#15. Original Lineup of The Misfits Reunite for Riot Fest
Much like the hard-rockers got the unbelievable reunion of Slash and Axl Rose, punk rockers got their own dream reunion when Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only buried the hatchet for pair of shows for the two Riot Fest dates. Despite the fact that the two had not worked together in years and had built a strong animosity over legal matters pertaining to the band’s marketing royalties, the reunion was a great success.
#14. Surviving Members of N.W.A. Reunited On Stage at Coachella
Rounding out 2016’s big-time live reunions was one for the hip-hop heads at Coachella. There were rumors that N.W.A. would reunite during Ice Cube’s set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this year. That came true during the second weekend when Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella performed “Still Dre” and “California Love.”
– Matt Matasci
#13. Axl Rose Steps Up To Fill Brian Johnson’s Absence for AC/DC’s “Rock Or Bust” Tour
Many AC/DC fans feared the band would hang it up when it was announced lead singer Brian Johnson would have to take a break (or retire) from performing due to an ear issue. Their worries were alleviated when it was announced that none other than Axl Rose of the recently re-activated Guns ‘N Roses would act as the band’s lead singer through their “Rock or Bust” tour.
– Matt Matasci
#12. Not In This Lifetime Tour Is a Massive Success
While Guns ‘N Roses announced their reunion in 2015, the following year was when the band put the money where their mouth is. Axl, Slash and Duff made good on their promise of a “Not In This Lifetime” tour, including headlining spot at Coachella 2016. That performance included a one-off gig at the location of the band’s first-ever show, the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Despite Axl breaking a leg (perhaps at that very Troubadour gig they kicked the tour off with), the massive venture was a great success for fans and the band.
– Matt Matasci
#11. Oakland, CA DIY Space Ghost Ship Catches Fire and Results in 36 Deaths
Tragedy struck Oakland, California earlier this month when a deadly fire broke out in a warehouse on the corner of 31 Ave and International Blvd in Oakland’s Fruitvale District. The fire claimed a total of 36 victims. The warehouse was hosting a concert for Golden Donna’s Silk Tour and it took a total of 55 firefighters to extinguish the flames. Investigators blamed faults in the building’s facilities for starting the fire, including faulty or non-existent smoke alarms, insufficient electrical wiring and illegal structures like a makeshift staircase. The warehouse doubled as a living space for around 50 local artists and had no license to hold such events, instigating several lawsuits against the building’s owners and managers.
– McKenzie Dillon
#10. Beloved Pop Singer George Michael is Found Dead on Christmas
One of 2016’s last victims within music’s sphere, George Michael, the beloved pop musician and one half of Wham!, passed away due to heart failure at 53 years old. He colored the 80s with pop music magic, with staples such as “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Faith,” and the Christmas classic “Last Christmas.” His death on Christmas day only seems to heighten the sense of loss for this wonderful musician that was not just a pop star, but, according to his own words, “was absolutely serious about pop music.”
– Chris Lee
#9. Frank Ocean Marks His Return with Not One, But Two New Albums
Second only to D’Angelo, Frank Ocean may have been one of modern RnB’s most enigmatic disappearing acts. It was easy to worry, with precedent within the RnB universe of the sudden disappearance of geniuses. But just like D, who came back 2014 with Black Messiah to great critical acclaim, Ocean returned in 2016 after 4 years of radio silence with not one, but two great albums. One was the visual album Endless, followed up a day later with the critically beloved Blonde.
– Chris Lee
#8. Larkin Grimm Accuses Swans’ Leader Michael Gira of Sexual Assault
Earlier this year Larkin Grimm came forward to accuse Swans frontman Michael Gira of sexual assault. It began when Grimm left a long message on Facebook that detailed an incident from a few years back between the two in which Grimm was sexually assaulted by Gira after a night of drinking. Gira’s wife stood by his side and defended him in a statement. While it will never be fully understood what took place that night, this incident nonetheless shook the independent music scene. In the wake of these accusations, Swans released their final album as a band, The Glowing Man.
– Matt Matasci
#7. Publicist Heathcliff Berru Is Accused of Sexual Assault by Amber Coffman and Several Others
Healthcliff Berru was an important piece of the music publicity world when he was accused of sexual assault by Amber Coffman of Dirty Projectors. Like happens so often, after the first accuser came forward, a wave of similar accusations were levied against the publicist and founder of Life and Death PR. His colleagues effectively dissolved the company to form new PR company called Liberal Arts, while Berru was left offering apologies for his behavior.
– Matt Matasci
#6. After 16 Years of Silence The Avalanches Return with a new LP
This year saw the return of a beloved music group after not releasing any music in a long time. The Avalanches announced their long awaited second album would arrive in July. It had been 16 years since the music group released their first album. In April, they went on short tour that caused fans to get excited about what could possibly come next, particularly in the United States where they teased live shows. They also followed up the announcement with a new video for fans featuring MF Doom and Danny Brown.
– Chris Baker
#5. The Legal Battles of Ke$ha and Dr. Luke Reach a (Possible) Conclusion
A New York judge made the final decision against pop singer Ke$ha’s lawsuit seeking to end the contract between her and Dr. Luke, a music producer contracted under Sony Records. She claimed she was sexually assaulted by the producer, and ultimately made a “slave” to the record label after being told she couldn’t work with anyone else besides Dr. Luke. However, Sony Records disputed her claims and argued Ke$ha was able to work with any producer of her choosing as long as he or she was affiliated with the company. In February, Judge Shirley Kornreich sided with Luke and rejected every last one of Ke$ha’s arguments, denying her the injunction to end the label-binding contract.\
– McKenzie Dillon
#4. Rage Against The Machine (sans Zack de la Rocha) Team Up With Chuck D and B Real to Form Prophets of Rage
Many times when an artist has respect for another artist they look forward to working with them. In some cases they team up and form what is called a “Supergroup”. Members of the group Rage Against The Machine, B Real, of Cypress Hill, and Chuck D of Public Enemy formed the supergroup Prophets of Rage. This was exciting for fans of each of these artists. They performed their first show at the Hollywood Palladium in June.
– Chris Baker
#3. Goldenvoice Ups the Ante with Desert Trip Featuring Rolling Stones, Roger Waters, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, The Who and Bob Dylan
In October of this year the home to major festivals Coachella and Stagecoach hosted the first annual Desert Trip in Indio, California. The festival was almost immediately nicknamed “OldChella,” due to the major throwback artists who made up the legendary lineup. Among the list were rock icons Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, and Roger Waters along with singer/songwriter Neil Young, plus Bob Dylan and The Who. Desert Trip curators were surprised by the huge turnout, when tickets for both weekends sold out in just a few hours. The system used to sell the tickets had buyers waiting in a virtual line, leaving some people to stand by for an hour and a half to finally purchase their tickets. Scalpers were partly blamed for the slow times and fast sell out.
– McKenzie Dillon
#2. Prince Dies of an Accidental Drug Overdose at his Paisley Park Residence
Michael Jackson and Madonna may have been called the king and queen of pop, but Prince established himself as music royalty with just his name. This legendary singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was one of the many great artists that the world grieved for this year, with his death in April due to Fentanyl overdose at only 57 years old. Prince was actively writing and performing up to his death, releasing his last album HITNRUN Phase 2 in 2015 and performing his last show just a week before his passing. Along with David Bowie, he was one of the most actively mourned music icons who past away this year.
– Chris Lee
#1. Pop Culture Icon David Bowie Dies After a Long but Quiet Battle With Cancer
Music legend David Bowie passed away this year from a long battle with cancer. The news was reported on Bowie’s official Facebook, he was surrounded by his family during his last moments. A 2004 health scare caused Bowie to cancel his 2004 tour Reality. At that time it was not known to the public that the musical legend was suffering from an undisclosed form of cancer. He made his last public appearance in 2006 at a New York benefit for Keep a Child Alive.
– Chris Baker
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