The Grim Reaper certainly worked over time this year especially among musicians.
When you see the (partial) list it's even more staggering and saddening:

George Michael
Rick Parfitt (Status Quo)
Greg Lake (EL&P)
Keith Emerson (EL&P)
Sharon Jones
Prince
David Bowie
Lonnie Mack
Leon Russell
Leonard Cohen
John Berry (Beastie Boys)
Merle Haggard
Malik Taylor aka Phife Dawg (A Tribe Called Quest)
Frank Sinatra Jr.
Denise Matthews aka Vanity
Maurice White (Earth, Wind & Fire)
Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane)
Signe Toly Anderson (Jefferson Airplane)
Glenn Frey (The Eagles)
Dale "Buffin" Griffin (Mott the Hoople drummer)
Jimmy Bain (Rainbow)
Pete Huttlinger (lead guitarist for John Denver a.o.)
Eddie Harsch (The Black Crowes)
Bobby Vee
Toots Tielemans
Preston Hubbard (The Fabulous Thunderbirds)
James Woolley (NIN)
Sandy Pearlman (Blue Öyster Cult)
Alan Vega (Suicide)
Bernie Worrell (Parliament-Funkadelic)
Ralph Stanley (The Stanley Brothers)
Wayne Jackson (The Mar-Keys)
Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley)
Chips Moman (Elvis Presley)
Henry McCullough (Wings)
Dave Swarbrick (Fairport Convention)
Nick Menza (former Megadeth drummer)
Candye Kane (Blues/jazz/rockabilly singer)
Guy Clark
Sir George Martin (“The Fifth Beatle”)
Dan Hicks (Hot Licks)
Otis Clay
Leonard Haze (Y&T)

For a much more lengthier and detailed list see:

http://weheartmusic.typepad.com/blog/musicians-who-died-in-2016.html