January 5 – Renato Carosone and his band start their American tour in Cuba.
January 6 – Elvis Presley makes final appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
January 16 – The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool, England
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel name themselves Tom and Jerry and begin their recording career, signing with Sid Prosen of Big Records. Their first single, “Hey, Schoolgirl”, backed with “Dancin’ Wild”, hit #49 on the Billboard pop charts. Garfunkel was Tom Graph (so called because he like to write the pop charts out on graph paper) and Simon was Jerry Landis, a pseudonym he used during his early 1960s solo recordings. They toured for eighteen months before retiring to become college students and then reforming in 1963 as Simon and Garfunkel.
February 8 – Bo Diddley records his songs “Hey Bo Diddley” and “Mona” (aka “I Need You Baby”).
March – Chicago’s Cardinal Stritch bans all rock and roll and rhythm and blues music from Catholic-run schools, saying that “its rhythms encourage young people to behave in a hedonistic manner.”
March 19 – Elvis Presley purchases a mansion in Memphis, Tennessee and calls it Graceland.
May 14 In Paris, Heitor Villa-Lobos records his Bachiana Brasileira No. 4, with the Orchestre Nationale de la Radiodiffusion Franaise, for EMI.
May 21 In Paris, Heitor Villa-Lobos records his Bachiana Brasileira No. 3, with Manoel Braune, piano, and the Orchestre Nationale de la Radiodiffusion Franaise, for EMI.
May 24 Henri Bronschwak violin) and Jacques Nailz (cello) record the Deux Chros (bis) by Heitor Villa-Lobos in the presence of the composer, for EMI.
July 6 – John Lennon and Paul McCartney (The Beatles) first meet at St. Peter’s Church garden fete in Liverpool, England.
August 5 – American Bandstand begins its 30 year syndicated run on US network television
September 19 – Dalida is the first artist to be awarded a gold record in France for 300 000 sales of “Bambino”. That year, she’s also the first female recording artist to have her own fan club.
Leonard Bernstein completes work on West Side Story.
American Bandstand premieres on television.
The Casals Festival is founded in Puerto Rico.
Pat Boone stars in his first two Hollywood motion pictures: Bernadine and April Love (film)
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) from 1956’s Alfred Hitchcock suspense film, The Man Who Knew Too Much, wins the Academy Award for Best Song. Sung by Doris Day in the film, it proved to be one of her biggest hit records as well.
When Nat King Cole’s television show is unable to get a sponsor, Frankie Laine becomes the first artist to cross TV’s color line. Becoming the first white artist to appear as a guest, foregoing his usual salary as Cole’s sustainer show only paid scale. Other top performers followed suit, including Mel Torme and Tony Bennett, but despite an increase in ratings, the show still fails to pick up a national sponsor.
Maria Callas is introduced to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
Bands formed
- U.S. Navy Steel Band
Albums released
- About the Blues – Julie London
- After Midnight – Nat King Cole
- After School Session – Chuck Berry
- Almendra – Aldemaro Romero
- Amsterdam Concert – Miles Davis Quintet
- Anita Sings the Most – Anita O’Day
- April in Paris – Count Basie
- Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section – Art Pepper
- At Mister Kelly’s – Sarah Vaughan
- At Newport – Count Basie
- At the Gate of Horn – Odetta
- Bags’ Groove – Miles Davis
- The Beat of My Heart – Tony Bennett
- Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean – Harry Belafonte
- Bing with a Beat – Bing Crosby
- Birth of the Cool – Miles Davis
- The Big Beat – Johnnie Ray
- Blossom Dearie – Blossom Dearie
- A Blowing Session – Johnny Griffin
- Blue Starr – Kay Starr
- Blue Train – John Coltrane
- Blue Trombone – J. J. Johnson
- Boy Meets Girl Sammy Davis, Jr.
- Brilliant Corners – Thelonious Monk
- The Cats – John Coltrane
- Cattin’ with Coltrane and Quinichette – John Coltrane & Paul Quinichette
- Chet Atkins at Home – Chet Atkins
- The “Chirping” Crickets – Buddy Holly & The Crickets (debut)
- The Christmas Story – Bing Crosby
- Close to You and More – Frank Sinatra
- A Closer Walk with Thee – Pat Boone
- The Clown – Charles Mingus
- Coltrane – John Coltrane
- Cookin’ – Paul Gonsalves
- Cookin’ with The Miles Davis Quintet – Miles Davis
- Criollsima – Aldemaro Romero
- Dakar – John Coltrane
- Day By Night – Doris Day
- The Dealers – John Coltrane & Mal Waldron
- Dedicated to You – The “5” Royales
- Double Play! – Russ Freeman & Andr Previn
- E=MC – Count Basie
- Ella and Louis Again – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook – Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington
- Elvis’ Christmas Album – Elvis Presley
- An Evening with Belafonte – Harry Belafonte
- Exotica – Martin Denny
- Gangster of Love – Johnny “Guitar” Watson
- Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps – Gene Vincent
- Gogi Grant THE HELEN MORGAN STORY – Gogi Grant
- Gogi Grant – Suddenly There’s Gogi Grant – Gogi Grant
- Grand Ole Opry’s New Star – George Jones
- The Great Ray Charles – Ray Charles
- Her Nibs – Georgia Gibbs
- Here’s Little Richard – Little Richard
- Hi-Fi in Focus – Chet Atkins
- Hymns We Love – Pat Boone
- I Love John Frigo…He Swings – Johnny Frigo (debut)
- Indigos – Duke Ellington
- In Las Vegas – Johnnie Ray
- Interplay – John Coltrane
- It’s All Over but the Swingin’ Sammy Davis, Jr.
- Jazz by Sun Ra – Sun Ra
- Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown – The Browns (debut)
- A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra – Frank Sinatra
- Julie – Julie London
- Like Someone in Love – Ella Fitzgerald
- Losers, Weepers – Kay Starr
- Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson – Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson
- Love Is the Thing – Nat King Cole
- Love Serenade – The Ames Brothers
- Loving You (OST) – Elvis Presley
- Make Love to Me – Julie London
- Mal-2 – Mal Waldron
- The Man I Love – Peggy Lee
- The Many Sides of Toshiko – Toshiko Akiyoshi
- Miguel – Dalida
- Miles Ahead – Miles Davis
- Mirage – Art Blakey
- Moanin’ the Blues – Hank Williams
- Monk’s Music – Thelonious Monk
- Moondreams – Dick Haymes
- Mozart:Clarinet Concerto, Quintet for Clarinet and Strings. Benny Goodman, clarinet, Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Munch); Boston Symphony String Quartet. 12-inch LP. RCA Victor LM 2073.
- New Tricks – Bing Crosby
- Newk’s Time – Sonny Rollins
- Night at the Village Vanguard – Sonny Rollins
- No Count Sarah – Sarah Vaughan
- Now Hear This – The Hi-Lo’s
- Once Over Lightly – Jo Stafford
- One Dozen Roses – The Mills Brothers
- One O’Clock Jump – Joe Williams
- Orgy in Rhythm – Art Blakey
- The Pajama Game – Doris Day
- Pal Joey with Frank Sinatra
- Pat – Pat Boone
- Pat Boone Sings Irving Berlin – Pat Boone
- Patsy Cline – Patsy Cline
- Please, Please, Please – James Brown
- Porgy and Bess – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
- Pretty Baby – Dean Martin
- Quand on n’a que l’amour – Jacques Brel
- Ray Charles (or, Hallelujah I Love Her So) – Ray Charles
- Relaxin’ with The Miles Davis Quintet – Miles Davis
- Ricky – Ricky Nelson (debut)
- Ring around Rosie – The Hi-Lo’s
- Rockin’ – Frankie Laine
- Rockin’ the Oldies – Bill Haley & His Comets
- ‘Round About Midnight – Miles Davis
- Sammy Swings Sammy Davis, Jr.
- Sea Shells – Peggy Lee
- Sing a Song of Basie – Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
- Sometimes I’m Happy, Sometimes I’m Blue – Jill Corey
- Son nom est Dalida – Dalida
- Songs for Inspiration & Meditation – Jo Stafford
- Songs of Scotland – Jo Stafford
- Soulville – Ben Webster
- The Sounds of Christmas Harmony – The Ames Brothers
- Such Sweet Thunder – Duke Ellington
- Suddenly It’s The Hi-Lo’s – The Hi-Lo’s
- Sweet Seventeen – The Ames Brothers
- A Swingin’ Affair! – Frank Sinatra
- Swingin’ Easy – Sarah Vaughan
- Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane – Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane
- Theory of Art – Art Blakey
- There’ll Always Be A Christmas – The Ames Brothers
- Tony – Tony Bennett
- Toshiko and Leon Sash at Newport – Toshiko Akiyoshi & Leon Sash
- Trane’s Blues – John Coltrane
- Traneing In – John Coltrane
- Way Out West – Sonny Rollins
- We Get Letters – Perry Como
- The Weavers at Carnegie Hall – The Weavers
- West Side Story – Original Broadway Cast
- Wheelin’ & Dealin’ – Mal Waldron, John Coltrane and Frank Wess
- Where Are You? – Frank Sinatra
- The Wildest! – Louis Prima
- Winner’s Circle – Oscar Pettiford
- With His Hot and Blue Guitar – Johnny Cash (debut)
- World on a String – Red Allen
Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1957.
1 Elvis Presley — Jailhouse Rock
2 Paul Anka –Diana
3 Elvis Presley — All Shook Up
4 Jerry Lee Lewis — Great Balls of Fire
5 Danny & The Juniors –At the Hop
b”White Silver Sands – Don Rondo
“Who Needs You” – The Four Lads
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” – Jerry Lee Lewis
“Why Baby, Why” – Pat Boone
“Willie and the Hand Jive” – Johnny Otis
“Witchcraft” – Frank Sinatra
“Wonderful! Wonderful!” – Johnny Mathis
“Words of Love”, recorded by
Buddy Holly
The Diamonds
“You Know How It Is” – Frankie Laine
“You Send Me” – Sam Cooke
“Young Blood” – The Coasters, a two-sided hit with “Searchin”‘
“Young Love”, recorded by the Crew-Cuts, Tab Hunter and Sonny James
Published popular music
“According To My Heart” w.m. Gary Walker
“An Affair To Remember” w. Harold Adamson & Leo McCarey m. Harry Warren
“After School” w.m. Dick Wolf & Warren Nadel
“All Shook Up” w.m. Otis Blackwell & Elvis Presley
“All The Way” w. Sammy Cahn m. James Van Heusen
“Almost Paradise” m. Norman Petty
“Alone (Why Must I Be Alone)” w. Selma Craft m. Morton Craft
“America” w. Stephen Sondheim m. Leonard Bernstein
“April Love” w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sammy Fain
“Are You Sincere?” w.m. Wayne Walker
“At The Hop” w.m. Artie Singer, Johnny Medora & Dave White
“Be-Bop Baby” w.m. Pearl Lenghurst
“Bernadine” w.m. Johnny Mercer
“Black Slacks” w.m. Joe Bennett & Jimmy Denton
“Bony Moronie” w.m. Larry Williams
“The Book Of Love” w.m. Warren Davies, George Malone & Charles Patrick
“Boy On A Dolphin” w.(Eng) Paul Francis Webster (Greek) Jean Fermanoglou m. Takis Morakis
“Build Your Love (On A Strong Foundation)” O. Jones
“Butterfly” w.m. Anthony September
“Bye Bye Love” w.m. Felice & Boudleaux Bryant
“Ca, C’est L’Amour” w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Taina Elg in the film Les Girls.
“Catch a Falling Star” w.m. Lee Pockriss & Paul Vance
“Chances Are” w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
“Chantez, Chantez” w. Albert Gamse m. Irving Fields
“Cocoanut Sweet” w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
“Come Fly With Me” w. Sammy Cahn m. James Van Heusen
“Come Go With Me” w.m. Clarence E. Quick
“Cool” w. Stephen Sondheim m. Leonard Bernstein
“Could This Be Magic” w.m. Hiram Johnson & Richard Blandon
“Dark Moon” w.m. Ned Miller
“The Day The Rains Came” w.(Eng) Carl Sigman (Fr) Pierre Delano m. Gilbert Bcaud
“Diana” w.m. Paul Anka
“Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?” w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
“Everyday” Charles Hardin, Norman Petty
“Four Walls” w.m. George Campbell & Marvin Moore
“From a Jack to a King” w.m. Ned Miller
“Gee, Officer Krupke” w. Stephen Sondheim m. Leonard Bernstein from the musical West Side Story
“Gigi” w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
“The Girl with the Golden Braids” m. Eddie Snyder w. Stanley J. Kahan
“Goodnight My Someone” w.m. Meredith Willson
“Got-Ta Have Something In The Bank, Frank” Bob Hilliard, Mort Garson
“Great Balls Of Fire” w.m. Jack Hammer & Otis Blackwell
“A Handful Of Songs” Tommy Steele, Lionel Bart & Michael Pratt
“Happy, Happy Birthday Baby” w.m. Margo Sylvia & Gilbert Lopez
“Hey Schoolgirl” w. Art Garfunkel m. Paul Simon
“Hula Love” adapted by Buddy Knox from the 1911 song “My Hula Hula Love”
“I Can’t Stop Loving You” w.m. Don Gibson
“I Feel Pretty” w. Stephen Sondheim m. Leonard Bernstein
“I Just Don’t Know” w. Joe Stone m. Robert Allen
“I Like Your Kind Of Love” Melvin Endsley
“I’m Sorry” w.m. Buck Ram
“In My Own Little Corner” w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
“In The Middle Of An Island” w.m. Ted Varnick & Nick Acquaviva
“Island In The Sun” w.m. Harry Belafonte & Irving L. Burgie
“It’s Good To Be Alive” w.m. Bob Merrill
“Ivy Rose” w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
“Jailhouse Rock” w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
“Jingle Bell Rock” w.m. Joseph Beal & James Boothe
“Joey’s Song” m. Joe Reisman
“Just Between You And Me” w.m. Lee Cathy & Jack Keller
“Just Born” w.m. Luther Dixon & Billy Dawn Smith
“Let It Be Me” w.(Eng) Mann Curtis (Fr) Pierre Delano m. Gilbert Bcaud
“Lida Rose” w.m. Meredith Willson
“Liechtensteiner Polka” w.(Eng) Joseph Seener w.m. Edmund Koetscher & Rudi Lindt
“Lips Of Wine” w. Shirley Wolfe m. Sy Soloway
“Little Biscuit” w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
“The Little Blue Man” w.m. Fred Ebb & Paul Klein
“Little Darlin’ ” w.m. Maurice Williams
“Loving You” w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
“Lucille” w.m. Richard Penniman & Albert Collins
“Magic Moments” w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
“Mama Look A Booboo” w.m. Lord Melody
“Marching Along To The Blues” w.m. Mel Green
“Marian The Librarian” w.m. Meredith Willson
“Mean Woman Blues” w.m. Claude Demetrius
“Mi Casa, Su Casa” w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
“Moonlight Swim” w. Sylvia Dee m. Ben Weisman
“Mr Lee” w.m. Heather Dixon, Helen Gathers, Emma Ruth Pought, Laura Webb & Jannie Pought
“My Heart Reminds Me” (aka “And That Reminds Me”) w. (Eng) Al Stillman m. Camillo Bargoni
“My Little Baby” w.m. Joe Shapiro and Lou Stallman
“My Special Angel” w.m. Jimmy Duncan
“My White Knight” w.m. Meredith Willson
“Napoleon” w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
“A New-Fangled Tango” w. Matt Dubey m. Harold Carr
“Ninety-Nine Ways” w.m. Anthony September
“Oh Boy!” w.m. Sunny West, Norman Petty & Bill Tilghman
“Oh, Lonesome Me” w.m. Don Gibson
“Old Cape Cod” w.m. Claire Rothrock, Milt Yakus & Allan Jeffrey
“One Hand, One Heart” w. Stephen Sondheim m. Leonard Bernstein
“Party Doll” w.m. Jimmy Bowen & Buddy Knox
“Passing Strangers” Mel Mitchell, Stanley Applebaum
“Peggy Sue” w.m. Jerry Allison, Norman Petty & Buddy Holly
“Pretend You Don’t See Her” w.m. Steve Allen
“Proceed With Caution” Wilson Stone
“Promise Her Anything” w.m. Roy Alfred
“A Pub with No Beer” w.m. Gordon Parsons
“Put A Light In The Window” w. Rhoda Roberts m. Kenny Jacobson
“Rainbow” w.m. Russ Hamilton
“Raunchy” m. William E. Justis Jr & Sidney Manker
“Reet Petite” T. Carlo, Berry Gordy
“Remember You’re Mine” Bernie Lowe, Kal Mann
“Rock And Roll Music” w.m. Chuck Berry
“Rock-A-Billy” w.m. Woody Harris & Eddie V. Deane
“Sadder But Wiser Girl For Me” w.m. Meredith Willson
“Santa, Bring My Baby Back (To Me)” w.m. Claude Demetrius & Aaron Schroeder
“Sayonara” w.m. Irving Berlin
“School Day” w.m. Chuck Berry
“Searchin’ ” w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
“Send For Me” w.m. Ollie Jones
“Seventy-Six Trombones” w.m. Meredith Willson
“She Was Only Seventeen” w.m. Marty Robbins
“Shiralee” w.m. Tommy Steele
“Short Fat Fanny” Larry Williams
“Silhouettes” w.m. Frank Slay & Bob Crewe
“Something’s Coming” w. Stephen Sondheim m. Leonard Bernstein
“Somewhere” w. Stephen Sondheim m. Leonard Bernstein, Introduced by Reri Grist in the musical West Side Story
“The Song Of Raintree County” w. Paul Francis Webster & Raymond Egan m. Richard Whiting
“The Story Of My Life” w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
“The Stroll” w.m. Nancy Lee & Clyde Otis
“Tammy” w. Jay Livingston m. Ray Evans. Introduced by Debbie Reynolds in the film Tammy and the Bachelor
“Teddy Bear” w.m. Kal Mann & Bernie Lowe. Introduced by Elvis Presley in the film Loving You
“Tele Vee Shun” Stan Freberg
“Ten Minutes Ago” w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
“That’ll Be The Day” w.m. Buddy Holly, Norman Petty & Jerry Allison
“Till” w.m. Carl Sigman, Charles Sananes & Pierre Buisson
“Till There Was You” w.m. Meredith Willson. Introduced by Robert Preston and Barbara Cook in the musical The Music Man
“Tonight” w. Stephen Sondheim & Leonard Bernstein m. Leonard Bernstein
“Tonite, Tonite” W. Nobles
“Treat Me Nice” w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
“Trouble (In River City)” w.m. Meredith Willson. Introduced by Robert Preston in the musical The Music Man.
“The Twelfth Of Never” adapt. (folk song) w. Paul Francis Webster m. Jerry Livingston
“Twenty-Six Miles” w.m. Bruce Bell & Glen Larson
“A Very Special Love” w.m. Robert Allen
“Wake Up Little Susie” w.m. Felice & Boudleaux Bryant
“Walking Along” Sam Weiss, Winston Willis
“White Silver Sands” w.m. Charles G. Matthews & Gladys Reinhardt
“A White Sport Coat” w.m. Marty Robbins
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” w.m. Dave Williams & Sunny David
“Whole Lotta Woman” w.m. Marvin Rainwater
“Why Baby Why” w.m. Luther Dixon & Larry Harrison
“Why Don’t They Understand?” Jack Fishman, Joe Henderson
“Wild Is The Wind” w. Ned Washington m. Dimitri Tiomkin
“Wind In The Willows” Wecht, Singer, Singer
“Witchcraft” w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman
“Wonderful! Wonderful!” w. Ben Raleigh m. Sherman Edwards
“Yellow Bird” w.m. Alan Bergman, Marilyn Keith & Norman Luboff
“Yes Tonight, Josephine” w.m. Winfield Scott & Dorothy Goodman
“You Need Hands” w.m. Roy Irwin
“You Send Me” w.m. L. C. Cooke
Classical music
- Aaron Copland – Orchestral Variations
- Pierre Gabaye – Boutade
- Lszl Lajtha – Symphony No. 7, Revolution (A tribute to the Hungarian Revolution in 1956 against the Soviet suppression)
- Walter Piston – Viola Concerto
- Hilding Rosenberg – String Quartets nos. 8 – 12
- Edmund Rubbra – Seventh Symphony
- Roger Sessions – Symphony No. 3
- Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 11 G minor, Op. 103 “The Year 1905”
- Elie Siegmeister – Symphony No. 3
- Karlheinz Stockhausen Gruppen for three orchestras (195557)
- Toru Takemitsu – Requiem
- Mieczysaw Weinberg – Symphony no. 4
- Malcolm Williamson
- A Vision of Beasts and Gods, song-cycle for high voice & piano
- Santiago de Espada, overture for orchestra
- Symphony No. 1 – Elevamini, for orchestra
Opera
- Samuel Barber – Vanessa
- John Eaton – Ma Barker
- Bohuslav Martin – The Greek Passion
- Douglas Moore – Gallantry
- Ildebrando Pizzetti – Assassinio nella Cattedrale
- Francis Poulenc – Dialogues of the Carmelites (Dialogues des Carmelites)
- Heitor Villa-Lobos – Daughter of the Clouds
Musical theater
- Bells Are Ringing London production
- Brigadoon (Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe) Broadway revival
- Damn Yankees (Richard Adler and Jerry Ross) London production
- Harmony Close London production opened at the Lyric, Hammersmith on April 17.
- The Music Man (Meredith Willson) opened at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway on December 19, 1957 and ran for 1375 performances.
- New Girl In Town Broadway production
- West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein) Broadway production
- Zuleika London production, Saville Theatre
Musical films
- Funny Face
- Les Girls starring Gene Kelly, Mitzi Gaynor and Kay Kendall
- Loving You released July 9 starring Elvis Presley.
- The Pajama Game starring Doris Day and John Raitt
- Pal Joey starring Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak
- Silk Stockings, featuring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse
Births
- January 4 – Patty Loveless
- January 23 – Earl Falconer, UB40
- January 27 – Janick Gers, Iron Maiden
- February 2 – Tony Butler, Big Country
- February 19 – Falco, classical and rock musician
- February 27 – Adrian Smith, musician, Iron Maiden
- February 28 – Phil Gould, drummer, Level 42; Cindy Wilson, The B-52’s
- March 12 – Marlon Jackson, The Jackson 5
- March 21 – John Whitfield, conductor
- March 26 – Paul Morley, music journalist
- April 12 – Vince Gill
- April 16, Michael Quarles – Classical and Rock Musician
- May 2 – Markus Stockhausen, trumpeter and composer
- May 10 – Sid Vicious, punk musician
- May 18 – Michael Cretu, musician
- May 27 – Siouxsie Sioux, Siouxsie and the Banshees
- June 11 – Jamaaladeen Tacuma
- June 17 – Phil Chevron, The Pogues
- June 22 – Gary Beers, INXS
- June 26 – Patty Smyth
- July 3 – Laura Branigan
- July 3 – Peter Breiner, composer
- July 30 – Christopher Miller, known as Rat Scabies, drummer
- August 18 – Ron Strykert, Men at Work
- August 21 – Budgie, Siouxsie and the Banshees
- August 31 – Glenn Tilbrook, Squeeze
- August 31 – Gina Schock, The Go-Go’s
- September 1 – Gloria Estefan, singer
- September 1 – Jon Moss, London, Culture Club
- September 22 – Johnette Napolitano, Concrete Blonde
- September 22 – Nick Cave
- October 5 – Lee Thompson, Madness
- October 7 – Michael W. Smith
- October 19 – Karl Wallinger, World Party
- October 21 – Steve Lukather, Toto
- October 21 – Julian Cope, singer
- October 3 – Kelly Marie, singer
- October 28 – Stephen Morris, New Order
- November 1 – Lyle Lovett
- November 5 – Mike Score, A Flock of Seagulls
- November 8 – Porl Thompson, The Cure
- November 24 – Chris Hayes, Huey Lewis and the News
- December 6 – Bob Drake, avant-garde musician
- December 9 – Donny Osmond, singer; Steve Taylor, singer, record producer
- December 10 – Paul Hardcastle
- December 12 – Sheila E.
- December 20 -Billy Bragg, singer, songwriter; Anita Baker, singer; Anna Vissi, singer
- December 22 – Tsai Chin, singer
- December 25 – Shane MacGowan, The Pogues
- date unknown – Charles Roland Berry, composer; Poly Styrene, punk musician
Deaths
- January – Gertie Gitana, music hall entertainer
- January 16 – Arturo Toscanini, conductor
- January 18 – George Girard, jazz trumpeter
- February 7 – Rudolph Rti, pianist, composer and musicologist
- February 16 – Jzef Hofmann, pianist and composer
- March 8 – Othmar Schoeck, composer
- March 13 – Lena Ashwell, Forces entertainer
- March 24 – Carson Robison, country music singer and songwriter
- April 15 – Pedro Infante, actor and singer
- May 2 – Tadeusz Kassern, composer (b. 1904) (suicide)
- May 9 – Ezio Pinza, Italian singer and actor
- June 5 – Frances Densmore, ethnomusicologist (b. 1867)
- June 6 – Kulyash Baiseitova, opera singer
- June 12 – Jimmy Dorsey, big band leader
- July 7 – Hiski Salomaa, folk singer and songwriter
- July 9 – Alexander Goedicke, pianist and composer
- July 16 – Serge Chaloff, saxophonist
- August 28 – Erik Tuxen, conductor, composer and arranger
- September 1 – Dennis Brain, horn virtuoso (in unexplained car accident)
- September 11 – Petar Stojanovi, violinist and composer
- September 20 – Jean Sibelius, composer
- October 14 – Natanael Berg, composer
- October 20 – Jack Buchanan, Scottish singer, dancer, actor and director
- October 23 – Abe Lyman, US bandleader, composer and drummer
- November 4 – Joseph Canteloube, composer
- November 20 – Beniamino Gigli, operatic tenor
- November 29 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold, composer
- December 19 – Abolhasan Saba, instrumentalist
- December 20 – Walter Page, jazz musician
- December 21 – Eric Coates, composer
- date unknown -“Klondike Kate” Rockwell, vaudeville performer; Ivan Zorman, poet and composer
ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE by Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers: Though Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers did a studio version of this song on the Capitol Records label, located in Hollywood, this is a live version recorded in approx. 1944-45. Johnny Mercer wrote ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE, as well as, several other songs, many of which, became hits of the day. He was an excellent singer , with a style similar to that of Woody Herman or Tex Beneke.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
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