2004 in review: Music

It was a sad year in music due to the passing of Brother Ray Charles, saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus, Wu-Tang's ODB, as well as the hit-and-run death of Chin Up Chin Up bassist Chris Saathoff and the shooting deaths of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and former Ladysmith Black Mambazo singer Ben Shabalala.

Adding lighter domestic drama were Britney Spears' on-again, off-again marriages and the unfolding of Brandy's "marriage," in which she says she was married but her former squeeze claims it was a hoax.

• Phish-heads or Phish Phans were hit hard when their favorite band Phish decided to call it quits.

• Hip-hop received another slap in the face when a brawl erupted at the Vibe Awards on Nov. 15.

• James "the Godfather of Soul" Brown was diagnosed with cancer.

• The ongoing Michael Jackson sexual-abuse soap opera. The King of Pop's crown was tarnished further when he showed up 15 minutes late to his arraignment, then asked if he could be excused to use the restroom and later danced for onlookers outside the courtroom.

• The, ahem, "wardrobe malfunction" that Janet Jackson experienced during the Super Bowl halftime show.

• Ashlee Simpson's lip-syncing incident on "Saturday Night Live."

Although there were bad things that happened during the past year, there were also some things that made music fans smile.

• Reunions galore! Simon & Garfunkel, Van Halen with Sammy Hagar and the original lineups of Berlin, the Pixies and Tesla — they all went on the road and took their music to their fans.

• In addition to reunions, other bands that have stood the test of time hit the road. Rush celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, as did Aerosmith. The ever-stalwart U2, which hasn't gone on hiatus or had a lineup change since its inception in 1976, released a 12th album, "How to Defuse an Atomic Bomb."

• And what about this year's new supergroup — Velvet Revolver, comprised of former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland and former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum? Velvet Revolver released its debut album, "Contraband," last summer to critical acclaim.

And here are my picks for the year's best and worst moments:

— Worst live-concert vocalist: Ashlee Simpson