- Oct 2 Klaus Huber, Swiss composer (Tenebrae) and academic, dies at 92
Tom Petty (1950-2017)
Oct 2 American classic rock singer and songwriter (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "American Girl"; Traveling Wilburys - "Last Night"; solo -"I Won't Back Down"), dies of an accidental overdose at 66
- Oct 8 Grady Tate, American jazz drummer (Oliver Nelson, Lalo Schifrin, Quincy Jones, Jimmy Smith), and singer, dies of complications from Alzheimer disease at 85 [1]
- Oct 9 Vincent La Selva, American conductor (New York Grand Opera Company, 1973-2012), dies at 88 [1]
- Oct 17 Gordon Downie, Canadian rock musician (The Tragically Hip), dies of glioblastoma at 53
- Oct 17 Ingvar Lidholm, Swedish composer (Toccata e Canto), dies at 95
- Oct 22 George Young, Scottish-Australian musician, songwriter and record producer (the Easybeats, Flash and the Pan), dies at 70
Fats Domino (1928-2017)
Oct 24 American rhythm & blues piano player, singer, and star of the early rock ’n’ roll era ("Blueberry Hill"; "Blue Monday"; "Walkin' To New Orleans", dies from natural causes at 89
- Oct 25 John Manduell, British-based South African composer and educator (Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, 1973-96), dies at 89
- Oct 27 Ladislav Kubík, Czech-American composer (Aulos; Subterranean River) and educator (Florida State University, 1990-2017), dies at 71
- Oct 29 Muhal Richard Abrams, American educator and composer, dies at 87
Kendrick Lamar
Eminem
XXXTentacion
Tupac Shakur
Nicki Minaj
Coolio