2016 is shaping up to be a truly terribly year, musically-speaking. It’s only April, barely Spring, and we’ve already lost enough iconic artists to last us a lifetime.
With Prince‘s tragic passing this week at the young age of 57, it quickly became apparent that 2016 might go down in history as the saddest year for music. And not just due to the deaths of legendary stars like David Bowie, Glenn Frey and Sir George Martin. With Kesha‘s lawsuit against Dr. Luke and too many heated feuds to count, it might be safe to say that 2016 might actually be the absolute WORST.
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On the plus side, the deaths of these musicians cause fans flock to their albums and songs, boosting sales for their late idols following their passing. After all, the best way to celebrate and mourn these artists is to listen to the work they put their blood, sweat and tears into.
We started the year with the passing of Natalie Cole, and it just went downhill from there. Here are some of the more tragic moments in the record industry that prove 2016 will forever be known as the worst year for music-lovers ever:
1. The death of Prince
The untimely passing of Prince happened yesterday, and yet we’re still reeling from it. We’ll be reeling from it for a long time, actually. How can such an iconic person, who seemed to not even be of this world, be taken from us so suddenly? Less than 24 hours following Prince’s death and his songs and albums are taking over the charts on iTunes.
2. The death of David Bowie
Just as we were starting to get over the death of David Bowie, Prince passed away. So losing Prince just reopened the wounds from learning to live in a world without such an icon. At least we can all say we lived on this planet at the same time as Prince and David Bowie. His album sales increased by a whopping 5,000 percent in the weeks following his death.
3. The death of Phife Dawg
Rapper Phife Dawg, aka Malik Taylor, died too young at the age of 45 this year. He helped co-found the legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and stars like Kanye West, Chris Rock and Macklemore were quick to honor his legacy after his death. A Tribute Called Quest’s 1999 album The Anthology jumped back up on the Billboard charts as did their 1991 offering Low End Theory.
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4. Free Kesha
Seeing photos of such an engaging, talented artist like Kesha be reduced to tears in a courtroom was one of the most upsetting images of 2016. The singer is currently battling Sony in order to be freed from her contract with producer Dr. Luke, who she alleges has been physically, sexually and emotional abusive to her for the past 10 years.
5. The death of legendary offsprings
Like we said, 2016 started off on a terrible note with the loss of the nine-time Grammy-winning R&B singer. Though she was the daughter of a jazz icon, she proved to be an incredible artist in her own right. We also had to say goodbye to Frank Sinatra Jr., the son of the legendary singer, in 2016
6. The death of Craig Strickland
The death of country singer Craig Strickland was tragic enough, but the manner in which he passed away just made the loss all the more heartbreaking.
7. The death of Glenn Frey
One of the co-founders of the Eagles, Frey was behind some of the band’s most infamous tunes like “Hotel California” and Desperado.” The guitarist died at the age of 67 due to complications from rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonia. The Eagles’ greatest hits albums zoomed up the iTunes and Amazon charts after Frey’s death, getting as high as the number three slot.
8. Too many music feuds
Taylor Swift vs. Demi Lovato and Kanye. Mariah Carey vs. Jennifer Lopez. Elton John vs. Janet Jackson. Justin Bieber vs. lots of people. Can’t we all just stop the fighting and get back to making music?!
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9. The death of René Angélil
While many remembered him as Celine Dion’s husband, it’s important to acknowledge his contributions to the music world through his producing. Watching Celine suffer through his passing was a real low point in 2016.
10. The death of Merle Haggard
The legendary country singer died on his birthday from complications brought on by pneumonia. Now whenever we hear one of his 35(!) number one hits, we’re just reminded that there will never be another talent like his again.
11. The death of Joey Feek
Though she started on a reality show (Can You Duet?), Feek proved to have the goods to embark on a really special career. As part of the country duo she created with her husband (Joey + Feek), the singer got to tour with Zac Brown Band and scored a Grammy nomination before losing her battle to cervical cancer this year.
12. The death of Maurice White
The Earth, Wind & Fire singer could do it all: sing, drum and produce. White, who died at the age of 74, sold more than 90 million albums and earned seven Grammys. It’s no wonder he’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Damn, 2016. Can’t you give us a break?
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