- Oct 1 Harry Ray, American soul singer (Ray, Goodman, Brown), dies of a stroke at 45
- Oct 5 Eddie Kendricks, American singer-songwriter (The Temptations, 1960-71 - "I Can't Get Next To You"; "Just My Imagination"), dies of lung cancer at 52
- Oct 5 Laurie Anders, American actress and singer, dies of cancer at 70
- Oct 5 Paul Acket, Dutch publisher (Music Express) and impresario (North Sea Jazz Festival), dies of lung cancer at 69
- Oct 7 Ed Blackwell, American jazz drummer (Ornette Colman Quartet), dies at 62
- Oct 19 Maurice Le Roux, French conductor and film score composer (Kamouraska), dies at 69
- Oct 20 Werner Torkanowsky, German conductor (New Orleans Symphony, 1963-77; Bangor Symphony, 1981-92), dies of cancer at 66
- Oct 22 Josef Veselka, Czech choral conductor (Prague Philharmonic Choir, 1959-81), and pedagogue, dies at 82
- Oct 23 William Masselos, American pianist, dies of Parkinson's complications at 72
Roger Miller (1936-1992)
Oct 25 American country singer-songwriter ("King of the Road"; "Dang Me"), dies at 56
Kendrick Lamar
Eminem
XXXTentacion
Tupac Shakur
Nicki Minaj
Coolio