[edit] Events - January 15 - Motown Records signs The Supremes
- January 20 - Francis Poulenc's Gloria is premiered in Boston
- 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 would 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 Williams to sing lead
- March 21 - The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club for the first time
- March 25 - Elvis Presley performs a benefit show at the Block Arena in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The show raises $62,000 for the U.S.S. Arizona memorial fund.
- April 13 - Intolleranza 1960 by Luigi Nono, his first opera, premieres at La Fenice.
- April 23 - Judy Garland's concert at Carnegie Hall.
- April 29 - Luciano Pavarotti makes his operatic debut as Rodolfo in La Bohème.
- June 14 - Patsy Cline is hospitalized from a head-on car collision. While in the hospital, the song "I Fall to Pieces" becomes a big Country/Pop crossover hit for Cline.
- June 25 - The Bill Evans Trio completes a two-week stay at The Village Vanguard in New York. It was the last time this trio would play before virtuoso bassist Scott LaFaro's death 10 days later. The five sets they played on the 25th were recorded, and the resulting two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby are considered among the finest live jazz recordings ever.
- July 17 - Billboard magazine first publishes an "Easy Listening" chart, listing songs that the magazine determined were not rock & roll records. The first #1 song on this chart was "The Boll Weevil Song" by Brook Benton. This chart would eventually be renamed a number of times and is currently called the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
- December 8 - Beach Boys release their debut 45rpm single: Surfin'/Luau on the small California label Candix Records.
- William Alwyn marries fellow-composer Doreen Carwithen, his former pupil.
- Dalida receives the Music Oscar for Best Song with Charles Aznavour.
- The Leeds International Pianoforte Competition is founded by Marion, Countess of Harewood and Fanny Waterman.
- Bob Seger's musical career begins
- Golden Earring form.
[edit] Albums released [edit] Biggest hit singles The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1961. | # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries | | 1 | Ben E King | Stand By Me | 1961 |  | UK 1 - Feb 1987, Ireland 1 - Feb 1987, DDD 1 of 1961, RYM 2 of 1961, Switzerland 3 - Mar 1987, US BB 4 - May 1961, Germany 4 - Mar 1987, US BB 7 of 1961, Holland 7 - Mar 1987, POP 7 of 1961, Norway 9 - Apr 1987, Scrobulate 14 of soul, Canada 16 - May 1961, Austria 17 - Apr 1987, RIAA 25, US CashBox 43 of 1961, Acclaimed 53, 95 in 2FM list, Italy 96 of 1962, Rolling Stone 121, Germany 235 of the 1980s, Party 269 of 1999, WXPN 746 | | 2 | Del Shannon | Runaway | 1961 | | UK 1 - Apr 1961, US BB 1 - Mar 1961, Canada 1 - Mar 1961, Australia 1 for 6 weeks Oct 1960, RYM 1 of 1961, Norway 4 - Jun 1961, DDD 7 of 1961, US CashBox 9 of 1961, Australia Goset 12 - Oct 1967, Australia 15 of 1961, US BB 17 of 1961, POP 17 of 1961, South Africa 18 of 1961, Acclaimed 66, Scrobulate 96 of oldies, Rolling Stone 466 | | 3 | Chubby Checker | Let's Twist Again | 1961 | | UK 2 - Dec 1961, Canada 2 - Jul 1961, Norway 2 - Feb 1962, US BB 3 of 1961, Holland 3 - Jan 1976, POP 3 of 1961, South Africa 6 of 1962, US BB 8 - Jul 1961, Sweden (alt) 10 - Feb 1976, Austria 11 - Apr 1976, Germany 12 - Mar 1962, RYM 16 of 1961, Italy 17 of 1962, Party 23 of 1999, US CashBox 62 of 1961, DDD 67 of 1961, Scrobulate 95 of oldies, Germany 396 of the 1960s | | 4 | Elvis Presley | Surrender | 1961 | | UK 1 - May 1961, US BB 1 - Feb 1961, Canada 1 - Mar 1961, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Sep 1960, Norway 2 - Apr 1961, Germany 6 - May 1961, South Africa 10 of 1961, US CashBox 32 of 1961, Global 33 (5 M sold) - 1961, RYM 33 of 1961 | | 5 | The Marcels | Blue Moon | 1961 | | UK 1 - Apr 1961, US BB 1 - Mar 1961, Canada 1 - Mar 1961, Norway 4 - May 1961, US CashBox 11 of 1961, South Africa 11 of 1961, Germany 13 - Jun 1961, US BB 14 of 1961, DDD 14 of 1961, POP 14 of 1961, RYM 26 of 1961, Acclaimed 1034 | [edit] Top hits on record [edit] Published popular music [edit] Classical music [edit] Musical theater [edit] Musical films [edit] Births - January 13 - Suggs, Madness
- January 14 - Mike Tramp, White Lion
- January 27 - Gillian Gilbert, New Order
- January 29 - Eddie Jackson, Queensrÿche
- January 31 - Lloyd Cole
- February 8 - Vince Neil, Mötley Crüe
- February 10 - Robbie Neville
- February 13
- February 16 - Andy Taylor, Duran Duran
- March 2 - Simone Young
- March 20 - Slim Jim Phantom, The Stray Cats
- April 1 - Mark White, ABC
- April 2 - Keren Woodward, Bananarama
- April 6 - Gene Eugene, actor, lead singer of Adam Again
- April 28 - Roland Gift, Fine Young Cannibals
- May 10 – Danny Carey, American rock drummer
- May 17 - Enya Eithne Ni Bhraonain
- May 29 - Melissa Etheridge
- June 1 - Peter Machajdík
- June 4 - Eldra DeBarge, DeBarge
- June 6 - Tom Araya, Slayer
- June 14 - Boy George, singer
- June 15 – Kai Eckhardt, German bass guitarist
- June 18 - Alison Moyet, British singer
- June 22 - Jimmy Somerville, British singer
- June 24 - Curt Smith, singer (Tears for Fears)
- 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 6 – Rick Price, Australian singer/songwriter
- July 10 – Jacky Cheung, Hong Kong singer and actor
- July 12 – Ray Gillen, American singer (d. 1993)
- July 22 - Keith Sweat, R&B/Soul singer
- July 23 – Martin Gore, English rock musician and songwriter
- July 24 - Gary Cherone, Extreme
- July 24 - Rob Dorn, singer
- July 26 – Keiko Matsui, Japanese pianist and composer
- August 2
- August 8
- August 10 - Jon Farriss, INXS
- August 15 – Matt Johnson, English singer-songwriter
- August 22
- August 23
- August 28 - Kim Appleby, singer (Mel and Kim)
- September 6
- September 7 - Jean-Yves Thibaudet, pianist
- September 12 - Mylène Farmer, Megastar in French and Europe
- September 13 - Dave Mustaine, Megadeth
- 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 – Ted Kooshian, American jazz pianist
- 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 29 - Randy Jackson, The Jacksons
- October 31 - Larry Mullen, drummer for the rock band U2
- November 2 - k.d. lang, singer-songwriter
- November 4
- November 5 - David Bryson, Counting Crows
- November 8 - Leif Garrett, singer
- November 13 – Klayton, American rock musician
- November 20 - Jim Brickman, songwriter and pianist
- December 11 – Dave King, Irish-American singer
- December 12 – Daniel O'Donnell, Irish singer
- December 17 - Sarah Dallin, Bananarama
- Christophe Rousset, harpsichordist
[edit] Deaths - January - Margaret Balfour, mezzo-soprano
- January 13 - Blanche Ring, US singer and actress
- 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
- 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
- April 2 - Wallingford Riegger, composer
- April 29
- May 29 - Uuno Klami, composer
- June 6 - Art Gillham, songwriter
- July 6 - Scott LaFaro, jazz bassist
- August 8 - Mei Lanfang, Chinese opera performer
- August 14 - Heddle Nash, operatic tenor
- August 15
- August 24 - Clarice Vance, "the Southern singer"
- September 21 - Maurice Delage, pianist and composer
- September 23 - Elmer Diktonius, composer and poet
- September 26 - Bulbul, singer
- September 27 - Peter Dawson, bass-baritone
- October 5 - Booker Little
- October 11 - Chico Marx, comedian and pianist
- October 12 - Marguerite Monnot, songwriter
- October 13 - Maya Deren, dancer and choreographer
- October 20 - Sylvia Rexach, singer and composer
- November 1 - Joan McCracken, dancer
- November 23 - York Bowen, pianist and composer
- December 20 - Moss Hart, musical theatre librettist
- December 30 - Boris Ord, organist and choirmaster
- date unknown - Ernest Ka'ai, ukulele virtuoso
[edit] Awards [edit] Grammy Awards [edit] Eurovision Song Contest [edit] References |
