Overview of the events of 1961 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1961.
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
- January 15 – Motown Records signs The Supremes.
- January 20 – Francis Poulenc's Gloria receives its premiėre in Boston, USA.
- February 9 – The Beatles at The Cavern Club: The Beatles, at this juncture John, Paul, George and Pete, perform under this name at The Cavern Club for the first time following their December return to Liverpool from Hamburg. Beginning with this lunchtime session, the group would go on to make almost 300 appearances here in total.
- February 12 – The Miracles' "Shop Around" becomes Motown's first million-selling single.
- February 13 – Frank Sinatra forms his own record label, Reprise Records, which will later release recordings by The Beach Boys, Ella Fitzgerald, The Kinks and Jimi Hendrix.
- February 14 – The Platters file a lawsuit against Mercury Records for breach of contract after the record company refuses to accept recordings on which Tony Williams does not sing lead. The group's lawsuit contends that their contract does not require this.
- March 18 – The 6th Eurovision Song Contest, held at Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, is won by Luxembourg with the song "Nous les amoureux", sung by Jean-Claude Pascal.
- March 21 – The Beatles at The Cavern Club: The Beatles play the first of nearly 300 regular performances at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.
- March 25 – Elvis Presley performs a benefit show at the Block Arena in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The show raises $62,000 for the USS Arizona Memorial fund.
- April 13
- April 17 – Dalida and Charles Aznavour receive Radio Monte Carlo Oscar Awards for Best Song.
- April 23 – Judy Garland's concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
- April 29 – Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti makes his operatic debut as Rodolfo in La Bohème at the Teatro Municipale (Reggio Emilia).
- May 1 – The Pulitzer Prize for Music is awarded to Walter Piston for his Symphony No. 7.[1]
- June 14 – Patsy Cline is hospitalized as a result of a head-on car collision. While she is in hospital, the song "I Fall to Pieces" becomes a big Country/Pop crossover hit for her.
- June 25 – The Bill Evans Trio completes a two-week stay at The Village Vanguard in New York. It is the last time this trio will play before virtuoso bassist Scott LaFaro's death 10 days later. The five sets they play on the 25th are recorded, resulting in two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby.
- June–July – Stu Sutcliffe leaves The Beatles to resume his art studies in Hamburg.
- July 1 – French composer Olivier Messiaen marries pianist Yvonne Loriod privately in Paris.
- July 17 – Billboard magazine first publishes an "Easy Listening" chart, listing songs that the magazine determines are not rock & roll records. The first #1 song on this chart is "The Boll Weevil Song" by Brook Benton. This chart will be renamed a number of times, becoming the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
- October – John Cage's book Silence: Lectures and Writings is published in the United States.
- October 17 – Former schoolfriends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, later of The Rolling Stones, meet each other again by chance on Dartford railway station in Kent, England, on the way to their respective colleges and discover their mutual taste for rock and roll.[2]
- November 9 – The Beatles at The Cavern Club: Future manager Brian Epstein first sees The Beatles.
- December 8 – The Beach Boys release their debut 45rpm single: "Surfin'"/"Luau" on the small California label Candix Records.
- December 9 – The Beatles play their first gig in the south of England, at Aldershot. Due to an advertising failure, only 18 people turn up. In the early hours of the following morning they play an impromptu set at a London club.[3]
- William Alwyn sets up home with fellow-composer Doreen Carwithen, his former pupil, at Blythburgh in England.
- The Leeds International Pianoforte Competition is founded in the north of England by Marion, Countess of Harewood and Fanny Waterman.
- Bob Seger's musical career begins.
- Indian tabla player Keshav Sathe and sitar player Bhaskar Chandavarkar perform with Larry Adler.
- The Country Music Association (CMA) creates the Country Music Hall of Fame and inducts, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose and Hank Williams as the first three members.
- The score of Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1 is discovered by musicologist Oldřich Pulkert in the Prague National Museum.[4]
Bands formed
Albums released
Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1961.
Top hits on record
- "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" – Gene McDaniels #3 US
- "Angel Baby" – Rosie & The Originals #5 US
- "At Last" – Etta James
- "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" – Elvis Presley #1 US, UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, South Africa, Spain
- "Are You Sure?" – The Allisons #1 UK
- "Baby Sittin' Boogie" – Buzz Clifford #4 Norway, #6 US
- "Blue Moon" – The Marcels #1 US, UK
- "Bristol Stomp" – The Dovells #2 US
- "Calcutta" – Lawrence Welk #1 US
- "Calendar Girl" – Neil Sedaka #1 Canada, Japan, #3 Australia, #4 US
- "Can't Help Falling in Love" – Elvis Presley #1 US, UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, NZ, Netherlands, Sweden
- "Crazy" – Patsy Cline #9 US
- "Crying" – Roy Orbison #2 US
- "Don't Bet Money Honey" – Linda Scott #9 US
- "Dum Dum" – Brenda Lee #4 US, Australia
- "Emotions" – Brenda Lee #7 US
- "F.B.I." – The Shadows #3 France, #6 UK, #8 NZ
- "The Fly" – Chubby Checker #7 US
- "Fool #1" – Brenda Lee #3 US
- "The Frightened City" – The Shadows #3 UK
- "Garde-moi la dernière danse" – Dalida
- "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)" – Carla Thomas
- "A Girl Like You" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows #3 UK
- "Hello Mary Lou" – Ricky Nelson #1 Norway, #2 UK, #4 NZ, #9 US
- "(He's My) Dreamboat" - Connie Francis
- "Hit the Road Jack" – Ray Charles #1 US, NZ, #3 Australia
- "How Many Tears" – Bobby Vee
- "I Don't Know Why" – Linda Scott
- "I Fall to Pieces" – Patsy Cline
- "I Just Want to Make Love to You"- Etta James
- "I Like It Like That, Part 1" – Chris Kenner #2 US
- "Il faut savoir" – Charles Aznavour #1 France
- "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" – Linda Scott #1 Denmark, Philippines, South Africa, Sweden
- "Johnny Remember Me – John Leyton #1 UK
- "Kon-Tiki" – The Shadows #1 UK, #3 NZ, #4 Australia, Ireland
- "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" – The Tokens
- "Little Boy Sad" – Johnny Burnette
- "Lonely Street" - Clarence "Frogman" Henry
- "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame"/"Little Sister" – Elvis Presley
- "Michael" - The Highwaymen
- "Moliendo Café" – Hugo Blanco #1 Argentina, Japan
- "Moody River" – Pat Boone #1 US
- "Mother-in-Law" – Ernie K-Doe #1 US
- "The Mountain's High" – Dick and Dee Dee #2 US
- "Muskrat" - The Everly Brothers
- "Nuits d'Espagne" – Dalida
- "On the Rebound" – Floyd Cramer
- "Please Mr. Postman" – The Marvelettes #1 US
- "Quarter to Three" – Gary U.S. Bonds #1 US, #7 UK
- "Raindrops" – Dee Clark #2 US
- "The Red Rooster" – Howlin' Wolf
- "Runaround Sue" – Dion #1 US
- "Runaway" – Del Shannon #1 US, UK, Australia, Canada, Chile, NZ
- "Running Scared" – Roy Orbison #1 US
- "Run to Him" – Bobby Vee #2 US, #4 Canada
- "Sailor" – Petula Clark #1 UK, NZ, Israel
- "School Is Out" – Gary U.S. Bonds #5 US
- "Shop Around" – The Miracles
- "Spanish Harlem" – Ben E. King #10 US
- "Stand By Me" – Ben E. King #4 US
- "Stranger on the Shore" – Acker Bilk #1 UK
- "Sukiyaki" ("Ue o Muite Arukō", 上を向いて歩こう, "I Look Up As I Walk") – Kyu Sakamoto #1 US, Canada, Japan, Australia, NZ, Norway
- "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" – The Crystals
- "This Time" – Troy Shondell #4 Canada, Norway, #6 US
- "Together" – Connie Francis
- "Tossin' and Turnin' " – Bobby Lewis #1 US
- "Travelin' Man" – Ricky Nelson
- "Viens danser le twist" – Johnny Hallyday #1 France, Belgium
- "Walk Right Back"/"Ebony Eyes" – The Everly Brothers
- "Walkin' Back to Happiness" – Helen Shapiro #1 UK, Ireland, Israel, NZ, South Africa
- "The Wanderer" – Dion
- "When the Girl in Your Arms Is the Girl in Your Heart" – Cliff Richard #1 Norway, #2 Australia, #3 UK
- "Where the Boys Are" – Connie Francis #4 US, NZ, #5 UK
- "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" – The Shirelles
- "Wonderland by Night" – Bert Kaempfert #1 US
- "You Don't Know" – Helen Shapiro
- "You're Driving Me Crazy" – The Temperance Seven #1 UK
Published popular music
Other notable songs
Classical music
Premieres
Compositions
- Samuel Adler – Symphony No. 3
- Malcolm Arnold – Symphony No. 5
- Milton Babbitt – Vision and Prayer
- Henk Badings
- Symphony No. 10
- Te Deum for men choir and orchestra
- Toccata I & II, electronic music
- Niels Viggo Bentzon – Concerto No. 2 for violin and orchestra
- Harrison Birtwistle – The World Is Discovered: Six Instrumental Movements after Heinrich Isaac, for chamber ensemble
- Havergal Brian – Symphony No. 19
- Benjamin Britten – Cello Sonata
- Earle Brown – Available Forms I
- Elliott Carter –
- Carlos Chávez – Soli II, for wind quintet
- Mario Davidovsky –
- Electronic Study No. 1
- Piano 1961 for orchestra
- Edison Denisov – String Quartet No. 2
- Petr Eben – Piano Concerto
- Morton Feldman
- Durations 3, for violin, tuba, and piano
- Durations 4, for vibraphone, violin, and cello
- Durations 5, for horn, vibraphone, harp, piano or celesta, violin, and cello
- Two Pieces for Clarinet and String Quartet
- The Straits of Magellan, flute, horn, trumpet, harp, electric guitar, piano, and double bass
- Alun Hoddinott – Concerto for Piano, Winds and Percussion
- Vagn Holmboe – String Quartet No. 6, Op. 78
- Jānis Ivanovs – String Quartet No. 3
- Wojciech Kilar – balet The Masque of the Red Death
- Yuri Levitin – Concertino for Cello and Orchestra, opus 54[14]
- György Ligeti – Atmosphères for Orchestra
- Witold Lutosławski – Jéux vénitiéns for Orchestra
- William Mathias – Second Piano Concerto[15]
- Einojuhani Rautavaara – Symphony No. 3
- Alan Rawsthorne – Concerto for Ten Instruments[16]
- Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 12 in D minor, Op. 112 "The Year 1917"
- Karlheinz Stockhausen – Originale, musical theatre, Nr. 12+2⁄3
- Toru Takemitsu
- Music of Trees, for orchestra
- Ring, for flute, terz guitar and lute
- Bad Boy, for 3 guitars
- Piano Distance, for piano
- Edgard Varèse – Nocturnal
- Mieczysław Weinberg – Concerto for flute and orchestra in D minor, op. 75
- Isang Yun – Third String Quartet (1959–61)[17]
Opera
Film
Jazz
Musical theater
Musical films
Births
- January 1 – Sergei Babayan, Armenian-American pianist and academic
- January 13 – Suggs, singer (Madness)
- January 14 – Mike Tramp (White Lion)
- January 27
- January 29 – Eddie Jackson (Queensrÿche)
- January 31 – Lloyd Cole, singer and songwriter
- February 8 – Vince Neil, American vocalist (Mötley Crüe)
- February 13
- February 16 – Andy Taylor, English guitarist (Duran Duran)
- February 22
- February 23
- February 27 – Hideaki Tokunaga, Japanese singer
- March 2
- March 15 – Fabio Biondi, Italian violinist and conductor
- March 20 – Slim Jim Phantom (The Stray Cats)
- March 27 – Tak Matsumoto, Japanese guitarist
- April 1
- April 2 – Keren Woodward, singer (Bananarama)
- April 6 – Gene Eugene, actor, lead singer of Adam Again
- April 12 – Christophe Rousset, harpsichordist
- April 28 – Roland Gift, singer (Fine Young Cannibals)
- May 7 – Robert Spano, American conductor and pianist
- May 9 – Sean Altman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Rockapella)
- May 10
- May 17 – Enya, Irish singer-songwriter
- May 20 – Nick Heyward, singer-songwriter
- May 29 – Melissa Etheridge, singer-songwriter
- May 30 – Gina Sanders, opera singer and vocal pedagogue
- June 1 – Peter Machajdík, Slovak composer
- June 4 – El DeBarge, singer
- June 6 – Tom Araya (Slayer)
- June 9 – Debasis Chakroborty, Indian classical slide guitar player
- June 10
- Kim Deal, American singer, songwriter and musician, twin of Kelley
- Kelley Deal, American musician, twin of Kim
- June 14 – Boy George, English singer, songwriter, DJ and fashion designer.
- June 15 – Kai Eckhardt, German bass guitarist
- June 18 – Alison Moyet, British singer
- June 22 – Jimmy Somerville, British singer
- June 24
- June 25 – Ricky Gervais, English comedian and singer
- June 26 – Terri Nunn (Berlin)
- June 27 – Margo Timmons (Cowboy Junkies)
- June 29 – Greg Hetson (Circle Jerks, Bad Religion)
- July 2 – Paul Geary (Extreme)
- July 5
- July 6 – Rick Price, Australian singer/songwriter
- July 7 – Leon Bosch, South African-born double bass player
- July 8
- July 10 – Jacky Cheung, Hong Kong singer and actor
- July 17 – Guru, American rapper, producer and actor (Gang Starr) (died 2010)
- July 22 – Keith Sweat, R&B/soul singer
- July 23 – Martin Gore, English rock musician and songwriter
- July 24 – Maxim Fedotov, violinist and conductor
- July 26
- August 2 – Pete de Freitas, Trinidad-born rock drummer (Echo & the Bunnymen) (died 1989)
- August 7 – Carlos Vives, Colombian vallenato vocalist and television actor
- August 8
- August 10 – Jon Farriss, Australian rock drummer (INXS)
- August 12 – Lawrence (Hayward), English alternative rock musician
- August 15 – Matt Johnson, English singer-songwriter
- August 19 – Cor Bakker, Dutch pianist
- August 22
- August 23 – Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots)
- August 24 – Mark Bedford (Madness)
- August 25 – Billy Ray Cyrus, American singer and actor
- August 26 – Daniel Lévi, French singer-songwriter, composer and pianist (died 2022)
- August 28 – Kim Appleby, singer (Mel and Kim)
- September 2 – Ron Wasserman, composer and singer
- September 5 – Marc-André Hamelin, pianist and composer
- September 6
- September 7 – Jean-Yves Thibaudet, pianist
- September 12 – Mylène Farmer, singer, songwriter, actress and author
- September 13 – Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
- September 16
- September 22 – Michael Torke, composer
- September 27 – Andy Lau, Hong Kong actor and singer
- September 30 – Sally Yeh, Hong Kong singer and actress
- October 8
- October 9 – Kurt Neumann (The BoDeans)
- October 10 – Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet)
- October 11 – Amr Diab, Egyptian singer
- October 18 – Wynton Marsalis, jazz trumpeter and composer
- October 26 – Erica Muhl, American composer and conductor
- October 29 – Randy Jackson, singer (The Jacksons)
- October 31 – Larry Mullen, drummer for the rock band U2
- November 2 – k.d. lang, Canadian singer-songwriter
- November 4
- November 5 – David Bryson (Counting Crows)
- November 6 – Daniele Gatti, conductor
- November 8 – Leif Garrett, singer
- November 12 – Michaela Paetsch, American violinist (died 2023)
- November 13 – Klayton, American rock musician
- November 14
- November 18 – Anthony Warlow, Australian singer
- November 20 – Jim Brickman, songwriter and pianist
- November 22 – Stephen Hough, pianist
- November 25 – Nuccia Focile, operatic soprano
- December 11 – Dave King, Irish-American singer
- December 12 – Daniel O'Donnell, Irish singer
- December 17 – Sara Dallin, singer (Bananarama)
- December 20 – Mohammad Fouad, Arab singer and actor
- December 29 – Jim Reid, Scottish musician (The Jesus and Mary Chain)
Deaths
- January – Margaret Balfour, mezzo-soprano
- January 13 – Blanche Ring, US singer and actress
- January 14 – Henry Geehl, pianist, 79
- February 4 – Alphonse Picou, jazz musician
- February 7 – Noah Lewis, jug band musician
- February 20 – Percy Grainger, pianist and composer
- March 3 – Paul Wittgenstein, pianist, 73
- March 6 – George Formby, English Music hall comedian, singer & songwriter and ukulele player extraordinaire
- March 8 – Sir Thomas Beecham, conductor
- March 9 – Wilber Sweatman, jazz musician and composer
- March 16 – Václav Talich, Czech conductor, violinist and teacher, 77
- March 24 – Freddy Johnson, jazz pianist and singer, 57 (cancer)
- April 2 – Wallingford Riegger, composer
- April 19 – Manuel Quiroga, violinist, 69
- April 29
- May 8 – Victor Cornelius, Danish composer, pianist and singer, 63
- May 29 – Uuno Klami, composer
- June 6 – Art Gillham, songwriter
- July 6 – Scott LaFaro, jazz bassist
- August 8 – Mei Lanfang, Beijing opera performer, 66
- August 14 – Heddle Nash, operatic tenor
- August 15
- August 24 – Clarice Vance, "the Southern singer"
- September 21 – Maurice Delage, pianist and composer, 81
- September 23 – Elmer Diktonius, composer and poet
- September 26
- September 27 – Peter Dawson, bass-baritone
- October 5
- October 11 – Chico Marx, comedian and pianist, 74
- October 12 – Marguerite Monnot, songwriter, 58
- October 13 – Maya Deren, dancer and choreographer, 44
- October 20 – Sylvia Rexach, singer and composer, 39
- November 1 – Joan McCracken, dancer, 43
- November 22 – Ninon Vallin, operatic soprano, 75
- November 23 – York Bowen, pianist and composer, 77
- November 25 – Adelina de Lara, pianist and composer, 90
- November 26 – Alexander Goldenweiser, pianist and composer, 86
- December 18 – Leo Reisman, violinist and bandleader, 64
- December 20 – Moss Hart, musical theatre librettist, 57
- December 30 – Boris Ord, organist and choirmaster, 64
- date unknown
Awards
Grammy Awards
Eurovision Song Contest
References
- ^ Benjamin, Philip (May 2, 1961). "'All Way Home' Pulitzer Play; Novel Is 'To Kill a Mockingbird'". The New York Times. pp. 1, 40.
- ^ Kynaston, David (2014). Modernity Britain: A Shake of the Dice, 1959–62. London: Bloomsbury. p. 345. ISBN 978-1-4088-4439-7.
- ^ "Live: Palais Ballroom, Aldershot". The Beatles Bible. December 9, 1961. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ Haydn, Joseph (2007). Konzert in C für Violoncello und Orchester. Clément, Roger (trans.). Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag. pp. V–VI. ISMN M-006-20254-6.
- ^ a b Anon., "Serial Technique of Young Composers", The Times, no. 54974 (9 January 1961): 3.
- ^ White, Eric Walter (January 1, 1983). Benjamin Britten, His Life and Operas. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520048942 – via Google Books.
- ^ Carlos Chávez, untitled liner notes to Chávez Conducted by Carlos Chávez: Soli I, Soli II, Soli IV, LP recording. Odyssey Y31534 (New York: Columbia Records, 1972).
- ^ Oxford University Press
- ^ Sarahwallinhuff.com
- ^ "New Music Box" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 31, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- ^ Choeur Proclassica Archived August 1, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Fay, Laurel E. (January 1, 2000). Shostakovich: A Life. Oxford University Press. p. 225. ISBN 978-0-19-513438-4 – via Internet Archive.
symphony 4 shostakovich kondrashin 30 december 1961.
- ^ Michael Kurtz, Stockhausen: A Biography, translated by Richard Toop (London and Boston: Faber and Faber, 1992): 116, 252. ISBN 0-571-14323-7 (cloth); ISBN 978-0-571-17146-0 (pbk).
- ^ Onno van Rijen's Levitin Page.
- ^ "Classical Composers Database: William James Mathias". Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ "Classical Composers Database:Alan Rawsthorne". October 17, 2005. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ Notes to Recording of Third String Quartet on cpo.