1950 in music

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Clarinetist George Lewis in 1950 was prominent in the revived popularity of traditional jazz.

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1950.

Events

• January 3 – Sam Phillips launches Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.
• August – Herbert Howells' Hymnus Paradisi is premiered at the Three Choirs Festival.^{[citation needed]}
• Malcolm Sargent becomes chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
• 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 Folk Songs – Jo Stafford
• Auld Lang Syne – Bing Crosby
• Autumn in New York – Jo Stafford
• Barber Shop Ballads – The Mills Brothers
• Bird & Diz – Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie
• Blue of the Night – Bing Crosby
• Capitol Collectors Series – Jo Stafford
• The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert – Benny Goodman
• Charlie Parker with Strings – Charlie Parker
• Christmas Greetings – Bing Crosby
• Cole Porter Songs – Bing Crosby
• Country Feelin – Dinah Shore
• Drifting and Dreaming – Bing Crosby
• Ella Sings Gershwin – Ella Fitzgerald
• The Fat Man – Fats Domino
• Frankie Laine (Ver 2) – 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
• 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
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
July 15, 1950	5	"Mona Lisa"	Nat King Cole
August 19, 1950	13	"Goodnight, Irene"	Gordon Jenkins & The Weavers
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 1940s 1 – Jun 1950, US 1 for 5 weeks Jul 1950, Oscar in 1950, US BB 2 of 1950, RYM 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 1940s 1 – Nov 1950, US 1 for 9 weeks Dec 1950, US BB 4 of 1950, DDD 5 of 1950, Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1950, POP 7 of 1950, RYM 77 of 1951, RIAA 198, Acclaimed 1447
3	Phil Harris	The Thing	1950		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, RYM 108 of 1950
4	Red Foley	Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy	1950		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, RYM 117 of 1950
5	Teresa Brewer	Music! Music! Music!	1950		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
• "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" – Al Jolson
• "Ballin' The Jack", recorded by
  • Georgia Gibbs
  • Danny Kaye
• "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
• "Cry Of The Wild Goose" – Frankie Laine
• "Daddy's Little Girl" – The Mills Brothers
• "Dear, Dear, Dear" – Frankie Laine
• "Dream a Little Dream of Me" – Frankie Laine
• "A Dreamer's Holiday" – Buddy Clark & The Girlfriends
• "Enjoy Yourself" – Guy Lombardo (Kenny Gardner & The Lombardo Trio vocals)
• "Goodnight, Irene" – The Weavers sell four million copies
• "Harbor Lights" – Sammy Kaye
• "Here Comes Santa Claus" – Andrews Sisters
• "L'Hymne à L'Amour (Hymn To Love)" – Édith Piaf
• "I Can Dream, Can't I?" – The Andrews Sisters
• "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
  • Billy Eckstine
  • Gordon Jenkins
• "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
  • The Mills Brothers
  • Vaughn Monroe
• "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", recorded by
  • Anton Karas
  • Guy Lombardo
• "With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming" – Patti Page

Top R&B hits on record

• "Double Crossin' Blues" – Little Payne

Published popular music

• "Adelaide's Lament" w.m. 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
• "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
• "La Culebra" m. John Serry, Sr.
• "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" adapt from Chopin's Etude No 3 in E, Opus 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 (Stefan Michrovsky) & 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

Classical music

• Hendrik Andriessen – Concerto for Organ and Orchestra
• Malcolm Arnold – English Dances for orchestra, op. 27
• Alexander Arutiunian – Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
• Arno Babadjanian – Heroic Ballade
• Ernest Bloch – Suite hébraïque
• Karl-Birger Blomdahl – Symphony No. 3 Facetter
• Pierre Boulez –
  • Polyphonie X
  • Le soleil des eaux, for soprano, chorus and orchestra (second version)
• John Cage – String Quartet in Four Parts
• Arnold Cooke – Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello
• George Crumb – A Cycle of Greek Lyrics for voice and piano
• Jesús Guridi – Cuarteto en la menor
• Karl Amadeus Hartmann – Symphony No. 5 Symphonie Concertante
• Hans Henkemans – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
• Ernst Krenek – Suite for String Trio Parvula Corona Musicalis
• Bohuslav Martinů –
  • Concerto No. 2 for two violins and orchestra
  • Duo No. 2, for Violin and Viola
  • Intermezzo for Large Orchestra
  • Sinfonietta La Jolla, in A major, for piano and chamber orchestra
  • Trio No. 2, for violin, cello, and piano, in D minor
• Luigi Nono – Variazioni canoniche sulla serie dell’op.41 di A. Schönberg, for chamber orchestra
• Vincent Persichetti – Divertimento for Band
• Allan Pettersson – First Concerto for Strings
• Walter Piston – Symphony No.4
• Arnold Schoenberg –
  • Psalm 130 “De profundis”, op. 50b
  • Modern Psalm, op. 50c (unfinished)
  • Style and Idea (collection of essays and other works, translated by Dika Newlin)
• Humphrey Searle – Poem for 22 Strings
• John Serry, Sr. – Eight Accordion Quartet Arrangements
• Karlheinz Stockhausen –
  • Choral ("Wer uns trug mit Schmerzen in dies Leben"), for a cappella choir, Nr. 1/9 (1950)
  • Chöre für Doris, for a cappella choir, Nr. ¹/₁₁ (1950)
  • Drei Lieder, for alto voice and chamber orchestra, Nr. 1/10 (1950)

Opera

• Luigi Dallapiccola – Il Prigionero (The Prisoner)
• Norman Dello Joio – The Triumph of Saint Joan
• Lukas Foss – The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (opera in two scenes, libretto by Jean Karsavina, premiered on May 18, 1950, at Indiana University)
• Vittorio Giannini – The Taming of the Shrew
• Gian-Carlo Menotti – The Consul

Musical theatre

• Carousel (Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics and Book: Oscar Hammerstein II.) London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on June 7 and ran for 566 performances.
• Dear Miss Phoebe London production opened at the Phoenix Theatre on October 13 and ran for 283 performances
• Guys and Dolls (Music and Lyrics: Frank Loesser Book: Abe Burrows & Jo Swerling). Broadway production opened at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24 and ran for 1200 performances.
• The Highwayman Music, Lyrics & Book: Edmond Samuels. Australian production opened at the Kings Theatre, Melbourne on November 18
• Out Of This World Broadway production opened at the New Century Theatre on December 21 and ran for 157 performances.
• Peter Pan Lyrics and Music: Leonard Bernstein. Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on April 24 and ran for 321 performances

Musical films

Dorothy Kirsten and Bing Crosby in "Mr. Music".

• Annie Get Your Gun starring Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern and Keenan Wynn.
• Bhai Bahen, starring Geeta Bali and Bharat Bhushan.
• Cinderella, animated film featuring the voice of Ilene Woods and Verna Felton.
• Come Dance with Me featuring Anne Shelton and Anton Karas
• Fancy Pants starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball
• I'll Get By starring June Haver, Gloria DeHaven and Dennis Day, and featuring Harry James.
• Mr Music starring Bing Crosby and featuring Peggy Lee, Groucho Marx and Dorothy Kirsten.
• Pagan Love Song starring Esther Williams and Howard Keel
• Singing Guns released February 28 starring Vaughn Monroe, Ella Raines, Walter Brennan and Ward Bond
• There's a Girl in My Heart starring Lee Bowman, Elyse Knox, Gloria Jean and Peggy Ryan
• Three Little Words starring Fred Astaire, Red Skelton and Vera Ellen, and featuring Helen Kane dubbing for Debbie Reynolds.
• The Toast of New Orleans starring Kathryn Grayson and Mario Lanza
• Two Weeks With Love starring Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalban, Louis Calhern, Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter.
• The West Point Story starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Doris Day and Gordon MacRae

Births

January – February

• January 1
  • Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople)
  • Steve Ripley (The Tractors)
• January 3 - Beth Anderson, American composer
• January 5 – Chris Stein, guitarist and co-founder of Blondie
• January 9 – David Johansen (New York Dolls)
• January 21 – Billy Ocean, singer
• January 23
  • Luis Alberto Spinetta, "father of Argentine rock"
  • Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers)
  • Danny Federici (E Street Band)
• January 26 – Paul Pena, singer, songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
• February 2 – Ross Valory, bass player (Journey, the Storm)
• February 6 – Natalie Cole, singer, daughter of Nat King Cole
• February 12 – Steve Hackett (Genesis)
• February 13 – Peter Gabriel, singer
• February 19 – Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash)
• February 20 – Walter Becker, musician, songwriter and record producer (Steely Dan)
• February 23 – Steve Priest, guitarist and vocalist (Sweet)
• February 26 – Jonathan Cain, Journey

March – April

• March 2 – Karen Carpenter, singer (d. 1983)
• March 11 – Katia Labèque, pianist
• March 20 – Carl Palmer, drummer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Asia)
• March 21 – Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)
• March 22 - David Golub, pianist and conductor (d. 2000)
• March 26 – Teddy Pendergrass, singer (d. 2010)
• March 27 – Tony Banks (Genesis)
• April 5 – Agnetha Fältskog, singer (ABBA)
• April 12 – David Cassidy, singer
• April 22 – Peter Frampton, singer
• April 24 – Rob Hyman (The Hooters)
• April 25 – Steve Ferrone (Average White Band)

May – June

• May 2 – Lou Gramm (Foreigner)
• May 3 – Mary Hopkin, singer
• May 4 – Darryl Hunt (The Pogues)
• May 9 – Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick)
• May 12 – Billy Squier, singer-songwriter and guitarist
• May 13
  • Stevie Wonder, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
  • Danny Kirwan, guitarist (Fleetwood Mac)
• May 16 – Ray Condo, singer, saxophonist, and guitarist (d. 2004)
• May 18 – Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo)
• May 22 – Bernie Taupin, lyricist
• May 29 – Rebbie Jackson, singer
• May 24 – Terry Scott Taylor, record producer
• June 1 – Graham Russell (Air Supply)
• June 3 – Suzi Quatro, rock singer
• June 5
  • Ronnie Dyson, singer and actor (d. 1990)
  • Michael Monarch (Steppenwolf)
• June 19 – Ann Wilson (Heart)
• June 21 – Joey Kramer (Aerosmith)

July – August

• July 5 – Huey Lewis, singer and songwriter
• July 10 – Greg Kihn, rock musician, radio personality and novelist.
• July 12 – Eric Carr (Kiss) (d. 1991)
• July 14 – Gwen Guthrie, singer-songwriter (d. 1999)
• July 18 – Glenn Hughes (The Village People) (d. 2001)
• July 19 – Freddy Moore, singer-songwriter
• July 23 – Blair Thornton (Bachman–Turner Overdrive)
• August 12 – Kid Creole, singer
• August 13 – Pluto Shervington, reggae singer
• August 18 – Dennis Elliott (Foreigner)
• August 25 – Willy DeVille, singer and songwriter (d. 2009)

September – October

• September 10 – Joe Perry, Aerosmith
• September 14 – Paul Kossoff, guitarist (Free) (d. 1976)
• September 17 – Fee Waybill (The Tubes)
• October 1 – Elpida, singer
• October 2 – Mike Rutherford, musician and songwriter (Genesis)
• October 8 – Robert Kool Bell, singer (Kool and The Gang)
• October 20 – Tom Petty, singer, guitarist

November – December

• November 1 – Dan Peek (America)
• November 11 – Jim Peterik (Ides of March, Survivor)
• November 18 – Graham Parker, singer
• November 21
  • Marie Bergman, Eurovision singer
  • Livingston Taylor, singer-songwriter
• November 22
  • Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads)
  • Steven Van Zandt (aka "Little Steven", "Miami Steve") (E Street Band)
• December 1 – Keith Thibodeaux, drummer and actor
• December 5 – Camarón de la Isla, flamenco singer
• December 6 – Joe Hisaishi, Japanese composer and director
• December 8 – Dan Hartman, singer-songwriter (d. 1994)
• December 9 – Joan Armatrading, singer-songwriter
• December 20 – Arturo Márquez, composer
• December 28 – Alex Chilton (Box Tops, Big Star) (d. 2010)

Deaths

• January 28 – Kansas Joe McCoy, blues musician and songwriter (born 1905)
• February 10 – Armen Tigranian, Armenian composer (born 1879)
• February 26 – Sir Harry Lauder, Scottish singer, comedian and songwriter
• February 28 – Ernst Abert Couturier, cornet virtuoso, composer, inventor and instrument manufacturer (born 1869)
• March – Kate Carney, English singer and comedian (born 1869)
• March 8 – Jaroslav Kocián, violinist, composer and teacher (born 1883)
• April 2 - Adolf Wiklund, Swedish composer (born 1879)
• April 3 – Kurt Weill, composer in many styles (born 1900)
• April 8 – Vaslav Nijinsky, ballet dancer
• April 23 – Gemma Bellincioni, operatic soprano (born 1864)
• May 7 – Bertha "Chippie" Hill, blues singer and vaudeville performer (born 1905)
• May 13 – Pauline de Ahna, operatic soprano (born 1863)
• June 9 – Joe Burke, pianist and composer (born 1884)
• June 26 – Antonina Nezhdanova, coloratura soprano (born 1873)
• July 1 – Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, developer of eurhythmics
• July 7 – Fats Navarro, jazz musician (born 1923)
• July 11 – Buddy DeSylva, songwriter (born 1895)
• July 21 – Al Hoffman, songwriter
• July 26 – Papa Charlie McCoy, blues musician
• July 30 – Guilhermina Suggia, cellist
• August 3 – Georg Høeberg, composer and conductor (born 1872)
• August 8 – Nikolai Myaskovsky, Soviet composer and teacher of Polish birth (born 1881)
• August 26 – Giuseppe De Luca, operatic baritone
• September 5 – Al Killian, trumpeter and bandleader (born 1916)
• October 11 – Emil Votoček, chemist, composer and music theorist (born 1862)
• October 15 – Clément Doucet, pianist
• October 23 – Al Jolson, singer and actor
• October 26 - Evelyn Suart, English pianist (born 1881)
• November 20 – Francesco Cilea, opera composer (born 1866)
• November 23 - Percival Mackey, English pianist, composer and bandleader (born 1894)
• December 2 - Dinu Lipatti, Romanian pianist and composer (born 1917; Hodgkin's disease))
• December 9 – Georg Hann, operatic bass-baritone (born 1897)
• December 26 – Ben Black, songwriter and impresario (born 1889)
• December 31 – Charles Koechlin, composer and teacher (born 1867)
• date unknown
  • Jaime de Angulo, ethnomusicologist (born 1887)
  • Auguste Aramini, French singer (born 1875)
  • Edouard Espinosa, dancer, choreographer and teacher
  • Cenobio Hernandez, composer (b. 1863)
  • Georges Mager, trumpet player (b. 1885)
  • Ray Perry, jazz musician (b. 1915)