2011 in American music

The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in 2011 in music in the United States.

Events

January

24 – Original Adema vocalist Mark Chavez leaves the band for the second time.
29 – Britney Spears's Hold It Against Me debuts at #1 on US [Billboard Hot 100|Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Hot 100], making Spears the second artist to have more than one single to debut at no. 1, behind Mariah Carey. She also being the third female artist, behind Cher, Madonna and Janet Jackson to top the Hot 100 in three decades, as well as the seventh artist overall.

February

11 – Lady Gaga released "Born This Way" the first single off her new album of the same name. It became the fastest iTunes single at the time. It later went on to remain number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 6 consecutive weeks, as well as the 1,000th number-one single in chart's history.
13 – The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Lady Antebellum win five awards, including both Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Need You Now". Arcade Fire's The Suburbs wins Album of the Year, while Esperanza Spalding wins Best New Artist making her the first jazz singer to win this award.
14 - Justin Bieber released his second remix album Never Say Never: The Remixes three days after the release of his first movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.

March

11 – Kyuss began their reunion tour in Europe under the moniker Kyuss Lives.
15 – Former rapper Nate Dogg dies at age 41 from strokes.

April

3 – LCD Soundsystem played their final show at New York City's Madison Square Garden.
* The 46th Academy of Country Music Awards took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
20 – TV on the Radio bassist Gerard Smith dies of lung cancer at the age of 36, just nine days after the band released their fourth album, Nine Types of Light.

May

12 – Katy Perry, with her fourth single from Teenage Dream, "E.T.", becomes the only artist in history to spend 52 consecutive weeks in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.
23 – Lady Gaga released her sophomore studio album, Born This Way. It sold 524,000 copies on its first day, and one million copies on its first week, making Gaga the first person to do that.
25 – Scotty McCreery is crowned winner of the tenth season of American Idol. Lauren Alaina is named runner-up.

June

18 – Clarence Clemons, Bruce Springsteen's longtime saxophonist for the E Street Band dies at the age of 69.
28 – Taking Back Sunday released their self-titled fifth album, which was the band's first album to feature their original lineup since their 2002 debut, Tell All Your Friends.
* Limp Bizkit released their first studio album in eight years, Gold Cobra. It was the first album with the band's original lineup since 2000's Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.
29 – Javier Colon won the inaugural season of The Voice. Dia Frampton was named runner-up. Vicci Martinez and Beverly McClellan was declared third and fourth place.

July

17 – Cheap Trick is unharmed after a stage collapses during a performance at the Cisco Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
19 – Cold released their first studio album in six years, Superfiction.

August

8 – JAY Z and Kanye West release their highly anticipated collaboration album, Watch the Throne.
15 – Blink-182 started their 20th Anniversary Tour. The tour visited Canada in 2011, the United States and Europe in 2012 and Australia in 2013.
27 – "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" by Katy Perry becomes the fifth single from the album Teenage Dream to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, tying Michael Jackson's record for the most singles from one album to do so. She is the second artist and only woman in history to achieve this.
29 – Red Hot Chili Peppers released their first studio album in five years, I'm with You. It was also their first album with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.

September

2 – It was announced that drummer Mike Pedicone was kicked out of My Chemical Romance due to Pedicone stealing from the band. No charges were pressed.
17 – With Katy Perry's fifth single from Teenage Dream, "Last Friday Night ", she completed 69 consecutive weeks inside the top ten, more than any artist in history.
21 – Rock and Roll Hall of Famers R.E.M. disband after 31 years together. They played their last show in 2008.
24 – "I Wanna Go" by Britney Spears became Spears's 21st top-forty single, the third-highest female total since her first week on the chart on November 21, 1998, and only behind Taylor Swift with 27 and Rihanna with 22. It also broke the record for longest duration between the first and last # 1 on the pop chart.
27 – Blink-182 released their sixth studio album Neighborhoods. This is the first album they recorded together since their indefinite hiatus in 2005. It debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200. This was their last album with Tom DeLonge until he returned to the band in 2022.

October

8 - Tony Bennett's Duets II debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the oldest male with a No. 1 solo album, at age 85.

November

1 - Justin Bieber released his first Christmas album Under the Mistletoe and it became an instant success becoming Bieber's third consecutive number-one album and third platinum-selling album in the United States following Never Say Never: The Remixes earlier in the year
9 - The 2011 Country Music Association Awards took place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
7 – David Lynch released his first studio album in ten years, Crazy Clown Time. It is the first album credited solo to Lynch; he had previously released to collaborative albums.
21 - Pentatonix wins Season 3 of NBC's The Sing-Off, beginning their rise in popularity.

December

6 – Korn's tenth studio album, The Path of Totality, debuts at number 10 on the Billboard 200 with 55,000 copies sold in its first week. This album marks the beginning of a new direction for nu metal, with artists like Skrillex and many more contributing to the album with dubstep and more electronic sounds.

Bands formed

Bands reformed

Bands on hiatus

Bands disbanded

Albums released

August

Top songs on record

''Billboard'' Hot 100 No. 1 Songs

"Black and Yellow" – Wiz Khalifa
"Born This Way"- Lady Gaga
"E.T." – Katy Perry feat. Kanye West
"Firework" – Katy Perry
"Give Me Everything" – Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer
"Grenade" – Bruno Mars
"Hold It Against Me" – Britney Spears
"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" – Katy Perry
"Moves Like Jagger" – Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera
"Party Rock Anthem" – LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock
"Rolling in the Deep" – Adele
"S&M" – Rihanna
"Someone Like You" – Adele
"We Found Love" – Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

''Billboard'' Hot 100 Top 20 Hits

All songs that reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the year, complete with peak chart placement.

Deaths

January 1 – Charles Fambrough, 60, jazz bassist, composer and record producer
January 7 – Bobby Robinson, 93, record producer and songwriter
January 9 – Debbie Friedman, 59, singer-songwriter
January 10 – Margaret Whiting, 86, singer
January 14 – Georgia Carroll, 91, singer, actress and model
January 17 – Don Kirshner, 76, record producer, music publisher, and songwriter
January 19 – James O'Gwynn, 82, singer
January 21 – Tony Geiss, 86, television writer and composer
January 22 – Bobby Poe, 77, singer, songwriter, and record producer
January 24 – Barrie Lee Hall, Jr., 61, trumpeter and band leader
January 26
*Gladys Horton, 65, singer
*Charlie Louvin, 83, singer-songwriter and guitarist
January 27 – Don Rondo, 81, singer
January 29
*Milton Babbitt, 94, composer
*Emanuel Vardi, 95, violist
January 31 – Doc Williams, 96, country music performer
February 8 – Marvin Sease, 64, blues and soul singer-songwriter
February 10 – Blanche Honegger Moyse, 101, conductor
February 12 – Betty Garrett, 91, singer and actress
February 14 – John Strauss, 90, television and film composer
February 16 – David Shapiro, 58, jazz musician
February 20 – Eddie Brandt, 90, composer and songwriter
February 22
*Beau Dollar, soul-R&B singer and drummer
*Jean Dinning, 86, singer and songwriter
February 24 – Eddie Serrato, 65, drummer
February 25 – Rick Coonce, 64, drummer
February 26 – Mark Tulin, 62, bassist
February 27 – Eddie Kirkland, 87, blues musician
March 8
*St. Clair Lee, 66, singer
*Mike Starr, 44, bassist
March 10 – Eddie Snyder, 92, songwriter
March 11 – Hugh Martin, 96, songwriter
March 15 – Nate Dogg, 41, rapper, singer, and actor
March 17 – Ferlin Husky, 85, country music singer
March 21 – Loleatta Holloway, 64, singer
March 23
*Ken Arcipowski, 66, singer
*Henry Jerome, 93, big band leader, trumpeter, arranger, composer
March 24 – Rozetta Johnson, c. 68, soul and gospel singer
March 29 – Ray Herr, 63, rock guitarist
March 31 – Mel McDaniel, 68, country music singer-songwriter
April 9 – Orrin Tucker, 100, bandleader
April 20 – Gerard Smith, 36, bassist
April 23
*Tom King, 68, guitarist and songwriter
*Peter Lieberson, 64, classical composer
April 26 – Phoebe Snow, 60, singer-songwriter
May 3 – Odell Brown, 70, jazz organist
May 13 – Bernard Greenhouse, 95, cellist
May 27 – Gil Scott-Heron, 62, singer, instrumentalist, poet, and author
June 2 – Ray Bryant, 79, jazz pianist and composer
June 3 – Benny Spellman, 79, singer
June 4 – David "Frankie" Toler, 59, drummer
June 18 – Clarence Clemons, 69, saxophone player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band
July 11 – Rob Grill, 67, singer-songwriter and bass player
July 15 – Cornell MacNeil, 88, operatic baritone
July 24 – Dan Peek, 60, singer-songwriter
July 29
*Jack Barlow, 87, country music singer and songwriter
*Gene McDaniels, 76, singer-songwriter
August 10 – Billy Grammer, 85, country singer
August 11 – Jani Lane, 47, glam rock singer
August 22 – Jerome "Jerry" Leiber, 78, songwriter and record producer
August 29 – Fred Farran, 74, pop singer
September 21 – John Larson, 61, trumpeter
September 27 – Johnny "Country" Mathis, 80, country music singer and songwriter
October 3 – Kay Armen, 95, singer
October 8 – Mikey Welsh, 40, bassist
October 12 – Joel DiGregorio, 67, keyboardist
November 7 – Andrea True, 68, porn performer and singer
November 8
*Heavy D, 44, rapper, singer, record producer, and actor
*Jimmy Norman, 74, musician and songwriter
November 17 – Gary Garcia, 63, musician and songwriter
November 25 – Coco Robicheaux, 64, singer-songwriter and guitarist
December 3 – Ronald Mosley, 72, singer
December 6 – Dobie Gray, 71, singer-songwriter
December 7 – Bob Burnett, 71, folk musician
December 14 – Billie Jo Spears, 74, country music singer
December 18 – Ralph MacDonald, 67, percussionist and songwriter
December 20 – Sean Bonniwell, 71, rock singer, songwriter and guitarist