2011 in American music

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

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, 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.
 * 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 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 (T.G.I.F.)", 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 Justin’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 Country Music Association Awards took place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
 * 7 – David Lynch released his first stuffing album in ten years, Crazy Clown Time.
 * 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 dub step and more electronic sounds.

Bands formed

 * Adrenaline Mob
 * Art of Anarchy
 * Banks & Steelz
 * Big Talk
 * Chris Robinson Brotherhood
 * Crosses
 * Deap Vally
 * DIIV
 * Downtown Boys
 * Empress Of
 * Foxing
 * A Great Big World
 * The Internet
 * The Milk Carton Kids
 * Modern Baseball
 * The Moth & The Flame
 * MS MR
 * The Neighbourhood
 * Ninja Sex Party
 * Nothing
 * Pentatonix
 * Pistol Annies
 * Poliça
 * The Record Company
 * Rozwell Kid
 * Speedy Ortiz
 * SuperHeavy
 * Tremonti
 * Waxahatchee
 * Young Buffalo
 * Your Favorite Martian

Bands reformed

 * Bad Meets Evil
 * Ben Folds Five
 * Blink-182
 * Evanescence
 * Gym Class Heroes
 * Dispatch
 * Grant Lee Buffalo
 * Live
 * O-Town
 * System of a Down
 * Five Iron Frenzy

Bands on hiatus

 * Atreyu
 * The Black Eyed Peas
 * Disturbed
 * Good Charlotte
 * Idiot Pilot
 * Iglu & Hartly
 * Innerpartysystem
 * Jonas Brothers
 * Nevermore
 * Sonic Youth
 * The Spill Canvas
 * Story of the Year
 * Thrice
 * Thursday
 * Velvet Revolver
 * Tally Hall

Bands disbanded

 * The Academy Is...
 * Anal Cunt
 * Big Star
 * The Bravery
 * Buckner & Garcia
 * The Depreciation Guild
 * Double Dagger
 * Draco and the Malfoys
 * The Famine
 * The Graduate
 * Haste the Day
 * LCD Soundsystem
 * Monty Are I
 * Nick Jonas & the Administration
 * Pontytail
 * P.S. Eliot
 * pureNRG
 * R.E.M.
 * Rilo Kiley
 * SHeDAISY
 * The Takeover UK
 * Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players
 * The Von Bondies
 * The White Stripes

Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 Songs

 * "Black and Yellow" – Wiz Khalifa (1 week)
 * "Born This Way"- Lady Gaga (6 weeks)
 * "E.T." – Katy Perry feat. Kanye West (5 weeks)
 * "Firework" – Katy Perry (2 weeks in 2010, 2 weeks in 2011)
 * "Give Me Everything" – Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer (1 week)
 * "Grenade" – Bruno Mars (4 weeks)
 * "Hold It Against Me" – Britney Spears (1 week)
 * "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" – Katy Perry (2 weeks)
 * "Moves Like Jagger" – Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera (4 weeks)
 * "Party Rock Anthem" – LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock (6 weeks)
 * "Rolling in the Deep" – Adele (7 weeks)
 * "S&M" – Rihanna (1 week)
 * "Someone Like You" – Adele (5 weeks)
 * "We Found Love" – Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris (8 weeks in 2011, 2 weeks in 2012)

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.

• "5 O'Clock" – T-Pain feat. Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen (#10)

• "6 Foot 7 Foot" – Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz (#9)

• "All of the Lights" – Kanye West feat. Rihanna (#18)

• "Back to December"- Taylor Swift (#18 in 2011, #6 in 2010)

• "Best Thing I Never Had" – Beyoncé (#16)

• "Black and Yellow" – Wiz Khalifa (#1)

• "Blow" – Ke$ha (#7)

• "Born This Way" – Lady Gaga (#1)

• "Bottoms Up" – Trey Songz feat. Nicki Minaj (#8 in 2011, #6 in 2010)

• "Cheers (Drink to That)" – Rihanna (#7)

• "Coming Home" – Diddy-Dirty Money feat. Skylar Grey (#11)

• "Dance (A$)" – Big Sean feat. Nicki Minaj (#12)

• "Dirt Road Anthem" – Jason Aldean (#7)

• "Dirty Dancer"- Enrique Iglesias and Usher feat. Lil Wayne (#18)

• "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" – Usher feat. Pitbull (#15 in 2011, #4 in 2010)

• "Don't Wanna Go Home"- Jason Derülo (#14)

• "Down on Me" – Jeremih feat. 50 Cent (#4)

• "Dynamite" – Taio Cruz (#16 in 2011, #2 in 2010)

• "E.T." – Katy Perry feat. Kanye West (#1)

• "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" – Coldplay (#14)

• "Firework" – Katy Perry (#1)

• "Fly" – Nicki Minaj feat. Rihanna (#19)

• "Forget You" – Cee Lo Green (#2)

• "Fuckin' Perfect" by Pink (#2)

• "Get It Right" – Glee Cast (#16)

• "Give Me Everything" – Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer (#1)

• "Good Feeling" – Flo Rida (#4)

• "Good Life" – OneRepublic (#8)

• "Grenade" – Bruno Mars (#1)

• "Hair" – Lady Gaga (#12)

• "Headlines" – Drake (#13)

• "Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)" – Pitbull feat. T-Pain (#7)

• "Hit the Lights" – Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne (#18)

• "Hold It Against Me" – Britney Spears (#1)

• "Honey Bee" – Blake Shelton (#13)

• "How to Love" – Lil Wayne (#5)

• "I Love You This Big" – Scotty McCreery (#11)

• "I Need a Doctor" – Dr. Dre feat. Eminem and Skylar Grey (#4)

• "I Wanna Go" – Britney Spears (#7)

• "I'm on One" – DJ Khaled feat. Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne (#10)

• "If I Die Young" – The Band Perry (#14)

• "If This Was a Movie" – Taylor Swift (#10)

• "In the Dark" – Dev (#11)

• "Inventing Shadows" – Dia Frampton (#20)

• "It Girl" – Jason Derülo (#17)

• "It Will Rain" – Bruno Mars (#3)

• "Jar of Hearts" – Christina Perri (#17)

• "Judas" – Lady Gaga (#10)

• "Just a Dream" – Nelly (#10 in 2011, #3 in 2010)

• "Just a Kiss" – Lady Antebellum (#7)

• "Just Can't Get Enough" – The Black Eyed Peas (#3)

• "Just the Way You Are" – Bruno Mars (#6 in 2011, #1 in 2010)

• "Knee Deep" – Zac Brown Band feat. Jimmy Buffett (#18)

• "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" – Katy Perry (#1)

• "Lighters" – Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars (#4)

• "Like a G6" – Far East Movement feat. The Cataracs and Dev (#14 in 2011, #1 in 2010)

• "Like My Mother Does" – Lauren Alaina (#20)

• "Look at Me Now" – Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes (#6)

• "Loser like Me" – Glee Cast (#6)

• "Love on Top" – Beyoncé (#20)

• "Make Me Proud" – Drake feat. Nicki Minaj (#9)

• "Mirror" – Lil Wayne feat. Bruno Mars (#16)

• "Mistletoe" – Justin Bieber (#11)

• "Moment 4 Life" – Nicki Minaj feat. Drake (#13)

• "More" – Usher (#15)

• "Motivation" – Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne (#17)

• "The Motto" – Drake feat. Lil Wayne (#18)

• "Moves Like Jagger" – Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera (#1)

• "Mr. Know It All" – Kelly Clarkson (#10)

• "Never Say Never" – Justin Bieber feat. Jaden Smith (#8)

• "Niggas in Paris" – Jay-Z and Kanye West (#6)

• "No Hands" – Waka Flocka Flame feat. Roscoe Dash and Wale (#13)

• "No Sleep" – Wiz Khalifa (#6)

• "On the Floor" – Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull (#3)

• "Only Girl (In the World)" – Rihanna (#7 in 2011, #1 in 2010)

• "Otis" – Jay-Z and Kanye West feat. Otis Redding (#12)

• "Ours" – Taylor Swift (#13)

• "Paradise" – Coldplay (#15)

• "Party Rock Anthem" – LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock (#1)

• "Please Don't Go" – Mike Posner (#20 in 2011, #16 in 2010)

• "Princess of China" – Coldplay and Rihanna (#20)

• "Pumped Up Kicks" – Foster the People (#3)

• "Raise Your Glass" – Pink (#4 in 2011, #1 in 2010)

• "Red Solo Cup" – Toby Keith (#17)

• "Remind Me" – Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood (#17)

• "Rocketeer" – Far East Movement feat. Ryan Tedder (#7)

• "Roll Up" – Wiz Khalifa (#13)

• "Rolling in the Deep" – Adele (#1)

• "Rumour Has It/Someone Like You" – Glee Cast (#11)

• "S&M" – Rihanna (#1)

• "Set Fire to the Rain" – Adele (#13)

• "Sexy and I Know It" – LMFAO (#2)

• "She Will" – Lil Wayne feat. Drake (#3)

• "Skyscraper" – Demi Lovato (#10)

• "Someone Like You" – Adele (#1)

• "Stereo Hearts" – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine (#4)

• "Stereo Love" – Edward Maya feat. Vika Jigulina (#16)

• "Stitch by Stitch" – Javier Colon (#17)

• "Strange Clouds" – B.o.B feat. Lil Wayne (#7)

• "Super Bass" – Nicki Minaj (#3)

• "Take Care" – Drake feat. Rihanna (#9)

• "The Edge of Glory" – Lady Gaga (#3)

• "The Lazy Song" – Bruno Mars (#4)

• "The One That Got Away" – Katy Perry (#4)

• "The Show Goes On" – Lupe Fiasco (#9)

• "The Time (Dirty Bit)" – The Black Eyed Peas (#8 in 2011, #4 in 2010)

• "Till the World Ends" – Britney Spears (#3)

• "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" – Enrique Iglesias feat. Ludacris and DJ Frank E (#4)

• "Tonight Tonight" – Hot Chelle Rae (#7)

• "We Are Young" – Glee Cast (#12)

• "We Found Love" – Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris (#1)

• "We R Who We R" – Ke$ha (#3 in 2011, #1 in 2010)

• "What the Hell" – Avril Lavigne (#11)

• "What's My Name?" – Rihanna feat. Drake (#3 in 2011, #1 in 2010)

• "Where Them Girls At" – David Guetta feat. Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj (#14)

• "Without You" – David Guetta feat. Usher (#4)

• "Work Out" – J. Cole (#14)

• "Written in the Stars" – Tinie Tempah feat. Eric Turner (#12)

• "Yeah 3x" – Chris Brown (#15)

• "Yoü and I" – Lady Gaga (#6)

• "You da One" – Rihanna (#14)

• "You Make Me Feel..." – Cobra Starship feat. Sabi (#7)

• "Young, Wild & Free" – Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa feat. Bruno Mars (#10)

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 (Sesame Street)
 * 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 (The Marvelettes)
 * Charlie Louvin, 83, singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Louvin Brothers)
 * 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 (69), soul-R&B singer and drummer
 * Jean Dinning, 86, singer and songwriter (The Dinning Sisters)
 * February 24 – Eddie Serrato, 65, drummer (? and the Mysterians)
 * February 25 – Rick Coonce, 64, drummer (The Grass Roots)
 * February 26 – Mark Tulin, 62, bassist (The Electric Prunes)
 * February 27 – Eddie Kirkland, 87, blues musician
 * March 8
 * St. Clair Lee, 66, singer (The Hues Corporation)
 * Mike Starr, 44, bassist (Alice in Chains)
 * 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 (Randy & the Rainbows)
 * 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 (The Ides of March)
 * March 31 – Mel McDaniel, 68, country music singer-songwriter
 * April 9 – Orrin Tucker, 100, bandleader
 * April 20 – Gerard Smith, 36, bassist (TV on the Radio)
 * April 23
 * Tom King, 68, guitarist and songwriter (The Outsiders)
 * 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 (The Allman Brothers Band)
 * June 18 – Clarence Clemons, 69, saxophone player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band
 * July 11 – Rob Grill, 67, singer-songwriter and bass player (The Grass Roots)
 * July 15 – Cornell MacNeil, 88, operatic baritone
 * July 24 – Dan Peek, 60, singer-songwriter (America)
 * 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 (Warrant)
 * August 22 – Jerome "Jerry" Leiber, 78, songwriter and record producer
 * August 29 – Fred Farran, 74, pop singer (The Arbors)
 * September 21 – John Larson, 61, trumpeter (The Ides of March)
 * September 27 – Johnny "Country" Mathis, 80, country music singer and songwriter (Jimmy & Johnny)
 * October 3 – Kay Armen, 95, singer
 * October 8 – Mikey Welsh, 40, bassist (Weezer)
 * October 12 – Joel DiGregorio, 67, keyboardist (The Charlie Daniels Band)
 * 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 (Buckner & Garcia)
 * November 25 – Coco Robicheaux, 64, singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * December 3 – Ronald Mosley, 72, singer (Ruby & the Romantics)
 * December 6 – Dobie Gray, 71, singer-songwriter
 * December 7 – Bob Burnett, 71, folk musician (The Highwaymen)
 * 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 (The Music Machine)