| List of years in music (Table) |
|---|
| … 1996 . 1997 . 1998 . 1999 . 2000 . 2001 . 2002 … 2003 . 2004 . 2005 -2006- 2007 . 2008 . 2009 … 2010 . 2011 . 2012 . 2013 . 2014 . 2015 . 2016 … |
| Related time period or subjects |
| … 2003 . 2004 . 2005 – 2006 – 2007 . 2008 . 2009 … … 1970s . 1980s . 1990s – 2000s – 2010s . 2020s . 2030s … … 20th century – 21st century – 22nd century … |
| Art . Archaeology . Architecture . Literature . Music . Science . more… |
See also:
Events
- January – James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. He has since been released and made a full recovery.
- January 3 – The Strokes release First Impressions of Earth, their third studio album.
- January 11 to January 15 – MahlerFest XIX held in Boulder, Colorado, honoring Austrian composer Gustav Mahler.
- January 13 - Igor Cavalera goes on hiatus from Sepultura due to being a Father.
- January 16 – Frontman Rob Aston announces that the Transplants have disbanded shortly after their fall tour is cancelled.
- January 24 – It was announced popular British girl-band All Saints are to regroup for a tour and album later in the year.
- January 31 – American hardcore punk band Champion announces their impending breakup, with a final show scheduled for May.[1]
- February – Alice in Chains reform with new singer William DuVall as the replacement of Layne Staley, who died of a drug overdose in April 2002. Their planned tour will embark their first performance since 1996.
- February 1 – Vienna State Opera announced that Seiji Ozawa, a Conductor who concurrently works as a Music Director of the Opera, has had to cancel all his performance commitments for 2006 due to ill-health.
- February 8 – The 48th annual Grammy Awards are handed out at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Madonna opens the awards for a third time. U2 is the night's big winner, with 5 awards. Mariah Carey won 3 of her 8 nominations, though those 3 wins weren't telecasted. They were her first Grammys since the first time she was nominated: Back in 1991.
- February 10 – Pioneering Hip Hop producer/MC J Dilla passes away in Los Angeles from Lupus.White Lion/Black Label Society bassist James Lorenzo joins Megadeth as the replacement for James MacDonough (who was previously in Iced Earth).
- February 18 – The Rolling Stones give a free concert to 3 million people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, possibly one of the largest ever given.
- February 22 – The 1 Billionth song was downloaded on ITunes; the song was "Speed of Sound" by Coldplay.
- February 25 – The 4th Annual TRL Awards are held in New York City. Madonna wins the Lifetime Achievement Award and Bono wins the Most Inspired Artist/Humanitarian Award. Other winners include Fall Out Boy, Chris Brown, Mariah Carey, Ashlee Simpson, Kelly Clarkson, Amanda Bynes, and My Chemical Romance. Performers included Ashlee Simpson and Chris Brown.
- March – Bon Jovi's second single, "Who Says You Can't Go Home", off the album Have A Nice Day goes to number one in the US Hot Country Charts for two weeks. For the first time ever, a rock band has achieved a number one hit in the country charts.
- March 5 – Three 6 Mafia made history as they became the first African-American hip-hop group to win an Academy Award for Best Song and also became the first hip-hop artists to ever perform at the ceremony. The group was nominated for the song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the Hustle & Flow soundtrack.
- March 11 – James Blunt, with his track "You're Beautiful", becomes the first British artist to top the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart since Elton John with "Candle In The Wind 1997" almost nine years earlier.
- March 22 – News reports are released that Aerosmith's lead singer Steven Tyler is ill and will require throat surgery. The band cancels the rest of their tour (which was Top 3 at the time) with Cheap Trick and the band is on hiatus indefinitely until Tyler recovers.
- March 25 – Buck Owens, Bakersfield's country music player, dies.
- March 28
- Shakira re-releases her CD Oral Fixation vol. 2 with her hit single "Hips Don't Lie."
- T.I. released his 4th album KING including hit singles "What You Know" and "Why You Wanna".
- April 4 - Hawk Nelson released their second album, Smile, It's The End of the World
- April 11 - Proof is shot and killed outside a nightclub
- April 20 – Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins confirms that the band are in the studio recording for their first album since 2000s Machina/The Machines of God.
- April 21 to April 23 – Terrastock 6, Providence, Rhode Island.
- April 25 - Popular American rock band, the Goo Goo Dolls, celebrate twenty successful years in the music industry with the release of Let Love In. The album has received amazing ratings and is widely considered as a must-have album.
- April 25 – Rihanna's second album featuring "SOS (Rescue Me)", "Unfaithful" and "We Ride" is released.
- April 29 to April 30 – The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival takes place in Indio, California. Performers include: Madonna, James Blunt, Kanye West, Depeche Mode, Paul Oakenfold among others.
- It is rumored that Alice Cooper has began writing material for his next album, which would be his 28th. It is also rumored that Welcome To My Nightmare guitarist Dick Wagner has written material for this album.
- May 1 - 1,572 guitarists simultaneously play Jimi Hendrix' song "Hey Joe" in the town square of Wrocław, Poland, breaking a Guinness world record. [2]
- May 2
- Tool releases 10,000 Days their 4th studio album. It is their follow-up to 2001's Lateralus.
- Pearl Jam releases Pearl Jam.
- May 8 - Mor ve Otesi, a Turkish Alternative Rock band, release "Büyük Düşler", their 5th studio album.
- May 9 – Red Hot Chili Peppers release Stadium Arcadium, their 9th studio album. It is a double album. It reached #1 in 26 countries, selling more than 1.1 millions copies in first week.
- May 10th - Roy Mayorga joins Stone Sour.
- May 11 – Dave Baksh announces that he left Sum 41 to pursue his career with his second band Brown Brigade.
- May 12 - May 17 - Guns N' Roses play 4 warm-up shows at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, preceding a European tour and shows across the U.S. No release date for Chinese Democracy is announced.
- May 13
- The Los Angeles, California radio station KROQ airs the fourteenth annual Weenie Roast.
- Drummer Ryan Vandeberghe announces that The Suicide Machines have broken up after 15 years of activity.
- May 20 – Finnish monster rock band Lordi win the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah", the first hard rock/heavy metal song to win.
- May 23
- Madonna opens up her Confessions Tour for her late 2005 album Confessions on a Dancefloor in Los Angeles. Tickets were sold out within minutes in North America, Europe, and Asia, resulting in new dates to be announced in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and London. The tour grossed more than $260 million – the highest grossed tour in history by a female artist.
- The Wreckers release their debut album, Stand Still, Look Pretty.
- May 24 – Taylor Hicks wins American Idol, season 5. Katharine McPhee is the runner-up.
- May 26 – Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale have their first baby boy, Kingston James McGregor Rossdale.
- June 1 – Youngbloodz and entourage arrested on drugs and weapons charges in Atlanta, Georgia. [3]
- June 6 – Metallica play their new song (Yet to be titled) for the first time in Berlin and AFI release the album decemberunderground. Ice released his first album since year 2000 (excluding 'Greatest Hits' in 2001) 'Laugh Now, Cry Later' with popular singles 'Why We Thugs' and 'Go To Church'.
- June 8 – Shakira's single "Hips Don't Lie" sells 266,500 downloads in its first week of availability, smashing D4L's record of only 175,000. "Hips Don't Lie" also breaks another record, gaining the highest airplay in a single week with 9,657 spins, breaking Gwen Stefani´s "Hollaback Girl" record of 9,582.
- June 9 – Nelly Furtado's new album, Loose is released and debuts at #1 with approx. 219,000 copies, making the album her 1st #1 album.
- June 12
- György Ligeti died in Vienna.
- Keane release their second studio album Under the Iron Sea, which sold in its first week 75,702 copies. It remains the first place in the UK Albums Chart despite new albums from Fatboy Slim and The Automatic
- Igor Cavalera leaves Sepultura because of Artistic Incompatibility. He becomes the Third official member as well as the Second Cavalera to leave.
- June 14 - Shakira launches her Oral Fixation Tour in Zaragoza, Spain. The concert is expected to have 100 shows in 4 continents. 4 extra shows were added to the original 1 for Miami, Florida, when tickets sold out and thousands of fans were left without them.
- June 16 to June 18 – Bonnaroo Music Festival takes place in Manchester, TN. Performers include Radiohead, Tom Petty, Phil Lesh and Friends, Beck, and Sasha.
- June 19 - "Beautiful Goal" single by Paul Oakenfold was released.
- June 20 - Christian Metal band Underoath release Define the Great Line and it debuts at number 2 and goes to sell 98,000 units in its first week of release and over 500,000 units to date.
- June 23 – Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson leaves the group to pursue other interests.
- July – Luciano Pavarotti is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
- July 1 – Glue Gun performed the first reunion concert at Harpers in Northridge, Los Angeles, California. This concert embarked the band's first performance since breaking up in 1996.
- July 4 – Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith perform with the Boston Pops Orchestra in a nationally televised event.
- July 5 – American Idol tour begins.
- July 7 – Syd Barrett, co-founder and original vocalist for Pink Floyd dies of complications from diabetes
- July 9 – Scooter, releases its long awaited live CD and DVD Excess All Areas, recorded from the "Who's Got The Last Laugh Now?" Tour 2006.
- July 11 - Jean Dolabella replaces Igor Cavalera in Sepultura.
- July 12 – Rivers Cuomo confirms that Weezer is now on hiatus again. As for the future of the band, he said "I'm not certain we'll ever make a record again, unless it becomes really obvious to me that we need to do one."
- July 25 – Former member of Destiny's Child, LeToya releases her debut album 6 years after being dismissed from the group and staying away from the spotlight. She tops the albums chart in the United States and later in the year earns her first Platinum certificate as a solo artist.
- July 29 - Former Neighbours star Stephanie McIntosh releases her debut single Mistake in Australia, where it became a top 3 hit.
- July 30 – The last ever weekly version of Top of the Pops is broadcast.
- August 1 – 10th anniversary of MTV2's original launch and 25th anniversary of MTV's original launch.
- August 4 to August 6 – Lollapalooza, Chicago, Illinois.
- August 4 – classical and rock violinist, Monroe Clark dies.
- August 15 – Christina Aguilera releases her long awaited third album Back to Basics, #1 in 13 countries, including USA, UK, Canada and Australia.
- August 22
- Paris Hilton releases her debut album Paris.
- Kelis releases her fourth studio album Kelis Was Here.
- The girl group Danity Kane, formed on the reality show Making the Band 3, releases their debut album Danity Kane.
- August 23 – Tata Young publishes her second CD in English Temperature Rising and initiates tour by the USA and two months later it publishes it in Germany.
- August 25 - It was reported that Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton was undergoing treatment for throat cancer and would sit out the first half of the band's Route of All Evil Tour, the first time he would miss any shows in the band's history. Longtime band friend David Hull filled in for Hamilton until his return.
- August 29 – Jessi Malay releases her debut single "Gimme", featuring Lil Scrappy.
- Method Man releases album - 4:21...The day after
- September 5
- The Mercury Music Prize is held in the UK, with Arctic Monkeys' debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not winning ahead of entries from acts such as Muse and Thom Yorke.
- Beyoncé released the awaited B'Day, follow-up to her multi-platinum debut Dangerously In Love.
- September 9
- John Mayer releases his third album Continuum in Australia, followed by USA on September 12. Stephanie McIntosh releases her debut album Tightropenin Australia.
- Justin Timberlake releases his long awaited second album FutureSex/LoveSounds.
- September 12 - Britney Spears and her husband at the time Kevin Federline give birth to their second child together, baby boy named Jayden James. Everclear's 7th studio album, Weclome To The Drama Club is released on the same day.
- Papa Roach releases their fourth studio album titled The Paramour Sessions
- September 19 - Ben Kweller releases his third solo album self-titled Ben Kweller released on ATO Records. Fergie releases her first solo album, The Dutchess, which peaked at #3 in the U.S.
- September 26 – Ludacris releases his fifth LP album Release Therapy. "Weird Al" Yankovic releases his new album Straight Outta Lynwood. Janet Jackson releases 20 Y.O..
- September 27 – Boy band Five announce they are to reunite – minus original bandmate Sean Conlon.
- October 3
- Brazil releases The Philosophy of Velocity.
- Lindsey Buckingham releases Under the Skin, his first solo album in 14 years.
- Evanescence releases their second album The Open Door.
- October 9
- Albert Hammond, Jr., guitarist The Strokes releases a solo album entitled Yours to Keep on Rough Trade Records.
- Violinist and Opera Singer, Logan Simpson is arrested for refusing to stop his car when a traffic light turns red.
- October 10 – Justin Hawkins, lead singer of the band The Darkness announces he is leaving the band.
- October 11 – After 25 years as an artist, "Weird Al" Yankovic finally gets his first top 10 hit, with "White & Nerdy".
- October 15 – Legendary New York City music club CBGB closes after a lengthy rent dispute. Patti Smith performs the final show at the club. CBGB announces it is moving to the Las Vegas Strip.
- October 17
- The cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes release their fifth studio album, sixth overall, Love Their Country. The album features covers of country and western songs from artists like the Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.
- The French singer Manu Chao performs in Colombia in front of 80,000 people.
- October 24 – The Corrs release their greatest hits collection Dreams - The Ultimate Collection.
- October 25 – Guitarist Brian May announces on his web-site that Queen is heading back into the studio for recording sessions. The lineup Queen + Paul Rodgers features May, Rodgers – the former lead vocalist of Free, and former Queen drummer Roger Taylor.
- October 26 - Duran Duran lead guitarist Andy Taylor once again leaves the band after a series of disagreements surrounding their latest album, which was still incomplete by year's end. Speculation points to his disapproval of the usage of both Timbaland and Justin Timberlake in the creation of the band's album. The band hires an interim guitarist to supplant Taylor, with no real replacement being announced.
- October 30 – Keane release the first single on a USB Memory Stick, "Nothing In My Way."
- October 31 - The Who release their first studio album for 24 years, Endless Wire
- November 7
- Ricky Martin releases his MTV Unplugged.
- Pop megastar Britney Spears files for divorce from husband Kevin Federline.
- November 8 – Nelly Furtado makes a cameo in the Portuguese soap opera Floribella.
- November 10
- R&B singer Gerald Levert dies of an apparent heart attack in his sleep at his home in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Joss Stone announces CD, to be released on March 6 2007.
- November 11
- Justin Timberlake's single "My Love" reaches number one on the Hot 100.
- Kylie Minogue resumes Showgirl - The Homecoming Tour after a year and a half when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and postponed the show.
- November 14 – A tribute to songwriter Cecilia for her 30th death anniversary.
- November 16
- MTV Latin America 2006 awards. Evanescence, Robbie Williams, Panda Nelly Furtado and Shakira performed, among others.
- Snow Patrol became the first British band to get to the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 13 years.
- The Offspring announce on their official website that they were back in the studio recording their first album since 2003's Splinter. The album is produced by Bob Rock of Metallica fame.
- Christina Aguilera announced she'll make her acting debut in CSI:New York February 2007.
- November 24 - American Music Awards air. Winners include Kelly Clarkson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shakira, Jamie Foxx, Nickelback, Sean Paul, Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Mary J. Blige. Nelly Furtado, John Mayer, Fall Out Boy and Beyoncé performed.
- November 26 - Damien Leith takes the title as Australian Idol 2006 becoming the oldest winner of Idol in the world. He beat 16 year old Jessica Mauboy.
- December 5 - The Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani, The Re-Up by Eminem and Ciara: The Evolution by Ciara in stores in the U.S.
- December 6 - Beyoncé reached her fourth number one in the U.S. with "Irreplaceable".
- December 6 - Declared "Dia de Shakira" or "Day of Shakira" by the Mayor of miami.
- December 13th - David Silveria goes on Hiatus from Korn due to managing his Restaurant. There have been reports that it is also because of his Wrist Injury again hinting that he may not come back to Korn.
- December 25 - James Brown dies at 73.
- December 29 - Automatic Hotel releases debut music video "You Can Be A Rainbow (Not A Painbow!)"
- December 31 - Social Deviantz release Bleaky Deky
- Unknown Date - Wes Borland leaves Limp Bizkit again due to being confused with the state of Limp Bizkit being that each member had individual side projects. He seemed to be the only member to push the bands career forward as to Fred Durst holding it back that was when he formed his own band Black Light Burns and the insaults poured in from Durst towards Borland. In return Borland defending himself. There were also allegations of the band wanting to kick him out for the past year and apparently Borland did not help out with John Otto's drug problem which Durst did not like saying that Borland need to be there in John's time in need.
Bands formed
- Army of Anyone
- Brown Brigade
- Danity Kane
- Daughtry
- Endless Nameless
- The Good, the Bad and the Queen
- Haemorrhagic Fever
- I
- Larrikin Love
- The Luchagors
- Monrose
- Nena Daconte
- Of The Opera
- Red
- Rock Star Supernova
Bands disbanded
- 22-20s
- Acceptance
- Adequate Seven
- After School Special
- Arab Strap
- Audio Adrenaline
- The Beautiful Mistake (hiatus)
- The Blackout Pact
- Boysetsfire
- The Casket Lottery (hiatus)
- Cave In (hiatus)
- Centinex
- Champion
- Clor
- Cold
- The Corrs (hiatus)
- Day At The Fair
- Dead Moon
- Death from Above 1979
- A Dozen Furies
- Dropbox
- Eiffel 65
- Elefantes
- Escape Velocity (hiatus)
- E.Town Concrete
- Finch (hiatus)
- For Felix (hiatus)
- Frost (hiatus)
- Further Seems Forever
- High School Football Heroes
- Hope of the States
- If Hope Dies
- JJ72
- JR Ewing
- The Juliana Theory
- Kill Your Idols
- Kind of Like Spitting
- Le Tigre (hiatus)
- The Letters Organize
- Lillix (hiatus)
- Mest
- Mad Capsule Markets (hiatus)
- Marathon
- Midtown (hiatus)
- The Organ
- Out Hud
- Peccatum
- Pedro the Lion
- A Perfect Circle (hiatus)
- Plonker
- The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower
- Preluders
- Rainer Maria
- Sleater-Kinney
- Stampin' Ground
- The String Cheese Incident
- The Suicide Machines
- Supersystem
- System of a Down (hiatus)
- Test Icicles
- This Day and Age
- Townhall
- Treble Charger (Texan)
- Trick Pony
- TRUSTcompany
- T.S.O.L.
- Van Halen (hiatus)
- Vendetta Red
- X86
Bands reformed
- The Afghan Whigs
- All Saints
- Alice in Chains
- Atheist
- Believer
- Blaque
- Blind Melon
- Bloodgood
- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
- Buckcherry
- Cactus
- Chavez
- Deliverance
- Five
- Genesis (with Phil Collins)
- Gorilla Biscuits
- Information Society
- Immortal
- Jodeci
- Lifetime
- Meat Puppets
- Neighborhood Watch
- Ozma
- Take That
- X-Clan
Albums released
| Contents: | Top • January • February • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December |
|---|
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Remastered re-issue of 2001 album with bonus tracksTop hits on record in the world
Best Singles Sales (Worldwide)
(The following are accurate points of singles while they have been within the top 40, on the UWC)
| Position | Single Title | Artist | Country | Points | Highest Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hips Don't Lie | Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean |   |
9,769,000 | 1 |
| 2 | Crazy | Gnarls Barkley |  |
8,075,000 | 2 |
| 3 | SexyBack | Justin Timberlake | |
5,498,000 | 1 |
| 4 | Sorry | Madonna | |
5,180,000 | 1 |
| 5 | Dani California | Red Hot Chili Peppers | |
5,047,000 | 2 |
| 6 | Promiscuous | Nelly Furtado Feat. Timbaland |  |
4,870,000 | 4 |
| 7 | Because of You | Kelly Clarkson | |
4,859,000 | 4 |
| 8 | Hung Up | Madonna | |
4,601,000 | 1 |
| 9 | SOS | Rihanna |  |
4,539,000 | 1 |
| 10 | Unfaithful | Rihanna | |
4,507,000 | 4 |
Top 10 best-selling albums during the year worldwide-Mediatraffic.de Data
YEAR-END Mediatraffic. Mediatraffic cumulative sales consider data only from weeks where albums stay in the Top 40.
| # | Artist | Album | Units sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | James Blunt | Back To Bedlam | 6,201,000 |
| 2. | Cast of High School Musical | High School Musical | 5,272,000 |
| 3. | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Stadium Arcadium | 5,142,000 |
| 4. | Justin Timberlake | FutureSex / LoveSounds | 4,158,000 |
| 5. | Shakira | Oral Fixation Vol. 2 | 3,979,000 |
| 6. | Madonna | Confessions On A Dance Floor | 3,469,000 |
| 7. | Nickelback | All The Right Reasons | 3,454,000 |
| 8. | Kelly Clarkson | Breakaway | 3,351,000 |
| 9. | Pussycat Dolls | PCD | 3,629,000 |
| 10. | Pink | I'm Not Dead | 3,230,000 |
Top 10 best-selling albums released in 2006 (worldwide) during 2006
Mediatraffic data plus data from weeks in which albums are out from their top 40.
| # | Artist | Album | Worldwide Sales | Worldwide Sales + 7.5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Stadium Arcadium | 5,693,000 | 6,119,975 |
| 2. | Soundtrack | High School Musical Soundtrack | 5,397,000 | 5,801,775 |
| 3. | Justin Timberlake | FutureSex / LoveSounds | 4,348,000 | 4,674,100 |
| 4. | Rascal Flatts | Me And My Gang | 3,623,000 | 3,894,725 |
| 5. | Pink | I'm Not Dead | 3,419,000 | 3,675,425 |
| 6. | Nelly Furtado | Loose | 3,371,000 | 3,623,825 |
| 7. | Evanescence | The Open Door | 3,357,000 | 3,608,775 |
| 8. | Beyoncé | B'Day | 3,238,000 | 3,480,850 |
| 9. | The Beatles | Love | 3,152,000 | 3,388,400 |
| 10. | Andrea Bocelli | Amore | 3,052,000 | 3,280,900 |
Top 10 best-selling albums released in 2006 (worldwide) to date
Mediatraffic data plus data from weeks in which albums are out from their top 40. [4]
| # | Artist | Album | Worldwide Sales | Worldwide Sales + 7.5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Justin Timberlake | FutureSex / LoveSounds | 7,892,000 | 8,483,900 |
| 2. | Soundtrack | High School Musical Soundtrack | 7,307,000 | 7,855,025 |
| 3. | Nelly Furtado | Loose | 7,211,000 | 7,751,825 |
| 4. | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Stadium Arcadium | 7,065,000 | 7,594,875 |
| 5. | P!nk | I'm Not Dead | 5,603,000 | 6,023,225 |
| 6. | Amy Winehouse | Back To Black | 5,513,000 | 5,926,475 |
| 7. | Beyoncé Knowles | B'Day | 5,484,000 | 5,895,300 |
| 8. | Fergie | The Dutchess | 5,116,000 | 5,499,700 |
| 9. | The Beatles | Love | 4,795,000 | 5,154,625 |
| 10. | Rascal Flatts | Me and My Gang | 4,631,000 | 4,978,325 |
Top 10 first week selling worldwide
Mediatraffic.de data
| # | Artist | Album | Units sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Stadium Arcadium | 1,108,000 |
| 2. | Kumi Koda | BEST ~second session~ | 983,000 |
| 3. | Justin Timberlake | FutureSex / LoveSounds | 932,000 |
| 4. | Evanescence | The Open Door | 775,000 |
| 5. | Tool | 10,000 Days | 756,000 |
| 6. | Beyoncé | B'Day | 736,000 |
| 7. | Rascal Flatts | Me And My Gang | 733,000 |
| 8. | The Beatles | Love | 721,000 |
| 9. | The Killers | Sam's Town | 706,000 |
| 10. | Ayumi Hamasaki | Secret | 696,280 |
Top hits on record in the world
United States
Billboard Hot 100 #1 Hits
- "Don't Forget About Us" — Mariah Carey (1 week in 2005/1 week in 2006)
- "Laffy Taffy" — D4L (1 week)
- "Grillz" — Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali and Big Gipp (2 weeks)
- "Check on It" — Beyoncé featuring Slim Thug (5 weeks)
- "You're Beautiful" — James Blunt (1 week)
- "So Sick" — Ne-Yo (2 weeks)
- "Temperature" — Sean Paul (1 week)
- "Bad Day" — Daniel Powter (5 weeks)
- "SOS (Rescue Me)" — Rihanna (3 weeks)
- "Ridin'" — Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone (2 weeks)
- "Hips Don't Lie" — Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (2 weeks)
- "Do I Make You Proud" — Taylor Hicks (1 week)
- "Promiscuous" — Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland (6 weeks)
- "London Bridge" — Fergie (3 weeks)
- "SexyBack" — Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland (7 weeks)
- "Money Maker — Ludacris featuring Pharrell (2 weeks)
- "My Love" — Justin Timberlake featuring T.I. (3 weeks)
- "I Wanna Love You" — Akon featuring Snoop Dogg (2 weeks)
- "Irreplaceable" - Beyoncé (3 week in 2006/7 weeks in 2007)
See also: Hot 100 number-one hits of 2006. Billboard Hot 100 Hits – Singles which have ranked within Top 20
- "(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me" — Sean Paul featuring Keyshia Cole (#3)
- "A Public Affair" — Jessica Simpson (#14)
- "Ain't No Other Man" — Christina Aguilera (#6)
- "Be Without You" — Mary J. Blige (#3)
- "Beep" — Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am (#13)
- "Before He Cheats" — Carrie Underwood (#16)
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" — KT Tunstall (#20)
- "Bossy" — Kelis (#16)
- "Breaking Free" — Zac Efron, Andrew Seeley and Vanessa Anne Hudgens (#4)
- "Buttons" — Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg (#3)
- "Call Me When You're Sober" — Evanescence (#10)
- "Chain Hang Low" — Jibbs (#7)
- "Chasing Cars" — Snow Patrol (#5)
- "Come To Me" — Diddy featuring Nicole Scherzinger (#9)
- "Control Myself" — LL Cool J featuring Jennifer Lopez (#4)
- "Crazy" — Gnarls Barkley (#2)
- "Dani California" — Red Hot Chili Peppers (#6)
- "Deja Vu" — Beyoncé Knowles featuring Jay-Z (#4)
- "Dirty Little Secret" — The All-American Rejects (#9)
- "Do It To It" - Cherish featuring Sean Paul of The YoungBloodZ (#12)
- "Everytime We Touch" — Cascada (#10)
- "Far Away" — Nickelback (#8)
- "Fergalicious" — Fergie (#2)
- "Get Up" — Ciara featuring Chamillionaire (#7)
- "Gimme That" — Chris Brown featuring Lil' Wayne (#15)
- "How To Save A Life" — The Fray (#3)
- "Hurt" - Christina Aguilera (#19)
- "I Know You See It" — Yung Joc (#17)
- "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" — Panic! at the Disco (#7)
- "It Ends Tonight" — The All-American Rejects (#11)
- "It's Goin' Down" — Yung Joc (#3)
- "Jesus, Take the Wheel" — Carrie Underwood (#20)
- "Keep Holding On" — Avril Lavigne (#17)
- "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" — Dem Franchize Boyz (#7)
- "Let U Go" — Ashley Parker Angel (#12)
- "Life Is A Highway" — Rascal Flatts (#7)
- "Lips of an Angel" — Hinder (#3)
- "Love" — Keyshia Cole (#19)
- "Maneater" — Nelly Furtado (#16)
- "Me & U" — Cassie (#3)
- "Move Along" — The All-American Rejects (#15)
- "Ms. New Booty" — Bubba Sparxxx featuring Ying Yang Twins & Mr. ColliPark (#7)
- "Over My Head (Cable Car)" — The Fray (#8)
- "Promise" - Ciara (#11)
- "Pullin' Me Back" — Chingy featuring Tyrese (#9)
- "Pump It" — Black Eyed Peas (#18)
- "Ring The Alarm" — Beyoncé Knowles (#11)
- "Say Goodbye" — Chris Brown (#10)
- "Say It Right" — Nelly Furtado (#6)
- "Savin' Me" — Nickelback (#19)
- "Sexy Love" — Ne-Yo (#7)
- "Shake That" — Eminem featuring Nate Dogg (#6)
- "Shortie Like Mine" — Bow Wow featuring Chris Brown and Johnta Austin (#9)
- "Shoulder Lean" — Young Dro featuring T.I. (#10)
- "Show Me What You Got" — Jay-Z (#8)
- "Show Stopper" — Danity Kane (#8)
- "Smack That" — Akon featuring Eminem (#2)
- "Snap Yo Fingers" — Lil Jon featuring E-40 and Sean Paul of The YoungBloodZ (#7)
- "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" — Katharine McPhee (#12)
- "So What" — Field Mob featuring Ciara (#10)
- "Stars Are Blind" — Paris Hilton (#18)
- "Stupid Girls" — Pink (#13)
- "That's That" - Snoop Dogg featuring R. Kelly (#20)
- "Too Little Too Late" — JoJo (#3)
- "Touch It" — Busta Rhymes (#13)
- "U and Dat" — E-40 featuring T-Pain and Kandi Girl (#13)
- "Unfaithful" — Rihanna (#6)
- "Unpredictable" — Jamie Foxx (#8)
- "Unwritten" — Natasha Bedingfield (#5)
- "Waiting On the World to Change" — John Mayer (#20)
- "Walk Away" — Kelly Clarkson (#12)
- "Walk It Out" — Unk (#14)
- "Welcome to the Black Parade" – My Chemical Romance (#13)
- "What Hurts the Most" — Rascal Flatts (#6)
- "What You Know" — T.I. (#3)
- "What's Left of Me" — Nick Lachey (#6)
- "Where'd You Go" — Fort Minor featuring Holly Brook (#4)
- "When You're Mad" — Ne-Yo (#15)
- "When You Were Young" — The Killers (#14)
- "When I'm Gone" — Eminem (#8)
- "White & Nerdy" — "Weird Al" Yankovic (#9)
- "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" — Chris Brown (#7)
- "You Don't Know" - Eminem featuring 50 Cent, Ca$his, and Lloyd Banks (#12)
United Kingdom
The Official UK #1 Singles
- "When the Sun Goes Down" — Arctic Monkeys (1 week)
- "Nasty Girl" — The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge and Avery Storm (2 weeks)
- "Thunder In My Heart Again" — Meck and Leo Sayer (2 weeks)
- "Sorry" — Madonna (1 week)
- "It's Chico Time" — Chico (2 weeks)
- "No Tomorrow" — Orson (1 week)
- "So Sick" — Ne-Yo (1 week)
- "Crazy" — Gnarls Barkley (9 weeks)
- "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker" — Sandi Thom (1 week)
- "Maneater" — Nelly Furtado (3 weeks)
- "Hips Don't Lie" — Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (1 week)
- "Smile" — Lily Allen (2 weeks)
- "Please, Please / Don't Stop Me Now" — McFly (1 week)
- "Hips Don't Lie" — Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (4 weeks, 5 weeks in total)
- "Deja Vu" — Beyoncé Knowles featuring Jay-Z (1 week)
- "SexyBack" — Justin Timberlake (1 week)
- "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" — Scissor Sisters (4 weeks)
- "America" — Razorlight (1 week)
- "Welcome to the Black Parade" – My Chemical Romance (2 weeks)
- "Star Girl" – McFly (1 week)
- "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit" – Fedde Le Grand (1 week)
- "The Rose" - Westlife (1 week)
- "Smack That" - Akon (Featuring Eminem) (1 week)
- "Patience" - Take That (3 weeks)
- "A Moment like This" - Leona Lewis (2 weeks)
See also: List of number-one hits of 2006 (UK) The Official UK Hit Singles – Singles which have ranked within Top 20
- "After All This Time" - Simon Webbe (#16)
- "Ain't No Other Man" — Christina Aguilera (#2)
- "All Good Things (Come to an End)" — Nelly Furtado (#4)
- "All Time Love" — Will Young (#3)
- "Amazing" - Westlife (#4)
- "Analogue (All I Want)" - A-Ha (#10)
- "Angel" - Pharrell Williams (#15)
- "Bad" - Michael Jackson (#16) (re-release)
- "Bang Bang You're Dead" - Dirty Pretty Things (#5)
- "Beat It" - Michael Jackson (#15) (re-release)
- "Beautiful Soul" - Jesse McCartney (#16)
- "Because I Want You" - Placebo (#13)
- "Beep" — Pussycat Dolls featuring Will.I.Am (#2)
- "Better Do Better" — HARD-Fi (#14)
- "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson (#11) (re-release)
- "Black Or White" - Michael Jackson (#18) (re-release)
- "Bones" — The Killers (#15)
- "Boyfriend" - Ashlee Simpson (#12)
- "Boys Will Be Boys" — The Ordinary Boys (#3)
- "Break The Night With Colour" - Richard Ashcroft (#3)
- "Bright Idea" - Orson (#11)
- "Burning Benches" - Morning Runner (#19)
- "Buttons" — Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg (#3)
- "Call Me When You're Sober" – Evanescence (#4)
- "Call on Me" – Janet Jackson and Nelly (#18)
- "Chasing Cars" — Snow Patrol (#6)
- "Check on It" — Beyoncé Knowles featuring Slim Thug (#3)
- "Checkin' It Out" — Lil' Chris (#3)
- "Control Myself" — LL Cool J featuring Jennifer Lopez (#2)
- "Come To Me" — Diddy featuring Nicole Scherzinger (#3)
- "Country Girl" — Primal Scream (#5)
- "Crystal Ball" – Keane (#20)
- "Dance Dance" - Fall Out Boy (#8)
- "Dancin'" - Aaron Smith Featuring. Luvli (#20)
- "Dani California" — Red Hot Chili Peppers (#2)
- "Different World" - Iron Maiden (#3)
- "Dirty Diana" - Michael Jackson (#17) (re-release)
- "Don't Bother" — Shakira (#9)
- "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson (#17) (re-release)
- "Downtown" — Emma Bunton (#3)
- "Do You Ever Think Of Me" - Antony Costa (#19)
- "Dreams" - Deep Dish feat. Stevie Nicks (#14)
- "Eddie's Song" - Son Of Dork (#10)
- "Everytime We Touch" — Cascada (#2)
- "Faster Kill Pussycat" — Oakenfold featuring Brittany Murphy (#7)
- "Fill My Little World" — The Feeling (#10)
- "First Time" - Sunblock feat. Robin Beck (#9)
- "Fly" - Hilary Duff (#20)
- "From Paris to Berlin" — Infernal (#2)
- "Funny Little Frog" - Belle & Sebastian (#10)
- "Get Together" — Madonna (#7)
- "Gold Lion" — Yeah Yeah Yeahs (#18)
- "Grow" - Kubb (#18)
- "Heartbeats" - Jose Gonzalez (#9)
- "Here We Go" - Trina feat. Kelly Rowland (#15)
- "Hustler's Ambition" - 50 Cent (#13)
- "I'll Be Ready" - Sunblock (#4)
- "I'm With Stupid" - Pet Shop Boys (#8)
- "In The Closet" - Michael Jackson (#20) (re-release)
- "Incredible" - Shapeshifters (#12)
- "Irreplaceable" — Beyoncé Knowles (#4)
- "I See You You See Me" - Magic Numbers (#20)
- "Is It Any Wonder?" — Keane (#3)
- "Is It Just Me?" - The Darkness (#8)
- "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" — Meat Loaf featuring Marion Raven (#6)
- "Jump In My Car" — David Hasselhoff (#3)
- "Knights of Cydonia" — Muse (#10)
- "Leave Me Alone" - Michael Jackson (#15) (re-release)
- "Like You" - Bow Wow feat. Ciara (#10)
- "Live With Me" - Massive Attack (#17)
- "Lost & Found" - Feeder (#12)
- "Love Don't Let Me Go (Walking Away)" — David Guetta vs. The Egg (#3)
- "Lovelight" - Robbie Williams (#8)
- "Make A Move On Me" - Joey Negro (#11)
- "Moodswings (To Come At Me Like That)" — Charlotte Church (#14)
- "Most Precious Love" - Blaze feat. Barbara Tucker (#17)
- "Munich" - The Editors (#10)
- "Music Is Power" - Richard Ashcroft (#20)
- "Naive" - The Kooks (#5)
- "Nature's Law" — Embrace (#2)
- "Never Wanna Say" - Soundbwoy Ent (#18)
- "Nine2Five" — The Ordinary Boys vs. Lady Sovereign (#6)
- "No Promises" — Shayne Ward (#2)
- "Nothing In My Way" – Keane (#19)
- "One" — Mary J. Blige featuring U2 (#2)
- "One More Night Alone" - Friday Hill (#13)
- "One Wish" - Ray J (#13)
- "Promiscuous" — Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland (#3)
- "Pump It" — The Black Eyed Peas (#3)
- "Put Your Records On" — Corinne Bailey Rae (#2)
- "Run It!" — Chris Brown (#2)
- "Red Dress" — Sugababes (#4)
- "Ride A White Horse" - Goldfrapp (#15)
- "Ridin'" — Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone (#2)
- "Rock With You" - Michael Jackson (#15) (re-release)
- "Rooftops" — Lostprophets (#8)
- "Rudebox" — Robbie Williams (#4)
- "Say I" - Christina Milian feat. Young Jeezy (#4)
- "Say Say Say (Waiting 4 U)" - Hi-Tack (#4)
- "Sewn" - The Feeling (#7)
- "She Moves In Her Own Way" — The Kooks (#8)
- "Sleep" - Texas (band) (#6)
- "Snow ((Hey Oh))" — Red Hot Chili Peppers (#16)
- "Somebody's Watching Me" — Beatfreakz (#3)
- "Something Kinda Ooooh" — Girls Aloud (#3)
- "SOS (Rescue Me)" — Rihanna (#2)
- "Soul Survivor" - Young Jeezy Featuring. Akon (#10)
- "Smooth Criminal" - Michael Jackson (#19) (re-release)
- "Speechless" - Mish Mash (#16)
- "Standing On My Own Again" - Graham Coxon (#20)
- "Stars Are Blind" — Paris Hilton (#5)
- "Steady As She Goes" - The Raconteurs (#4)
- "Stoned In Love" - Chicane feat. Tom Jones (#7)
- ";;Stupid Girls" - Pink (#4)
- "Suffer Well" - Depeche Mode (#12)
- "Sugar, We're Going Down" - Fall Out Boy (#8)
- "Suzie" - Boy Kill Boy (#17)
- "Nobody Knows" — Pink (#4)
- "Talk" — Coldplay (#10) (released in 2005)
- "Piece of My Heart" - Beverley Knight (#16)
- "Teenage Life" — Daz Sampson (#8)
- "Temperature" — Sean Paul (#11)
- "The Adventures" - Angels & Airwaves (#20)
- "The Fallen / L. Wells" — Franz Ferdinand (#14)
- "The Saints Are Coming" – U2 and Green Day (#6)
- "The Way You Make Me Feel" - Michael Jackson (#17) (re-release)
- "The Weakness In Me" - Keisha White (#17)
- "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" - Flaming Lips (#16)
- "Touch It" - Busta Rhymes (#6)
- "Touch The Sky" — Kanye West feat. Lupe Fiasco (#6)
- "U + Ur Hand" — Pink (#10)
- "Unbelievable" - Craig David (#18)
- "Unfaithful" – Rihanna (#2)
- "Unpredictable" - Jamie Foxx feat. Ludacris (#16)
- "Voodoo Child" — Rogue Traders (#3)
- "Watchin'" - Freemasons feat. Amanda Wilson (#19)
- "Welcome to Wherever You Are" — Bon Jovi (#19)
- "We Ride" — Rihanna (#17)
- "When I Think of You" - Lee Ryan (#15)
- "When You Wasn't Famous" — The Streets (#8)
- "When I'm Gone" — Eminem (#4)
- "Who Am I" - Will Young (#11)
- "Who Knew" — Pink (#5)
- "Who Says You Can't Go Home" — Bon Jovi (#5)
- "Whole Lotta History" — Girls Aloud (#6)
- "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" - The Zutons (#9)
- "Wind It Up" — Gwen Stefani (#3)
- "Woman in Love" - Liz McClarnon (#5)
- "Wonderful World" — James Morrison (#8)
- "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" — Chris Brown (#13)
- "You Don't Love Me" - The Kooks (#12)
- "You Give Me Something" — James Morrison (#5)
- "You Got The Love" - The Source feat. Candi Staton (#7)
- "You Have Killed Me" — Morrissey (#3)
- "You Only Live Once" — The Strokes (#14)
- "You're All I Have" — Snow Patrol (#7)
- "You Spin Me Round" - Dead or Alive (#5)
Australia
- "Wasabi/Eye of the Tiger" - Lee Harding (3 weeks)
- "Run It!" - Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana (1 week)
- "When I'm Gone" - Eminem (1 week)
- "Run It!" - Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana (2 weeks)
- "Love Generation" - Bob Sinclar featuring Gary Pine (2 weeks)
- "Flaunt It" - TV Rock featuring Seany B (4 weeks)
- "Forever Young" - Youth Group (1 week)
- "Flaunt It" - TV Rock featuring Seany B (1 week)
- "Forever Young" - Youth Group (1 week)
- "SOS" - Rihanna (8 weeks)
- "Hips Don't Lie" - Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (9 weeks)
- "SexyBack" - Justin Timberlake (2 weeks)
- "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (with Flowers in My Hair)" - Sandi Thom (10 weeks)
- "The Saints Are Coming" – U2 and Green Day (1 week)
- "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" – Scissor Sisters (2 weeks)
- "Night of My Life" – Damien Leith (3 weeks)
See also: List of number-one singles in Australia of 2006 Australian ARIA Hit Singles – Singles which have ranked within Top 20
- "Ain't No Other Man" — Christina Aguilera (#6)
- "Beep" — The Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am (#3)
- "Black Fingernails, Red Wine" — Eskimo Joe (#6)
- "Buttons" – The Pussycat Dolls (#2)
- "Deja Vu" – Beyoncé Knowles featuring Jay-Z (#12)
- "Dani California" — Red Hot Chili Peppers (#8)
- "Don't Give Up" - Shannon Noll & Natalie Bassingswaithe (#2)
- "Faded" — Kate DeAraugo (#8)
- "Goodbye My Lover" — James Blunt (#3)
- "Grillz" — Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp (#11)
- "Joker & the Thief" - Wolfmother (#8)
- "L.O.V.E." — Ashlee Simpson (#5)
- "Maneater" — Nelly Furtado (#4)
- "Miss Murder" — AFI (#20)
- "Mistake" — Stephanie McIntosh (#3)
- "Nasty Girl" — The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge & Avery Storm (#15)
- "Nothing at All" — Kasey Chambers (#9)
- "Now I Run" — Shannon Noll (#6)
- "Promiscuous" — Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland (#2)
- "Pump It" — Black Eyed Peas (#6)
- "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" - Jet (#14)
- "Savin' Me" — Nickelback (#18)
- "Sexy Love" — Ne-Yo (#14)
- "Shine On" - Jet (#20)
- "So Sick" — Ne-Yo (#4)
- "So Under Pressure" — Dannii Minogue (#16)
- "Sorry" — Madonna (#4)
- "Stupid Girls" — Pink (#4)
- "Temperature" — Sean Paul (#5)
- "This Time I Know It's for Real" — Young Divas (#2)
- "Tightrope" - Stephanie McIntosh (#16)
- "Touch The Sky" — Kanye West (#10)
- "Together We Are One — Delta Goodrem (#2)
- "U + Ur Hand – Pink (#6)
- "Unfaithful – Rihanna (#2)
- "Watching You" - Rogue Traders (#5)
- "We Are the Champions (Ding a Dang Dong)" — Crazy Frog (#13)
- "What's Left of Me" — Nick Lachey (#8)
- "When It All Falls Apart" — The Veronicas (#7)
- "Who Knew" – Pink (#2)
- "Wisemen" — James Blunt (#11)
- "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" — Chris Brown (#10)
- "You Raise Me Up" — Westlife (#3)
- "Bossy" — Kelis (#18)
Classical music
- Derek Bourgrous – Symphony No. 32
- Alla Pavlova - Symphony No. 5
- Steve Reich - Daniel Variations
- Mohammed Fairouz - "Requiem Mass"
- Daniel Theaker - Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 17
Opera
- Robert Xavier Rodriguez — La Curandera; libretto by Mary Medrick (première by Opera Colorado on May)
- Stephen Hartke – The Greater Good, or the Passion of Boule de Suif
- Ernst Mahle – O Garatuja, libretto by Eugênio Leandro, based on the homonymous novel by José de Alencar, premiered at the Teatro Municipal de Piracicaba "Dr Losso Netto", Brazil, on April 27
- Ronaldo Miranda – A Tempestade, libretto by the composer, based on Shakespeare's play The Tempest, premiered at Theatro São Pedro in São Paulo, Brazil on September 22
- Jorge Antunes – Olga, libretto by Gerson Valle, based on the life of Olga Benario, premiered at Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, Brazil on October 14
Musical theater
- premiered at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts on August 7 as the first full length by-students for-students musical about high school.
- Grey Gardens Broadway production opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre on November 2 and ran for 308 performances
- Mary Poppins Broadway production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on November 16
- The Phantom of the Opera officially became the longest Broadway running musical ever on January 9, at 7486 performances surpassing the previous record holder, Cats, also written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
- Spring Awakening Broadway production opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on December 10
- Tarzan Broadway production opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on May 10
- The Wedding Singer Broadway production opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 27 and ran for 284 performances.
Musical film
- Bolletjes Blues, a Dutch film starring Negativ, released on March 23.
- The Cheetah Girls 2, a Disney Channel Original Movie watched by 7.8 million viewers in its premiere broadcast on August 25.
- Dreamgirls starring Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover and Jennifer Hudson, released on December 15
- Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel original series about a rock star, premiered on March 23.
- Happy Feet, a film with the voices of Nicole Kidman, Elijah Wood, Hugh Jackman, Brittany Murphy, Robin Williams and Anthony LaPaglia, released on November 17.
- High School Musical, a Disney Channel Original Movie watched by 7.7 million viewers in its premiere broadcast on January 20.
- Neil Young: Heart of Gold, a film directed by Jonathan Demme, released on February 10.
- Take the Lead, a film starring Antonio Banderas and Alfre Woodard, released on April 7.
Births
- May 14 — Bluebell Madonna Halliwell, daughter of Geri Halliwell and Sacha Gervasi.
- May 26 — Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale.
- September 12 — Jayden James Federline, son of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline.
Deaths
- January 1 — Bryan Harvey, American singer-guitarist of House of Freaks, 46
- January 6
- Lou Rawls, American soul singer, 72
- Alex St. Claire, American drummer of Captain Beefheart, 64
- January 11 — Markus Löffel, German disc jockey, 39
- January 19 — Wilson Pickett, American singer, 64
- January 27 — Gene McFadden, American singer-songwriter and producer, 56
- January 30 — Thomas "Pig Champion" Roberts, American guitarist of Poison Idea, 47
- February 2 — Bill Cowsill, American singer-gutarist of The Cowsills, 52
- February 3 — Romano Mussolini, Italian jazz pianist, 78
- February 10 — Jay Dee, American hip hop producer, 32
- February 15 — Anna Marly, French singer-songwriter, 88
- February 22 — Anthony Burger, American gospel music pianist, 44
- March 7 — Ali Farka Touré, Malian singer and guitarist, 66
- March 10 — Anna Moffo, American operatic soprano, 75
- March 13 — Geoffrey Wilkes, bassist of The Orange Jam Conspiracy, 18
- March 23
- Pío Leyva, Cuban singer of the Buena Vista Social Club, 88
- Cindy Walker, American country singer-songwriter, 87
- March 25
- Buck Owens, American country singer and guitarist, 76
- Rocío Dúrcal, Spanish singer and actress, 62
- March 26 — Nikki Sudden, English singer-songwriter, 49
- March 27 — Pete Wells, 48, guitarist of Buffalo & Rose Tattoo
- April 5 — Gene Pitney, American singer-songwriter, 65
- April 11
- June Pointer, American singer of Pointer Sisters, 52
- Proof (DeShaun Holton), American rapper of D12, 32
- April 24
- Erik Bergman, Finnish composer of classical music, 94
- Bonnie Owens, American country singer, 76
- April 28 — Ben-Zion Orgad, Israeli composer, 80
- May 1 — Big Hawk, American rapper, 36
- May 5 — Naushad, Indian composer, 86
- May 6 — Grant McLennan, Australian guitarist and songwriter of The Go Betweens, 48
- May 10
- Soraya, Colombian-American singer, 37
- John Hicks, American jazz pianist, 65
- May 13 — Johnnie Wilder, American singer of Heatwave, 56
- May 15 — Cheikha Rimitti, Algerian singer, 83
- May 18 — Andy Capps, American drummer of Built to Spill, 37
- May 19 — Freddie Garrity, English singer of Freddie and the Dreamers, 69
- May 23 — Ian Copeland, American music promoter, 57
- May 25 — Desmond Dekker, Jamaican ska and reggae performer, 64
- June 1 — Rocío Jurado, Spanish singer and actress, 62
- June 2
- Johnny Grande, American keyboardist of Bill Haley & His Comets, 76
- Vince Welnick, American keyboardist of Grateful Dead, 55
- June 6
- Billy Preston, American soul keyboardist, 59
- Hilton Ruiz, Puerto Rican-American jazz pianist, 54
- June 12 — György Ligeti, Hungarian composer, 83
- June 20 — Claydes Charles Smith, American guitarist of Kool and the Gang, 57.
- June 27 — Eileen Barton, American singer, 76
- July 3
- Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, American mezzo-soprano, 52
- Jack Smith, American singer, 92
- July 7
- Syd Barrett, English singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding-member of Pink Floyd, 60
- Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, Irish singer and guitarist of The Bothy Band, 54
- July 8 — June Allyson, American actress, singer and dancer, 88
- July 9 — Milan Williams, American keyboardist of The Commodores, 58
- July 13 — Ade Monsbourgh, Australian jazz musician, 89
- July 16 — Malachi Thompson, American jazz trumpeter, 56
- July 17 - John G. Blowers, Jr., swing era drummer, 95
- July 22 — Jessie Mae Hemphill, American singer-songwriter, 82
- July 31 — Rufus Harley, American jazz bagpiper, 70
- August 2 — Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, German operatic soprano, 90
- August 3 — Arthur Lee, American guitarist and vocalist of Love, 61
- August 4 – Monroe Clark, English-born Violinist, 70
- August 16 — Jon Nödtveidt, Swedish singer of Dissection, 31
- August 19 — Joseph Hill, Jamaican lead singer of roots reggae group Culture, 57
- August 22 — Bruce Gary, American drummer of The Knack, 55
- August 23 — Maynard Ferguson, Canadian jazz trumpet player, 78
- August 24 — John Weinzweig, Canadian composer of classical music, 93
- August 27 — Jesse Pintado, Mexican-American guitarist for Napalm Death, 37
- August 28 - Pip Pyle, English drummer forHatfield and the North, National Health, and Gong, 56
- September 3 — Eva Knardahl, Norwegian classical pianist, 79
- September 4 — Astrid Varnay, Swedish operatic soprano, 88
- September 10 — Bennie Smith, American blues musician, 72
- September 13 — Lou Richards, American guitarist of Hatebreed, 35
- September 14 — Norman Brooks, Canadian singer, 78
- September 19 — Danny Flores, Mexican-American saxaphonist of The Champs, 77
- September 20 — Armin Jordan, Swiss conductor, 74
- September 21 — Boz Burrell, English bass guitarist of Bad Company and King Crimson, 60
- September 23 — Malcolm Arnold, English composer, 84
- September 30 — Isabel Bigley, American singer and actress, 78
- October 14 — Freddy Fender, American singer, 69
- October 18 — Anna Russell, UK singer and comedienne, 94
- October 21 — Sandy West, American drummer of The Runaways, 47
- October 23
- Lebo Mathosa, singer, 29 (car accident)
- Leonid Hambro, pianist, 86
- October 26 — Rogério Duprat, composer, 74
- November 1
- Jason DiEmilio, guitarist (The Azusa Plane), 36
- Buddy Killen, record producer and founder of Dial Records, 73
- Silvio Varviso, conductor, 82
- November 3 – Paul Mauriat, orchestra leader, 81
- November 8 – Basil Poledouris, film composer, 61
- November 10 – Gerald Levert, singer, 40
- November 17 - Ruth Brown, US singer, 78
- November 21 - Robert Lockwood, Jr., American blues guitarist, 91
- November 22 - John Allan Cameron, folk musician, 67
- November 23
- Betty Comden, lyricist partner of Adolph Green, 89
- Anita O'Day, jazz singer, 87
- November 24 - Juice Leskinen, Finnish singer-songwriter, 56
- November 25 - Valentín Elizalde, Mexican banda singer, 27
- November 30 - Shirley Walker, film composer, 61
- December 2 - Mariska Veres, singer with Shocking Blue, 59
- December 6 - Darren Brown, AKA Wiz, former frontman of Mega City Four, 44
- December 8 - Martha Tilton, US big band singer, 91
- December 9 - Georgia Gibbs, US singer, 87
- December 11 - Homer Ledford, bluegrass musician, 79
- December 13 - Robert Long, singer and TV presenter, 63
- December 14 - Ahmet Ertegün, co-founder of Atlantic Records, 83
- December 16 - Pnina Salzman, pianist, 84
- December 18
- Scott Mateer, US songwriter and disk jockey, 46
- Daniel Pinkham, American composer, 83
- December 22 - Dennis Linde,Songwriter "Burnin' Love", "John Deere Green" and others
- December 23 - Ken Fischer, Amplifier technician and innovator, 61
- December 25 - James Brown, American singer, 73
- December 27 - Pierre Delanoë, French lyricist, 88
Awards and contests
- ARIA Music Awards of 2006
- Grammy Awards of 2006
- Country Music Association Awards
- Eurovision Song Contest 2006
- Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2006
- 2006 BRIT Awards
- 2006 NME Awards
- 2006 World Music Awards
- 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
- Nationwide Mercury Prize 2006
- MTV Australia Video Music Awards
- MTV Europe Music Awards 2006
External charts
- Top 50 Albums For 2006 - Subculture Magazine UK
- Revolution 91.7's Top 30 Songs of 2006
- mxdwn.com's User-Submitted AOTY/SOTY 2006
- Open's Top 10 albums of 2006
