Events in 2018
- Travis Scott released his third studio album, “Astroworld.”
- Sony released the album “Elvis – Where No One Stands Alone.”
- On the 60th anniversary of Gladys Presley's death, her gravestone was added to the Meditation Garden at Graceland. She died on August 14, 1958, and was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis. Her original gravestone had been stored in the Graceland archives since 1977.
- Aretha Franklin, known as the "Queen of Soul" and one of the best-selling female recording artists of all time, died in Detroit at the age of 76 from pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. During her career, she had 20 No. 1 hits on the Billboard R&B chart, 45 Billboard Top 40 hits and won 18 Grammy Awards.
- Travis Scott began a two-week reign at No. 1 on the US chart with his third studio album, Astroworld.
- Eddie “Chank” Willis died at the age of 82 from complications caused by polio. During the 1960s and early 1970s, he played electric guitar and occasionally electric sitar with Motown's studio group The Funk Brothers. He contributed to many hits, including “Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes, “The Way You Do the Things You Do” by The Temptations, “You Keep Me Hanging On” by The Supremes and “I Was Made to Love Her” by Stevie Wonder.
- RIAA announced that The Eagles' album “Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975” had surpassed Michael Jackson's “Thriller” to become the best-selling album of all time in the U.S. The collection was certified 38× Platinum, equivalent to 38 million sold and streamed units. The Eagles' “Hotel California” was the third best-selling album in the U.S., with 26 million units. Worldwide, however, “Thriller” remained the best-selling album.
- Photographer Larry Philpot filed a lawsuit in federal court in California against Lynyrd Skynyrd for using his copyrighted photograph of Jerry Lee Lewis without permission. Philpot claimed that the band removed the copyright information and used the photograph at the first twenty-two shows of their farewell tour. The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice shortly after it was filed, suggesting that the parties reached a private settlement.
- American musician and songwriter Ed King died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 68. He became known as the guitarist of the psychedelic rock group Strawberry Alarm Clock and as guitarist and bassist of the Southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, where he performed from 1972–1975 and again from 1987–1996. With Strawberry Alarm Clock, he co-wrote the 1967 hit “Incense and Peppermints”, and with Lynyrd Skynyrd he co-wrote the 1974 song “Sweet Home Alabama”. In 2006, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- Vampire Weekend singer Ezra Koenig and his girlfriend Rashida Jones had a son, Isaiah. His grandfather is Quincy Jones, Rashida's father.
- Singer-songwriter George Ezra reached number one on the UK singles chart with the song “Shotgun”. The song was an international hit and also reached number one in Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
- Mark David Chapman, who murdered John Lennon in December 1980, was denied parole for the tenth time. He was held at Wende Correctional Facility in Alden near Buffalo, New York.
- Neil Young and American actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah married in a secret ceremony in Atascadero, California. It was Young's third marriage and Hannah's first.
- During the Reputation Tour, Taylor Swift headlined at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where Tim McGraw and Faith Hill joined her on stage for a performance of her landmark country hit “Tim McGraw”.
- Ariana Grande scored her third No. 1 album in the US when “Sweetener” debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.
- The mobile home once owned by Elvis and Priscilla Presley was auctioned together with Michael Jackson's glove at the GWS Auctions “Legends: Iconic Film and Music Memorabilia Auction”.
- Ariana Grande's fourth studio album "Sweetener" reached No. 1 on the UK album chart. The album featured Pharrell Williams, Nicki Minaj, and Missy Elliott, also reached No. 1 in the US, and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, Grande's first Grammy win.
- Ariana Grande reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart with her fourth studio album “Sweetener”. The album topped the charts in 22 countries worldwide and also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.
- Jazz pianist and composer Randy Weston died at the age of 92.
- Aretha Franklin's funeral was held at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. Performers included Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Ronald Isley, Jennifer Hudson, Faith Hill, Fantasia and Yolanda Adams.
- Eminem released his tenth studio album, “Kamikaze”, without prior announcement. The album features guest appearances by Joyner Lucas, Royce da 5'9", and Jessie Reyez, among others. It reached number one on the charts in 21 countries and became the best-selling hip-hop album of 2018.
- Australian rock musician Conway Savage of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds died at the age of 58. In 2017, he underwent treatment for a brain tumor. He also had a solo career from 1993 and released three albums.
- Fleetwood Mac appeared on The Ellen Show and introduced a new lineup in which Neil Finn and Mike Campbell replaced Lindsey Buckingham.
- Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid took "Eastside" to No. 1 on the UK singles chart. The song also topped the charts in Ireland, Lebanon, New Zealand and Singapore.
- The soundtrack to the musical film "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" reached No. 1 on the UK album chart.
- Tensions between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj came to a head at a party during New York Fashion Week, where the two got into a confrontation and Cardi threw a shoe at Nicki. A long-running feud followed, during which they repeatedly attacked each other in song lyrics and on social media.
- The US Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring John Lennon, featuring a photograph by Bob Gruen from the photo session for Lennon's 1974 album “Walls and Bridges”. The stamp was unveiled at a ceremony in New York's Central Park attended by Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and son Sean Lennon.
- Country singer Kathy Mattea ended a six-year recording hiatus with the release of the folk album “Pretty Bird”, which includes cover versions of “St. Teresa” by Joan Osborne, “Mercy Now” by Mary Gauthier and “Ode To Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry. The album also introduced a new vocal style for the singer, whose characteristically husky voice and vocal problems had led her to learn to use a lower register.
- Lenny Kravitz released his eleventh studio album Raise Vibration, which features vocals by the late Michael Jackson on the single “Low”. Kravitz had also worked with Jackson on his song “(I Can't Make It) Another Day” from the posthumously released album Michael.
- American rapper, songwriter and producer Malcolm McCormick, known as Mac Miller, died at the age of 26 from a drug overdose.
- French singer, songwriter, lyricist, actor, activist, and diplomat Charles Aznavour died at the age of 94. According to the source variants, he was found dead in the bathtub of his home in Mouriès. He became known for songs including “She”, which reached No. 1 on the UK chart in 1974, while his songwriting credits included “Yesterday, When I Was Young” and “If You Go Away”. During his career, he sold more than 180 million recordings and recorded more than 1,200 songs.
- Graceland announced that during the first week of October the estate would be illuminated in pink as part of breast cancer awareness efforts.
- At the age of 72, Geoff Emerick died of a heart attack. He was a prominent sound engineer who worked on major recordings by The Beatles, including the albums “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Abbey Road.”
- Rod Stewart earned his ninth No. 1 album on the UK chart with Blood Red Roses. Cher's Dancing Queen, featuring covers of ABBA songs, was at No. 2.
- Twenty One Pilots released the album Trench, their first album since 2015's Blurryface. The concept album follows the character Clancy in the dystopian city of Dema. Notable tracks include “Jumpsuit” and “Chlorine.”
- Brockhampton's fourth studio album Iridescence debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
- Taylor Swift publicly expressed her political views for the first time by endorsing two Democratic candidates in Tennessee and urging her 112 million Instagram followers to vote. Vote.org subsequently recorded a significant increase in voter registrations.
- Rare studio recordings by Glen Campbell, originally recorded for Elvis Presley, were announced. They included songs written by Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne, including “Got a Lot of Livin' to Do” and “Rock-A-Hula Baby.”
- Previously unreleased recordings by Glen Campbell, originally intended for Elvis Presley, were highlighted. Between 1964 and 1968, Campbell recorded songs in the studio that had been written for Presley because Campbell could imitate Presley's vocal style. Many were written by Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne; Weisman set a record with 57 songs recorded by Presley. The album Sings for the King contains 18 songs, 12 of which Presley actually recorded and released, including "Stay Away Joe," "Spinout" and "Easy Come, Easy Go." It also features a new gospel duet between Campbell and Presley on "We Call on Him."
- Kanye West, a prominent supporter of Donald Trump, visited the White House, where he delivered an approximately ten-minute rambling monologue in the president's presence.
- The Music Modernization Act was signed into law, clarifying how artists, songwriters and producers are paid for music played through streaming services, internet radio and satellite radio. The law also granted royalty payments for songs written before 1972.
- American rapper DaBaby reaches No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart with his second studio album, Kirk.
- The album Tha Carter V reached number one on the US Billboard 200.
- After completing his farewell tour, Paul Simon appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live for the ninth time. He celebrated his 77th birthday on the day the show aired.
- The UK Official Charts Company named The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band the most popular British album of all time. Albums also included in the chart’s top ten were The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, Thriller by Michael Jackson, and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac.