French eurodisco drummer
• * Alex Harvey, 73, American country singer-songwriter
• 5 – Barry Allen, 74, Canadian rock musician and record producer
• 6
• * M. K. Arjunan, 84, Indian film composer
• * Black the Ripper, 32, British grime rapper
• 7
• * Betty Bennett, 98, American jazz and big band singer
• * Hutch Davie, 89, American pianist, arranger and composer
• * Steve Farmer, 71, American rock guitarist and songwriter
• * Travis Nelsen, American indie rock drummer
• * John Prine, 73, American folk singer-songwriter
• * Hal Willner, 64, American record producer
• * Xudeydi, 91, Somali folk oud player
• 8
• * Carl Dobkins, Jr., 79, American singer and songwriter
• * Glenn Fredly, 44, Indonesian R&B singer-songwriter
• * Chynna Rogers, 25, American rapper
• 9
• * Andy González, 69, American Latin jazz bassist
• * Dmitri Smirnov, 71, Russian-British classical composer
• 10
• * Big George Brock, 87, American blues harmonicist
• * Shanti Hiranand, 86, Indian classical singer
• * Jymie Merritt, 92, American jazz bassist
• 11 – Liu Dehai, 82, Chinese classical pipa player
• 12
• * Kishen Bholasing, 35, Surinamese Baithak Gana singer and percussionist
• * Jerry Hludzik, American pop rock guitarist and bassist
• * Louis van Dijk, 78, Dutch jazz pianist
• 13
• * Ryo Kawasaki, 73, Japanese jazz fusion guitarist
• * Moraes Moreira, 72, Brazilian MPB singer and guitarist
• 14
• * Akin Euba, 84, Nigerian folk pianist, composer, and musicologist
• * Kassongo Wa Kanema, 73, Congolese soukous singer
• * Kerstin Meyer, 92, Swedish opera singer
• 15
• * Henry Grimes, 84, American jazz bassist
• * Lee Konitz, 92, American jazz saxophonist
• * Gary McSpadden, 77, American gospel singer
• 16
• * Christophe, 74, French singer-songwriter
• * Dušan Vančura, 82, Czech folk singer and bassist
• 17
• * Giuseppi Logan, 84, American jazz multi-instrumentalist
• * Matthew Seligman, 62, British new wave bassist
• 19
• * Alexander Vustin, 76, Russian composer
• * Ian Whitcomb, 78, British pop singer-songwriter
• * Emina Zečaj, 91, Bosnian sevdalinka singer
• 21
• * Derek Jones, 35, American metalcore guitarist
• * Jacques Pellen, 63, French jazz guitarist
• * Florian Schneider, 73, German krautrock and electronic multi-instrumentalist
• 22
• * Bootsie Barnes, 82, American jazz saxophonist
• * Marcos Mundstock, 77, Argentine comedy music singer and multi-instrumentalist
• 23
• * Fred the Godson, 35, American rapper
• * Kamit Sanbayev, 78, Kazakh rock singer
• 24
• * Hamilton Bohannon, 78, American R&B and disco percussionist and music producer
• * Phil Broadhurst, 70, New Zealand jazz pianist
• * Harold Reid, 80, American country singer-songwriter
• 25 – Alan Abel, 91, American classical percussionist
• 26 – Big Al Carson, 66, American blues singer
• 27
• * Lynn Harrell, 79, American classical cellist
• * Troy Sneed, 52, American gospel singer
• * Scott Taylor, British new wave guitarist
• 28 – Bobby Lewis, 95, American R&B singer
• 29
• * Martin Lovett, 93, British classical cellist
• * Stezo, 51, American rapper
• 30
• * Tony Allen, 79, Nigerian afrobeat and rock drummer
• * Óscar Chávez, 85, Mexican pop singer
• * Sam Lloyd, 56, American acapella singer

  May

• 1
• * Richard Cole, 72, American jazz saxophonist
• * Tavo Limongi, 52, Mexican nu metal guitarist
• * Will Theunissen, 65, Dutch jazz rock guitarist
• 2
• * Cady Groves, 30, American country singer-songwriter
• * Idir, 70, Algerian folk singer-songwriter
• * Jonathan Kelly, 72, Irish folk rock singer-songwriter
• * Erwin Prasetya, 48, Indonesian alternative rock bassist
• 3
• * Rosalind Elias, 90, American opera singer
• * Dave Greenfield, 71, British punk and new wave keyboardist
• * Bob Levin, 78, Swedish rock singer and guitarist
• * Lorne Munroe, 95, Canadian-born American classical cellist
• 4
• * John Erhardt, American indie rock musician
• * Frederick C. Tillis, 90, American jazz saxophonist
• * Dragan Vučić, 65, Macedonian pop singer
• 5
• * Sweet Pea Atkinson, 74, American dance-rock singer
• * Sonny Cox, 82, American jazz saxophonist
• * Didi Kempot, 53, Indonesian campursari singer
• * Ciro Pessoa, 62, Brazilian post-punk singer-songwriter and guitarist
• * Kiing Shooter, 24, American rapper
• * Millie Small, 73, Jamaican ska and reggae singer-songwriter
• 6
• * Norbert Balatsch, 92, Austrian choral conductor
• * Brian Howe, 66, British rock singer-songwriter
• 7
• * İbrahim Gökçek, 41, Turkish folk rock bassist
• * Ty, 47, British rapper
• 8 – Andre Harrell, 59, American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and founder of Uptown Records
• 9 – Little Richard, 87, American rock and roll singer and pianist
• 10
• * David Corrêa, 82, Brazilian samba singer
• * Betty Wright, 66, American soul and R&B singer and songwriter
• 11 – Moon Martin, 74, American rockabilly singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 12 – Takami Asano, Japanese psychedelic rock guitarist
• 13
• * Gabriel Bacquier, 95, French opera singer
• * Yoshio, 60, Mexican pop singer
• 14 – Jorge Santana, 68, Mexican rock guitarist
• 15
• * Denny DeMarchi, 57, Canadian rock keyboardist
• * Sergio Denis, 71, Argentine pop singer
• * Phil May, 75, British rock singer-songwriter
• 17
• * Lucky Peterson, 55, American blues guitarist
• * Peter Thomas, 94, German film composer
• 19 – Willie K, 59, American folk ukuleleist
• 21
• * Berith Bohm, 87, Swedish opera singer
• * Bobby Digital, 59, Jamaican dancehall producer
• * Neil Howlett, 85, British opera singer
• 22
• * Steve Hanford, 50, American punk rock drummer
• * Mory Kanté, 70, Guinean folk singer and kora player
• * KJ Balla, 23, American rapper, shot.
• * Klaus Selmke, 70, German rock drummer
• 24
• * Jimmy Cobb, 91, American jazz drummer
• * Lily Lian, 103, French pop singer
• * Al Rex, 91, American rock and roll bassist.
• 25 – Bucky Baxter, 65, American folk and rock guitarist
• 26
• * Brendan Bowyer, 81, Irish rock and roll singer
• * Charlie Monttana, 58, Mexican rock singer
• * Lennie Niehaus, 90, American jazz saxophonist and film composer
• 27 – Evaldo Gouveia, 91, Brazilian MPB singer
• 28 – Bob Kulick, 70, American hard rock guitarist
• 30
• * Mady Mesplé, 89, French opera singer
• * John Nzenze, 79-80, Kenyan rock and jazz guitarist
• 31 – Bob Northern, 86, American jazz French hornist

  June

• 1
• * Majek Fashek, 57, Nigerian reggae singer and songwriter.
• * Joey Image, 63, American punk rock drummer, liver cancer.
• 2 – Chris Trousdale, 34, American pop singer
• 4
• * Marcello Abbado, 93, Italian classical pianist and composer
• * Fabiana Anastácio, 45, Brazilian contemporary Christian singer
• * Rupert Hine, 72, British jazz-rock singer and keyboardist
• * Steve Priest, 72, British glam rock guitarist.
• 5 – Marjan, 72, Iranian pop singer
• 7
• * Frank Bey, 74, American blues singer
• * Floyd Lee, 86, American blues singer and guitarist
• 8
• * James Hand, 67, American country singer
• * Bonnie Pointer, 69, American R&B singer
• 9
• * Paul Chapman, 66, Welsh hard rock guitarist
• * Pau Donés, 53, Spanish pop rock singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 12
• * Dodo Doris, 71, Congolese soukous drummer
• * Ricky Valance, 84, Welsh pop singer
• 14
• * Nguea Laroute, 60, Cameroonian folk singer
• * Keith Tippett, 72, British free jazz and progressive rock pianist
• 15 – Nana Tuffour, 66, Ghanaian highlife singer
• 16 - Yohan, 28, South Korean K-pop singer
• 17 – Hugh Fraser, 67, Canadian jazz pianist and trombonist
• 18
• * Hux Brown, 75, Jamaican reggae guitarist
• * Vera Lynn, 103, British pop singer
• 19 – A. L. Raghavan, 86, Indian playback singer
• 20 – Aaron Tokona, 45, New Zealand alternative rock guitarist
• 21
• * Jeet Singh Negi, 95, Indian folk singer-songwriter
• * Joan Pau Verdier, 73, French nòva cançon singer
• 23 – Margarita Pracatan, 89, Cuban novelty singer
• 24
• * Michael Hawley, 58, American classical pianist and academic
• * Claude Le Péron, 72, French rock bassist
• 25
• * Huey, 31, American rapper
• * Graeme Williamson, Canadian new wave singer and guitarist
• 27
• * Pete Carr, 70, American rock, pop and soul guitarist
• * Freddy Cole, 88, American jazz singer and pianist
• * Tom Finn, 71, American baroque pop guitarist
• * Mats Rådberg, 72, Swedish country singer and guitarist
• 28 – Simon H. Fell, 61, British jazz bassist
• 29
• * Steppa J. Groggs, 32, American rapper
• * Johnny Mandel, 94, American jazz and film composer
• * Benny Mardones, 73, American soft rock singer-songwriter
• * Willie Wright, 80, American soul singer

  July

• 1 – Max Crook, 83, American pop rock keyboardist
• 3 – J. Marvin Brown, 66, American soul singer
• 5 – Cleveland Eaton, 80, American jazz bassist
• 6
• * Charlie Daniels, 83, American country singer-songwriter and fiddler
• * Andrew Kishore, 64, Bangladeshi playback singer
• * Ennio Morricone, 91, Italian film composer
• 10 – Eddie Gale, 78, American jazz trumpeter
• 11 – Gabriella Tucci, 90, Italian opera singer
• 12
• * Rod Bernard, 79, American swamp pop singer
• * Judy Dyble, 71, British folk singer-songwriter and autoharpist
• * Eleanor Sokoloff, 106, American classical pianist
• 14
• * J. J. Lionel, 72, Belgian pop singer
• * Raúl Pagano, Argentine rock keyboardist
• 16
• * Ken Chinn, 57, Canadian punk rock singer
• * Jamie Oldaker, 68, American country drummer
• * Víctor Víctor, 71, Dominican folk singer and guitarist
• 19 – Emitt Rhodes, 70, American pop rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
• 21
• * Dobby Dobson, 77, Jamaican reggae singer
• * Annie Ross, 89, British-American jazz singer
• 22 – Tim Smith, 59, British progressive rock singer and guitarist
• 25
• * Peter Green, 73, English blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist
• * CP Lee, 70, British comedy rock singer and guitarist
• 27
• * Denise Johnson, 56, British alternative rock singer
• * Miss Mercy, 71, American psychedelic rock singer
• 28 – Bent Fabric, 95, Danish classical pianist and composer
• 29 – Balla Sidibé, 79, Senegalese son cubano singer and timbalero

  August