The best of 2006: Music

It seems that 2006 will go down as one of music's most depressing years.

Famed punk club CBGB's, which introduced the world to The Ramones, Blondie and The Talking Heads closed its doors for good on Sunday, Oct. 15, after a final concert by Patti Smith.

In addition to the demise of one of rock music's most important venues, there were also quite a few musicians who took leave of this world: the godfather of soul James Brown, bluesman Robert Lockwood Jr., Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett, Bad Company bassist Boz Burrell, guitarist Don Walser, jazzman Dewey Redman, the Knack's Drummer Bruce Gary, Commodores founder Milan Williams, producer Arif Mardin, Kool & the Gang guitarist Claydes Charles Smith, Molly Hatchet's Duane Roland, former Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick, Built to Spill drummer James "Andy" Capps, country icon Buck Owens, jazz band leader Ray Barretto, Bill Cowsill of the Cowsills, jazz singer Anita O'Day, Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Jockey Shabalala, Janette Carter (the last surviving member of the legendary Carter Family), Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun and Lou Rawls all had their curtain call this year.

Still, it was a year of beginnings — sort of.

Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson got married and started a new life, only to divorce a couple of months later to start separate new lives.

The same thing happened to Eminem and his former wife Kim Mathers, who remarried and redivorced this year.

A few other high-profile divorces: Former Beatle Paul McCartney's estrangement from Heather Mills got ugly, Britney Spears split with Kevin "K-Fed" Federline, Kate Hudson and Black Crowes vocalist Chris Robinson ended their six-year marriage, country star Sara Evans left Craig Shelske, former Blink 182/current +44 drummer Travis Barker said goodbye to Shanna Moakler, Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter's split was finalized, Whitney Houston finally decided to leave Bobby Brown, and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto divorced his wife, singer Akiko Yano.

Through all that, Madonna tried desperately to get into the media by copying Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and announced the adoption of an African child.

This year wasn't a good year for teen idols either. Paris Hilton became a pop singer with "Stars Are Blind," which, all by itself, was a huge smack in the face of pop music. Then again, seeing Britney Spears chumming it up with the hotel-franchise princess and having, um, underwearless pictures all over the Web only added more "yuck" to the gag factor.