Events in 2018
- Travis Scott released his third studio album, “Astroworld.”
- 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.
- “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin died at the age of 76, representing a major loss to music and cultural history.
- 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.
- 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.
- Ariana Grande scored her third US number-one album when “Sweetener” debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.
- 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 surprise album "Kamikaze".
- Eminem released the single "Fall".