1955 in music
Encyclopedia
Events
- January 1 – RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
Victor announces a marketing plan called "Operation TNT." The label drops the list price on LPs from $5.95 to $3.98, EPs from $4.95 to $2.98, 45 EPs from $1.58 to $1.49 and 45's from $1.16 to $.89. Other record labels follow RCA's lead and begin to drop prices as well. - January 7 – "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets first appears on the British charts.
- January 14 – In New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Alan FreedAlan FreedAlbert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll...
produces the first rock and rollRock and rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
concert. - February 19 – Dot Records introduces a new singer, Pat BoonePat BooneCharles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
, with an advertisement in Billboard magazine calling him "a great new voice" - February 26 – For the first time since their introduction in 1949, 45 rpm discs begin to outsell standard 78s.
- Kay StarrKay StarrKay Starr is an American pop and jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1940s and 50s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz"....
leaves Capitol to sign with RCA - March 15 – Colonel Tom ParkerColonel Tom Parker"Colonel" Thomas Andrew "Tom" Parker born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, was a Dutch-born entertainment impresario known best as the manager of Elvis Presley...
becomes Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's manager - March 19 – The film Blackboard JungleBlackboard JungleBlackboard Jungle is a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an inner-city school. It is based on the novel of the same name by Evan Hunter.-Plot:...
is premièred in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The film features Bill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
' "Rock Around the ClockRock Around the Clock"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
" over the opening credits—the first use of a rock and roll song in a major film. - March 22 – Decca Records signs DJ Alan Freed as an A&R man.
- March 26 – Bill Hayes tops the US charts for five weeks with "The Ballad of Davy CrockettThe Ballad of Davy Crockett"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.The first recording of the song was made by Fess Parker, quickly followed by versions by Bill Hayes and Tennessee Ernie Ford...
" and starts a (fake) coonskin capCoonskin capA coonskin cap is a hat fashioned from the skin and fur of a raccoon. The original coonskin cap consisted of the entire skin of the raccoon including its head and tail...
craze. - May 13 – First riot at an Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
concert takes place in Jacksonville, FL - May 21 – Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
records his first single, "Maybelline" for Chess RecordsChess RecordsChess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
in Chicago. - May 22 – Bridgeport, CT authorities cancel a rock concert to be headlined by Fats DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
for fear of a riot breaking out. - June – The newly-formed Netherlands Chamber OrchestraNetherlands Chamber OrchestraThe Netherlands Chamber Orchestra is a chamber orchestra based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The NKO is part of the Stichting Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest , along with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra . The core of the NKO is a group of at least 20 string instrumentalists...
gives its first performance at the Holland FestivalHolland FestivalThe Holland Festival is The Netherlands' oldest and largest performing arts festival, and takes place every June in Amsterdam. It comprises theater, music, opera and modern dance. In recent years, multimedia, visual arts, film and architecture were added to the festival roster...
. - July 9 – "Rock Around the Clock" becomes the first Rock and rollRock and rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
single to reach Number One on the American charts. - July 13 – The Beaux Arts TrioBeaux Arts TrioThe Beaux Arts Trio was a noted piano trio. They made their debut on July 13, 1955 at the Berkshire Music Festival, known today as the Tanglewood Music Center. Their final American concert was held at Tanglewood on August 21, 2008. It was webcast live and archived on NPR Music...
make their debut at the Berkshire Music Festival. - August 19 – WINS radio station in New York City adopts policy of not playing white cover versions of black R&B songs.
- August 31 – A Londoner is fined for "creating an abominable noise" for playing "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" at top volume.
- September 3 – Little RichardLittle RichardRichard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
records "Tutti FruttiTutti Frutti (song)"Tutti Frutti" is a 1955 song by Little Richard, which became his first hit record. With its opening cry of "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bop-bop!" and its hard-driving sound and wild lyrics, it became not only a model for many future Little Richard songs, but also one of the...
" with significantly cleaned up lyrics (originally "Tutti Frutti, good booty" among other things). - September 26 – "America's Sweethearts," Eddie FisherEddie Fisher (singer)Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
and Debbie ReynoldsDebbie ReynoldsDebbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
marry. - October 15 – Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
plays a concert in Lubbock, Texas. Opening act is local duo Buddy and Bob. Buddy is future rock star Buddy HollyBuddy HollyCharles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
. - November 12 – Billboard magazine DJ poll names Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
as the most promising new country/western singer. - November 20 – Bo Diddley makes his debut TV appearance on Ed SullivanEd SullivanEdward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 , which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S...
's "Toast Of The Town" show on CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. - November 22 – Colonel Tom Parker signs Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
to RCA RecordsRCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. - December – The Temperance SevenThe Temperance SevenThe Temperance Seven is a British band specializing in 1920s-style jazz music.- Career :The Temperance Seven were founded at Christmas 1955, although it has been alleged they first "saw the light" in the Pasadena Cocoa Rooms, Balls Pond Road, North London, in 1904...
is founded, with three members. - December 15 – Sun Records releases "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
. - Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
and Art GarfunkelArt GarfunkelArthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
copyright a song, "The Girl For Me," with the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
and begin singing together as a duo while still in high school in New York, New York. - Mirella FreniMirella FreniMirella Freni, birth name Mirella Fregni, is an Italian opera soprano whose repertoire includes Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Tchaikovsky...
makes her debut as Micaela in Carmen at Modena. - Nine-year-old Al GreenAl GreenAlbert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
forms a gospel quartet, the Green Brothers. - Clyde McPhatterClyde McPhatterClyde McPhatter was an American R&B singer, perhaps the most widely imitated R&B singer of the 1950s and 1960s, making him a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. He is best known for his solo hit "A Lover's Question"...
launches a solo career. - Renato CarosoneRenato CarosoneRenato Carosone , born Renato Carusone, was among the greatest figures of Italian music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He was also a modern performer of the so-called canzone napoletana, Naples' song tradition.-Beginnings:Carosone was born in Naples...
and Nicola SalernoNicola SalernoNicola Salerno, also known as Nisa was an Italian lyricist. He formed a famous songwriting duo with Renato Carosone.-Career:Nicola Salerno was born in Naples....
meet and start their songwriting partnership - Italian singers Natalino OttoNatalino OttoNatalino Otto, stage name of Natale Codognotto was an Italian singer. He started the swing genre in Italy.-Early years:Natalino Otto was born at Cogoleto, province of Genoa, in northern Italy....
and Flo Sandon'sFlo Sandon'sMammola Sandon, known by the stage name of Flo Sandon's , was an Italian singer who was popular in the post-WWII years. She won the Sanremo Music Festival in 1953 with the song "Viale d'autunno".-Career:...
wed. - Shivkumar SharmaShivkumar SharmaShivkumar Sharma is an Indian santoor player. The santoor is a folk instrument from Kashmir and Jammu. Sharma is often referred to by the title Pandit.-Early life:...
gives his first public performance in Bombay. - Aloys and Alfons KontarskyAloys and Alfons KontarskyAloys and Alfons Kontarsky were German duo-pianist brothers who were associated with a number of important world premieres of contemporary works. They had an international reputation for performing modern music for two pianists, although they also performed the standard repertoire and they...
begin performing as a piano duo.
Albums released
- At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1 is a 1955 live album release by jazz drummer Art Blakey for Blue Note Records. It featured the third incarnation of the Jazz Messengers, Blakey's career-spanning band, and is the first of two volumes recorded on November 23, 1955 at Café Bohemia, a famous night club in...
– The Jazz MessengersArt BlakeyArthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.... - At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2 is a 1955 live album release by jazz drummer Art Blakey. It was first released by Blue Note Records. This record featured the third incarnation of The Jazz Messengers, one of Blakey's most endearing bands, and was the second of two volumes recorded at Café Bohemia, a...
– The Jazz Messengers - Day Dreams – Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
- Blue MoodsBlue MoodsBlue Moods is 1955 album by Miles Davis. It brings Miles Davis together with Charles Mingus, accompanied by Elvin Jones on drums. The arrangement of "Alone Together" was by Charles Mingus, while the other tracks were arranged by Teddy Charles....
– Miles DavisMiles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,... - Clifford Brown with StringsClifford Brown with StringsClifford Brown with Strings is a 1955 studio album by trumpeter Clifford Brown.- Track listing :# "Yesterdays" – 2:59# "Laura" – 3:26# "What's New?" – 3:23...
– Clifford BrownClifford BrownClifford Brown , aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings... - Cloud 7Cloud 7 (album)-Track listing:Side one#"I Fall in Love Too Easily" - 2:50#"My Baby Just Cares for Me" - 2:21#"My Heart Tells Me" - 4:54...
– Tony BennettTony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz.... - Concert by the SeaConcert by the SeaConcert by the Sea is a 1955 live album by Erroll Garner, which was recorded in Carmel, California. The recording also features Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums, and although it was produced using relatively primitive sound equipment, Garner's inventiveness and musical talent have...
– Erroll GarnerErroll GarnerErroll Louis Garner was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad "Misty", has become a jazz standard... - Dinner in CaracasDinner in CaracasDinner in Caracas is the name of a 33-RPM LP album by Venezuelan composer/arranger/conductor Aldemaro Romero, released in 1955, under contract with RCA Victor....
– Aldemaro RomeroAldemaro RomeroAldemaro Romero was a Venezuelan pianist, composer, arranger and orchestral conductor. He was born in Valencia, Carabobo State.-Biography:... - Doris Day in Hollywood – Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
- Eddie Fisher Sings Academy Award Winning Songs – Eddie FisherEddie Fisher (singer)Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
- Especially for You... – Teresa BrewerTeresa BrewerTeresa Brewer was an American pop singer whose style incorporated elements of country, jazz, R&B, musicals and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of the 1950s, recording nearly 600 songs. Born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio, Brewer died of a neuromuscular...
- Four Brothers – The Ames Brothers
- Happy HolidayHappy Holiday (Jo Stafford album)Happy Holiday is a 1955 album of Christmas songs and carols by Jo Stafford. The entire family participated in the creation of this album; young Tim Weston is the small boy on the cover...
– Jo StaffordJo StaffordJo Elizabeth Stafford was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards and occasional actress whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s... - The Hi-Lo's, I Presume – The Hi-Lo’s
- I Cry for You – Johnnie RayJohnnie RayJohnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.-Early life:John Alvin Ray was born in...
- I Love You – Eddie FisherEddie Fisher (singer)Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
- I'm in the Mood for LoveI'm in the Mood for Love (Eddie Fisher album)I'm in the Mood for Love is the name of a 1952 album by Eddie Fisher, reissued in 1955, featuring the song of the same name. It was issued as a 10-inch long-playing record by RCA Victor Records.-Track listing:...
– Eddie FisherEddie Fisher (singer)Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered... - In a Blue Mood – Kay StarrKay StarrKay Starr is an American pop and jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1940s and 50s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz"....
- In a Romantic MoodIn a Romantic MoodIn a Romantic Mood is a 1955 album by Oscar Peterson, accompanied by an orchestra arranged by Russ Garcia. -Track listing:# "Ruby" – 3:14# "Stars Fell on Alabama" – 3:40...
– Oscar PetersonOscar PetersonOscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career... - In the Land of Hi-FiIn the Land of Hi-Fi (Sarah Vaughan album)In the Land of Hi-Fi is a 1955 studio album by the American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan. It was recorded on October 26 and 27 1955, in New York City.-Track listing:#"Over the Rainbow" – 3:30...
– Sarah VaughanSarah VaughanSarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."... - In the Wee Small HoursIn the Wee Small HoursIn 2003, the album was ranked number 100 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album is also the first album reviewed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery. In 2007, Time Magazine selected it as one of The All-TIME 100 Albums...
– Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the... - Jazz SpectacularJazz SpectacularJazz Spectacular was Frankie Laine's 15th 12" long-play album, recorded and originally released in 1955. This is a Franke Laine theme album, the theme being Jazz, recorded with Jazz trumpeter Buck Clayton, pianist Sir Charles Thompson, tenor-saxophonist Budd Johnson, trombonist Urbie Green and...
– Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
& Buck ClaytonBuck ClaytonBuck Clayton was an American jazz trumpet player who was a leading member of Count Basie’s "Old Testament" orchestra and a leader of mainstream-oriented jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong... - Julie Is Her NameJulie Is Her NameJulie Is Her Name was the first LP album by Julie London, released by Liberty Records in December, 1955, under catalog numbers LRP-3006, in monaural form. It was subsequently reprocessed to produce a stereophonic album, and this stereophonic version was released on May 25, 1960 as catalog number...
– Julie LondonJulie LondonJulie London was an American singer and actress. She was best known for her smoky, sensual voice. London was at her singing career's peak in the 1950s. Her acting career lasted more than 35 years... - Love Me or Leave Me – Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
- Lovers' Laine – Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
- Meet Betty Carter and Ray BryantMeet Betty Carter and Ray BryantMeet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant is a 1955 album by Betty Carter and Ray Bryant.Some of the tracks featuring Carter are also included on her album Social Call.-Track listing :...
– Betty CarterBetty CarterBetty Carter was an American jazz singer renowned for her improvisational technique and idiosyncratic vocal style...
and Ray BryantRay BryantRaphael Homer "Ray" Bryant was an American Jazz pianist and composer.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ray Bryant began playing the piano at the age of six, also performing on bass in junior High School... - Memory SongsMemory Songs- Track listing :# Long, Long, Ago # Juanita# In the Gloaming# Last Night# Stars of the Summer Night# Sweet and Low# Love's Old Sweet Song # Now the Day Is Over # Wunderbar# Need You # Whispering Hope...
– Jo StaffordJo StaffordJo Elizabeth Stafford was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards and occasional actress whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s... - Miles Davis Volume 1Miles Davis Volume 1Miles Davis Volume 1 is an album which compiles tracks recorded by Miles Davis for Blue Note Records on 9 May 1952 and 6 March 1954. The music has been issued in a variety of formats over the years - the track listing below is that of the 2001 CD reissue containing all the music recorded at the...
– Miles Davis - Miles Davis Volume 2Miles Davis Volume 2Miles Davis Volume 2 is an album which compiles tracks recorded for Blue Note Records on 20 April 1953 by Miles Davis. Tracks 1-6 were originally released on a 10" LP as BLP 5022, the track listing below is that of the 2001 reissue containing all the music recorded at the session...
– Miles Davis - Miles: The New Miles Davis QuintetMiles: The New Miles Davis Quintet-Personnel:*Miles Davis — trumpet*John Coltrane — tenor saxophone*Red Garland — piano*Paul Chambers — bass*Philly Joe Jones — drums-See also:Albums recorded by the same personnel:* Cookin * Round About Midnight * Relaxin...
– Miles Davis - The Misty Miss ChristyThe Misty Miss ChristyThe Misty Miss Christy is a 1956 studio album by June Christy. Christy sings several jazz standards, along with a few lesser-known tunes, all arranged by Pete Rugolo, who also conducted the orchestra, which actually consisted of different combinations of musicians assembled on different recording...
– June ChristyJune ChristyJune Christy , born Shirley Luster, was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued a solo career from 1954 and is best known for her debut album Something Cool... - Moments to Remember – The Four LadsThe Four LadsThe Four Lads is a popular Canadian male singing quartet. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the group earned many gold singles and albums. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Moments to Remember," "Standin' on the Corner," "No, Not Much," "Who Needs You," and "Istanbul."The Four Lads makes...
- Music Ala Carte – The Crew Cuts
- Musings of MilesMusings of MilesThe Musings of Miles is an album recorded by Miles Davis for Prestige Records in 1955. The rhythm section of this quartet is the nucleus of the group that later became known as Miles' First Great Quintet...
– Miles Davis - Noël Coward at Las VegasNoël Coward at Las VegasNoël Coward at Las Vegas is a 1955 live album by Noël Coward.This was Coward's first appearance on the Las Vegas Strip, with Coward claiming that the dates gave him "one of the most sensational successes of my career, and to pretend that I am not absolutely delighted would be idiotic." Life...
– Noël CowardNoël CowardSir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy... - Oklahoma!Oklahoma! (soundtrack)Oklahoma! is the original soundtrack album of the 1955 film Oklahoma!, an adaptation of the musical play of the same name. The soundtrack charted #1 on the Billboard Pop Album Chart in 1956 and has been in continual print...
– Original Broadway Cast - Oscar Peterson Plays Count BasieOscar Peterson Plays Count BasieOscar Peterson Plays Count Basie is a 1955 album by Oscar Peterson, of music associated with Count Basie. -Track listing:# "Lester Leaps In" – 3:58# "Easy Does It" – 6:28...
– Oscar PetersonOscar PetersonOscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career... - The One, the Only Kay Starr – Kay StarrKay StarrKay Starr is an American pop and jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1940s and 50s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz"....
- Quintet/Sextet – Miles Davis
- Rain or ShineRain or Shine (Dick Haymes album)Rain Or Shine is an album from Dick Haymes. Released in 1955 and with musical direction by Ian Bernard plus Johnny Mandel on Love Is Here To Stay and Come Rain Or Come Shine.-Track listing:-Recording musicians:*Dick Haymes...
– Dick HaymesDick HaymesRichard Benjamin "Dick" Haymes was an Argentine actor and one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, who was an actor, television host, and songwriter.... - Rock Around the ClockRock Around the Clock (album)Rock Around the Clock was the third album of rock and roll music by Bill Haley and His Comets. Released by Decca Records in December 1955 it was, like the two albums that preceded it, a compilation album of previously issued singles. Most of album's contents were in fact previously issued by Decca...
– Bill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of... - Romance on the RangeRomance on the Range (album)Romance on the Range was a 1955 Patti Page LP, issued by Mercury Records as catalog number MG-20076.-Track listing:...
– Patti PagePatti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records... - Satch Plays Fats – Louis ArmstrongLouis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
- Shake, Rattle and Roll – Bill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
- Shostakovitch: Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93. Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New YorkNew York PhilharmonicThe New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, Dimitri Mitropoulos, condector. 12-inch LP. Columbia Masterworks ML 4959. - So SmoothSo SmoothSo Smooth was Perry Como's first RCA Victor 12" long-play album, recorded and originally released in 1955. This was also Perry's first album recorded at Webster Hall in New York City, and his first album with the Ray Charles Singers who would support him generally throughout the remainder of his...
– Perry ComoPerry ComoPierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr... - Soft and SentimentalSoft and Sentimental- Track listing :# September in the Rain # Early Autumn# I'm Always Chasing Rainbows # Don't Worry 'bout Me# Smoking My Sad Cigarette # Love Is Here to Stay...
– Jo StaffordJo StaffordJo Elizabeth Stafford was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards and occasional actress whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s... - Songs of ScotlandSongs of ScotlandSongs of Scotland is a 1955 album by Jo Stafford. It was released on January 1, 1955 on the Corinthian label and features Stafford backed by the Paul Weston Orchestra. The lyrics are all taken from traditional Scottish poetry, many from the work of Robert Burns, with the music written by Alton...
– Jo Stafford - Songs from Pete Kelly's BluesSongs from Pete Kelly's BluesSongs from Pete Kelly's Blues is a 1955 soundtrack album by Peggy Lee featuring tracks by Ella Fitzgerald, and several jazz instrumentals.It is the soundtrack to the 1955 film Pete Kelly's Blues, which starred Lee and Fitzgerald....
– Peggy LeePeggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist... - Starring Sammy Davis, Jr.Starring Sammy Davis, Jr.Starring Sammy Davis, Jr. is the debut studio album by Sammy Davis, Jr., recorded in 1955.Five of the songs on Starring Sammy Davis, Jr. had been previously released as singles , one of which, "Hey There" had reached the Top 20.Davis was involved in a serious car accident...
- Sammy Davis, Jr.Sammy Davis, Jr.Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities.... - Study in BrownStudy in BrownStudy in Brown is a Clifford Brown and Max Roach album. The album consists predominantly of originals by members of the band. The songs "Lands End," by tenor saxophonist Harold Land, and "Sandu", by Brown, have gone on to become jazz standards...
– Clifford BrownClifford BrownClifford Brown , aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings...
and Max RoachMax RoachMaxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history... - Swingin' Down YonderSwingin' Down YonderSwingin' Down Yonder is the first full-length, 12-inch album recorded by Dean Martin for Capitol Records during three sessions in September and October 1954 and February 1955...
– Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"... - Thelonious Monk plays the Music of Duke EllingtonThelonious Monk Plays the Music of Duke EllingtonThelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington is a 1955 album by Thelonious Monk, comprising his recordings of well-known songs by Duke Ellington. It was Monk's first album to be released by Riverside Records....
– Thelonious MonkThelonious MonkThelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"... - Voice of our Choice – Guy MitchellGuy MitchellGuy Mitchell, born Albert George Cernik, was an American pop singer, successful in his homeland, the U.K. and Australia...
Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest chart positionsin the set of charts available for 1955.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of... |
Rock Around the Clock Rock Around the Clock "Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954... |
1955 |  |
UK 1 – Oct 1955, US BB 1 – May 1955, US BB 1 of 1955, DDD 1 of 1954, POP 1 of 1955, Italy 3 of 1957, Global 4 (20 M sold) – 1954, Europe 5 of the 1950s, Scrobulate 8 of rock & roll, RIAA 12, Germany 17 – Jun 1968, Holland 27 – Jun 1968, 41 in 2FM list, Acclaimed 49, AFI 50, Rolling Stone 158, Party 180 of 1999 |
| 2 | Tennessee Ernie Ford Tennessee Ernie Ford Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres... |
Sixteen Tons Sixteen Tons "Sixteen Tons" is a song about the life of a coal miner, first recorded in 1946 by American country singer Merle Travis and released on his box set album Folk Songs of the Hills the following year... |
1955 | |
UK 1 – Jan 1956, US BB 1 – Nov 1955, Australia 1 for 6 weeks May 1955, RYM 13 of 1955, US BB 20 of 1955, POP 20 of 1955, DDD 49 of 1955, RIAA 83, Acclaimed 276 |
| 3 | Four Aces The Four Aces The Four Aces is an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Three Coins in the Fountain", "Stranger in Paradise", "Tell Me... |
Love is a Many Splendoured Thing Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (song) "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" is a popular song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was publicized first in the movie, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing , winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song... |
1955 | |
US BB 1 – Aug 1955, Oscar in 1955, UK 2 – Nov 1955, Peel list 2 of 1955, Italy 3 of 1956, US BB 9 of 1955, POP 9 of 1955, RYM 29 of 1955 |
| 4 | Chuck Berry Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B... |
Maybellene Maybellene "Maybellene" is a song recorded by Chuck Berry, adapted from the traditional fiddle tune "Ida Red" that tells the story of a hot rod race and a broken romance. It was released in July 1955 as a single on Chess Records of Chicago, Illinois. It was Berry's first single release and his first hit... |
1955 | |
RYM 1 of 1955, DDD 2 of 1955, US BB 5 – Aug 1955, US BB 6 of 1955, POP 6 of 1955, Scrobulate 17 of rock & roll, Rolling Stone 18, Acclaimed 99 |
| 5 | Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the... |
Love & Marriage | 1955 | |
US BB 2 of 1955, POP 2 of 1955, UK 3 – Jan 1956, US BB 5 – Nov 1955, Holland 9 – Apr 1991, RYM 16 of 1955, Scrobulate 47 of relaxing, Europe 83 of the 1950s |
US No. 1 hit singles
These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1955.| First week | Number of weeks | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 22, 1955 | 2 | "Let Me Go, Lover" | Joan Weber Joan Weber Joan Weber was an American popular music singer.Weber was raised in Paulsboro, New Jersey and married to a young bandleader... |
| February 5, 1955 | 1 | "Hearts of Stone Hearts of Stone "Hearts of Stone" is an American R&B song. It was written by Rudy Jackson, a member of the San Bernardino, California-based rhythm and blues vocal group the Jewels which first recorded it for the R&B label in 1954... " |
Fontane Sisters |
| February 12, 1955 | 6 | "Sincerely" | McGuire Sisters |
| March 26, 1955 | 5 | "The Ballad of Davy Crockett The Ballad of Davy Crockett "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.The first recording of the song was made by Fess Parker, quickly followed by versions by Bill Hayes and Tennessee Ernie Ford... " |
Bill Hayes |
| April 30, 1955 | 10 | "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" | Perez Prado Perez Prado Dámaso Pérez Prado was a Cuban bandleader, musician , and composer. He is often referred to as the 'King of the Mambo'.His orchestra was the most popular in mambo... |
| July 9, 1955 | 8 | "Rock Around the Clock Rock Around the Clock "Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954... " |
Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of... |
| September 3, 1955 | 5 | "The Yellow Rose of Texas The Yellow Rose of Texas "The Yellow Rose of Texas" is a traditional folk song. The original love song has become associated with the legend of how an indentured servant named Emily Morgan "helped win the battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution."... " |
Mitch Miller Mitch Miller Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive... |
| October 8, 1955 | 1 | "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (song) "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" is a popular song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was publicized first in the movie, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing , winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song... " |
The Four Aces The Four Aces The Four Aces is an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Three Coins in the Fountain", "Stranger in Paradise", "Tell Me... |
| October 15, 1955 | 1 | "The Yellow Rose of Texas The Yellow Rose of Texas "The Yellow Rose of Texas" is a traditional folk song. The original love song has become associated with the legend of how an indentured servant named Emily Morgan "helped win the battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution."... " |
Mitch Miller Mitch Miller Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive... |
| October 22, 1955 | 1 | "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (song) "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" is a popular song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was publicized first in the movie, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing , winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song... " |
The Four Aces The Four Aces The Four Aces is an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Three Coins in the Fountain", "Stranger in Paradise", "Tell Me... |
| October 29, 1955 | 4 | "Autumn Leaves Autumn Leaves (song) "Autumn Leaves" is a much-recorded popular song. Originally it was a 1945 French song "Les Feuilles mortes" with music by Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert. Yves Montand introduced "Les feuilles mortes" in 1946 in the film Les Portes de la Nuit... " |
Roger Williams Roger Williams (pianist) Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.-Biography:... |
| November 26, 1955 | 7 | "Sixteen Tons Sixteen Tons "Sixteen Tons" is a song about the life of a coal miner, first recorded in 1946 by American country singer Merle Travis and released on his box set album Folk Songs of the Hills the following year... " |
Tennessee Ernie Ford Tennessee Ernie Ford Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres... |
Top hits on record
- "Ain't That A ShameAin't That a Shame"Ain't That a Shame" is a song recorded by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Imperial Records and released in 1955. It was previously recorded in 1901 by Silas Leachman. The recording was a hit for Domino, eventually selling a million copies. It reached #1 on the...
" – Pat BoonePat BooneCharles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts... - "Arrivederci RomaArrivederci Roma"Arrivederci Roma" is the title and refrain of a popular Italian song, composed by Renato Rascel, with lyrics by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini. It was published in 1955 as part of the soundtrack of the Italo-American musical film with the same title, released as Seven Hills of Rome in...
" – Georgia GibbsGeorgia GibbsGeorgia Gibbs was an American popular singer and vocal entertainer rooted in jazz. Already singing publicly in her early teens, Gibbs first achieved acclaim in the mid-1950s interpreting songs originating with the black rhythm and blues community and later as a featured vocalist on a long list of... - "Band Of GoldBand of Gold (1955 song)"Band of Gold" is a popular song with music by Jack Taylor and lyrics by Bob Musel. It was published in 1955.The biggest hit version was recorded by Don Cherry in 1955. This version reached the top five on the pop chart in the United States...
" – Don CherryDon Cherry (singer/golfer)Donald Ross Cherry is an American singer of traditional pop music, best known for his 1955 hit, "Band of Gold"; and a former amateur and professional golfer.-Biography:... - "A Blossom FellA Blossom Fell"A Blossom Fell" is a popular song.It was written by Howard Barnes, Harold Cornelius, and Dominic John and published in 1954.The best-known version was recorded by Nat King Cole. The recording was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 3095...
" – Nat King ColeNat King ColeNathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres... - "The Crazy Otto MedleyThe Crazy Otto Medley"The Crazy Otto Medley" is a 1955 ragtime recording made by pianist Johnny Maddox.The song is actually a medley of several pieces of music originally recorded by the German comic performer Fritz Schulz-Reichel under the pseudonym of Otto der Schrage....
" – Johnny MaddoxJohnny MaddoxJohnny Maddox is a ragtime pianist and collector of ragtime memorabilia.His interest in the era of ragtime and blues was fueled by his Aunt Zula Cothron. She played ragtime piano at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, and taught Johnny to play... - "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" – Perez PradoPerez PradoDámaso Pérez Prado was a Cuban bandleader, musician , and composer. He is often referred to as the 'King of the Mambo'.His orchestra was the most popular in mambo...
- "Cool WaterCool Water"Cool Water" is a song written in 1936 by Bob Nolan. It is about a man and his mule, Dan, and a mirage in the desert.-Original version:The best-selling recorded version was done by Vaughn Monroe and The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948. The recording was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number...
" – Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005... - "Croce Di OroCroce di Oro"Croce di Oro" is a popular song, written by James "Kim" Gannon.It was popularized by Patti Page in 1955.The Page recording was released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70713. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on November 12, 1955...
" – Patti PagePatti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records... - "Cry Me a River" – Julie LondonJulie LondonJulie London was an American singer and actress. She was best known for her smoky, sensual voice. London was at her singing career's peak in the 1950s. Her acting career lasted more than 35 years...
- "Dance With Me, HenryDance with Me, HenryDance with Me, Henry is a 1956 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is the final film that they starred in together, although Costello went on to star in one more film before his death, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock.-Plot:...
" – Georgia GibbsGeorgia GibbsGeorgia Gibbs was an American popular singer and vocal entertainer rooted in jazz. Already singing publicly in her early teens, Gibbs first achieved acclaim in the mid-1950s interpreting songs originating with the black rhythm and blues community and later as a featured vocalist on a long list of... - "Danger! Heartbreak Ahead" – Jaye P. MorganJaye P. MorganMary Margaret Morgan , known professionally as Jaye P. Morgan, is a retired popular music American singer, actress and game show panelist.-Early life:...
- "Darling, Je Vous Aime BeaucoupDarling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup"Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" is a popular song with words and music by Anna Sosenko in 1935.It was introduced in the film Love and Hisses by Hildegarde and charted by Hildegarde at # 21 in 1943....
" – Nat King ColeNat King ColeNathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres... - "Earth AngelEarth Angel"Earth Angel " is an American doo-wop song, originally released by The Penguins in 1954 on the Dootone label , as the B-side to "Hey Señorita." The song became a major hit for The Crew-Cuts in 1955, reaching the Billboard charts on January 29, 1955. It peaked at #3 on the Disk Jockey chart, #8 on...
" – The Crew Cuts - "Gum DropGum DropFor the candy, see gumdrop. For the CSI episode, see Gum Drops. For the children's stories by Val Biro, see Gumdrop ."Gum Drop" is a popular song written by Rudy Toombs....
" – The Crew Cuts - "The Great PretenderThe Great Pretender"The Great Pretender" is a popular song recorded by The Platters, with Tony Williams on lead vocals, and released as a single on November 3, 1955. The words and music were created by Buck Ram, the Platters' manager and producer who was a successful songwriter before moving into producing and...
" – The PlattersThe PlattersThe Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre... - "Hawkeye" – Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
- "HeHe (song)"He" is a song about God, written in 1954, which made the popular music charts the following year.The music was written by Jack Richards, with lyrics by Richard Mullan...
", recorded by- Al HibblerAl HibblerAlbert George "Al" Hibbler was an American baritone vocalist, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra before having several pop hits as a solo artist. Some of his singing is classified as rhythm and blues, but he is best classified as a bridge between R&B and traditional pop music...
- McGuire Sisters
- Al Hibbler
- "Heart" – Eddie FisherEddie Fisher (singer)Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
- "How Important Can It Be?How Important Can It Be?"How Important Can It Be?" is a popular song written by Bennie Benjamin and George David Weiss and published in 1955. The lyrics of the song find the narrator asking her lover why her indiscretions with other boyfriends before him matter at all, now that she loves him so and vows to be true to...
" – Joni JamesJoni JamesJoni James is an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards.-Biography:... - "HummingbirdHummingbird (song)"Hummingbird" is a popular song.It was written by Don Robertson. The song was published in 1955.The best-known version of the song was the recording by Les Paul and Mary Ford . This version reached #7 on the Billboard chart...
", recorded by- Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
- Les Paul and Mary FordLes Paul and Mary FordLes Paul and Mary Ford were a popular 1950s husband-and-wife/group musical team in which Les Paul played the guitar and Mary Ford sang. In 1951 alone, they sold six million records....
- Frankie Laine
- "I Hear You KnockingI Hear You Knocking"I Hear You Knocking" is a popular rhythm and blues song with emphatic syncopation, written by Dave Bartholomew and Pearl King and published in 1955. The original recording was made by Smiley Lewis, reaching #2 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.The lyrics concern a former lover whose knocking at...
" – Gale StormGale StormGale Storm was an American actress and singer who starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show.-Early life:... - "I Need You NowI Need You Now (1954 song)"I Need You Now" is a popular song written by Al Jacobs and Jimmie Crane.The recorded version by Eddie Fisher, issued by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-5830, reached #1 on the Billboard and Cash Box charts in 1954....
" – Eddie FisherEddie Fisher (singer)Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered... - "I Want You to Be My BabyI Want You to Be My BabyI Want You to Be My Baby is a jump blues song written by Jon Hendricks for Louis Jordan whose recording - made 28 May 1953 - was an R&B hit that autumn....
" – Georgia GibbsGeorgia GibbsGeorgia Gibbs was an American popular singer and vocal entertainer rooted in jazz. Already singing publicly in her early teens, Gibbs first achieved acclaim in the mid-1950s interpreting songs originating with the black rhythm and blues community and later as a featured vocalist on a long list of... - "If I Give My Heart to YouIf I Give My Heart to You"If I Give My Heart to You" is a popular song written by Jimmy Brewster, Jimmie Crane, and Al Jacobs.The most popular versions of the song were recorded by Doris Day and Denise Lor; both charted in 1954. Anne Shelton recorded a version for the UK market, but it lost out to the Day version, as well...
", recorded by- Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
- Denise LorDenise LorDenise Lor is an American popular singer and actress.She was a featured artist on Garry Moore's television show.Ms. Lor was married to and subsequently divorced from TV director and singer Jay Martin, with whom she had sons, Ron and Dennis. They had met when she was singing on The Garry Moore...
- Doris Day
- "In The BeginningIn the Beginning (1954 song)"In the Beginning" is a popular song, by Dorcas Cochran, Kay Twomey, Ben Weisman, and Fred Wise.It was recorded by Frankie Laine in December, 1954 and released by Columbia as catalog number 40378, the flip side being "Old Shoes." Although the song did not chart in the United States, it reached #20...
" – Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005... - "It's A Sin To Tell A LieIt's a Sin to Tell a Lie"It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" is a 1936 popular song by Billy Mayhew. Originally introduced by Fats Waller on the 78 rpm record Victor 20-1595, it was revived in 1955 by Somethin' Smith and the Redheads, reaching #7 on the Billboard charts in that year. John Denver tells a story about the song and...
" – Somethin' Smith and the RedheadsSomethin' Smith and the RedheadsSomethin' Smith and the Redheads were an American vocal group doing mostly pop standards in the 1950s. Their biggest hit single was "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" in 1955, which reached #7 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.... - "Let Me Go, Lover" – Joan WeberJoan WeberJoan Weber was an American popular music singer.Weber was raised in Paulsboro, New Jersey and married to a young bandleader...
- "Let's Go Fishin'" – Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
& Jimmy BoydJimmy BoydJimmy Boyd was an American singer, musician, and actor. He was best known for his recording of the novelty song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus".-Early years:... - "Love Is A Many-Splendored ThingLove Is a Many-Splendored Thing (song)"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" is a popular song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was publicized first in the movie, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing , winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song...
" – The Four AcesThe Four AcesThe Four Aces is an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Three Coins in the Fountain", "Stranger in Paradise", "Tell Me...
featuring Al AlbertsAl AlbertsAl Alberts was a popular singer and composer. -Biography:Born Al Albertini in Chester, Pennsylvania, he went to South Philadelphia High School, whose alumni included many others who would become famous in show business, such as Joey Bishop, Buddy Greco, Al Martino, Mario Lanza, Chubby Checker,... - "Love Me Or Leave MeLove Me or Leave Me (song)"Love Me or Leave Me" is a U.S. popular song from the 1920s.The music was written by Walter Donaldson and the lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song was introduced in the Broadway play, Whoopee!, which opened in December 1928...
" – Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,... - "Maybelline" – Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
- "Melody of LoveMelody of Love"Melody of Love" is a popular song. The music was originally written by Hans Engelmann in 1903. The lyrics were added by Tom Glazer in 1954.An instrumental version recorded by Billy Vaughn was the highest-charting version on the Billboard charts in 1955...
" – Billy VaughnBilly VaughnRichard "Billy" Vaughn was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, orchestra leader, and A&R man for Dot Records.... - "Memories Are Made Of ThisMemories Are Made of This"Memories Are Made of This" is a popular song written by Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller in 1955.-History:The most popular version of the song was recorded by Dean Martin. It reached #1 on the Billboard chart for six weeks in 1956, and became his biggest hit...
" – Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"... - "Moments to RememberMoments to Remember"Moments to Remember" is a popular song published in 1955, and recorded by The Four Lads. The song was written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman.-History:...
" – The Four LadsThe Four LadsThe Four Lads is a popular Canadian male singing quartet. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the group earned many gold singles and albums. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Moments to Remember," "Standin' on the Corner," "No, Not Much," "Who Needs You," and "Istanbul."The Four Lads makes... - "My FriendMy Friend"My Friend" is a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix in New York City in 1968 during the recording sessions for Electric Ladyland. The song was first released in 1971 on the posthumous album The Cry of Love and later appeared on the CD First Rays of the New Rising Sun. It was mixed...
" – Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005... - "Never Look Back" – Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
- "Only You (And You Alone)Only You (And You Alone)"Only You " is a pop song composed by Buck Ram. It was recorded most successfully by The Platters, with lead vocals by Tony Williams, in 1955....
" – The PlattersThe PlattersThe Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre... - "PlaymatesPlaymates (song)"Playmates" is a popular song ostensibly written by Saxie Dowell. The main theme was note-for-note plagiarized from the 1904 intermezzo "Iola" by Charles L...
" – The Fontane SistersThe Fontane SistersThe Fontane Sisters were a trio from New Milford, New Jersey.-Early years:Their mother, Louise Rosse, was both a soloist and the leader of the St. Joseph's Church choir in New Milford. Bea and Marge started out singing for local functions, doing so well, they were urged to audition in New York City... - "Rock Around The ClockRock Around the Clock"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
" – Bill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of... - "Rock And Roll Waltz" – Kay StarrKay StarrKay Starr is an American pop and jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1940s and 50s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz"....
- "Same Old Saturday Night" – Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
- "Seventeen" – The Fontane SistersThe Fontane SistersThe Fontane Sisters were a trio from New Milford, New Jersey.-Early years:Their mother, Louise Rosse, was both a soloist and the leader of the St. Joseph's Church choir in New Milford. Bea and Marge started out singing for local functions, doing so well, they were urged to audition in New York City...
- "Sincerely" – McGuire Sisters
- "Sixteen TonsSixteen Tons"Sixteen Tons" is a song about the life of a coal miner, first recorded in 1946 by American country singer Merle Travis and released on his box set album Folk Songs of the Hills the following year...
", recorded by- Tennessee Ernie FordTennessee Ernie FordErnest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...
- Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
- Tennessee Ernie Ford
- "Smack Dab In The Middle" – The Mills Brothers
- "Song Of Seventeen" – Petty King
- "Speedo" – The CadillacsThe CadillacsThe Cadillacs were an American rock and roll and doo-wop group from Harlem, New York; active from 1953 to 1962. The group was noted for their 1955 hit "Speedoo", which was instrumental in attracting White audiences to Black rock and roll performers.-History:...
- "Stars Fell On AlabamaStars Fell on Alabama"Stars Fell on Alabama" is the title of a 1934 jazz standard composed by Frank Perkins with lyrics by Mitchell Parish.- History :One of the earliest recordings was by the Guy Lombardo orchestra, with his brother Carmen doing a vocal. This version was recorded on August 27, 1934, and issued by Decca...
" – Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
& Buck ClaytonBuck ClaytonBuck Clayton was an American jazz trumpet player who was a leading member of Count Basie’s "Old Testament" orchestra and a leader of mainstream-oriented jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong... - "Suddenly There's A ValleySuddenly There's a Valley"Suddenly There's a Valley" is a popular song written by Chuck Meyer and Biff Jones and published in 1955.The song was a major hit for Gogi Grant in 1955. Her recording was issued by Era Records as catalog number 1003 and reached Billboard magazine's Top 10...
" – Gogi GrantGogi GrantGogi Grant is an American popular singer.-Life and career:Grant was born Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of 12, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she attended Venice High School. In California, she won a teenage singing contest and appeared on television... - "Teenage Prayer" – Gale StormGale StormGale Storm was an American actress and singer who starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show.-Early life:...
- "That Old FeelingThat Old Feeling (song)"That Old Feeling" is a popular song.The music was written by Sammy Fain, the lyrics by Lew Brown. The song was published in 1937.The song first appeared in the movie Vogues of 1938, actually released in 1937. It was immediately a hit in a version recorded by Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm...
", recorded by- Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
& Buck ClaytonBuck ClaytonBuck Clayton was an American jazz trumpet player who was a leading member of Count Basie’s "Old Testament" orchestra and a leader of mainstream-oriented jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong... - Patti PagePatti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
- Frankie Laine
- "That's All I Want from YouThat's All I Want from You"That's All I Want from You" is a popular song by Fritz Rotter , published in 1955.The song was recorded by a number of artists, but became a major hit for Jaye P. Morgan, reaching #3 on the Billboard chart in the United States...
" – Jaye P. MorganJaye P. MorganMary Margaret Morgan , known professionally as Jaye P. Morgan, is a retired popular music American singer, actress and game show panelist.-Early life:... - "Tweedle DeeTweedle Dee"Tweedlee Dee" is a rhythm and blues novelty song with a Latin-influenced riff written by Winfield Scott for LaVern Baker and recorded by her at Atlantic Records' studio in New York City in 1954. It was her first hit, reaching #4 on Billboard's R&B chart and #14 on its Pop chart...
" – Georgia GibbsGeorgia GibbsGeorgia Gibbs was an American popular singer and vocal entertainer rooted in jazz. Already singing publicly in her early teens, Gibbs first achieved acclaim in the mid-1950s interpreting songs originating with the black rhythm and blues community and later as a featured vocalist on a long list of... - "Unchained MelodyUnchained Melody"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
", recorded by- Les BaxterLes BaxterLes Baxter was an American musician and composer.Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer...
- Roy HamiltonRoy HamiltonRoy Hamilton was an American singer, who achieved major success in the US R&B and pop charts in the 1950s...
- Al HibblerAl HibblerAlbert George "Al" Hibbler was an American baritone vocalist, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra before having several pop hits as a solo artist. Some of his singing is classified as rhythm and blues, but he is best classified as a bridge between R&B and traditional pop music...
- Les Baxter
- "A Woman in LoveA Woman in Love"A Woman in Love" is a popular song. It was written by Frank Loesser and was published in 1955, introduced in Samuel Goldwyn's cinematic adaptation of the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls.-Recorded versions:...
" – Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005... - "The Yellow Rose Of TexasThe Yellow Rose of Texas"The Yellow Rose of Texas" is a traditional folk song. The original love song has become associated with the legend of how an indentured servant named Emily Morgan "helped win the battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution."...
" – Mitch MillerMitch MillerMitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
& The Gang - "You Are My LoveYou Are My Love (1955 song)"You Are My Love" is a popular song. It was written by Jimmie Nabbie and was published in 1955.The song was written by request by Nabbie for Joni James, for whom it was a major hit. The song was released by MGM Records as catalog number 12066...
" – Joni JamesJoni JamesJoni James is an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards.-Biography:...
Top R&B and Country Hits on record
- "Ain't That A Shame" – Fats DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
- "Earth Angel" – The PenguinsThe PenguinsThe Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, "Earth Angel ", which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts...
- "Flip, Flop and FlyFlip, Flop and Fly"Flip, Flop and Fly" is a jump blues-style song recorded by Big Joe Turner in 1955. Called a "prototypical rocker", the song was a hit reaching number two in Billboard magazine's R&B chart...
" – Big Joe TurnerBig Joe TurnerBig Joe Turner was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." Although he came to his greatest fame in the 1950s with his pioneering rock and roll recordings, particularly "Shake, Rattle and... - "Tutti FruttiTutti Frutti (song)"Tutti Frutti" is a 1955 song by Little Richard, which became his first hit record. With its opening cry of "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bop-bop!" and its hard-driving sound and wild lyrics, it became not only a model for many future Little Richard songs, but also one of the...
" – Little RichardLittle RichardRichard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and... - "Tweedle DeeTweedle Dee"Tweedlee Dee" is a rhythm and blues novelty song with a Latin-influenced riff written by Winfield Scott for LaVern Baker and recorded by her at Atlantic Records' studio in New York City in 1954. It was her first hit, reaching #4 on Billboard's R&B chart and #14 on its Pop chart...
" – LaVern BakerLaVern BakerLaVern Baker was an American rhythm and blues singer, who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedlee Dee" , "Jim Dandy" , and "I Cried a Tear" .-Early life:She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, Illinois... - "Folsom Prison Blues" – Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
Published popular music
- "Adelaide" – w.m. Frank LoesserFrank LoesserFrank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
- "Ain't That A ShameAin't That a Shame"Ain't That a Shame" is a song recorded by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Imperial Records and released in 1955. It was previously recorded in 1901 by Silas Leachman. The recording was a hit for Domino, eventually selling a million copies. It reached #1 on the...
" – w.m. Antoine DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
& Dave BartholomewDave BartholomewDave Bartholomew is a musician, band leader, composer and arranger, prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century... - "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" – w.m. Jimmy ReedJimmy ReedMathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
- "All At Once You Love Her" – w. Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
m. Richard RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II... - "Arrivederci RomaArrivederci Roma"Arrivederci Roma" is the title and refrain of a popular Italian song, composed by Renato Rascel, with lyrics by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini. It was published in 1955 as part of the soundtrack of the Italo-American musical film with the same title, released as Seven Hills of Rome in...
" – w. (Eng) Carl SigmanCarl SigmanCarl Sigman was an American songwriter.-Biography:Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his Bar exams to practice in the state of New York...
m. Renato Ranucci - "Ballad Of Davy Crockett" – w. Tom Blackburn m. George BrunsGeorge BrunsGeorge Bruns was a composer of music for film and television who worked on many Disney films. He was nominated for four Academy Awards for his work.-Career:...
- "Band Of GoldBand of Gold (1955 song)"Band of Gold" is a popular song with music by Jack Taylor and lyrics by Bob Musel. It was published in 1955.The biggest hit version was recorded by Don Cherry in 1955. This version reached the top five on the pop chart in the United States...
" – w. Bob Musel m. Jack Taylor - "The Bible Tells Me So" – w.m. Dale EvansDale EvansDale Evans, was an American writer, movie star, and singer-songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.-Early life:...
- "Black Denim Trousers And Motorcycle BootsBlack Denim Trousers And Motorcycle Boots"Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots" is a popular teenage tragedy song that was a top-ten hit for The Cheers in the fall of 1955. It went to #6 on the Billboard Best Selling singles chart...
" – w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller - "Blue Monday" – w.m. Antoine "Fats" DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
& Dave BartholomewDave BartholomewDave Bartholomew is a musician, band leader, composer and arranger, prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century... - "Blue StarBlue Star (song)"Blue Star" is a popular song.The theme music of the television series, Medic, was written by Victor Young and copyright on February 17, 1955 under the title "The Medic Theme." A set of lyrics were written by Edward Heyman and with those lyrics and under the new title "Blue Star," a new copyright...
" w. Edward HeymanEdward HeymanEdward Heyman was an American musician and lyricist, best known for his compositions "Body and Soul", "When I Fall in Love", and "For Sentimental Reasons". He also contributed many songs for films.-Biography:...
m. Victor YoungVictor YoungVictor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.-Biography:... - "Blue Suede ShoesBlue Suede Shoes"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time...
" – w.m. Carl PerkinsCarl PerkinsCarl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954... - "Bo DiddleyBo DiddleyEllas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
" – w.m. Ellas McDanielBo DiddleyEllas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor... - "Charlie BrownCharlie Brown (song)"Charlie Brown" is a popular Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller song that was a top-ten hit for The Coasters in the spring of 1959 . It went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts, and was the first of three top-ten hits for the Coasters that year...
" – w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller - "Christmas AlphabetChristmas Alphabet"Christmas Alphabet" is a 1955 Christmas song, which became a #1 hit in the United Kingdom for the singer Dickie Valentine.It was written by Buddy Kaye and Jules Loman, and produced by Dick Rowe. It first entered the UK charts on 25 November 1955, where it spent seven weeks. Three of those were at...
" – Buddy KayeBuddy KayeJules Leonard "Buddy" Kaye was an American award-winning songwriter, musician, producer, author and publisher. His songs were recorded by top performers, including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Perry Como, Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield...
, Jules Loman - "Dance With Me, HenryDance with Me, HenryDance with Me, Henry is a 1956 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is the final film that they starred in together, although Costello went on to star in one more film before his death, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock.-Plot:...
" – w.m. Johnny OtisJohnny OtisJohnny Otis is an American singer, musician, talent scout, disc jockey, composer, arranger, recording artist, record producer, vibraphonist, drummer, percussionist, bandleader, and impresario.He is commonly referred to as The Godfather Of Rhythm And Blues.-Personal life:Otis, the son of Alexander...
, Hank BallardHank BallardHank Ballard , born John Henry Kendricks, was a rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and one of the first proto-rock 'n' roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s...
& Etta JamesEtta JamesEtta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
aka "Wallflower" - "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" – trad West Indies arr. William Attaway and Irving Burgie (aka Lord Burgess)
- "DomaniDomani"Domani" is a 1955 song written by Ulpio Minucci with lyrics by Tony Velona. The most popular version of the song was recorded by Julius LaRosa, released by Cadence Records as catalog number 1265...
" – w. Tony Velona m. Ulpio MinucciUlpio MinucciUlpio Minucci was an Italian-born composer and musician.Minucci wrote a number of popular hits in the 1950s, including "Domani," "A Thousand Thoughts of You," and "Felicia." He was nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work on ABC's Saga of Western Man in 1964 and 1965... - "Don't Be AngryDon't Be Angry"Don't Be Angry" is a popular song written by Nappy Brown, Rose Marie McCoy, and Fred Mendelsohn and published in 1955. Brown released it in 1955, reaching #2 in the Billboard charts....
" – w.m. Nappy Brown, Rose Marie McCoy & Fred Mendelsohn - "DreamboatDreamboat"Dreamboat" is a popular music song, the words and music to which were written by Jack Hoffman, ....
" – w.m. Jack Hoffman - "Dungaree Doll" – w. Ben Raleigh m. Sherman EdwardsSherman EdwardsSherman Edwards was an American songwriter.-Biography:Edwards was born in New York City and was raised in Weequahic, New Jersey, where he attended Weequahic High School. He attended Columbia University, where he majored in history. Throughout college, Edwards moonlighted, playing jazz piano for...
- "Folsom Prison BluesFolsom Prison Blues"Folsom Prison Blues" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career...
" – w.m. Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century... - "Forever Darling" w. Sammy CahnSammy CahnSammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
m. Bronislau Kaper. Introduced by Desi ArnazDesi ArnazDesi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
in the 1956 film Forever, DarlingForever, DarlingForever, Darling is a 1956 American romantic comedy film with fantasy overtones, starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and James Mason, and directed by Alexander Hall... - "The Great PretenderThe Great Pretender"The Great Pretender" is a popular song recorded by The Platters, with Tony Williams on lead vocals, and released as a single on November 3, 1955. The words and music were created by Buck Ram, the Platters' manager and producer who was a successful songwriter before moving into producing and...
" – w.m. Buck RamBuck RamBuck Ram was an American songwriter, and popular music producer and arranger.-Biography:... - "Hallelujah I Love Her SoHallelujah I Love Her So"Hallelujah I Love Her So" is a rhythm and blues single written by and released by American singer Ray Charles in 1956 on the Atlantic label.The song peaked at number five on the Billboard R&B chart and much like "I Got a Woman" and "This Little Girl of Mine" before it was a song based on a gospel...
" – w.m. Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records... - "HeHe (song)"He" is a song about God, written in 1954, which made the popular music charts the following year.The music was written by Jack Richards, with lyrics by Richard Mullan...
" – w. Jack Mullan m. Jack Richards - "He's a Tramp" w.m. Peggy LeePeggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
and Sonny BurkeSonny BurkeSonny Burke was a big band leader. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke Ambassadors....
. Introduced by Peggy Lee in the animated film Lady and the TrampLady and the TrampLady and the Tramp is a 1955 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released to theaters on June 22, 1955, by Buena Vista Distribution. The fifteenth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, it was the first animated feature filmed in the CinemaScope widescreen... - "Heart" – w.m. Richard AdlerRichard AdlerRichard Adler is an American lyricist, composer and producer of several Broadway shows.-Biography:Born in New York City, Adler had a musical upbringing, his father being a concert pianist. After serving in the Navy he began his career as a lyricist, teaming up with Jerry Ross in 1950...
& Jerry RossJerry Ross (composer)Jerry Ross was an American lyricist and composer whose works with Richard Adler for the musical theater include The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, winners of Tony Awards in 1955 and 1956 respectively in both the "Best Musical" and "Best Composer and Lyricist" categories.-Biography:Ross was born... - "Hey, Mister Banjo" – w.m. Freddy Morgan & Norman Malkin
- "I Hear You KnockingI Hear You Knocking"I Hear You Knocking" is a popular rhythm and blues song with emphatic syncopation, written by Dave Bartholomew and Pearl King and published in 1955. The original recording was made by Smiley Lewis, reaching #2 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.The lyrics concern a former lover whose knocking at...
" – w.m. Dave BartholomewDave BartholomewDave Bartholomew is a musician, band leader, composer and arranger, prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century...
& Pearl King - "I Never Has Seen Snow" – w. Truman CapoteTruman CapoteTruman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
& Harold ArlenHarold ArlenHarold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
m. Harold ArlenHarold ArlenHarold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the... - "I'll Never Stop Loving YouI'll Never Stop Loving You (1955 song)"I'll Never Stop Loving You" is a popular song.The music was written by Nicholas Brodzsky, the lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The song was published in 1955....
" w. Sammy CahnSammy CahnSammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
m. Nicholas Brodszky. Introduced by Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
in the film Love Me or Leave MeLove Me or Leave Me (film)Love Me or Leave Me is a 1955 biographical film which tells the life story of Ruth Etting, a singer who rose from dancer to movie star. It stars Doris Day as Etting, James Cagney as gangster Martin "Moe the Gimp" Snyder, her first husband and manager, and Cameron Mitchell as pianist/ arranger Myrl...
. - "I'm In Love AgainI'm in Love AgainI'm In Love Again is the sixth solo album released by singer Patti LaBelle in late 1983. Featuring the hits "If Only You Knew" and "Love, Need and Want You", this album is credited with reviving the singer's career after years of chart struggles on both the pop and R&B charts.-History:Patti LaBelle...
" – w.m. Antoine Domino & Dave BartholomewDave BartholomewDave Bartholomew is a musician, band leader, composer and arranger, prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century... - "In the Wee Small Hours of the MorningIn the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" is a 1955 popular song composed by David Mann, with lyrics by Bob Hilliard. It was introduced as the title track of Frank Sinatra's 1955 album In the Wee Small Hours....
" w. Bob Hilliard m. Dave Mann - "InnamorataInnamorata"Innamorata" is a song written in 1955. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Jack Brooks.It was written for the 1955 Martin and Lewis film, Artists and Models.In italian, the word innamorata means "my love"...
" – w. Jack Brooks m. Harry WarrenHarry WarrenHarry Warren was an American composer and lyricist. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song eleven times and won three Oscars for composing "Lullaby of Broadway", "You'll Never Know" and "On the Atchison,...
Introduced by Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
in the film Artists and ModelsArtists and ModelsArtists and Models is a 1955 Paramount musical comedy in VistaVision and marked Martin and Lewis's fourteenth feature together as a team. The film co-stars Dorothy Malone, Eva Gabor, Anita Ekberg, and Shirley MacLaine.-Plot:... - "It's Almost TomorrowIt's Almost Tomorrow"It's Almost Tomorrow" is a 1955 popular song with music by Gene Adkinson and lyrics by Wade Buff. The song was actually written in 1953, when Adkinson and Buff were in high school...
" – w. Wade Buff m. Gene Adkinson - "Jamaica FarewellJamaica Farewell"Jamaica Farewell" is a calypso about the beauties of the West Indian Islands.The lyrics for the song were written by Lord Burgess . Lord Burgess was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1926. His mother was from Barbados and his father was from Virginia. The song first appeared on Harry Belafonte's...
" – w.m. Lord BurgessLord BurgessIrving Louis Burgie, better known as Lord Burgess, is a songwriter, born in Brooklyn, New York in 1926, or possibly on July 28, 1924. His mother was from Barbados and his father was from Virginia.... - "Jim DandyJim Dandy (song)"Jim Dandy" is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart and #17 on the pop charts in the U.S...
" – w.m. Lincoln Chase - "Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)"Ko Ko Mo " is a 1955 popular song written by Forest Gene Wilson, Jake Porter, and Eunice Levy. Wilson and Levy made the first recording of the song. Well-known cover recordings were made by The Crew-Cuts and by Perry Como...
" – w.m. Forest Wilson, Jake Porter & Eunice Levy - "Learnin' The BluesLearnin' the Blues"Learnin' the Blues" is a 1955 popular song by Dolores Vicki Silvers.The best-known version of the song was recorded by Frank Sinatra in the 50s, which peaked #2 at the Billboard charts...
" – w.m. Dolores Vicki Silvers - "Life Could Not Better Be" – w.m. Sylvia FineSylvia FineSylvia Fine was an American lyricist, composer, producer and the wife of the comedian Danny Kaye...
& Sammy CahnSammy CahnSammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
. Introduced by Danny KayeDanny KayeDanny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
in the film The Court JesterThe Court JesterThe Court Jester is a 1956 musical-comedy film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, and Angela Lansbury. The movie was co-written, co-directed, and co-produced by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama...
. - "Little OneLittle One"Little One" is a song written by Cole Porter for the 1956 film High Society, where it was introduced by Bing Crosby....
" – w.m. Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre... - "Love and MarriageLove and Marriage"Love and Marriage" is a song with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and music by Jimmy Van Heusen. It is published by Barton Music Corporation .-Frank Sinatra versions:...
" – w. Sammy CahnSammy CahnSammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
m. James Van HeusenJames Van HeusenJimmy Van Heusen , was an American composer. He wrote songs mainly for films and television , and won an Emmy and four Academy Awards for Best Original Song.-Life and career:... - "Love Is A Many-Splendored ThingLove Is a Many-Splendored Thing (song)"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" is a popular song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was publicized first in the movie, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing , winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song...
" – w. Paul Francis WebsterPaul Francis WebsterPaul Francis Webster was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Song and was nominated sixteen times for the award.-Biography:...
m. Sammy FainSammy FainSammy Fain was an American composer of popular music.-Biography:Sammy Fain was born in New York City. In 1923, Fain appeared with Artie Dunn in a short film directed by Lee De Forest filmed in DeForest's Phonofilm sound-on-film process. In 1925, Fain left the Fain-Dunn act to devote himself to... - "Maybelline" – w.m. Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, Russ Frato & Alan FreedAlan FreedAlbert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll... - "Memories Are Made Of ThisMemories Are Made of This"Memories Are Made of This" is a popular song written by Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller in 1955.-History:The most popular version of the song was recorded by Dean Martin. It reached #1 on the Billboard chart for six weeks in 1956, and became his biggest hit...
" – w.m. Terry GilkysonTerry GilkysonHamilton H. Gilkyson III , better known as Terry Gilkyson, was an American folk singer, composer, and lyricist.-Biography:...
, Rich Dehr & Frank MillerFrank Miller (singer)Frank Miller is a singer and songwriter. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.With Terry Gilkyson and Richard Dehr, he wrote the song "Marianne." As a group called The Easy Riders, Dehr and Miller accompanied Gilkyson on the best-selling recording of the song in 1956.Subsequently, Frank Miller, Jerry... - "Mind if I Make Love to You?Mind if I Make Love to You?"Mind if I Make Love to You?" is a song written by Cole Porter for the 1956 film High Society, where it was sung by Frank Sinatra to Grace Kelly....
" – w.m. Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre... - "Moments To RememberMoments to Remember"Moments to Remember" is a popular song published in 1955, and recorded by The Four Lads. The song was written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman.-History:...
" – w. Al StillmanAl StillmanAl Stillman was an American lyricist.-Biography:Stillman was born in New York City. His name was originally Albert Silverman, but changed it to that of a well-known New York banking family. He was Jewish. He attended New York University. After graduation, he contributed to Franklin P...
m. Robert Allen - "Mr. WonderfulMr. Wonderful (song)"Mr. Wonderful" is a popular song, written in 1955 written by Jerry Bock, George David Weiss, and Larry Holofcener, as the title song of a Broadway musical starring Sammy Davis Jr....
" – w.m. Jerry BockJerry BockJerrold Lewis "Jerry" Bock was an American musical theater composer. He received the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with Sheldon Harnick for their 1959 musical Fiorello! and the Tony Award for Best Composer and Lyricist for the 1964 musical Fiddler on the Roof with...
, George David WeissGeorge David WeissGeorge David Weiss was an American songwriter and former President of the Songwriters Guild of America.-Career:...
& Larry Holofcener - "My Boy - Flat Top" – w.m. Boyd Bennett & John Young Jr
- "No, Not MuchNo, Not Much"No, Not Much" is a popular song published in 1955. The music was written by Robert Allen, the lyrics by Al Stillman.This song is an example of being rejected from the lover, stating that the lover does not get the pleasure, the thrills, and the satisfaction from his mate, stating that this was...
" – w. Al StillmanAl StillmanAl Stillman was an American lyricist.-Biography:Stillman was born in New York City. His name was originally Albert Silverman, but changed it to that of a well-known New York banking family. He was Jewish. He attended New York University. After graduation, he contributed to Franklin P...
m. Robert Allen - "Once-A-Year Day" – w.m. Richard AdlerRichard AdlerRichard Adler is an American lyricist, composer and producer of several Broadway shows.-Biography:Born in New York City, Adler had a musical upbringing, his father being a concert pianist. After serving in the Navy he began his career as a lyricist, teaming up with Jerry Ross in 1950...
& Jerry RossJerry Ross (composer)Jerry Ross was an American lyricist and composer whose works with Richard Adler for the musical theater include The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, winners of Tony Awards in 1955 and 1956 respectively in both the "Best Musical" and "Best Composer and Lyricist" categories.-Biography:Ross was born...
from the musical The Pajama GameThe Pajama GameThe Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded... - "An Occasional Man" w.m. Ralph Blane & Hugh Martin. Introduced by Gloria DeHavenGloria DeHavenGloria Mildred DeHaven is an American actress and a former contract star for MGM.-Early life and career:DeHaven was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of actor-director Carter DeHaven and actress Flora Parker DeHaven, both former vaudeville performers.She began her career as a child...
in the film The Girl Rush - "Paper RosesPaper Roses"Paper Roses" is a popular song written by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre which was a hit in 1960 for Anita Bryant with Monty Kelly's Orchestra and Chorus and later for Marie Osmond in 1973....
" – w. Janice Torre m. Fred Spielman - "Pet Me Poppa" – w.m. Frank LoesserFrank LoesserFrank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
- "Pete Kelly's BluesPete Kelly's Blues (song)"Pete Kelly's Blues" is a popular song featured in the movie of the same name. The music was written by Ray Heindorf, the lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The song was published in 1955. Ella Fitzgerald recorded this song on her 1964 Verve release Hello, Dolly! with an arrangement by Frank DeVol....
" – w. Sammy CahnSammy CahnSammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
m. Ray HeindorfRay HeindorfRay Heindorf was an American songwriter, composer, conductor, and arranger.-Early life:Born in Haverstraw, New York, Heindorf worked as a pianist in a movie house in Mechanicville in his early teens. In 1928, he moved to New York City, where he worked as a musical arranger before heading to... - "Relax-Ay-Voo" – Sammy CahnSammy CahnSammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
& Arthur SchwartzArthur SchwartzArthur Schwartz was an American composer and film producer.Schwartz supported his legal studies at New York University and postgraduate studies at Columbia University by playing piano before concentrating his talents on vaudeville, Broadway theatre and Hollywood.Among his Broadway musicals are The... - "Robin Hood" w.m. Carl SigmanCarl SigmanCarl Sigman was an American songwriter.-Biography:Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his Bar exams to practice in the state of New York...
. Theme song of the Television series starring Richard GreeneRichard GreeneRichard Marius Joseph Greene was a noted English film and television actor. A matinee idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, which ran for 143 episodes from 1955 to 1960.It has been...
. - "The Rock And Roll Waltz" – w. Dick Ware m. Shorty Allen
- "Rock-A-Beatin' BoogieRock-A-Beatin' BoogieRock-A-Beatin' Boogie is a 1952 song composed by Bill Haley and first recorded by The Esquire Boys in 1952. Bill Haley and the Comets recorded the song in 1955 for Decca. The song was featured in the 1956 movie Rock Around the Clock....
" – w.m. Bill HaleyBill HaleyBill Haley was one of the first American rock and roll musicians. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and their hit song "Rock Around the Clock".-Early life and career:... - "Same Old Saturday Night" – w. Sammy CahnSammy CahnSammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
m. Frank Reardon - "See You Later AlligatorSee You Later Alligator"See You Later, Alligator" is the title of an iconic rock and roll song of the 1950s.Originally entitled "Later Alligator", the song, based on a 12-bar blues chord structure , was written by Louisiana songwriter Robert Charles Guidry and first recorded by him under his professional name "Bobby...
" – w.m. Robert Guidry - "Seven-And-A-Half Cents" – w.m. Richard AdlerRichard AdlerRichard Adler is an American lyricist, composer and producer of several Broadway shows.-Biography:Born in New York City, Adler had a musical upbringing, his father being a concert pianist. After serving in the Navy he began his career as a lyricist, teaming up with Jerry Ross in 1950...
& Jerry RossJerry Ross (composer)Jerry Ross was an American lyricist and composer whose works with Richard Adler for the musical theater include The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, winners of Tony Awards in 1955 and 1956 respectively in both the "Best Musical" and "Best Composer and Lyricist" categories.-Biography:Ross was born... - "The Siamese Cat Song" – w.m. Peggy LeePeggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
& Sonny BurkeSonny BurkeSonny Burke was a big band leader. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke Ambassadors....
. Introduced by Peggy LeePeggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
in the animated film Lady and the TrampLady and the TrampLady and the Tramp is a 1955 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released to theaters on June 22, 1955, by Buena Vista Distribution. The fifteenth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, it was the first animated feature filmed in the CinemaScope widescreen...
. - "A Sleepin' BeeA Sleepin' Bee"A Sleepin' Bee" is a popular song composed by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Arlen and Truman Capote. It was introduced in the musical House of Flowers by Diahann Carroll.The signature line is "When a bee lies sleeping In the palm of your hand ..."...
" – w. Truman CapoteTruman CapoteTruman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
& Harold Arlen m. Harold ArlenHarold ArlenHarold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
. Introduced in the musical House of FlowersHouse of Flowers (musical)House of Flowers is a musical by Harold Arlen and Truman Capote , based on his own short story, first published in Breakfast at Tiffany's as one of three extra pieces besides the titular novella...
by Diahann Carroll, Ada Moore, Dolores Harper and Enid Mosier - "Smokey Joe's CafeSmokey Joe's CafeSmokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller...
" – w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller - "Softly, SoftlySoftly, Softly (song)"Softly, Softly" is a popular song written in 1955 by Mark Paul and Pierre Dudan, with English lyrics by Paddy Roberts.The most popular version of the song was recorded by Ruby Murray in 1955. Produced by Norrie Paramor, it reached number one in the UK Singles Chart....
" – Pierre Dudan, Paddy Roberts & Mark Paul - "Something's Gotta GiveSomething's Gotta Give (song)"Something's Gotta Give" is a popular song with words and music by Johnny Mercer in 1954. It was published in 1955. It was written for and first performed by Fred Astaire in the 1955 musical film Daddy Long Legs....
" – w.m. Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
. Introduced by Fred AstaireFred AstaireFred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
in the musical filmMusical filmThe musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
Daddy Long LegsDaddy Long Legs (film)Daddy Long Legs is a Hollywood musical comedy film set in France, New York City, and the fictional college town of "Walston" in Massachusetts. The film was directed by Jean Negulesco, and stars Fred Astaire, Leslie Caron, Terry Moore, Fred Clark, and Thelma Ritter, with music and lyrics by Johnny...
. - "Speedoo" – w.m. Esther Navarro
- "Stereophonic SoundStereophonic soundThe term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
" – w.m. Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
from the musical Silk StockingsSilk StockingsSilk Stockings is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter.Hildegarde Knef gives a vivid backstage account of the casting, rehearsals, tryouts and Broadway opening of "Silk Stockings" in her autobiography "The Gift Horse:... - "A Story UntoldA Story Untold"A Story Untold" is a song, originally written as a doo-wop song by Leroy Griffin, but adapted to the pop music genre in 1955.The original recording was by Griffin's group, The Nutmegs. The recording peaked at #2 on the R&B chart....
" – Leroy Griffin - "Suddenly There's A ValleySuddenly There's a Valley"Suddenly There's a Valley" is a popular song written by Chuck Meyer and Biff Jones and published in 1955.The song was a major hit for Gogi Grant in 1955. Her recording was issued by Era Records as catalog number 1003 and reached Billboard magazine's Top 10...
" – w.m. Chuck Meyer & Biff Jones - "(Love Is) The Tender Trap(Love Is) The Tender Trap" The Tender Trap" is a popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn.It was written for the 1955 film The Tender Trap, where it was introduced by Debbie Reynolds and Frank Sinatra, who each sing the song separately. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original...
" w. Sammy CahnSammy CahnSammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
m. James Van HeusenJames Van HeusenJimmy Van Heusen , was an American composer. He wrote songs mainly for films and television , and won an Emmy and four Academy Awards for Best Original Song.-Life and career:...
. Introduced by Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
in the film The Tender Trap. - "Theme From "East Of Eden"" – m. Leonard Rosenman
- "Tina MarieTina Marie"Teena Marie" is a popular song. It was written by Bob Merrill and was published in 1955.This record reached position #5 on the Billboard chart.deOn June 21, 1955, Perry Como recorded the song...
" – w.m. Bob MerrillBob MerrillBob Merrill was an American songwriter, theatrical composer, lyricist, and screenwriter.Merrill was born Henry Merrill Levan in Atlantic City, New Jersey and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following a stint with the Army during World War II, he moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a... - "Tutti FruttiTutti Frutti (song)"Tutti Frutti" is a 1955 song by Little Richard, which became his first hit record. With its opening cry of "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bop-bop!" and its hard-driving sound and wild lyrics, it became not only a model for many future Little Richard songs, but also one of the...
" – w.m. Richard Penniman, D. La Bostrie & Joe Lubin - "Two Lost Souls" – w.m. Richard AdlerRichard AdlerRichard Adler is an American lyricist, composer and producer of several Broadway shows.-Biography:Born in New York City, Adler had a musical upbringing, his father being a concert pianist. After serving in the Navy he began his career as a lyricist, teaming up with Jerry Ross in 1950...
& Jerry RossJerry Ross (composer)Jerry Ross was an American lyricist and composer whose works with Richard Adler for the musical theater include The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, winners of Tony Awards in 1955 and 1956 respectively in both the "Best Musical" and "Best Composer and Lyricist" categories.-Biography:Ross was born...
. Introduced by Gwen VerdonGwen VerdonGwenyth Evelyn “Gwen” Verdon was an actress and dancer who won four Tony awards for her musical comedy performances. With flaming red hair and an endearing quaver in her voice, Verdon was a critically acclaimed dancer on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s...
and Stephen DouglassStephen DouglassStephen Douglass is an American actor-singer.Born Stephen Fitch in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Douglass has had a distinguished theatrical career and has appeared occasionally on television. He was the last performer to play Billy Bigelow in the original Broadway production of Carousel and he created the...
in the musical Damn YankeesDamn YankeesDamn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League... - "Unchained MelodyUnchained Melody"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
" – w. Hy ZaretHy ZaretHy Zaret was an American Tin Pan Alley lyricist and composer best known as the co-author of the 1955 hit "Unchained Melody", one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.-Biography:...
m. Alex NorthAlex NorthAlex North was an American composer who wrote the first jazz-based film score and one of the first modernist scores written in Hollywood .... - "Wake The Town And Tell The PeopleWake the Town and Tell the People"Wake the Town and Tell the People" is a popular song with music by Jerry Livingston and lyrics by Sammy Gallop, published in 1955. This song is a wedding day number complete with the chorus imitating the sound of wedding bells...
" – w. Sammy Gallop m. Jerry LivingstonJerry LivingstonJerry Livingston was an American songwriter, and dance orchestra pianist.-Biography:... - "The Wallflower" (aka "Dance With Me Henry"The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)"The Wallflower" is a popular song. It was one of several answer songs to "Work With Me Annie" and has the same 12-bar blues melody....
) – w.m. Johnny OtisJohnny OtisJohnny Otis is an American singer, musician, talent scout, disc jockey, composer, arranger, recording artist, record producer, vibraphonist, drummer, percussionist, bandleader, and impresario.He is commonly referred to as The Godfather Of Rhythm And Blues.-Personal life:Otis, the son of Alexander...
, Hank BallardHank BallardHank Ballard , born John Henry Kendricks, was a rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and one of the first proto-rock 'n' roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s...
& Etta JamesEtta JamesEtta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer... - "Whatever Lola WantsWhatever Lola Wants"Whatever Lola Wants" is a popular song, sometimes rendered as "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets". The music and words were written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for the 1955 musical play Damn Yankees. The song is sung by Lola, the Devil's assistant, a part originated by Gwen Verdon, who reprised...
" – w.m. Richard AdlerRichard AdlerRichard Adler is an American lyricist, composer and producer of several Broadway shows.-Biography:Born in New York City, Adler had a musical upbringing, his father being a concert pianist. After serving in the Navy he began his career as a lyricist, teaming up with Jerry Ross in 1950...
& Jerry RossJerry Ross (composer)Jerry Ross was an American lyricist and composer whose works with Richard Adler for the musical theater include The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, winners of Tony Awards in 1955 and 1956 respectively in both the "Best Musical" and "Best Composer and Lyricist" categories.-Biography:Ross was born...
. Introduced by Gwen VerdonGwen VerdonGwenyth Evelyn “Gwen” Verdon was an actress and dancer who won four Tony awards for her musical comedy performances. With flaming red hair and an endearing quaver in her voice, Verdon was a critically acclaimed dancer on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s...
in the musical Damn YankeesDamn YankeesDamn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
. Gwen also performed the song in the 19581958 in music-Events:*February - 45,000 peoplein one week watch performances of "rokabirī" music by Japanese singers at the first Nichigeki Western Carnival....
film version. - "Why Do Fools Fall in LoveWhy Do Fools Fall in Love (song)"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a song that was originally a hit for early New York City-based rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers in 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 6 on Billboards Pop Singles chart, and number one on the UK Singles Chart...
" – w.m. Frankie LymonFrankie LymonFranklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens...
& George Goldner - "A Woman in LoveA Woman in Love"A Woman in Love" is a popular song. It was written by Frank Loesser and was published in 1955, introduced in Samuel Goldwyn's cinematic adaptation of the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls.-Recorded versions:...
" – w.m. Frank LoesserFrank LoesserFrank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for... - "You Are My LoveYou Are My Love (1955 song)"You Are My Love" is a popular song. It was written by Jimmie Nabbie and was published in 1955.The song was written by request by Nabbie for Joni James, for whom it was a major hit. The song was released by MGM Records as catalog number 12066...
" w.m. Jimmie Nabbie - "You Don't Know Me" – w.m. Cindy WalkerCindy WalkerCindy Walker was a prolific American songwriter, as well as a country music singer and dancer. As a songwriter Walker was responsible for a large number of popular and enduring songs recorded by many different artists. She adopted a craftsman-like approach to her songwriting, often tailoring...
& Eddy ArnoldEddy ArnoldRichard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more... - "You're SensationalYou're Sensational"You're Sensational" is a song written by Cole Porter for the 1956 film High Society, where it was introduced by Frank Sinatra.-Notable recordings:*Frank Sinatra - High Society *Jack Jones - Dear Heart...
" – w.m. Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
. Introduced by Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
in the musical filmMusical filmThe musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
High Society
Other notable songs
- "Mera Joota Hai JapaniMera Joota Hai Japani"Mera Joota hai Japani" is a Hindi song composed by Shankar Jaikishan and sung by Mukesh. The lyrics of the song are by Shailendra. Due to its patriotic themes, the song was widely embraced in its time as a representation of the newly sovereign nation of India...
" by Shankar JaikishanShankar JaikishanShankar Jaikishan , also known as S/J, is an Indian music composer duo in the Hindi film industry, working together from 1949–1971.... - "Moscow NightsMoscow Nights"Moscow Nights" or "Midnight in Moscow" is a Russian song, and one of those best known outside its homeland.The song was originally created as "Leningradskie Vechera" by composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhail Matusovsky in 1955 , but at the request of the Soviet Ministry of Culture, the...
" by Vasily Solovyov-Sedoy and Mikhail Matusovsky - "SatumaaSatumaa"Satumaa" is the quintessential Finnish tango. It was written by Unto Mononen, and published in 1955. The most famous recording is probably the one made by Reijo Taipale in 1962. The lyrics tell a story of a distant land beyond the sea — a happy paradise — however, the narrator can...
" by Unto MononenUnto MononenUnto Mononen was Finnish songwriter and musician. He is known of his numerous tango compositions including the most well known Finnish tango song, "Satumaa"...
Classical music
- Arthur BlissArthur BlissSir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, CH, KCVO was an English composer and conductor.Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army...
– Violin Concerto - Henry CowellHenry CowellHenry Cowell was an American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s:...
– Symphony No. 12 - George CrumbGeorge CrumbGeorge Crumb is an American composer of contemporary classical music. He is noted as an explorer of unusual timbres, alternative forms of notation, and extended instrumental and vocal techniques. Examples include seagull effect for the cello , metallic vibrato for the piano George Crumb (born...
- Diptych for orchestra
- Sonata for solo cello
- Mario DavidovskyMario DavidovskyMario Davidovsky is an Argentine-American composer. Born in Argentina, he emigrated in 1960 to the US, where he lives today...
- Quintet for Clarinet and Strings
- Suite Sinfonica Para "El Payaso" for orchestra
- Einar Englund – Piano Concerto No. 1
- Ferenc FarkasFerenc FarkasFerenc Farkas was a Hungarian composer.Farkas began his studies in composition at the Budapest Academy of Music , where his teachers were Leo Weiner and Albert Siklós. He later studied with Ottorino Respighi in Rome...
– Bukki Varlatok - Gerald FinziGerald FinziGerald Raphael Finzi was a British composer. Finzi is best known as a song-writer, but also wrote in other genres...
– Cello Concerto - Hans Werner HenzeHans Werner HenzeHans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
– Symphony No. 4 - Alan HovhanessAlan HovhanessAlan Hovhaness was an Armenian-American composer.His music is accessible to the lay listener and often evokes a mood of mystery or contemplation...
– Symphony No. 2 Mysterious Mountain - Witold Lutosławski – Dance Preludes (2nd version for clarinet and chamber group)
- Bohuslav MartinůBohuslav MartinuBohuslav Martinů was a prolific Czech composer of modern classical music. He was of Czech and Rumanian ancestry. Martinů wrote six symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. Martinů became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic...
- The Epic of Gilgamesh
- Oboe Concerto
- Darius MilhaudDarius MilhaudDarius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...
- Symphony No. 5
- Symphony No. 6
- Luigi NonoLuigi NonoLuigi Nono was an Italian avant-garde composer of classical music and remains one of the most prominent composers of the 20th century.- Early years :Born in Venice, he was a member of a wealthy artistic family, and his grandfather was a notable painter...
- Il Canto Sospeso, for soli, chorus, and orchestra
- Incontri, for 24 instruments
- Walter PistonWalter PistonWalter Hamor Piston Jr., , was an American composer of classical music, music theorist and professor of music at Harvard University whose students included Leroy Anderson, Leonard Bernstein, and Elliott Carter....
– Symphony No. 6 - Edmund RubbraEdmund RubbraEdmund Rubbra was a British composer. He composed both instrumental and vocal works for soloists, chamber groups and full choruses and orchestras. He was greatly esteemed by fellow musicians and was at the peak of his fame in the mid-20th century. The most famous of his pieces are his eleven...
– Piano Concerto - John Serry, Sr.John Serry, Sr.John Serry, Sr. was an accomplished concert accordionist virtuoso, arranger, composer, organist and educator who performed on the CBS Radio and CBS Television networks...
– American RhapsodyAmerican RhapsodyAmerican Rhapsody was written for the accordion by John Serry, Sr. in 1955 and subsequently transcribed for the free bass accordion in 1963 and for the piano in 2002... - Karlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
– Klavierstücke V–VIII - Alexandre TansmanAlexandre TansmanAlexandre Tansman was a Polish-born composer and virtuoso pianist. He spent his early years in his native Poland, but lived in France for most of his life...
- Concerto for Orchestra
- Capriccio for Orchestra
- Michael TippettMichael TippettSir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
– Sonata for Four Horns - Ernst TochErnst TochErnst Toch was a composer of classical music and film scores.- Biography :Toch, born in Leopoldstadt, Vienna, into the family of a humble Jewish leather dealer when the city was at its 19th-century cultural zenith, sought throughout his life to introduce new approaches to music...
– Symphony No. 3 - Ralph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
– Symphony No. 8 - William WaltonWilliam WaltonSir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
– Johannesburg Festival Overture - Franz WaxmanFranz WaxmanFranz Waxman was a German-American composer, known for his bravura Carmen Fantasie for violin and orchestra, based on musical themes from the Bizet opera Carmen, and for his musical scores for films....
– Sinfonietta for Strings and Timpani - Iannis XenakisIannis XenakisIannis Xenakis was a Romanian-born Greek ethnic, naturalized French composer, music theorist, and architect-engineer. He is commonly recognized as one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers...
– Pithoprakta for orchestra
OperaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
- Carlisle FloydCarlisle FloydCarlisle Floyd is an American opera composer. The son of a Methodist minister, he based many of his works on themes from the South...
– Susannah - Dmitri KabalevskyDmitri KabalevskyDmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky was a Russian composer.He helped to set up the Union of Soviet Composers in Moscow and remained one of its leading figures. He was a prolific composer of piano music and chamber music; many of his piano works have been performed by Vladimir Horowitz. He is probably...
– Nikita Vershinin - Lukas FossLukas FossLukas Foss was a German-born American composer, conductor, and pianist.-Music career:He was born Lukas Fuchs in Berlin, Germany in 1922. His father was the philosopher and scholar Martin Fuchs...
– GriffelkinGriffelkinGriffelkin is an opera by Lukas Foss with a libretto by Alastair Reid. The opera was first performed on November 6, 1955, in a nationwide telecast by the NBC Opera Theatre.-Background:...
(opera in three acts, libretto by A. Reed after H. Foss, premiered on November 6, 1955, on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television)
Musical theater
- The Amazing Adele – Philadelphia production
- Ankles AweighAnkles AweighAnkles Aweigh is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Eddie Davis, lyrics by Dan Shapiro, and music by Sammy Fain.The plot centers on Hollywood starlet Wynne, who violates a clause in her contract by marrying Navy flyer Bill while filming a movie in Sicily...
– Broadway production - Catch A Star – Broadway production
- Damn YankeesDamn YankeesDamn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
(Richard AdlerRichard AdlerRichard Adler is an American lyricist, composer and producer of several Broadway shows.-Biography:Born in New York City, Adler had a musical upbringing, his father being a concert pianist. After serving in the Navy he began his career as a lyricist, teaming up with Jerry Ross in 1950...
and Jerry RossJerry Ross (composer)Jerry Ross was an American lyricist and composer whose works with Richard Adler for the musical theater include The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, winners of Tony Awards in 1955 and 1956 respectively in both the "Best Musical" and "Best Composer and Lyricist" categories.-Biography:Ross was born...
) – Broadway production - KismetKismet (musical)Kismet is a musical with lyrics and musical adaptation by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Alexander Borodin, and a book by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis, based on Kismet, the 1911 play by Edward Knoblock...
– London production opened at the Stoll Theatre on April 20 and ran for 648 performances - The Pajama GameThe Pajama GameThe Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
(Richard Adler and Jerry Ross) – London production opened at the Coliseum on October 13 and ran for 501 performances - Phoenix '55 – Broadway production
- Pipe DreamPipe Dream (musical)Pipe Dream is the seventh stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II; it premiered on Broadway on November 30, 1955. The work is based on John Steinbeck's short novel Sweet Thursday—Steinbeck wrote the novel, a sequel to Cannery Row, in the hope of having it adapted into...
(RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
& HammersteinOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
) – Broadway production - Plain and FancyPlain and FancyPlain and Fancy is a musical comedy with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Arnold Horwitt, and music by Albert Hague. One of the first depictions of an Amish community in American pop culture, it includes a traditional barn-raising and an old-fashioned country...
– Broadway production - Romance in Candlelight London production opened at the Piccadilly TheatrePiccadilly TheatreThe Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, England.-Early years:Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A...
on September 15 and ran for 53 performances - Seventh Heaven – Broadway production opened at the ANTA Playhouse on May 26 and ran for 44 performances
- Shoestring Revue – Broadway production
- Silk StockingsSilk StockingsSilk Stockings is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter.Hildegarde Knef gives a vivid backstage account of the casting, rehearsals, tryouts and Broadway opening of "Silk Stockings" in her autobiography "The Gift Horse:...
– Broadway production - Wonderful TownWonderful TownWonderful Town is a musical with a book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Leonard Bernstein...
(Leonard BernsteinLeonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
, Betty ComdenBetty ComdenBetty Comden was one-half of the musical-comedy duo Comden and Green, who provided lyrics, libretti, and screenplays to some of the most beloved and successful Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century...
and Adolph GreenAdolph GreenAdolph Green was an American lyricist and playwright who, with long-time collaborator Betty Comden, penned the screenplays and songs for some of the most beloved movie musicals, particularly as part of Arthur Freed's production unit at MGM, during the genre's heyday...
) – London production opened at the Princes Theatre on February 24 and ran for 207 performances
Musical filmMusical filmThe musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
s
- Artists and ModelsArtists and ModelsArtists and Models is a 1955 Paramount musical comedy in VistaVision and marked Martin and Lewis's fourteenth feature together as a team. The film co-stars Dorothy Malone, Eva Gabor, Anita Ekberg, and Shirley MacLaine.-Plot:...
released November 7 starring Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
and Jerry LewisJerry LewisJerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis... - As Long as They're HappyAs Long as They're HappyAs Long as They're Happy is a 1955 British musical comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson.-Cast:* Jack Buchanan as John Bentley* Janette Scott as Gwen Bentley* Jeannie Carson as Pat Bentley* Brenda De Banzie as Stella Bentley...
starring Jack BuchananJack BuchananWalter John "Jack" Buchanan was a British theatre and film actor, singer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George Grossmith Jr., and was described by The Times as "the last of the knuts." He is best known in...
, Janette ScottJanette ScottThora Janette Scott is an English actress. She was born in Morecambe, England. She is the daughter of actors Jimmy Scott and Thora Hird. She started her acting career as a child actress, known as Janette Scott, and became a popular leading lady...
, Jeannie CarsonJeannie CarsonJeannie Carson is a retired English-born United States-based comedienne and musical theatre actress...
, Jerry Wayne, Diana DorsDiana DorsDiana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...
and Joan SimsJoan SimsJoan Sims was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By.-Early life:... - The Benny Goodman StoryThe Benny Goodman StoryThe Benny Goodman Story is a biographical film starring Steve Allen and Donna Reed, directed by Valentine Davies and released by Universal Studios in 1956. The film is based on the life of famed clarinetist Benny Goodman, who recorded most of the clarinet solos used in the film...
- Daddy Long LegsDaddy Long Legs (film)Daddy Long Legs is a Hollywood musical comedy film set in France, New York City, and the fictional college town of "Walston" in Massachusetts. The film was directed by Jean Negulesco, and stars Fred Astaire, Leslie Caron, Terry Moore, Fred Clark, and Thelma Ritter, with music and lyrics by Johnny...
- Gentlemen Marry BrunettesGentlemen Marry BrunettesGentlemen Marry Brunettes is a 1955 musical film produced by Russ-Field productions, starring Jane Russell and Jeanne Crain, and released by United Artists...
- The Girl Rush starring Rosalind RussellRosalind RussellRosalind Russell was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame...
, Fernando LamasFernando LamasFernando Álvaro Lamas was an Argentine-born actor and director, and the father of actor Lorenzo Lamas.-Early life and career:...
, Eddie AlbertEddie AlbertEdward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
and Gloria DeHavenGloria DeHavenGloria Mildred DeHaven is an American actress and a former contract star for MGM.-Early life and career:DeHaven was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of actor-director Carter DeHaven and actress Flora Parker DeHaven, both former vaudeville performers.She began her career as a child...
. - It's Always Fair WeatherIt's Always Fair WeatherFortunately, the original multitrack pre-recordings of the score survive to this day, having enabled Rhino Records to reissue the soundtrack in true stereo . The Original MGM soundtrack was released in 1991 by Sony Music....
- Jupiter's DarlingJupiter's DarlingJupiters Darling is the twelfth studio album released by the band Heart. The album was a minor success, peaking at number ninety-four on the U.S. Billboard 200. Two singles were released simultaneously: "The Oldest Story in the World" and "The Perfect Goodbye".This album marked a return to Heart's...
starring Howard KeelHoward KeelHarold Clifford Keel , known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer. He starred in many film musicals of the 1950s...
, Esther WilliamsEsther WilliamsEsther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
, Marge ChampionMarge ChampionMarge Champion is an American dancer, choreographer, and pedagogue. In addition, she also worked in film and appeared in a number of television variety shows.-Early years:...
and Gower ChampionGower ChampionGower Carlyle Champion was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer.-Early years:Champion was born in Geneva, Illinois, the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Carlisle. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Fairfax High School... - King's RhapsodyKing's RhapsodyKing's Rhapsody is a musical with book and music by Ivor Novello and lyrics by Christopher Hassall.The musical was first produced at the Palace Theatre, London, on 15 September 1949 and ran for 841 performances, surviving its author, who died in 1951...
starring Anna NeagleAnna NeagleForming a professional alliance with Wilcox, Neagle played her first starring film role in the musical Goodnight Vienna , again with Jack Buchanan. With this film Neagle became an overnight favourite...
and Errol FlynnErrol FlynnErrol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
- KismetKismet (1955 film)Kismet is an American musical film in Cinemascope and Eastman Color released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is the fourth movie version of Kismet—the first was released in 1920 and the second in 1930 by Warner Brothers—and the second released by MGM...
- Lady and the TrampLady and the TrampLady and the Tramp is a 1955 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released to theaters on June 22, 1955, by Buena Vista Distribution. The fifteenth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, it was the first animated feature filmed in the CinemaScope widescreen...
– Animated feature - Love Me or Leave MeLove Me or Leave Me (film)Love Me or Leave Me is a 1955 biographical film which tells the life story of Ruth Etting, a singer who rose from dancer to movie star. It stars Doris Day as Etting, James Cagney as gangster Martin "Moe the Gimp" Snyder, her first husband and manager, and Cameron Mitchell as pianist/ arranger Myrl...
- Oklahoma!
- Pete Kelly's Blues
- The Seven Little FoysThe Seven Little FoysThe Seven Little Foys is a 1955 film starring Bob Hope as Eddie Foy. James Cagney reprises his role as George M. Cohan for an energetic tabletop dance showdown sequence. In addition to the famous film, the story of Eddie Foy, Sr...
- A Star Is BornA Star Is Born (1954 film)A Star Is Born is a 1954 American musical film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay written by Moss Hart was an adaptation of the original 1937 film, which was based on the original screenplay by Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, and Alan Campbell...
Musical television
- HeidiHeidiHeidi is a Swiss work of fiction, published in two parts as Heidi's years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned.It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather's care, in the Swiss Alps...
– television production - Our TownOur TownOur Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives...
– television production - Together With Music – CBS television production by Noel CowardNoël CowardSir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
Births
- January 3 – Helen O'HaraHelen O'HaraHelen O'Hara is a British musician, formerly a member of the band Dexys Midnight Runners between 1982 and 1987, including performing on songs such as "Come on Eileen" from the Too-Rye-Ay album....
, British musician - January 8 – Mike RenoMike RenoMike Reno , born January 8, 1955 in New Westminster, British Columbia is a Canadian musician, drummer, and lead singer of the rock band Loverboy. He has also fronted other bands, including Moxy....
, LoverboyLoverboyLoverboy is a Canadian rock group formed in 1980 in Calgary, Alberta. Throughout the 1980s, the band accumulated numerous hit songs in Canada and the United States, earning four multi-platinum albums and selling millions of records... - January 13
- Fred White (Earth Wind & Fire)
- Trevor RabinTrevor RabinTrevor Charles Rabin is a South African born musician, best known as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British progressive rock band Yes from 1983–1994, and since then, as a film composer.- Early years :...
(YesYes (band)Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
)
- January 17 – Steve EarleSteve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
, folk singer - January 19 – Sir Simon RattleSimon RattleSir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
, conductor - January 26 – Eddie Van HalenEddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, musician - January 27 – Richard Young (Kentucky Headhunters)
- February 18 – Riff Regan, lead singer of LondonLondon (band)London were a four piece punk band formed in London in 1976 and were best known for their wild stage act. The original line-up was Riff Regan , Steve Voice , Jon Moss and Dave Wight . They were managed by Simon Napier-Bell and recorded two singles, a 4 track EP and an album for MCA Records in 1977...
. - February 23 – Howard JonesHoward Jones (musician)Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
, singer-songwriter - March 2 – Jay Osmond, singer and songwriter (The OsmondsThe OsmondsThe Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career—a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers...
) - March 4 – Boon Gould, guitarist (Level 42Level 42Level 42 are an English pop rock and jazz-funk band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for their high-calibre musicianship—in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...
) - March 10 – Bunny DeBargeBunny DebargeEtterlene "Bunny" DeBarge is an American soul singer-songwriter, best known as the lone female sibling of the Motown family group DeBarge...
(DeBargeDeBargeDeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...
) - March 15 – Dee SniderDee SniderDaniel "Dee" Snider is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider is most famous for his role as the frontman of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister...
(Twisted SisterTwisted SisterTwisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from Long Island. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands...
) - March 28 – Reba McEntireReba McEntireReba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
, country singer - March 31 – Angus YoungAngus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
(AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
) - April 13 – Louis JohnsonLouis Johnson (bassist)Louis Johnson is an American bass guitarist.Johnson is best known for his group The Brothers Johnson and his session playing on several hit albums of the 1970s and '80s including the "best selling album of all time" Thriller...
, bassist (The Brothers Johnson) - April 17 – Pete ShelleyPete ShelleyPete Shelley is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the leader of Buzzcocks.-Biography:...
(BuzzcocksBuzzcocksBuzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
) - May 9 – Anne Sofie von Otter, operatic mezzo-soprano
- May 12 – Kix BrooksKix BrooksLeon Eric "Kix" Brooks III , is an American country music artist, best known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn.-Early life:...
, country singer (Brooks & DunnBrooks & DunnBrooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...
) - May 20
- Steve GeorgeSteve George (keyboardist)Steve George is an American keyboard player, who is perhaps best known as the keyboardist for the 1980s band, Mr. Mister. He co-wrote many of the Mr. Mister songs, together with his childhood friend, Mr...
, keyboardist (Mr. MisterMr. MisterMr. Mister is an American pop rock band most popular in the 1980s. The band's name came from an inside joke about a Weather Report album called Mr. Gone where they referred to each other as "Mister This" or "Mister That", and eventually selected "Mr. Mister." Mr. Mister may be considered as...
) - Zbigniew PreisnerZbigniew PreisnerZbigniew Preisner is a Polish film score composer, best known for his work with film director Krzysztof Kieślowski.-Life:Zbigniew Preisner studied history and philosophy in Kraków. Never having received formal music lessons, he taught himself music by listening and transcribing parts from records....
, composer
- Steve George
- May 21 – Stan LynchStan LynchStanley Joseph "Stan" Lynch is an American songwriter and record producer. He was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for 18 years until his departure in 1994.- Early years :...
(Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) - May 28 – John McGeochJohn McGeochJohn Alexander McGeoch, , was a Scottish guitarist who played with a number of bands of the post-punk era, including Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Visage and Public Image Ltd....
(MagazineMagazine (band)Magazine are an English post-punk group active from 1977 to 1981, then reformed in 2009. Their debut single, "Shot by Both Sides", is now acknowledged as a classic and their debut album, Real Life, is still widely admired as one of the greatest albums of all time...
, PiLPILPIL may refer to:* Private International Law* Carlos Miguel Jiménez Airport , in Pilar, Paraguay* Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport , in Port Isabel, Texas...
, and Siouxsie and the Banshees) (d. 2004) - May 29 – Pascal DusapinPascal DusapinPascal Dusapin , is a French composer born in Nancy. He is one of France's best-known living composers; his works have been performed worldwide....
, FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
composer - May 30 – Topper HeadonTopper HeadonHeadon was extensively interviewed for the Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten documentary film about the late Clash frontman. He related his experiences during this period, how he became addicted to heroin and how there were problems before his dismissal...
(The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
) - June 7 – Joey ScarburyJoey ScarburyJoey Scarbury is an adult contemporary singer best known for his hit song, "Theme from The Greatest American Hero ", in 1981.-Childhood and early music career:...
, singer - June 23 – Glenn DanzigGlenn DanzigGlenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
, lead singer of DanzigDanzig (band)Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain... - June 26 – Mick JonesMick Jones (The Clash)Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
(The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
) - June 28 – Thomas Hampson, opera singer
- July 4 – John WaiteJohn WaiteJohn Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
, singer - July 10 – Stan MunseyStan E. MunseyStan E. Munsey is an American songwriter and one of several writer-musicians to emerge out of the Muscle Shoals, Alabama music scene. Munsey was born in Easton, Pennsylvania and spent a significant amount time during his early years in Sheffield, Alabama...
(ShenandoahShenandoah (band)Shenandoah is an American country music group founded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1984 by Marty Raybon , Ralph Ezell , Stan Thorn , Jim Seales , and Mike McGuire...
) - July 18 – Terry ChambersTerry ChambersTerry Chambers is an English drummer and was a founding member of XTC, appearing on all studio and live albums until his departure during the 1982 sessions for Mummer, on which he played on "Beating of Hearts", "Wonderland" and a B-side, "Toys".He moved to his wife's native Australia, drumming...
(XTCXTCXTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
) - July 21 – Howie EpsteinHowie EpsteinHoward Norman Epstein , was a musician best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early life:...
(Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) - July 25 – Jem FinerJem FinerJem Finer is an English musician, artist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Pogues.-Life and career:...
(The PoguesThe PoguesThe Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
) - August 6 – Eric Paulin, drummer (The Meetles)
- August 17 – Colin MouldingColin MouldingColin Ivor Moulding is a bassist, songwriter and vocalist. He is a founding member of the band XTC. Though less prolific than bandmate Andy Partridge, Moulding wrote many of the group's most popular songs, including their first three UK hit singles: "Life Begins At The Hop", "Making Plans For...
(XTCXTCXTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
) - August 28 – Beres HammondBeres HammondBeres Hammond is a reggae singer known in particular for his romantic lovers rock and soulful voice...
, reggae singer - August 29 – Diamanda GalásDiamanda GalásDiamanda Galás is an American avant-garde composer, vocalist, pianist, organist, performance artist and painter.Galás has been described as "capable of the most unnerving vocal terror", with her three and a half octave vocal range. She often screams, hisses and growls...
, singer, composer, pianist and performance artist - September 3 – Steve JonesSteve Jones (musician)Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
(The Sex Pistols) - September 9 – Ivan Smirnov, guitarist
- September 13 – Andreas StaierAndreas StaierAndreas Staier is a German pianist and harpsichordist.-Life:Staier studied piano and harpsichord in the Hochschule für Musik in Hanover, with Kurt Bauer and Erika Haase for piano and from Lajos Rovatkay for harpsichord, and also in Amsterdam. From 1983 until 1986 he was the harpsichord soloist for...
, classical harpsichordist and fortepianist - October 2 – Philip OakeyPhilip OakeyPhilip Oakey is an English composer, singer, songwriter and producer.He is best known as the lead singer, frontman and co-founder of the famous English synthpop band The Human League. He has also had an extensive solo music career and collaborated with numerous other artists and producers...
, singer (The Human LeagueThe Human LeagueThe Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
) - October 7 – Yo-Yo MaYo-Yo MaYo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
, cellist - October 16 – Leonid DesyatnikovLeonid DesyatnikovLeonid Arkadievich Desyatnikov is a Russian composer.Leonid Desyatnikov was born in 1955 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. He is a graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory, where he studied composition and instrumentation. Desyatnikov has penned four operas, several cantatas and numerous vocal and instrumental...
, composer - October 21:
- Fred HerschFred HerschFred Hersch is a contemporary American jazz pianist who has become a consistent and highly demanded performer on the international jazz scene....
, American jazz pianist - Rich MullinsRich MullinsRichard Wayne "Rich" Mullins was an American Contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter born in Richmond, Indiana. He had two sisters and two brothers....
, singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
- Fred Hersch
- October 25 – Matthias JabsMatthias JabsMatthias Jabs is a German guitarist and songwriter. He is a member of the heavy metal band Scorpions. Before joining the Scorpions, Jabs had played for the bands Lady, Fargo and Deadlock....
(ScorpionsScorpions (band)Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
) - October 29 – Kevin DubrowKevin DuBrowKevin Mark DuBrow was an American rock singer best known as the lead vocalist of the Heavy Metal band Quiet Riot from 1975 until his death in 2007...
(Quiet RiotQuiet RiotQuiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet...
) - November 21 – Kyle GannKyle GannKyle Eugene Gann is an American professor of music, critic and composer born in Dallas, Texas. As a critic for The Village Voice and other publications he has been a supporter of progressive music including such Downtown movements as postminimalism and totalism.- As composer :As a composer his...
, composer, teacher and critic - November 23 – Ludovico EinaudiLudovico EinaudiLudovico Einaudi OMRI is an Italian contemporary music composer and pianist.-Biography:Born in Turin, Italy, Einaudi's mother played to him on the piano as a child. He began his musical training at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan, gaining a diploma in composition in 1982...
, Italian composer and pianist - November 30 – Billy IdolBilly IdolWilliam Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
, singer - December 6 – Bright ShengBright ShengBright Sheng is a Chinese-American composer, conductor, and pianist. He has lived in the United States since 1982 and is on faculty at the University of Michigan. In 1999, the White House commissioned Sheng to compose a piece to honor the Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji at a state dinner hosted by...
, composer - December 15 – Paul SimononPaul SimononPaul Gustave Simonon is an English musician and artist best known as the bass guitarist for punk rock band The Clash. Recent work includes his involvement in the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Damon Albarn, Simon Tong and Tony Allen, released in January 2007...
, The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly... - date unknown – Susan AddisonSusan AddisonSusan Addison is a leading performer of the sackbut and early trombone. Based in the English Midlands, she performs with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts, the Gabrieli Consort and Players and the Amsterdam-based Orchestra of the Eighteenth...
, sackbutSackbutThe sackbut is a trombone from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, i.e., a musical instrument in the brass family similar to the trumpet except characterised by a telescopic slide with which the player varies the length of the tube to change pitches, thus allowing them to obtain chromaticism, as...
player
Deaths
- January 10 – Annette MillsAnnette MillsAnnette Mills was an English actress, dancer and broadcaster.She was born Edith Mabel Mills in Wandsworth, London. She had originally intended to become a concert pianist and organist, before becoming a dancer, subsequently finding fame as an international exhibition dancer...
, partner of "Muffin the Mule" (b. 1894) - February 14 – Charles CuvillierCharles CuvillierCharles Cuvillier was a French composer of operetta. He won his greatest successes with the operettas La reine s'amuse and with The Lilac Domino, which became a hit in 1918 in London.-Biography:Cuvillier was born in Paris, and studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Gabriel Fauré and...
, composer of operettas, 77 - March 12 – Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
, jazz saxophonist, 34 (lobar pneumonia, bleeding ulcer and cirrhosis of liver) - April 10 – Oskar LindbergOskar Lindberg (composer)Oskar Lindberg was a nationalist/romantic composer who in 1939 edited the Church of Sweden's hymnbook. His 1912 Requiem was of particular importance to the history of Swedish liturgical works....
, composer, 67 - April 12 – W. H. Anderson, composer, 72
- May 4 – George EnescuGeorge EnescuGeorge Enescu was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher.-Biography:Enescu was born in the village of Liveni , Dorohoi County at the time, today Botoşani County. He showed musical talent from early in his childhood. A child prodigy, Enescu created his first musical...
, composer, 73 - May 15 – Oskar AdlerOskar AdlerOskar Adler was an Austrian violinist, physician and esoteric savant.A close friend of Arnold Schoenberg from their schooldays, Adler taught him the rudiments of music, gave him his first grounding in philosophy, and played chamber music with him...
, violinist and music critic, 79 - May 17 – Francesco Balilla PratellaFrancesco Balilla PratellaFranceso Balilla Pratella was an Italian composer and musicologist.-Life and work:Pratella studied at the Pesaro Conservatory where he was a pupil of Pietro Mascagni....
, composer and musicologist, 75 - June 11 – Marcel Samuel-RousseauMarcel Samuel-RousseauMarcel Samuel-Rousseau was a French composer, organist, and opera director. He studied composition at the Paris Conservatoire and was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1905. He was the organist at Saint-Séverin from 1919–1922 and president of the Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique...
, organist, composer and opera producer, 72 - June 19 – Willy BurkhardWilly BurkhardWilly Burkhard was a Swiss composer.Willy Burkhard was an extremely influential composer of the 20th century...
, composer, 55 - June 28 - Göta LjungbergGöta LjungbergGöta Ljungberg was a major Swedish Wagnerian soprano of the 1920s who sang throughout American and Europe and left an important recorded legacy.-Biography:...
, Wagnerian soprano, 56 - July 4 - Ruth VincentRuth VincentRuth Vincent was an English opera singer and actress, best remembered for her performances in soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in the 1890s and her roles in the West End during the first decade of the 20th century, particularly her role as Sophia in Tom...
, operatic soprano, 78 - July 7 – Franco CasavolaFranco CasavolaFranco Casavola was a Futurist composer and theorist.-Futurist movement:In a letter dated 1 October 1922, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti wrote to the composer, theorist and writer Franco Casavola:...
, Futurist composer, 63 - July 25 – Isaak DunayevskyIsaak DunayevskyIsaak Osipovich Dunayevsky was the biggest Soviet film composer and conductor of the 1930s and 1940s, who achieved huge success in music for operetta and film comedies, frequently working with the film director Grigori Aleksandrov...
, conductor and composer, 55 - August 5 – Carmen MirandaCarmen MirandaCarmen Miranda, GCIH was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, Broadway actress and Hollywood film star popular in the 1940s and 1950s. She was, by some accounts, the highest-earning woman in the United States and noted for her signature fruit hat outfit she wore in the 1943 movie The Gang's...
, singer and dancer, 46 (heart attack) - August 13 - Florence EastonFlorence EastonFlorence Easton was a popular English dramatic soprano in the early 20th century. She was one of the most versatile singers of all time. She sang more than 100 parts, covering a wide range of styles and periods, from Mozart, Meyerbeer, Gounod, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, Strauss, Schreker and Krenek...
, soprano, 72 - August 22 - Olin DownesOlin DownesOlin Downes was an American music critic.He studied piano, music theory, and music criticism in New York and Boston, and it was in those two cities that he made his career as a music critic—first with the Boston Post and then with the New York Times...
, music critic, 69 - August 24 – Edgar HenrichsenEdgar HenrichsenEdgar Henrichsen was a Danish composer and organist. He was the brother of Roger Henrichsen, and was a student of Gustav Helsted and Alexandre Guilmant.-References:...
, organist and composer, 76 - October 7 - Frieda HempelFrieda HempelFrieda Hempel was a German soprano singer in operatic and concert work who had an international career in Europe and the United States.-Biography:...
, operatic soprano, 70 - October 14 – Harry Parr-Davies, composer and songwriter, 41 (perforated ulcer)
- October 20 – Adolf MišekAdolf MišekAdolf Mišek was a Czech double bassist and composer of the late romantic era.Born in Modletín , he left for Vienna at the age of 15 to study with Franz Simandl at the Vienna Conservatory...
, double bassist and composer, 80 - October 27 - Bernardo de MuroBernardo de MuroBernardo De Muro was an international operatic tenor from Sardinia.-Biography:Bernardino De Muro was born on November 3, 1881 in Tempio Pausania, Sardinia to Antonio Maria and Jeanne-Marie Demuro. His father was a small landowner. Bernardo’s formal education ceased at primary school...
, operatic tenor, 73 - November 11 – Jerry RossJerry Ross (composer)Jerry Ross was an American lyricist and composer whose works with Richard Adler for the musical theater include The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, winners of Tony Awards in 1955 and 1956 respectively in both the "Best Musical" and "Best Composer and Lyricist" categories.-Biography:Ross was born...
, songwriter - November 22 – Guy Ropartz, composer and conductor, 91
- November 27 – Arthur HoneggerArthur HoneggerArthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
, composer, 63 - November 30 – Josip Štolcer-SlavenskiJosip Štolcer-SlavenskiJosip Štolcer-Slavenski was a Yugoslav composer and professor at the Music Academy in Belgrade.-Early life:...
, composer - December 5 – Lucien DurosoirLucien DurosoirLucien Durosoir was a French composer and violinist whose works were rediscovered thanks to manuscripts found by his son Luc....
, violinist and composer, 67 - December 11 – Franz SybergFranz Syberg-Biography:He was born in Kerteminde, Funen, to the painters Anna and Fritz Syberg. He moved to Leipzig in 1922 where he studied composition and music theory at the Leipzig Conservatory with Sigfrid Karg-Elert and Werner Hübschmann...
, composer, 51 - December 21 - Gladys RipleyGladys Ripley-Early life:She was born in Forest Gate, Essex, the daughter of Alfred and Amy Ripley, and was educated at St. Edmund Roman Catholic School, East Ham, and at Clark's Business College.- Career :...
, operatic contralto, 47 - date unknown
- Bessie BrownBessie BrownBessie Brown also known as "The Original" Bessie Brown, was an American classic female blues, jazz, and cabaret singer. She sometimes recorded under the pseudonyms of Sadie Green, Caroline Lee, and possibly Helen Richards. Brown was active as a recording artist from 1925 to 1929...
, blues singer - Vernon Isley, original Isley brother, killed in an accident aged 13
- Bessie Brown