1995 in music

Specific locations

• 1995 in British music
• 1995 in Norwegian music

  Specific genres

• 1995 in classical music
• 1995 in country music
• 1995 in heavy metal music
• 1995 in hip hop music
• 1995 in Latin music
• 1995 in jazz

  Events

January–February

• January 1 – Mo Ostin steps down as chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group.
• January 8 – Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder hosts "Self-Pollution Radio", a four-and-a-half hour radio broadcast with live performances by Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and others. Any station with a satellite receiver could pick up and carry the program.
• January 10 – Michel Sardou begins a record-breaking run of 113 shows at the Paris Olympia.
• January 14 – Perry Farrell is arrested for cocaine possession, being under the influence and possession of a syringe at a Los Angeles hotel.
• January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident.
• January 27 – Live from the House of Blues premieres on TBS.
• February 1 – Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers band member Richey James Edwards goes missing after leaving the London Embassy Hotel, UK at 7 am.
• February 7 – Rapper Tupac Shakur is sentenced to one-and-a-half to four-and-a-half years in prison on a sexual abuse charge. He was later released on appeal.
• February 12 – Iron Butterfly bassist Philip Taylor Kramer disappeared from Highway 101, USA as he tried to get back home from the Los Angeles International Airport. He tried calling his family and 911 for help, but received none.
• February 14 – Richey Edwards' Vauxhall Cavalier is found abandoned in a service station on the Bristol side of the Severn Bridge in the UK, with evidence that he had been living in it. Although he was near a notorious suicide spot, there is still no evidence to suggest he committed suicide.
• February 19
• *Roxette play to a crowd of 12,000 in Beijing, China, becoming the first Western band to be allowed to perform in the Workers' Indoor Arena for ten years.
• *Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee marries Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson on a beach in Cancún, Mexico.
• February 25 – Lyle Lovett suffers a broken collarbone in an accident while riding his motorcycle in Mexico. The accident prevented Lovett from attending the Grammy Awards.

  March–April

• March 1 – R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry leaves the stage during a concert in Switzerland after suffering a brain aneurysm. He undergoes successful brain surgery two days later in Switzerland.
• March 8 – Former Helloween drummer, Ingo Schwichtenberg, commits suicide by jumping under a subway train.
• March 13 – Radiohead album The Bends is released.
• March 14 – With the release of Me Against the World, Tupac Shakur became the first male solo artist to have a number one album on the American Billboard 200 chart while in prison. The album remained at the top of the charts for four weeks.
• March 26 – Rapper Eric Lynn Wright, better known as Eazy-E, dies of complications from AIDS.
• March 28 – Lyle Lovett and actress Julia Roberts announce their separation after 21 months of marriage.
• March 30 – Celine Dion releases D'eux, which goes on to be the most successful French-language album of all time.
• March 31
• * Tejano singer Selena is shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar, her former personal assistant and former fan club president, who had recently been fired for embezzling money from the fan club. The event was called "Black Friday" by Hispanics worldwide.
• * During a performance in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA, Jimmy Page narrowly escapes being stabbed by a man who rushes the stage with a knife. The man was tackled by security guards who were injured in the brawl.
• April 17 – Ed Rosenblatt replaces David Geffen as chairman and CEO of Geffen Records.
• April 29 – Tupac Shakur marries Keisha Morris inside the Clinton Correctional Facility, New York, USA. Shakur was serving a four-and-a-half year jail term on sexual assault charges. They would later divorce.

  May–June

• May 5 – Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler is arraigned on a felony count of possession of heroin, in addition to two misdemeanor drug charges.
• May 15 – Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland is arrested outside a motel in Pasadena, California, for possession of heroin and cocaine.
• May 19 – Sam Phillips makes her motion picture debut in the Bruce Willis action film, Die Hard with a Vengeance. Phillips played one of the main terrorists in the film.
• June 1 – Alan Wilder leaves Depeche Mode.
• June 13 – Icelandic singer Björk releases Post, her critically acclaimed second album as a solo artist. The musically diverse album contained some of her most popular work to date, including "Army of Me", "Hyperballad", "I Miss You" and a Betty Hutton cover of "It's Oh So Quiet".
• June 16 – Michael Jackson released his first double-album , which became the best-selling multiple-album of all-time, with 35 million copies sold worldwide.

  July–August

• July 3 – The members of TLC file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, declaring debts of over $3.5 million.
• July 9 – The Grateful Dead performs its final show with Jerry Garcia at Soldier Field in Chicago he dies one month later of a heart attack at the age of 53.
• July 14 – George Michael and Sony Music complete their acrimonious split. In 1994 Michael lost a lawsuit seeking to be released from his Sony contract, but he vowed to never sing for the company again. Michael will now record for the new label DreamWorks Records.
• July 17 – Robbie Williams announces he is quitting Take That.
• July 18 – Selena becomes the first Hispanic singer to have an album debut and peak at number-one on the US Billboard 200 chart. She also becomes the first and only female singer to place five albums simultaneously on the Billboard 200 chart.
• August 9
• * Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead passes away of a heart attack at age 53. In cities all over the United States, deadheads spontaneously gather to mourn his death and celebrate his life.
• * Kiss performs on MTV Unplugged. The band's current lineup is joined by original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, setting the stage for the band's reunion tour the following year.
• August 12 – The Offspring's Dexter Holland marries hairstylist Kristine Luna, who co-wrote the band's song "Session" from Ignition.
• August 22 – Rancid release their third studio album ...And Out Come the Wolves. Along with Green Day's Dookie and The Offspring's Smash, this album helped revive mainstream popular interest in punk rock in the mid-1990s, and becomes one of the best-selling independent records of all time. ...And Out Come the Wolves eventually goes platinum.
• August 28
• * Oingo Boingo announce that they will break up following a series of Halloween shows in Los Angeles, California, USA. Lead singer Danny Elfman has established a career scoring motion pictures.
• * The official end of Sarah Records is marked with a farewell party featuring live sets by many of the label's acts. It was the last live appearance by The Orchids before they split up.
• August 29 – Al Jourgensen and Mike Scaccia of Ministry are arrested for heroin possession in two separate incidents in Texas.

  September–October

• September 1 – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
• September 5 – The Luminiş Villa, George Enescu Memorial House, becomes an official memorial to the composer.
• September 8 – For Squirrels vocalist Jack Vigliatura, bassist Bill White and manager Tim Bender are all killed in a van accident near Savannah, Georgia.
• September 15 – Alternative-country magazine No Depression publishes its first issue, with Son Volt on the cover.
• September 27 – Time Warner agrees to sell back its 50 percent share of Interscope Records. The media giant had come under intense fire for the explicit lyrics of rap artists on the label.
• October 2
• *The first International Guitar Festival is held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• *Oasis release their second album, Morning Glory?. The album spawns several number one singles around the world and eventually becomes the third best-selling album in the UK ever.
• October 10
• * Mariah Carey performed at Madison Square Garden to promote her album Daydream.
• * Green Day release their fourth album Insomniac. While it didn't sell as well as their previous album Dookie, it still sold 4 million copies.
• October 11 – Tupac Shakur is released from Clinton Correctional Facility, New York, USA, on US$1.4 million bail which was posted by Suge Knight. In return Tupac signed a three-album deal with Knight's Death Row Records.
• October 21 – Blind Melon singer Shannon Hoon is found dead of a cocaine overdose at the age of 28.
• October 23 – Def Leppard enters the Guinness Book of World Records by performing three shows in three continents in the same day, playing Tangier, Morocco, London, England and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
• October 24 – The Smashing Pumpkins released their album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
• October 30 – Oasis released their single Wonderwall

  November–December

• November 6
• * Cher releases her first album in four years, It's A Man's World, her first original recording for Warner Music Group. The album would get its U.S. debut in June 1996.
• * Queen releases their final studio album that includes contributions from all original members following Freddie Mercury's death four years earlier. It goes on to be a huge success, selling 20 million copies worldwide.
• November 21
• * dc Talk release their 4th studio album Jesus Freak. It was a departure from their previous hip hop albums taking on a rap rock sound. It achieved the biggest 1st week sales for a Christian album selling more than 80,000 copies in its first week and entering the Billboard Top 200 at #16. It is known as one of the most important Christian albums of all time.
• * The Offspring re-release their debut album, on CD for the first time. This proves to be the band's final release on Epitaph Records; they leave Epitaph and sign with Columbia Records the next year.
• * Enrique Iglesias releases his debut album, in Spanish. It tops the Latin album charts and would go on to win a Grammy and produce five No. 1 singles on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart.
• December 4 – The Beatles release "Free As A Bird" as their first new single in over 20 years.
• December 21 – Madonna is subpoenaed to testify on January 3, 1996, against her stalker, Robert Hoskins, at the Criminal Courts Building in Los Angeles, California, USA. Hoskins was shot by a security guard outside her estate in Los Angeles in May 1995 for trespassing on her property and threatening to marry or kill her.
• December 31 – The twenty-fourth annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC, with appearances by Brandy, Goo Goo Dolls, Kool & The Gang, Martin Page, and The Rembrandts.

  Also in 1995

• In Flames hires Björn Gelotte & Anders Fridén.
• Three members of R.E.M., Bill Berry, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, fall ill while on the band's "Monster Tour". Berry suffers an aneurysm which required immediate surgery, Stipe suffers a hiatal hernia and Mills undergoes an appendectomy.
• Paul D'Amour leaves Tool.
• John Denver – The Wildlife Concert
• Kid 'n Play disbands.

  Bands formed

• See * :Category:Musical groups established in 1995|Musical groups established in 1995

  Bands disbanded

• See :Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1995

  Bands reformed

• The Misfits
• Journey
• E Street Band

  Albums released

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Release date unknown

• 25 Cents – The Flys
• 1979 – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – EP
• Abandoned Garden – Michael Franks
• The Acoustic Album – Toyah
• The Age of Electric – The Age of Electric
• Alfaro Vive, Carajo! – At the Drive-In – EP
• Alien 4 – Hawkwind
• Ask the Fish – Leftover Salmon
• Lamprey – Bettie Serveert
• Fly – Sarah Brightman
• One Hour – Cluster
• This Child – Susan Aglukark
• Cha Cha Cha – EMF
• The Breathing Shadow – Nightingale
• Bumper to Bumper – Stroke 9
• Caca Bonita – Papa Roach
• Carpet – Ceremonial Oath
• Company of Strangers – Bad Company
• Coughing Up a Storm – Frenzal Rhomb
• Devil in the Details – Saigon Kick
• Diaspora – Natacha Atlas
• Dead Winter Dead – Savatage
• Doubelievengod – Natas
• Dudebox – Pezz
• Dyslexicon – Dandelion
• En Route – Moebius & Plank
• Everything I Long For – Hayden
• Evil Stig – Joan Jett and The Gits
• Facts and Fictions – Asian Dub Foundation
• Five Ways of Disappearing – Kendra Smith
• The Future of What – Unwound
• Gush – Lowlife
• Hank Plays Cliff – Hank Marvin
• Human – Gary Numan
• A Hundred Lovers – Timbuk3
• Ima – BT
• Jerk of All Trades – Lunachicks
• The Jester Race – In Flames
• Jill Sobule – Jill Sobule
• The Light – Spock's Beard
• Looking Back – Toyah
• Musically Incorrect – Y&T
• Mental Aquaducts – Limp Biscut
• Move Me – Nazareth
• Neu! 4 – Neu!
• Nine Livez – Nine
• Obey – Brainbombs
• Orbus Terrarum – The Orb
• Pain – Dub War
• The Pastoral – Not Rustic – World of Their Greatest Hits – Country Teasers
• Pezcore – Less Than Jake
• Project Infinity – Man or Astro-Man?
• The Remix Album – Prince Ital Joe & Marky Mark
• Rock!!!!! – Violent Femmes
• Savage Poetry – Edguy
• Sea of Light – Uriah Heep
• Smokin – Kid Jonny Lang
• Soapy Water and Mister Marmalade – Sham 69
• Strange Cargo Hinterland – William Orbit
• The Very Best of The Blues Brothers – The Blues Brothers
• ...Until Now – Stir
• Wave of Popular Feeling – Groundswell
• White Zone'' – Psychedelic Warriors

  Biggest hit singles

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Coolio	Gangsta's Paradise	1995		United Kingdom: 1 – October 1995; United States Billboard: 1 of 1995; The Netherlands: 1 – October 1995; Sweden: 1 – October 1995; Austria: 1 – November 1995; Switzerland: 1 – November 1995; Norway: 1 – October 1995; Italy: 1 of 1996; Germany: 1 – January 1996; Republic of Ireland: 1 – October 1995; New Zealand: 1 for 9 weeks October 1995; Australia: 1 for 13 weeks January 1996; France: 3 – October 1995; Poland: 3 – October 1995; Australia: 6 of 1995; United States Billboard: 11 of 1995; United States Cash Box: 12 of 1995; Germany: 16 of the 1990s; Scrobulate: 27 of rap; Pop Culture Madness: 31 of 1995; Global: 33 – 1995; Europe: 48 of the 1990s; Rate Your Music: 69 of 1995; Acclaimed: 439
2	Shaggy	Boombastic	1995		UK 1 – September 1995, Italy 1 of 1995, Republic of Ireland 1 – September 1995, New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks September 1995, Australia 1 for 1 weeks May 1996, Norway 2 – September 1995, Germany 2 – September 1995, US BB 3 of 1995, Austria 3 – October 1995, Switzerland 3 – October 1995, Netherlands 4 – September 1995, Sweden 4 – September 1995, US BB 6 of 1995, POP 7 of 1995, France 8 – August 1995, Australia 8 of 1996, US CashBox 23 of 1995, Scrobulate 34 of dancehall, Germany 181 of the 1990s
3	Take That	Back for Good	1995		UK 1 – April 1995, Sweden 1 – April 1995, Norway 1 – April 1995, Germany 1 – April 1995, Republic of Ireland 1 – March 1995, Australia 1 for 2 weeks August 1995, Netherlands 2 – April 1995, Switzerland 2 – April 1995, Austria 3 – May 1995, US BB 7 of 1995, Australia 9 of 1995, Poland 10 – January 1995, Italy 28 of 1995, RYM 53 of 1995, OzNet 126, Germany 128 of the 1990s
4	Michael Jackson	You Are Not Alone	1995		UK 1 – September 1995, US BB 1 of 1995, Switzerland 1 – September 1995, Poland 1 – August 1995, Republic of Ireland 1 – September 1995, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks September 1995, Austria 2 – September 1995, Germany 3 – September 1995, Sweden 5 – August 1995, Netherlands 6 – August 1995, Norway 9 – September 1995, US CashBox 13 of 1995, Australia 25 of 1995, Italy 45 of 1995, Germany 262 of the 1990s
5	U2	Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me	1995		Norway 1 – June 1995, Poland 1 – January 1995, Republic of Ireland 1 – June 1995, New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks July 1995, Australia 1 for 6 weeks October 1995, UK 2 – June 1995, Austria 4 – July 1995, Switzerland 5 – July 1995, Netherlands 9 – June 1995, Germany 9 – July 1995, Sweden 15 – August 1995, US BB 16 of 1995, Australia 16 of 1995, Italy 27 of 1995, POP 59 of 1995, RYM 72 of 1995

Top hits

Top ten best albums of the year

1. Radiohead – The Bends
2. Oasis – Morning Glory?
3. The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
4. Pulp – Different Class
5. Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill
6. Björk – Post
7. GZA – Liquid Swords
8. Elliott Smith – Elliott Smith
9. P.J. Harvey – To Bring You My Love
10. Pavement – Wowee Zowee

    Classical music

• Osvaldas Balakauskas – Requiem
• Sally Beamish – Viola Concerto
• Luciano Berio – Sequenza XII
• Harrison Birtwistle – Panic
• Elliott Carter – String Quartet No.5
• Mario Davidovsky – Violin Concertino
• Mario Davidovsky – Flashbacks for flute/piccolo/alto flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano, and percussion
• Frédéric Durieux – Départ for clarinet
• Ludovico Einaudi – Chatrang Overture
• Lorenzo Ferrero
• * Seven Seconds, for clarinet, violin, and piano
• * Shadow Lines, for flute and live electronics
• Philip Glass
• * Saxophone Quartet
• * String Sextet
• * Melodies for saxophone
• * Symphony No. 3, for string orchestra
• * Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra
• Andrew Glover – Fractured Vistas
• Simeon ten Holt
• * Schaduw noch Prooi, for 2 pianos
• * Eadem sed Aliter, for piano
• Houtaf Khoury
• * Concerto for basset horn and orchestra
• * Concerto for soprano saxophone, 6 percussionists and string orchestra
• Wojciech Kilar – How Will I Calm Myself, for voice and piano
• Ulrich Leyendecker – Violin Concerto
• Theo Loevendie – Piano Concerto
• Krzysztof Penderecki – Violin Concerto No. 2 Metamorphosen
• Karl Aage Rasmussen – Three Friends, for orchestra
• John Serry Sr. – Concerto For Free Bass Accordion, piano transcription #1
• Stanisław Skrowaczewski – Passacaglia Immaginaria
• Michael Tippett – The Rose Lake
• Malcolm Williamson – A Year of Birds

  Opera

• Roger Ames – Hearts on Fire
• Michael Easton – The Selfish Giant
• Stewart Wallace – Harvey Milk

  Jazz

Musical theater

• Dracula – opened on 13 October in Prague, starring Daniel Hůlka
• Hello, Dolly! – Broadway revival
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – Broadway revival
• Kristina från Duvemåla – opened on 7 October in Malmö, Sweden
• Victor/Victoria – Broadway production opened at the Marquis Theatre and ran for 734 performances

  Musical films

• Akropol
• Arabian Knight – animated feature
• Bye Bye Birdie
• Empire Records
• Monster Mash
• Pocahontas – animated feature
• The Show

  Births

• January 1 – Poppy, American singer/songwriter, ambient music composer and YouTuber
• January 3 – Jisoo, a South Korean singer, actress and member of girl group BLACKPINK
• January 7 – Leslie Grace, American singer
• January 8 – Victoria Duffield, Canadian singer and actor
• January 20 – Joey Bada$$, American rapper
• January 22 – Lexa, Brazilian singer, songwriter and dancer
• January 27 – Raz Fresco, Canadian rapper and producer
• February 3 – Orla Gartland, Irish singer, songwriter, youtuber, guitarist, multi instrumentalist and activist
• February 15 – Megan Thee Stallion, American rapper, musician, and producer
• February 16 – Denzel Curry, American rapper, singer and songwriter
• February 25 – Francesca Michielin, Italian singer-songwriter
• April 5 – Daniel Caesar, Canadian singer-songwriter RNB/soul musician
• April 11 – Dodie Clark, British singer-songwriter, musician, author and youtuber
• April 19 – Arizona Zervas, American singer
• April 21 – Madison Love, Japanese American singer-songwriter, producer and musician
• April 24 – Kehlani, American singer songwriter
• April 24 – Ludmilla, Brazilian singer and songwriter
• April 26 – Lorenzo Fragola, Italian singer
• April 27 – Sarah Close, British singer-songwriter, youtuber
• April 28 – Melanie Martinez, American singer, songwriter, photographer, and director
• May 4 – Shameik Moore, American actor, singer, and dancer
• May 10 – Yoan Garneau, Canadian singer-songwriter
• May 24 – Kiiara, American singer/songwriter
• June 5 – Troye Sivan, South African-Australian singer/songwriter/actor/youtuber
• June 15 – Tash Sultana, Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
• June 20 – Serayah, n American actress, model and singer
• June 23 – Lauren Aquilina, English songwriter-singer, musician, music producer
• June 26
• *Reema Major, Sudanese-Canadian rapper
• *Mitch James – New Zealand independent musician
• July 1 – Hoài Lâm, Vietnamese pop singer and actor
• July 2
• *Ruth B, Canadian singer/songwriter
• *Shirley Setia, Indian singer
• July 4 – Post Malone, American rapper, singer-songwriter and guitarist
• July 11 – Tyler Medeiros, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer
• July 13 – The Japanese House, aka Amber Bain, an English singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist
• July 15 – Elyar, Azerbaijani-English musician, pop star, music producer, and singer-songwriter
• July 22 – Marília Mendonça, Brazilian singer and songwriter
• August 1 – Derrick Monasterio, Filipino actor, dancer and singer
• August 8 – Malin Reitan, Norwegian singer
• August 22 – Dua Lipa, British singer/songwriter
• August 24 – Wenwen Han, Chinese child actress and violinist
• August 29 – Gud, Swedish DJ and producer best known as a member of rapper Yung Lean's Stockholm-based group Sad Boys
• September 18 – Megan Lee, Korean-American singer-songwriter and actress
• September 19 – Chase Rice, American singer-songwriter
• September 25
• *Ryan Beatty, American singer
• *Sofía Reyes, Mexican singer-songwriter and actress
• September 29 – Julien Baker, American singer and guitarist
• October 4 – Caitlyn Shadbolt, Australian singer-songwriter
• October 13 – Jimin, South Korean singer-songwriter, dancer, and member of BTS
• October 22 – Doja Cat, American singer, rapper and songwriter
• November 6 – Anja Nissen, Danish-Australian singer, songwriter, dancer and actress
• november 29 – Laura Marano, American actress and singer
• December 15 -Leadley, British musician, singer-songwriter, activist and youtuber
• December 27 – Caroline Pennell, American singer-songwriter
• December 30 –
• * V, South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and member of BTS
• * Dominic Fike, American singer and rapper

  Deaths

• January 1 – Ted Hawkins, soul blues singer-songwriter, 58
• January 24 – David Cole, producer, 32
• January 31 – George Abbott US librettist and director, 107
• February 6 – Art Taylor, jazz drummer, 65
• February 12 – Tony Secunda, Marc Bolan's former manager, 54
• February 18
• * Bob Stinson, guitarist, 35
• * Denny Cordell, English record producer, 51
• February 23 – Melvin Franklin, The Temptations, 52
• March 5 – Vivian Stanshall, eccentric British musician, 51
• March 9 – Ingo Schwichtenberg, Helloween, 29
• March 16 – Heinrich Sutermeister, Swiss composer, 84
• March 17 – Sunnyland Slim, blues pianist, 88
• March 26 – Eazy-E, rapper and record producer, 31
• March 29
• * Jimmy McShane, singer
• * Roland Wolf, keyboardist, 29 or 30
• March 30 – Paul A. Rothchild, American record producer, 59
• March 31 – Selena, singer, 23
• April 4 – Priscilla Lane, US singer and actress, 79
• April 6 – Delroy Wilson, reggae artist, 46
• April 14 – Burl Ives, singer and actor, 85
• April 25 – Ginger Rogers, US actress, dancer and singer, 83
• May 6 – Barbarito Diez, Cuban singer and bandleader, 85
• May 8 – Teresa Teng, singer, 42
• May 16 – Lola Flores, Spanish singer and dancer, 72
• May 25 – Dick Curless, country singer. 63
• June 4 – Ernest Bornemann, jazz musician and critic, 80
• June 12 – Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli pianist, 75
• June 14 – Rory Gallagher, Irish blues/rock guitarist, 47
• June 30
• * Phyllis Hyman, R&B, soul and jazz singer, 45
• * Nazariy Yaremchuk, Ukrainian singer, 43
• July 1 – Wolfman Jack, disk jockey, 57
• July 2 – Zdeněk Košler, conductor, 67
• July 8 – Günter Bialas, composer, 87
• July 23 – Miklós Rózsa, film score composer, 88
• July 25 – Charlie Rich, country singer and musician, 62
• July 28 – Eddie Hinton, songwriter and session musician, 51
• August 9 – Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead, 53
• August 11
• * Allan McCarthy, Canadian singer of Men Without Hats, 38
• * Herbert Sumsion, English church musician, 96
• August 16 – Bobby DeBarge, lead singer of Switch, 39
• August 18 – Alan Dell BBC Radio 2 disc jockey, 71
• August 19
• * John Gilmore, jazz saxophonist, 63
• * Pierre Schaeffer, composer and pioneer of Musique concrète, 85
• August 23 – Dwayne Goettel, industrial keyboard player, 31
• August 26 – Ronnie White, the Miracles, co-writer of the Temptations hit "My Girl", 57 leukemia.
• August 30 – Sterling Morrison, The Velvet Underground guitarist, 53
• September 5 – Salil Chowdhury, Indian film composer and poet, 71
• September 27 – Alison Steele, American disc jockey, 58
• October 19 – Don Cherry, jazz trumpeter, 58
• October 21
• * Maxene Andrews, singer, member of The Andrews Sisters, 79
• * Shannon Hoon, lead singer of group Blind Melon, 28
• * Hans Helfritz, German composer, 93
• October 26 – Gorni Kramer, Italian bandleader and songwriter, 82
• October 31
• * Alan Bush, composer, pianist and conductor, 94
• * Erika Morini, violinist, 91
• November 2 – Florence Greenberg, music executive and producer, 82
• November 3 – Isang Yun, composer, 78
• November 7 – Jerry Daniels, The Ink Spots, 79
• November 8 – Ion Baciu, conductor, 64
• November 17 – Alan Hull, singer-songwriter and founder of Lindisfarne, 50
• November 21
• * Peter Grant, manager of The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, 60
• * Matthew Ashman, guitarist of Adam and the Ants, Bow Wow Wow, 35
• November 23 – Junior Walker, R&B and soul musician, 64
• November 26 – David Briggs, record producer, 51
• December 10 – Darren Robinson, rapper, 28
• December 25
• * Dean Martin, singer and actor, 78
• * Nicolas Slonimsky, Russian-born conductor and composer, 101
• December 27 – Shura Cherkassky, American classical pianist, 86
• December 29 – Hans Henkemans Dutch composer, 82
• date unknown – Mogens Ellegaard, accordionist, 59 or 60

  Awards

• The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The Allman Brothers Band, Al Green, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, Martha and the Vandellas, Neil Young and Frank Zappa
• Inductees of the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame include Charles Wesley
• Udit Narayan wins the Filmfare Best Male Playback Award.
• Tetsuya Komuro & trf win the Japan Record Award for "Overnight Sensation"t the 37th Japan Record Awards.

  Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1995

  Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1995

  Mercury Music Prize

• Dummy – Portishead wins.

  MTV Video Music Awards

• 1995 MTV Video Music Awards

  Charts