2016 in British music

• 10 January – Rock icon David Bowie passes away of liver cancer, two days after the release of his final album; Bowie's illness had not been disclosed to the public until his death. Having stipulated that he did not want a funeral ceremony, Bowie is cremated two days later in New Jersey, USA, with arrangements for his ashes to be scattered in accordance with Buddhist rituals on the island of Bali.[1]
• 13 January – Chetham's School of Music announces the appointment of Alun Jones as its new Head, effective September 2016.[2]
• 28 January – Wigmore Hall live-streams performances for the first time.[3]
• 4 February – The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla as its next music director, effective September 2016, with an initial contract of 3 years. She is the first female conductor to be named music director of the CBSO.[4]
• 19 February – The Royal Philharmonic Society announces Sir Peter Maxwell Davies as the recipient of its 102nd Gold Medal.[5]
• 24 February – The 2016 Brit Awards ceremony takes place at The O2, presented by Ant & Dec.[6] David Bowie is awarded the "Brits Icon" award, a few weeks after his death. Actor Gary Oldman accepts the award on Bowie's behalf.[7]
• 2 March – The Bridgewater Hall announces the appointment of Andrew Bolt as its new chief executive.[8]
• 21 March – The Gloucester Cathedral Choir announces that it is to recruit girl choristers for the first time in its history, in April 2016.[9]
• 22 March – Mark Wigglesworth announces his resignation as music director of English National Opera, effective at the end of the 2015–2016 season.[10]
• 18 April – The Royal Northern College of Music announces the appointment of Sir John Tomlinson as its next president, for a term of 5 years, effective January 2017.[11]
• 23 April – The London Woodwind Orchestra, the first professional woodwind orchestra in the UK, gives its debut performance at St John's Smith Square.[12]
• 29 April – English National Opera announces the appointment of Daniel Kramer as its next artistic director, effective 1 August 2016.[13]
• 12 May – The Stone Roses release their first new single in 21 years, "All For One", their first new material since their 2011 reformation.
• 14 May – The United Kingdom will compete in the final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden. This year's Joe and Jake will represent the United Kingdom with their song, You're Not Alone
• 15 May – Sheku Kanneh-Mason wins the 2016 BBC Young Musician of the Year award.[14]
• 12 June – Queen's Birthday Honours[15]
  • Rod Stewart is made a Knight Bachelor.
  • Alison Balsom is awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE).
  • Brian Lang, Colin Lawson, Paul Lewis, John McLeod are each made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
• 13 June – The Royal Albert Hall announces that Chris Cotton, its current chief executive, is to retire.[16]
• 24 June – Never heard during the composer's lifetime, Still Point by Daphne Oram receives its world premiere at St John's Smith Square, London, 67 years after Oram composed the work.[17]
• 11 July – Release of Stand As One – Live at Glastonbury 2016, an album of live performances from the 2016 Glastonbury Festival in memory of Jo Cox, the MP recently killed in a violent attack; proceeds from the album will go towards helping Oxfam's work with refugees, Cox having worked for the charity for some years.[18][19]
• 13 July – The Guildhall School of Music and Drama announces the appointment of Lynne Williams as its next principal, effective in 2017.[20]
• 2 August – The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Dominic Parker as its new Director, in succession to Gavin Reid.[21]
• 12 September – The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden announces the appointment of Oliver Mears as its next Director of Opera, effective March 2017.[22]
• 8 October – The Wind in the Willows, a musical by Julian Fellowes with music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, receives its world première at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth.[23]
• 16 October – Singer-songwriter Peter Skellern, suffering from an inoperable brain tumour, is ordained as an Anglican priest by the Bishop of Truro.[24]
• 21 October – English National Opera announces the appointment of Martyn Brabbins as its new music director, with immediate effect, with an initial contract through October 2020.[25]
• 24 October – The Royal Albert Hall announces the appointment of Craig Hassall as its next chief executive, effective 2017.[26]
• 4 November – The UK government announced withdrawal of funding support for the proposed new London Concert Hall.[27]
• 7 December – Northern Ireland Opera announces the appointment of Walter Sutcliffe as its next artistic director, effective February 2017.[28]
• 13 December – The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh announces that its chief executive, Adrian Harris, is to retire at the end of December 2016.[29]
• 30 December – New Year's Honours 2017[30][31]
  • Dame Evelyn Glennie is made a Companion of Honour.
  • Ray Davies, Jeffrey Tate and Bryn Terfel are each made a Knight Bachelor.
  • Lennox Mackenzie and Stephen Maddock are each made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
  • Iestyn Davies and Anthony Forbes are each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

• 8 January – Launch of the first series of Lip Sync Battle: UK on Channel 5, a British version of the American musical comedy television show where celebrities lip sync battle each other to various popular songs.
• 9 January – Launch of the fifth series of The Voice UK, the last to be broadcast by the BBC.

• Arab Strap
• Bentley Rhythm Ace
• Meet Me in St. Louis
• Spice Girls – GEM
• Super Furry Animals
• The Vapors
• The Zutons

• Bombay Bicycle Club[32]
• One Direction

• Allo Darlin'
• The Bad Shepherds
• Bolt Thrower
• The Business
• Cherry Ghost
• Dead or Alive
• Funeral for a Friend
• FVK
• The Enemy
• Kosheen
• Lush
• Maybeshewill
• Viola Beach (all lost their lives in a road accident)
• Vondelpark
• Wodensthrone

• Julian Anderson – Incantesimi[33]
• Sally Beamish
  • Chaconne (for organ)[34]
  • A Shakespeare Masque (text by Carol Ann Duffy)
• Luke Bedford
  • Three Caves[35]
  • In Black Bright Ink[36]
• Judith Bingham – The Orchid and Its Hunters[37]
• Harrison Birtwistle – Five Lessons in a Frame[38]
• Mark David Boden – Ghyll[39]
• Charlotte Bray
  • Agnus Dei[40]
  • Stone Dancer[41]
  • Falling in the Fire (for cello and orchestra)[42]
• Diana Burrell – Concerto for Brass and Orchestra[43]
• Paul Carr – Violin Concerto[44]
• Chiu-yu Chou – Tongue[45]
• Desmond Clarke
  • Viola Concerto[46]
  • Xyla[47]
• Anna Clyne – This Lunar Beauty[48]
• Ronald Corp – "Behold, the sea"[49]
• Tom Coult
  • Sonnet Machine[45]
  • Spirit of the Staircase[38]
• Laurence Crane – Cobbled Section After Cobbled Section[50]
• Stephen Deazley (music) and Martin Riley (text) – The Rattler[51]
• James Dillon – The Gates for string quartet and orchestra[52]
• Richard Emsley – Strange Attractor[50]
• Edmund Finnis – Parallel Colour[53]
• Alissa Firsova
  • Paradisi Gloria[54]
  • Bride of the Wind[55]
• Cheryl Frances-Hoad – Game On (for piano and Commodore 64)
• Michael Zev Gordon – In the Middle of Things[56]
• Tom Harrold
  • Nightfires[57]
  • Raze[58]
• Malcolm Hayes – Violin Concerto[59]
• Morgan Hayes – Overture: The Kiss[60]
• Piers Hellawell – Wild Flow[61]
• Thomas Hyde – Piano Trio: after Picasso[62]
• Patrick John Jones – Locks of the approaching storm[47]
• Mica Levi – Signal Before War[63]
• Zoë Martlew – Broad St. Burlesque[36]
• Christian Mason – Isolarion III
• Benedict Mason – Horns Strings and Harmony[64]
• David Matthews – Norfolk March[65]
• Bayan Northcott – Concerto for Orchestra[66]
• Ben Palmer – Flying in the Fire[67]
• Roxanna Panufnik – Kyrie after Byrd[40]
• Owain Park – Upheld by stillness[40]
• Aaron Parker – After sunset fades[45]
• Anthony Payne – Of Land, Sea and Sky[68]
• Joseph Phibbs – Partita[69]
• John Pickard – Symphony No 5[70]
• Michael Pisaro – fields have ears (10)[71]
• Sophya Polevaya – Carousel
• Francis Pott – Laudate Dominum[40]
• John Powell – A Prussian Requiem[72]
• Alwynne Pritchard – Rockaby[71]
• Ryan Probert – Mattei[73]
• Derek Rodgers – Clarinet Concerto[74]
• Matt Rogers – We Happened to Travel[75]
• David Sawer – April\March[63]
• Frederick Scott – Toccata seconda
• Percy Sherwood – Concerto for violin and cello
• Howard Skempton – Piano Concerto[50]
• Mark-Anthony Turnage – Strapless (ballet in one act, choreography by Christopher Wheeldon)[76]
• Roderick Williams – Ave verum corpus re-imagined[40]
• Scott Wilson – head-neck-chest-four-five-six-thing[77]
• John Woolrich – Swan Song[36]

• Figaro Gets a Divorce by Elena Langer (libretto by David Pountney) is premièred on 21 February 2016 by Welsh National Opera in Cardiff.[78]
• Found and Lost by Emily Hall is premièred at the Corinthia Hotel London in January 2016.
• Other premieres:
  • Thomas Adès and Tom Cairns – The Exterminating Angel[79]
  • Iain Bell (music), David Antrobus and Emma Jenkins (libretto) – In Parenthesis[80]
  • David Bruce and Glyn Maxwell – Nothing[81]
  • Nicholas Jackson – The Rose and the Ring[82]
  • Hannah Kendall and Tessa McWatt – The Knife of Dawn[83]
  • Stuart MacRae and Louise Welsh – The Devil Inside[84]
  • Sir Peter Maxwell Davies – The Hogboon[85]
  • Mark Simpson and Melanie Challenger – Pleasure[86]
  • Philip Venables – 4.48 Psychosis[87]

• Fantastic Mr Fox by Sam Holcroft, with music by Arthur Darvill.[88]
• Half a Sixpence, co-created by Cameron Mackintosh with book by Julian Fellowes and music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (also including several songs by David Heneker from the 1963 musical based on the same story.
• The Wind in the Willows by Julian Fellowes, with music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe[23]

• Sing Street

• Brit Awards – see 2016 Brit Awards

For the first time in the history of the singles chart, the top three positions were occupied by the same artist. In the chart ending 14 January 2016, Justin Bieber was at number one with "Love Yourself", number two with "Sorry" and number three with "What Do You Mean?".

In the chart ending 4 February, David Bowie matched an album chart record of having 12 albums simultaneously in the top 40, a record set by Elvis Presley following his death in 1977. His album Best of Bowie also became the first ever album to reach number one due to streaming.

In the chart ending 3 November, Elvis Presley broke a record for most number-one albums for a solo artist when his album The Wonder Of You reached number one.

Number-one singles

The singles chart includes a proportion for streaming.

Key

Best performing single of the year

Chart date (week ending)	Song	Artist(s)	Chart sales	References
7 January	"Love Yourself"	Justin Bieber	122,997	[90]
14 January			78,658	[91]
21 January			74,565	[92]
28 January	"Stitches"	Shawn Mendes	68,125	[93]
4 February			71,503	[94]
11 February	"Pillowtalk"	Zayn Malik	112,497	[95]
18 February	"7 Years"	Lukas Graham	104,881	[96]
25 February			133,758	[97]
3 March			131,488	[98]
10 March			106,494	[99]
17 March			91,299	[100]
24 March	"I Took a Pill in Ibiza"	Mike Posner	77,838	[101]
31 March			81,548	[102]
7 April			83,907	[103]
14 April			75,710	[104]
21 April	"One Dance"	Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla	72,615	[105]
28 April			115,078	[106]
5 May			128,535	[107]
12 May			140,731	[108]
19 May			123,519	[109]
26 May			104,998	[110]
2 June			92,593	[111]
9 June			84,742	[112]
16 June			72,934	[113]
23 June			60,866	[114]
30 June			60,493	[115]
7 July			59,256	[116]
14 July			58,851	[117]
21 July			54,726	[118]
28 July			59,563	[119]
4 August	"Cold Water"	Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber & MØ	102,489	[120]
11 August			104,446	[121]
18 August			93,807	[122]
25 August			82,925	[123]
1 September			71,507	[124]
8 September	"Closer"	The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey	79,970	[125]
15 September			91,666	[126]
22 September			88,597	[127]
29 September			82,593	[128]
6 October	"Say You Won't Let Go"	James Arthur	84,842	[129]
13 October			92,360	[130]
20 October			105,603	[131]
27 October	"Shout Out to My Ex"	Little Mix	95,273	[132]
3 November			111,816	[133]
10 November			79,039	[134]
17 November	"Rockabye"	Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul & Anne-Marie	72,071	[135]
24 November			76,189	[136]
1 December			74,545	[137]
8 December			82,445	[138]
15 December			70,467	[139]
22 December			63,335	[140]
29 December			57,631	[141]

Number-one albums

The albums chart includes a proportion for streaming.

Key

Best performing album of the year

Chart date (week ending)	Album	Artist	Chart sales	References
7 January	25	Adele	75,783	[142]
14 January			43,446	[143]
21 January	Blackstar	David Bowie	146,168	[144]
28 January			81,403	[145]
4 February			34,456	[146]
11 February	Best of Bowie		28,997	[147]
18 February	A Head Full of Dreams	Coldplay	30,146	[148]
25 February	25	Adele	27,780	[149]
3 March			28,168	[150]
10 March	I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It	The 1975	58,378	[151]
17 March	25	Adele	53,936	[152]
24 March			22,795	[153]
31 March			20,915	[154]
7 April	Mind of Mine	Zayn Malik	22,250	[155]
14 April	Everything You've Come to Expect	The Last Shadow Puppets	30,797	[156]
21 April	Cleopatra	The Lumineers	10,892	[157]
28 April	The Hope Six Demolition Project	PJ Harvey	11,436	[158]
5 May	Lemonade	Beyoncé	73,392	[159]
12 May	Views	Drake	78,397	[160]
19 May	A Moon Shaped Pool	Radiohead	50,543	[161]
26 May	Views	Drake	23,846	[162]
2 June	Dangerous Woman	Ariana Grande	19,582	[163]
9 June	The Ride	Catfish and the Bottlemen	38,103	[164]
16 June	Stranger to Stranger	Paul Simon	19,218	[165]
23 June	50	Rick Astley	23,691	[166]
30 June	A Moon Shaped Pool	Radiohead	44,272	[167]
7 July	25	Adele	24,837	[168]
14 July	California	Blink-182	23,529	[169]
21 July	Ellipsis	Biffy Clyro	37,308	[170]
28 July	Love & Hate	Michael Kiwanuka	11,639	[171]
4 August	All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra	Electric Light Orchestra	15,302	[172]
11 August	Viola Beach	Viola Beach	17,379	[173]
18 August	Blossoms	Blossoms	20,987	[174]
25 August			7,948	[175]
1 September	Blond	Frank Ocean	31,866	[176]
8 September	Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway	Barbra Streisand	19,778	[177]
15 September	Cartwheels	Ward Thomas	12,127	[178]
22 September	Wild World	Bastille	36,039	[179]
29 September			12,025	[180]
6 October	Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea	Passenger	18,885	[181]
13 October	Following My Intuition	Craig David	24,500	[182]
20 October	Revolution Radio	Green Day	30,880	[183]
27 October	Walls	Kings of Leon	49,964	[184]
3 November	The Wonder of You	Elvis Presley	63,500	[185]
10 November	Back from the Edge	James Arthur	40,906	[186]
17 November	The Heavy Entertainment Show	Robbie Williams	66,825	[187]
24 November	24 Hrs	Olly Murs	57,981	[188]
1 December	Glory Days	Little Mix	96,205	[189]
8 December			57,151	[190]
15 December	Blue & Lonesome	The Rolling Stones	105,830	[191]
22 December	Together	Michael Ball & Alfie Boe	96,643	[192]
29 December			109,708	[193]

Number-one compilation albums

Key

Best-selling compilation of the year

Chart date (week ending)	Album	Sales	References
7 January	Now 92	54,811	[194]
14 January		22,215	[195]
21 January	Go Hard or Go Home	16,413	[196]
28 January	Acoustic Cafe	14,093	[197]
4 February		14,164	[198]
11 February	Throwback Slow Jamz	25,152	[199]
18 February		21,800	[200]
25 February		17,731	[201]
3 March	Brit Awards 2016	11,751	[202]
10 March	Sing Your Heart Out 2016	20,532	[203]
17 March		21,036	[204]
24 March		20,820	[205]
31 March	Now 93	246,889	[206]
7 April		149,467	[207]
14 April		81,598	[208]
21 April		50,936	[209]
28 April		36,873	[210]
5 May		29,106	[211]
12 May		27,431	[212]
19 May	100% Clubland		[213]
26 May	Now 93	18,694	[214]
2 June	100% Clubland	19,467	[215]
9 June	Now 93	18,252	[216]
16 June	100% Clubland	14,629	[217]
23 June	Throwback Summer Jamz	30,228	[218]
30 June			[219]
7 July		23,569	[220]
14 July	Now Summer Hits	22,339	[221]
21 July		16,958	[222]
28 July		16,462	[223]
4 August	Now 94	216,560	[224]
11 August		117,412	[225]
18 August		69,408	[226]
25 August		48,029	[227]
1 September		33,991	[228]
8 September		29,744	[229]
15 September		22,130	[230]
22 September		20,084	[231]
29 September		16,430	[232]
6 October		15,447	[233]
13 October		14,690	[234]
20 October		12,256	[235]
27 October		11,527	[236]
3 November	Now 20th Century	12,681	[237]
10 November	Funk the Disco	13,579	[238]
17 November	The Annual 2017	18,730	[239]
24 November	Dreamboats & Petticoats: 10th Anniversary Collection	17,949	[240]
1 December	Now 95	222,765	[241]
8 December		159,404	[242]
15 December		132,020	[243]
22 December		124,948	[244]
29 December		138,880	[245]

• 4 January – Robert Stigwood, Australian-born band manager (Bee Gees, Cream) and film producer (Grease, Saturday Night Fever), 81[248] (death announced on this date)
• 10 January – David Bowie, singer-songwriter and actor, 69[249]
• 17 January – Dale Griffin, drummer (Mott the Hoople), 67 (Alzheimer's disease)[250]
• 24 January – Jimmy Bain, Scottish bassist (Rainbow, Dio), 68[251]
• 26 January – Colin Vearncombe (aka Black), singer-songwriter, 53 (head injuries sustained in a traffic collision)[252]
• 28 January
  • Paul Kantner, singer-songwriter, guitarist (Jefferson Airplane), 74 [253]
  • Signe Anderson, singer-songwriter (Jefferson Airplane), 74[254]
• 9 February – Roy Harris, folk singer, 82
• 13 February – Members of Viola Beach:
  • Kris Leonard, 20, singer and guitarist
  • Jack Dakin, 19, drummer
  • Tomas Lowe, 27, bassist
  • River Reeves, 19, guitarist
  • Craig Tarry, 32, manager (road accident)[255]
• 16 February – Gwyneth George, concert cellist and music academic, 95[256]
• 18 February – Brendan Healy, 59, actor and musician
• 19 February – Vi Subversa, musician (Poison Girls), 80[257]
• 25 February – John Chilton, jazz musician and writer, 83[258]
• 1 March – Louise Plowright, musical theatre actress, 59 (pancreatic cancer)[259]
• 8 March – Sir George Martin, Grammy-winning producer and composer, 90[260]
• 9 March – Jon English, English-born Australian musician and actor, 66 (complications from surgery)[261]
• 10 March – Keith Emerson, keyboardist (Emerson, Lake and Palmer), 71 (self-inflicted gunshot wound)[262]
• 14 March – Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, composer and conductor, Master of the Queen's Music (2004–2014), 81[263]
• 4 April – Royston Nash, conductor, 82
• 12 April – Alan Loveday, violinist, 88[264]
• 15 April – Guy Woolfenden, composer and conductor, 78[265]
• 25 May – Peggy Spencer, dancer and choreographer, 95[266]
• 31 May – Tim Feild, musician (The Springfields), 82
• 3 June – Dave Swarbrick, folk musician and singer-songwriter (Fairport Convention), 75[267]
• 14 June – Henry McCullough, guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings), 72
• 22 June
  • Mike Hart, singer-songwriter, 72
  • Harry Rabinowitz, composer and conductor, 100[268]
• 2 July – David Patrick Gedge, organist, 77[269]
• 13 July – Steven Young, musician (Colourbox, M/A/R/R/S), 53
• 17 July – Fred Tomlinson, singer (The Two Ronnies, Monty Python's Flying Circus), composer ("The Lumberjack Song") and critic, 88[270]
• 24 July – Keith Gemmell, saxophonist, clarinetist (Audience), 68
• 26 July – Paul Robertson, violinist and leader of the Medici String Quartet, 63[271]
• 29 July – Ken Barrie, voice actor and singer, 83[272]
• 30 July – Nigel Gray, record producer (Outlandos d'Amour), 69[273]
• 14 August – Neil Black, oboist, 84[274]
• 19 August – Derek Smith, jazz pianist, 85[275] (death announced on this date)
• 22 August – Gilli Smyth, singer (Gong), 83[276]
• 28 August – John Stenhouse, orchestral bass clarinetist, 74[277]
• 12 September – Hidayat Inayat Khan, composer and conductor, 99[278]
• 30 September – Michael Casswell, guitarist, 53[279]
• 2 October
  • Sir Neville Marriner, conductor and violinist, 92[280]
  • Thomas Round, opera singer, 100[281]
• 5 October – Rod Temperton, songwriter, producer and musician (Heatwave), 68
• 7 October – Anne Pashley, Olympic athlete and opera singer, 80[282]
• 23 October – Pete Burns, singer (Dead or Alive), 57 (cardiac arrest)
• 7 November – Sir Jimmy Young, singer and DJ, 95[283]
• 11 November – George Reynolds, orchestral trumpeter, 78[284]
• 22 November – Craig Gill, drummer (Inspiral Carpets), 44
• 1 December – Micky Fitz, punk singer (The Business)[285] (death announced this date)
• 7 December – Greg Lake, singer, musician, producer (King Crimson), (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), 69 (cancer)
• 24 December – Rick Parfitt, singer, musician, (Status Quo), 68 (septicaemia)
• 25 December – George Michael, singer, 53

• 2016 in British radio
• 2016 in British television
• 2016 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 2016