Everything that has happened in music since Oasis announced their reunion tour - one year on

• Almost a year to the day, Oasis announced their long-awaited reunion after a 16-year absence.
• But what else has occurred in the music world since that first announcement to the present day?
• Here’s a look back at what else was happening while people were waiting for that first Oasis performance in Cardiff.

How has it been 12 months already since Oasis announced they were getting back together? Time flies, as they say...

But now that the triumphant run of shows has almost concluded and the brothers’ set for the international stint of the long-awaited reunion, you might have forgotten about some other sizeable moments from the world of music while you were waiting for the gates to open in Cardiff earlier this year.

Be it the start of the year with the array of ‘one’s to watch’ lists, with the BBC crowning their Sound of 2025 winner, through to the continued barbs and legal threats thrown between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, it has certainly been an incredible rollercoaster of emotions being a music fans - and we’ve still got a few months left of 2025 to contend with.

What next? Well, aside from Taylor Swift’s new album dropping in October - between wedding planning, of course.

Here’s a look back at some of the noteworthy moments in music between the time Oasis announced their reunion to... well... when we’ve finish writing this!

What’s happened in the world of music since Oasis’ reunion was announced?

September 2024

The music world was a flurry of activity, with a mix of celebration and drama. Pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth album, Short n’ Sweet, debuted at number one on the Billboard chart, a first for her, and Post Malone’s ‘I Had Some Help’ with Morgan Wallen was crowned Billboard's Song of the Summer.

On a more dramatic note, alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction made headlines after a brawl on stage led to the cancellation of their entire tour.

Meanwhile, the hip-hop world was equally eventful. GloRilla received the key to her hometown of Memphis, while the MTV Video Music Awards honoured Eminem with the Best Hip Hop award. However, the community was also rocked by tragic news, including the death of Rich Homie Quan, and major legal battles, with music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrested and charged with sex trafficking.

There was also a scandal in the rock scene, as perennial ‘Nice Guy of Rock’ Dave Grohl admitted to having a child out of wedlock in a statement posted to his social media on September 10. In his announcement, he stated that he had recently become a father to a new baby daughter and that he planned to be a loving and supportive parent to her.

The news came as a surprise to many, as Grohl had been married to his wife, Jordyn Blum, since 2003, with whom he has three other daughters

The month concluded with some landmark moments, including the annual Farm Aid concert in New York featuring legends like Willie Nelson and Neil Young. In a historic first, a statue of musician Johnny Cash was unveiled in the US Capitol's Statuary Hall, representing his native Arkansas.

October 2024

The month was dominated by a variety of major events, starting with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions. The 39th annual ceremony honoured a star-studded class of inductees, including Mary J. Blige, Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, the Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, and Peter Frampton, while there was a surprise for fans as Elton John made a rare guest appearance at a Joni Mitchell concert, joining her for a duet of his song ‘I'm Still Standing.’

The world of hip-hop was a mix of triumph and turmoil. The BET Hip Hop Awards were a major event, with Kendrick Lamar sweeping the night, winning Hip Hop Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for ‘Not Like Us.’ However, headlines were also dominated by legal issues, with rapper Lil Durk arrested on federal charges and Young Thug released from prison with a plea deal after two years.

The month also saw a significant musical discovery, with a long-lost waltz by legendary composer Frédéric Chopin being rediscovered after 200 years at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan.

November 2024

The month was defined by the release of albums from some of music's biggest names. After a 16-year wait, The Cure dropped Songs of a Lost World to critical acclaim, while Linkin Park's highly anticipated From Zero officially debuted as their first album without Chester Bennington.

On a global scale, pop star Beyoncé made Grammy history, becoming the most-nominated artist ever with a total of 99 nominations, while Elton John's new musical ‘Tammy Faye’ opened on Broadway.

Legal drama continued to unfold with a surprising new development in the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud as the Canadian rapper filed a petition against his own record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), and Spotify, alleging they had "artificially inflated" the success of Kendrick Lamar's diss track, "Not Like Us." Drake's legal team claimed that UMG used tactics like paying influencers, using bots, and offering reduced licensing fees to Spotify in exchange for boosting the song, with the specific goal of harming Drake's reputation.

The petition, which invoked the RICO Act, argued that UMG was aware of the track's false and dangerous allegations against Drake but chose to promote it for financial gain, while terminating employees perceived as having loyalty to Drake. UMG strongly denied the "offensive and untrue" allegations

We couldn’t forget that the much-anticipated film adaptation of ‘Wicked,’ starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, premiered in cinemas, bringing a new musical sensation to the silver screen.

December 2024

The music year came to a close with both celebration and tragedy. The Billboard Music Awards crowned Drake as Top Rap Artist and Kendrick Lamar's ‘Not Like Us’ as Top Rap Song, as pop star Taylor Swift concluded her monumental ‘The Eras Tour’ with her 149th show in Vancouver. The tour was officially named the highest-grossing of all time, with a final box office gross of over $2 billion.

Elton John and Jake Shears' musical ‘Tammy Faye’ concluded its brief run in New York. On the live music front, the legendary Paul McCartney wrapped up his 'Got Back' tour at London's O2 Arena with a final show featuring surprise appearances from Ringo Starr and Ron Wood of The Rolling Stones.

The month also honoured industry legends, with the Kennedy Centre Honours celebrating filmmakers and musicians, and Coldplay releasing a music video for their song ‘All My Love’ featuring entertainment icon Dick Van Dyke on his 99th birthday.

January 2025

The start of the new year was a relatively quiet month for major pop releases, but a legend emerged with new material. On January 10, Ringo Starr released his 21st solo album, Look Up; the album was a country-tinged collection produced by T-Bone Burnett and featured guest appearances from artists like Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle.

However, there was heartbreak in the music world as Marianne Faithfull, the influential singer-songwriter and muse for The Rolling Stones, died on January 30. Best known for her iconic hits ‘As Tears Go By’ and ‘Broken English,’ metal fans would be familiar with the singer as she lent her distinctive, raspy vocals to Metallica's song ‘The Memory Remains’ from their 1997 album, Reload - a performance that has since become a fan favourite at their live shows.

The month was also marked by the announcement of John Sykes passing, a legendary rock guitarist best known for his work with Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, and Blue Murder. He was revered for his distinctive style and for co-writing iconic hits like ‘Still of the Night’ and ‘Is This Love’ before his death was announced on January 20.

The music press was abuzz with ‘Artists to Watch’ lists, including the announcement of Chappell Roan as the winner of the BBC's prestigious Sound of 2025 award, and the first round of festival ticket sales for the summer of 2025 went live, with tours from artists like James Arthur being confirmed.

February 2025

The Grammy Awards saw Kendrick Lamar dominate, winning both Song and Record of the Year for ‘Not Like Us,’ while Beyoncé took home Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter, becoming the first Black woman since Lauryn Hill in 1999 to win the award.

The awards momentum continued with Kendrick Lamar delivering an electrifying Super Bowl LIX halftime performance, featuring a surprise appearance from Samuel L. Jackson and everyone in attendance uttering the immortal line from ‘Not Like Us’ - “trying to strike a chord and it’s probably A Minor.”

The month also featured a historic moment in classical music, with the world premiere of Edmond Dédé's opera Morgiane, 138 years after its composition, and a unique protest album from over 1,000 artists, including Annie Lennox and Kate Bush, to protest a proposed British law on AI and copyrighted material.

The music world also said goodbye to a legend with the passing of Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning soul and R&B singer. She was known for classic songs like ‘Killing Me Softly with His Song,’ which was covered by The Fugees, landing them a UK number 1 single, and ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.’ She was the first solo artist to win the Grammy for Record of the Year for two consecutive years.

March 2025

The UK music industry celebrated its biggest night at the BRIT Awards, with Charli XCX (finally) being the night's big winner, taking home multiple awards for her album Brat. Stormzy won Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act.

With the spring in the air, the UK's festival scene exploded with final line-up announcements. The highly anticipated return of Catfish and the Bottlemen with two major stadium shows was confirmed, setting the stage for an incredible summer of live music. Other key festival announcements included Iggy Pop and Manic Street Preachers for Bearded Theory Festival, and James and Stereophonics for Neighbourhood Weekender.

The iHeartRadio Music Awards, held on March 17, saw Hozier's smash hit "Too Sweet" win Alternative Song of the Year, highlighting the genre's continued mainstream success.

April 2025

April was a month of dramatic contrasts. On a tragic note, a nightclub roof collapsed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, resulting in a devastating loss of life.

On a wholly more positive note, a new era began with Beyoncé's highly anticipated Cowboy Carter tour, which commenced in Inglewood, California, with a massive show. This coincided with Record Store Day, which once again drew massive crowds, with fans queuing for exclusive releases. The official list included a vast array of releases from artists like The Charlatans to Blur, with a special re-issue of the self-titled album from Kasabian becoming a highly sought-after item.

The UK festival season truly began with events like the York Blues Festival and Stockton Calling, bringing live music to towns across the North

May 2025

The month was a whirlwind of huge live music events and industry-shaking news. The month began with a bang as Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro drew an estimated crowd of 2.5 million, marking the largest concert in history for a female artist.

On a more unfortunate note, there was drama within some of rock's biggest bands as the Foo Fighters fired their drummer, Josh Freese, after just two years, and The Who's drummer Zak Starkey announced his departure from the band, claiming he had been fired.

The Eurovision Song Contest was held in Switzerland, with JJ from Austria winning for his song’ Wasted Love,’ with the Great British hope, Remember Monday, sadly earning a ‘nil points’ despite the overall popularity of their song in the UK charts.

American R&B singer Chris Brown was arrested and jailed upon entering England on charges related to a 2023 nightclub incident. He was later released on $6.7 million bail, and the month concluded with a major industry win for Taylor Swift, who announced she had finally bought back the rights to her entire discography from Shamrock, including the master recordings of her first six studio albums, in what was hailed as a huge victory for artists' rights.

June 2025

Stadium shows and festivals across the country continued over the month; legends like Guns N' Roses played huge UK stadium dates, while Robbie Williams also returned for a series of shows. The Download Festival provided a weekend of rock and metal with Sleep Token, Korn and Green Day headlining this year’s festival.

King Charles III's Birthday Honours list was released, with The Who's singer Roger Daltrey and actress/singer Elaine Paige receiving knighthoods and damehoods, respectively, for their contributions to music.

The month's main event, however, was Glastonbury Festival. The legendary festival opened its gates with a stellar line-up, with headliners including The 1975, Neil Young, and Olivia Rodrigo. Rod Stewart performed in the traditional Sunday Legends slot, and other acts across the weekend included The Script, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Charli XCX.

July 2025

The summer hit its peak with a series of monumental events. The highly anticipated Oasis reunion tour finally began in Cardiff, ending a 16-year split between the Gallagher brothers and launching a series of sold-out stadium shows. Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne played his final concert, a day-long festival in his hometown of Birmingham that included a highly emotional reunion with the original members of Black Sabbath and raised millions for charity.

Osbourne would die only weeks later, on July 22 at the age of 76, surrounded by his family, as the streets of Birmingham were flooded with fans of Birmingham’s favourite son during his highly emotional funeral procession.

In the world of hip-hop, news was a mix of legal and political statements. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation for prostitution, a verdict that was closely followed by the music world. In a show of solidarity with striking municipal workers, rappers LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan both withdrew from a major 4th of July concert in Philadelphia.

The month also saw some major band member shake-ups: drummer Matt Cameron announced his departure from Pearl Jam after 27 years with the group, and a new round of lawsuits from members of Jane's Addiction threatened to scuttle any future reunion plans.

The month ended with a truly historic pop moment, as Beyoncé closed her Cowboy Carter tour in Las Vegas with a surprise Destiny's Child reunion—the first time the group had performed together in seven years.

August 2025

Last month marked the end of an incredible summer; the final dates of the Oasis reunion tour were the most talked-about event in music, with the band's return being a resounding success. The Reading & Leeds Festival once again concluded the season, with Travis Scott, Bring Me The Horizon, Hozier and Chappell Roan headlining this year’s events. The month also celebrated a legend, with a street in San Francisco named after Jerry Garcia on what would have been his 83rd birthday.

Legal headlines hit with the conviction of rapper Sean Kingston for a million-dollar fraud scheme, resulting in a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence, while in a significant cultural moment, the fictional girl group HUNTR/X from the Netflix movie ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ made history by hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100, a first for an all-woman group in 24 years.

The month also proved that age is no barrier to success, as blues legend Buddy Guy topped the Billboard Blues Albums chart with his album ‘Ain't Done With the Blues,’ released on his 89th birthday.