The following is a list of events and releases that have happened or are expected to happen in 2026 in music in the United States.
Notable events January 9 – The Protomen released their first studio album in nearly seventeen years, Act III: This City Made Us, which served as the conclusion to their three-act rock opera inspired by the story of the Mega Man video game franchise. 16 – ASAP Rocky released his first studio album in eight years, Don't Be Dumb, over three years after its original announcement in December 2022. Nicholas Galanin released his first album in five years, Stand on My Shoulders. 19 – Jamal Roberts performed the national anthem at the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship. 23 – Megadeth released their self-titled final album, their first in four years. Lina released her first album in over ten years, Melodrama. Goldfinger released their first studio album in nearly six years, Nine Lives. The Format released their first album in nearly twenty years, Boycott Heaven. It is also vocalist Nate Ruess' first album credited as a primary member in eleven years. Alec Duckart, under his alias Searows, released his first studio album in four years, Death in the Business of Whaling. 30 – Joyce Manor released their first album in nearly four years, I Used to Go to This Bar. By Storm, formed from surviving members of Injury Reserve, released their debut studio album, My Ghosts Go Ghost. It is the first album in nearly five years for members RiTchie with a T and Parker Corey.
February 1 – The 68th Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Kendrick Lamar won the most awards with five including Record of the Year, shared with SZA for "Luther". Bad Bunny won Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell won their third Song of the Year award for "Wildflower" and English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean won Best New Artist. This was the last year the ceremony aired on CBS, as ABC will air it under a ten-year deal starting in 2027. 5 – Twisted Sister canceled their 50th Anniversary tour after lead singer Dee Snider resigned due to health issues. 6 – Puscifer released their first studio album in nearly six years, Normal Isn't. J. Cole released his first studio album in five years, The Fall-Off. Silversun Pickups released their first studio album in four years, Tenterhooks. Robert Deeble released his first album in eight years, The Space Between Us. 7 – 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold died in his sleep from stage 4 renal cell carcinoma at the age of 47. 8 – Charlie Puth performed the national anthem and Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, and Ricky Martin performed the halftime show during Super Bowl LX at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Green Day performed pre-game. 13 – Converge released their first studio album in nearly five years, Love Is Not Enough. It was followed by their next album, Hum of Hurt, only four months later. The Bronx, under their moniker Mariachi El Bronx, released their first studio album in five years, Mariachi El Bronx IV. The Lone Bellow released their first studio album in nearly four years, What a Time to Be Alive. 20 – New Found Glory released their first studio album in nearly six years, Listen Up!. Hilary Duff released her first studio album in eleven years, Luck... or Something. Exhumed released their first studio album in four years, Red Asphalt. 27 – Neil Sedaka died at the age of 86. Bruno Mars released his first solo studio album in nearly ten years and his first overall in nearly five years, The Romantic. Rob Zombie released his first studio album in five years, The Great Satan. Bill Callahan released his first studio album in four years, My Days of 58. Ritt Momney released his first studio album in five years, Base. A Wilhelm Scream released their first studio album in four years, Cheap Heat. Voxtrot released their first studio album in nineteen years, Dreamers in Exile.
March 6 – Surfbort released their first studio album in five years, Reality Star. Vial released their first studio album in five years, Hellhound. Whiplash released their first studio album in seventeen years, Thrashquake. 13 – Lamb of God released their first studio album in four years, Into Oblivion. The Fray released their first studio album in twelve years, A Light That Waits. This is their first album without original lead singer Isaac Slade who left the band in 2022. Sweet Pill released their first studio album in four years, Still There's a Glow. 20 – Exodus released their first studio album in five years, Goliath. It is the band's first album in sixteen years to feature returning vocalist Rob Dukes, following Steve Souza's second departure in 2025. Neurosis released their first studio album in ten years, An Undying Love for a Burning World. It is the band's first album to feature vocalist/guitarist Aaron Turner, following former frontman Scott Kelly's firing in 2019 and subsequent retirement in 2022, their first since drummer Jason Roeder's touring retirement in 2025 and their first in thirty years to not be produced by Steve Albini following his death in 2024. Tyketto released their first album in ten years, Closer to the Sun. Gladie released their first studio album in four years, No Need to Be Lonely. Poison the Well released their first studio album in seventeen years, Peace in Place. 27 – Black Label Society released their first studio album in five years, Engines of Demolition. Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea released his debut solo studio album, Honora. The Academy Is... released their first studio album in nearly eighteen years, Almost There. Melissa Etheridge released her first studio album in five years, Rise. Good Riddance released their first studio album in seven years, Before the World Caves In. Snail Mail released her first studio album in nearly five years, Ricochet. Paula Kelley released her first solo studio album in twenty-three years, Blinking as the Starlight Burns Out. Tigers Jaw released their first studio album in five years, Lost on You.
April 3 – Corrosion of Conformity released their first studio album in eight years, Good God / Baad Man. It is their first album in more than three decades without original bassist Mike Dean, who was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, and their first in more than two decades with drummer Stanton Moore, who replaced Reed Mullin after his death in 2020. Sunn O))) released their self-titled studio album, their first in seven years. 11 – No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease but confirmed he would continue to perform. 12 – Australian actress Ruby Rose alleged in a Threads post that Katy Perry sexually assaulted her at Spice Market Nightclub in Melbourne, Australia in 2010. A representative for Perry responded with a statement to Variety that stated the allegations between Rose and Perry were both false and lies, and also stated that Rose "has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named." The Victoria Police began investigating the allegations. 14 – Alexia Jayy won the twenty-ninth season of The Voice. Liv Ciara was named runner-up. 17 – Vanessa Carlton released her first studio album in six years, Veils. Nine Inch Noize, consisting of Nine Inch Nails and German electronic producer and DJ Boys Noize, released their collaborative self-titled studio album. It is Nine Inch Nails' first album not related to members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' film score work in six years. Crimson Glory released their first studio album in twenty-seven years, Chasing the Hydra. 21 – Azealia Banks released her first studio album in twelve years, Zenzealia. 24 – Akon released his first studio album in seven years, Beautiful Day. Failure released their first studio album in nearly five years, Location Lost. Noah Kahan released his first studio album in almost four years, The Great Divide. Terror released their first studio album in four years, Still Suffer.
May 1 – Isaiah Rashad released his first studio album in five years, It's Been Awful. American Football released their fourth self-titled studio album, their first in seven years. Toadies released their first studio album in nine years, The Charmer. Rita Wilson released her first studio album in four years and her first of original material in seven years, Sound of a Woman. Young the Giant released their first studio album in four years, Victory Garden. 8 – Amy Grant released her first solo studio album in almost ten years, The Me That Remains. Muna released their first studio album in four years, Dancing on the Wall. Linda Perry released her first solo studio album in eleven years, Let It Die Here. Social Distortion released their first studio album in fifteen years, Born to Kill. 11 – Hannah Harper won the twenty-fourth season of American Idol. Jordan McCullough was named runner-up. 15 – The All-American Rejects released their first studio album in fourteen years, Sandbox. Mya released her first studio album in eight years, Retrospect. Kevin Morby released his first studio album in four years, Little Wide Open. Pro-Pain released their first studio album in eleven years, Stone Cold Anger. 17 – The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards took place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada. 22 – Armored Saint released their first studio album in six years, Emotion Factory Reset. Lowertown released their first studio album in four years, Ugly Duckling Union. Rapper Rob Base died from cancer at the age of 59. 25 – The American Music Awards of 2026 took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada. 29 – Kurt Vile released his first studio album in four years, Philadelphia's Been Good to Me. Shinedown released their first studio album in four years, Eight. Sparta released their first studio album in four years, Cut a Silhouette.SPARTA ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM 'CUT A SILHOUETTE' OUT MAY 29 ON EQUAL VISION RECORDS; NEW MUSIC OUT NOW
June 2 – Peabo Bryson died from a stroke at age 75. 5 – Bedouine released her first studio album in five years, Neon Summer Skin. Death Cab for Cutie released their first studio album in four years, I Built You a Tower. Evanescence released their first studio album in five years, Sanctuary. Lizzo released her first studio album in four years, Bitch. Barry Manilow released his first studio album in six years, What a Time. Jo Dee Messina released her first studio album in twelve years, Bridges. Modest Mouse released their first studio album in five years, An Eraser and a Maze. It is their first album to feature guitarist Simon O'Connor following the departures of Jim Fairchild and Lisa Molinaro in 2021, and their first with drummer Damon Cox following the death of Jeremiah Green in 2022. Widowspeak released their first studio album in four years, Roses. 12 – Baauer released his first studio album in six years, U. Dirty Heads released their first studio album in four years, 7 Seas. Khemmis released their self-titled studio album, their first in five years. Kelsey Lu released her first studio album in seven years, So Help Me God. Sleeping with Sirens released their first studio album in four years, An Ending in Itself. Sublime released their first studio album in thirty years, Until the Sun Explodes. It is their first album released since the death of original frontman Bradley Nowell in 1996, with his son, Jakob, providing lead vocals for this album. Genghis Tron released their first studio album in five years, Signal Fire. 14 – Singer Oliver Tree was killed in a mid-air helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, along with five other individuals while Tree was embarking on a world tour at age 32.Oliver Tree, "Life Goes On" and "Miss You" singer, dies in helicopter crash at 32