''See also:''
- January 8 - Madonna 's stalker, Robert Hoskins is found guilty and convicted on five charges of assault, stalking, and threatening to kill the singer.
- January 16 - Jamaica n authorities open fire on Jimmy Buffett 's seaplane, mistaking it for a drug trafficker's plane. U2 singer Bono was also on the plane; neither singer was injured.
- January 18 - Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson .
- ! ¡Fuera Madonna ! (Long Live Evita ! Get Out, Madonna !).
- January 28 - Chris Isaak makes a guest appearance on the television show '' Friends ''.
- January 29
- ---Fire destroys La Fenice , Venice 's opera house.
- --- Kiss reveals to the world that they have reunited with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss with a surprise appearance on the American Music Awards. Kiss steals the show when the band takes to the stage in full makeup and costume for the first time since 1980. The band takes to the road and becomes the highest grossing tour of 1996, selling out their first show at Tiger Stadium in 43 minutes.
- --- Garth Brooks refuses to accept his American Music Award for "Favorite Overall Artist". Brooks says that Hootie And The Blowfish had done more for music that year than he did.
- February 4 - Former Milli-Vanilli member Rob Pilatus is hospitalized when a man hits him over the head with a baseball bat in Hollywood, California . Pilatus was attempting to steal the man's car.
- February 13 - Take That announce their split, saying that How Deep Is Your Love will be their last single.
- February 14 - The Artist Formerly Known As Prince marries backup singer Mayte Garcia .
- February 20 - Snoop Doggy Dogg and his bodyguard are acquitted of first degree murder. The jury deadlocks on voluntary manslaughter charges and a mistrial is declared.
- March 4 - The Beatles ' second reunion song is released, as part of their first reunion since the band's breakup 26 years earlier. The song is simply a finished version of a John Lennon demo from 1980 ; a song called Real Love .
- March 13 - Ramones fans riot in Buenos Aires , Argentina after waiting all night for concert tickets only to find out that the show had been sold out.
- March 16 - Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men end their 16th consecutive week at No. 1 with "One Sweet Day". It is the longest consecutive week stay at No. 1 in Billboard Hot 100 history.
- March 18 - The Sex Pistols announce that they are reuniting for a 20th anniversary tour.
- March 28 - Phil Collins announces that he is leaving Genesis to focus on his solo career.
- April 3 - M.C. Hammer files for bankruptcy.
- April 4 - The Grateful Dead 's Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia 's widow, Deborah, scatter part of Garcia's ashes in the Ganges River in India .
- April 15 - The remaining part of Jerry Garcia 's ashes are scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California .
- April 16 - Madonna announces that she is four months pregnant by Carlos Leon , her then-boyfriend and trainer.
- April 24 - This Train , Rick Elias , Jimmy A , Phil Keaggy , Carolyn Arends , Third Day & Ashley Cleveland perform a tribute concert for Rich Mullins at Nashville 's Cafe Milano. Speakers included Reunion Records executive Terry Hemmings , Record Producer Reed Arvin , Disc Jockey Jon Rivers , & Author Brennan Manning .
- April 28 - Oasis play the second of two gigs in Maine Road , home of Manchester City F.C. , featured on the video " ...There And Then ".
- May - The Galway Early Music Festival is launched in Ireland .
- May 8 - In Los Angeles, California , a judge rules against Tommy Lee and wife actress Pamela Anderson Lee in their attempt to keep Penthouse Magazine from publishing still photos taken from an X-rated home movie that was stolen from their home.
- May 25 - Brad Nowell , lead singer of the band Sublime , is found dead of a heroin overdose in his San Francisco motel room.
- June 21 - The Sex Pistols start their reunion tour in Lahtis, Finland.
- Alice Cooper performs at Sammy Hagar 's club Cabo Wabo in Mexico. It was recorded and released the next year is a live album.
- July - The Smashing Pumpkins drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin , is arrested for possession of a controlled substance. The other band members fire him because they said his "insidious battle with drugs and alcohol" had nearly ruined everything for the band.
- July 11 - Robert Simpson's second string quintet premiered at the Cheltenham International Festival (by the Maggini Quartet with Pal Banda , cellist. {Link without Title} ).
- August 1 - MTV2 makes its original launch.
- August 6 - The Ramones play their last ever show at Lollapalooza .
- August 10 and August 11 - Oasis plays at Knebworth two consecutive nights in front of 250.000 people. It's considered the peak of the Britpop movement.
- Launch of the Proms In The Park event in London .
- September 7 - Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot four times in Las Vegas , Nevada , while leaving the MGM Grand hotel after seeing the Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon boxing match, in what is apparently a drive-by shooting.
- September 12 - Controversy follows The Eagles when the band dedicates "Peaceful Easy Feeling" to Saddam Hussein at a United States Democratic Party fundraiser held in Los Angeles .
- September 13 - Tupac Shakur dies in hospital after his wounds from his September 7 th shooting.
- October 6 - country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw get married.
- October 14 - Madonna 's first child, Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, is born in Los Angeles.
- November 8 - After having first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the film '' Hype! '', a documentary on the Seattle grunge scene, opens to general audiences
- November 24 - Crowded House plays its final concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in front of an audience of almost 100,000. Proceeds from this concert support the Sydney Children's Hospital.
- December 7 - The Sex Pistols finish their reunion tour in Santiago, Chile.
- Sheryl Crow 's self titled album is banned from Wal-Mart stores because of the lyric "Watch out sister, watch out brother/watch our children while they kill each other/with a gun they bought at Wal-Mart Discount Stores".
- Slash leaves Guns N' Roses , citing musical differences with singer Axl Rose , leaving Axl as the sole remaining original member of the band.
- The Monkees embark on their 30th Anniversary Reunion Tour
- Singer Tori Amos is sued when a man crashes his car after being distracted by a billboard advertising her album; the billboard featured a photo of Amos breastfeeding a piglet.
- David Bowie 's single "Telling Lies" becomes the first song offered as a free digital download by a major record label (Virgin Records).
- Roberto Alagna marries Angela Gheorghiu .
- November 3 İs Susurluk Mascarre
- '' 18 Til I Die '' - Bryan Adams
- '' 1977 '' - Ash
- '' 40 More Reasons To Hate Us '' - Anal Cunt
- '' A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular '' - Hooverphonic
- ''Abhinanda'' - Abhinanda
- '' Actual Fantasy '' - Ayreon
- '' Afterlife '' - The Godfathers
- '' Aïbobo '' - RAM
- '' Aku Ingin Pulang - 15 Hits Terpopuler '' - Ebiet G Ade
- '' All Eyez On Me '' - Tupac Shakur
- '' All The Pretty Little Horses '' - Current 93
- '' All We Got Iz Us '' - Onyx
- '' Antichrist Superstar '' - Marilyn Manson
- '' Arise Therefore '' - Palace
- '' As Good As Dead '' - Local H
- '' Ass Cobra '' - Turbonegro
- '' At The Speed Of Life '' - Xzibit
- '' ATLiens '' - Outkast
- '' Awaken '' - The Blood Divine
- '' The Awesome Power Of A Fully Operational Mothership ''- George Clinton And The P-Funk All Stars
- '' Back In The Shootin' Match '' - Ace Troubleshooter
- '' Backstreet Boys (International) '' - Backstreet Boys
- '' Bad Hair Day '' - "Weird Al" Yankovic
- '' Beat The Bastards '' - The Exploited
- '' Beats, Rhymes And Life '' - A Tribe Called Quest
- '' Becoming X '' - Sneaker Pimps (debut)
- '' Best Of, Volume 1 '' - Van Halen
- '' Better Living Through Chemistry '' - Fatboy Slim .
- '' Bilingual '' - Pet Shop Boys
- '' Black Earth '' - Arch Enemy
- '' Bow Down '' - Westside Connection
- '' Boys For Pele '' - Tori Amos
- '' Breathe '' - Midnight Oil
- '' Bringing Down The Horse '' - The Wallflowers
- '' Brown '' - P.O.D.
- '' Call The Doctor '' - Sleater-Kinney
- '' Cat's Clause '' - The Germs
- '' Cowboy Songs - Riders In The Sky
- '' Crash '' - Dave Matthews Band
- '' Crimson '' - Edge Of Sanity
- '' Curb '' - Nickelback
- '' Dance Into The Light '' - Phil Collins
- '' Da Villain In Black '' - MC Ren
- '' Death Threatz '' - MC Eiht
- '' Demo '' - Nightwish
- '' Destiny '' - Gloria Estefan
- '' Down On The Upside '' - Soundgarden (final album before disbanding)
- '' Drum 'n' Bass For Papa '' - Plug
- '' Drunk On The Moon '' - No Knife
- '' Dynamite '' - Stina Nordenstam
- '' Early Mornin Stoned Pimp '' - Kid Rock
- '' East Side Militia '' - Chemlab
- '' Elegy '' - Amorphis
- '' Emancipation '' - Prince (3-disc box set)
- '' Emperor Tomato Ketchup '' - Stereolab
- '' Endtroducing... '' - DJ Shadow
- '' Episode '' - Stratovarius
- '' Essential Mental Nutrients '' - Social Deviantz
- '' Everything Must Go '' - Manic Street Preachers
- '' Evil Empire '' - Rage Against The Machine
- '' Evita '' - Madonna (soundtrack)
- '' Face To Face '' - Face To Face
- '' Factory Showroom '' - They Might Be Giants
- '' Falling Into You '' - Celine Dion
- '' Fairweather Johnson '' - Hootie & The Blowfish
- '' Fashion Nugget '' - Cake
- '' Fever In Fever Out '' - Luscious Jackson
- '' Filth Pig '' - Ministry
- '' First Band On The Moon '' - The Cardigans
- '' Fountains Of Wayne '' - Fountains Of Wayne
- '' Friction, Baby '' - Better Than Ezra
- '' From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah '' - Nirvana
- '' Frozen '' - Gridlock
- '' Gabrielle '' - Gabrielle
- '' Garibaldi Guard! '' - US Bombs
- '' Genius Of America '' - The Tubes
- '' Gravity Kills '' - Gravity Kills (debut)
- '' Good God's Urge '' - Porno For Pyros
- '''' - Poison
- '' Here To Save You All '' - Chino XL
- '' Hesher '' - Nickelback
- '' High/Low '' - Nada Surf
- '' How Long Has This Been Going On '' - Van Morrison
- '' If You're Feeling Sinister '' - Belle & Sebastian
- '' Illadelph Halflife '' - The Roots
- '' Imperial Drag '' - Imperial
- '' In A Bar, Under The Sea '' - Deus
- '' Inquilaab '' - Junoon
- '' Ironman '' - Ghostface Killah
- '' Irreligious '' - Moonspell
- '' Irresistible Bliss '' - Soul Coughing
- '' It Was Written '' - Nas
- '' Justus '' - The Monkees
- '' K '' - Kula Shaker
- '' Kiss Unplugged '' - Kiss
- '' KRS-One '' - KRS-One
- '' Lemon Parade '' - Tonic
- '' Liebe Ist... 3 '' - Die Flippers
- '' Life Is Peachy '' - KoЯn
- '' Live Drug '' - Sun Dial
- '' Live From The Fall '' - Blues Traveler
- '' Load '' - Metallica
- '' Lo Society '' - Loso
- '' Losing Streak '' - Less Than Jake
- '' Louder Than Hell '' - Manowar
- '' Machines Against The Rage '' - TISM
- '' Man '' - Neneh Cherry
- '' Maniacal Laughter '' - The Bouncing Souls
- '' Milk & Kisses '' - Cocteau Twins
- '' Millions Now Living Will Never Die - Tortoise
- '' Moneda '' - Toque Profundo
- '' Muddy Waters '' - '' Redman ''
- '' Murder Ballads '' - Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
- '' Music From The Unrealized Film Script, Dusk At Cubist Castle '' - '' The Olivia Tremor ''
- '' Nerf Herder '' - Nerf Herder (debut)
- '' Never Been To Spain (Until Now!) '' - El Vez
- '' New Adventures In Hi-Fi '' - R.E.M.
- '' Nico '' - Blind Melon
- '' No. 2 LIVE Dinner '' - Robert Earl Keen
- '' None So Vile '' - Cryptopsy
- '' No Code '' - Pearl Jam
- '' Ocean Drive '' - Lighthouse Family
- '' Odelay '' - Beck
- '' Off Parole '' - Rappin' 4-Tay
- '' One Chord To Another '' - Sloan
- '' One Fierce Beer Coaster '' - The Bloodhound Gang
- '' One In A Million '' - Aaliyah
- '' One Stop Carnival '' - Brian Green
- '' Overnight Sensation '' - Motörhead
- '' Pale Yo '' - Kanpech
- '' Paradise In Me '' - K's Choice
- '' Perspective '' - Jason Becker
- '' Pieces Of You '' - Jewel
- '' Pies Descalzos '' - Shakira
- '' Pinkerton '' - Weezer
- '' Plays Metallica By Four Cellos '' - Apocalyptica (Debut)
- '' Posledniy Romantik '' - Valeriy Meladze
- '' Purpendicular '' - Deep Purple
- '' Pussy, King Of The Pirates '' - Mekons with Kathy Acker
- '' - Riders In The Sky
- '' Razorblade Suitcase '' - Bush
- '' Reasonable Doubt '' - Jay-Z
- '' Refresh The Demon '' - Annihilator
- '' Regretfully Yours '' - Superdrag
- '' Republica '' - Republica
- '' Resident Alien '' - Spacehog
- '' Rèv An Nou '' - Boukan Ginen
- '' Richard D. James Album '' - Aphex Twin
- '' Rock!!!!! '' - Violent Femmes
- '' Rocket '' - Primitive Radio Gods
- '' Roots '' - Sepultura
- '' Rote Sonne Weites Land '' - Die Flippers
- '' Running On Ice '' - Vertical Horizon
- '' Satan Is Real Again, Or Feeling Good About Bad Thoughts '' - Country Teasers
- '' Scenery And Fish '' - I Mother Earth
- '' Sheryl Crow '' - Sheryl Crow
- '' Skillet '' - Skillet
- '' Skunkworks '' - Bruce Dickinson
- '' Slang '' - Def Leppard
- '' Signify '' - Porcupine Tree
- '' Soul On Ice '' - Ras Kass
- '' Soundtracks For The Blind '' - Swans
- '' Spice - Spice Girls
- '' Spiders '' - Space
- '' Sublime '' - Sublime (final album, released just 2 months after frontman Brad Nowell 's death)
- '' Supercharged Straight To Hell '' - The Turbo AC's
- '' Sutras '' - Donovan
- '' Swansong '' - Carcass
- '' Take It From The Man '' - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
- '' Take It Eazy '' - TKZee
- '' Take Me To Your Leader '' - Newsboys
- '' Technicolour '' - Disco Inferno
- '' Teri Yakimoto '' - Guttermouth
- '' Test For Echo '' - Rush
- '' Testing Positive '' - George Clinton (funk Musician)
- '' Tha Doggfather '' - Snoop Dogg
- '' Thank God For Mental Illness '' - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
- '' The Beatles Anthology , Volume 2 '' - The Beatles
- '' The Beatles Anthology , Volume 3 '' - The Beatles
- '' 311 '' - 311
- '' The Dark Saga '' - Iced Earth
- '' The Doctor Came At Dawn '' - Smog
- '''' - Tupac Shakur (Also Known As Makaveli)
- '' The Final Tic '' - Crucial Conflict
- '' The Gray Race '' - Bad Religion
- '' The Great Southern Trendkill '' - Pantera
- '' The Light User Syndrome '' - The Fall
- '' The Natural Bridge '' - Silver Jews
- '' The Process '' - Skinny Puppy
- '' The Scene Is Not For Sale '' - Glue Gun (final album before disbanding)
- '' The Score '' - The Fugees
- '' The Time Of The Oath '' - Helloween
- '' The Wolf Is Coming '' - Miriam Yeung
- '' Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request '' - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
- '' This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About '' - Modest Mouse
- '' Three Snakes & One Charm '' - The Black Crowes
- '' Tidal '' - Fiona Apple (debut)
- '' Tigermilk '' - Belle & Sebastian
- '' Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop '' - Stone Temple Pilots
- '' Tormented '' - Staind
- '' Turn The Radio Off '' - Reel Big Fish
- '' Un Million De Rosas '' - La Mafia
- '' Unknown Country '' - The Clean
- '' Veiled '' - Leah Andreone (debut)
- '' Very Proud Of Ya '' - AFI
- '' Victor '' - Alex Lifeson
- '' Vile '' - Cannibal Corpse
- '' Voluptously Minced '' - Cenotaph
- '' Wax Ecstatic '' - Sponge
- '' White Light, White Heat, White Trash '' - Social Distortion
- '' Wild Mood Swings '' - The Cure
- '' Xtort '' - KMFDM
- '' Yourself Or Someone Like You '' - Matchbox Twenty
- '' À Ma Manière '' - Dalida (remix album)
- '' Âmbar '' - Maria Bethânia
- '' Ænima '' - Tool
- '' Today Is Another Day '' - Zard
The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1996.
''See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits Of 1996 ''
- January 25 - Jonathan Larson , composer
- February 7 - Boris Tchaikovsky , composer (b. 1925)
- February 17 - Evelyn Laye , 95, English actress and singer
- February 20 - Toru Takemitsu , composer
- February 26 - Mieczysław Weinberg , composer (b. 1919)
- March 4 - Minnie Pearl (84)
- March 15 - Olga Rudge (101), violinist
- March 22 - Don Murray , The Turtles
- April 18 - Bernard Edwards , Chic , Pneumonia
- May 8 - Celedonio Romero , leader of the Romeros guitar quartet,
- May 17 - Kevin Gilbert , Songwriter Toy Matinee, Tuesday Night Music Club, Engineer
- May 25 - Brad Nowell , lead singer and guitarist for Sublime
- June 14 - Mathew Fletcher , Heavenly drummer
- June 15 - Ella Fitzgerald , jazz singer
- July 16 - John Panozzo , 48, drummer for Styx and brother of Chuck Panozzo
- July 17 - Marcel Dadi 45, French country and western guitarist died in crash of TWA Flight 800
- July 29 - Jason Thirsk , Pennywise bassist
- August 13 - David Tudor , pianist and composer
- August 14 - Sergiu Celibidache , Romanian conductor (b. 1912)
- August 23 - Jurriaan Andriessen , Dutch composer (b. 1925)
- September 1 - Vagn Holmboe , Danish composer (b. 1909)
- September 13 - Tupac Shakur , rapper, poet, actor
- October 2 - Joonas Kokkonen , Finnish composer (b. 1921)
- October 17 - Berthold Goldschmidt , German composer (b. 1903)
- October 17 - Chris Acland , Lush drummer (b. 1966)
- November 2 - Eva Marie Cassidy , American Vocalist (b. 1963)
- November 30 - Tiny Tim , musician
- December 29 - Mireille , French singer
|
