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Overview of the events of 1950 in music
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.
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
Albums released
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
"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
"With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming " – Patti Page
"Double Crossin' Blues" – Johnny Otis with Little Esther & the Robins
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
"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 " 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
Premieres
Sortable table
Composer
Composition
Date
Location
Performers
Andriessen, Hendrik Organ Concerto 1950-11-01
Concertgebouw Orchestra – Monteux [ 7]
Boulez, Pierre Le Soleil des eaux 1950-07-18
Joachim , Mollet , Peyron / RTF National Orchestra – Désormière [ 8]
Boulez, Pierre Piano Sonata No. 2 (1948)1950-04-29
Grimaud [ 9]
Cage, John String Quartet in Four Parts 1950-08-12
Summer Session Quartet [ 10]
Foss, Lukas Song of Anguish 1950-03-10
Boston Symphony – Foss [ 11]
Guridi, Jesús String Quartet No. 2 1950-05-14
National Chamber Music Association [ 12]
Hartmann, Karl Amadeus Adagio (Symphony No. 2)1950-09-10
Musiktage )SWF Symphony – Rosbaud [ 13]
Howells, Herbert Hymnus Paradisi 1950-09-07
Three Choirs Festival )Baillie , William Herbert / London Symphony – Howells[ 14] [ 15]
Jolivet, André Concerto for Flute and Strings 1950-01-24
Rampla / [unknown orchestra and conductor][ 16]
Khachaturian, Aram Triumphal Poem 1950-12-09
USSR Radio Symphony – Gauk [ 17]
Martinu, Bohuslav Intermezzo for Large Orchestra 1950-12-29
Louisville Orchestra – Whitney [ 18] [ 19]
Martinu, Bohuslav Piano Trio No. 2 1950-05-19
Liepmann , Finckel , Tucker [ 20]
Martinu, Bohuslav Sinfonietta La Jolla 1950-08-13
Orchestra of the Musical Arts Society of La Jolla – Sokoloff [ 21]
Nono, Luigi Variazioni canoniche sulla serie dell'op. 41 di Schoenberg1950-08-27
Ferienkurse )Darmstadt Landestheater Orchestra – Scherchen [ 22]
Prokofiev, Sergei Cello Sonata (1949)1950-03-01
Rostropovich , Richter [ 23]
Searle, Humphrey Poem for 22 Strings 1950-08-27
Ferienkurse )Darmstadt Landestheater Orchestra – Scherchen [ 24]
Strauss, Richard Four Last Songs 1950-05-22
Flagstad / Philharmonia Orchestra – Furtwängler [ 25]
Villa-Lobos, Heitor Montanhas de Brasil (Symphony No. 6)1950-04-29
Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theatre Symphony – Villa-Lobos [ 26]
Villa-Lobos, Heitor Piano Concerto No. 2 (1948)1950-04-21
João de Souza Lima [pt ; de ; ru ] / Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theatre Symphony – Villa-Lobos[ 27]
Compositions
Hendrik Andriessen – Concerto for Organ and OrchestraMalcolm Arnold – English Dances 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 Carlos Chávez – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra Jani Christou – First SymphonyArnold Cooke – Trio for Violin, Viola and CelloGeorge Crumb – A Cycle of Greek Lyrics for voice and pianoHenri Dutilleux – Blackbird for pianoJesús Guridi – String Quartet in A minorEivind Groven
Hjalarljod Overture , Op. 38Piano Concerto, Op. 39a Karl Amadeus Hartmann – Symphony No. 5 Symphonie Concertante Hans Henkemans – Concerto for Violin and OrchestraErnst 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 orchestraVincent Persichetti – Divertimento for BandAllan Pettersson – First Concerto for StringsWalter Piston – Symphony No.4 Theodor Rogalski – Three Romanian Dances for orchestra
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 La Culebra , for flute & accordionAfrican Bolero , for flute & accordionKarlheinz Stockhausen –
Choral Chöre für Doris 1 /11 (1950)Drei Lieder Heitor Villa-Lobos –
Opera
Musical theatre
Dorothy Kirsten and Bing Crosby in "Mr. Music ".Annie Get Your Gun Irving Berlin ), starring Betty Hutton , Howard Keel , Louis Calhern and Keenan Wynn .Bhai Bahen Geeta Bali and Bharat Bhushan .Cinderella Ilene Woods and Verna Felton .Come Dance with Me Anne Shelton and Anton Karas Fancy Pants Bob Hope and Lucille Ball I'll Get By June Haver , Gloria DeHaven and Dennis Day , and featuring Harry James .Mr. Music Bing Crosby and featuring Peggy Lee , Groucho Marx and Dorothy Kirsten .Pagan Love Song Esther Williams and Howard Keel Singing Guns Vaughn Monroe , Ella Raines , Walter Brennan and Ward Bond There's a Girl in My Heart Lee Bowman , Elyse Knox , Gloria Jean and Peggy Ryan Three Little Words Fred Astaire , Red Skelton and Vera Ellen, and featuring Helen Kane dubbing for Debbie Reynolds .The Toast of New Orleans Kathryn Grayson and Mario Lanza Two Weeks With Love Jane Powell , Ricardo Montalban , Louis Calhern , Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter .The West Point Story James Cagney , Virginia Mayo , Doris Day and Gordon MacRae
Births
January 1
January 3 – Beth Anderson , American composerJanuary 5 – Chris Stein , guitarist and co-founder of Blondie January 7 – Juan Gabriel , singer (died 2016)January 9 – David Johansen , proto-punk singer (New York Dolls )January 21 – Billy Ocean , singerJanuary 23
January 26 – Paul Pena , singer, songwriter and guitarist (died 2005)January 28 – Bob Hay , American singer-songwriterJanuary 29 – Max Carl , American singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player (Grand Funk Railroad)February 1 – Mike Campbell , American guitarist, songwriter and producer (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch )February 2 – Ross Valory , American rock bass player (Journey and The Storm )February 3 – John Schlitt , American Christian rock singer (Petra and Head East )February 6 – Natalie Cole , African American singer, daughter of Nat King Cole (died 2015)February 12 – Steve Hackett , guitarist and composer (Genesis )February 13 – Peter Gabriel , singer and composer (Genesis)February 14 – Roger Fisher , American guitarist (Heart and Alias )February 15 – David Brown , bass guitarist (Santana ) (died 2000)February 19 – Andy Powell , rock guitarist (Wishbone Ash )February 20 – Walter Becker , jazz rock bass guitarist, songwriter and record producer (Steely Dan ) (died 2017)February 23 – Steve Priest , guitarist and vocalist (Sweet )February 26
November 1 – Dan Peek (America )November 11 – Jim Peterik (Ides of March , Survivor )November 12 – Barbara Fairchild , American singer-songwriterNovember 18
November 20 – Gary Green (Gentle Giant )November 21
November 22
December 1 – Richard Keith [birth name Keith Thibodeaux], American drummer and actorDecember 5 – Camarón de la Isla , flamenco singerDecember 6 – Joe Hisaishi , Japanese composer and directorDecember 8 – Dan Hartman , singer-songwriter (died 1994)December 9 – Joan Armatrading , singer-songwriterDecember 20 – Arturo Márquez , composerDecember 25 – Rockdrigo González , folk & rock singer-songwriter (died in earthquake 1985)December 28 – Alex Chilton (Box Tops , Big Star ) (died 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 (born 1870)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 (born 1889/90)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 (born 1865)July 7 – Fats Navarro , jazz musician (born 1923)July 11 – Buddy DeSylva , songwriter (born 1895)July 21 – Al Hoffman , songwriter (born 1902)July 26 – Papa Charlie McCoy , blues musician (born 1909)July 30 – Guilhermina Suggia , cellist (born 1885)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 (born 1876)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 (born 1895)October 23 – Al Jolson , singer and actor (born 1886)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 )[ 28] December 9 – Georg Hann , operatic bass-baritone (born 1897)December 22 – Julius Weismann , German composer and conductor (born 1879)December 26 – Ben Black , songwriter and impresario (born 1889)December 31 – Charles Koechlin , composer and teacher (born 1867)date unknown
Notes
^ Anon., "Columbia Records Acquires Casals", The New York Times (14 March): 21.
^ Anon., "Composer Wins Music Contest", The New York Times (30 August): 27.
^ "Hymnus Paradisi ". The Musical Times 91 (1291). Musical Times Publications Ltd: 352–353. September 1950. doi :10.2307/935574 . JSTOR 935574 . ^ Howard Taubman, "Gulda Impresses in Piano Program: 20-Year-Old Austrian Artist Shows Great Musical Gifts in Recital at Carnegie Hall", The New York Times (12 October): 51.
^ Anon., "Soprano Winds Steber Award". The New York Times (4 November): 13.
^ Ronald Crichton, "Sargent, Sir (Harold) Malcolm (Watts)", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001).
^ Bruno Klassiek ^ IRCAM ^ Encyclopedia Universalis ^ Black Mountain Studies Journal ^ Boston Symphony Orchestra ^ Doce Notas ^ Schott Music ^ Naxos ^ Thesis by Martin John Ward for the University of Birmingham, p.75 ^ IRCAM ^ Le Chant du Monde ^ Naxos Records ^ Louisville Orchestra ^ Classics Online ^ Boosey & Hawkes ^ Fondazione Onlus ^ Classical Connect ^ Darmstädter Ferienkurse, 1946-1966 ^ Musicweb International ^ Historia de la sinfonía ^ Villa-Lobos, sua obra ^ Prince of Pianists | Lipatti | Classical Music | Mark Ainley Archived October 22, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
