This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–February

March–April

May–June

July–August

September–October

November–December

Also in 1993

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Bands reformed

Albums released

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1993.

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "Babe" – Take That (#1 UK, IRL) • "Bad Boys" (theme from Cops) – Inner Circle (#1 FIN, NOR, #2 SWE, #8 US) • "Bad Girl" – Madonna (#3 IT, #10 UK) • "Bed of Roses" – Bon Jovi (#9 NLD, SWI, #10 US, AUS) • "Believe" – Lenny Kravitz • "Big Gun" – AC/DC (#5 SWI, #8 NOR) • "Bombtrack" – Rage Against the Machine • "Boom Shack-A-Lak" – Apache Indian (#5 UK) • "Boom! Shake the Room" – DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (#1 AUS, IRL, SP, UK) • "Both Sides of the Story" – Phil Collins (#2 CAN, #3 IT, #7 BE, UK) • "Break It Down Again" – Tears for Fears (#4 CAN, #7 IT) • "Breathe Again" – Toni Braxton (#2 AUS, NZ, UK, #3 US) • "Bye Bye Baby" – Madonna (#7 IT) • "Ça plane pour moi" – leila K • "Can You forgive Her?" – Pet Shop Boys (#2 FIN, FR, #7 UK) • "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" – Taylor Dayne (#2 AUS, #6 JAP) • "Can't Help Falling in Love" – UB40 • "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" – Us3 (#9 US) • "Cat's in the Cradle" – Ugly Kid Joe (#1 AUS, #2 NOR, #4 NZ, SWE) • "Come Baby Come" – K7 (#3 IRL, UK) • "Come Undone" – Duran Duran (#1 ISR, #2 CAN, #6 IT, #7 US) • "Condemnation" – Depeche Mode (#3 SWE, #5 FIN, #9 SP, UK) • "Cose della vita" – Eros Ramazzotti (#1 BE, #3 SP, #4 IT) • "Creep" – Radiohead (#3 NOR, #6 AUS, #7 UK) • "Cryin'" – Aerosmith (#1 NOR, POL, #3 SWE) • "The Crying Game" – Boy George (#1 CAN, #15 US) • "Darla dirladada" – G.O. Culture (#1 FR) • "Deep" – East 17 (#5 UK, JAP, #6 SWE, #7 AUS, IRL) • "Deeper and Deeper" – Madonna (#1 ITA, #2 CAN, #6 UK, IRE, #7 US) • "Do You See the Light (Looking For)" – Snap! (#1 FIN, #4 BE, #8 AUT, #9 IRL, NLD) • "Don't Look Any Further" - M People • "Don't Walk Away" – Jade (#4 US, #7 UK) • "Dre Day" – Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg (#8 US) • "Dreamlover" – Mariah Carey (#1 US, CAN) • "Dreams" – Gabrielle (#1 UK, #2 AUS, IRL, #5 IT, SWE) • "Dum Da Dum" – Melodie MC • "Easy" – Faith No More (#1 AUS, #2 NOR, #3 BE, FIN, UK) • "Everybody Hurts" – R.E.M. (#3 FR, #6 AUS, IRL, #7 UK) • "Exterminate!" – Snap! (#1 FIN, SP, #2 IRL, SWI, UK) • "Faces" – 2 Unlimited (#2 NLD, #3 BE, #4 SP) • "Feels Like Heaven" – Urban Cookie Collective (#5 UK, #10 AUS) • "Fever" – Madonna (#1 FIN, #6 IRL, UK) • "For Whom the Bell Tolls" – Bee Gees (#1 BRA, #4 UK, #6 IRL) • "Freak Me" – Silk (#1 US, #3 AUS) • "Gangsta Lean" – DRS (#1 NZ, #4 US) • "Get-A-Way" – Maxx (#3 AUT, NLD, SWE, #4 DEN, UK) • "Getto Jam" – Domino • "Girl I've Been Hurt" – Snow • "Girl U For Me" – Silk • "Give In to Me" – Michael Jackson & Slash • "Give It Up" – Cut 'N' Move • "Go on Move" – Reel 2 Real • "Go West" – Pet Shop Boys • "Got to Get It" – Culture Beat • "Hat 2 da Back" – TLC • "Have I Told You Lately" – Rod Stewart • "Heart-Shaped Box" – Nirvana • "Here We Go" - Stakka Bo • "Hero" – Mariah Carey • "Hey Mr. D.J." – Zhané (#6 US, #9 AUS) • "Higher Ground" – UB40 (#8 UK, NLD, NZ) • "Hip Hop Hooray" – Naughty by Nature (#6 NZ, #8 US) • "Holler If Ya Hear Me" – 2Pac • "Hope of Deliverance" – Paul McCartney (#1 SP, #3 GER, #4 AUT, NOR) • "I Don't Wanna Fight" – Tina Turner (#1 CAN, #7 NZ, #8 BE, IT, NOR) • "I Feel You" – Depeche Mode • "I Get Around" – 2Pac (#3 USA, #8 UK) • "I Have Nothing" – Whitney Houston (#1 US, CAN, UK) • "I Will Always Love You" – Whitney Houston (#1 US, AUS, NZ, UK) • "I Will Survive (Phil Kelsey remix)" - Gloria Gaynor • "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" – Meat Loaf • "I'll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me" – Exposé (#8 US) • "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" – Bon Jovi • "I'm Every Woman" – Whitney Houston • "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" – The Proclaimers • "I'm So Into You" – SWV • "If" – Janet Jackson • "If I Can't Have You" – Kim Wilde • "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" – Sting (#17 US) • "If I Had No Loot" – Tony! Toni! Toné! • "In All the Right Places" - Lisa Stansfield • "In These Arms" – Bon Jovi • "Informer" – Snow • "Is It Love" – Twenty 4 Seven • "It Keeps Rainin'" – Bitty McLean (UK #2) • "I've Got You Under My Skin" – Frank Sinatra & Bono • "Jessie" – Joshua Kadison (#6 AUT, NLD, #9 DEN) • "Just Kickin' It" – Xscape (#2 US) • "Keep on Dancing" – DJ BoBo (#1 FIN, #2 SWI, #5 GER) • "Keep Ya Head Up" – 2Pac (#8 USA, #11 UK) • "The Key The Secret" – Urban Cookie Collective (#2 UK) • "La solitudine" – Laura Pausini (#1 BE, IT, NLD) • "L'Autre Finistère" – Les Innocents (#10 FR) • "Life" – Haddaway (#1 FIN, SP, SWE) • "Linger" – The Cranberries (#3 IRL, #4 CAN) • "Little Bird" - Annie Lennox • "Living on My Own" – Freddie Mercury (#1 UK, FR) • "Looking Through Patient Eyes" – P.M. Dawn (#1 CAN, #6 US) • "Love Can Move Mountains" – Celine Dion (#2 CAN) • "The Love I Lost" - West End & Sybil • "Love Is" – Vanessa Williams & Brian McKnight (#3 US) • "Love Sees No Colour" – U96 (#3 AUT, #4 FIN, SWE, SWI, #5 SP) • "Love Song for a Vampire" – Annie Lennox (#3 UK, IRL) • "Luv 4 Luv" – Robin S. (#4 NLD, #5 BE) • "Man on the Moon" – R.E.M. (#4 CAN) • "Mary Jane's Last Dance" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (#5 CAN) • "Maximum Overdrive" – 2 Unlimited (#1 FIN, SP, #4 BE, #5 NLD) • "Mets de l'huile" – Regg'Lyss (#1 FR) • "More and More" – Captain Hollywood Project (#1 GER, #2 BE, #3 AUT, NOR, SWE, SWI) • "Moving On Up" – M People (#2 UK, #3 FR, #4 AUT, IRL, NZ) • "Mr. Jones" – Counting Crows (#1 CAN, #7 FR) • "Mr. Vain" – Culture Beat (#1 AUS, AUT, BE, FIN, GER, IRL, IT, NLD, NOR, SWI, UK) • "Night in Motion" – U96 (#7 AUT, FIN, #9 GER) • "No Limit" – 2 Unlimited (#1 AUT, BE, FIN, FR, IRL, NLD, NOR, SP, SWE, SWI, UK) • "No Rain" – Blind Melon (#1 CAN, #8 AUS) • "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" – Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg (#2 US) • "Oh Carolina" – Shaggy (#1 UK, IRL, #2 AUT, NZ) • "One Night in Heaven" – M People (#6 UK) • "Only with You" – Captain Hollywood Project (#2 FIN, #3 BE, SP, #4 GER) • "Open Sesame" – Leila K (#1 BE, #2 NLD, #3 IT) • "Ordinary World" – Duran Duran (#1 CAN, #2 IT, #3 IRL, US) • "The Perfect Year" - Dina Carroll • "Piece of My Heart" - Intermission • "Pinocchio" - Pin-Occhio • "Please Forgive Me" – Bryan Adams (#1 CAN, AUS, BE, IRL, NOR) • "Plush" – Stone Temple Pilots • "Power of American Natives" – Dance 2 Trance & Linda Rocco (#3 NDL, FIN, #5 NOR) • "The Power of Love" – Celine Dion (#1 CAN, AUS, US) • "Pray" – Take That (#1 UK, #2 IRL, ISR) • "The Promise Man" – Basic Element • "Queen of the Night" – Whitney Houston • "Rain" – Madonna (#2 CAN, JAP, #5 AUS, #7 UK, IRE, #9 ITA) • "The Red Strokes" – Garth Brooks (#7 IRL) • "Regret" – New Order (#4 UK, #5 URL) • "Relax '93" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood • "Relight My Fire" – Take That & Lulu (#1 UK, ISR) • "The Rhythm of the Night" – Corona (#1 IT, #2 UK, #3 IRL, SP) • "Right Here/Human Nature" – SWV (#3 UK, #7 NZ) • "The River of Dreams" – Billy Joel (#1 AUS, NZ, #2 AUT, CAN, IRL, SWI) • "Rooster" – Alice in Chains • "Rubberband Girl" – Kate Bush • "Run to You" – Whitney Houston • "Runaway Train" – Soul Asylum (#1 CAN, #2 NZ, NOR, SWE, SWI) • "Sad but True" – Metallica • "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" – Michael Bolton (#2 AUS, #3 CAN, #6 US) • "Salta" – King África (ARG) • "Schrei nach Liebe" – Die Ärzte • "She Don't Let Nobody" – Chaka Demus & Pliers (#4 UK, #9 IRL) • "Shoop" – Salt-N-Pepa (#2 AUS, #5 US) • "Shout" – Louchie Lou & Michie One (UK #7) • "Show Me Love" – Robin S. (#5 US) • "The Sign" – Ace of Base (#1 AUS, CAN, FIN, GER, NZ, SP, US) • "Sing Hallelujah!" – Dr. Alban (#2 BE, FIN, #4 GER, SWI) • "Slam" – Onyx (#4 US) • "Slave to the Music" – Twenty 4 Seven (#2 AUS, #4 SWE, #5 NOR) • "Sleeping Satellite" – Tasmin Archer (#1 UK, IRL, #4 SWE, #5 SWI) • "Sober" – Tool • "Somebody Dance with Me" – DJ BoBo (#1 SWE, SWI, #3 AUT, NOR) • "Somebody to Love" (live) – Queen & George Michael (#1 UK, IRL, #6 NLD, #8 NZ) • "Soul to Squeeze" – Red Hot Chili Peppers (#6 NZ, #9 AUS) • "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" – U2 (#1 IRL, #4 UK, #5 AUS, FIN) • "Steam" – Peter Gabriel (#10 UK) • "Sweat" – U.S.U.R.A. (#4 IT, #9 AUT) • "Sweet Harmony" – The Beloved (#3 AUT, #6 GER, SWI, #8 UK) • "Sweet Thing" – Mick Jagger (#7 AUT, #8 FR, SWI, #9 NOR) • "Tease Me" – Chaka Demus & Pliers (#3 UK, #5 AUS, NLD) • "That's the Way Love Goes" – Janet Jackson (#1 US, AUS, FR, HUN, NZ) • "Three Little Pigs" – Green Jellÿ (#5 UK, #6 AUS) • "Tribal Dance" – 2 Unlimited (#1 FIN, SP, #2 GER, IRL, SWE) • "True Love" – Elton John & Kiki Dee (#2 UK) • "Trust Me" – Pandora (#2 FIN, #3 SWE, #8 NOR) • "Two Princes" – Spin Doctors (#1 SWE, #2 CAN, NLD, NOR) • "U Got 2 Let the Music" – Cappella (#1 AUT, FIN, SWI) • "Walking in My Shoes" – Depeche Mode (#3 FIN, #6 SP, #8 SWE) • "We Are Family" (remix) - Sister Sledge • "Weak" – SWV (#6 US) • "West End Girls" - East 17 • "What Is Love" – Haddaway • "What's up?" – 4 Non Blondes • "Wheel of Fortune" – Ace of Base (#1 NOR, #2 DEN, #4 GER) • "Whoomp! (There It Is)" – Tag Team (#2 US, #6 NLD) • "Why Can't I Wake Up with You" – Take That (#2 UK, #7 IRL) • "Wild World" – Mr. Big (#7 SWI, #9 CAN, #10 SWE) • "Will You Be There" – Michael Jackson • "Wir zwei allein" – David Hasselhoff & Gwen • "Young at Heart" - The Bluebells

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "Adam's Ribs" - You Am I • "Blue Tears" - Judy and Mary • "Brian Wilson" - Barenaked Ladies • "Dixie Drug Store" - Grant Lee Buffalo • "Happy Birthday Helen" - Things of Stone and Wood • "Your Eyes" - Underground Lovers

Top 10 selling albums of the year

Top 10 best albums of the Year

All albums have been named albums of the year for their hits in the charts.

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Filmfare Awards

Grammy Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Country Music Hall of Fame

Eurovision Song Contest

Japan Record Awards

Mercury Music Prize

Glenn Gould Prize

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Charts