From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
See also: 1950 in music, other events of 1951, 1952 in music, 1950s in music and the list of 'years in music'
Events
- September 11 - The Rake's Progress, an opera by Igor Stravinsky with libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, premieres in Venice, conducted by the composer
- Disc jockey Alan Freed uses the term rock and roll to describe R&B, in an effort to introduce the music to a broader white audience.
- The release of Rocket 88, a song by Jackie Brenston and the Delta Cats. Some music historians consider this record to be the first rock and roll recording.
- Ray Charles' musical career begins
- Charlie Rich's musical career begins
- Big Mama Thornton's musical career begins
- Bobby Blue Bland's musical career begins
Records released
- "Rocket 88" - Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats
- "Sixty-Minute Man" - Dominoes
- "Cry" - Johnnie Ray
- "It's All In the Game" - Tommy Edwards
- "The Glory Of Love" - Five Keys
Published popular songs
- "Alice In Wonderland" w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain
- "All In The Golden Afternoon" w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain
- "Allentown Jail" w.m. Irving Gordon
- "Anywhere I Wander" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "A-Round The Corner" trad arr. Josef Marais
- "Asia Minor" w.m. Roger King Mozian
- "A-Sleepin' At The Foot Of The Bed" Happy Wilson, Luther Patrick
- "Be My Life's Companion" w.m. Bob Hilliard & Milton De Lugg
- "Beautiful Brown Eyes" trad arr. Arthur Smith & Alton Delmore
- "Because of You" w.m. Arthur Hammerstein & Dudley Wilkinson
- "Belle, Belle, My Liberty Belle" w.m. Bob Merrill
- "Bermuda" w.m. Cynthia Strother & Eugene R. Strother
- "The Blacksmith Blues" w.m. Jack Holmes
- "Blue Velvet" w.m. Bernie Wayne & Lee Morris
- "Christopher Columbus" w.m. Terry Gilkyson
- "Come On-A My House" w.m. Ross Bagdasarian & William Saroyan
- "Cry" w.m. Churchill Kohlman
- "Dance Me Loose" w. Mel Howard m. Lee Erwin
- "Domino" w. (Eng) Don Raye (Fr) Jacques Plante m. Louis Ferrari
- "Getting To Know You" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "Good Morning Mister Echo" B. Putman, B. Putman
- "Half As Much" w.m. Curly Williams
- "He Had Refinement" w. Dorothy Fields m. Arthur Schwartz
- "Hello, Young Lovers" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "Hey, Good Lookin"' w.m. Hank Williams
- "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life?" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Burton Lane
- "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" w.m. Hank Williams
- "I Get Ideas" w. Dorcas Cochran m. Lenny Sanders
- "I Have Dreamed" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "I Love The Sunshine Of Your Smile" w. Jack Hoffman m. Jimmy MacDonald
- "I Still See Elisa" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
- "I Talk To The Trees" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
- "I Whistle A Happy Tune" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "I Wish I Wuz" w.m. Sid Kuller & Lyn Murray
- "I Won't Cry Anymore" w. Fred Wise m. Al Frisch
- "I'm A Fool To Want You" w.m. Jack Wolf, Joel Herron & Frank Sinatra
- "I'm Late" w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain
- "In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening" w. Johnny Mercer m. Hoagy Carmichael
- "It's All In The Game" w. Carl Sigman m. Charles Gates Dawes Based on "Melody" by Dawes 1912.
- "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" w.m. Meredith Willson
- "Jezebel" w.m. Wayne Shanklin
- "A Kiss To Build A Dream On" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Harry Ruby
- "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" w. Paul Campbell m. Joel Newman
- "The Little White Cloud That Cried" w.m. Johnnie Ray
- "The March Of The Siamese Children" m. Richard Rodgers
- "Mister And Mississippi" w.m. Irving Gordon
- "Misto Cristofo Columbo" w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans
- "Mockin' Bird Hill" w.m. Vaughn Horton
- "The Morningside Of The Mountain" w.m. Dick Manning & Larry Stock
- "My Truly, Truly Fair" w.m. Bob Merrill
- "No Two People" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Sail Away" w.m. Noël Coward
- "Shall We Dance?" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "Shanghai" w.m. Bob Hilliard & Milton De Lugg
- "Shrimp Boats" w.m. Paul Mason Howard & Paul Weston
- "(It’s No) Sin" w. Chester R. Shull m. George Hoven
- "Slow Poke" w.m. Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart & Chilton Price
- "Something Wonderful" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "Sound Off" w.m. Willie Lee Duckworth, B. Lentz
- "Sparrow In The Tree Top" w.m. Bob Merrill
- "Suzy Snowflake" w.m. Sid Tepper & Roy Brodsky
- "Sweet Violets" arr. Cy Coben & Charles Grean
- "Tell Me Why" w. Al Alberts m. Marty Gold
- "They Call The Wind Maria" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
- "Thumbelina" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Too Young" w. Sylvia Dee m. Sidney Lippman
- "The Typewriter" m. Leroy Anderson
- "Unforgettable" w.m. Irving Gordon
- "Very Good Advice" w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain
- "A Very Merry Un-Birthday To You" w.m. Mack David, Al Hoffman & Jerry Livingston
- "Wand'rin' Star" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
- "We Kiss In A Shadow" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "When The World Was Young" w. (Eng) Johnny Mercer (Fr) Angela Vannier m. M. Philippe-Gerard
- "Wonderful Copenhagen" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Would I Love You (Love You, Love You)" w. Bob Russell m. Harold Spina
Musical theater
- And So To Bed London production
- Borscht Capades
- Flahooley Broadway production
- Gay's The Word London production
- It's About Time Broadway production
- The King And I Broadway production
- Kiss Me, Kate London production
- The Lyric Revue London production
- Make A Wish Broadway production
- A Month Of Sundays Broadway production
- Paint Your Wagon Broadway production
- Penny Plain London production
- See You Later
- Seventeen
- South Pacific London production
- Top Banana Broadway production
- A Tree Grows In Brooklyn Broadway production
- Two On The Aisle Broadway production
- Zip Goes A Million London production
Musical films
- Alice In Wonderland
- The Belle Of New York
- Call Me Mister
- The Great Caruso
- Lullaby Of Broadway
- On Moonlight Bay
- Royal Wedding
- Show Boat
- Two Weeks With Love
Births
- January 6 - Kim Wilson, The Fabulous Thunderbirds
- January 9 - Crystal Gayle
- January 15 - Martha Davis, The Motels
- January 19 - Dewey Bunnell, America
- January 27 - Brian Downey, Thin Lizzy
- January 27 - Seth Justman, J. Geils Band
- January 30 - Phil Collins
- January 31 - Phil Manzanera, Roxy Music
- January 31 - K.C. (Harry Wayne Casey), K.C. and the Sunshine Band
- February 9 - Dennis Thomas, Kool and the Gang
- February 12 - Gil Moore, Triumph
- February 15 - Melissa Manchester
- March 4 - Chris Rea
- March 17 - Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy
- March 20 - Jimmy Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds
- March 21 - Russell Thompkins Jr, The Stylistics
- March 21 - Conrad Lozano, Los Lobos
- March 23 - Phil Keaggy, guitarist, singer
- April 3 - Mel Schacher, ? and the Mysterians, Grand Funk Railroad
- April 7 - Janis Ian
- April 12 - Alex Briley, The Village People
- April 13 - Peabo Bryson
- April 13 - Max Weinberg, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, E Street Band
- April 20 - Luther Vandross
- April 22 - Paul Carrack, Ace, Squeeze, Mike & the Mechanics
- April 27 - Ace Frehley, Kiss
- May 3 - Christopher Cross
- May 4 - Jackie Jackson, The Jackson Five
- May 8 - Philip Bailey, Earth Wind and Fire
- May 10 - Ronald Banks, The Dramatics
- May 16 - Jonathan Richman
- June 3 - Deniece Williams
- June 10 - Ed McTaggart, Daniel Amos, The Road Home
- June 12 - Brad Delp, Boston
- June 12 - Bun E. Carlos, Cheap Trick
- June 15 - Steve Walsh, Kansas
- July 1 - Fred Schneider, The B52's
- July 5 - Huey Lewis
- July 11 - Bonnie Pointer, The Pointer Sisters
- August 2 - Andrew Gold
- August 3 - John Graham, Earth, Wind and Fire
- August 13 - Dan Fogelberg
- August 19 - John Deacon, Queen
- August 20 - Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy
- August 23 - Mark Hudson, The Hudson Brothers
- August 25 - Rob Halford, Judas Priest
- August 28 - Wayne Osmond, The Osmonds
- September 2 - Mik Kaminski, Electric Light Orchestra
- September 7 - Chrissie Hynde, The Pretenders
- September 19 - Daneil Lanois
- September 22 - David Coverdale, Deep Purple, Whitesnake
- October 2 - Sting
- October 6 - Kevin Cronin, REO Speedwagon
- October 7 - John Cougar Mellencamp
- October 8 - Johnny Ramone, The Ramones
- October 13 - John Ford Coley, England Dan & John Ford Coley
- October 20 - Alan Greenwood, Foreigner
- October 26 - Maggie Roche, The Roches
- October 27 - K.K. Downing, Judas Priest
- November 1 - Ronald Bell, Kool and the Gang
- November 13 - Bill Gibson, Huey Lewis & The News
- November 27 - Kevin Kavanaugh, Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes
- November 29 - Barry Goudreau, Boston
- December 4 - Gary Rossington, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rossington-Collins Band
- December 10 - Johnny Rodriguez
- December 16 - Robben Ford
- December 21 - Nick Gilder
- December 23 - Johnny Contardo, Sha Na Na
- December 26 - Paul Anthony Quinn, Saxon
- December 26 - John Scofield
- December 29 - Yvonne Elliman
- December 31 - Tom Hamilton, Aerosmith
- December 31 - George Thorogood
- Mark Heard, American singer, songwriter
Deaths
- July 13 - Arnold Schoenberg, Austrian composer
- August 15 - Artur Schnabel, pianist
- November 9 - Sigmund Romberg, composer
