1961 In Music

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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
- Intolleranza 1960 by Luigi Nono, his first opera, premières at La Fenice in Venice.
- The 3rd Annual Grammy Awards are held in Los Angeles, hosted by actor Lloyd Bridges. Ray Charles wins the most awards with four. Bob Newhart's The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart wins Album of the Year, Percy Faith's version of the "theme from A Summer Place" wins Record of the Year and Ernest Gold's "Theme from Exodus" wins Song of the Year. Newhart also wins Best New Artist.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Bands formed

See Category:Musical groups established in 1961

Albums released

All the Way – Brenda Lee
All the Way – Frank Sinatra
Bikini Twist – Bill Haley & His Comets
Blue Hawaii (OST) – Elvis Presley
The Blues and the Abstract Truth – Oliver Nelson
BMOC: Best Music On/Off Campus - The Brothers Four
The Bobby Darin Story – Bobby Darin
Bobby's Biggest Hits - Bobby Rydell
Bobby Vee - Bobby Vee
Bo Diddley Is a Lover – Bo Diddley
Bright and Shiny – Doris Day
Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! – Ella Fitzgerald
Come Swing with Me – Frank Sinatra
Connie At The Copa – Connie Francis
Dance 'Till Quarter To Three – Gary U.S. Bonds
Runaround Sue – Dion
An Electrifying Evening with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet – Dizzy Gillespie
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook – Ella Fitzgerald
Ella in Hollywood – Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Returns to Berlin – Ella Fitzgerald (recorded, released 1991)
Emotions – Brenda Lee
Explorations – Bill Evans Trio
For 'Teen Twisters Only - Chubby Checker
Garde-moi la dernière danse – Dalida
The Genius Sings the Blues – Ray Charles
Goin' Places – The Kingston Trio (including "It Was a Very Good Year")
The Greatest Horn in the World – Al Hirt
He's the King and His Band – Al Hirt
I Have Dreamed – Doris Day
I Remember Tommy – Frank Sinatra
It's Morrissey, Man! – Dick Morrissey
Jewels of the Sea – Les Baxter
Joan Baez, Vol. 2 – Joan Baez
Judy at Carnegie Hall – Judy Garland
Let's Twist Again - Chubby Checker
Listen to Cliff! – Cliff Richard
Loin de moi – Dalida
Lonely and Blue – Roy Orbison
The Lure of the Grand Canyon – Johnny Cash
Make Way – The Kingston Trio
More Soul – Hank Crawford
My Favorite Things – John Coltrane
New Juke Box Hits – Chuck Berry
Now Here's Johnny Cash – Johnny Cash
Out of the Cool – The Gil Evans Orchestra
Patsy Cline Showcase – Patsy Cline
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 – Byron Janis, Antal Dorati conducts the London Symphony Orchestra
Rah! – Mark Murphy
Ring-a-Ding-Ding! – Frank Sinatra
Rick Is 21 – Ricky Nelson
Roy Orbison at the Rock House – Roy Orbison
A Scottish Soldier – Andy Stewart
Send for Me – Julie London
The Shadows – The Shadows
Shirley Bassey – Shirley Bassey
Sinatra Swings – Frank Sinatra
Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!! – Frank Sinatra
Sing to Me Mr. C – Perry Como
Someday My Prince Will Come – Miles Davis
Something for Everybody – Elvis Presley
The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner – Ike & Tina Turner
Straight Ahead – Oliver Nelson
Stranger on the Shore – Acker Bilk
Sunday at the Village Vanguard – Bill Evans Trio
The Swingin's Mutual! – Nancy Wilson with the George Shearing quintet
Time Further Out – Dave Brubeck
21 Today – Cliff Richard
Twist – Bill Haley & His Comets
West Side Story – Cal Tjader
West Side Story – Original Soundtrack
Whatever Julie Wants – Julie London
The Young Ones – Cliff Richard and The Shadows

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	US	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, Netherlands 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	US	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 5 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	US	UK 2 – Dec 1961, Canada 2 – Jul 1961, Norway 2 – Feb 1962, US BB 3 of 1961, Netherlands 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	US	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	US	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

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

"Another Time, Another Place" w.m. Richard Adler from the musical Kwamina
"Baby Elephant Walk" m. Henry Mancini from the film Hatari!
"Big Bad John" w.m. Jimmy Dean
"Blue Bayou" w.m. Joe Melson & Roy Orbison
"Breaking In A Brand New Broken Heart" w.m. Howard Greenfield & Jack Keller
"Crazy" w.m. Willie Nelson
Cruella DeVil w.m. Mel Leven, from the Walt Disney animated film 101 Dalmatians
"Crying" w.m. Joe Melson & Roy Orbison
"Funny How Time Slips Away" w.m. Willie Nelson
"Hats Off to Larry" w.m. Del Shannon
"Hit the Road Jack" w.m. Percy Mayfield
"I Love How You Love Me" w.m. Barry Mann & Larry Kolber
"Let's Get Together" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film The Parent Trap
"Let's Twist Again" w.m. Dave Appell & Kal Mann
"Little Miss Stuck-up" w.m. Lee Pockriss & Paul Vance
"Love Makes the World Go 'Round" w.m. Bob Merrill from the film Carnival!
"Mister Ed theme song" w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans
"Moon River" w. Johnny Mercer m. Henry Mancini from the film Breakfast at Tiffany's
"Multiplication" w.m. Bobby Darin. Introduced by Bobby Darin in the film Come September.
"My Kind of Girl" w.m. Leslie Bricusse
"The Passenger's Always Right" w.m. Noël Coward from the musical Sail Away
"Pocketful Of Miracles" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen from the film Pocketful of Miracles
"Running Scared" w.m. Joe Melson & Roy Orbison
"Speedy Gonzales" w.m David Hess, Buddy Kaye & Ethel Lee
"Ten Girls Ago" w. Diane Lampert m. Sammy Fain
"Tender Is the Night" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sammy Fain. Theme from the film Tender Is the Night
"Tower of Strength" w. Bob Hilliard m. Burt Bacharach
"Walk on the Wild Side" w. Mack David m. Elmer Bernstein
"When the Girl in Your Arms Is the Girl in Your Heart" w.m. Roy Bennett & Sid Tepper from the soundtrack album The Young Ones
"Why Do The Wrong People Travel?" w.m. Noël Coward from the musical Sail Away
"The Young Ones" w. Roy Bennett m. Sid Tepper from soundtrack album The Young Ones

Other notable songs

"Buliao qing" m. Wong Fuk Ling w. Tao Tseon, sung by Koo Mei
"Cunto 'e lampare" – Mario Trevi
"Mare verde" – Mario Trevi
"Nous les amoureux" by Jean-Claude Pascal
"Santiano" by Hugues Aufray
"Settembre cu mme" – Mario Trevi

Classical music

Premieres

Sortable table
Composer	Composition	Date	Location	Performers
Bennett, Richard Rodney	Winter Music, for flute and piano	1961-01-08	London Drawing Room of the Arts Council (Park Lane Group)	W. Bennett, Bradshaw
Britten, Benjamin	Cello Sonata	1961-07-07	Aldeburgh, UK (Festival)	Rostropovich, Britten
Chávez, Carlos	Soli II	1961-04-23	Washington, D.C., Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress (IA Festival)	Philadelphia Wind Quintet
Davidovsky, Mario	Choreographic Suite for El payaso	1961-04-29	Washington, D.C., Howard University (IA Festival)	Mexico National Symphony – Herrera de la Fuente
Musgrave, Thea	Trio for flute, oboe, and piano	1961-01-08	London Drawing Room of the Arts Council (Park Lane Group)	Mabillon Trio
Penderecki, Krzysztof	Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima	1961-09-22	Warsaw, Poland (Autumn)	Kraków Philharmonic – Markowski
Piston, Walter	Symphony No. 7	1961-02-10	Philadelphia	Philadelphia Orchestra – Ormandy
Poulenc, Francis	Gloria	1961-01-20	Boston	Addison / Chorus Pro Musica, Boston Symphony – Munch
Shostakovich, Dmitri	Symphony No. 4	1961-12-30	Moscow	Moscow Philharmonic – Kondrashin
Stockhausen, Karlheinz	Originale, music theatre with Kontakte	1961-10-26	Cologne, Germany (Theater am Dom)	Caspari, Tudor, Caskel, Kobayashi, Paik, Helms, Bauermeister, Sommer, Ramsbott, Koch, Knobelsdorff, et al.

1961 In Music

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Bands formed

Albums released

Biggest hit singles

Top hits on record

Published popular music

Other notable songs

Classical music

Premieres

Compositions

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Grammy Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

References

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