Musicians we've lost in 2025

By VMZ Staff on December 24, 2025

With 2025 being an incredible year for music, we also stop and take time to remember those we have sadly lost throughout the year.

Musicians of all backgrounds, their legacies will live long in the memory, with their names etched in history, Official Charts reports.

Marianne Faithfull (December 29, 1946 - January 30, 2025)

Marianne Fathfull's career skyrocketed when her 1964 debut As Tears Go By peaked at Number 9 on the Official Singles Chart. This success continued with Come And Stay With Me a year later, earning her a highest charting single at Number 4.  A whirlwind life filled with ups and downs; she died of health problems at the age of 78.

Rick Buckler (December 6, 1955 - February 17, 2025)

At the forefront of The Jam's success, drummer Rick Buckler drove their stylistic sound and was part of a movement that united rebellious young minds.

As a result, they delivered four UK Number 1 singles including the iconic Going Underground and Town Called Malice.

Roberta Flack (February 10, 1937 - February 24, 2025)

A voice that permeates beauty and velour, Roberta Flack is one of those characters whose blend of soul, R&B and folk leaves you standing silent in awe.

Killing Me Softly With His Song is a tune that cements this point. Dramatic, beautiful and generational.

An incredible influence to a multitude of other artists, her energy will continue to resonate with others for decades to come.

Roy Ayers (September 10, 1940 - March 4, 2025)

Another that sunk their teeth into the R&B slice, Ayers began as a sideman in his early days, before rising to band leader where in the 1970's he formed Roy Ayers Ubiquity.

Ayers is also one whose work has been sampled by multiple musicians including Common, Tyler, The Creator and The Notorious B.I.G. A true legend.

Brian James (18 February, 1951 - March 6, 2025)

A founding member of The Damned, Brian James wrote quite possibly the first British punk single, New Rose. He left the band in 1977 but rejoined for a series of reunion shows in 2022.

Sly Stone (March 15, 1943 - June 9, 2025)

A funk stalwart, Stone lead Sly And The Family Stone, a group that used their psychedelic, gospel inspired sound to influence an era in the 1960's.

Stone and his group's highest performing hit in the UK was their 1968 track Dance To The Music, which peaked at Number 7.

He died at the age of 82.

Brian Wilson (June 20, 1942 - June 11, 2025)

Beach Boys founder and frontman Brian Wilson was responsible for creating a sound that melted hearts whenever the first note hit.

Music ran through his body and he formed hits including Good Vibrations and Do It Again, which both hit Number 1.

But it was Pet Sounds, the record in 1968 which changed everything. Distinctively different to their 'quintessential' sound, Paul McCartney labelled it "the album of all time".

A genius pioneer, he died at the age of 82.

Patrick Walden (October 5, 1978 - June 20, 2025)

Patrick was a member of Pete Doherty's post Libertines band Babyshambles as a guitarist. He co-wrote a number of their tracks and officially left the band in early 2006.

He died at the age of 46.

Connie Francis (December 12, 1937 - July 16, 2025)

Pop queen Connie Francis scored two Number 1 hits in 1958 with Who's Sorry Now and Stupid Cupid/Carolina Moon. She released a handful of albums throughout the decades after.

But 2025 was a year in which her track Pretty Little Baby exploded on TikTok, exposing a whole new audience to her music; a quite beautiful ending.

Ozzy Osbourne (December 3, 1948 - July 22, 2025)

THE rock figure, the Prince of Darkness harnessed an energy that made him one of the most notable frontman in music history.

A heavy metal pioneer, his band Black Sabbath had two Number 1 albums in Paranoid and 13. Ozzy has for certain secured his position in the pantheon of rock gods.

Rick Davies (July 22, 1944 - September 6, 2025)

Founder of the group Supertramp, Davies' vocals were a shining beacon that catapulted the band to mainstream success.

Give A Little Bit, Breakfast In America, Dreamer, the list of hits are endless and Davies streamlined these with his witty lyricism and attitude.

John Lodge (July 20, 1943 - October 10, 2025)

A member of The Moody Blues, the bass guitarist joined in 1966, two years after their Number 1 single, Go Now.

He would stay with the band till the end in 2018 and penned hits such as Ride My See-Saw and Isn't Life Strange.

D'Angelo (February 11, 1974 - October 14, 2025)

Modern soul music flooded from D'Angelo and began a movement that has since flourished thanks to his work.

The ultimate vocalist and songwriter, his debut Brown Sugar put his name in the spotlight, before 2000's Voodoo cemented him as one of the very best around. Black Messiah almost 15 years later was an eye-opening masterpiece of unity and strength.

He died of cancer at the age of 51.

Ace Frehley (April 27, 1951 - October 16, 2025)

Co-founder of KISS, Frehley, otherwise known as The Spaceman, played with the group from 1973 before leaving in 1982. He performed lead vocals on Love Gun and Shock Me.

He returned for a reunion in 1996 till 2002. He sadly suffered from a fall in October and died two weeks later.

Sam Rivers (September 2, 1977 - October 18, 2025)

Rivers was a founding member and bassist of the group Limp Bizkit. His group's intense and progressive hit track Rollin' debuted at Number 1 on the Singles Chart and stayed there for two consecutive weeks.

Dave Ball (May 3, 1959 - October 22, 2025)

One half of Soft Cell and part of The Grid, the electronic music forerunner was described as a "wonderfully brilliant music genius" who was pivotal to the Number 1 and unanimously known hit,  Tainted Love.

Gary 'Mani' Mounfield (November 16, 1962 - November 20, 2025)

Mani's death at the age of 63 was a huge shock to the music world. Part of the short-lived success of The Stone Roses, he cemented himself as one of the greatest bass players to come out of the UK.
He then joined Primal Scream shortly after the Roses disbanded and was vital in contributing to their distinctive sound.

The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess remembers Mani as "a force of nature and one of the greats". Mani's cause of death was recently revealed as 'respiratory issues' inked to the long-standing lung condition, emphysema.

Jimmy Cliff (July 30, 1944 - November 24, 2025)

A reggae and soul legend, Jimmy Cliff is responsible for bringing the Jamaican sound to a mainstream audience. Widely known for his I Can See Clearly Now Cover and Wonderful World, Beautiful People, Jimmy will forever be remembered for his flawless repertoire.

Steve Cropper (October 21, 1941 - December 3, 2025)

Steve Cropper was a member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s and was part of the Top 10 track Green Onions. He also appeared on multiple albums from the likes of John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Rod Stewart.

Raul Malo (August 7, 1965 - December 8, 2025)

The Mavericks frontman sadly passed away at the age of 60 due to cancer. Raul was known as having one of the greatest voices ever in the country music scene and was an enigma full of spirit.

The Mavericks found success in the UK with their hit single Dance The Night Away which hit Number 4 in 1998, as well as their album Trampoline which broke the Top 10 in the same year.

Chris Rea (March 4, 1951 - December 22, 2025)

Chris Rea passed away on December 22 following a short illness, a statement from his wife and two children confirmed.

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