- Jan 5 Emma Abbott, American soprano, dies at 40
- Jan 7 (Carl Gottfried) Wilhelm Taubert, German pianist, conductor, and composer, dies at 79
- Jan 8 Fredrik Pacius, German-Finnish composer (Finnish and Estonian national anthems), conductor, and music educator, known as "the Father of Finnish music", dies at 81
- Jan 16 Clement Léo Delibes, French romantic composer (Coppélia, Sylvia, Le roi l'a dit, Lakmé), dies at 54
- Jan 17 Johannes Verhulst, Dutch composer and conductor, dies at 74
- Jan 21 Calixa Lavallee, Canadian composer (O Canada), dies at 48
- Feb 14 Giulio Roberti, Italian composer, dies at 61
- Apr 15 Stephen Albert Emery, American pianist, composer, and pedagogue (Elements of Harmony), dies at 49
- Apr 17 Guildo Alary, Italian-born French composer, dies at 77
- May 23 Ignace Leybach, French pianist and composer, dies at 73
- May 26 Frederick Bowen Jewson, Scottish composer, dies at 67
- Jun 14 Nicolò Gabrielli, Italian opera composer, dies at 77
- Jun 23 Francis Henry Brown, American teacher and composer (popular pre civil war composer), dies at 73
- Jun 24 Ann Mounsey, English organist and composer, dies at 80
- Jun 28 Jose Inzenga y Castellanos, composer, dies at 63
- Jul 3 Stefano Golinelli, Italian composer, dies at 72
- Jul 4 Frédérick Louis Ritter, French composer, add eductator (Vassar, 1867-91), dies at 67
- Jul 21 Franco Faccio, Italian composer and conductor, dies at 51
- Aug 5 Henry Litolff, French composer and pianist, dies at 73
- Sep 2 Ferdinand Christian Wilhelm Praeger, Dutch-British pianist, composer, composer, and writer (Wagner As I Knew Him), dies at 76
- Dec 18 Eduard Hille, German composer and conductor, dies at 69
- Dec 23 Holger Simon Paulli, Danish conductor and composer, dies at 81
- Dec 28 Alfred Cellier, British conductor (Glibert and Sullivan) and composer (Dorothy), dies at 47
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers