...During July, co-founder and original Pink Floyd guitarist/singer Syd Barrett, who had spent the better part of the last 35 years as a hermit, died at age 60 from diabetic complications... Weezer singer Rivers Cuomo pretty much confirms rumors that the band is done, "unless," he says, "it becomes really obvious to me that we need to do one."

New albums from: Muse, Johnny Cash, Thom Yorke, Peachez, Sufjan Stevens, Cheyenne Kimball, Phish, Soul Asylum, Seether, Moloko, Alien Ant Farm, Black Stone Cherry, Eighteen Visions, Helmet, Third Eye Blind, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, New York Dolls, Letoya, Tom Petty, Pharrell, and Voivod.

Christina Aguilera returned in August with a jazzier edge on her long-awaited double-album Back To Basics... Diddy's reality show "Making The Band 3" brought us Danity Kane, who released their self-titled debut album... Milkshake queen Kelis returned with her sophomore effort Kelis Was Here, which, despite Starpulse's three-and-a-half star review, featured perhaps one of the most awful album covers of the year... and Paris Hilton tried her hand at a music career, to which later her publicist would say will "quietly go away" after horrific sales.

August rocked with new albums from DMX, Five For Fighting, Stone Sour, Jeannie Ortega, Powerman 5000, G. Love, The Pink Spiders, Cassie, Breaking Benjamin, Ani DiFranco, Hellogoodbye, Gin Blossoms, Aly & A.J., Slayer, Unearth, Jonas Brothers, Nina Gordon, Obie Trice, Rebecca St. James, The Panic Channel, Cherish, Lyfe Jennings, Yanni, Alexisonfire, Outkast, Lamb Of God, Gov't Mule, Kasabian, Gwar, Iron Maiden, Chantal Kreviazuk, Hatebreed, Ray Lamontagne, The Roots, Motorhead, Pete Yorn, Jessica Simpson, Tego Calderon, Bob Dylan, Crossfade, and Dream Theater.

September 5, a day after Beyonce's 25th birthday, the singer released her much awaited second solo album, B'day, which she kept secret from her father, who is also her manager... John Mayer released what is arguably his best work to date, Continuum... and on the 12th, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline welcomed their second child, Jayden James into the world. Less than a month later Britney filed for divorce from K-Fed and a huge custody battle is set to begin... On a lighter note, "Weird Al" Yankovic released Straight Outta Lynwood, his 12th studio album; featuring the debut single "White & Nerdy," a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin." And infamous "wardrobe malfunction" duo Justin Timberlake (Futuresex/Love Sounds) and Janet Jackson returned with solo albums (20 Y.O.)... and Black Eyed Pea Fergie released her first solo album, The Duchess...and Lukas Rossi was named frontman of Tommy Lee, Gilby Clarke, and Jason Newsted's band, Rock Star: Supernova.

September saw new music from Audioslave, Blind Guardian, T.A.T.U., Bob Seger, The Mars Volta, Electric Six, Everclear, Lionel Richie, Papa Roach, Barenaked Ladies, The Black Keys, The Rapture, R.E.M., Veruca Salt, Black Label Society, Scissor Sisters, Elton John, Smash Mouth, Jesse McCartney, Chingy, Lupe Fiasco, Jane's Addiction, Clay Aiken, New Found Glory, Paul McCartney, Ludacris, Jerry Lee Lewis, Amy Grant, Saosin, Sean Lennon, and Chris Tomlin...

Starpulse.com's This Year In Music:
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4