The last 12 months in music have been eventful, to say the least. We saw success against all odds Oasis reunion, Sean Combs litigation and, of course, the emergence artificial intelligence and concerns about how it might affect all music in the future. What can we expect in 2026? I have a few predictions that, to be honest, are just guesses given the volatile and unpredictable nature of the music industry. Nevertheless, let's go.
U2 will be back
With the exception of a 40-date appearance at the Sphere in Las Vegas, U2 were largely absent. The last album of new material was Songs of Experience in 2017, leaving fans instead Songs of Surrender (2023 re-recording album) and How to reassemble an atomic bomb (a collection of 2024 odds and ends accompanying the 20th anniversary reissue How to assemble an atomic bomb). Both were fillers to keep fans busy while drummer Larry Mullen Jr. was dealing with serious back and neck problems. Bono gave us a few updates, saying that the band is working on a back-to-basics rock album and that Mullen's health is improving and he's almost ready to return to work full-time.
Right now the runway is pretty clear for U2's new album and world tour. Yes, Oasis are virtually guaranteed to continue their victory lap on the reunion tour, and we'll see more performances from Guns N' Roses, Eagles, Bon Jovi, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney and Pearl Jam, who have yet to announce their intentions. And the Rolling Stones said they would stay home because Keith Richards could not agree to another round of concerts.
The stage is set for U2's comeback. I wouldn't be shocked if there was some kind of announcement in February followed by a new single and an album in the summer.
Radiohead will return – maybe
To be fair, Radiohead are already back with a short tour after a long break. Maybe that means more shows and – gasp! — a new album for the first time in a decade? This is a cunning company that loves surprises. Let's see.
AI will become an even bigger problem
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Put this in your “aha” folder. With the advent of generative AI platforms like Udio and Suno, and two major labels settling lawsuits and working on licensing agreements, AI will become even more prominent in music. While some will use this technology as a tool in much the same way we have learned to use technological advances such as the synthesizer, drum machine and sampling, there will be a lot of abuse and crime, including a lot of streaming scams.
Deezer, a Paris-based streamer, says its AI detection software has identified nearly 50,000 new AI songs being uploaded to the platform as of November. every daywith a variety of tracks masquerading as material from live artists. This is an increase from 10,000 per day in January 2025. Even worse, reports Music Business Worldwide. 97 percent of listeners cannot distinguish real music from fake. As one analyst put it, this type of fraud and cybercrime has now been industrialized, and streaming scams are pumping out at least US$1 billion annually.
There will be side effects from this. Better AI detection. Requires songs and artists to be labeled as created by artificial intelligence. More stringent standards for playlist curation and music discovery. And since AI can't actually tour or perform live, their availability will be limited to online. Let's hope radio stays away from this music too, although the taboo has already been broken by the success of the fake country artist. Destruction of rust.
Rock will be back
When Donald Trump was elected in 2016 and the Conservatives in the UK were struggling, the conditions were created for the rise of angry, aggressive music that we traditionally see when a Republican is in the White House and a Conservative lives in 10 Downing Street. But that didn't happen. Instead, we got a lot of sad mid-tempo pop from artists who complained about stress (see Twenty One Pilots) and a bunch of 26-year-olds yearning for the days when they were young. Then COVID-19 came along and changed everything in society for two years.
However, we now have a second Trump administration that seems hell-bent on destroying American life. The war in Ukraine shows no signs of ending, and China is flexing its muscles around Taiwan. There is talk of a serious recession. It's a scary time and it's starting to affect the type of music being made.
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that Gen Z is getting into rock, both in terms of classic and new artists, thanks to TikTok And Instagram. If you went to an Oasis concert last year, you saw a lot of people who weren't even born when Definitely possible came out in 1994. The Cure found an entirely new generation of audiences. This year's limited number of AC/DC concerts attracted an incredible number of young people. New bands like Beaches, Spiritbox, Ghost, Sleep Token and Turnstile are filling the demand.
It turns out that Gen Z loves '90s music just as much as millennials and Gen X. They're also discovering early 2000s rock in droves, thanks to artists like Billie Eilish declaring her love for The Strokes. Couple this with Gen Z, who are tired of an all-digital world. pick up real musical instruments againand we rock and rollers have hope. I wonder how things are going with enrollment in those schools of rock that seem to be in every city.
Physical music will still be popular
Yes, vinyl outsold CDs in Canada for the second year in a row, but don't count them out. Young people – always the driving force behind music trends – continue to buy more music in physical formats. After years of dealing with music as an ephemeral and fleeting thing, many are discovering the wonders of having access. Not only will vinyl records and CDs continue to sell, keep an eye out for new special collector's and limited editions. Even owning a tape without being able to play it becomes a powerful cultural statement.
A surprising number of people over 50 percent – you don't even have a vinyl record player. Vinyl represents the physical manifestation of what is available on streaming platforms. This leaves the record (or CD) available for decorative display, allowing someone to point to a shelf full of records and say, “See? I love music so much that I have two meters of it hanging on my wall!”
Slow listening
We used to listen to physical albums over and over again, hoping to enjoy as many of the tracks as possible. We paid attention and did not miss what we considered incredible five seconds later. Physical media encourages slow listening. Who wants to get up and cross the room to move the tonearm on a turntable?
Continued growth in lossless audio quality
For years, too many people thought MP3 audio was good enough. And frankly, compressed music files were the only option given limited bandwidth, expensive data plans, and small hard drives. However, most of these problems have now disappeared, opening the way to digital files with full fidelity and, in some cases, superior quality to CD. Even streaming platforms have increased the bitrate to a level that finally sounds like it came out of a studio.
An offshoot of this is the possible resurgence of wired headphones. Bluetooth headphones and headphones are great, but Bluetooth doesn't have enough bandwidth to transfer lossless files like FLAC. If you want the full effect, you need to connect a set of cans.
Hot new sound? Afrobeat
Over the past couple of years, there has been a huge increase in the popularity of Latin music and K-pop. Next will be the spread of African superstars like Burna Boy, Davido, Tyla, WITCH, Tems and others. Someone will make a Bad Bunny breakthrough, probably through TikTok or Instagram. Then watch out.
Let's see what happens. Let's meet here in 12 months and see if I'm right or wrong.
