Editing 2003 in music (section)

===May–June===
*[[May 7]] – [[Pete Townshend]] is cleared of the charges stemming from his arrest in January on suspicion of possessing child pornography, but is formally cautioned and placed on the sex offenders register for five years.<ref name="townshendcleared">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/may/08/arts.ukcrime |title=Pete Townshend put on sex offenders register |last1=Wilson |first1=Jamie |date=May 8, 2003 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=February 23, 2013}}</ref>
*[[May 19]] – The former TV channel MuchMusic USA relaunches as [[Fuse (TV channel)|Fuse]].
*[[May 21]] – [[Ruben Studdard]] wins the second season of ''[[American Idol]]'', edging [[Clay Aiken]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Complete List of 'American Idol' Winners |url=https://www.etonline.com/gallery/the-complete-list-of-american-idol-winners-21116/season-2-ruben-studdard-49188?deployment=overlay&device=mobile&segments= |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=Entertainment Tonight |language=en-US}}</ref>
*[[May 24]]
**Turkish singer [[Sertab Erener]] wins the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2003|Eurovision Song Contest]], held in [[Riga]], [[Latvia]], with the song "[[Everyway That I Can]]". It is the last time that the contest is a one-night event.
**After a 40-year wait, [[Russians|Russian]] fans of [[the Beatles]] finally get to see former Beatle [[Back in the World tour|Paul McCartney perform on their soil]], on the [[Red Square]] in Moscow.
*[[May 31]]-June 1 – The inaugural [[Download Festival]] takes place at [[Donington Park]] in [[Leicestershire]], England. [[Iron Maiden]] and [[Audioslave]] headline the main stage, the latter acting as replacements for original headliners [[Limp Bizkit]]. The Scuzz Stage is headlined by [[A (band)|A]] and [[NOFX]].
*[[June 14]] 
**[[David Del Tredici]]'s ''Wondrous the Merge'' for [[string quartet]] and narrator, based on a homoerotic poem by [[James Broughton]], makes its controversial debut at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival.
**Henry Ranta quits [[Soilwork]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=12516 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714014216/http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=12516 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 14, 2012 |title=Blabbermouth.Net – Drummer Henry Ranta Quits Soilwork! |publisher=Legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com |access-date=November 8, 2012 }}</ref>
**[[Justin Timberlake]] and [[Christina Aguilera]] kicked off their summer [[Justified & Stripped Tour]].
**[[Los Angeles, California]] radio station [[KROQ-FM]] airs the 11th Annual of the [[KROQ Weenie Roast|Weenie Roast]] show with [[AFI (band)|AFI]], [[the Ataris]], [[Blur (band)|Blur]], [[Chevelle (band)|Chevelle]], [[Deftones]], [[Finch (US band)|Finch]], [[Foo Fighters]], [[Godsmack]], [[Good Charlotte]], [[Hot Hot Heat]], [[Interpol (band)|Interpol]], [[Jane's Addiction]], [[Less Than Jake]], [[Liam Lynch (musician)|Liam Lynch]], [[Staind]], [[Sum 41]], [[Thrice]], [[the Transplants]], [[the Used]], [[the White Stripes]] and [[Pete Yorn]].
*[[June 20]]
**Beyoncé releases her No.1 debut solo album ''[[Dangerously in Love]]'', which would earn her 5 Grammys in a single night. It also spawned two No.1 singles in the US and has sold 11 million copies to date.
**[[Nick Oshiro]] replaces [[Ken Jay]] in [[Static-X]].
*[[June 24]] – [[Taylor Swift]] signs to [[RCA Records]].
*[[June 27]]–29 – In the [[Glastonbury Festival]], U.K., headline acts include [[David Gray (British musician)|David Gray]], [[R.E.M.]], [[Primal Scream]], [[Morcheeba]], [[The Flaming Lips]], [[Radiohead]], [[Super Furry Animals]], [[Lamb (electronic band)|Lamb]], [[Macy Gray]], [[Feeder (band)|Feeder]], [[Manic Street Preachers]], [[Moby]] and [[Doves (band)|Doves]]. The weather is mostly dry and the festival deemed a success from both a security and entertainment viewpoint by [[Michael Eavis]].