2006 in music
| Years in music: | 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 |
| Centuries: | 20th century · 21st century · 22nd century |
| Decades: | 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s |
| Years: | 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 |
Events
- January - James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. He has since been released and made a full recovery.
- January 11 to January 15 - MahlerFest XIX held in Boulder, Colorado, honoring Austrian composer Gustav Mahler.
- January 16 - Frontman Rob Aston announces that the Transplants have disbanded shortly after their fall tour cancelled.
- January 24 - It was surprisingly announced popular British girl-band All Saints are to regroup for a tour and album later in the year.
- January 31 - American hardcore punk band Champion announces their impending breakup, with a final show scheduled for May.[1]
- February - Alice in Chains reform with new singer William DuVall as the replacement of Layne Staley, who died of a drug overdose in April 2002. Their planned tour will embark their first performance since 1996.
- February 1 - Vienna State Opera announced that Seiji Ozawa, a Conductor who concurrently works as a Music Director of the Opera, has had to cancel all his performance commitments for 2006 due to ill-health.
- February 8 - The 48th annual Grammy Awards are handed out at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Madonna opens the awards for a third time. U2 is the night's big winner, with 5 awards. Mariah Carey receives her first award in more than ten years.
- February 10 - White Lion/Black Label Society bassist James Lomenzo joins Megadeth as the replacement for James MacDonough (who was previously in Iced Earth).
- February 18 - The Rolling Stones give a free concert to 3 million people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, possibly one of the largest ever given.
- February 22 - The 1 Billionth song was downloaded on ITunes.
- February 25 - The 4th Annual TRL Awards are held in New York City. Madonna wins the Lifetime Achievement Award and Bono wins the Most Inspired Artist/Humanitarian Award. Other winners include Fall Out Boy, Chris Brown, Mariah Carey, Ashlee Simpson, Kelly Clarkson, Amanda Bynes, and My Chemical Romance. Performers included Ashlee Simpson and Chris Brown.
- March 5 - Three 6 Mafia made history as they became the first African-American hip-hop group to win an Academy Award for Best Song and also became the first hip-hop artists to ever perform at the ceremony. The group was nominated for the song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the Hustle & Flow soundtrack.
- March 11 - James Blunt, with his track You're Beautiful becomes the first British artist to top the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart since Elton John with Candle In The Wind 1997 almost nine years earlier.
- March 22 - News reports are released that Aerosmith's lead singer Steven Tyler is ill and will require throat surgery. The band cancels the rest of their tour (which was Top 3 at the time) with Cheap Trick and the band is on hiatus indefinitely until Tyler recovers.
- March - Bon Jovi's second single, Who Says You Can't Go Home, off the album Have A Nice Day goes to number one in the US Hot Country Charts for two weeks. For the first time ever, a rock band has achieved a number one hit in the country charts.
- April 21 to April 23 - Terrastock 6, Providence, Rhode Island.
- April 25 - Rihanna's sophomore album featuring SOS (Rescue Me) and Unfaithful is released.
- April 29 to April 30 - The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival takes place in Indio, California. Performers include: Madonna, James Blunt, Kanye West, Depeche Mode, Paul Oakenfold among others.
- It is rumored that Alice Cooper has began writing material for his next album, which would be his 28th album. It is also rumored that Welcome To My Nightmare guitarist Dick Wagner has written material for this album.
- May 2
- May 9 - Red Hot Chili Peppers release Stadium Arcadium, their 9th studio album. It is a double album. #1 in 26 countries
- May 11 - Dave Baksh announces that he left Sum 41 to pursue his career with his second band Brown Brigade.
- May 13
- The Los Angeles, California radio station KROQ airs the fourteenth annual Weenie Roast.
- Drummer Ryan Vandeberghe announces that The Suicide Machines have broken up after 15 years of activity.
- May 20 - Finnish monster rock band Lordi win the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song Hard Rock Hallelujah, the first hard rock/heavy metal song to win.
- May 23
- Madonna opens up her Confessions Tour for her album Confessions On A Dancefloor in Los Angeles. Ticket sales were sold out within minutes in North America, Europe, and Asia, resulting in new dates to be announced in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and London. The tour grossed $193.7 million - the highest grossed tour in history by a female artist.
- The Wreckers release their debut album, Stand Still, Look Pretty.
- May 24 - Taylor Hicks wins American Idol, season 5. Katharine McPhee is the runner-up.
- May 26 - Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale have their first baby boy, Kingston James McGregor Rossdale.
- June 1 - Youngbloodz and entourage arrested on drugs and weapons charges in Atlanta, Georgia. [2]
- June 6 - Metallica play their new song (Yet to be titled) for the first time in Berlin.
- June 8 - Shakira's single Hips Don't Lie sells 266,500 downloads in its first week of availability, smashing D4L's record of only 175,000. Hips Don't Lie also breaks another record, gaining the highest airplay in a single week with 9,657 spins, breaking Gwen Stefani´s Hollaback Girl record of 9,582.
- June 12 - Keane release their second studio album Under the Iron Sea, which sold in its first week 222,297 copies. It remains the first place in the UK Albums Chart despite new albums from Fatboy Slim and The Automatic
- June 16 to June 18 - Bonnaroo Music Festival takes place in Manchester, TN. Performers include Radiohead, Tom Petty, Phil Lesh and Friends, Beck, and DJ Sasha.
- June 23 - Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson leaves the group to pursue other interests.
- July - Luciano Pavarotti is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
- July 1 - Glue Gun performed the first reunion concert at Harpers in Northridge, Los Angeles, California. This concert embarked the band's first performance since breaking up in 1996.
- July 4 - Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith perform with the Boston Pops Orchestra in a nationally televised event.
- July 5 - American Idol tour begins.
- July 7 - Syd Barrett, co-founder and original vocalist for Pink Floyd dies of complications from diabetes
- July 9 - Scooter, releases it's long awaited live CD and DVD "Excess All Areas", recorded from the "Who's Got The Last Laugh Now?" Tour 2006.
- July 12 - Rivers Cuomo confirms that Weezer is now on hiatus again. As for the future of the band, he said "I'm not certain we'll ever make a record again, unless it becomes really obvious to me that we need to do one."
- July 30 - The last ever weekly version of Top Of The Pops is broadcast.
- August 1 - 10th anniversary of MTV2's original launch and 25th anniversary of MTV's original launch.
- August 4 to August 6 - Lollapalooza, Chicago, Illinois.
- September 5 - The Mercury Music Prize is held in the UK, with The Arctic Monkeys' debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not winning ahead of entries from acts such as Muse and Thom Yorke.
- September 26 - Weird Al Yancovic releases his album Straight Outta Lynwood.
Bands disbanded
- Acceptance
- Arab Strap
- Audio Adrenaline
- Centinex
- Clor
- Cold (hiatus)
- Death From Above 1979
- The Distillers
- A Dozen Furies
- Dropbox
- Finch (hiatus)
- Further Seems Forever
- Grandaddy
- Hope Of The States
- JJ72
- JR Ewing
- The Juliana Theory
- Mest
- Out Hud
- Peccatum
- Pedro the Lion
- A Perfect Circle (hiatus)
- Plonker
- Rufio
- Sleater-Kinney (hiatus)
- Stampin' Ground
- The Suicide Machines
- System of a Down (hiatus)
- Test Icicles
- Vendetta Red
- Weezer (hiatus) [1]
Albums released
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Albums to be released
All releases are an LP unless otherwise stated.
October
- How to Destroy a Relationship by The Servant (band) - (October 2)
- Public Warning by Lady Sovereign - (October 2)
- Suck Out the Poison by He Is Legend - October 3
- The Return by Ruben Studdard - (October 3)
- The Information by Beck - (October 3)-
- Premonición by David Bisbal - (October 3)-
- The Makings of Me by Monica - (October 3)
- Sam's Town by The Killers - (October 3)
- Supply and Demand by Amos Lee - (October 3)
- The Open Door by Evanescence - (October 3)
- Shine On by Jet - (October 3)
- Better Than Knowing Where You Are by Spitalfield - (October 3)
- The Crane Wife by The Decemberists - (October 3)
- Comatose by Skillet (October 3)
- When Devils Strike by South Park Mexican (october 3)
- Rotten Apple by Lloyd Banks - (October 10)
- Atlantis by k-os - (October 10)
- Like Father, Like Son by Birdman & Lil' Wayne - (October 10)
- ...And the Battle Begun by Rx Bandits - (October 10)
- Absolutely by Sister Hazel - (October 10)
- The Crusade by Trivium - (October 10)
- While The City Sleeps, We Rule The Streets by Cobra Starship - (October 10)
- Still Searching by Senses Fail - (October 10)
- Arriving Alive by DESA - (October 10)
- Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time by Rod Stewart - (October 10)
- Young Machetes by The Blood Brothers - (October 10)
- The Hit List by Unwritten Law - (October 10)
- Devil's Got a New Disguise by Aerosmith - (October 17)
- Black Aria II by Glenn Danzig - (October 17)
- Press Play by Diddy - (October 17)
- Untitled by Fantasia Barrino - (October 17)
- ' Forward by Ayla Brown - (October 17)
- The High Road by JoJo - (October 17)
- The Best Of What's Around by Dave Matthews Band - (October 17)
- They Can't All Be Zingers: The Best of Primus by Primus - (October 17)
- Full Circle by Xzibit - (October 17)
- Crunk Rock by Lil Jon - (October 17)
- Antikörper by Eisbrecher - (October 20)
- IV by Winger - (October 20, rumored date)
- What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have by Sarah Blasko - (October 21)
- The Same Side by Lucie Silvas - (October 23)
- Rudebox by Robbie Williams - (October 23)
- Undiscovered by Brooke Hogan - (October 24)
- Jibbs feat. Jibbs by Jibbs -(October 24)
- Noise Floor (Rarities: 1998-2005) by Bright Eyes (October 24)
- Vultures by Smile Empty Soul - (October 24)
- The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance - (October 24)
- Taylor Swift by Taylor Swift - (October 24)
- Songs from the Labyrinth by Sting - (October 24)
- Once Again by John Legend– (October 24)
- Untitled by Savage Garden - (October 27)
- Big by Macy Gray - (October 27)
- Secret Society by Europe - (October 27)
- The Greatest Songs of the Sixties by Barry Manilow - (October 31)
- Bat out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose by Meat Loaf - (October 31)
- Saturday Night Wrist by Deftones - (October 31)
- Back To Tulsa - Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom by Cross Canadian Ragweed - (October 31)
- The Great Burrito Extortion Case by Bowling For Soup - (October 31)
- Revolutions Per Minute by Skid Row - (October 31)
- El Mariel by Pitbull - (October 31)
- Endless Wire by The Who - October 31
- Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live by Lil Scrappy -(October 31)
- Vices by Dead Poetic - (October 31)
- Drink to Bones That Turn to Dust: A Toast to Oingo Boingo by Various Artists - (October 31)
- Small Town Girl by Kellie Pickler - (October 31)
- Tweedles by The Residents - (October 31)
- From Then Until by Raven Symone (October 31)
November
- Live...In the Shadow of the Blues (Double Live Album) by Whitesnake - (November 3)
- 9 by Damien Rice – (November 6)
- Eardrum (album) by Talib Kweli – (November 7)
- Matt Willis by Matt Willis - (November 13)
- The Doctor's Advocate by The Game - (November 14)
- An Other Cup by Yusuf Islam - (November 14)
- Greatest Hits by Staind - (November 14)
- Liberation by Mýa - (November 14)
- When Your Heart Stops Beating by (+44) - (November 14)
- The Tears Of Medusa by Maroon 5 - (November 14)
- Untitled by Taylor Hicks - (November 14)
- Untitled by Katharine McPhee - (November 14)
- Veteran by Marques Houston - (November 14)
- Me Myself & I by Fat Joe - (November 14)
- Special Occasion by Bobby V-Tino -(November 14)
- Todd Smith Pt. 2: Back to Cool by LL Cool J - (November 14)
- Pretty Little Stranger by Joan Osborne - (November 14)
- Red Gone Wild by Redman - (November 15)
- Stop the Clocks by Oasis - (November 20)
- Untitled by Brand New - (November 21)
- Kingdom Come by Jay-Z - (November 21)
- The Blue Carpet Treatment by Snoop Dogg - (November 21)
- Konvicted by Akon - (November 21)
- As Daylight Dies by Killswitch Engage - (November 21)
- The Lost. The Sick. The Sacred. by Inhale Exhale - (November 21)
- Untitled by Chris Daughtry - (November 21)
- Second Round by Teairra Mari - (November 21)
- I Need Mine by Lil Flip - (November 21)
- Untitled by 2gether - (November 25)
- Desire by Pharoahe Monch - (November 28)
- Light Grenades by Incubus - (November 28)
- Fallout by Revolution - (November 28
- Como Ama Una Mujer by Jennifer Lopez - (November 28)
- Mario Barrett - Effortless by Mario– (November 28)
- Joe Who? Joe Thomas by Joe– (November 28)
- Buck The World by Young Buck - (November 14)
December
- Untitled by Brandy - (December 1)
- Untitled by 2pac - (December 2)
- The Long Road To Eden by The Eagles - (December 3)
- Thugged by Cory P - (December 3)
- Untitled by Cher - (December 3)
- Baddest B*tch II by Trina - (December 3)
- ali by Aliana Lohan - (December 5)
- Hilary Duff's fourth studio album by Hilary Duff - (December 5)
- Ciara: The Evolution by Ciara - (December 5)
- Stages by Nick Cannon - (December 5)
- Eminem Presents: The Re-Up by Eminem - (December 5)
- Tru3 Magic by Mos Def - (December 5)
- The Bone Thugs Story by Bone Thugs N Harmony - (December 5)
- Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse - (December 5)
- Graduation by Kanye West - (December 11)
- Back By Thug Demand by Trick Daddy - (December 12)
- Untitled by AC/DC - (December 12)
- 21 by Omarion - (December 12)
- We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank by Modest Mouse - (December 19)
- The Price of Fame by Bow Wow– (December 19)
- Hip-Hop Is Dead by Nas - (December 19)
- The Nacirema Dream by Papoose - (December 25)
- Oh! Gravity. by Switchfoot - (December 26)
Speculated album releases
Autumn
- Absolute Garbage by Garbage
- Blue by Diana Ross
- Altar by Sunn O)))/Boris
- Disillusionment (Remaster of Reverence for the Lost and Nekromanteia) by Fields of Aplomb
- Trip The Light Fantastic by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
- Hannah Montana by Soundtrack
- Untitled by Anna Nalick
- The Magic Position by Patrick Wolf
- Adrenaline Rush 2010 by Twista
- Völkerball by Rammstein
- I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind by Killer Mike
- Louisville Slugger by J-Kwon
- Kinfolk by Ali & Gipp
Winter
- Born To Try by Delta Goodrem
- Untitled by The Bravery
- Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne
- Return of the Trill by Bun B
- Finding Forever by Common
- Still Platinum by Slim Thug
Unknown date
Titled Albums
- The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102 by Young Jeezy
- Get Money, Stay True by Paul Wall
- Love & Pain by Eamon
- A Modern Way Of Living With The Truth by The Exies
- Cheri Dennis by Cheri Dennis
- W3: Faithful by W (Double You)
- Album Number 5 by Silverchair
- Old Habits by Smash Mouth
- Origin Vol. 2 by Soundtrack Of Our Lives
- Half|Life by Eric West
- All Y'all by Travis Morrison and the Hellfighters
- Sins of the Past by Sinergy
- The Unquestionable Truth (Part 2) by Limp Bizkit
- Boxriff by The Atomic Bitchwax *EP
- Me Myself and I by David Bowie
- How Dirty Girls Get Clean by Courtney Love
- The Outsider by DJ Shadow
- I Am Me (Re-release) by Ashlee Simpson
- LOVE by The Beatles and George Martin
- Welcome The Night by The Ataris
- God's Gift by Lil Romeo
- Back To Business by Juelz Santana
- Officially Back by Ma$e
- From Nothin' To Somthin' by Fabolous
- Tears From a Soldier's Heart by Keyshia Cole
Untitled Albums
- 98 Degrees
- Ace of Base
- Army of Anyone
- Blackfield
- Black Sabbath
- Blur
- Carly Simon
- Celine Dion
- Dir en Grey
- Dokken
- Eiffel 65
- Emma Bunton
- Fountains of Wayne
- Garbage
- Glue Gun
- The Haunted
- Halford
- Josh Hoge
- Kimberley Locke
- Michelle Williams
- Our Lady Peace (Greatest Hits album)
- Paula Cole
- Rachel Stevens
- Roger Waters
- Rush
- Social Distortion (Greatest Hits album & studio album)
- Symphony X
- Whitney Houston
- Willa Ford
Top 10 best-selling albums of the year worldwide
Based on Mediatraffic data from January 14 to September 16. Mediatraffic cumulative sales consider data only from weeks where albums stay in the Top 40, more accurate sales data is not available until the end of the year.
| # | Artist | Album | Units sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | James Blunt | Back To Bedlam | 5.979.000 |
| 2. | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Stadium Arcadium | 4.740.000 |
| 3. | Madonna | Confessions On A Dance Floor | 3,469,000 |
| 4. | Soundtrack | High School Musical | 3,302,000 |
| 5. | Kelly Clarkson | Breakaway | 3.368.000 |
| 6. | Shakira | Oral Fixation Vol. 2 | 3.238.000 |
| 7. | Black Eyed Peas | Monkey Business | 3,218,000 |
| 8. | Pussycat Dolls | PCD | 3.104.000 |
| 9. | Nickelback | All The Right Reasons | 2.595.000 |
| 10. | Mary J. Blige | The Breakthrough | 2,494,000 |
Top 5 best-selling albums released in 2006 (worldwide)
From January to September 16 Mediatraffic data plus in other data if the album came out from their top 40.
| # | Artist | Album | Units sold (+7.5% not covered by Mediatraffic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Stadium Arcadium | 4.740.000 (5.095.500) |
| 2. | High School Musical | High School Musical Soundtrack | 3.368.000 (3.620.600) |
| 3. | Andrea Bocelli | Amore | 2.711.000 (2.914.325) |
| 4. | Rascal Flatts | Me And My Gang | 2.569.000 (2.761.675) |
| 5. | Dixie Chicks | Taking the Long Way | 2.438.000 (2.620.850) |
Top 5 Rock Albums (released in 2006) Sales
Based on Mediatraffic data and other sales data when the album is no longer on the Top 40.
| # | Artist | Album | Units sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Stadium Arcadium | 4.740.000 |
| 2. | Jack Johnson | Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George | 2.380.000 |
| 3. | Tool | 10,000 Days | 2.162.000 |
| 4. | Arctic Monkeys | Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not | 1.896.000 |
| 5. | Keane | Under the Iron Sea | 1.658.000 |
Top 10 first week selling worldwide
Mediatraffic.de data
| # | Artist | Album | Units sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Stadium Arcadium | 1,108,000 |
| 2. | Kumi Koda | Best (Second Session) | 983,000 |
| 3. | Justin Timberlake | FutureSex / LoveSounds | 932.000 |
| 4. | Tool | 10,000 Days | 756,000 |
| 5. | Beyonce | B-Day | 736,000 |
| 6. | Rascal Flatts | Me And My Gang | 733,000 |
| 7. | Ayumi Hamasaki | (miss)understood | 654,000 |
| 8. | Christina Aguilera | Back To Basics | 615,000 |
| 9. | Dixie Chicks | Taking the Long Way | 583,000 |
| 10. | KAT-TUN | Best of KAT-TUN | 557,000 |
Top hits on record in the world
United States
Billboard Hot 100 #1 Hits
- "Don't Forget About Us" — Mariah Carey (1 week in 2005/1 week in 2006)
- "Laffy Taffy" — D4L (1 week)
- "Grillz" — Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali and Big Gipp (2 weeks)
- "Check on It" — Beyoncé Knowles featuring Slim Thug (5 weeks)
- "You're Beautiful" — James Blunt (1 week)
- "So Sick" — Ne-Yo (2 weeks)
- "Temperature" — Sean Paul (1 week)
- "Bad Day" — Daniel Powter (5 weeks)
- "SOS (Rescue Me)" — Rihanna (3 weeks)
- "Ridin'" — Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone (2 weeks)
- "Hips Don't Lie" — Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (2 weeks)
- "Do I Make You Proud" — Taylor Hicks (1 week)
- "Promiscuous" — Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland (6 weeks)
- "London Bridge" — Fergie (3 weeks)
- "SexyBack" — Justin Timberlake (4 weeks)
See also: Hot 100 number-one hits of 2006.
Billboard Hot 100 Hits - Singles which have ranked within Top 20
- "A Public Affair" — Jessica Simpson (#14)
- "Ain't No Other Man" — Christina Aguilera (#6)
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" — KT Tunstall (#20)
- "Beep" — Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am (#13)
- "Be Without You" — Mary J. Blige (#3)
- "Bossy" — Kelis (#16)
- "Breaking Free" — Zac Efron, Andrew Seeley and Vanessa Anne Hudgens (#4)
- "Buttons" — Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg (#3)
- "Call Me When You're Sober" — Evanescence (#10)
- "Chain Hang Low" — Jibbs (#8)
- "Chasing Cars" — Snow Patrol (#6)
- "Control Myself" — LL Cool J featuring Jennifer Lopez (#4)
- "Crazy" — Gnarls Barkley (#2)
- "Dani California" — Red Hot Chili Peppers (#6)
- "Déjà Vu" — Beyoncé Knowles featuring Jay-Z (#4)
- "Do It To It" — Cherish featuring Sean Paul of The YoungBloodZ (#12)
- "Everytime We Touch" — Cascada (#10)
- "Far Away" — Nickelback (#8)
- "Get Up" — Ciara featuring Chamillionaire (#7)
- "Gimme That" — Chris Brown featuring Lil' Wayne (#15)
- "Give It Up To Me" — Sean Paul featuring Keyshia Cole (#3)
- "How To Save A Life" — The Fray (#7)
- "I Know You See It" — Yung Joc (#17)
- "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" — Panic! At the Disco (#7)
- "It's Goin' Down" — Yung Joc (#3)
- "Jesus, Take The Wheel" — Carrie Underwood (#20)
- "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" — Dem Franchize Boyz (#7)
- "Let U Go" — Ashley Parker Angel (#12)
- "Life Is A Highway" — Rascal Flatts (#7)
- "Lips of an Angel" — Hinder (#5)
- "Me & U" — Cassie (#3)
- "Money Maker — Ludacris featuring Pharrell (#2)
- "Move Along" — The All-American Rejects (#15)
- "Ms. New Booty" — Bubba Sparxxx featuring Ying Yang Twins & Mr. ColliPark (#7)
- "Over My Head (Cable Car)" — The Fray (#8)
- "Pullin' Me Back" — Chingy featuring Tyrese (#13)
- "Pump It" — Black Eyed Peas (#18)
- "Ring The Alarm" — Beyoncé Knowles (#11)
- "Savin' Me" — Nickelback (#19)
- "Sexy Love" — Ne-Yo (#7)
- "Shake That" — Eminem (#6)
- "Shoulder Lean" — Young Dro featuring T.I. (#10)
- "Show Stopper" — Danity Kane (#8)
- "Snap Yo Fingers" — Lil Jon featuring E-40 and Sean Paul of The YoungBloodZ (#7)
- "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" — Katharine McPhee (#12)
- "So What" — Field Mob featuring Ciara (#10)
- "Stars Are Blind" — Paris Hilton (#18)
- "Stupid Girls" — P!nk (#13)
- "Too Little, Too Late" — JoJo (#3)
- "Touch It" — Busta Rhymes (#13)
- "U and Dat" — E-40 featuring T-Pain and Kandi Girl (#13)
- "Unfaithful" — Rihanna (#6)
- "Unpredictable" — Jamie Foxx (#8)
- "Unwritten" — Natasha Bedingfield (#5)
- "Walk Away" — Kelly Clarkson (#12)
- "What Hurts The Most" — Rascal Flatts (#6)
- "What You Know" — T.I. (#3)
- "What's Left of Me" — Nick Lachey (#6)
- "Where'd You Go" — Fort Minor featuring Holly Brook (#4)
- "When You're Mad" — Ne-Yo (#15)
- "When I'm Gone" — Eminem (#8)
- "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" — Chris Brown (#7)
United Kingdom
The Official UK #1 Singles
- "When the Sun Goes Down" — Arctic Monkeys (1 week)
- "Nasty Girl" — The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge & Avery Storm (2 weeks)
- "Thunder In My Heart Again" — Meck and Leo Sayer (2 weeks)
- "Sorry" — Madonna (1 week)
- "It's Chico Time" — Chico Slimani (2 weeks)
- "No Tomorrow" — Orson (1 week)
- "So Sick" — Ne-Yo (1 week)
- "Crazy" — Gnarls Barkley (9 weeks)
- "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker" — Sandi Thom (1 week)
- "Maneater" — Nelly Furtado (3 weeks)
- "Hips Don't Lie" — Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (1 week)
- "Smile" — Lily Allen (2 weeks)
- "Please, Please" — McFly (1 week)
- "Hips Don't Lie" — Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (4 weeks)
- "Déjà Vu" — Beyoncé Knowles featuring Jay-Z (1 week)
- "SexyBack" — Justin Timberlake (1 week)
- "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" — Scissor Sisters (2 week)
See also: List of number-one hits of 2006 (UK)
The Official UK Hit Singles - Singles which have ranked within Top 20
- "Ain't No Other Man" — Christina Aguilera (#2)
- "All Time Love" — Will Young (#3)
- "Beep" — Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am (#2)
- "Better Do Better" — HARD-Fi (#14)
- "Boys Will Be Boys" — The Ordinary Boys (#3)
- "Buttons" — Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg (#3)
- "Chasing Cars" — Snow Patrol (#6)
- "Check on It" — Beyoncé Knowles featuring Slim Thug (#3)
- "Control Myself" — LL Cool J featuring Jennifer Lopez (#2)
- "Country Girl" — Primal Scream (#5)
- "Crystal Ball" - Keane (#20)
- "Dani California" — Red Hot Chili Peppers (#2)
- "Don't Bother" — Shakira (#9)
- "Everytime We Touch" — Cascada (#2)
- "Faster Kill Pussycat" — Brittany Murphy featuring Paul Oakenfold (#7)
- "Fill My Little World" — The Feeling (#10)
- "From Paris to Berlin" — Infernal (#2)
- "Get Together" — Madonna (#7)
- "Is It Any Wonder?" — Keane (#3)
- "Love Don't Let Me Go (Walking Away)" — David Guetta featuring The Egg (#3)
- "Moodswings" — Charlotte Church (#14)
- "Nature's Law" — Embrace (#2)
- "Nine2Five" — The Ordinary Boys vs. Lady Sovereign (#6)
- "No Promises" — Shayne Ward (#2)
- "One" — Mary J. Blige featuring U2 (#2)
- "Promiscuous" — Nelly Furtado featuring Timberland (#3)
- "Pump It" — The Black Eyed Peas (#3)
- "Put Your Records On" — Corinne Bailey Rae (#2)
- "Run It!" — Chris Brown (#2)
- "Red Dress" — Sugababes (#4)
- "Ridin'" — Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone (#2)
- "Rooftops" — LostProphets (#8)
- "Rudebox" — Robbie Williams (#4)
- "She Moves In Her Own Way" — The Kooks (#8)
- "Somebody's Watching Me" — Beatfreakz (#3)
- "SOS (Rescue Me)" — Rihanna (#2)
- "Stars Are Blind" — Paris Hilton (#5)
- "Stupid Girls" — P!nk (#4)
- "Talk" — Coldplay (#10)
- "Teenage Life" — Daz Sampson (#8)
- "Temperature" — Sean Paul (#11)
- "The Fallen / L. Wells" — Franz Ferdinand (#14)
- "Touch the Sky" — Kanye West (#6)
- "U + Ur Hand" — P!nk (#11)
- "Unfaithful" - Rihanna (#2)
- "Voodoo Child" — Rogue Traders (#3)
- "Welcome To Wherever You Are" — Bon Jovi (#19)
- "When You Wasn't Famous" — The Streets (#8)
- "When I'm Gone" — Eminem (#4)
- "Who Knew" — P!nk (#5)
- "Who Says You Can't Go Home" — Bon Jovi (#5)
- "Whole Lotta History" — Girls Aloud (#6)
- "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" — Chris Brown (#13)
- "You Give Me Something" — James Morrison (#5)
- "You Have Killed Me" — Morrissey (#3)
- "You Only Live Once" — The Strokes (#14)
- "You're All I Have" — Snow Patrol (#7)
Other significant singles
- "Dear Mr. President" - Pink
Australia
Australian ARIA #1 Singles
- "Wasabi/Eye of the Tiger" — Lee Harding (3 weeks)
- "Run It!" — Chris Brown (3 weeks)
- "When I'm Gone" — Eminem (1 week)
- "Love Generation" — Bob Sinclair (2 weeks)
- "Flaunt It" — TV Rock (5 weeks)
- "Forever Young" — Youth Group (2 weeks)
- "SOS" — Rihanna (8 weeks)
- "Hips Don't Lie" — Shakira (9 weeks)
- "SexyBack" — Justin Timberlake (2 weeks)
- "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (with Flowers in My Hair)" — Sandi Thom (3 weeks)
See also: List of number-one singles in Australia of 2006
Australian ARIA Hit Singles - Singles which have ranked within Top 20
- "Ain't No Other Man — Christina Aguilera (#6)
- "Beep" — The Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am (#3)
- "Black Fingernails, Red Wine" — Eskimo Joe (#6)
- "Buttons" - The Pussycat Dolls (#2)
- "Déjà Vu" - Beyoncé Knowles featuring Jay-Z (#12)
- "Dani California" — Red Hot Chili Peppers (#8)
- "Faded" — Kate DeAraugo (#8)
- "Goodbye My Lover" — James Blunt (#3)
- "Grillz" — Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp (#11)
- "L.O.V.E." — Ashlee Simpson (#5)
- "Miss Murder" — AFI (#20)
- "Mistake" — Stephanie McIntosh (#3)
- "Nasty Girl" — The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge & Avery Storm (#15)
- "Nothing at All" — Kasey Chambers (#9)
- "Now I Run" — Shannon Noll (#6)
- "Pump It" — Black Eyed Peas (#6)
- "Savin' Me" — Nickelback (#18)
- "Sexy Love" — Ne-Yo (#14)
- "So Sick" — Ne-Yo (#4)
- "So Under Pressure" — Dannii Minogue (#16)
- "Sorry" — Madonna (#4)
- "Stupid Girls" — P!nk (#4)
- "Temperature" — Sean Paul (#5)
- "This Time I Know It's for Real" — Young Divas (#2)
- "Touch The Sky" — Kanye West (#10)
- "Together We Are One — Delta Goodrem (#2)
- "We Are the Champions (Ding a Dang Dong)" — Crazy Frog (#13)
- "What's Left of Me — Nick Lachey (#8)
- "When It All Falls Apart" — The Veronicas (#7)
- "Who Knew" - P!nk (#2)
- "Wisemen" — James Blunt (#11)
- "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" — Chris Brown (#10)
- "You Raise Me Up" — Westlife (#3)
- Steve Reich — Daniel Variations
- Derek Bourgrous - "Symphony No. 32"
- Robert Xavier Rodriguez — La Curandera; libretto by Mary Medrick (première by Opera Colorado on May)
- Stephen Hartke - The Greater Good, or the Passion of Boule de Suif
- The Phantom of the Opera officially became the longest Broadway running musical ever on January 9, 2006, at 7486 performances surpassing the previous record holder, Cats, also written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
- Edit:Undo premiered at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts on August 7 as the first full length by-students for-students musical about high school.
- High School Musical, a Disney Channel Original Movie watched by 7.7 million viewers in its premiere broadcast on January 20.
- Neil Young: Heart of Gold, a film directed by Jonathan Demme, released on February 10.
- Bolletjes Blues, a Dutch film starring Negativ, released on March 23.
- Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel original series about a rock star, premiered on March 23.
- Take the Lead, a film starring Antonio Banderas and Alfre Woodard, released on April 7.
- The Cheetah Girls 2, a Disney Channel Original Movie watched by 7.6 million viewers in its premiere broadcast on August 25.
- Happy Feet, a film with the voices of Nicole Kidman, Elijah Wood, Hugh Jackman, Brittany Murphy, Robin Williams and Anthony LaPaglia, it will be released in November 17.
Births
- May 26—Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale.
- September 12 - Sutton Pierce Federline, son of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline.
Deaths
- January 1 — Bryan Harvey, American singer-guitarist of House of Freaks, 46
- January 6
- Lou Rawls, American singer, 72
- Alex St. Claire, American drummer of Captain Beefheart, 64
- January 11 — Markus Löffel, German disc jockey, 39
- January 19 — Wilson Pickett, American singer, 64
- January 27 — Gene McFadden, American singer-songwriter and producer, 56
- January 30 — Thomas "Pig Champion" Roberts, guitarist of Poison Idea, 47
- February 2 — Bill Cowsill, singer-gutarist of The Cowsills, 52
- February 3 — Romano Mussolini, Italian jazz pianist, 78
- February 10 — Jay Dee, hip hop producer, 32
- February 15 - Anna Marly, French singer-songwriter, 88
- February 22 — Anthony Burger, American gospel music pianist, 44 (collapsed during performance)
- March 7 — Ali Farka Touré, Malian guitarist, 66
- March 10 — Anna Moffo, operatic soprano, about 75
- March 13 - Geoffrey Wilkes, bassist of The Orange Jam Conspiracy, 18
- March 23 — Pío Leyva, Cuban musician, 88
- March 23 — Cindy Walker, American country songwriter, 87
- March 25 — Buck Owens, American country music star, 76
- March 27 - Pete Wells, 48, slide guitarist for Buffalo & Rose Tattoo
- April 5 — Gene Pitney, American singer, 65
- April 11
- June Pointer, American singer of Pointer Sisters, 52
- Proof (DeShaun Holton), American rapper of D12, 32
- April 24
- Erik Bergman, Finnish composer, 94
- Bonnie Owens, country singer, 76
- April 28 - Ben-Zion Orgad, Israeli composer, 80
- May 1 - Big Hawk, American rapper, 36
- May 5 - Naushad, Bollywood composer, 86
- May 6 - Grant McLennan, co-frontman/guitarist/songwriter of Australian band The Go Betweens, 48
- May 10 - Soraya Colombian Latin Signer, 37
- May 10 - John Hicks, jazz pianist
- May 13 - Johnnie Wilder, lead singer of Heatwave, 56
- May 15 - Cheikha Rimitti, singer, 83
- May 19 - Freddie Garrity, lead singer of Freddie and the Dreamers, 69
- May 18 - Andy Capps, drummer of Built to Spill, 37
- May 23 - Ian Copeland, promoter, 57
- May 25 - Desmond Dekker, ska and reggae performer, 64
- June 2
- Johnny Grande, keyboardist for Bill Haley & His Comets, 76
- Vince Welnick, keyboardist for Grateful Dead, 55
- June 6
- Billy Preston, keyboardist, soul musician, 59
- Hilton Ruiz, jazz pianist, 54
- June 12 - György Ligeti, composer, 83
- June 20 - Claydes Charles Smith, lead guitarist for Kool and the Gang, 57.
- June 27 - Eileen Barton, American singer, 76
- July 3 - Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo-soprano, 52
- July 3 - Jack Smith, US singer, 92
- July 7 - Syd Barrett, founding-member of Pink Floyd, 60
- July 8 - June Allyson, US actress, singer and dancer, 88
- July 9 - Milan Williams, keyboardist for the The Commodores, 58
- July 13 - Ade Monsbourgh, Australian jazz musician, 89
- July 16 - Malachi Thompson, American jazz trumpeter, 56
- July 22 - Jessie Mae Hemphill, American singer-songwriter, 82
- July 31 - Rufus Harley, American jazz bagpiper, 70
- August 2 - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, operatic soprano, 90
- August 3 - Arthur Lee, guitarist and vocalist for Love, 61
- August 16 - Jon Nödtveidt, lead singer of Dissection, 31
- August 19 - Joseph Hill, Jamaican lead singer of roots reggae group Culture, 57
- August 22 - Bruce Gary, drummer for The Knack, 55
- August 23 - Maynard Ferguson, jazz trumpeter, 78
- August 24 - John Weinzweig, composer, 93
- August 27 - Jesse Pintado, guitarist for Napalm Death, 37
- September 3 - Eva Knardahl, classical pianist, 79
- September 4 - Astrid Varnay, operatic soprano, 88
- September 10 - Bennie Smith, blues musician, 72
- September 13 - Lou Richards, guitarist for Hatebreed, 35
- September 14 - Norman Brooks, Jolson sound-alike, 78
- September 19 - Danny Flores, saxaphonist for The Champs, 77
- September 20 - Armin Jordan, conductor, 74
- September 21 - Boz Burrell, bass guitarist and vocalist for Bad Company and King Crimson, 60
- September 23 - Malcolm Arnold, composer, 84
Awards and contests
- Grammy Awards of 2006
- Country Music Association Awards
- Eurovision Song Contest 2006
- Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2006
- 2006 Brit Awards
- 2006 NME Awards
- 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
- Nationwide Mercury Prize 2006