1959 in music

See also: 1958 in music, other events of 1959, 1960 in music, 1950s in music and the list of 'years in music'

Events

1959 (date unknown) Jimi Hendrix buys first electric guitar: a White Single pickup Supro Ozark 1560 S.
January 5 The first sessions for Ella Fitzgerald's George and Ira Gershwin Songbook are held.
January 22 - Buddy Holly records some acoustic demos in his New York City apartment. These songs would be the last songs recorded by Holly. Songs included "Peggy Sue Got Married," "Crying, Waiting, Hoping," "Learning the Game," "What to Do," "That's What They Say" and "That Makes it Tough."
February 3 - News of the February 2 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper becomes widely known. This date becomes known as "The Day The Music Died". Future country star Waylon Jennings was scheduled to be on the plane, but instead gave his seat up to the Big Bopper.
February 7 - New Orleans blues and R&B guitarist Eddie Guitar Slim Jones dies of pneumonia in New York City
April 3 - The BBC bans the Coasters song "Charlie Brown" because of the word "spitball."
April - The BBC reverses its earlier April 3 decision, and adds the Coasters song "Charlie Brown" to their playlist.
April 24 - The Your Hit Parade television series airs its last episode
May 12 - Eddie Fisher marries Elizabeth Taylor
October 7 - Legendary tenor Mario Lanza dies
December 14 - Berry Gordy, Jr. purchases the property for Hitsville USA and incorporates Tamla Records, which is soon renamed Motown Records.
Otto Luening and Vladimir Ussachevsky co-found the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center in New York City.
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences sponsors the first Grammy Award ceremony for music recorded in 1958.
Dalida receives a Music Oscar for Best Song and a first foreign award (a "Golden Lion" in Berlin).
Ornette Coleman plays a legendary and controversial concert at New York's Five Spot.
Carole King's musical career begins
Roy Orbison signs with Monument Records
The Supremes' musical career begins (as "The Primettes")

Albums released

All That Jazz - The Hi-Lo's
An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer - Tom Lehrer
Ballad Of The Blues - Jo Stafford
Barbershop Harmony - The Mills Brothers
Breezin' Along - The Four Lads
The Broadway Kick - Frank Sinatra
Broadway Playbill - The Hi-Lo's
Come Dance With Me! - Frank Sinatra
Connie's Greatest Hits - Connie Francis
Cuttin' Capers - Doris Day
Day By Night - Doris Day
Dinah, Yes Indeed - Dinah Shore
Ella Fitzgerald sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook - Ella Fitzgerald
from the Hungry i - The Kingston Trio
Get Happy! - Ella Fitzgerald
Gogi Grant - If You Want To Get To Heaven, Shout - Gogi Grant
Gogi Grant - Torch Time - Gogi Grant
Guy Mitchell's Greatest Hits - Guy Mitchell
Heavenly Lover - Teresa Brewer
I Hear The Word - Kay Starr
I'll Be Seeing You - Jo Stafford
In A Little Spanish Town - Bing Crosby
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
The Kingston Trio At Large - The Kingston Trio
Le Disque d'Or de Dalida - Dalida
Look To Your Heart - Frank Sinatra
Love In Portofino (A San Cristina) - Dalida
Mingus Ah Um - Charles Mingus
Movin' - Kay Starr
No One Cares - Frank Sinatra
On The Trail - Johnnie Ray
Pat Boone Sings - Pat Boone
Portrait in Jazz - Bill Evans Trio
Presenting Dion & The Belmonts - Dion DiMucci & The Belmonts
Reunion In Rhythm - Frankie Laine and Michel LeGrand
San Antonio Rose - The Mills Brothers
The Shape Of Jazz To Come - Ornette Coleman
Sincerely Yours - Guy Mitchell
Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers - Ella Fitzgerald
A Sinner Am I - Johnnie Ray
Sketches of Spain - Miles Davis
Swing Along - The Four Lads
Tenderly - Pat Boone
Teresa Brewer And The Dixieland Band - Teresa Brewer
Time Out - Dave Brubeck Quartet
The West Side - Patti Page
When Your Love Has Gone - Teresa Brewer
White Christmas - Pat Boone
Words And Music - The Ames Brothers
You Are My Love - Frankie Laine

Top hits on record

"A Fool Such As I" - Elvis Presley
"All For The Love Of A Girl" - Johnny Horton
"(All of A Sudden) My Heart Sings" - Paul Anka
"Among My Souvenirs" - Connie Francis
"Apron Strings" - Cliff Richard
"The Battle Of New Orleans" - Johnny Horton
"Beyond The Sea" - Bobby Darin
"The Big Hurt" - Toni Fisher
"Billy Bayou" - Jim Reeves
"Ciao, Ciao Bambina" - Dalida
"Come Softly To Me" - The Fleetwoods
"Crying, Waiting, Hoping" - Buddy Holly
"Dream Lover" - Bobby Darin
"El Paso" - Marty Robbins
"First Name Initial" - Annette
"Forty Miles Of Bad Road" - Duane Eddy
"Heartaches By The Number" - Guy Mitchell
"He'll Have To Go" - Jim Reeves
"High Hopes" - Frank Sinatra
"I'm Blue Again" - Patsy Cline
"I Only Have Eyes For You" - The Flamingos
"It Doesn't Matter Anymore" - Buddy Holly
"It's All In The Game" - Tommy Edwards
"It's Just A Matter Of Time" - Brook Benton
"It's Only The Good Times" - Tommy Edwards
"J'ai rêvé" - Dalida
"Kansas City" - Wilbert Harrison
"Kissin' Time" - Bobby Rydell
"La Bamba" - Ritchie Valens
"Lipstick On Your Collar" - Connie Francis
"Lonely Boy" - Paul Anka
"Lonesome Town" - Ricky Nelson
"Love In Portofino (A San Cristina)" - Dalida
"Love Potion Number Nine" - The Clovers
"M.T.A" - The Kingston Trio
"Mack The Knife" - Bobby Darin
"Mr. Blue" - The Fleetwoods
"Misty" - Johnny Mathis
"My Heart Is An Open Book" - Carl Dobkins, Jr.
"Non Dimenticar" - Nat King Cole
"Peggy Sue Got Married" - Buddy Holly
"Personality" - Lloyd Price
"Pillow Talk" - Doris Day
"Poison Ivy" - The Coasters
"Poor Jenny" - The Everly Brothers
"Put Your Head On My Shoulder" - Paul Anka
"Raining In My Heart" - Buddy Holly
"Roberta" - Frankie Ford
"Rockin' Mother" - Frankie Laine
"Rocks And Gravel" - Frankie Laine
"Rummy Polka" - Matys Brothers
"Running Bear" - Johnny Preston
"Sea Cruise" - Frankie Ford
"Since I Don't Have You" - The Skyliners
"Sleepwalk" - Santo & Johnny
"Small World" - Johnny Mathis
"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" - The Platters
"Stagger Lee" - Lloyd Price
"Sweet Nothin's" - Brenda Lee
"Take A Message To Mary" - The Everly Brothers
"Tall Oak Tree" - Dorsey Burnette
"A Teenager In Love" - Dion & the Belmonts
"There Goes My Baby" - The Drifters
"'Til I Kissed Youe" - The Everly Brothers
"Till There Was You" - Anita Bryant
"True Love, True Love" / "Dance With Me" - The Drifters
"The Twist" - Hank Ballard
"Venus" - Frankie Avalon
"What A Difference A Day Makes" - Dinah Washington
"What'd I Say" - Ray Charles
"Where the Boys Are" - Connie Francis
"Why" - Frankie Avalon
"A Worried Man" - The Kingston Trio

See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1959 (USA)

Published popular music

" 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty" w.m. Fredda Gold & Aaron Schroeder
"77 Sunset Strip" w.m. Mack David & Jerry Livingston
"All I Need Is The Girl" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne from the musical A Musical Fable
"Along Came Jones" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
"All My Tomorrows" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen, from the film A Hole in the Head
"Alvin's Harmonica" w.m. Ross Bagdasarian
"Angela Jones" w.m. John D. Loudermilk
"Anyone Would Love You" w.m. Harold Rome. Introduced by Andy Griffith and Dolores Gray in the musical Destry Rides Again
"The Battle Of New Orleans" trad arr. Jimmy Driftwood
"The Best Is Yet to Come" w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman
"Best Of Everything" w. Sammy Cahn m. Lionel Newman, from the film The Best of Everything
"A Big Hunk o' Love" w. m. Aaron Schroeder & Sid Wyche
"The Big Hurt" w.m. Wayne Shanklin
"Big Iron" w.m. Marty Robbins
"Bobby Socks To Stockings" w.m. Richard di Cicco, Russell Faith & Clarence Kehner
"Boom, Boom Baby" Burgess
"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" w.m. Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield
"The Children's Marching Song" trad arr. Malcolm Arnold. Performed by Ingrid Bergman and The Orphans' Chorus in the film Inn of the Sixth Happiness
"China Doll" w.m. Cindy Walker
"Ciao, Ciao, Bambina" w.(Eng) Mitchell Parish (Ital) Eduardo Verde & Domenico Modugno m. Domenico Modugno
"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Patricia Neway in the musical Sound of Music
"Come Softly To Me" w.m. Gary Troxel, Barbara Ellis & Gretchen Christopher
"Delaware" w.m. Irving Gordon
"Desafinado" w. Newton Mendonça w. (Eng) Jon Hendricks & Jessie Cavanaugh m. Antonio Carlos Jobim
"Don't You Know" w.m. adapt. Bobby Worth
"Do-Re-Mi" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical Sound of Music. Sung by Julie Andrews in the film version.
"Dream Lover" w.m. Bobby Darin
"Early In The Morning" adapt Bruce Belland & Glen Larson
"Edelweiss" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical Sound of Music. Sung by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in the film version.
"El Paso" w.m. Marty Robbins
"Endlessly" w.m. Clyde Otis & Brook Benton
"Everything's Coming Up Roses" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman in the musical A Musical Fable. Sung in the film version by Lisa Kirk dubbing for Rosalind Russell.
"Frankie" w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka
"Game Of Poker" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen, from the musical Saratoga
"Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye" w.m. Jack Vaughn
"Greenfields" w.m. Terry Gilkyson, Rich Dehr & Frank Miller
"Greenwillow Christmas" w.m. Frank Loesser, from the musical Greenwillow.
"Handy Man" w.m. Otis Blackwell & Jimmy Jones
"The Hanging Tree" w. Mack David m. Jerry Livingston, Introduced by Marty Robbins in the film The Hanging Tree
"Happy Anniversary" w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
"The Happy Organ" w.m. Ken Wood, David Clowney & James Kreigsmann
"Heartaches By The Number" w.m. Harlan Howard
"He'll Have To Go" w.m. Joe Allison & Audrey Allison
"High Hopes" w. Sammy Cahn m. James Van Heusen. Introduced by Frank Sinatra and Eddie Hodges in the film A Hole in the Head.
"I Ain't Never" w.m. Mel Tillis
"I Feel Sorry For The Girl" w.m. Glenn Paxton, Robert Goldman & George Weiss
"I Know" w.m. Carl Stutz & Edith Lindeman
"I Need Your Love Tonight" w.m. Sid Wayne & Bix Reichner
"I Wanna Be Around" w.m. Johnny Mercer & Sadie Vimmerstedt
"If I Ever Fall In Love Again" w. Peter Wildeblood m. Peter Greenwell
"I'll Never Fall In Love Again" Johnnie Ray
"I'm Gonna Get Married" w.m. Lloyd Price & Harold Logan
"I'm Looking Out The Window" John Jacob Niles, Don Raye
"I'm Never Gonna Tell" Hoffman, Manning, Markwell
"In A Little While" w. Marshall Barer m. Mary Rodgers
"It Doesn't Matter Anymore" w.m. Paul Anka
"Kansas City" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
"Kookie, Kookie" w.m. Irving Taylor
"Let Me Entertain You" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Sandra Church and chorus in the musical A Musical Fable.
"Like Young" m. Andre Previn
"Lipstick On Your Collar" w. Eddie Lewis m. George Goehring
"Little Donkey" w.m. Eve Boswell
"The Little Drummer Boy" w.m. adapt. Henry Onorati, Katherine Davis & Harry Simeone
"Little Tin Box" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
"The Little White Bull" Lionel Bart, Michael Pratt, Jimmy Bennett
"Living Doll" w.m. Lionel Bart
"Lock Up Your Daughters" w. Lionel Bart m. Laurie Johnson
"Lonely Blue Boy" F & B Wiseman
"Lonely Boy" w.m. Paul Anka
"Lonely Goatherd" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin and the children in the musical Sound of Music. Performed by Julie Andrews in the film version.
"Lonely Street" w.m. Carl Belew, Kenny Sowder & W. S. Stevenson
"Love Potion Number Nine" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
"Love Will Find Out The Way" w.m. Glenn Paxton, Robert Goldman & George Weiss
"Lullaby In Ragtime" w.m. Sylvia Fine. Introduced by Danny Kaye in the film The Five Pennies.
"The M.T.A." w.m. adapt. Jacqueline Steiner & Bess Hawes
"Maria" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Patricia Neway, Muriel O'Malley, Elizabeth Howell and Karen Shepard in the musical Sound of Music.
"Marina" w.(Eng) Ray Maxwell m. Rocco Granata
"The Mating Game" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse. Theme song from the film The Mating Game
"May You Always" w.m. Larry Markes & Dick Charles
"Memphis" w.m. Chuck Berry
"Merely Marvellous" w. Dorothy Fields m. Arthur Hague. Introduced by Gwen Verdon in the musical Redhead.
"Milord" w. (Eng) B. G. Lewis (Fr) Joseph Mustacchi m. Marguerite Monnot
"Morgen" w. (Eng) Noel Sherman (Ger) Peter Mosser m. Peter Mosser
"Mr Blue" w.m. Dewayne Blackwell
"The Music Of Home" w.m. Frank Loesser, from the musical Greenwillow
"My Favourite Things" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Patricia Neway and Mary Martin in the musical Sound of Music. Performed in the film version by Julie Andrews.
"My Heart Is An Open Book" w. Hal David m. Lee Pockriss
"My Wish Came True" w.m. Ivory Joe Hunter
"Never Will I Marry" w.m. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Anthony Perkins in the musical Greenwillow.
"Oh! Carol" w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka
"Only Love Me" w. (Eng) Mann Curtis (Ital) Pinchi m. V. Panzuti
"Only Sixteen" w.m. Barbara Campbell
"Personality" w.m. Lloyd Price & Harold Logan
"Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" w.m. Harlan Howard
"Pillow Talk" w.m. Buddy Pepper & Inez James. Introduced by Doris Day and Rock Hudson in the film of the same name.
"La Plume De Ma Tante" w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
"Poison Ivy" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
"Politics And Poker" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced by Howard Da Silva in the musical Fiorello.
"Promise Me A Rose" w.m. Bob Merrill, from the musical Take Me Along
"Put Your Head On My Shoulder" w.m. Paul Anka
"Quiet Village" m. Les Baxter
"Rawhide" w. Ned Washington m. Dimitri Tiomkin. Title tune of the TV series performed by Frankie Laine.
"Red River Rock" trad arr. Tom King, Ira Mack & Fred Mendelsohn
"Ring-A-Ling-A-Lario" w.m. Gerry Grant, Arthur Kent & Joe Reisman
"Rose's Turn" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman in the musical A Musical Fable.
"Roulette" m. Trevor H. Stanford
"Running Bear" w.m. J. P. Richardson
"The Same Old Me" F. Owen
"Sea Of Love" w.m. George Khoury & Phil Baptiste
"See You In September" w. Sid Wayne m. Sherman Edwards
"Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat" w. Bob Hilliard m. Lee Pockriss
"Shout" O'Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley
"Shy" w. Marshall Barer m. Mary Rodgers
"Side Saddle" m. Trevor H. Stanford
"Sixteen Going On Seventeen" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Laurie Peters and Brian Davies in the musical Sound of Music.
"Sleep Walk" m. Ann Farina, Johnny Farina & Santo Farina
"Small World" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman and Jack Klugman in the musical A Musical Fable
"Some People" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Intorudced by Ethel Merman in the musical A Musical Fable.
"Sorry, I Ran All The Way Home" w.m. Harry Giosasi & Artie Zwirn
"The Sound Of Music" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical Sound of Music. Performed in the film version by Julie Andrews.
"Strange Are The Ways Of Love" w. Ned Washington m. Dimitri Tiomkin, from the film western The Young Land
"Summertime Love" w.m. Frank Loesser
"Sweet Nothin's" Ronnie Self
"Take Me Along" w.m. Bob Merrill. Introduced by Jackie Gleason and Walter Pidgeon in the musical Take Me Along.
"Tall Paul" w.m. Bob Roberts, Robert Sherman & Richard Sherman
"Tallahassee Lassie" w.m. Frank C. Slay Jr, Bob Crewe & Frederick A. Picariello
"Teen Angel" w.m. Jean Surrey & Red Surrey
"A Teenager In Love" w.m. Jerome "Doc" Pomus & Mort Shuman
"There Goes My Baby" w.m. Benjamin Nelson, Lover Patterson, George Treadwell, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
"This Magic Moment" w.m. Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman
"Three Steps To Heaven" Eddie Cochran
"The Tijuana Jail" w.m. Denny Thompson
" 'Til I Kissed You" w.m. Don Everly
"Till Tomorrow" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced by Ellen Hanley in th emusical Fiorello.
"Time And The River" w.m. Aaron Schroeder & Wally Gold
"Together Wherever We Go" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman, Sandra Church and Jack Klugman in the musical A Musical Fable
"Tomboy" w.m. Joe Farrell & Jim Conway
"Too Long At The Fair" w.m. Billy Barnes
"Tucumcari" Olofson, McIntyre
"The Untouchables" m. Nelson Riddle.
"Venus" w.m. Ed Marshall
"Waterloo" w.m. John D. Loudermilk & Marijohn Wilkin
"We Got Love" w. Kal Mann m. Bernie Lowe
"What Do You Want?" Les Vandyke
"What'd I Say" w.m. Ray Charles
"When Did I Fall In Love?" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced by Ellen Hanley in the musical Fiorello.
"Why" w. Bob Marcucci m. Peter De Angelis
"The Wonder Of You" w.m. Baker Knight
"Wonderful You" Stallman, Jacobson
"A Worried Man" w.m. Dave Guard & Tom Glazer
"You'll Never Get Away From Me" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Jack Klugman and Ethel Merman in the musical A Musical Fable.
"You're Starting To Get To Me" Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen, from the film Say One for Me

Classical music

Arnold Bax - Symphony No. 4
Elliott Carter - String Quartet No. 2
George Crumb - Variazioni for large orchestra
Mario Davidovsky - Serie Sinfonica 1959 for orchestra
Henri Dutilleux - Symphony No. 2 (Le Double)
Francis Jackson - Diversion for Mixtures
György Ligeti - Apparitions for Orchestra (1958-59)
Giacinto Scelsi - Quattro Pezzi Su Una Nota Sola pieces each on a single note"
Pierre Schaeffer - Etudes aux Objets
Karlheinz Stockhausen - Gruppen
Healey Willan - Poem for Strings
Grace Williams - All Seasons shall be Sweet