SPIN

Record sales tanked, the White Stripes split up, talented musical heroes lost their lives, and Flavor Flav lost his chicken joint. SPIN looks back at the year everything broke.

• SPIN's 50 Best Albums of 2011
• SPIN's 20 Best Songs of 2011
• SPIN's 40 Best Rap Albums of 2011

Taylor Swift's Speak Now becomes the lowest-selling No. 1 album since SoundScan began tracking data in 1991.

Broadcast's Trish Keenan dies of pneumonia, Nile Rodgers announces he has cancer.

DJ Premier asks fans to help pay for uninsured hip-hop godfather Kool Herc's surgery and medical care.

The White Stripes break up.

Onetime industry savior Guitar Hero pulls the plug after six years.

Nate Dogg dies at age 41.

LCD Soundsystem play final show ever at Madison Square Garden.

Just a few weeks after the release of their fourth album, Nine Types of Light, TV on the Radio announce that bassist Gerard Smith has died of lung cancer.

The Clinton, Iowa restaurant Flavor Flav's Fried Chicken closes after only four months. Five days later, Flav himself is arrested in Las Vegas due to vehicle-related violations.

Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex dies of breast cancer at 53.

Gil Scott-Heron dies at age 62.

Adele cancels North American tour due to health issues. She undergoes surgery in November for a hemorrhaged vocal cord.

E Street Band sax player and all-around big man Clarence Clemons dies, five days after suffering a stroke.

Glen Campbell announces he has Alzheimer's disease, will release one final album.

Rilo Kiley make breakup official.

Amy Winehouse dies in London at age 27 of alcohol poisoning.

The riots in London lead to a fire at the Sony/PIAS warehouse, destroying the stock of over 150 labels. Two days later, three teenagers are arrested for starting the fire.

Warrant lead singer Jani Lane found dead in a California hotel room.

A stage collapse during a Sugarland show at the Indiana State Fair kills seven. Three days later, three people are killed when a stage topples over at the Pukkelpop festival (pictured) in Belgium during Smith Westerns' set.

R.E.M. announce breakup after 31 years.

"Grandmother of hip-hop" Sylvia Robinson, co-founder of Sugar Records, dies at 75.

Influential folk singer Bert Jansch dies at 67.

Steve Jobs dies at 56.

Rick Ross suffers two seizures on flight to Memphis, later blames lack of sleep.

Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon announce separation after 26 years of marriage, throwing future of band into doubt.

Lulu

Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel announce separation after two years of marriage.

Heavy D dies at age 44

After NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg unleashes riot cops on OWS protestors, Third Eye Blind pile on, release supporting "anthem" "If There Ever Was a Time"

New Year's Eve