Events in 2025
- Jack White completed his quest to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. The final stop was Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, where he watched the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Detroit Tigers on August 2.
- English singer, songwriter, and guitarist Terry Reid, nicknamed “Superlungs,” died in Rancho Mirage, California, at the age of 75.
- American singer, songwriter and musician Bobby Whitlock died after a short illness at his home in Texas at the age of 77. He worked with Sam & Dave, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Delaney & Bonnie, Dr. John and Joe Cocker. In 1970, he co-founded Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton and contributed to half of the songs on the album “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.” He also worked on George Harrison’s album “All Things Must Pass.”
- During a performance at the Boardmasters festival in Cornwall, Florence Welch suffered internal bleeding after a ruptured fallopian tube. She completed the concert but then required emergency surgery that saved her life.
- Brent Hinds was killed after his motorcycle was struck by a BMW SUV in Atlanta, Georgia. Police estimated his speed at 63–68 mph, approximately twice the speed limit. Hinds was best known as the lead guitarist and one of the vocalists of the metal band Mastodon.
- Tom Shipley of the duo Brewer and Shipley died at the age of 84 from unspecified causes. The duo became known for the controversial hit „One Toke Over the Line“, which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.
- Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers of The Police reportedly sued Sting and his company Magnetic Publishing Limited over authorship of the group's biggest hit, “Every Breath You Take”. Summers claimed that he created the song's distinctive guitar part. The British newspaper The Sun estimated Sting's annual royalties at $745,000.
- Taylor Swift announced her engagement to her partner Travis Kelce. She posted a photograph on Instagram showing the Kansas City Chiefs player proposing to her.
- Ray Mayhew, drummer of the British new wave band Sigue Sigue Sputnik, died at the age of 60. The band had three UK Top 40 singles, including “Love Missile F1-11”, produced by Giorgio Moroder, which reached No. 3 on the UK chart in 1986. The band’s popularity was also boosted by the inclusion of the song in John Hughes’s film “Ferris Bueller's Day Off”.
- Sting was sued by his former The Police bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland over alleged unpaid shares of royalties from songs recorded by the group between 1977 and 1984. In the civil case at the High Court, they claimed they had an oral agreement to share the income, which was later formalized in written contracts. Sting, who wrote The Police's biggest hits, denied the allegations, and his lawyers described the claims as unjustified.
- It was discovered that David Bowie had begun work on another project before his death. In his own notes, he described it as an “18th-century musical” titled The Spectator. Its existence was unknown until it was discovered locked away in his study. The materials were later donated to the V&A museum along with another part of Bowie's archive. Had it been completed, the musical would have fulfilled one of Bowie's lifelong ambitions.
- American singer, guitarist and songwriter Mark Volman, co-founder of The Turtles, died at the age of 78 from complications related to a blood disorder. After The Turtles broke up, he performed with Howard Kaylan as Flo & Eddie and also worked with Frank Zappa, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and T. Rex.
- Rick Davies, English musician, singer, songwriter and co-founder, singer and keyboardist of Supertramp, died at the age of 81 after more than a decade battling multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. He was the only constant member of the group throughout its history and contributed greatly to its distinctive sound through his baritone voice and Wurlitzer electric piano. He wrote and sang many of the group's best-known songs, including "Bloody Well Right" and "Goodbye Stranger". Supertramp had the 1979 UK hit "The Logical Song", which reached No. 7, while the album "Breakfast In America" reached No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 3 in the UK.
- Mariah Carey, a longtime MTV favorite who had never previously won a VMA, finally received the Video Vanguard Award. Video of the Year went to Ariana Grande for the 26-minute short film “Brighter Days Ahead”.
- Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to a little over four years in prison after being found guilty of offenses related to prostitution involving two of his former partners. His lawyers sought a 14-month sentence, arguing that he had changed during his 13 months in a New York jail, while prosecutors sought 11 years, citing his history of domestic violence. Before being sentenced to 50 months, Combs addressed the court in what was his first public statement since the beginning of the trial.
- Taylor Swift promoted her latest album The Life Of A Showgirl with an exceptionally extensive marketing campaign that encouraged fans to discover musical clues hidden behind orange doors in 12 cities around the world.
- Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson announced a Rush reunion tour, with German drummer Anika Nilles replacing Neil Peart, who died in 2020. Lee said that after everything that had happened since their last performance, he and Lifeson concluded that they genuinely missed playing together.
- Taylor Swift's album The Life of a Showgirl achieved the biggest opening week for an album in the UK in 2025. It sold 304,000 copies in its first three days, more than her previous two studio albums The Tortured Poets Department and Midnights.
- Dolly Parton posted a video telling fans that she was “not dying,” one day after her sister asked the public for prayers and raised concerns about the singer's health. Parton said that people had recently been getting the impression that she was sicker than she actually was and that she was working hard.
- According to the chart compiled by the British music licensing organization PPL, Queen was the most-played rock band in the UK in the 21st century. David Bowie was second, followed by U2, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac, Stereophonics, The Rolling Stones, The Police, The Killers, and Kings of Leon.
- A judge dismissed the defamation lawsuit filed against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song "Not Like Us", ruling that diss tracks are protected speech and that an ordinary listener would not regard them as statements of verified fact.
- John Lodge, bassist, co-lead vocalist and songwriter for The Moody Blues, died suddenly at the age of 82. He joined the group in late 1966 and became part of its classic lineup and distinctive symphonic rock sound. He played on the landmark 1967 album Days of Future Passed, including “Nights in White Satin,” and wrote songs such as “Isn't Life Strange” and “I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band),” for which he received ASCAP recognition.
- American drummer Thommy Price died at the age of 68. From 1986, he played with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts for more than 28 years. He also performed with Scandal and Blue Öyster Cult, toured with Billy Idol's band and was a sought-after session drummer.
- Welsh singer and songwriter Ian Watkins died after being stabbed in the neck at HM Prison Wakefield in England. Prison staff pronounced him dead at the scene, and police subsequently charged two men with his murder. Watkins was the lead singer of the rock band Lostprophets from 1997 to 2012. The band released five studio albums, four of which reached the UK album chart's Top 10. In December 2013, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to 13 sexual offences against children.