1948 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1948.

Specific locations
1948 in British music
1948 in Norwegian music
1948 in New Zealand music
1948 in Australia music

Specific genres
1948 in country music
1948 in jazz

Events
January 10 – The Amadeus Quartet gives its first recital under this name, at the Wigmore Hall in London.
February 25 – First Nice Jazz Festival with Louis Armstrong, Stéphane Grappelli, Claude Luter, Mezz Mezzrow and Django Reinhardt. It is during this first edition that Suzy Delair sings for the first time the song "C'est si bon" to a cabaret where Louis Armstrong ended his evening.
March 20 – Renowned Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini makes his television debut, conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra in the United States in a program featuring the works of Richard Wagner.
April 3 – Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is played on television in its entirety for the first time in a concert featuring Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The chorus was prepared by Robert Shaw.
April 21 – National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain gives its first concert.
May 20 – The Second International Congress of Composers and Music Critics 1948 opens in Prague.
June 5 – Opening of the first Aldeburgh Festival, founded by Benjamin Britten, Eric Crozier and Peter Pears.
Summer – John Cage begins teaching at Black Mountain College in North Carolina.
June 21 – Columbia Records introduces the long-playing record album in a public demonstrationThe First Long-Playing Disc Library of Congress (Congress.gov) (accessdate 21 June 2021) at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
November 29 – First live telecast of a complete opera by the Metropolitan Opera, of the opening-night performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Otello, starring Ramón Vinay, Licia Albanese, and Leonard Warren, on ABC-TV
December – Perry Como has his first television Christmas Special.
Hans Werner Henze becomes musical assistant at the Deutscher Theater in Konstanz.
Al Jolson is voted the "Most Popular Male Vocalist" of the year by a Variety poll.
Patti Page becomes the first artist to use the technique of multi-track overdubbing (later popularized by Les Paul & Mary Ford).
Columbia Records introduces the 33⅓ rpm LP ("long playing") record at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, featuring 25 minutes of music per side, compared to the four minutes per side of the 78 rpm record, the previous standard for gramophone records.
Otis Rush moves to Chicago and begins his musical career.
Igor Stravinsky and Robert Craft meet for the first time.
Quartetto Cetra dubs the choruses for the Italian release of Disney's Dumbo.
Gabriel von Wayditch begins work on his last opera The Heretics, which is still not completed when he dies in 1969. However, he completed the piano score of the massive 8.5 hour work, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest opera.
Bruno Maderna meets Hermann Scherchen for the first time: a fundamental encounter.
John Serry Sr. meets his mentor, the composer Robert Strassburg for the first time.

Albums released
The Jolson Album Vol. 2 – Al Jolson
Christmas Songs by Sinatra – Frank Sinatra
Selections from Road to Rio – Bing Crosby, Andrews Sisters

Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest chart positions 
in the limited set of charts available for 1948.

 # Artist Title Year  Country Chart Entries 1   Pee Wee Hunt  Twelfth Street Rag  1948    US 1940s 1 – Jul 1948, US 1 for 8 weeks Aug 1948, Peel list 1 of 1947, US BB 4 of 1948, POP 7 of 1948, RYM 20 of 1948 2   Art Mooney  I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover  1948    US 1940s 1 – Jan 1948, US BB 1 of 1948, US 1 for 3 weeks Feb 1948, POP 1 of 1948 3   Nat King Cole  Nature Boy  1948    US 1940s 1 – Apr 1948, US 1 for 7 weeks May 1948, US BB 9 of 1948, RYM 9 of 1948, POP 17 of 1948, Europe 90 of the 1940s, Acclaimed 1793 4   Dinah Shore  Buttons & Bows  1948    US 1940s 1 – Oct 1948, US 1 for 10 weeks Nov 1948, US BB 3 of 1948, POP 3 of 1948, Europe 91 of the 1940s, RYM 102 of 1948 5   Kay Kyser  The Woody Woodpecker Song  1948    US 1940s 1 – Jun 1948, US 1 for 6 weeks Jul 1948, US BB 13 of 1948, POP 21 of 1948, Europe 76 of the 1940s, RYM 95 of 1948

Top hits on record

Published popular music
right|thumb|Songwriter Irving Berlin in 1948
 "'A' — You're Adorable" w.m. Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise & Sidney Lippman
 "Always True to You in My Fashion" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Lisa Kirk in the musical Kiss Me, Kate.  Performed in the film version by Ann Miller and Tommy Rall
"Another Op'nin', Another Show" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Annabelle Hill and the ensemble in the musical Kiss Me, Kate
 "Baby, It's Cold Outside" w.m. Frank Loesser
 "Be A Clown" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Judy Garland and Gene Kelly in the film The Pirate
 "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (The Magic Song)" w.m. Mack David, Al Hoffman & Jerry Livingston
 "Black Coffee" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sonny Burke
 "Black Market" w.m. Frederick Hollander
 "Blue Christmas" w.m. Billy Hayes & Jay Johnson
 "The Blue Skirt Waltz" w. Mitchell Parish m. Vaclav Blaha
 "Brush Those Tears From Your Eyes" w.m. Oakley Haldeman, Al Trace & Jimmy Lee
 "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Harry Clark and Jack Diamond in the musical Kiss Me, Kate.  Memorably Performed in the film version by Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore.
 "Busy Line" Semes, Stanton
 "Candy Kisses" w.m. George Morgan
 "Careless Hands" w. Bob Hilliard m. Carl Sigman
 "Comme Ci, Comme Ça" w. (Eng) Joan Whitney & Alex Kramer (Fr) Pierre Dudan m. Bruno Coquatrix
 "A Couple Of Swells" w.m. Irving Berlin.  Introduced by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in the film Easter Parade
 "The Deck Of Cards" w.m. T. Texas Tyler
 "Don't Look Now But My Heart Is Showing" w. Ann Ronell m. Kurt Weill from the film version of One Touch of Venus
 "Far Away Places" w.m. Joan Whitney & Alex Kramer
 "Forever And Ever" w. (Eng) Malia Rosa (Ger) Franz Winkler m. Franz Winkler
 "Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys" w.m. Ralph Blane
 "Hair Of Gold, Eyes Of Blue" w.m. Sunny Skylar
 "Hang On The Bell, Nellie" w.m. Tommie Connor, Clive Erard & Ross Parker
 "Hooray for Love" w. Leo Robin m. Harold Arlen.  Introduced by Tony Martin in the film Casbah
 "I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple" w.m. Cole Porter.  Introduced by Patricia Morison in the musical Kiss Me Kate.
 "I'm Beginning To Miss You" w.m. Irving Berlin
 "I've Come To Wive It Wealthily In Padua" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Alfred Drake in the musical Kiss Me, Kate.  Sung in the film version by Howard Keel.
 "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" w.m. Fred Heatherton
 "Make A Miracle" w.m. Frank Loesser.  Introduced by Ray Bolger and Allyn McLerie in the musical Where's Charley?
 "My Darling, My Darling" w.m. Frank Loesser.  Introduced in the musical Where's Charley? by Byron Palmer and Doretta Morrow
 "My Happiness" w. Betty Peterson m. Borney Bergantine
 "N'yot N'yow (The Pussycat Song)" w.m. Dick Manning
 "O Mein Papa" w.m. Paul Burkhard
 "Once In Love With Amy" w.m. Frank Loesser
 "Pecos Bill" w. Johnny Lange m. Eliot Daniel
 "Powder Your Face With Sunshine" w.m. Carmen Lombardo & Stanley Rochinski
 "Red Roses For A Blue Lady" w.m. Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
 "Say Something Sweet" w.m. Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
 "Shoes With Wings On" w. Ira Gershwin m. Harry Warren
 "So In Love" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Patricia Morison in the musical Kiss Me, Kate.  Performed in the film version by  Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel.
 "Sunflower" Mack David
 "Tennessee Waltz" w.m. Redd Stewart & Pee Wee King
 "The Three Bells" w. (Eng) Bert Reisfeld m. Jean Villard Gilles
 "Time Out For Tears" w.m. Abe Schiff & Irving Berman
 "Tom, Dick or Harry" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Lisa Kirk, Harold Lang, Edwin Clay and Charles Wood in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Sung in the film version by Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, Bobby Van and Bob Fosse.
 "Too Darn Hot" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Lorenzo Fuller, Fred Davis and Eddie Sledge in the musical Kiss Me, Kate.  Ann Miller sang and danced the number in the film version.
 "A Tree In The Meadow" w.m. Billy Reid
 "Uncle Charlie's Polka" m. John Serry Sr. 
 "Where Is The Life That Late I Led?" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Alfred Drake in the musical Kiss Me, Kate.  Sung by Howard Keel in the film version.
 "Why Can't You Behave?" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang in the musical Kiss Me, Kate.  Performed by Ann Miller in the film version.
 "Wunderbar" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison in the musical Kiss Me, Kate.  Performed by Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson.
 "You Came A Long Way From St Louis" w. Bob Russell m. John Benson Brooks
 "You Can't Be True, Dear" w.(Eng) Hal Cotton (Ger) Gerhard Ebeler m. Hans Otten
 "You Say The Nicest Things, Baby" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh
 "You Was" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sonny Burke
 "You're All I Want For Christmas" w.m. Glen Moore & Seger Ellis
 "You're Breaking My Heart" w.m. Pat Genaro & Sunny Skylar

Classical music

Premieres
+ Sortable table Composer  Composition  Date  Location  Performers Antheil, George  Symphony No. 5  1948-12-31   Philadelphia  Philadelphia Orchestra – OrmandyYour Classical Barber, Samuel  Excursions  1948-12-22   New York City  BehrendSamuel Barber: A Research and Information Guide  Barber, Samuel  Knoxville: Summer of 1915  1948-04-09   Boston  Steber / Boston Symphony – KoussevitzkyRedlands Symphony Berg, Alban  Altenberg Lieder (1912)  1948-09-14   Venice (Biennale)  Martin-Metten / La Fenice – Scherchen Berkeley, Lennox  Piano Concerto  1948-08-31   London (Proms)  Horsley / London Symphony – CameronBBC Britten, Benjamin  A Charm of Lullabies  1948-01-03   The Hague  Evans, De NobelIRCAM Britten, Benjamin  Saint Nicholas, cantata  1948-06-05   Albeburgh (Festival)  Pears / Aldeburgh Festival Chorus – WoodgateIRCAM Cage, John  In a Landscape  1948-08-20   Black Mountain, NC  Cage John Cage websiteIRCAM Cage, John  Suite for Toy Piano  1948-08-22   Black Mountain, NC  Cage IRCAM Castelnuovo Tedesco, Mario  Coriolano, overture  1948-09-08   Venice (Biennale)  RAI Symphony Orchestra in Rome – Previtali Cerha, Friedrich  Six Lieder  1948-11-30   Vienna  Ceska, WünschIRCAM Copland, Aaron  The Red Pony suite  1948-10-30   Houston  Houston Symphony Orchestra, KurtzHoward Pollock, Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1999), 430. Dallapiccola, Luigi  Quattro liriche di Antonio Machado  1948-12-03   Brussels  Martin-Metten, Dallapiccola IRCAM Diamond, David  Symphony No. 4  1948-01-23   Boston  Boston Symphony – KoussevitzkyNaxos Records Dohnányi, Ernst von  Symphony No. 2 (1944)  1948-11-23   London  Chelsea Symphony – Del Mar Dutilleux, Henri  Piano Sonata  1948-04-30   Paris  JoyIRCAM Fine, Irving  Toccata Concertante  1948-10-22   Boston  Boston Symphony – KoussevitzkyBoosey & Hawkes  Foss, Lukas  Recordare  1948-12-31   Boston  Boston Symphony – KoussevitzkyBoston Symphony Orchestra Hanson, Howard  Piano Concerto  1948-12-31   Boston  Firkusny / Boston Symphony – Hanson  Henze, Hans Werner  Symphony No. 1  1948-08-26   Bad Pyrmont  [unknown orchestra] – FortnerSchott Music Henze, Hans Werner  Violin Concerto No. 1  1948-12-12   Baden-Baden  Stanske / SWF Symphony – BourIRCAM Hindemith, Paul  Das Marienleben (2nd version)  1948-11-03   Hannover  Kupper, SeemannScott Music Ives, Charles  Piano Trio (1915)  1948-05-28   Berea, OH  Poinar, Pierce, WolaverIRCAM Ives, Charles  Three Harvest Home Chorales (1915)  1948-03-03   New York City  The Collegiate Chorale – ShawIRCAM Jolivet, André  Concerto for Ondes Martenot  1948-04-23   Vienna  Martenot / [unknown orchestra] – Jolivet IRCAM Jolivet, André  Suite delphique  1948-04-22   Vienna  Vienna Philharmonic – Jolivet IRCAM Kabalevsky, Dmitri  Violin Concerto  1948-10-29   Moscow  Bezrodny / Moscow Conservatory Symphony – TerianAmazon Lutoslawski, Witold  Symphony No. 1  1948-04-06   Katowice  Polish National Radio Symphony – FitelbergIRCAM Maderna, Bruno  Concerto for Two Pianos  1948-09-17   Venice (Biennale)  Gorini, Lorenzi / [unknown ensemble] – Gracis Malipiero, Gian Francesco  Sinfonia in memoriam (Symphony No. 4)  1948-02-27   Boston  Boston Symphony – KoussevitzkyMartinů, Bohuslav Concertino for Piano and Orchestra (1938)1948-05-08 LondonLiza Fuchsová / London Symphony – Standford Robinson McDonald, Harl  Saga of the Mississippi  1948-04-09   Philadelphia  Philadelphia Orchestra – Ormandy Moeran, Ernest John  Serenade in G  1948-09-02   London (Proms)  London Symphony – Cameron Mortari, Virgilio  Due salmi funebri in memoria di Alfredo Casella  1948-09-17   Venice (Biennale)  Bozzi Luca / [unknown ensemble] – Gracis Myaskovsky, Nikolai  Symphony on Russian Themes (Symphony No. 26)  1948-12-28   Moscow  [unknown orchestra] – GaukNikolai Myaskovsky, The Conscience of Russian Music Nabokov, Nicolas  The Return of Pushkin  1948-01-02   Boston  Koshetz / Boston Symphony – KoussevitzkyNicolas Nabokov: A Life in Freedom and Music  Ohana, Maurice  Trois poèmes de Saadi  1948-03-06   Paris  French Radio National Orchestra – GiardinoIRCAM Piston, Walter  Symphony No. 3  1948-01-09   Boston  Boston Symphony – Koussevitzky Rawsthorne, Alan  Symphonic Studies  1948-09-14   Venice (Biennale)  La Fenice Orchestra – Scherchen Rawsthorne, Alan  Violin Concerto No. 1  1948-07-01   Cheltenham (Festival)  Olof / Hallé Orchestra – BarbirolliAlan Rawsthorne: A Bio-Bibliography Rosenthal, Manuel  Christmas Symphonies  1948-12-23   Philadelphia  Philadelphia Orchestra – Ormandy Rota, Nino  String Quartet  1948-09-15   Venice (Biennale)  Poltronieri Quartet Schaeffer, Pierre  Cinq études de bruits  1948-10-05   Paris  [electronic music] IRCAM Schoenberg, Arnold  A Survivor from Warsaw  1948-11-04   Albuquerque, NM  Smith / Albuquerque Civic Symphony Orchestra – FrederickIRCAM Scott, Cyril  Oboe Concerto  1948-09-13   London (Proms)  Goossens / London Symphony – Robinson Searle, Humphrey  Fuga giocosa  1948-08-06   London (Proms)  London Symphony – Cameron Shapero, Harold  Symphony for Classical Orchestra  1948-01-30   Boston  Boston Symphony – Bernstein Stevens, Bernard  Fugal Overture  1948-08-13   London (Proms)  BBC Symphony – Sargent Stravinsky, Igor  Mass for Chorus and Winds  1948-10-27   Milan  Members of the La Scala Orchestra and Chorus – AnsermetStravinsky, the Composer and His Works Thomson, Virgil  Suite from Louisiana Story  1948-11-26   Philadelphia  Philadelphia Orchestra – Ormandy Tippett, Michael  Suite in D  1948-11-15   London  BBC Symphony – BoultIRCAM Toch, Ernst  Hyperion, dramatic overture  1948-04-01   Cleveland  Cleveland Orchestra – SzellPseudo Poseidonios Turchi, Guido  Music for Orchestra  1948-09-08   Venice (Biennale)  RAI Symphony Orchestra in Rome – Previtali Vlad, Roman  Symphony in Three Movements  1948-09-08   Venice (Biennale)  RAI Symphony Orchestra in Rome – Previtali

Compositions
Yasushi Akutagawa
Trinita sinfonica
String Quartet
La danse for piano
George Antheil – 
Violin Sonata No. 4
String Quartet No. 3
Pierre Boulez – Piano Sonata No. 2
Havergal Brian – Symphony No. 7
John Cage – 
Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano
Suite for Toy Piano
Elliott Carter – Sonata for cello and piano
Aaron Copland – 
The Red Pony suite
Clarinet Concerto
George Crumb – Alleluja for unaccompanied chorus
Einar Englund – Symphony No. 2 Blackbird
Ross Lee Finney – String Quartet No. 5
Paul Hindemith – Suite französischer Tänze
Vagn Holmboe – Concerto No. 11 for trumpet and orchestra (his only trumpet concerto, but once called Chamber Concerto No. 11 because of its scoring)
Joseph Jongen – La musique for soprano, string quartet, and piano, Op. 135, No. 2
Dmitri Kabalevsky – Violin Concerto in C major
Bohuslav Martinů – 
Piano Concerto No. 3
The Strangler (ballet)
Toshiro Mayuzumi –
Divertimento, for ten instruments
Rumba Rhapsody for orchestra
Nikolai Myaskovsky – Cello Sonata No. 2
Andrzej Panufnik – Symphony No. 1 Sinfonia Rustica
Francis Poulenc – Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 143 (1948)
Alan Rawsthorne – Violin Concerto No. 1
Pierre Schaeffer – Étude aux chemins de fer
William Schuman – Symphony No. 6
John Serry Sr. – 
Consolation Waltz
Bugle Polka
Harold Shapero – Symphony for Classical Orchestrap. 846, Slonimsky (1971) Nicolas. 4th Edition. New York Music Since 1900 Charles Scribner's Sons
Dmitri Shostakovich 
From Jewish Folk Poetry (song cycle)
The Young Guard (film score)
Richard Strauss – Four Last Songs
Igor Stravinsky – Mass for chorus and double wind quintet
Eduard Tubin – Double Bass Concerto
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Fantasia for saxophone, three horns, and strings
 Piano Concerto No. 2
Bachianas brasileiras No.5, arranged for piano and voice
Chris Mary Francine Whittle – Piano Concerto
Akio Yashiro – Trio for violin, cello, and piano

Opera
Arthur Bliss – The Olympians (Premiered 1949)
Sergei Prokofiev — The Story of a Real Man (opera, completed this year)

Film
Arnold Bax – Oliver Twist (1948 film)
Max Steiner – Key Largo (film)
Dimitri Tiomkin – Red River (1948 film)
Ralph Vaughan Williams – Scott of the Antarctic (film)

Jazz

Musical theater
  A La Carte London production
  As the Girls Go Broadway production
 Bob's Your Uncle (Frank Eyton & Noel Gay) London production opened at the Saville Theatre on May 5 and ran for 363 performances
  The Boltons Revue London production
 Cage Me a Peacock (Music: Eve Lynd Lyrics: Adam Leslie Book: Noel Langley) London production opened at the Strand Theatre on June 18 and ran for 337 performances
 Caribbean Rhapsody London production
 Carissima London production opened at the Palace Theatre on March 10 and ran for 488 performances
  Down in the Valley Broadway production
 High Button Shoes (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) – London production opened at the Hippodrome on December 22 and ran for 291 performances
 Imperial Violets Paris production
  Inside U.S.A. Broadway production loosely based on the book Inside U.S.A. by John Gunther. Arthur Schwartz (music) and Howard Dietz (lyrics). Opened on Broadway at the New Century Theatre on April 30, 1948, and run for 399 performances
 The Kid from Stratford London production opened at the Prince's Theatre on September 30 and ran for 235 performances
  Kiss Me, Kate (Cole Porter) – Broadway production opened on December 30 at the New Century Theatre and ran for 1077 performances
  Lend an Ear Broadway production
  Look Ma, I'm Dancin'! Broadway production
  Love Life Broadway production
 Maid to Measure London revue opened at the Cambridge Theatre on May 20.  Starring Jessie Matthews, Tommy Fields, Joan Heal and Lew Parker.
  Magdalena Broadway production
  Make Mine Manhattan Broadway production
  Moonshine New Haven production
 My Romance (Sigmund Romberg and Rowland Leigh) opened at the Shubert Theatre on October 19, transferred to the Adelphi Theatre (New York) on December 7 and ran for a total of 95 performances
  Oranges And Lemons London production
  Slings And Arrows London production
  That's The Ticket Broadway production
  Where's Charley? Broadway production opened on October 11 at the St. James Theatre and ran for 792 performances

Musical films
 April Showers starring Ann Sothern, Jack Carson, Robert Alda and S. Z. Sakall.  Directed by James V. Kern.
 Are You With It? starring Donald O'Connor, Olga San Juan and Martha Stewart.  Directed by Jack Hively.
  La Belle Meuniere
  Big City
  Bill and Coo
  Casbah starring Yvonne DeCarlo and Tony Martin.
  A Date with Judy starring Wallace Beery, Jane Powell and Elizabeth Taylor. Directed by Richard Thorpe.
  Deux Amours
  Easter Parade starring Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford and Ann Miller.  Directed by Charles Walter.
  The Emperor Waltz starring Bing Crosby, Joan Fontaine, Roland Culver, Richard Haydn and Lucille Watson.  Directed by Billy Wilder.
  Fandango
 Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' starring Donald O'Connor, Marjorie Main, Percy Kilbride and Penny Edwards.  Directed by George Sherman.
  For the Love of Mary  A Foreign Affair  Give My Regards to Broadway  Glamour Girl starring Virginia Grey and Gene Krupa & his Band.  Directed by Arthur Dreifuss.
  The Glass Mountain  If You Knew Susie  The Kissing Bandit  Ladies of the Chorus starring Adele Jergens and Marilyn Monroe
  Lulu Belle  Luxury Liner  Martin Block's Musical Merry Go Round  Mary Lou  Melody Time animated film including Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill Mexican Hayride  Mickey  A Miracle Can Happen  The Miracle of the Bells  Music Man  On an Island with You starring Esther Williams, Peter Lawford and Jimmy Durante.  Directed by Richard Thorpe.
  One Night with You  One Sunday Afternoon starring Dennis Morgan and Janis Paige
 One Touch Of Venus released August, starring Ava Gardner, Robert Walker and Dick Haymes.
  The Paleface starring Bob Hope and Jane Russell
  The Pirate  Rachel and the Stranger  Romance on the High Seas  So Dear to My Heart  A Song Is Born starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo and Benny Goodman
 Summer Holiday released on April 16 starring Mickey Rooney and Gloria DeHaven
  That Lady in Ermine starring Betty Grable and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
  Three Daring Daughters  Two Guys From Texas Up In Central Park starring Deanna Durbin, Dick Haymes and Vincent Price.  Directed by William Seiter.
  When My Baby Smiles At Me starring Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, June Havoc, Jack Oakie, James Gleason and Richard Arlen.  Directed by Walter Lang.
  Words and Music  You Were Meant for Me starring Jeanne Crain, Dan Dailey and Oscar Levant.  Directed by Lloyd Bacon.

Births
January 2 – Kerry Minnear, rock keyboardist (Gentle Giant)
January 7 – Kenny Loggins, singer and songwriter (Loggins and Messina)
January 8 – Paul King, rock musician (Mungo Jerry)
January 10 – Donald Fagen, singer and songwriter (Steely Dan)
January 14 – T-Bone Burnett, record producer, artist
January 15 – Ronnie Van Zant, singer (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (died 1977)
January 16 – John Carpenter, film-maker and composer 
January 22 – Gilbert Levine, American conductor and academic
January 23 – Anita Pointer (The Pointer Sisters)
January 26 – Corky Laing (Mountain)
January 27 – Kim Gardner (Ashton, Gardner and Dyke) (d. 2001)
January 31 – Joyce Moreno, Brazilian singer-songwriter
February 1 – Rick James, singer, songwriter and record producer (d. 2004)
February 2 – Al McKay (Earth, Wind & Fire)
February 4 – Alice Cooper, lead singer (Alice Cooper Band)
February 5
 David Denny (Steve Miller Band)
 Christopher Guest, actor and musician (This Is Spinal Tap'')
February 7 – Jimmy Greenspoon, American keyboard player (Three Dog Night)
February 8 
Dan Seals, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (England Dan & John Ford Coley) (d. 2009)
Ron Tyson, American singer-songwriter (The Temptations), lead singer (The Ethics)
February 17 – José José (José Sosa Ortiz), Mexican Latin singer and instrumentalist (d. 2019)
February 18 – Keith Knudsen, American singer-songwriter and drummer (The Doobie Brothers) (Southern Pacific) (d. 2005)
February 19 – Tony Iommi, English heavy metal lead guitarist and songwriter (Black Sabbath)
February 28 – Geoff Nicholls, English heavy metal keyboard player (Black Sabbath) (d. 2017)
March 2 – Rory Gallagher, musician, songwriter and bandleader (d. 1995)
March 4 – Chris Squire, bassist (Yes) (The Syn) (d. 2015)
March 5
 Eddy Grant, singer and songwriter
 Richard Hickox, conductor
March 8 – Little Peggy March, singer 
March 9
Jeffrey Osborne, singer and songwriter
Jimmie Fadden, folk rock percussionist (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
Chris Thompson, singer & guitarist (Manfred Mann's Earth Band)
March 12 – James Taylor, singer-songwriter
March 17 – Fran Byrne (Ace)
March 22
 Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer
 Randy Hobbs (The McCoys)
March 24 – Lee Oskar (War)
March 25 – Michael Stanley, singer-songwriter and DJ
March 26
 Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
 Richard Tandy (Electric Light Orchestra)
March 28
John Evans (Jethro Tull)
Milan Williams (Commodores)
March 30 – Jim Dandy (Black Oak Arkansas)
April 1
Jimmy Cliff, reggae singer
 Simon Crowe (The Boomtown Rats)
April 4
Pick Withers, drummer (Dire Straits)
Berry Oakley, bassist (The Allman Brothers Band) (d. 1972)
April 7 – John Oates (Hall & Oates)
April 9
Chico Ryan (Sha Na Na)
Phil Wright (Paper Lace)
April 17 – Jan Hammer, composer, pianist and keyboard player
April 20 – Craig Frost (Grand Funk Railroad)
April 21 – Paul Davis, singer (d. 2008)
April 27 – Kate Pierson (The B-52's)
April 30 – Wayne Kramer (MC5)
May 2 – Larry Gatlin, country singer
May 5 – Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)
May 6 – Mary MacGregor, singer
May 12
Ivan Kral, guitarist (Patti Smith Group)
Steve Winwood, R&B singer (Blind Faith)
May 15 – Brian Eno, synthesizer virtuoso and composer
May 19 – Tom Scott, American saxophonist, composer and bandleader
May 21 – Leo Sayer, singer-songwriter
May 24 – Ernst Jansz (Doe Maar)
May 25 – Klaus Meine (Scorpions)
May 26 – Stevie Nicks, American singer-songwriter  (Fleetwood Mac) 
May 27 – Pete Sears, keyboard player (Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna)
May 29 – Michael Berkeley, composer and broadcaster
May 31 – John Bonham, rock drummer (Led Zeppelin)
June 16 – Nick Drake, singer-songwriter
June 20 – Alan Longmuir, pop guitarist (Bay City Rollers) (d. 2018)
June 21 – Joey Molland, rock composer-guitarist (Badfinger)
June 22 – Todd Rundgren, singer and producer
June 24 – Patrick Moraz, keyboard player (Yes) (The Moody Blues)
June 25 – Kenji Sawada, rock singer and songwriter
June 29 – Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
July 3 – Paul Barrere (Little Feat)
July 4 – Jeremy Spencer, guitarist (Fleetwood Mac)
July 7 – Larry Reinhardt (Iron Butterfly)
July 12 – Walter Egan, rock musician
July 18 – Philip Harris (Ace)
July 19 – Keith Godchaux (Grateful Dead)
July 21 – Cat Stevens, singer-songwriter
July 25 – Steve Goodman, folk singer-songwriter (d. 1984)
August 8 – Andy Fairweather-Low, singer (Amen Corner)
August 10 – Patti Austin
August 12 – Tony Santini (Sha Na Na)
August 13 – Kathleen Battle, opera singer
August 16 – Barry Hay (Golden Earring)
August 19
 Susan Jacks, pop singer
 Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass)
August 20 – Robert Plant, singer (Led Zeppelin)
August 24 – Jean Michel Jarre, composer
August 28 – Daniel Seraphine (Chicago)
September 3 – Don Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad)
September 6 – Claydes Smith (Kool & the Gang)
September 11 – John Martyn, singer
September 13 – Nell Carter, US singer and actress
September 14 – Fred "Sonic" Smith, American guitarist (Husband of Patti Smith) (D. 1994) 
September 16 – Kenney Jones, drummer (The Faces, The Who)
September 17 – Raphy Leavitt, Puerto Rican-American accordion player and composer (d. 2015)
September 26 – Olivia Newton-John, English-Australian singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and activist
September 29 – Mark Farner (Terry Knight and the Pack, Grand Funk Railroad)
October 1 – Cub Koda (Brownsville Station)
October 5 – Delroy Wilson, reggae artist (d. 1995)
October 8 – Johnny Ramone, guitarist (Ramones) (d. 2004)
October 10 – Cyril Neville, The Neville Brothers
October 12 – Rick Parfitt, rock musician (Status Quo) (d. 2016)
October 13 – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Qawwali singer (d. 1997)
October 15 – Chris de Burgh, singer and songwriter
October 19 – Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers)
October 22 – Bo Holten, composer and conductor
October 28
Rick Reynolds (Black Oak Arkansas)
 Telma Hopkins (Tony Orlando and Dawn)
November 3 – Lulu, singer and actress
November 6
Glenn Frey (Eagles) (d. 2016)
 George Young (The Easybeats)
 Rushton Moreve (Steppenwolf)
November 16
Chi Coltrane, American singer-songwriter and pianist
Robert John "Mutt" Lange,  South African record producer and songwriter (Shania Twain, Stevie Vann) 
November 20 – Martti Wallén. opera singer
November 21 – Lonnie Jordan, funk singer-songwriter (War)
November 22 – Dennis Larden, sunshine pop singer-guitarist (Every Mother's Son)
December 1 – Eric Bloom, hard rock singer-songwriter (Blue Öyster Cult)
December 3 – Ozzy Osbourne, rock singer (Black Sabbath), husband of Sharon Osbourne and father of Kelly Osbourne and Jack Osbourne)
December 4 – Southside Johnny (John Lyon), singer-songwriter
December 10 – Jessica Cleaves, The Friends of Distinction
December 13
Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, rock guitarist (The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan)
Ted Nugent, singer-songwriter
December 17 – Jim Bonfanti, rock drummer (Raspberries)
December 20 – Stevie Wright, The Easybeats
December 23 – Jim Ferguson, American guitarist, composer, author, educator and music journalist
December 25 – Barbara Mandrell, country music singer
December 28 – Larry Byrom, rock guitarist Steppenwolf
December 31
Stephen Cleobury, English choral conductor (d. 2019)
Donna Summer, American soul and disco singer-songwriter, actor and painter (d. 2012)

Deaths
January 8 – Richard Tauber, operatic tenor, 56 (lung cancer)
January 15 – Jack Guthrie, popular singer, 32 (tuberculosis)
January 21 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, composer of comic operas, 72
January 26 – Ignaz Friedman, pianist and composer, 65
February 21 – Frederic Lamond, pianist, 80
April 21 – Carlos López Buchardo, composer, 66
April 24 – Manuel Ponce, composer, 65
April 25 – Fritz Crome, composer and music writer, 68
May 17
David Evans, composer, 74
Olga Samaroff, pianist and music critic, 67
June 1 – José Vianna da Motta, pianist and composer, 80
June 6 – Henrik Lund, lyricist, 72
June 14 – John Blackwood McEwen, Scottish composer and educator, 80
June 17 – Beryl Wallace, singer, dancer and actress, 35 (aviation accident)
June 20 – George Frederick Boyle, composer, 61
June 27 – George Templeton Strong, composer, 92
August 10
Lucille Bogan, blues singer, 51 (coronary sclerosis)
Emmy Hennings, cabaret performer, 63
August 13 – Elaine Hammerstein, Broadway star, 51 (car accident)
August 20 – David John de Lloyd, composer, 65
September 3 – Mutt Carey, jazz trumpeter, 61
September 12 – Rupert D'Oyly Carte, impresario, 70
September 14 – Vernon Dalhart, country singer, 65
October 25 – Boris Fomin, Russian folk composer, 48 (tuberculosis)
October 10 – Mary Eaton, dancer, 47 (liver failure)
October 24 – Franz Lehár, composer, 78
November 9 – Euphemia Allen, composer, 87
November 12 – Umberto Giordano, composer, 81
December 2 – Chano Pozo, percussionist, 33 (murdered)
December 5 – Kerry Mills, US violinist and songwriter, 79
December 10 – Francesco Bartolomeo de Leone, composer, 61
December 14 – R. O. Morris, British composer and teacher, 62
December 18 – William Arms Fisher, music historian, 87
December 22 – Donald Brian, actor, dancer and singer, 71

References

 
Category:20th century in music
Category:Music by year


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