Events in 2012
- Singer Jimmy Jones, known for the hits “Handy Man” and “Good Timin',” died at the age of 82.
- Stevie Wonder filed for divorce from his second wife, Kai Millard Morris, after approximately ten years of marriage; irreconcilable differences were cited as the reason.
- “"Spectrum (Say My Name)" by Florence + The Machine reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart, becoming their first UK No. 1 hit.
- Blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Johnnie Bassett died of cancer at the age of 76.
- Plan B’s soundtrack album “Ill Manors” reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart.
- Singer and guitarist Stephen Hill, who worked with artists including Dolly Parton, Don McLean, Marie Osmond, Nancy Sinatra and Lynn Anderson, died at the age of 55 from a heart attack.
- Forbes named Beyoncé and Jay-Z the highest-paid celebrity couple, with combined earnings of $78 million, including $40 million for Beyoncé and $38 million for Jay-Z.
- Florida Georgia Line released the single “Cruise.”
- Composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch died in Los Angeles at the age of 68. He wrote the music for the film “The Way We Were” and was one of only a few people to receive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards.
- Madonna vystoupila v Moskvě a během koncertu vyjádřila podporu skupině Pussy Riot, jejíž členky byly uvězněny za vystoupení v moskevské katedrále.
- Elton John filed a lawsuit against the British newspaper The Times over an article published on June 21 that linked him to a tax avoidance scheme. The case was settled in October when the British High Court ruled in favor of The Times.
- Members of Mötley Crüe and KISS announced a $100,000 donation to support victims of the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado.
- Insane Clown Posse protested against the FBI's classification of their fans, collectively known as “Juggalos,” as a criminal gang in its “2011 National Gang Threat Assessment Report.” At the annual Gathering of the Juggalos in Illinois, they announced their intention to sue the FBI. Despite this, the FBI continued to classify Juggalos as an organized gang in later years.
- Neil Diamond received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1750 N. Vine Street, directly in front of the iconic Capitol Records building.
- Conor Maynard reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart with his debut studio album Contrast.
- The Geto Boys reunited and performed at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos.
- Zac Brown Band returned to No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with their third studio album Uncaged. The album also reached No. 1 in Canada.
- The closing ceremony of the London Olympics featured a three-hour musical program with performances by a number of prominent British artists.
- The London Olympics concluded with an extensive musical closing ceremony featuring performances by the Spice Girls, George Michael, The Who, Take That, Muse, One Direction, Queen and others.
- Taylor Swift released the single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” in the US.
- American bassist Bob Birch died at his Los Angeles home at the age of 56 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had been a member of Elton John's band since 1992 and also worked with Bryan Adams, Lionel Richie, George Michael, Eric Clapton, B. B. King, Phil Collins and The Doobie Brothers.
- Joe Jackson withdrew his wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Conrad Murray, who was serving a sentence for the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson. Murray's lawyer said that withdrawing the lawsuit would allow the family to focus on Jackson's life rather than the circumstances of his death.
- Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie Presley surprised fans with a visit to Graceland on the eve of the 35th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death and spoke to the crowd. Lisa Marie said she had previously avoided the occasion because it was emotionally difficult for her, but this time she felt it was important to attend.
- Three members of the Russian feminist punk group Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in prison for performing in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, where they protested the support for Vladimir Putin by an Orthodox Church official.
- Slipknot organized the first Knotfest in Council Bluffs, Iowa, combining live music with amusement park attractions. Deftones and Lamb Of God were among the performers.
- The film Sparkle, in which Jordin Sparks portrayed an aspiring singer and Whitney Houston played her mother, was released in theaters. It was Whitney Houston's final film.
- Rick Ross reached No. 1 on the US album chart with his fifth studio album, God Forgives, I Don't.
- Rihanna reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with Talk That Talk. The album also reached No. 1 on the main album charts in New Zealand and Switzerland, while reaching No. 3 in the US.
- American singer and songwriter Philip Blondheim, known as Scott McKenzie, died at the age of 73 in Los Angeles, California, after a two-year battle with Guillain–Barré syndrome. He was best known for his 1967 hit “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” and co-wrote The Beach Boys' hit “Kokomo,” which reached No. 1 in 1988.
- A version of the video game Angry Birds dedicated to Green Day was released, featuring Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool as green pigs. Players could unlock a new Green Day song from level 10 of the game.
- Lisa Marie Presley made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where she sang three songs from her then-current album “Storm & Grace” before a sold-out audience. Nervously joking, she said she hoped there would not be a truck waiting outside, a self-deprecating reference to the legendary and probably fictional story that the Opry manager supposedly told Elvis after his 1954 debut to go back to driving a truck.
- Roadrunner Records released Lynyrd Skynyrd's fourteenth studio album “Last of a Dyin' Breed” in the US. Guitarist John Lowery, better known by his stage name John 5, contributed to several songs. The album reached No. 14 on the Billboard 200, No. 3 on the Top Rock Albums chart and No. 83 in the UK.
- Taylor Swift's single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” sold 623,000 digital copies, making it the best-selling digital single by a female artist.
- Rapper LL Cool J heard an alarm at his home in Los Angeles during the night and ran downstairs to confront alleged intruder Jonathan Kirby. After a struggle in which Kirby suffered a broken nose, jaw, and rib, LL Cool J subdued the intruder, who was subsequently arrested by police.
- John Lennon's murderer Mark David Chapman was denied parole for the seventh time. The board stated that his release at that time would undermine respect for the law and diminish the tragic loss of life caused by his act. Chapman was held at Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, New York.
- Emeli Sandé reached number one on the UK album chart with her debut studio album “Our Version of Events”.
- Flo Rida ended Carly Rae Jepsen's nine-week reign at number one on the US singles chart with “Whistle”. The song became an international hit and reached number one in more than twenty countries.
- American lyricist Hal David, longtime collaborator of Burt Bacharach, died at the age of 91.
- Rita Ora reached number one on the UK singles chart with her debut solo single “How We Do (Party)”. The song also reached number one in Ireland and on the Euro Digital Songs chart.
- At the release of the album “The Singer”, Art Garfunkel said that his voice was recovering well enough for him to go on tour in the autumn. These were his first major live performances since 2010, when vocal cord paresis prevented him from performing and also led to the cancellation of a planned North American Simon and Garfunkel tour.
- Taylor Swift reached No. 1 on the US chart with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”.
- According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ringo Starr was the world’s richest drummer in 2012, with an estimated fortune of $300 million. He was followed by Phil Collins with $250 million, Dave Grohl with $225 million, Don Henley with $200 million, and Lars Ulrich with $175 million. The top ten also included Larry Mullen of U2 and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones.
- “ We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift reached its international chart peak.
- Entertainer Max Bygraves died after a battle with Alzheimer's disease in Hope Island, Queensland, Australia, at the age of 89.