1963 in music

See also: 1962 in music, other events of 1963, 1964 in music, 1960s in music and the list of 'years in music'

Events

January 1 - The Beatles start a 5 day tour in Scotland to support the release of their new single, "Love Me Do".
January 4 - At Cortina d'Empezzo in Italy, Dalida receives a Juke Box Global Oscar for the year's most-played artist on juke boxes.
January 7 - Gary U.S. Bonds files a $100,000 lawsuit against Chubby Checker, claiming that Checker stole "Quarter to Three" and turned it into "Dancin' Party." The lawsuit is later settled out of court.
January 11 - The Whisky a Go Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, opens.
January 12 - Bob Dylan portrays a folk singer in The Madhouse of Castle Street, a radio play for the BBC in London.
February 16 - The Beatles receive their first #1 hit single, when "Please Please Me" tops the charts in the UK
February 16 - Paul Anka marries Marie-Ann DeZogheb
February 22 - The Beatles form Northern Songs Publishing Company.
March 5 - Patsy Cline is killed in small plane crash near Camden, Tennessee, while on her way to Nashville, Tennessee from St. Louis, Missouri.
April 29 - 19 year old Andrew Loog Oldham signs a contract with The Rolling Stones, becoming their manager. Oldham had seen the band in concert the previous day at the Crawdaddy Club in London.
The Beatles record their first album, Please Please Me
Dalida receives the Music Oscar for the world song success.
The Righteous Brothers begin performing together;
Lonnie Mack begins his musical career;
The Kinks form
Herman's Hermits form
Philips introduce the Musicassette at the Berlin Funkaustellung
Coxsone Dodd opens the first black-owned recording studio in Jamaica, named Studio One
Lord Shorty's "Clock and Dagger" is widely considered the first soca recording

Albums released

Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2 - Joan Baez
Surfin' USA - The Beach Boys
Surfer Girl - The Beach Boys
Little Deuce Coupe - The Beach Boys
Please Please Me - The Beatles
With The Beatles - The Beatles
''Live at the Apollo - James Brown
Eux - Dalida
Ruby Baby - Dion DiMucci
Dion Sings Love Came To Me - Dion DiMucci
Ella and Basie! - Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie
Ella Sings Broadway - Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook - Ella Fitzgerald
These Are the Blues - Ella Fitzgerald
Follow The Boys - Connie Francis
Getz/Gilberto - Stan Getz and João Gilberto
Los Relámpagos del Norte - Los Relámpagos del Norte
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus - Charles Mingus
Mingus Plays Piano - Charles Mingus
For Your Sweet Love - Ricky Nelson
In Dreams - Roy Orbison
An Historic Musical First - Frank Sinatra
The Concert Sinatra - Frank Sinatra
Sinatra’s Sinatra - Frank Sinatra
The Composer of Desafinado, Plays - Antonio Carlos Jobim
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan

Top hits on record

"Please Please Me" - The Beatles
"She Loves You" - The Beatles
"Love Me Do" - The Beatles
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles
"From Me To You" - The Beatles
"In Dreams" - Roy Orbison
"Blue Bayou" - Roy Orbison
"Mean Woman Blues" - Roy Orbison
"Pretty Paper" - Roy Orbison
"Hey Paula" - Paul & Paula
"He's So Fine" - The Chiffons
"Bo Diddley" - Buddy Holly
"Brown Eyed Handsome Man" - Buddy Holly
"Surf City" - Jan & Dean
"It's My Party" - Lesley Gore
"Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" - Gene Pitney
"Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
"Wipe Out" - The Surfaris
"If I Had A Hammer" - Trini Lopez
"Da Doo Ron Ron" - The Crystals
"Pipeline" - The Chantays
"Tu Croiras" - Dalida
"Le jour du retour" - Dalida
"Eux" - Dalida
"Walk Like A Man" - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
"Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas
"Up On The Roof" - The Drifters
"I Can't Stay Mad At You" - Skeeter Davis
"Only In America" - Jay & the Americans
"Who Stole The Keeshka?" - Matys Brothers
"Wonderful Summer" - Robin Ward
"I Only Want to Be With You" - Dusty Springfield
"The Folk Singer" - Tommy Roe
"Guilty" - Jim Reeves
"Is This Me" - Jim Reeves

See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1963 (USA)

Published popular songs

"18 Yellow Roses" Bobby Darin
"Abilene" w.m. John D. Loudermilk, Lester Brown, Bob Gibson, Albert Stanton
"All My Loving" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"Another Saturday Night" w.m. Sam Cooke
"As Usual" Zanetis
"Charade" w. Johnny Mercer m. Henry Mancini
"Da Do Ron Ron" w.m. Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry
"Detroit City" w.m. Mel Tillis & Danny Dill
"Distant Drums" w.m. Cindy Walker
"Dominique" Soeur Sourire
"Don't Talk To Him" Cliff Richard, Welch
"Don't You Forget It" w. Al Stillman m. Henry Mancini
"Every Time I Think About You" w.m. Claude Demetrius
"Flash! Bang! Wallop!" w.m. David Heneker
"From Me To You" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"Good Morning, Good Day" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
"Half A Sixpence" w.m. David Heneker
"Hello, Dolly!" w.m. Jerry Herman
"Higitus Figitus", w.m. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, from the Walt Disney film The Sword and the Stone
"How Do You Do It?" w.m. Mitch Murray
"I Call Your Name" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"I Like It" Mitch Murray
"I Saw Her Standing There" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"I Will Follow Him" w. (Eng) Norman Gimbel & Arthur Altman m. J. W. Stole & Del Roma
"I'll Get You" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"If I Ruled the World" w. Leslie Bricusse m. Cyril Ornadel. Introduced by Harry Secombe in the musical Pickwick
"It Won't Be Long" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"It's My Party" w.m. Herb Wiener, Wally Gold & John Gluck Jnr
"Kissin' Cousins" w.m. Fred Wise & Randy Starr
"Losing You" w.(Eng) Carl Sigman m. Jean Renard
"Make The World Go Away" w.m. Hank Cochran
"Move Over Darling" Hal Kanter
"On Broadway" w.m. Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
"On The Beach" Welch, Marvin, Richard
"Our Day Will Come" w.m. Bob Hillard & Mort Garson
"The Pink Panther" w. Johnny Mercer m. Henry Mancini
"Pretty Paper" Willie Nelson
"Reverend Mr Black" Billy Edd Wheeler, Jed Peters
"She Loves Me" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced by Daniel Massey in the musical She Loves Me
"She Loves You" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"Surf City" w.m. Jan Berry & Brian Wilson
"Surfer Girl" w.m. Brian Wilson
"Talk Back Trembling Lips" w.m. John D. Loudermilk
"This Boy" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"The Times They Are A-Changin' " w.m. Bob Dylan
"The Ugly Bug Ball" w.m. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, from the film Summer Magic
"Viva Las Vegas" Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman
"Washington Square" w.m. Bob Goldstein & David Shire
"Will He Like Me?" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced by Barbara Cook in the Broadway production of She Loves Me. Performed by Anne Rogers in the 1964 London production.
"Wives And Lovers" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
"You Were Made For Me" Mitch Murray

Classical music

Benjamin Britten - Nocturnal after John Dowland, op. 70, for guitar
Francis Poulenc - Sept répons des ténèbres
Giacinto Scelsi - String Quartet No. 3
Igor Stravinsky - Abraham and Isaac
William Walton - Variations on a Theme by Hindemith, for orchestra
Iannis Xenakis - Eonta

Opera

Richard Rodney Bennett - The Mines of Sulphur
Carlisle Floyd - The Sojourner and Molly Sinclair
Malcolm Williamson - Our Man in Havana

Musical theater

110 in the Shade (Music: Harvey Schmidt Lyrics: Tom Jones Book: N. Richard Nash). Broadway production opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on October 24 and ran for 331 performances
At The Drop Of Another Hat ( Music and Lyrics: Michael Flanders and Donald Swann). London revue opened at the Haymarket Theatre on October 2
The Boys From Syracuse (Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: George Abbott). London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on November 7 and ran for 100 performances
Carnival (Music and Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Michael Stewart). London production opened at the Lyric Theatre on February 8 and ran for 34 performances
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart). London production opened at the Strand Theatre on October 3 and ran for 762 performances
The Girl Who Came To Supper (Music and Lyrics: Noël Coward). Broadway production opened at the Broadway Theatre on December 8 and ran for 112 performances
Half A Sixpence (Music and Lyrics: David Heneker Book: Douglas Cross). London production opened at the Cambridge Theatre on March 21 and ran for 677 performances
Here's Love (Music, Lyrics and Book: Meredith Willson). Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on October 3 and ran for 334 performances
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (Music and Lyrics: Frank Loesser Book: Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstein and Willie Gilbert). London production opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on March 28 and ran for 520 performances.
Oh! What a Lovely War (Music and Lyrics: Various Book: Charles Chilton). Opened at the Theatre Royal Stratford East on March 19 and transferred to Wyndham's Theatre, London on June 20 for a total run of 501 performances.
Oliver! (Music, Lyrics and Book: Lionel Bart) - Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on January 6 and ran for 744 performances
On The Town (Music: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics and Book: Betty Comden and Adolph Green). London production opened at the Prince Of Wales Theatre on May 30 and ran for 53 performances
Pickwick (Music: Cyril Ornadel Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse Book: Wolf Mankowitz). London production opened at the Saville Theatre on July 4 and ran for 694 performances
She Loves Me (Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Joe Masteroff). Broadway production opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on April 23 and ran for 302 performances

Musical films

Births

January 4 - Robin Guthrie, Cocteau Twins
January 26 - Jazzie B, Soul II Soul
January 26 - Andrew Ridgeley, Wham!
January 28 - Dan Spitz, Anthrax
February 2 - Eva Cassidy
February 19 - Seal
March 1 - Dan Michaels, producer, saxophonist, member of the rock band The Choir and also The Swirling Eddies, owner of Galaxy21 Music.
March 4 - Jason Newsted, Metallica
March 10 - Jeff Ament, Pearl Jam
March 15 - Bret Michaels, Poison
March 27 - Dave Koz, saxophonist
April 2 - Paul Wehage, saxophonist, composer, conductor
April 8 - Julian Lennon, son of John Lennon
May 21 - Gilles Apap, violinist
June 7 - Roberto Alagna, tenor
June 25 - George Michael
June 30 - Yngwie J. Malmsteen, guitar performer
July 7 - Vonda Shepard, singer and musician
July 22 - Emily Saliers, Indigo Girls
August 3 - James Hetfield, Metallica
August 12 - Sir Mix-A-Lot
August 19 - Joey Tempest, Europe
August 22 - Tori Amos
August 22 - James DeBarge, DeBarge
October 26 - Natalie Merchant
October 30 - Jerry DeBorg, Jesus Jones
November 1 - Rick Allen, Def Leppard
November 2 - Bobby Dall, Poison
December 26 - Lars Ulrich, Metallica
December 31 - Scott Ian, Anthrax

Deaths

January 2 - Dick Powell, actor and singer
January 6 - Lina Barbanell, German singer and actress
January 24 - Otto Harbach, lyricist
January 30 - Francis Poulenc
February 19 - Benny Moré, Cuban singer
February 20 - Ferenc Fricsay, conductor
March 5 - Patsy Cline, American country singer, in a plane crash
March 17 - Lizzie Miles, singer
March 31 - Harry Akst, US composer and pianist
April 12 - Herbie Nichols, jazz musician
May 6 - Ted Weems, 61, US bandleader
May 10 - Irving Aaronson, bandleader and composer
September 12 - Modest Altschuler, cellist, conductor and composer
October 11 - Édith Piaf, French singing superstar
November 1 - Elsa Maxwell, songwriter, "the hostess with the mostest"
November 19 - Carmen Amaya, flamenco dancer and singer
November 26 - Amelita Galli-Curci, Operatic soprano
November 29 - Ernesto Lecuona, Cuban composer, pianist and bandleader
December 5 - Karl Amadeus Hartmann, composer
December 28 - Paul Hindemith, composer
date unknown - Naftule Brandwein, clarinettist

Awards

Gourt Home::Gourt :: 1963 in music

Events

Albums released

Top hits on record

Published popular songs

Classical music

Opera

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Grammy Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

External Charts