The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in 2014 in music in the United States.
Events January 26 – The 56th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by LL Cool J took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Daft Punk won 5 awards, including Album of the Year for Random Access Memories and Record of the Year for "Get Lucky". 28 – Mötley Crüe signed a "Cessation of Tour" agreement which will see them retire after a final world tour ending in 2015.
February 2 – Soprano Renée Fleming makes history as the first opera singer to perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Bruno Mars performs during the halftime show, with an appearance from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 4 – Transatlantic release their first album in five years, Kaleidoscope. 25 – As I Lay Dying lead singer Tim Lambesis pleads guilty to felony solicitation of murder after attempting to hire a hitman to kill his estranged ex-wife. Whole February – Katy Perry tops the US Billboard Hot 100 with her song "Dark Horse", which overtakes Madonna in the most weeks at No. 1, and ties with Janet Jackson.
March 23 – Dave Brockie (also known as Oderus Urungus), lead singer of Gwar, died from an accidental overdose. After his public memorial in August, his character's infamous costume received a Viking funeral at Haddad's Lake in Gwar's hometown of Richmond, Virginia. The band reformed, resumed touring, and began ending their sets with a revised cover of Jim Carroll's punk classic, "People Who Died." 27 – Christine McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac for first time in sixteen years.
April 1 – Nickel Creek released their first album in nine years, A Dotted Line. 6 – The Academy of Country Music Awards took place in Las Vegas. 10 – The 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame took place. Nirvana, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt were inducted at the ceremony. 22 – Actor and musician Drake Bell released his first album in eight years, Ready Steady Go!.
May 5 – Following the 2014 Met Gala in New York City at an after-party at The Standard, High Line, Solange Knowles attacks Jay-Z by violently punching him in the face followed by kicking and swinging him and even hitting him with her purse. Video footage which was obtained by TMZ was made public on May 12, 2014. May 13 – Michael Jackson's second posthumous album of previously unreleased tracks, Xscape, was released. Jackson and Justin Timberlake's duet "Love Never Felt So Good" was announced as the official lead single. 17 – Saosin performed at the Skate and Surf festival with their original lead vocalist, Anthony Green (who is also Circa Survive's frontman). This was the first time Green had performed with Saosin since departing in 2004 to form Circa Survive. 20 – Josh Kaufman is crowned winner of the sixth season of The Voice, with Jake Worthington and Christina Grimmie finishing runner-up and third place respectively. 21 – Caleb Johnson is crowned winner of the thirteenth season of American Idol while Jena Irene is named the runner-up.
August 13 – After being with the band for 17 years, guitarist Chris Walla leaves Death Cab for Cutie. 24 – The MTV Video Music Awards took place at the Inglewood Forum in Inglewood, California. Beyoncé wins four awards that night and also received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, presented to her by her husband Jay Z and her daughter Blue Ivy.
September 2 – Counting Crows released Somewhere Under Wonderland, their first album of original material in six years. 16 – Chris Brown comes back with the release of his sixth studio album, X and for the sixth time makes the top 10. 23 – Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett release their collaborative album, Cheek to Cheek, with them being 28 and 88 years old respectively, it marks the highest age-gap through a collaborative album of 60 years. 30 – Finch releases Back to Oblivion, their first studio album in nine years, following a series of disbandings and reunions.
October 20 – Gwen Stefani releases her comeback single as a solo artist, "Baby Don't Lie". 21 – Slipknot released their first album in six years, .5: The Gray Chapter. 27 – Taylor Swift releases her fifth studio album, 1989, which debuted at number one with 1,287,000 copies sold in its first week. This is the highest debut sales week for an artist since Eminem's 2002 album The Eminem Show and the second highest debut for a female artist, behind Britney Spears' album Oops!... I Did It Again (2000). 28 – Live releases The Turn, their first studio album in eight years and also their only studio album to feature Chris Shinn on lead vocals.
November 1 – Just three days before his 49th birthday, Static-X frontman Wayne Static was found dead in his sleep. 10 – Taylor Swift released "Blank Space", the second single from her successful 1989. "Blank Space" reached number one in November, ending the run of Swift's own "Shake It Off". In doing so, Swift became the first female artist in the history of the Hot 100, and tenth act overall, to replace herself at the top of the chart. With "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space", Swift was also the only artist to notch multiple number-ones in 2014. 23 – The American Music Awards took place in Los Angeles.
December 15 – TLC releases their first single in nine years called "Gift Wrapped Kiss". 16 – Craig Wayne Boyd is crowned winner of the 7th season of The Voice, with Matt McAndrew, Chris Jamison and Damien finishing runner-up, third place and fourth place respectively.
Bands formed Antemasque American Wrestlers Cafuné Cheat Codes FFS Hot Mulligan Maddie & Tae Michigander No Devotion Oso Oso Saint Asonia Sheer Mag Slaves Sofi Tukker Soul Glo The Walters You+Me
Bands reformed
Aiden American Football Atreyu Babes In Toyland Breaking Benjamin Copeland Deep Dish Design the Skyline Erase Errata Failure From Autumn to Ashes Haste the Day L7 Luna The Matches Metro Station Midtown Mineral The Movielife Nickel Creek OutKast Ride Saosin Sleater-Kinney Trick Pony
Bands on hiatus As I Lay Dying Darkside Dredg Foxy Shazam Furthur The Wanted White Rabbits Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bands disbanded
Abandon All Ships The Allman Brothers Band Anberlin As Blood Runs Black Austrian Death Machine Beady Eye Beneath the Sky The Blackout Bleeding Through Bomb the Music Industry! Brown Bird Camp Freddy Chimaira The Civil Wars Clipse Company of Thieves Crystal Castles Danity Kane The Dangerous Summer Death Grips Eleventyseven For All Those Sleeping Guided by Voices The Knife Lestat LFO The Luchagors Morning Parade The Move Nachtmystium Pink Floyd The Rapture Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock Smith Westerns The Swellers Ten Second Epic There for Tomorrow Vista Chino Vivian Girls
Albums released
January Day Title Artist Genre(s)7 And I'll Scratch Yours Various Artists Progressive rock My Own LaneiTunes – Music – My Own Lane by Kid Ink Kid Ink Hip hop Wig Out at Jagbags Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks 14 The River & the ThreadiTunes – Music – The River & the Thread (Deluxe) by Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash Country The Crystal MethodiTunes – Music – The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method The Crystal Method Kidz Bop 25iTunes – Music – Kidz Bop 25 by Kidz Bop Kids Kidz Bop Kids That Girl Jennifer Nettles Country Write You a Song# Jon Pardi To Release Debut Project in January : MusicRow – Nashville's Music Industry Publication – News, Songs From Music City Jon Pardi Country Give the People What They WantiTunes – Music – Give the People What They Want (Deluxe Version) by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings About Last NightSleeper AgentAlternative rock High HopesiTunes – Music – High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Angels + AnimalsiTunes – Music – A N G E L S + A N I M A L S by Ryan Star Ryan Star Get the HellThe SupersuckersRock Fading WestFading West EP Tracklisting Revealed; Album Release Date Changed – Land of Broken Hearts Switchfoot 21 Is There Anybody Out There?iTunes – Music – Is There Anybody Out There? by A Great Big World A Great Big World Transgender Dysphoria BluesiTunes Store Against Me! Bad ThingsiTunes – Music – Bad Things (Deluxe Version) by Bad Things Bad Things Goodnight TenderiTunes – Music – Goodnight Tender by Amy Ray Amy Ray Folk rock Beach House EP Ty Dolla Sign Mind over MatterYoung the Giant – Young The Giant – 404 Young the Giant 28 Golden Days Dave Barnes Rock ThriveiTunes – Music – Thrive by Casting Crowns Casting Crowns Too TrueiTunes – Music – Too True by Dum Dum Girls Dum Dum Girls Indie pop Ready to FlyiTunes Store Jamie Grace Restoring Force Of Mice & Men ClearPERIPHERY announces their new experiment: CLEAR – Sumerian Records Periphery Neon Icon Riff Raff Hip hop
February Day Title Artist Genre(s) 4 Love, Marriage & DivorceiTunes – Music – Love, Marriage & Divorce by Toni Braxton & Babyface Toni Braxton & Babyface After the Disco"Broken Bells Return With 'After the Disco'", Rolling Stone Broken Bells Fight the SilenceFor Today To Release 'Fight The Silence' In February – Blabbermouth.net For Today Metalcore Junior Prom (EP) Junior Prom Kin (<-->)iTunes – Music – Kin (<->) [feat. Chris Potter, Ben Williams, Antonio Sanchez & Giulio Carmassi] by Pat Metheny Pat Metheny Unity Group Jazz Eric Paslay Eric Paslay Country7 Make a Shadow (EP) Meg Myers Pop rock 11 Sunshine & Whiskey Frankie Ballard Country The OutsidersEric Church Announces 2014 New Album, 'The Outsiders' Eric Church Love Death ImmortalityiTunes – Music – Love Death Immortality by The Glitch Mob The Glitch Mob Glitch Small Town HeroesiTunes – Music – Small Town Heroes by Hurray for the Riff Raff Hurray for the Riff Raff I Was Going to Be an AstronautiTunes – Music – I Was Going To Be an Astronaut by Greg Laswell Greg Laswell Indie rock Benji Sun Kil Moon Folk rock In This Life Elise Testone 14 Kudos to You! The Presidents of the United States of America Alternative rock 18 Cult Bayside Distraction Bear Hands Barefoot and Pregnant The Dollyrots Pop punk Peace Kehd The Doppelgangaz Hip hop Music SpeaksiTunes – Music – Music Speaks by Candice Glover Candice Glover Motivational Jumpsuit Guided by Voices Indie rockIssuesIssues VoicesPhantogram Announce New Album Voices, Share "Fall in Love" News Pitchfork Phantogram Weird KidsiTunes – Music – Weird Kids by We Are The In Crowd We Are the In Crowd 25 Morning PhaseBeck to release new album 'Morning Phase' in February News NME.COM Beck Riser Dierks Bentley Country Love Songs, Werewolves, & Zombies The Dollyrots HeliosiTunes – Music – Helios by The Fray The Fray Oxymoron Schoolboy Q ManhattaniTunes – Music – Manhattan by Skaters Skaters Alternative rock St. Vincent St. Vincent
March