Every year brings its share of farewells, but 2025 has felt particularly heavy for music fans. The loss of so many influential musicians reminds us just how deeply their work shaped not only the sounds of their time but the memories tied to them. These artists gave rhythm to generations, defined eras, and left behind legacies that continue to echo long after the final curtain call.
Music constantly reinvents itself — new voices rise, genres blend, and trends shift — yet the impact of those who came before remains woven into everything that follows. When a beloved artist passes, listeners are often drawn back to the songs that first moved them, rediscovering the stories and emotions embedded in each note. Their passing becomes an invitation to listen again, this time with a deeper sense of gratitude.
In 2025, the world has had to say goodbye to a remarkable range of talent — from rock pioneers to soul icons and boundary-pushing innovators. Their contributions remind us that music’s power lies not just in what’s new but in what endures. This article looks back at the musicians we’ve lost this year and celebrates the timeless mark they left on the world.
1. Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson’s influence on American music is impossible to overstate. As the visionary co-founder of The Beach Boys, he helped define the sound of California sunshine — songs filled with warmth, harmony, and the endless promise of youth. His compositions captured the optimism of an era while revealing the complexity beneath its golden veneer.
Behind the brilliance, Wilson battled lifelong struggles with mental illness and addiction that shadowed his creative genius. Even so, his influence never faded. His return to the stage in the 1990s, revisiting classics like “God Only Knows” and “California Girls,” reminded audiences of just how timeless his work truly was. Each note, layered with emotion and precision, reflected an artist who sought perfection in sound and spirit.
When news broke of Wilson’s passing on June 11, 2025, it felt like the closing of a chapter in pop history. Though his declining health was well known, his death marked the loss of a man whose imagination reshaped how music could sound — lush, vulnerable, and symphonic. His songs continue to drift through radios, films, and memories, forever evoking the dreamlike glow of endless summer.
2. Dave Allen
The late 1970s punk revolution tore through music’s conventions, but what followed — the post-punk movement — gave rebellion structure and thought. Dave Allen, the bassist for Gang of Four, stood at the center of that shift. His minimalist, angular basslines turned fury into groove, helping shape a sound that was as political as it was danceable.
Gang of Four’s early albums, Entertainment! and Solid Gold, remain blueprints for modern alternative rock. Allen’s playing wasn’t flashy, but it was vital — pulsing, deliberate, and perfectly in tune with the band’s razor-sharp message. His bass carried the rhythm of protest, cutting through the noise with both clarity and conviction.
Allen’s death on April 5, 2025, at 69, was another reminder of the creative fire that powered an entire movement. Though he later explored other projects and briefly reunited with Gang of Four, it was those early years that cemented his legacy. Decades later, new generations of musicians still trace their sound back to the wiry precision of Dave Allen’s bass.
3. Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers had a rare gift — the ability to make music that felt like sunlight itself. His 1976 anthem “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” still radiates across generations, carrying the warmth and groove that defined his singular fusion of jazz, funk, and soul. When he passed on March 4, 2025, at 84, the world lost one of its true architects of feel-good rhythm.
Ayers’ story began in South Central Los Angeles, where a childhood encounter with jazz legend Lionel Hampton inspired a lifelong journey on the vibraphone. From the 1970s onward, he became a cornerstone of jazz-funk, blending the sophistication of jazz with the pulse of the streets. Collaborations with artists like Fela Kuti broadened his reach, weaving his sound into the global fabric of modern music.
Even as his pace slowed in later years, Ayers’ spirit never dimmed. His work would go on to influence entire genres, from neo-soul to hip-hop, with countless artists sampling his tracks. His music endures as both a soundtrack to summer and a celebration of life’s enduring rhythm.
4. Amadou Bagayoko
For millions around the world, Amadou Bagayoko was more than a gifted guitarist — he was a symbol of music’s power to transcend barriers. Alongside his wife, Mariam Doumbia, as the duo Amadou & Mariam, he helped bring the sound of Mali to a global stage, merging traditional African melodies with modern pop and rock sensibilities.
Their 2005 release Dimanche à Bamako marked a turning point, introducing Western audiences to a joyous, eclectic fusion that defied categorization. Sung in a mix of African languages, French, and English, their songs celebrated love, unity, and perseverance. The couple’s blindness added another layer of inspiration — proof that vision in music doesn’t depend on sight but on heart.
Bagayoko’s death on April 4, 2025, at 70, was deeply felt across the African and international music communities. His guitar lines, warm and percussive, carried both intimacy and vitality. Through his art, he helped the world hear Africa not as an influence, but as a voice of its own — confident, modern, and alive.
5. Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull’s life was a testament to reinvention. First known as a teenage ingénue singing “As Tears Go By” in the 1960s, she quickly became a fixture of the Swinging London scene, often defined more by her associations than her artistry. But over time, she shattered those preconceptions, proving herself one of rock’s most enduring and fearless storytellers.
After years of turmoil and addiction, Faithfull’s 1979 comeback album Broken English reintroduced her as a raw, poetic force. Her voice, now weathered and haunting, became her signature — carrying the grit of survival and the wisdom of experience. She embraced vulnerability as strength, carving out a space entirely her own in music’s male-dominated landscape.
Faithfull’s death on January 30, 2025, at 78, closed the book on a career that defied every attempt at simplification. From pop ingenue to avant-garde icon, she never stopped evolving. Her songs, smoky and defiant, remain a reflection of a woman who lived fully — unflinchingly honest and eternally uncompromising.
6. Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell was the kind most musicians only dream of — a grand celebration of a life spent reshaping rock history. As the voice of Black Sabbath, his haunting vocals and wild stage presence laid the foundation for heavy metal, inspiring countless bands across decades. His final appearance at Back to the Beginning, a one-day festival in Birmingham that united rock legends like Guns N’ Roses and Metallica, was both a tribute and a goodbye. Streamed worldwide, it gave fans one last chance to witness the Prince of Darkness command the stage.
Health challenges had followed Ozzy for years. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, and later suffered a neck injury in 2019 that impacted his mobility. Still, his determination to perform never wavered. The festival’s brief Black Sabbath reunion and his solo set were filled with emotion — a defiant reminder of his undying love for music. For both fans and peers, it was a moment suspended between nostalgia and finality.
When he passed away on July 22, 2025, at 76, tributes poured in from every corner of the music world. Bandmate Tony Iommi reflected that Ozzy had “held out to do that show” — a testament to his resilience and his bond with fans. His death closed an era, but his voice and theatricality continue to define what it means to be larger than life in rock.
7. Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack possessed one of the most elegant and emotionally rich voices in popular music. Her early work with Donny Hathaway hinted at her potential, but it was “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” — rediscovered through Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty for Me — that made her a household name. Its slow, intimate delivery introduced a new kind of power: quiet, controlled, and devastatingly beautiful.
From there, Flack’s influence only deepened. Her 1973 hit “Killing Me Softly” became a timeless ballad, merging soulful tenderness with storytelling grace. Through her piano work and careful phrasing, she transformed every song into something deeply human. While later decades brought fewer chart-toppers, her artistry remained intact, culminating in a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
Flack passed away on February 24, 2025, at the age of 88, after living with ALS in her final years. Her death marked the loss of a performer who bridged gospel warmth and pop sophistication with rare subtlety. Her voice endures — soft yet commanding — as proof that emotion, not volume, is what truly moves an audience.
8. Garth Hudson
Among the many musicians who defined the sound of the 1960s and ’70s, Garth Hudson stood apart for his inventiveness and restraint. As the organist for The Band, his textured playing gave depth to their earthy, communal sound. His work on Music from Big Pink and beyond shaped not just the group’s legacy but the DNA of Americana itself.
Hudson’s musicianship was both intellectual and soulful. He brought a sense of sophistication to rock that few others could match, effortlessly blending gospel, classical, and experimental tones into his arrangements. Even as synthesizers began to change the musical landscape, he adapted, continuing to innovate while staying true to his roots.
When Hudson passed on January 21, 2025, at 87, he was the last surviving member of The Band — a living bridge to an era that redefined popular music. His influence continues to ripple through generations of artists who value mood and nuance as much as melody. For them, his organ still hums somewhere in the background of rock history.
9. Chris Jasper
Chris Jasper helped elevate R&B to new artistic heights. When he joined the Isley Brothers in the early 1970s, he brought classical training and a refined musical ear that would transform their sound. His contributions to hits like “That Lady” and “Fight the Power” infused the group’s trademark soul with harmonic complexity and polished musicianship.
Drawing inspiration from composers like Debussy and Gershwin, Jasper fused orchestral sophistication with the rhythmic pulse of funk. His work proved that R&B could be both danceable and deeply composed. Later, with the spin-off group Isley Jasper Isley, he continued that exploration, crafting songs like “Caravan of Love,” which topped the R&B charts and became an anthem of unity.
Jasper passed away on February 23, 2025, at 73. His influence stretched beyond his hits — it lived in his vision for what R&B could be: elegant, spiritual, and timeless. As a performer, composer, and scholar of sound, he left behind a legacy rooted in both heart and intellect.
10. Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer was a musical satirist who managed to make the serious sound absurd and the absurd sound profound. With his piano, razor wit, and deadpan humor, he became a cult hero of the 1950s and ’60s, skewering politics, religion, and culture with songs like “The Vatican Rag” and “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park.” His lyrics were both biting and hilarious — a combination that made him one of the sharpest comedic songwriters of his time.
Unlike most performers, Lehrer didn’t chase fame. Music was just one facet of his life; mathematics was his true profession. After selling hundreds of thousands of records, he left the stage for academia, teaching at Harvard, MIT, and UC Santa Cruz. His intellect and humor found a new home in the classroom, where he inspired students as much as he once entertained audiences.
Lehrer passed away on July 26, 2025, at 97. Even in his later years, he continued to champion creativity and freedom — releasing his entire catalog into the public domain in 2020. His songs remain as relevant as ever, a reminder that laughter, when wielded wisely, can be one of art’s most enduring truths.
11. Sam Moore
Sam Moore’s soulful voice helped shape the sound of 1960s R&B and soul music. As one half of the legendary duo Sam & Dave, he recorded some of the most beloved songs of the era, including “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Coming.” His energy and gospel-infused delivery turned every performance into a celebration, bridging the spiritual fervor of the church with the electricity of the stage.
The partnership between Moore and Dave Prater began in 1961, and together they found their stride after signing with Atlantic Records and working alongside the creative powerhouse of Stax Records. Collaborations with Isaac Hayes, David Porter, and Booker T. & the M.G.’s yielded a string of hits that became staples of soul’s golden age. Yet behind the scenes, the duo’s relationship was volatile, strained by personal struggles and addiction.
After parting ways in 1970, Moore’s solo career never reached the same heights, though he continued performing well into his later years. His death on January 10, 2025, at the age of 89, marked the passing of one of soul’s original voices — an artist who helped define the sound of passion and perseverance in American music.
12. D’Angelo
D’Angelo’s arrival in the mid-1990s felt like a revelation. With Brown Sugar, he brought warmth, musicianship, and sensuality back to R&B at a time when the genre was leaning heavily on digital production. His smooth vocals, layered instrumentation, and effortless groove set a new benchmark, launching the neo-soul movement that would influence artists for decades.
His 2000 masterpiece Voodoo cemented his legend. Songs like “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” showcased his fearless artistry — blending funk, gospel, and vulnerability in a way that felt both raw and timeless. Yet with fame came pressure, and D’Angelo retreated from the spotlight, wrestling with addiction and the expectations that followed his image as a reluctant sex symbol.
After years of silence, he returned triumphantly in 2014 with Black Messiah, a politically charged and deeply personal album that reminded the world of his genius. His final years were spent quietly, as he privately battled pancreatic cancer. When he passed on October 14, 2025, at 51, fans mourned not just a gifted musician but a soul who redefined what R&B could feel like — intimate, spiritual, and unfiltered.
13. Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley’s guitar wasn’t just loud — it was explosive, theatrical, and unforgettable. As the Spaceman of KISS, his riffs and solos helped catapult the band from struggling performers to global rock icons. His playing on Alive! and the band’s 1970s catalog gave generations of guitarists their first taste of what raw, electrifying showmanship could sound like.
Frehley’s career reflected both brilliance and rebellion. His offstage battles with addiction contrasted sharply with his creative spark onstage, where he became the visual and sonic embodiment of rock’s excess and excitement. Even after parting ways with KISS in 1982, his solo work proved he was more than a masked performer — he was a genuine innovator with a distinct voice on the guitar.
His death on October 16, 2025, at 74, was felt deeply across the rock world. Musicians like Tom Morello praised his influence, calling his solos “timeless licks.” Though KISS continued without him, Frehley’s legacy remains carved into rock history — a reminder that beneath the face paint was a pioneer who made guitar playing larger than life.
14. Sam Rivers
Sam Rivers brought groove and grit to Limp Bizkit’s unmistakable sound. As the bassist for one of nu-metal’s most polarizing bands, his deep, rhythmic style anchored songs that defined a generation of late-1990s rebellion. While the band’s blend of rock, metal, and hip-hop divided critics, Rivers’ musicianship was never in doubt — his lines were the pulse that kept the chaos moving.
Throughout the highs and lows of Limp Bizkit’s career, Rivers remained a steady creative force. Even after stepping away in 2015 due to liver disease, he returned in 2018 to help fuel the band’s revival. By 2024, they were charting again, proving that the nostalgic energy of their sound still connected with fans.
Rivers’ passing on October 19, 2025, stunned both fans and fellow musicians. In a heartfelt tribute, his bandmates called him “the soul in the sound.” His death marked the end of an era for nu-metal, but his influence lives on in the grooves he left behind — proof that even the loudest music can have heart.