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1950 in music
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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1950.
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
- January 3 – Sam Phillips launches Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.
- March 14 – Pablo Casals terminates his recording contract with RCA Records and signs with their chief competitor, Columbia Records.[1]
- June 26 – Louis Armstrong records the first American version of C'est si bon with the English lyrics by Jerry Seelen.
- August 29 – The first American Music Competition of the Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity is won by Richard Winslow for Huswifery, a choral composition for women's voices.[2]
- August – Herbert Howells' Hymnus Paradisi is premiered at the Three Choirs Festival.[3]
- September 24 – Alan Lomax sets sail from the United States for London and spends until 1959 recording in Europe for the Columbia World Library of Folk and Primitive Music.
- October 1 – Italian composer Luciano Berio marries American mezzo-soprano Cathy Berberian.
- October 11 – On temporary release from Ellis Island pending a deportation decision from U. S. immigration authorities, 20-year-old Friedrich Gulda makes his Carnegie Hall debut.[4]
- November – The Eleanor Steber Award is won by soprano Willabelle Underwood.[5]
- Johann Sebastian Bach is reburied in St. Thomas Church, Leipzig.
- Malcolm Sargent becomes chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.[6]
- Isaak Dunayevsky is named People's Artist of the USSR.
- Mitch Miller signs as A&R man with Columbia Records.
- Patti Page becomes the first (and only) artist to have a Number One record on the Pop, R&B and Country charts concurrently.
- Al Cernick is signed to Columbia by Mitch Miller, who changes the singer's name to Guy Mitchell.
- Columbia Records lures Jo Stafford away from Capitol.
- Georgia Gibbs leaves the Majestic label and scores her first charting single with Coral.
- Bandleader Les Baxter founds the school of "Outer Space" exotica.
- Sam Cooke replaces R. H. Harris as lead singer of The Soul Stirrers.
Albums released
- American Folks Songs – Jo Stafford
- Auld Lang Syne – Bing Crosby
- Autumn in New York – Jo Stafford
- Barber Shop Ballads – The Mills Brothers
- Blue of the Night – Bing Crosby
- The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert – Benny Goodman
- Christmas Greetings – Bing Crosby
- Cole Porter Songs – Bing Crosby
- Country Feelin – Dinah Shore
- Dedicated to You – Frank Sinatra
- Drifting and Dreaming – Bing Crosby
- Dulce Patria – Jorge Negrete
- Ella Sings Gershwin – Ella Fitzgerald
- Frankie Laine – Frankie Laine
- Going My Way – Bing Crosby
- Historical America in Song – Burl Ives
- King Cole Trio – King Cole Trio
- King Cole Trio Volume 2 – King Cole Trio
- Live at Carnegie Hall – Benny Goodman
- Oh! Susanna – Al Jolson
- Patti Page – Patti Page
- Popular Classics for Four Pianos – Philharmonic Piano Quartet
- Porgy and Bess – Various Artists
- Sing a Song of Christmas – The Ames Brothers
- Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra – Frank Sinatra
- Songs By Gershwin – Bing Crosby
- Songs of Faith – Jo Stafford
- Songs for Sunday Evening – Jo Stafford
- Tea for Two – Doris Day
- Two Loves Have I – Frankie Laine
- Voice of the Xtabay – Yma Sumac
- Young Man with a Horn – Doris Day
No. 1 hit singles
These singles reached the top of Billboard magazine's charts in 1950.
| First week | Number of weeks | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 7, 1950 | 1 | "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | Gene Autry, 7,000,000 sold by 1969[7] |
| January 14, 1950 | 4 | "I Can Dream, Can't I?" | The Andrews Sisters |
| February 11, 1950 | 1 | "Rag Mop" | The Ames Brothers |
| February 18, 1950 | 4 | "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" | Red Foley |
| March 18, 1950 | 4 | "Music! Music! Music!" | Teresa Brewer |
| April 15, 1950 | 2 | "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake" | Eileen Barton |
| April 29, 1950 | 11 | "The Third Man Theme" | Anton Karas, 4,000,000 sold[7] |
| July 15, 1950 | 5 | "Mona Lisa" | Nat King Cole |
| August 19, 1950 | 13 | "Goodnight, Irene" | Gordon Jenkins & The Weavers, 2,000,000 sold[7] |
| November 18, 1950 | 2 | "Harbor Lights" | Sammy Kaye |
| December 2, 1950 | 4 | "The Thing" | Phil Harris |
| December 30, 1950 | 9 | "The Tennessee Waltz" | Patti Page |
Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1950.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nat King Cole | Mona Lisa | 1950 | US | US 1940s 1 – Jun 1950, US 1 for 5 weeks Jul 1950, Oscar in 1950, US BB 2 of 1950, POP 2 of 1950, DDD 4 of 1950, Italy 48 of 1951, RIAA 109, Acclaimed 1292 |
| 2 | Patti Page | Tennessee Waltz | 1950 | US | US 1940s 1 – Nov 1950, US 1 for 9 weeks Dec 1950, US BB 4 of 1950, 6,000,000 sold by 1967[7] |
| 3 | Phil Harris | The Thing | 1950 | US | US 1940s 1 – Nov 1950, US 1 for 4 weeks Dec 1950, Peel list 1 of 1950, US BB 12 of 1950, POP 12 of 1950 |
| 4 | Red Foley | Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy | 1950 | US | US 1940s 1 – Jan 1950, US 1 for 4 weeks Feb 1950, DDD 17 of 1950, US BB 18 of 1950, POP 25 of 1950 |
| 5 | Teresa Brewer | Music! Music! Music! | 1950 | US | US 1940s 1 – Feb 1950, US 1 for 4 weeks Mar 1950, US BB 3 of 1950, POP 3 of 1950 |
Top hit records
- "A-Razz-A-Ma-Tazz" – Georgia Gibbs
- "All My Love (Bolero)" – Patti Page
- "Anema e core" – Tito Schipa
- "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" – Al Jolson
- "Ballin' the Jack", recorded by
- "Be My Love" – Mario Lanza
- "Bewitched" – Doris Day
- "Black Lace" – Frankie Laine
- "Boo-Hoo" – Guy Lombardo & The Lombardo Trio
- "A Bushel And A Peck" – Perry Como & Betty Hutton
- "Can Anyone Explain? (No, No, No!)" – The Ames Brothers
- "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" – Red Foley
- "Count Every Star", recorded by
- "Cry Of The Wild Goose" – Frankie Laine
- "Daddy's Little Girl" – The Mills Brothers
- "Dear, Dear, Dear" – Frankie Laine
- "Domino" – André Claveau
- "Dream a Little Dream of Me" – Frankie Laine
- "A Dreamer's Holiday" – Buddy Clark & The Girlfriends
- "El rancho 'e la Cambicha" – Antonio Tormo
- "Enjoy Yourself" – Guy Lombardo (Kenny Gardner & The Lombardo Trio vocals)
- "Goodnight, Irene" – The Weavers
- "Harbor Lights" – Sammy Kaye
- "Here Comes Santa Claus" – Andrews Sisters
- "Hymne à l'amour (Hymn To Love)" – Édith Piaf
- "I Can Dream, Can't I?" – The Andrews Sisters
- "I'll Never Be Free", recorded by:
- "I Love You For That" – Patti Page & Frankie Laine
- "I Wanna Be Loved" – The Andrews Sisters
- "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake" – Eileen Barton
- "I'm Movin' On" – Hank Snow
- "It Isn't Fair" – Sammy Kaye (Don Cornell vocal)
- "Let's Go West Again" – Al Jolson
- "A Man Gets Awfully Lonesome" – Frankie Laine
- "Mona Lisa" – Nat King Cole
- "Music, Maestro, Please" – Frankie Laine
- "Music! Music! Music!" – Teresa Brewer
- "My Foolish Heart, recorded by
- "My Heart Cries For You" – Guy Mitchell
- "Nevertheless" – The Mills Brothers
- "No Other Love" – Jo Stafford
- "The Old Piano Roll Blues" Al Jolson & The Andrews Sisters
- "Patricia" – Perry Como
- "Peter Cottontail" – Gene Autry
- "Play A Simple Melody" – Gary Crosby & Friend (Bing Crosby)
- "Rag Mop" – The Ames Brothers
- "Red Hot Mama" – Georgia Gibbs
- "The Roving Kind" – Guy Mitchell
- "Sentimental Me" – The Ames Brothers
- "Sleepy Ol' River" – Frankie Laine
- "Someday", recorded by
- "Sometime" – The Mariners
- "Stars & Stripes Forever" – Frankie Laine
- "Swingin' In A Hammock" – Guy Lombardo (Don Rodney & The Lombardo Trio vocals)
- "The Tennessee Waltz" – Patti Page
- "There's No Tomorrow" – Tony Martin
- "The Thing" – Phil Harris
- "Thinking of You" – Don Cherry
- "The Third Man Theme" from the film The Third Man, recorded by
- "With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming" – Patti Page
Top R&B hits on record
- "Double Crossing Blues" – Johnny Otis with Little Esther & The Robins
Published popular music
- "Adelaide's Lament" words and music: Frank Loesser
- "African Bolero" m. John Serry Sr.
- "American Beauty Rose" w.m. Hal David, Redd Evans & Arthur Altman
- "Be My Love" w. Sammy Cahn m. Nicholas Brodszky
- "The Best Thing For You" w.m. Irving Berlin
- "Blind Date" w.m. Sid Robin
- "A Bushel And A Peck" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Candy And Cake" w.m. Bob Merrill
- "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" w.m. Harry Stone & Jack Stapp
- "Choo'n Gum" w. Mann Curtis m. Vic Mizzy
- "Cold, Cold Heart" w.m. Hank Williams
- "The Cry of the Wild Goose" w.m. Terry Gilkyson
- "Dearie" w.m. Bob Hilliard & David Mann
- "Domino" w. (Eng) Don Raye (Fr) Jacques Plante m. Louis Ferrari
- "Freight Train" w. Paul James & Fred Williams m. trad arr. Elizabeth Cotton
- "The French Can-Can Polka" w. Jimmy Kennedy m. Jacques Offenbach
- "From This Moment On" w.m. Cole Porter
- "Frosty the Snowman" w.m. Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins
- "Fugue For Tinhorns" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Get Out Those Old Records" w.m. Carmen Lombardo & John Jacob Loeb
- "Gone Fishin'" w.m. Nick Kenny & Charles Kenny
- "Guys and Dolls" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Home Cookin"' w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans
- "Hoop-Dee-Doo" w. Frank Loesser m. Milton De Lugg
- "The Hostess With The Mostes' On The Ball" w.m. Irving Berlin. Introduced by Ethel Merman in the musical Call Me Madam
- "I Almost Lost My Mind" w.m. Ivory Joe Hunter
- "I Didn't Slip, I Wasn't Pushed, I Fell" w.m. Edward Pola & George Wyle
- "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine" w.m. Mack David
- "I Leave My Heart in an English Garden" w.m. Harry Parr-Davies and Christopher Hassall from the musical Dear Miss Phoebe
- "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat" w.m. Alan Livingston, Billy May & Warren Foster
- "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked A Cake" w.m. Al Hoffman, Bob Merrill & Clem Watts
- "If I Were A Bell" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "I'll Know" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "I'll Never Be Free" w.m. Bennie Benjamin & George David Weiss
- "I'm Movin' On" w.m. Hank Snow
- "It Is No Secret" w.m. Stuart Hamblen
- "It's A Lovely Day Today" w.m. Irving Berlin
- "I've Never Been In Love Before" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Ivory Rag" Lou Busch, Jack Elliott
- "Little White Duck" w.m. Walt Barrows & Bernard Zaritsky
- "The Loveliest Night of the Year" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Juventino P. Rosas
- "Luck Be a Lady" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Lucky Lucky Lucky Me" Berle, Arnold
- "Marry The Man Today" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Marrying For Love" w.m. Irving Berlin
- "More I Cannot Wish You" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "My Heart Cries For You" w.m. Carl Sigman & Percy Faith
- "My Time Of Day" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "No Other Love" adaptation from Chopin's Étude No. 3 in E major, Op. 10. w.m. Bob Russell & Paul Weston
- "The Old Piano Roll Blues" w.m. Cy Coben
- "The Oldest Established" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Orange Colored Sky" w.m. Milton De Lugg & William Stein
- "Patricia" w.m. Benny Davis
- "(Remember Me) I'm the One Who Loves You" w.m. Stuart Hamblen
- "The Roving Kind" adapt. w.m. Jessie Cavanaugh & Arnold Stanton
- "Sam's Song" w. Jack Elliott m. Lew Quadling
- "Shot Gun Boogie" w.m. Tennessee Ernie Ford
- "Silver Bells" w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans. Introduced by Bob Hope in the 1951 Musical film The Lemon Drop Kid.
- "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat" w.m. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Stubby Kaye in the musical Guys and Dolls.
- "Sixty Minute Man" w.m. Billy Ward & Rose Marks
- "Sleigh Ride" w. Mitchell Parish m. Leroy Anderson
- "Sue Me" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "The Syncopated Clock" w. Mitchell Parish m. Leroy Anderson
- "Take Back Your Mink" w.m. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Vivian Blaine in the musical Guys and Dolls.
- "The Thing" w.m. Charles R. Grean
- "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena" adapt. trad Hebrew w. (Eng) Mitchell Parish m. Issachar Miron & Julius Grossman
- "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry" w.m. Bob Merrill & Terry Shand
- "You're Just In Love" w.m. Irving Berlin