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1971 in music

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List of years in music (table)
In radio
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
In television
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
+...

List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1971.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Bands formed

Bands reformed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

January

Day Album Artist Notes
7 Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) Elvis Presley [2]
11 Chicago III Chicago
Pearl Janis Joplin
13 Deliverin' Poco Live
15 Hooker 'n Heat John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat
Salisbury Uriah Heep
ZZ Top's First Album ZZ Top
Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers and The First Edition Compilation
Jerry Butler Sings Assorted Sounds Jerry Butler
Little Feat Little Feat
Melting Pot Booker T & the MG's
Nantucket Sleighride Mountain
Sister Kate Kate Taylor
Straight Life Freddie Hubbard
There Must Be More to Love Than This Jerry Lee Lewis
You're Not Alone Dion

February

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes The 5th Dimension
if 2 If
2 The Point! Harry Nilsson
3 Love Story Andy Williams
5 Once Again Barclay James Harvest
9 Carly Simon Carly Simon
10 Church of Anthrax John Cale and Terry Riley
Tapestry Carole King
Love Story Johnny Mathis
19 The Yes Album Yes
22 If I Could Only Remember My Name David Crosby
24 One Way... or Another Cactus
Jack Johnson Miles Davis
26 Straight, Clean and Simple Anne Murray
Fourth Soft Machine
Crazy Horse Crazy Horse
Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire
The Hawk Ronnie Hawkins
Jack-Knife Gypsy Paul Siebel
James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine James Taylor
Live at the Sex Machine Kool & the Gang Live
Long Player Faces
Mary Mary Travers
The Polite Force Egg
Ring of Hands Argent
Rita Coolidge Rita Coolidge
Stoney End Barbra Streisand
The Taker/Tulsa Waylon Jennings

March

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Search and Nearness The Rascals
5 The Cry of Love Jimi Hendrix Compilation
Friends Elton John Soundtrack
Bryter Layter Nick Drake [3]
Stone Age The Rolling Stones Compilation
9 Love It to Death Alice Cooper Straight Records; re-issued on Warner Bros. June '71
15 La Biblia Vox Dei
16 Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon James Taylor
19 Aqualung Jethro Tull
Songs of Love and Hate Leonard Cohen
Wildlife Mott the Hoople
22 You'll Never Walk Alone Elvis Presley Compilation
24 Histoire de Melody Nelson Serge Gainsbourg
26 Percy The Kinks Soundtrack
Back to the Roots John Mayall
Black Oak Arkansas Black Oak Arkansas
Dave Mason & Cass Elliot Dave Mason & Cass Elliot
Electronically Tested Mungo Jerry
A Message to the People Buddy Miles
Moments Boz Scaggs
Al Green Gets Next to You Al Green
Motel Shot Delaney & Bonnie
Please to See the King Steeleye Span
Present Company Janis Ian
Rat On! Swamp Dogg
Rock On Humble Pie
She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina Buffy St. Marie
Tanz der Lemminge Amon Düül II
Teenage Head Flamin' Groovies
With Friends and Neighbors Alex Taylor

April

Day Album Artist Notes
2 Donny Hathaway Donny Hathaway
5 Satori Flower Travellin' Band
6 Poems, Prayers & Promises John Denver
7 4 Way Street Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Live
8 Givin' It Back The Isley Brothers
In the Land of Grey and Pink Caravan
Overdog Keef Hartley
12 Maybe Tomorrow The Jackson 5
Where I'm Coming From Stevie Wonder
15 Survival Grand Funk Railroad
19 L.A. Woman The Doors
22 Hag Merle Haggard
Sky's the Limit The Temptations
23 Sticky Fingers The Rolling Stones
30 The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers
Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy
Smiling Men with Bad Reputations Mike Heron
17-11-70 Elton John Live
All by Myself Eddie Kendricks
Bring Me Home Mother Earth
Broken Barricades Procol Harum
Chase Chase
Cheapo Cheapo Productions Presents Real Live John Sebastian John Sebastian Live
City of Gold Pearls Before Swine
Elegy The Nice Live
Extraction Gary Wright
Good Taste Is Timeless The Holy Modal Rounders
How Much More Can She Stand Conway Twitty
Mirror Man Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band Recorded 1967
Oh! Pleasant Hope Blue Cheer
Survival of the Fittest Live Amboy Dukes Live
Thirds James Gang
War War
Bloodrock 3 Bloodrock
When You're Hot, You're Hot Jerry Reed

May

Day Album Artist Notes
3 Leon Russell and the Shelter People Leon Russell
5 Peaceful World The Rascals
12 Weather Report Weather Report
14 Carpenters Carpenters
Relics Pink Floyd Compilation
17 Ram Paul and Linda McCartney US; released in UK May 28
19 Aretha Live at Fillmore West Aretha Franklin Live
21 What's Going On Marvin Gaye
Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher Solo Debut[4]
28 Songs for Beginners Graham Nash
Every Picture Tells a Story Rod Stewart
And So: On Jimmy Webb
Another Dimension Bo Diddley
Contact Freda Payne
Curtis/Live! Curtis Mayfield Live
Edgar Broughton Band Edgar Broughton Band
5th Lee Michaels
Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
If You Saw Thro' My Eyes Ian Matthews
Joy to the World Hoyt Axton
Just as I Am Bill Withers
Live Johnny Winter And Johnny Winter Live
Man in Black Johnny Cash
Smash Your Head Against the Wall John Entwistle
Something Else Shirley Bassey
Stormcock Roy Harper
Summer Side of Life Gordon Lightfoot
We Sure Can Love Each Other Tammy Wynette
Winwood Steve Winwood Compilation

June

Day Album Artist Notes
4 Budgie Budgie
6 Toussaint Allen Toussaint
14 Tarkus Emerson, Lake & Palmer
16 Golden Bisquits Three Dog Night Compilation
Love Letters from Elvis Elvis Presley
21 Ruby Buck Owens
22 Blue Joni Mitchell
23 Byrdmaniax The Byrds
24 Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren Todd Rundgren
25 Indelibly Stamped Supertramp
30 Stephen Stills 2 Stephen Stills
Aerial Pandemonium Ballet Harry Nilsson
Angel Delight Fairport Convention
Blood, Sweat & Tears 4 Blood, Sweat & Tears
Homemade The Osmonds
First Pull Up, Then Pull Down Hot Tuna
The Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers
Grin Grin
Historic Dead Grateful Dead Live 1966
It Ain't Easy Long John Baldry
Link Wray Link Wray
What You Hear Is What You Get Ike & Tina Turner Live
Mick Abrahams Mick Abrahams
New York City (You're a Woman) Al Kooper
One World Rare Earth
Randy Newman Live Randy Newman Live
San Francisco Dues Chuck Berry
Sing Children Sing Lesley Duncan
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song Melvin Van Peebles Soundtrack
Touch The Supremes
Touching Home Jerry Lee Lewis

July

Day Album Artist Notes
1 C'mon Everybody Elvis Presley Compilation
Push Push Herbie Mann Album
2 Daddy Who? Daddy Cool Daddy Cool
6 At Fillmore East The Allman Brothers Band Live
High Time MC5
Surrender Diana Ross
Booker T. & Priscilla Booker T & Priscilla Coolidge
12 Maggot Brain Funkadelic
16 Acquiring the Taste Gentle Giant
23 Every Good Boy Deserves Favour The Moody Blues
26 The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions Howlin' Wolf
Armchair Boogie Michael Hurley & Pals
Blessed Are... Joan Baez
Charity Ball Fanny
Fireball Deep Purple US
Fool's Mate Peter Hammill
(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People The Chi-Lites
From the Witchwood Strawbs
Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby McGuinness Flint
Harmony Row Jack Bruce
How Come the Sun Tom Paxton
I Don't Know How to Love Him Helen Reddy
In the Garden Gypsy
The Last Time I Saw Her Glen Campbell
Lovejoy Albert King
Ride the Wind The Youngbloods
Shaft Isaac Hayes Soundtrack
So Long, Bannatyne The Guess Who
Sha Na Na Sha Na Na
Stop Your Motor The Association

August

Day Album Artist Notes
1 The Best of the Wailers Bob Marley and the Wailers
2 Who's Next The Who [5]
Fillmore East – June 1971 The Mothers of Invention Live
11 You've Got a Friend Johnny Mathis
27 One Dozen Roses Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
30 Surf's Up The Beach Boys
31 The Sun, Moon & Herbs Dr. John
Master of Reality Black Sabbath [6]
Barbra Joan Streisand Barbra Streisand
Cedartown, Georgia Waylon Jennings
Freedom Flight Shuggie Otis
Himself Gilbert O'Sullivan
Hot Pants James Brown
I Wonder What She'll Think About Me Leaving Conway Twitty
If 3 If
My Baby Packed Up My Mind and Left Me Dallas Frazier
New Riders of the Purple Sage New Riders of the Purple Sage
Nigel Olsson's Drum Orchestra and Chorus Nigel Olsson
Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Milsap
A Space in Time Ten Years After
Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin' Butterfield Blues Band
Van Ronk Dave Van Ronk
White Light Gene Clark aka Gene Clark
Tago Mago Can
In Hearing of Atomic Rooster Atomic Rooster

September

Day Album Artist Notes
3 Future Games Fleetwood Mac
20 Granite Creek Moby Grape
5 From the Inside Poco
8 Labelle Labelle
9 Aretha's Greatest Hits Aretha Franklin Compilation
Imagine John Lennon US; released in UK Oct 8
10 Welcome to the Canteen Traffic Live
Second Album Curved Air
15 Cahoots The Band
Communication Bobby Womack
Judee Sill Judee Sill
17 Colosseum Live Colosseum Live
20 Fly Yoko Ono
24 Electric Warrior T.Rex
29 Goin' Back to Indiana The Jackson 5
30 Harmony Three Dog Night
Ko-ko Joe Jerry Reed
Aereo-Plain John Hartford
April Wine April Wine
Bark Jefferson Airplane
Buddy Miles Live Buddy Miles Live
Charlie Daniels Charlie Daniels
Closer to the Ground Joy of Cooking
The Four of Us John Sebastian
Free Live! Free Live
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Johnny Cash Compilation
Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves Cher
James Gang Live in Concert James Gang Live
Look at Yourself Uriah Heep US; released Oct. '71 in UK
The North Star Grassman and the Ravens Sandy Denny
Pilgrimage Wishbone Ash
Rock Love Steve Miller Band
Santana Santana aka Santana III
Seven Tears Golden Earring
Street Corner Talking Savoy Brown
Talk It Over in the Morning Anne Murray
The Time to Live is Now Buzzy Linhart
Trafalgar Bee Gees
Transition Kenny Rogers and The First Edition

October

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Teaser and the Firecat Cat Stevens
Would You Take Another Chance on Me? Jerry Lee Lewis
4 Coat of Many Colors Dolly Parton
200 Motels Frank Zappa Soundtrack
Twins Ornette Coleman
8 Distant Light The Hollies UK
In Search of Space Hawkwind
Message from the Country The Move
18 Other Voices The Doors
Restrictions Cactus
20 Elvis sings The Wonderful World of Christmas Elvis Presley Christmas
25 Chicago at Carnegie Hall Chicago Live
Rough and Ready The Jeff Beck Group
29 Fearless Family
American Pie Don McLean
Grateful Dead Grateful Dead Live
The Morning After The J. Geils Band
Bloodrock U.S.A. Bloodrock
Brand New Morning Bob Seger
Camembert Electrique Gong
Country Anthem Hoyt Axton
Focus II (Moving Waves) Focus
Fog on the Tyne Lindisfarne
Frisco Mabel Joy Mickey Newbury
Gather Me Melanie
Greatest Hits, Volume Two B.J. Thomas Compilation
Growers of Mushroom Leaf Hound
Illusion Renaissance
Jesse Frederick Jesse Frederick
John Prine John Prine
The King of Rock and Roll Little Richard
Liquid Acrobat as Regards the Air Incredible String Band
Live at PJ's Kool & the Gang
The Marblehead Messenger Seatrain
Memories John Mayall
No Roses Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band
Pawn Hearts Van der Graaf Generator
Rainbow Bridge Jimi Hendrix Soundtrack
Reflection Pentangle
R.E.O. Speedwagon REO Speedwagon
Roots Curtis Mayfield
Rotten to the Core Crabby Appleton
Stoney & Meatloaf Stoney & Meat Loaf
To You with Love, Donny Donny Osmond
Tupelo Honey Van Morrison
UFO 2: Flying UFO
War War War Country Joe McDonald

November

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Cold Spring Harbor Billy Joel
There's a Riot Goin' On Sly & the Family Stone
Footprint Gary Wright
Hooteroll? Howard Wales and Jerry Garcia
Rock Messiah David Axelrod
3 The Inner Mounting Flame Mahavishnu Orchestra
5 Meddle Pink Floyd UK[7]
Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories Barclay James Harvest
Madman Across the Water Elton John
6 The Stylistics The Stylistics
8 I Wrote a Simple Song Billy Preston
Led Zeppelin IV Led Zeppelin
12 Nursery Cryme Genesis
15 Asylum Choir II Leon Russell and Marc Benno
17 Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II Bob Dylan Compilation + new and unreleased material
Farther Along The Byrds
Gonna Take a Miracle Laura Nyro
Live-Evil Miles Davis
A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse Faces
24 Muswell Hillbillies The Kinks
26 Fragile Yes
Deuce Rory Gallagher
Killer Alice Cooper
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy The Who Compilation
Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be Sweet
Aerie John Denver
Kazemachi Roman Happy End
All Day Music War
Anne Murray / Glen Campbell Anne Murray and Glen Campbell
Anticipation Carly Simon
"Babbacombe" Lee Fairport Convention
Beautiful Lies You Could Live In Pearls Before Swine
Black Moses Isaac Hayes
Bless the Weather John Martyn
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Raitt
Brain Capers Mott the Hoople
Choice Quality Stuff/Anytime It's a Beautiful Day
Coming From Reality Sixto Rodriguez
Dog of Two Head Status Quo
E Pluribus Funk Grand Funk Railroad
Flowers of Evil Mountain
For Ladies Only Steppenwolf
Good and Dusty The Youngbloods
If Not for You Olivia Newton-John
Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Edwards
Lay it All Out Barry Mann
Liv Livingston Taylor
Living Judy Collins
The Lonesome Picker Rides Again John Stewart
Lost in the Ozone Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys Traffic
Nazareth Nazareth
The Need of Love Earth, Wind & Fire
Nice Feelin' Rita Coolidge
Nilsson Schmilsson Harry Nilsson
'Nuff Said Ike & Tina Turner
One Year Colin Blunstone Debut
People Like Us The Mamas & the Papas
Performance Rockin' the Fillmore Humble Pie Live
Pictures at an Exhibition Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Quicksilver Quicksilver Messenger Service
Quiet Fire Roberta Flack
Rudy the Fifth Ricky Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band
Sanctuary Dion
Shake Off the Demon Brewer & Shipley
Sittin' In Loggins and Messina Debut
Sunfighter Paul Kantner and Grace Slick
There's Gotta Be a Change Albert Collins
Whatevershebringswesing Kevin Ayers
Year of Sunday Seals and Crofts

December

Day Album Artist Notes
3 The Electric Light Orchestra Electric Light Orchestra
Islands King Crimson
6 Wild Life Wings
9 Greatest Hits The Jackson 5 Compilation
13 Straight Up Badfinger
17 Hunky Dory David Bowie
20 The Concert for Bangladesh George Harrison and Friends Live
Hot Rocks 1964–1971 The Rolling Stones Compilation
29 America America
The Best of Top of the Pops '71 Top of the Poppers Compilation
Black Unity Pharoah Sanders
Boz Scaggs & Band Boz Scaggs
Don't Knock My Love Wilson Pickett
Dynamite! The Supremes and The Four Tops
Guilty! Eric Burdon & Jimmy Witherspoon
Message from a Drum Redbone
Music Carole King
Papa John Creach Papa John Creach
Ten Man Mop, or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again Steeleye Span

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1971.

# Artist Title Year Country Chart entries
1 George Harrison My Sweet Lord 1970 UK UK 1 – Jan 1971, US BB 1 – Dec 1970, Canada 1 – Nov 1970, Netherlands 1 – Dec 1970, France 1 – Mar 1971, Switzerland 1 – Jan 1971, Norway 1 – Feb 1971, Germany 1 – Jan 1971, Éire 1 – Jan 1971, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Jul 1971, Australia Goset 1 – Jan 1971, Australia 2 of 1971, RYM 3 of 1970, Italy 4 of 1971, Virgin 5, Poland 7 – Feb 2002, DDD 11 of 1970, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1970, Germany 40 of the 1970s, US CashBox 70 of 1971, Europe 93 of the 1970s, OzNet 170, WXPN 339, Rolling Stone 454, TheQ 484, Acclaimed 604
2 John Lennon Imagine 1971 UK UK 1 – Dec 1980, Éire 1 – Dec 1975, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Jul 1972, Australia Goset 1 – Dec 1971, Virgin 1, OzNet 1, Switzerland 2 – Nov 1971, DDD 2 of 1971, WXPN 2, US BB 3 – Oct 1971, Canada 3 – Sep 1971, Norway 3 – Feb 1972, Italy 3 of 1972, Rolling Stone 3, RYM 4 of 1971, Netherlands 5 – Nov 1971, France 5 – Nov 1971, South Africa 5 of 1972, POP 5 of 1971, Austria 6 – Mar 1981, Europe 8 of the 1970s, TheQ 9, US BB 10 of 1971, Belgium 11 of all time, Germany 12 – Jan 1981, TOTP 16, Poland 17 of all time, Sweden (alt) 19 – Dec 1975, Australia 19 of 1972, Acclaimed 21, RIAA 30, Scrobulate 33 of classic rock, 86 in 2FM list
3 Rod Stewart Maggie May 1971 UK UK 1 – Sep 1971, US BB 1 – Aug 1971, Canada 1 – Aug 1971, Australia 1 for 4 weeks May 1972, Australia Goset 1 – Oct 1971, Peel list 1 of 1970, Netherlands 3 – Oct 1971, RYM 3 of 1971, Switzerland 5 – Dec 1971, DDD 5 of 1971, US BB 6 of 1971, France 10 – Nov 1971, POP 10 of 1971, Australia 13 of 1971, Germany 17 – Jan 1972, US CashBox 23 of 1971, TheQ 37, Virgin 53, Acclaimed 80, Rolling Stone 130, OzNet 149, RIAA 194, WXPN 218
4 Lynn Anderson Rose Garden 1970 US Canada 1 – Dec 1970, Switzerland 1 – Mar 1971, Norway 1 – Mar 1971, Germany 1 – Mar 1971, Éire 1 – Mar 1971, Australia 1 for 4 weeks Oct 1971, Netherlands 2 – Jan 1971, France 2 – Apr 1971, Australia Goset 2 – Feb 1971, UK 3 – Feb 1971, US BB 3 – Dec 1970, US CashBox 6 of 1971, Germany 50 of the 1970s, DDD 57 of 1970, RYM 75 of 1970, Acclaimed 1217
5 The Rolling Stones Brown Sugar 1971 UK US BB 1 – May 1971, Canada 1 – May 1971, Netherlands 1 – May 1971, Switzerland 1 – May 1971, UK 2 – Apr 1971, US BB 3 of 1971, POP 3 of 1971, Norway 4 – May 1971, Germany 5 – May 1971, Australia Goset 5 – Jun 1971, DDD 8 of 1971, France 9 – Apr 1971, RYM 11 of 1971, Virgin 21, US CashBox 38 of 1971, TheQ 82, Scrobulate 89 of classic rock, Acclaimed 137, Germany 249 of the 1970s, WXPN 274, OzNet 412, Rolling Stone 490

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Elton John in 1971
Song title Artist(s) Release date(s) US UK Highest chart position Other Chart Performance(s)
"Ain't No Sunshine" Bill Withers July 1971 3 n/a 3 (United States) See chart performance entry
"All Day Music" War July 1971 35 n/a 35 (United States) 18 (U.S. Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles)
"All I Ever Need Is You" Sonny & Cher October 1971 7 8 5 (Canada) See chart performance entry
"American Pie" Don McLean October 1971 1 2 1 (Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand) See chart performance entry
"Another Day" Paul McCartney February 1971 5 2 1 (Australia, Ireland, Spain) See chart performance entry

Other Chart hit singles

Notable singles

Song title Artist(s) Release date(s) Other Chart Performance(s)
"Eagle Rock" Daddy Cool May 1971 1 (Australia) - 17 (New Zealand)
"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" b/w "Home Is Where the Hatred Is" Gil Scott-Heron with Pretty Purdie and the Playboys April 1971 n/a
"Under My Wheels" Alice Cooper September 1971 59 (US Billboard Hot 100) - 66 (UK Singles Chart)

Other Notable singles

Classical music

Premieres

Composer Composition Date Location Performers
Ligeti, György Concert românesc August 21, 1971 Fish Creek, US Peninsula Music Festival OrchestraJohnson[8]
Stockhausen, Karlheinz Sternklang June 5, 1971 Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany Collegium Vocale Köln, Gentle Fire, Smalley, Souster, VetterStockhausen[9]
Stockhausen, Karlheinz Trans October 16, 1971 Donaueschingen, Germany SWF Sinfonie-OrchesterBour[10]

Compositions

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Louis Armstrong died on July 6
Guitarist Duane Allman died on October 29

Awards

Grammy Awards

References

  1. ^ "Music Man for the Met". Time. June 21, 1971. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007.
  2. ^ "1970s discography".
  3. ^ Drake, Gabrielle, Nick Drake: Remembered for a While, Little, Brown and Company, 2014.
  4. ^ "Rory Gallagher official site".
  5. ^ "RIAA certifications".
  6. ^ "Great Rock discography". p. 68.
  7. ^ Povey 2007, p. 150.
  8. ^ "Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  9. ^ Michael Kurtz, Stockhausen: A Biography, translated by Richard Toop (London and Boston: Faber and Faber, 1992): 185. ISBN 0-571-14323-7 (cloth) ISBN 0-571-17146-X (pbk).
  10. ^ Karlheinz Stockhausen, "Trans für Orchester (1971)", in his Texte zur Musik 4, edited by Christoph von Blumröder (Cologne: DuMont Buchverlag, 1978): 181. ISBN 3-7701-1078-1.

Works cited