- Jan 21 Auguste Franchomme, French cellist and composer, dies at 75
- Jan 24 Johann Christian Gebauer, Danish composer, dies at 75
- Feb 21 John Pike Hullah, English composer, dies at 71
- Mar 19 Alfonse Charles Renaud de Vilback, composer, dies at 54
- Mar 30 Hans Hampel, Czech composer, dies at 61
- May 12 [Friedrich] Bedřich Smetana, Czech composer (The Bartered Bride; Má Vlast; Moldau), dies at 60
- May 17 Louis Brassin, Belgian pianist, composer and music educator, dies at 43
- Jun 8 Henry Clay Work, American composer, dies at 51
- Jun 25 Hans Rott, Austrian composer, dies at 25
- Jul 5 Victor Massé, French composer(Les Noces de Jeannette), dies at 62
- Sep 17 Louis Schubert, German, violinist, composer, and pedagogue, dies at 56
- Sep 30 Louis Lacombe, French pianist and composer, dies at 65
- Nov 2 Auguste Vaucorbeil, French composer, dies at 62
- Nov 27 (Franziska) "Fanny" Elssler, Austrian ballerina andchoreography, dies at 74
- Dec 4 Alice Mary Smith, British composer, dies at 45
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers