1950 in music

Specific locations

• 1950 in British music
• 1950 in Norwegian music

  Specific genres

• 1950 in country music
• 1950 in jazz

  Events

• January 3 – Sam Phillips launches Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.
• March 14 – Pablo Casals terminates his recording contract with RCA Records and signs with their chief competitor, Columbia Records.
• June 26 – Louis Armstrong records the first American version of C'est si bon with the English lyrics by Jerry Seelen.
• August 29 – The first American Music Competition of the Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity is won by Richard Winslow for Huswifery, a choral composition for women's voices.
• August – Herbert Howells' Hymnus Paradisi is premiered at the Three Choirs Festival.
• October 1 – Italian composer Luciano Berio marries American mezzo-soprano Cathy Berberian.
• October 11 – On temporary release from Ellis Island pending a deportation decision from U. S. immigration authorities, 20-year-old Friedrich Gulda makes his Carnegie Hall debut.
• November – The Eleanor Steber Award is won by soprano Willabelle Underwood.
• Johann Sebastian Bach is reburied in St. Thomas Church, Leipzig.
• Malcolm Sargent becomes chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
• Isaak Dunayevsky is named People's Artist of the USSR.
• Mitch Miller signs as A&R man with Columbia Records.
• Patti Page becomes the first artist to have a Number One record on the Pop, R&B and Country charts concurrently.
• Al Cernick is signed to Columbia by Mitch Miller, who changes the singer's name to Guy Mitchell.
• Columbia Records lures Jo Stafford away from Capitol.
• Georgia Gibbs leaves the Majestic label and scores her first charting single with Coral.
• Bandleader Les Baxter founds the school of "Outer Space" exotica.
• Sam Cooke replaces R. H. Harris as lead singer of The Soul Stirrers.

  Albums released

• American Folks Songs – Jo Stafford
• Auld Lang Syne – Bing Crosby
• Autumn in New York – Jo Stafford
• Barber Shop Ballads – The Mills Brothers
• Blue of the Night – Bing Crosby
• The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert – Benny Goodman
• Christmas Greetings – Bing Crosby
• Cole Porter Songs – Bing Crosby
• Country Feelin – Dinah Shore
• Dedicated to You – Frank Sinatra
• Drifting and Dreaming – Bing Crosby
• Ella Sings Gershwin – Ella Fitzgerald
• Frankie Laine – Frankie Laine
• Going My Way – Bing Crosby
• Historical America in Song – Burl Ives
• King Cole Trio – King Cole Trio
• King Cole Trio Volume 2 – King Cole Trio
• Live at Carnegie Hall – Benny Goodman
• Oh! Susanna – Al Jolson
• Popular Classics for Four Pianos – Philharmonic Piano Quartet
• Porgy and Bess – Various Artists
• Sing a Song of Christmas – The Ames Brothers
• Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra – Frank Sinatra
• Songs By Gershwin – Bing Crosby
• Songs of Faith – Jo Stafford
• Songs for Sunday Evening – Jo Stafford
• Tea for Two – Doris Day
• Two Loves Have I – Frankie Laine
• Voice of the Xtabay – Yma Sumac
• Young Man with a Horn – Doris Day

  No. 1 hit singles

Biggest hit singles

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart entries
1	Nat King Cole	Mona Lisa	1950		US 1940s 1 – Jun 1950, US 1 for 5 weeks Jul 1950, Oscar in 1950, US BB 2 of 1950, RYM 2 of 1950, POP 2 of 1950, DDD 4 of 1950, Italy 48 of 1951, RIAA 109, Acclaimed 1292
2	Patti Page	Tennessee Waltz	1950		US 1940s 1 – Nov 1950, US 1 for 9 weeks Dec 1950, US BB 4 of 1950, DDD 5 of 1950, Global 7 – 1950, POP 7 of 1950, RYM 77 of 1951, RIAA 198, Acclaimed 1447
3	Phil Harris	The Thing	1950		US 1940s 1 – Nov 1950, US 1 for 4 weeks Dec 1950, Peel list 1 of 1950, US BB 12 of 1950, POP 12 of 1950, RYM 108 of 1950
4	Red Foley	Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy	1950		US 1940s 1 – Jan 1950, US 1 for 4 weeks Feb 1950, DDD 17 of 1950, US BB 18 of 1950, POP 25 of 1950, RYM 117 of 1950
5	Teresa Brewer	Music! Music! Music!	1950		US 1940s 1 – Feb 1950, US 1 for 4 weeks Mar 1950, US BB 3 of 1950, POP 3 of 1950

Top hit records

Top R&B hits on record

• "Double Crossing Blues" – Johnny Otis with Little Esther & The Robins

  Published popular music

• "Adelaide's Lament" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "African Bolero" m. John Serry, Sr.
• "American Beauty Rose" w.m. Hal David, Redd Evans & Arthur Altman
• "Be My Love" w. Sammy Cahn m. Nicholas Brodszky
• "The Best Thing For You" w.m. Irving Berlin
• "Blind Date" w.m. Sid Robin
• "A Bushel And A Peck" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Candy And Cake" w.m. Bob Merrill
• "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" w.m. Harry Stone & Jack Stapp
• "Choo'n Gum" w. Mann Curtis m. Vic Mizzy
• "Cold, Cold Heart" w.m. Hank Williams
• "The Cry of the Wild Goose" w.m. Terry Gilkyson
• "Dearie" w.m. Bob Hilliard & David Mann
• "Domino" w. Don Raye Jacques Plante m. Louis Ferrari
• "Freight Train" w. Paul James & Fred Williams m. trad arr. Elizabeth Cotton
• "The French Can-Can Polka" w. Jimmy Kennedy m. Jacques Offenbach
• "From This Moment On" w.m. Cole Porter
• "Frosty the Snowman" w.m. Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins
• "Fugue For Tinhorns" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Get Out Those Old Records" w.m. Carmen Lombardo & John Jacob Loeb
• "Gone Fishin'" w.m. Nick Kenny & Charles Kenny
• "Guys and Dolls" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Home Cookin"' w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans
• "Hoop-Dee-Doo" w. Frank Loesser m. Milton De Lugg
• "The Hostess With The Mostes' On The Ball" w.m. Irving Berlin. Introduced by Ethel Merman in the musical Call Me Madam
• "I Almost Lost My Mind" w.m. Ivory Joe Hunter
• "I Didn't Slip, I Wasn't Pushed, I Fell" w.m. Edward Pola & George Wyle
• "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine" w.m. Mack David
• "I Leave My Heart in an English Garden" w.m. Harry Parr-Davies and Christopher Hassall from the musical Dear Miss Phoebe
• "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat" w.m. Alan Livingston, Billy May & Warren Foster
• "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked A Cake" w.m. Al Hoffman, Bob Merrill & Clem Watts
• "If I Were A Bell" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "I'll Know" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "I'll Never Be Free" w.m. Bennie Benjamin & George David Weiss
• "I'm Movin' On" w.m. Hank Snow
• "It Is No Secret" w.m. Stuart Hamblen
• "It's A Lovely Day Today" w.m. Irving Berlin
• "I've Never Been In Love Before" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Ivory Rag" Lou Busch, Jack Elliott
• "Little White Duck" w.m. Walt Barrows & Bernard Zaritsky
• "The Loveliest Night of the Year" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Juventino P. Rosas
• "Luck Be a Lady" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Lucky Lucky Lucky Me" Berle, Arnold
• "Marry The Man Today" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Marrying For Love" w.m. Irving Berlin
• "More I Cannot Wish You" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "My Heart Cries For You" w.m. Carl Sigman & Percy Faith
• "My Time Of Day" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "No Other Love" adapt from Chopin's Etude No 3 in E, Opus 10. w.m. Bob Russell & Paul Weston
• "The Old Piano Roll Blues" w.m. Cy Coben
• "The Oldest Established" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Orange Colored Sky" w.m. Milton De Lugg & William Stein
• "Patricia" w.m. Benny Davis
• " I'm the One Who Loves You" w.m. Stuart Hamblen
• "The Roving Kind" adapt. w.m. Jessie Cavanaugh & Arnold Stanton
• "Sam's Song" w. Jack Elliott m. Lew Quadling
• "Shot Gun Boogie" w.m. Tennessee Ernie Ford
• "Silver Bells" w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans. Introduced by Bob Hope in the 1951 Musical film The Lemon Drop Kid.
• "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat" w.m. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Stubby Kaye in the musical Guys and Dolls.
• "Sixty Minute Man" w.m. Billy Ward & Rose Marks
• "Sleigh Ride" w. Mitchell Parish m. Leroy Anderson
• "Sue Me" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "The Syncopated Clock" w. Mitchell Parish m. Leroy Anderson
• "Take Back Your Mink" w.m. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Vivian Blaine in the musical Guys and Dolls.
• "The Thing" w.m. Charles R. Grean
• "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena" adapt. trad Hebrew w. Mitchell Parish m. Issachar Miron & Julius Grossman
• "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry" w.m. Bob Merrill & Terry Shand
• "You're Just In Love" w.m. Irving Berlin

  Classical music

Premieres

Compositions

• Hendrik Andriessen – Concerto for Organ and Orchestra
• Malcolm Arnold – English Dances for orchestra, op. 27
• Alexander Arutiunian – Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
• Arno Babadjanian – Heroic Ballade
• Ernest Bloch – Suite hébraïque
• Karl-Birger Blomdahl – Symphony No. 3 Facetter
• Pierre Boulez –
• *Polyphonie X
• *Le soleil des eaux, for soprano, chorus and orchestra
• John Cage – String Quartet in Four Parts
• Carlos Chávez – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
• Jani Christou – First Symphony
• Arnold Cooke – Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello
• George Crumb – A Cycle of Greek Lyrics for voice and piano
• Henri Dutilleux – Blackbird for piano
• Jesús Guridi – String Quartet in A minor
• Eivind Groven
• *Hjalarljod Overture, Op. 38
• *Piano Concerto, Op. 39a
• Karl Amadeus Hartmann – Symphony No. 5 Symphonie Concertante
• Hans Henkemans – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
• Wojciech Kilar – Toccata for piano
• Ernst Krenek – Suite for String Trio Parvula Corona Musicalis
• Bohuslav Martinů –
• *Concerto No. 2 for two violins and orchestra
• *Duo No. 2, for Violin and Viola
• *Intermezzo for Large Orchestra
• *Sinfonietta La Jolla, in A major, for piano and chamber orchestra
• *Trio No. 2, for violin, cello, and piano, in D minor
• Luigi Nono – Variazioni canoniche sulla serie dell’op.41 di A. Schönberg, for chamber orchestra
• Vincent Persichetti – Divertimento for Band
• Allan Pettersson – First Concerto for Strings
• Walter Piston – Symphony No.4
• Theodor Rogalski – Three Romanian Dances for orchestra
• Arnold Schoenberg –
• *Psalm 130 "De profundis", op. 50b
• *Modern Psalm, op. 50c
• *Style and Idea
• Humphrey Searle – Poem for 22 Strings
• John Serry, Sr. –
• * Eight Accordion Quartet Arrangements
• *La Culebra, for flute & accordion
• *African Bolero, for flute & accordion
• Karlheinz Stockhausen –
• *Choral, for a cappella choir, Nr. 1/9
• *Chöre für Doris, for a cappella choir, Nr. ¹/₁₁
• *Drei Lieder, for alto voice and chamber orchestra, Nr. 1/10
• Heitor Villa-Lobos –
• * String Quartet No. 12
• * Symphony No. 8

  Opera

• Luigi Dallapiccola – Job
• Norman Dello Joio – The Triumph of Saint Joan
• Lukas Foss – The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
• Vittorio Giannini – The Taming of the Shrew
• Gian-Carlo Menotti – The Consul

  Jazz

Musical theatre

• Alive and Kicking – Broadway revue opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on January 17 and ran for 46 performances
• Call Me Madam Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on October 12 and ran for 644 performances.
• Carousel London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on June 7 and ran for 566 performances.
• Dear Miss Phoebe London production opened at the Phoenix Theatre on October 13 and ran for 283 performances
• Guys and Dolls. Broadway production opened at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24 and ran for 1200 performances.
• The Highwayman Music, Lyrics & Book: Edmond Samuels. Australian production opened at the Kings Theatre, Melbourne on November 18
• Michael Todd's Peep Show Broadway revue opened at Winter Garden Theatre on June 28 and ran for 278 performances.
• Out Of This World Broadway production opened at the New Century Theatre on December 21 and ran for 157 performances.
• Peter Pan Lyrics and Music: Leonard Bernstein. Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on April 24 and ran for 321 performances
• Tickets, Please! Broadway revue opened at the Coronet Theatre on April 27 and ran for 245 performances.

  Musical films

• Annie Get Your Gun, starring Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern and Keenan Wynn.
• Bhai Bahen, starring Geeta Bali and Bharat Bhushan.
• Canzoni per le strade, starring Luciano Taioli and Antonella Lualdi
• Cinderella, animated film featuring the voice of Ilene Woods and Verna Felton.
• Come Dance with Me featuring Anne Shelton and Anton Karas
• Cossacks of the Kuban , starring Vladlen Davydov and Marina Ladynina
• Fancy Pants starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball
• Hamara Ghar, starring Meena Kumari and Durga Khote
• I'll Get By starring June Haver, Gloria DeHaven and Dennis Day, and featuring Harry James.
• Mr. Music starring Bing Crosby and featuring Peggy Lee, Groucho Marx and Dorothy Kirsten.
• Mussorgsky, starring Aleksandr Borisov
• My Blue Heaven, starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey
• Pagan Love Song starring Esther Williams and Howard Keel
• Samsaram, starring N. T. Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Lakshmirajyam
• Singing Guns released February 28 starring Vaughn Monroe, Ella Raines, Walter Brennan and Ward Bond
• Tea For Two starring Doris Day and Gordon MacRae
• There's a Girl in My Heart starring Lee Bowman, Elyse Knox, Gloria Jean and Peggy Ryan
• Three Little Words starring Fred Astaire, Red Skelton and Vera Ellen, and featuring Helen Kane dubbing for Debbie Reynolds.
• The Chocolate Girl , starring Giselle Pascal, Claude Dauphin and Henri Genès
• The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady, starring June Haver and Gordon MacRae
• The Toast of New Orleans starring Kathryn Grayson and Mario Lanza
• Two Weeks With Love starring Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalbán, Louis Calhern, Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter.
• The West Point Story starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Doris Day and Gordon MacRae

  Births

January – February

• January 1
• *Morgan Fisher
• *Steve Ripley
• January 3 – Beth Anderson, American composer
• January 5 – Chris Stein, guitarist and co-founder of Blondie
• January 7 – Juan Gabriel, singer
• January 9 – David Johansen, proto-punk singer
• January 21 – Billy Ocean, singer
• January 23
• *Luis Alberto Spinetta, "father of Argentine rock"
• *Danny Federici
• January 26 – Paul Pena, singer, songwriter and guitarist
• January 28 – Bob Hay, American singer-songwriter
• January 29 – Max Carl, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player
• February 1 – Mike Campbell, American guitarist, songwriter and producer
• February 2 – Ross Valory, American rock bass player
• February 3 – John Schlitt, American Christian rock singer
• February 6 – Natalie Cole, African American singer, daughter of Nat King Cole
• February 12 – Steve Hackett, guitarist and composer
• February 13 – Peter Gabriel, singer and composer
• February 14 – Roger Fisher, American guitarist
• February 15 – David Brown, bass guitarist
• February 19 – Andy Powell, rock guitarist
• February 20 – Walter Becker, jazz rock bass guitarist, songwriter and record producer
• February 26
• * Jonathan Cain, rock musician \
• * Billy Steinberg, American songwriter

  March – April

• March 2 – Karen Carpenter, singer
• March 11 – Katia Labèque, pianist
• March 20 – Carl Palmer, drummer
• March 21 – Roger Hodgson
• March 22 – David Golub, pianist and conductor
• March 26 – Teddy Pendergrass, singer
• March 27 – Tony Banks
• April 5 – Agnetha Fältskog, singer
• April 12
• *David Cassidy, singer
• *Ivar Frounberg, Danish composer and organist
• April 22 – Peter Frampton, singer
• April 24 – Rob Hyman
• April 25 – Steve Ferrone

  May – June

• May 2 – Lou Gramm
• May 3 – Mary Hopkin, singer
• May 4 – Darryl Hunt
• May 7 – Prairie Prince, American rock drummer and graphic artist
• May 9 – Tom Petersson
• May 12 – Billy Squier, singer-songwriter and guitarist
• May 13
• *Stevie Wonder, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
• *Danny Kirwan, guitarist
• May 16 – Ray Condo, singer, saxophonist, and guitarist
• May 18 – Mark Mothersbaugh
• May 22 – Bernie Taupin, lyricist
• May 29 – Rebbie Jackson, singer
• May 24 – Terry Scott Taylor, record producer
• June 1 – Graham Russell
• June 3 – Suzi Quatro, rock singer
• June 5
• *Ronnie Dyson, singer and actor
• *Michael Monarch
• June 19 – Ann Wilson
• June 21 – Joey Kramer

  July – August

• July 4 – Tonio K, American singer-songwriter
• July 5
• *Huey Lewis, singer and songwriter
• *Michael Monarch, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
• July 10 – Greg Kihn, rock musician, radio personality and novelist.
• July 12 – Eric Carr
• July 14 – Gwen Guthrie, singer-songwriter
• July 18 – Glenn Hughes
• July 19 – Freddy Moore, singer-songwriter
• July 23 – Blair Thornton
• August 12 – Kid Creole, singer
• August 13 – Pluto Shervington, reggae singer
• August 18 – Dennis Elliott
• August 25 – Willy DeVille, singer and songwriter

  September – October

• September 10 – Joe Perry, guitarist
• September 14 – Paul Kossoff, guitarist
• September 17 – Fee Waybill rock singer-songwriter
• September 27 – Linda Lewis, singer
• October 1 – Elpida, singer
• October 2 – Mike Rutherford, musician and songwriter
• October 8 – Robert Kool Bell, singer
• October 20 – Tom Petty, rock singer-songwriter and guitarist

  November – December

• November 1 – Dan Peek
• November 11 – Jim Peterik
• November 12 – Barbara Fairchild, American singer-songwriter
• November 18
• *Graham Parker, British singer-songwriter
• *Rudy Sarzo, Cuban-American bass player
• November 20 – Gary Green
• November 21
• *Marie Bergman, Eurovision singer
• *Livingston Taylor, singer-songwriter
• November 22
• *Tina Weymouth
• *Steven Van Zandt
• December 1 – Richard Keith , American drummer and actor
• December 5 – Camarón de la Isla, flamenco singer
• December 6 – Joe Hisaishi, Japanese composer and director
• December 8 – Dan Hartman, singer-songwriter
• December 9 – Joan Armatrading, singer-songwriter
• December 20 – Arturo Márquez, composer
• December 25 – Rockdrigo González, folk & rock singer-songwriter
• December 28 – Alex Chilton

  Deaths

• January 2 – Theophrastos Sakellaridis, Greek composer and conductor
• January 28 – Kansas Joe McCoy, blues musician and songwriter
• February 10 – Armen Tigranian, Armenian composer
• February 26 – Sir Harry Lauder, Scottish singer, comedian and songwriter
• February 28 – Ernst Abert Couturier, cornet virtuoso, composer, inventor and instrument manufacturer
• March – Kate Carney, English singer and comedian
• March 8 – Jaroslav Kocián, violinist, composer and teacher
• April 2 – Adolf Wiklund, Swedish composer
• April 3 – Kurt Weill, composer in many styles
• April 8 – Vaslav Nijinsky, ballet dancer
• April 23 – Gemma Bellincioni, operatic soprano
• May 7 – Bertha "Chippie" Hill, blues singer and vaudeville performer
• May 13 – Pauline de Ahna, operatic soprano
• June 9 – Joe Burke, pianist and composer
• June 26 – Antonina Nezhdanova, coloratura soprano
• July 1 – Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, developer of eurhythmics
• July 7 – Fats Navarro, jazz musician
• July 11 – Buddy DeSylva, songwriter
• July 21 – Al Hoffman, songwriter
• July 26 – Papa Charlie McCoy, blues musician
• July 30 – Guilhermina Suggia, cellist
• August 3 – Georg Høeberg, composer and conductor
• August 8 – Nikolai Myaskovsky, Soviet composer and teacher of Polish birth
• August 26 – Giuseppe De Luca, operatic baritone
• September 5 – Al Killian, trumpeter and bandleader
• October 11 – Emil Votoček, chemist, composer and music theorist
• October 15 – Clément Doucet, pianist
• October 23 – Al Jolson, singer and actor
• October 26 – Evelyn Suart, English pianist
• November 20 – Francesco Cilea, opera composer
• November 23 – Percival Mackey, English pianist, composer and bandleader
• December 2 – Dinu Lipatti, Romanian pianist and composer
• December 9 – Georg Hann, operatic bass-baritone
• December 22 – Julius Weismann, German composer and conductor
• December 26 – Ben Black, songwriter and impresario
• December 28 – Charles L. Johnson, composer of ragtime and popular music
• December 31 – Charles Koechlin, composer and teacher
• date unknown
• *Jaime de Angulo, ethnomusicologist
• *Auguste Aramini, French singer
• *Edouard Espinosa, dancer, choreographer and teacher
• *Cenobio Hernandez, composer
• *Georges Mager, trumpet player
• *Ray Perry, jazz musician