- Jan 28 Joseph Barnby, English conductor and composer, dies at 57
- Feb 4 Henry David Leslie, English composer, dies at 73
- Feb 12 Ambroise Thomas, French opera composer (Mignon), and music professor, dies at 84
- Feb 13 Carl Martin Reinthaler, German composer, dies at 73
- Apr 5 John Rogers Thomas, Welsh-American baritone and composer of popular, classical, and sacred music, dies at 66
- Apr 12 Alexander Ritter, German composer, dies at 62
- Apr 30 Antonio Cagnoni, Italian opera composer, dies at 68
- May 12 Juan Morel Campos, Puerto Rican composer (Danza), dies at 38
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
May 20 German pianist and composer of the Romantic era, dies of a stroke at 76
- Jun 7 Pavlos Carrer, Greek composer (Isabella d'Aspeno), dies at 67
- Jun 11 Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke, German organist and composer, dies at 72
- Jul 6 Alexander Sergeyevich Famintsin, Russian composer, dies at 54
- Aug 18 Frederick Nichols Crouch, composer, dies at 88
- Sep 1 Johannes Habert, composer, dies at 62
- Sep 11 Francis James Child, American ballad collector (b. 1825)
- Sep 16 Antônio Carlos Gomes, Brazilian opera composer, first from outside of Europe have a successful career in Italy, dies at 60
- Sep 20 Gottfried Conradi, Norwegian composer, dies at 76
- Sep 23 Gilbert Duprez, French composer, dies at 89
Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)
Oct 11 Austrian composer (Te Deum; Wagner Symphony), Wagner disciple and "monumental bore", dies at 72
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers