The Cure released their fourteenth studio album, Songs of a Lost World, the band's first release of new material in 16 years. It became one of the fastest-selling albums of 2024, having at one point outsold the entire top 10 of the week combined. The album reached No. 1 in the UK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland. It gave The Cure three BRIT Award nominations for Mastercard Album Of The Year, Group Of The Year and Alternative/Rock Act.

Bap Kennedy, singer, songwriter from Belfast, Northern Ireland, died in Belfast in hospice care from pancreatic and bowel cancer. He is noted for his collaborations with Steve Earle, Van Morrison, Shane MacGowan and Mark Knopfler, as well as for writing the song 'Moonlight Kiss' which was on the soundtrack for the film Serendipity. Kennedy was also in the rock band Energy Orchard.

Taylor Swift was being sued for $42m (£27m) for allegedly stealing the lyrics to her hit 2014 song 'Shake It Off', which topped music charts around the world. R&B singer Jesse Braham claimed in legal papers Swift stole the words from a song he wrote in 2013 called 'Haters Gone Hate'.

Winners at this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards held in Munich, Germany included Avril Lavigne who was named best solo artist, and her song Girlfriend was voted most addictive track. Muse won two awards for best UK and Ireland act and best headline act, Linkin Park won the award for best band of 2007, and German band Tokio Hotel took the prize for best international act. Amy Winehouse won the Artist Choice prize, an award chosen by her fellow musicians and The ultimate urban prize went to R&B star Rihanna.

61-year old Terry Knight, the former manager of Grand Funk Railroad, was murdered at his home in Killeen, Texas. Knight was defending his daughter during a domestic disturbance, when he was stabbed by her boyfriend, 26 year old Donald Alan Fair. Knight began his music career by leading a Michigan band called Terry Knight and the Pack, who scored a Billboard top 50 hit with ‘I, Who Have Nothing’.

Scandinavian dance-pop act Aqua started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Barbie Girl.' A massive world-wide hit, the single sold more than 8 million copies. The group caused controversy with the double entendres in their 'Barbie Girl' single, with Mattel filing a lawsuit against the group. The lawsuit was finally dismissed by a judge in 2002, who ruled, "The parties are advised to chill".

Bruce Springsteen scored his first No.1 US album with 'The River', featuring the US No.5 & UK No.44 single 'Hungry Heart.'

Elton John started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Island Girl', his 5th US No.1, a No.14 hit in the UK. The lyrics are about a prostitute in New York City and a Jamaican man who wants to take her back to Jamaica.

Matthews Southern Comfort were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Joni Mitchell song 'Woodstock'. The group's only UK No.1 hit.

The Beatles scored their 13th US No.1 album with Abbey Road. The final studio recordings from the group featured two Harrison songs; 'Something' & 'Here Comes The Sun'. The cover supposedly contained clues adding to the ‘Paul Is Dead’ phenomenon: Paul is barefoot and the car number plate ‘LMW 281F’ supposedly referred to the fact that McCartney would be 28 if he was still alive. ‘LMW’ was said to stand for ‘Linda McCartney Weeps.’ And the four Beatles, represent; the priest (John, dressed in white), the Undertaker (Ringo, black suit), the Corpse (Paul, barefoot), and the Gravedigger (George, in jeans and a denim shirt).

Elvis Presley went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Suspicious Minds', his 18th US No.1 single. A No.2 hit in the UK.

George Harrison released his first solo album, 'Wonderwall Music' on the Apple label. The songs which were mostly Harrison instrumentals, featured Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and an unaccredited banjo contribution by Peter Tork of The Monkees.

The Beatles kicked off a UK tour performing two shows at the Odeon Cinema in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Their repertoire for the tour was ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me to You’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘You Really Got a Hold On Me’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Boys’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Money’, and ‘Twist and Shout’. Supporting The Beatles were The Rhythm & Blues Quartet, The Vernons Girls, Frank Berry, The Brook Brothers, Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers, and The Kestrels.

R&B group The Famous Flames, lead by singer James Brown, cut their first demo of ‘Please, Please, Please’ at a radio station in Macon Georgia. It would lead to their signing with King Records.

South Korean singer Jeongyeon who rose to prominence as a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, created by JYP Entertainment through the reality television show Sixteen (2015). Twice scored the 2024 US No.1 6 track album With You-th.

English DJ, record producer and remixer Sigala, (Bruce Fielder). Best known for his 2015 debut and UK No.1 single 'Easy Love', which samples 'ABC' by the Jackson 5.

Joe Donovan, English drummer of the indie pop band Blossoms. Their self-titled debut studio album peaked at No.1 on the UK chart in Aug 2016. Their albums Foolish Loving Spaces (2020) Ribbon Around the Bomb (2022) and Gary (2024) all peaked at No.1 on the UK charts. The band take their name from The Blossoms public house at the corner of Bramhall Lane and Buxton Road in Stockport, Cheshire, UK.

American R&B singer LaTavia Roberson who was with Destiny's Child, and had the 2000 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Say My Name'. During her time as a member, Roberson recorded two studio albums, sold over 25 million records, and won two Grammy Awards and three Soul Train Music Awards. Roberson quit the group in 2000 and briefly formed the girl group Anjel, which also included former Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett.

Darren Partington from English electronic music group 808 State which was formed in 1987 in Manchester, UK by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. Taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the "state of mind" the members shared, they released their debut album Newbuild in September 1988. They scored the 1989 UK No.10 single 'Pacific State'. The group's early work influenced the UK's burgeoning acid house scene.

English musician Rick Allen, who has been the drummer of the hard rock band Def Leppard since 1978. The band scored the 1987 UK No.6 single 'Animal', the 1987 worldwide No.1 album Hysteria and the 1988 US No.1 single 'Love Bites'. Allen lost his left arm in an accident after crashing his Corvette Stingray on the A57 outside Sheffield in England in 1984. He is known as "The Thunder God" by fans. Def Leppard have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. They have received RIAA diamond certification for two albums, Pyromania and Hysteria, making them one of only five rock bands with two original studio albums that have sold more than 10 million copies in the US.

Norwegian musician Mags Furuholmen, guitar, keyboards with A-Ha. They scored the 1985 US No.1 single 'Take On Me' and the 1986 UK No.1 single 'The Sun Always Shines On TV', becoming the first Norwegian group to score a UK and US No.1 hit. He has co-written many of the group's hits and composed the synth-riff of 'Take On Me', when he was only 15 years old. 'Take On Me' was bolstered by the wide exposure on MTV of director Steve Barron's innovative music video featuring the band in a live-action pencil-sketch animation sequence. The video won six awards and was nominated for two others at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.

Eddie Macdonald, bass, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals from Welsh group The Alarm, who had the 1983 UK No.17 single '68 Guns'. Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977 under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the group soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh language and culture.

Chris Morris, guitar, from English pop rock band Paper Lace, who scored the 1974 UK No.1 single 'Billy Don't Be A Hero'. In the United States they are considered a one-hit wonder, having had a lone US number one hit in 1974 with their signature song, 'The Night Chicago Died'.

American composer, singer, songwriter Ronald Bell, who with Kool & The Gang had the 1981 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Celebration', the 1984 UK No.2 single 'Joanna', and over 15 other Top 40 hits. He died on 9 September 2020 age 68.

American musician, singer, and songwriter Dan Peek from the British-American rock band America, which formed in London in 1970. They had the 1972 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Horse With No Name'. Their second album, Homecoming (1972), included the single 'Ventura Highway'. America won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Group at the 15th Annual Grammy Awards in 1973. Peek died on 24th July 2011 age 60.

American composer, lyricist and record producer, Jim Steinman. His work included Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell and Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, and producing albums for Bonnie Tyler. His most successful chart singles include Tyler's ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and Air Supply's ‘Making Love Out of Nothing at All’. Steinman died from kidney failure on 19 April 2021 age 73.

English jazz saxophonist Mike Burney. Between 1968 and 1970, Burney was in Billy Fury's backing band and was then a member of glam rock band Wizzard who had the 1973 UK No.1 single 'See My Baby Jive' and the 1973 UK No.1 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday'. Burney has toured, accompanied and sessioned with Chaka Khan, The Beach Boys, Petula Clark, Memphis Slim, Steve Winwood, Ruby Turner, Adam Faith, Cliff Richard, Cilla Black and Dionne Warwick.

American soldier, singer, songwriter, and author Sgt Barry Sadler. He served in the Vietnam War from late December 1964 to late May 1965, most of his work has a military theme, and he is best known for his patriotic 'Ballad of the Green Berets a No.1 hit in 1966. On September 7, 1988, Sadler was shot in the head while sitting in a cab in Guatemala City. Witnesses said he accidentally shot himself, but his friends and family believed he was shot by a robber or an assassin. He remained in a coma for about six weeks. Emerging from the coma, Sadler was a quadriplegic and had suffered significant brain damage He died on 5th November 1989.

Andre Williams, American R&B musician. His most famous songs include the hits ‘Jail Bait,’ ‘Greasy Chicken,’ and ‘Cadillac Jack'. He co-wrote Stevie Wonder's first song, 'Thank You for Loving Me' and was also the co-author of the R&B hit 'Shake a Tail Feather' a hit for The Five Du-Tones and James & Bobby Purify. He died on 17 March 2019 at the age of 82.

English film composer and music conductor John Scott (also known as Johnny Scott). He was hired by EMI to arrange and conduct some of its most popular artists and, during this time, worked with The Beatles producer George Martin playing flute in the band's 1965 recording 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'. Scott also recorded with such artists as Tom Jones, Cilla Black and The Hollies. Scott played saxophone on The James Bond Theme, which was recorded on 21 June 1962.