This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2003.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–February

March–April

May–June

July–August

September–October

November–December

Bands formed

See Musical groups established in 2003

Bands reformed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Release date unknown

Top 5 albums of Billboard year

Top 10 Selling Albums of the Year US

Popular songs

• "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" – Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé • "2+2=5" – Radiohead • "21 Questions" – 50 Cent • "Addicted" – Simple Plan • "The Anthem" – Good Charlotte • "All I Have" – Jennifer Lopez • "American Life" – Madonna • "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" – Jet • "Baby Boy" – Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul • "Be Mine" – David Gray • "Beautiful" – Christina Aguilera • "The Beautiful Occupation" – Travis • "Behind Blue Eyes" – Limp Bizkit • "Born to Try" – Delta Goodrem • "Bounce" – Bon Jovi • "Breathe" – Blu Cantrell featuring Sean Paul • "Bring Me to Life" – Evanescence • "Business" – Eminem • "California" – Phantom Planet • "Cannonball" – Damien Rice • "Can't Hold Us Down" – Christina Aguilera featuring Lil' Kim • "Can't Stop" – Red Hot Chili Peppers • "Cassé" – Nolwenn Leroy • "Chihuahua" – DJ Bobo • "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)" – The Darkness • "Clocks" – Coldplay • "Colors" – Hikaru Utada • "Come Clean" – Hilary Duff • "Come Over" – Aaliyah • "Crazy in Love" – Beyoncé • "Cry Me a River" – Justin Timberlake • "Did My Time" – Korn • "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" – Dannii Minogue • "Entre Nous" – Chimène Badi • "Everyway That I Can" – Sertab Erener • "Faint" – Linkin Park • "Fan" – Pascal Obispo • "Feel Good Time" – Pink • "Feeling This" – Blink-182 • "Fighter" – Christina Aguilera • "Flying Without Wings" – Ruben Studdard • "For What It's Worth" – The Cardigans • "Forever and for Always" – Shania Twain • "Get Low" – Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz • "Go to Sleep" – Radiohead • "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" – Coldplay • "Going Under" – Evanescence • "Girls & Boys" – Good Charlotte • "Headstrong" – Trapt • "The Hell Song" – Sum 41 • "Here Without You" – 3 Doors Down • "Hey Oh" – Tragédie • "Hey Ya!" – OutKast • "Hit That" – The Offspring • "Hold On" – Good Charlotte • "Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us" – My Chemical Romance • "Hurt" – Johnny Cash • "Hysteria" – Muse • "I Begin to Wonder" – Dannii Minogue • "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" – The Darkness • "If I Can't" – 50 Cent • "I'm with You" – Avril Lavigne • "In Da Club" – 50 Cent • "Innocent Eyes" – Delta Goodrem • "Into the West" – Annie Lennox • "It's My Life" – No Doubt • "J'en ai marre!" – Alizée • "Just the Way I'm Feeling" – Feeder • "Laisse parler les gens" – Jocelyne Labylle and Cheela featuring Jacob Desvarieux and Passi • "The Last Song" – The All-American Rejects • "Laura" – Scissor Sisters • "Le Frunkp" – Alphonse Brown • "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" – Good Charlotte • "Like a Stone" – Audioslave • "L'Orange" – Star Academy 3 • "Lose Yourself" – Eminem • "Losing Grip" – Avril Lavigne • "Lost Without You" – Delta Goodrem • "Love at First Sight" – Kylie Minogue • "Ma Liberté de penser" – Florent Pagny • "Mad World" – Gary Jules and Michael Andrews • "Mandy" – Westlife (UK) • "Maybe Tomorrow" – Stereophonics • "Me Against the Music" – Britney Spears featuring Madonna • "Me Myself and I" – Beyoncé • "Ménage à Trois" – Alcazar • "Milkshake" – Kelis • "Minerva" – Deftones • "Miracles" – Pet Shop Boys • "Miss Independent" – Kelly Clarkson • "Mobile" – Avril Lavigne • "Move Your Feet" – Junior Senior • "My Immortal" – Evanescence • "My Love Is Like...Wo" – Mýa • "Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)" – Lumidee • "No Good Advice" – Girls Aloud • "Not a Sinner Nor a Saint" – Alcazar • "Not Gonna Get Us" – t.A.T.u. • "Not Me, Not I" – Delta Goodrem • "Nothing But You" – Paul van Dyk • "Numb" – Linkin Park • "One More Chance" – Michael Jackson • "Out of Control" – Hoobastank • "Out of Time" – Blur • "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)" – Sum 41 • "Papi chulo... (te traigo el mmmm...)" – Lorna • "Paris-Latino" – Star Academy France • "Perfect" – Simple Plan • "P.I.M.P." – 50 Cent • "Price to Play" – Staind • "Pump It Up" – Joe Budden • "Punk Rock 101" – Bowling for Soup • "Rain on Me" – Ashanti • "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" – Jason Mraz • "Remember" – Disturbed • "Rise & Fall" – Craig David featuring Sting • "Right Thurr" – Chingy • "The Road I'm On" – 3 Doors Down • "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)" – Ashanti • "Rock Your Body" – Justin Timberlake • "Satisfaction" – Benny Benassi • "Señorita" – Justin Timberlake • "Seven Nation Army" – The White Stripes • "Shake Ya Tailfeather" – Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee • "Silver and Cold" – AFI • "Sing for the Moment" – Eminem • "So Far Away" – Staind • "So Yesterday" – Hilary Duff • "Someday" – Nickelback • "Somewhere I Belong" – Linkin Park • "Songbird" – Oasis • "Sorry 2004" – Ruben Studdard • "Special Needs" – Placebo • "Spitting Games" – Snow Patrol • "St. Anger" – Metallica • "Stacy's Mom" – Fountains of Wayne • "Still Waiting" – Sum 41 • "Stupid Girl" – Cold • "Such Great Heights" – The Postal Service • "Summer Jam" – The Underdog Project • "Superman" – Eminem • "Sur un air latino" – Lorie • "Swing, Swing" – The All-American Rejects • "There There" – Radiohead • "This Is the Night" – Clay Aiken • "Time Is Running Out" – Muse • "Time Stands Still" – The All-American Rejects • "Times Like These" – Foo Fighters • "Trouble" – Pink • "Universally Speaking" – Red Hot Chili Peppers • "Until the Day I Die" – Story of the Year • "Unwell" – Matchbox Twenty • "The Voice Within" – Christina Aguilera • "Way Away" – Yellowcard • "The Way You Move" – OutKast & Sleepy Brown • "Where Is the Love?" – The Black Eyed Peas featuring Justin Timberlake • "White Flag" – Dido • "Why Can't I?" – Liz Phair • "Why Not" – Hilary Duff • "The Wreckoning" – Boomkat • "Year 3000" – Busted • "You Said No" – Busted

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: AC/DC, The Clash, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, The Police, The Righteous Brothers

Miscellaneous

ARIA Music Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Grammy Awards

Mercury Music Prize

Charts

Triple J Hottest 100