Story highlights More than a dozen major musical artists have died so far in 2016

In less than 12 months we've lost George Michael, David Bowie and Prince

(CNN) Move over, 1959. Step aside, 1970.

When it comes to the deaths of musical icons, 2016 may be the worst year ever.

Sunday's startling death of pop singer George Michael caps 12 wretched months in which we've already said goodbye to David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Prince, Merle Haggard and Leonard Cohen, to name just a quintet of hugely popular and influential performers.

It might be the deadliest era for pop music legends since 1970-71, when we lost Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Louis Armstrong in a sorrowful span of 11 months.

February 3, 1959, when young rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash, has been called " the Day the Music Died ." This may become known as the Year the Music Died. And it's not even over.