1957 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1957.
Specific locations
- 1957 in British music
- 1957 in Norwegian music
Specific genres
- 1957 in country music
- 1957 in jazz
Events
- January 5 – Renato Carosone and his band start their American tour in Cuba.
- January 6 – Elvis Presley makes his final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
- January 16 – The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool, England, as a jazz club.
- February 8 – Bo Diddley records his songs "Hey Bo Diddley" and "Mona".
- 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 1 – The Everly Brothers record in Nashville their first single "Bye Bye Love" for Cadence Records.
- March 3 – The second annual Eurovision Song Contest is staged in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany. The contest is won by Dutch singer Corry Brokken with the song Net als toen.
- March 19 – Elvis Presley purchases a mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, and calls it Graceland.
- March 26 – Ricky Nelson records his first three songs.
- March 27 – "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 proves to be one of her biggest hit records as well.
- May 14 – In Paris, Heitor Villa-Lobos records his Bachiana Brasileira No. 4, with the Orchestre Nationale de la Radiodiffusion Française, for EMI. Through May 21 the recording sessions continue with Bachiana Brasileira No. 7 and Bachiana Brasileira No. 3 with Manoel Braune, piano.
- May 26 – Paul Robeson, blacklisted at this time from travelling outside the United States, performs a concert from New York City via the new transatlantic telephone line to an audience in St Pancras Town Hall in London; on October 5 he uses the same means to address the Miners' Eisteddfod at the Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl in Wales.
- June 20 – Toru Takemitsu's Requiem for Strings is first performed, by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.
- July 6 – John Lennon and Paul McCartney of The Beatles first meet at a garden fete at St. Peter's Church, Woolton, Liverpool, England, at which Lennon's skiffle group, The Quarrymen, is playing.
- 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". This year, she is also the first female recording artist to have her own fan club.
- September 20 – Jean Sibelius dies aged 91 at Ainola, his home in Finland, having completed no significant compositions for thirty years; at the time of his death, a performance of his Symphony No. 5 is being given in Helsinki under the baton of Sir Malcolm Sargent.
- September 26 – Broadway première of the musical West Side Story at the Winter Garden Theatre with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, his Broadway debut. This year also Bernstein conducts the inaugural concert of the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv.
- November 25–27 – The first two Hollywood motion pictures starring Pat Boone, Bernadine and April Love, are released.
- 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", hits #49 on the Billboard pop charts. Garfunkel is Tom Graph and Simon is Jerry Landis, a pseudonym he used during his early 1960s solo recordings. They tour for eighteen months before retiring to become college students and then reforming in 1963 as Simon & Garfunkel.
- The Casals Festival is founded in Puerto Rico.
- 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 of $10,000. Other top performers follow suit, including Mel Tormé and Tony Bennett, but, despite an increase in ratings, the show still fails to pick up a national sponsor.
- Gorni Kramer makes his first appearance on Italian television, in Il Musichiere.
- Maria Callas is introduced to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
- "Suíte do Pescador" is composed by Dorival Caymmi.
- Actress Debbie Reynolds earns a gold record for her song Tammy, which is the best-selling single by a female vocalist in 1957 in the United States. This song from the motion picture Tammy and the Bachelor is also nominated for an Academy Award.
Bands formed
- U.S. Navy Steel Band
Albums released
- About the Blues – Julie London
- After Glow – Carmen McRae
- After Midnight – Nat King Cole
- After School Session – Chuck Berry
- Almendra – Aldemaro Romero
- 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 the Gate of Horn – Odetta
- ' – Stan Getz
- Bags' Groove – Miles Davis
- The Beat of My Heart – Tony Bennett
- Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean – Harry Belafonte
- Bing with a Beat – Bing Crosby
- The Big Beat – Johnnie Ray
- Birth of the Cool – Miles Davis
- Blossom Dearie – Blossom Dearie
- A Blowin' Session – Johnny Griffin
- Blue Starr – Kay Starr
- Blue Train – John Coltrane
- Blue Trombone – J. J. Johnson
- Boy Meets Girl – Sammy Davis, Jr. and Carmen McRae
- Brilliant Corners – Thelonious Monk
- Chet Atkins at Home – Chet Atkins
- The "Chirping" Crickets – Buddy Holly & The Crickets
- A Christmas Story – Bing Crosby
- Close to You – 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
- Count Basie at Newport – Count Basie
- Criollísima – Aldemaro Romero
- Day by Night – Doris Day
- Dedicated to You – The "5" Royales
- Double Play! – Russ Freeman & André Previn
- Dream Street – Peggy Lee
- Drum Suite – Art Blakely
- Ella and Louis Again – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book – Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington
- Elvis' Christmas Album – Elvis Presley
- An Evening with Belafonte – Harry Belafonte
- Exotica – Martin Denny
- Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps – Gene Vincent
- Grand Ole Opry's New Star – George Jones
- The Great Ray Charles – Ray Charles
- Hard Bop – Art Blakely and the Jazz Messengers
- The Helen Morgan Story – Gogi Grant
- 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
- In Las Vegas – Johnnie Ray
- Interplay for 2 Trumpets and 2 Tenors – John Coltrane
- It's All Over but the Swingin' – Sammy Davis, Jr.
- Jackie's Pal – Jackie McLean
- Jazz by Sun Ra – Sun Ra
- Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown – The Browns
- A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra – Frank Sinatra
- The Jones Boys – Thad Jones
- Julie – Julie London
- Just One of Those Things – Nat King Cole
- Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims – Jutta Hipp
- Like Someone in Love – Ella Fitzgerald
- Losers, Weepers – Kay Starr
- Louis and the Angels – Louis Armstrong
- Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson – Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson
- Love Is the Thing – Nat King Cole
- Love Serenade – The Ames Brothers
- Loving You – Elvis Presley
- Mad Thad – Thad Jones
- Make Love to Me – Julie London
- Mal/2 – Mal Waldron
- The Man I Love – Peggy Lee
- The Many Sides of Toshiko – Toshiko Akiyoshi
- Mating Call – Tadd Dameron
- Mel Tormé's California Suite – Mel Tormé
- Mel Tormé at the Crescendo – Mel Tormé
- Miguel – Dalida
- Miles Ahead – Miles Davis
- A Midnight Session with the Jazz Messengers – 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
- Now Hear This – The Hi-Lo's
- Once Over Lightly – Jo Stafford
- One Dozen Roses – The Mills Brothers
- One O'Clock Jump – Count Basie Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald & 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
- The Poll Winners – Barney Kessel
- Porgy and Bess – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
- The Prestige Jazz Quartet – Teddy Charles
- Pretty Baby – Dean Martin
- Quand on n'a que l'amour – Jacques Brel
- Ray Charles – Ray Charles
- Ricky – Ricky Nelson
- 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.
- Saxophone Colossus – Sonny Rollins
- 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 Any Taste – Mel Tormé
- Songs for Inspiration & Meditation – Jo Stafford
- Songs of Scotland – Jo Stafford
- Sophisticated Swing – Cannonball Adderley
- Soulville – Ben Webster
- The Sounds of Christmas Harmony – The Ames Brothers
- Strange Blues – Jackie McLean
- Strictly Powell – Bud Powell
- Such Sweet Thunder – Duke Ellington
- Suddenly It's The Hi-Lo's – The Hi-Lo's
- Suddenly There's Gogi Grant – Gogi Grant
- Sweet Seventeen – The Ames Brothers
- A Swingin' Affair! – Frank Sinatra
- Swingin' Easy – Sarah Vaughan
- Tenor Conclave – Prestige All Stars
- Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane – Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane
- There'll Always Be A Christmas – The Ames Brothers
- Tony – Tony Bennett
- Tormé Meets the British – Mel Tormé
- Toshiko and Leon Sash at Newport – Toshiko Akiyoshi & Leon Sash
- Trane's Blues – John Coltrane
- Walkin – Miles Davis
- Way Out West – Sonny Rollins
- We Get Letters – Perry Como
- The Weavers at Carnegie Hall – The Weavers
- West Side Story – Original Broadway Cast
- Where Are You? – Frank Sinatra
- Winner's Circle – Oscar Pettiford
- With His Hot and Blue Guitar – Johnny Cash
Biggest hit singles
# | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries |
1 | Elvis Presley | Jailhouse Rock | 1957 | UK 1 – Jan 1958, US BB 1 – Oct 1957, US BB 1 of 1957, Canada 1 – Oct 1957, DDD 1 of 1957, POP 1 of 1957, Europe 2 of the 1950s, Scrobulate 2 of rockabilly, RYM 3 of 1957, Netherlands 5 – Jan 1974, France 10 – Dec 1971, US CashBox 11 of 1957, South Africa 11 of 1958, AFI 21, Global 33 – 1957, Party 54 of 1999, Italy 60 of 1958, Rolling Stone 67, Acclaimed 192, Belgium 214 of all time | |
2 | Paul Anka | Diana | 1957 | UK 1 – Aug 1957, US BB 1 – Jul 1957, Canada 1 – Jul 1957, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Jun 1957, Italy 2 of 1958, Poland 9 – Apr 1989, US CashBox 13 of 1957, US BB 14 of 1956, POP 14 of 1956, Europe 17 of the 1950s, RYM 17 of 1957, Global 33 – 1957, DDD 36 of 1957 | |
3 | Elvis Presley | All Shook Up | 1957 | UK 1 – Jun 1957, US BB 1 – Apr 1957, Canada 1 – May 1957, RYM 5 of 1957, US CashBox 8 of 1957, DDD 11 of 1957, Scrobulate 12 of rock & roll, US BB 13 of 1957, POP 13 of 1957, Netherlands 33 – Jan 2005, Global 33 – 1957, Europe 78 of the 1950s, Party 179 of 2007, Rolling Stone 352, Acclaimed 835 | |
4 | Jerry Lee Lewis | Great Balls of Fire | 1957 | UK 1 – Dec 1957, RYM 1 of 1957, US BB 2 – Dec 1957, Canada 2 – Dec 1957, DDD 5 of 1957, US BB 14 of 1958, POP 14 of 1958, South Africa 15 of 1958, Netherlands 27 – Sep 1989, Scrobulate 63 of oldies, RIAA 64, Europe 76 of the 1950s, Acclaimed 86, Rolling Stone 96, Party 242 of 1999 | |
5 | Danny & The Juniors | At the Hop | 1957 | US BB 1 – Dec 1957, Canada 1 – Dec 1957, UK 3 – Jan 1958, US BB 3 of 1958, POP 3 of 1958, South Africa 6 of 1958, US CashBox 10 of 1958, RYM 11 of 1957, DDD 21 of 1957, Europe 73 of the 1950s, RIAA 250, Acclaimed 728 |
US No. 1 hit singles
These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1957.First week | Number of weeks | Title | Artist |
February 9, 1957 | 3 | "Too Much" | Elvis Presley |
March 2, 1957 | 4 | "Young Love" | Tab Hunter |
March 30, 1957 | 1 | "Party Doll" | Buddy Knox |
April 6, 1957 | 1 | "Round and Round" | Perry Como |
April 13, 1957 | 8 | "All Shook Up" | Elvis Presley |
June 3, 1957 | 5 | "Love Letters In The Sand" | Pat Boone |
June 10, 1957 | 1 | "Bernadine" | Pat Boone |
July 8, 1957 | 7 | "Teddy Bear" | Elvis Presley |
August 26, 1957 | 2 | "Tammy" | Debbie Reynolds |
September 9, 1957 | 1 | "Diana" | Paul Anka |
September 16, 1957 | 1 | "Tammy" | Debbie Reynolds |
September 23, 1957 | 1 | "That'll Be the Day" | The Crickets |
September 30, 1957 | 2 | "Honeycomb" | Jimmie Rodgers |
October 14, 1957 | 1 | "Wake Up Little Susie" | The Everly Brothers |
October 21, 1957 | 7 | "Jailhouse Rock" | Elvis Presley |
December 9, 1957 | 2 | "You Send Me" | Sam Cooke |
December 23, 1957 | 2 | "April Love" | Pat Boone |
Top hits on record
- "All Shook Up" – Elvis Presley
- "An Affair To Remember" – Nat King Cole
- "And That Reminds Me" – Della Reese
- "Almost In Your Arms – Sophia Loren
- "April Love" – Pat Boone
- "Around The World" – Nat King Cole
- "A Teenager's Romance" – Ricky Nelson
- "At the Hop" — Danny and the Juniors
- "Bad Motorcycle"- The Storey Sisters
- "Be-Bop Baby" – Ricky Nelson
- "Bernadine" – Pat Boone
- "Black Slacks" – Joe Bennett & the Sparkletones
- "Blue Starr" – Kay Starr
- "Blueberry Hill" – Fats Domino
- "Butterfly" – Andy Williams
Published popular music
- "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. Jimmy Van Heusen
- "Almost Paradise" m. Norman Petty
- "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
- "Bernadine" w.m. Johnny Mercer
- "Bony Moronie" w.m. Larry Williams
- "The Book of Love" w.m. Warren Davies, George Malone & Charles Patrick
- "Boy on a Dolphin" w. Paul Francis Webster Jean Fermanoglou m. Takis Morakis
- "Build Your Love " 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. Jimmy 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. Carl Sigman Pierre Delanoë m. Gilbert Bécaud
- "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
- "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" w.m. Ewan MacColl
- "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. Mann Curtis Pierre Delanoë m. Gilbert Bécaud
- "Lida Rose" w.m. Meredith Willson
- "Liechtensteiner Polka" w. 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 at Bubu" w.m. Lord Melody
- "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
- "My Heart Reminds Me" w. Al Stillman m. Camillo Bargoni
- "My Little Baby" w.m. Joe Shapiro and Lou Stallman
- "My Special Angel" w.m. Jimmy Duncan
- "Napoleon" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
- "A New-Fangled Tango" w. Matt Dubey m. Harold Carr
- "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 " 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
- "Song of the Clyde" w. R. Y Bell m. Ian Gourlay
- "Spooky Polka" – m. John Serry Sr.
- "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 " w.m. Meredith Willson. Introduced by Robert Preston in the musical The Music Man.
- "The Twelfth of Never" adapt. 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
Premieres
- 1 Posthumous premiere.
- 2 Recording. The Sonata was performed publicly for the first time in concert on April 1967 by Elisabeth Klein in Copenhagen.
- 3 Revision of a cantata composed in 1938 and premiered in 1948. Until then Miserae had been Hartmann's Symphony No. 1.
- 4 Concert premiere. The Symphony had been previously recorded by the BBC Symphony conducted by Adrian Boult in March 1950 for a radio broadcast.
- 5 In two versions. Unofficial premiere, given at the time without permission, but now acknowledged by the publisher. Originally, the official premiere was given as 28 July 1957, the last day of the Darmstädter Ferienkurse, in the Orangerie at Darmstadt, in two versions played by Paul Jacobs. This is now regarded as the European premiere.
Compositions
- Malcolm Arnold – Symphony No. 3
- Aaron Copland – Orchestral Variations
- Pierre Gabaye – Boutade
- Henryk Górecki –
- *Sonata for two violins, Op. 10
- *Concerto for Five Instruments and String Quartet, Op. 11
- Jørgen Jersild – 3 Madrigali
- Wojciech Kilar – Lullabies, solo cantatas for soprano and seven instruments
- Giselher Klebe – Concerto for cello and orchestra
- Jan Klusák – Concerto grosso
- László Lajtha – Symphony No. 7, Revolution
- Ennio Morricone – Concerto, for orchestra
- Walter Piston – Viola Concerto
- Hilding Rosenberg – String Quartets nos. 8 – 12
- Edmund Rubbra – Seventh Symphony
- John Serry Sr. – Reeds in a Rush
- Roger Sessions – Symphony No. 3
- Alfred Schnittke – Symphony No. 0
- Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 11 in G minor, Op. 103 "The Year 1905"
- Elie Siegmeister – Symphony No. 3
- Karlheinz Stockhausen – Gruppen for three orchestras
- Toru Takemitsu – Requiem for Strings
- Vladimir Ussachevsky – Metamorphosis
- Ralph Vaughan Williams – Symphony No. 9
- Heitor Villa-Lobos
- *Piano Concerto No. 3
- *String Quartet No. 17
- *Symphony No. 12
- William Walton – Partita for Orchestra
- Mieczysław 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
- Bernd Alois Zimmermann
- * Canto di speranza
- * Die fromme Helene
- * Omnia tempus habent
Opera
- John Eaton – Ma Barker
- Bohuslav Martinů – The Greek Passion
- Douglas Moore – Gallantry
- Ildebrando Pizzetti – Assassinio nella Cattedrale
- Francis Poulenc – Dialogues of the Carmelites
- Heitor Villa-Lobos – Daughter of the Clouds
[Jazz]
[Musical theater]
- Bells Are Ringing London production
- Brigadoon — Broadway revival
- Damn Yankees — London production
- Harmony Close London production opened at the Lyric, Hammersmith on April 17.
- Katharina Knie opened at the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich on January 20
- The Music Man opened at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway on December 19, 1957, and ran for 1375 performances.
- New Girl In Town Broadway production, opened at the 46th St. Theatre and ran for 431 performances
- West Side Story — Broadway production, opened at the Winter Garden Theatre and ran for 732 performances
- Zuleika — London production, Saville Theatre
[Musical film]s
- Funny Face starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn
- Les Girls starring Gene Kelly, Mitzi Gaynor and Kay Kendall
- Loving You released July 9 starring Elvis Presley.
- Mayabazar starring Savithri
- The Pajama Game starring Doris Day and John Raitt
- Pal Joey starring Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak
- Pardesi, with music by Anil Biswas
- Silk Stockings, featuring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse
Births
- January 3 – Dave Dobbyn, New Zealand singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- January 4
- *Brian Roy Goble, Canadian singer-songwriter
- *Patty Loveless, country singer
- January 23 – Earl Falconer, reggae bass guitarist and singer
- January 27 – Janick Gers, heavy metal guitarist
- February 2 – Tony Butler, rock bass guitarist
- February 19 – Falco, classical and rock musician
- February 27 – Adrian Smith, musician
- February 28
- * Phil Gould, drummer
- * Cindy Wilson, new wave singer
- March 5 – Mark E. Smith, post-punk singer-songwriter
- March 12 – Marlon Jackson, vocalist
- March 21 – John Whitfield, conductor
- March 26 – Paul Morley, music journalist
- April 2 – Mark Alburger, composer, conductor, music journalist
- April 12 – Vince Gill
- May 2 – Markus Stockhausen, trumpeter and composer
- May 10 – Sid Vicious, punk musician
- May 18 – Michael Cretu, musician
- May 27 – Siouxsie Sioux, singer
- June 11 – Jamaaladeen Tacuma, free jazz bass guitarist
- June 15 – Brad Gillis, American guitarist
- June 17
- *Phil Chevron, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
- *Martin Dillon, American tenor and educator
- June 22 – Gary Beers
- June 26 – Patty Smyth, American singer-songwriter
- July 3
- * Peter Breiner, composer
- * Poly Styrene, punk musician
- July 30 – Christopher Miller, known as Rat Scabies, drummer
- August 2
- *Mojo Nixon, American singer-songwriter
- *Butch Vig, American drummer, songwriter, and producer
- August 18 – Ron Strykert, Men at Work
- August 21 – Budgie, drummer
- August 22 – Holly Dunn, country singer/songwriter
- August 31
- * Gina Schock, The Go-Go's
- * Glenn Tilbrook, vocalist
- September 1
- * Gloria Estefan, singer Miami Sound Machine
- * Jon Moss, drummer
- September 22
- * Nick Cave, singer-songwriter
- * Johnette Napolitano, Concrete Blonde
- October 3 – Tim Westwood, DJ
- October 5 – Lee Jay Thompson
- October 7 – Michael W. Smith, contemporary Christian singer
- October 19 – Karl Wallinger
- October 20 – Anouar Brahem, oud player and composer
- October 21
- * Julian Cope, post-punk singer-songwriter and antiquarian
- * Steve Lukather, rock guitarist
- October 16 – Kelly Marie, disco singer
- October 28 – Stephen Morris
- November 1 – Lyle Lovett, country musician
- November 5 – Mike Score
- November 8 – Porl Thompson
- November 20 – Hendrik Hofmeyr, composer
- November 24 – Chris Hayes, pop rock musician
- December 6 – Adrian Borland, post-punk musician The Sound
- December 6
- *Bob Drake, avant-garde musician
- *Jack Lee, bagpiper
- December 9
- * Donny Osmond, singer
- * Steve Taylor, singer, record producer
- December 10 – Paul Hardcastle, composer and musician
- December 12 – Sheila E., singer-songwriter and percussionist
- December 20
- * Anita Baker, R&B singer-songwriter
- * Billy Bragg, singer-songwriter
- * Anna Vissi, singer
- December 22 – Tsai Chin, singer
- December 25 – Shane MacGowan, Celtic punk singer
- December 27 – Jerry Gaskill, American drummer
- date unknown
- * Annette A. Aguilar, Latin jazz percussionist
- * Charles Roland Berry, composer
- * Kartik Seshadri, sitarist and composer
Deaths
- January – Gertie Gitana, music hall entertainer, 69
- January 16 – Arturo Toscanini, conductor, 89
- January 18 – George Girard, jazz trumpeter, 26
- February 7 – Rudolph Réti, pianist, composer and musicologist, 71
- February 16 – Josef Hofmann, pianist and composer, 81
- February 21
- *"Klondike" Kate Rockwell, vaudeville performer, 83
- *Marguerite Sylva, operatic mezzo-soprano, 81
- March 8 – Othmar Schoeck, composer, 70
- March 13 – Lena Ashwell, Forces entertainer, 84
- March 24 – Carson Robison, country music singer and songwriter, 66
- April 15 – Pedro Infante, actor and singer, 39
- May 2 – Tadeusz Kassern, composer, 53
- May 9 – Ezio Pinza, Italian singer and actor, 64
- May 12 – Marie Rappold, operatic soprano, 83
- June 5 – Frances Densmore, ethnomusicologist, 90
- June 6 – Kulyash Baiseitova, opera singer, 52
- June 12 – Jimmy Dorsey, jazz musician and big band leader, 53
- July 7 – Hiski Salomaa, folk singer and songwriter, 66
- July 9 – Alexander Goedicke, pianist and composer, 80
- July 16 – Serge Chaloff, saxophonist, 33
- August 4 – Ivan Zorman, poet and composer, 72
- August 28 – Erik Tuxen, conductor, composer and arranger, 55
- September 1 – Dennis Brain, horn virtuoso, 36
- September 11 – Petar Stojanović, violinist and composer, 80
- September 20 – Jean Sibelius, composer, 91
- October 14 – Natanael Berg, composer, 78
- October 20 – Jack Buchanan, Scottish singer, dancer, actor and director, 66
- October 23 – Abe Lyman, US bandleader, composer and drummer, 60
- November 4 – Joseph Canteloube, composer, 78
- November 29 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold, composer, 60
- November 30 – Beniamino Gigli, operatic tenor, 67
- December 19 – Abolhasan Saba, instrumentalist, 55
- December 20 – Walter Page, jazz musician, 57
- December 21 – Eric Coates, composer, 71
- Undated – Ustad Qasim, musician, 78–79
Awards