The U.S. Postal Service unveils two potential designs for its proposed Elvis Presley postage stamp for fans to vote on. One design is of a young, 1950s Elvis, and the other is of a much older, 1970s Elvis. The young Elvis wins the vote, and the stamp is issued the following January.[7]
Six major record companies reach an agreement to phase out the longbox form of compact disc packaging by April 1993, due to complaints that the packaging is environmentally wasteful.
March 24 – A judge in Chicago, Illinois, USA, approves cash rebates of up to US$3 to anyone proving they bought Milli-Vanilli recordings prior to the beginning of the lip synching scandal on November 27, 1990.
April 1 – Billy Idol, on trial for punching a woman in the face, pleads no contest. Idol is fined and ordered to make public service announcements against alcohol and drug abuse.[9]
The first Europäisches Jugendchorfestival,(EJCF) (European Festival of Youth Choirs) is held in Basel, Switzerland. Organizers decide to make it a triennial event.
May 11 – A. R. Rahman's debut film Roja is released. The soundtrack is regarded as a milestone that changed the face of Tamil film music and subsequently contemporary Indian music. Time magazine's film critic, Richard Corliss, stated in 2005 that the "astonishing debut work parades Rahman's gift for alchemizing outside influences until they are totally Tamil, totally Rahman," naming it one of the magazine's "10 Best Soundtracks" of all time.
June 5 – The Sata Häme Accordion Festival takes place until June 14 in Ikaalinen, Finland.[5]
Michael Jackson starts the Dangerous World Tour, supporting his Dangerous album in Munich, Germany.
Guitarist Stefanie Sargent of up-and-coming punk rock band 7 Year Bitch dies of asphyxiation after returning home from a party in which she had drunk alcohol and taken a small amount of heroin. She was 24.
The BudaFest Summer Opera and Ballet Festival is launched in Budapest, Hungary.[14]
Mark Heard suffers a heart attack while performing at the Cornerstone Festival in Illinois, USA. Heard goes to hospital immediately after finishing his set, but dies two weeks after being discharged in August.
July 10 – Seinäjoki (Finland) Tango Festival begins, running to July 12.[15]
July 11 – "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses enters the world record books when it becomes the longest single, at 8 minutes, 57 seconds, to reach the US Top 20. The single's video has a budget of over US$1.5 million, becoming the most expensive at the time.
July 12 – Opening of the Chamber-Music Festival of Kuhmo, Finland (until July 26).[15]
Former BeatleGeorge Harrison tells Billboard magazine that he recently discovered that he was born on February 24, and not February 25 as he had thought for most of his life.[16]
American pop-punk band Blink-182 form in the suburbs of San Diego, but are known as Blink until 1995.
August 3 – Lahti Organ Festival (Finland) begins, lasting until August 9.[15]
August 5 – Jeff Porcaro, arguably the most highly regarded studio drummer in rock from the mid-'70s to the early '90s, dies aged 38 of a heart attack.
August 8 – During the Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour, Metallica frontman James Hetfield is burned by a pyrotechnics blast during a concert at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, forcing the group to cancel the second hour of the show. Co-headliners Guns N' Roses take the stage, but walk off early with Axl Rose complaining of throat problems. The abbreviated show causes angry fans to riot in the streets of Montreal. The tour resumed on August 25, but with a guitar technician replacing Hetfield on guitar for the remainder of the tour.
August 14 – Opening of the Sibelius-Festival in Loviisa, Finland.[15]
August 20 – Opening of the Helsinki Festival, with the theme: Music of the Baltics (orchestral and chamber-music concerts, opera productions, song recitals, ballet, theater, jazz, pop, and rock concerts) until September 6.[15]
September–Octoberedit
September 17 – Frank Zappa, in his final professional public appearance, conducts the Ensemble Modern at the Frankfurt Festival in Germany. Zappa, who is seriously ill with prostate cancer, receives a 20-minute ovation.[18]
October 20 – Singer-songwriter Madonna releases her fifth studio album, Erotica, which became one of her most controversial albums to date due to overtly sexual content.
"End of the Road" by Boyz II Men posts a 12th consecutive week at No. 1 in the US charts, ending a 36-year record previously held by Elvis Presley. Boyz II Men's record was broken on March 6, 1993, by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You".
Ozzy Osbourne plays the final concert of his "retirement" tour at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California. He is joined on stage by his three former Black Sabbath bandmates for a reunion performance. Black Sabbath opened the show with Rob Halford as lead vocalist, filling in for Ronnie James Dio who had left the band days earlier.
November 17 – The soundtrack album of "The Bodyguard", Whitney Houston's debut film, is released. The album went on to be certified 18 times platinum by the RIAA and sell 45 million copies worldwide. To date[when?] the album is still the best selling soundtrack of all time and also one of the best selling albums of all time.
November 22 – Manchester-based post-punk and electronic music label Factory Records declares bankruptcy. The label had been placed in dire financial straits following the spending of most of their funds by Happy Mondays during the recording of their album Yes Please!, which would end up a commercial failure. Additionally, plans for a buyout from London Records folded when it was discovered that none of Factory's artists were actually signed onto the label; most of these artists, most notably New Order, would end up signing onto London Records anyhow following Factory's foreclosure.[21]
UK 1 – Nov 1992, US BB 1 of 1992, Holland 1 – Nov 1992, Sweden 1 – Nov 1992, Switzerland 1 – Dec 1992, Norway 1 – Dec 1992, Poland 1 – Nov 1992, Germany 1 – Jan 1993, Republic of Ireland 1 – Dec 1992, Australia 1 for 10 weeks Mar 1993, Grammy in 1993, Austria 2 – Dec 1992, Australia 2 of 1993, US CashBox 5 of 1993, Japan 5 of all time (international songs), Italy 7 of 1992, Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1992, POP 10 of 1992, Europe 19 of the 1990s, TOTP 19, AFI 65, Germany 67 of the 1990s, Scrobulate 90 of ballad, RIAA 108, RYM 172 of 1992, Party 280 of 1999, Acclaimed 802
New Zealand 1 for 1 weeks Feb 1992, Sweden 2 – Jan 1992, Norway 2 – Jan 1992, Poland 2 – Jan 1992, Germany 2 – Jan 1992, Holland 3 – Nov 1991, RYM 3 of 1991, Acclaimed 3, US BB 5 of 1992, Scrobulate 5 of rock, US BB 6 of 1992, Switzerland 6 – Feb 1992, Europe 6 of the 1990s, POP 6 of 1992, UK 7 – Nov 1991, Belgium 7 of all time, 7 in 2FM list, Rolling Stone 9, France 10 – Dec 1991, Austria 11 – Feb 1992, Virgin 16, Poland 23 of all time, US CashBox 27 of 1992, Italy 29 of 1992, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1991, WXPN 53, RIAA 80, Germany 152 of the 1990s, TheQ 321, OzNet 900
UK 1 – Sep 1992, US BB 1 of 1992, US CashBox 1 of 1992, Holland 1 – Oct 1992, Republic of Ireland 1 – Nov 1992, New Zealand 1 for 7 weeks Oct 1992, Australia 1 for 4 weeks Feb 1993, US BB 3 of 1992, Sweden 3 – Oct 1992, Norway 3 – Nov 1992, POP 3 of 1992, Poland 6 – Sep 1992, Switzerland 7 – Oct 1992, Germany 7 – Jan 1993, Australia 21 of 1992, Austria 29 – Nov 1992, Scrobulate 89 of rnb, Germany 337 of the 1990s
UK 1 – Jul 1992, Holland 1 – Apr 1992, Austria 1 – May 1992, Switzerland 1 – Apr 1992, Italy 1 of 1992, Germany 1 – Apr 1992, Republic of Ireland 1 – Aug 1992, France 3 – Apr 1992, Sweden 4 – May 1992, Norway 4 – Jun 1992, US BB 5 of 1993, Germany 6 of the 1990s, US CashBox 12 of 1993, Australia 12 of 1992, US BB 17 of 1992, POP 17 of 1993, Scrobulate 65 of 90s, RYM 96 of 1992
US BB 1 of 1992, Holland 1 – Mar 1992, Sweden 1 – Feb 1992, Switzerland 1 – Mar 1992, Norway 1 – Mar 1992, Germany 1 – Mar 1992, New Zealand 1 for 5 weeks Mar 1992, Australia 1 for 3 weeks Aug 1992, Austria 2 – Apr 1992, UK 3 – Mar 1992, Poland 5 – Jan 1992, Australia 7 of 1992, US CashBox 9 of 1992, POP 25 of 1992, Germany 47 of the 1990s, OzNet 386
January 25 - Jordan Stephens, English musician, actor, and presenter. He is best known for being one half of Rizzle Kicks, and for presenting the ITV2 panel show Don't Hate the Playaz.