Who knows what, or for that matter who, the world of music will bring us in 2026. Maybe we will see the beginning of a new era such as we saw with Beatlemania back in the early 1960s or the punk explosion in 1976. We were blissfully unaware that those major music world events would be upon us before they happened so, who is to say what could be the new craze or who could be the new hero, or heroes in 2026.
The likes of Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan were all sisters doing for themselves in 2025 and there is nothing to suggest that their success will not continue. More female solo artists are quite capable of reaching the upper echelons of the industry in the near future. Artists such as Raye and Olivia Dean spring to mind. They have already shown us what they are capable of and it would not surprise me if they go on to bigger and better things during the current year.
It’s not just the girls either, the guys have been having plenty of solo success as well. Ed Sheeran is top of the tree, and has been for some time now, when it comes to the solo male artist category. Up and comers like The Weeknd, Benson Boone, Sam Fender and Alex Warren are amongst those who look most likely to give him a run for his money in 2026.
Will we see a resurgence of bands in 2026? They seem to have taken a bit of a backseat in recent times. Maybe this is due to the popularity of EDM (Electronic dance music) which relies more on synths and programmed beats than it does on guitars. There are so many tracks out there which are credited to a DJ with a featured vocalist. I feel personally that there is a lack of musical creativity in the EDM arena but it is very popular so, who am I to judge what is good music and what isn’t?!
I’ve been getting into heavier rock music over the last twelve months or so after coming across an internet show on a Friday evening that splits three hours of music between pop and rock. Perhaps we will see one of the bands from there like Those Damn Crows break through and have some mainstream success?
I’d love to see a punk revival. Perhaps a band like Sprints can have a bigger impact than they are already having.
Will there be another technological discovery in the music world? I still buy CDs but also stream many tracks these days and there has been a threat of a fresh vinyl revival in recent times although, the price of many albums available via this medium seems a tad high to say the least.
Talking of expensive, the cost of gigs is ridiculous. It would be nice to see Ticketmaster taken to task over their dynamic pricing tactics in 2026 so, that more everyday working-class people can actually afford to go and see the artists they love.
I’ll see you back here, this time next year to see what really happens!
