2025 was a year where we lost many treasured musicians. Some legendary older artists whose time had unfortunately come, and some surprising younger names whose loss came as a sudden surprise. On AllMusic, we’ve tried to feature small tributes in recognition of these events, and now we look back at a selection of those who left their mark on music’s history and will certainly be missed.
January 21, 2025
Garth Hudson
American Trad Rock, Album Rock, Americana, Country-Rock
A mercurial Canadian multi-instrumentalist whose immersion in an array of musical styles, including classical, ragtime, and jazz, colored The Band.
June 9, 2025
Sly Stone
Funk, Psychedelic Soul, Soul, AM Pop
credit: Herb Greene
Sylvester Stewart was a funk trailblazer who upended rock and soul in the ’60s and ’70s as leader of Sly & the Family Stone.
June 11, 2025
Brian Wilson
AM Pop, Early Pop/Rock, Surf, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Sunshine Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Rock & Roll, Psychedelic/Garage, Album Rock
The leader of the Beach Boys who combined a flawless melodic sensibility with a restlessly experimental vibe and perfected creating the “teenage symphony to God.”
July 16, 2025
Connie Francis
Brill Building Pop, Vocal Pop, Early Pop/Rock
A singer of tearful ballads and jaunty uptempo numbers, Connie Francis reigned as one of the most successful pop artists of the late ’50s and early ’60s, beloved for hits such as “Pretty Little Baby” and “Who’s Sorry Now.”
July 22, 2025
Ozzy Osborne
Album Rock, British Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Neo-Classical Metal, Pop-Metal
credit: Ross Haflin
A pioneering and instinctive metal showman who gained fame in Black Sabbath and as a solo act with his dramatic flair and a knack for creating controversy, Ozzy Osbourne was an irreplaceable architect of the heavy metal sound.
July 22, 2025
Chuck Mangione
Bop, Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Instrumental Pop, Neo-Bop, Smooth Jazz
credit: Hans Neleman
A talented and respected jazz trumpeter who achieved popular success with melodic pop that was upbeat, optimistic, and uplifting highlighted by the 1978 hit single “Feels So Good.”
July 31, 2025
Flaco Jiménez
Norteno, Ranchera, Tejano, Tex-Mex, Bolero, Conjunto, Mexican Traditions, North American Traditions, Alternative Latin, Zydeco
The foremost exponent of Tex-Mex music, Jiménez introduced the traditional conjunto sound to mainstream pop and country listeners thanks to his collaborations with the Texas Tornados, Dwight Yoakam, and the Mavericks.
October 14, 2025
D’Angelo
Alternative R&B, Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B, Adult Contemporary R&B
Credit: Per Gustaffson
Neo-soul legend whose scattered releases, including the Grammy-winning Voodoo and Black Messiah, upheld and advanced traditional R&B.
October 16, 2025
Ace Frehley
Album Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Credit: Dove Shore
A founding member of Kiss, Frehley became one of the most admired lead guitarists in rock history, both in the facepaint and as a solo act.
October 26, 2025
Jack DeJohnette
Free Funk, Fusion, Post-Bop, Modern Creative, Modern Jazz, Straight-Ahead Jazz
A premier percussionist often considered one of the finest drummers in modern jazz, DeJohnette recorded legendary sessions with Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield and dozens of others.
November 14, 2025
Todd Snider
Roots Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Alt-Country, Americana, Contemporary Folk
A wry and beloved country singer/songwriter with a sharp pen and well-honed sense of humor, Snider was perhaps the quintessential postmodern troubadour.
November 24, 2025
Jimmy Cliff
Reggae-Pop, Roots Reggae, Rocksteady, Contemporary Reggae, Soul
Credit: Greg Watermann
The first major influence in the global expansion of reggae, with a hit film and album in 1972’s rollicking The Harder They Come.
December 3, 2025
Steve Cropper
Memphis Soul, Southern Soul, Soul, Funk, Roots Rock
Credit: David Alan Kogut
Known onscreen from his notable role in The Blues Brothers, “The Colonel” was the legendary house guitarist for Stax Records and, as a member of Booker T. & the MG’s, backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Sam & Dave among many others.
Obviously, this is not the complete list, but please let us know which artists from this year you’ll miss most of all.
