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Overview of the events of 1945 in music
Overview of the events of 1945 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1945.
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
Publications
Albums released
Biggest hit songs
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions
in the limited set of charts available for 1945.
Title
|
Artist
|
Song title
|
Year
|
Country
|
Chart Entries
|
1 |
Les Brown & Doris Day |
"Sentimental Journey" |
1945 |
![United States](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png) |
US BB 1 of 1945, US 1 for 9 weeks May 1945, POP 1 of 1945, Europe 37 of the 1940s, RYM 69 of 1945, RIAA 77, Acclaimed 818
|
2 |
The Andrews Sisters |
"Rum & Coca-Cola" |
1945 |
![United States](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png) |
US 1940s 1 – January 1945, US 1 for 7 weeks February 1945, US BB 2 of 1945, POP 2 of 1945, RYM 3 of 1944, Europe 6 of the 1940s
|
3 |
Perry Como |
"Till the End of Time" |
1945 |
![United States](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png) |
US 1940s 1 – August 1945, US 1 for 9 weeks September 1945, US BB 12 of 1945, POP 23 of 1945, Europe 30 of the 1940s, RYM 85 of 1945
|
4 |
Johnny Mercer |
"On the Atcheson, Topeka & the Sante Fe" |
1945 |
![United States](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png) |
US 1940s 1 – July 1945, US 1 for 7 weeks July 1945, US BB 4 of 1945, POP 11 of 1945, RYM 89 of 1945
|
5 |
Les Brown& Doris Day |
"My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" |
1945 |
![United States](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png) |
US 1940s 1 – March 1945, US 1 for 7 weeks April 1945, US BB 7 of 1945, POP 13 of 1945, RYM 70 of 1945
|
Top hit records
Singer Betty Hutton in 1945
Published popular music
- "All of My Life" w.m. Irving Berlin
- "All Through the Day" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern
- "Along the Navajo Trail" w.m. Dick Charles, Eddie DeLange & Larry Markes
- "Apple Honey" m. Woody Herman
- "Aren't You Glad You're You?" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen
- "Atlanta G.A." w. Sunny Skylar m. Arthur Shaftel
- "Autumn Serenade" w. Sammy Gallop m. Peter DeRose
- "Be-Baba-Leba" w.m. Helen Humes
- "The Blond Sailor" w. (Eng) Mitchell Parish, Bell Leib m. Jacob Pfeil
- "Boogie Blues" w.m. Gene Krupa & Ray Biondi
- "Caldonia" w.m. Fleecie Moore
- "The Carousel Waltz" w. Richard Rodgers
- "Cement Mixer" w.m. Slim Gaillard & Lee Ricks
- "Chickery Chick" w. Sylvia Dee m. Sidney Lippman
- "Close as Pages in a Book" w. Dorothy Fields m. Sigmund Romberg. Introduced by Maureen Cannon and Wilbur Evans in the musical Up in Central Park
- "Cruising Down the River" w.m. Eily Beadell & Nell Tollerton
- "Day By Day" w. Sammy Cahn m. Paul Weston & Axel Stordahl
- "Detour" w.m. Paul Westmoreland
- "Dig You Later" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh
- "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Hoagy Carmichael
- "Don't Be a Baby, Baby" w. Buddy Kaye m. Howard Steiner
- "The End of the News" w.m. Noël Coward
- "Everything But You" w.m. Don George, Duke Ellington and Harry James.
- "For Sentimental Reasons" w. Deek Watson m. William Best
- "The Frim Fram Sauce" w.m. Joe Ricardel & Redd Evans
- "Full Moon and Empty Arms" w.m. Buddy Kaye & Ted Mossman
- "Give Me the Moon Over Brooklyn" w.m. Jason Matthews & Terry Shand
- "Give Me the Simple Life" w. Harry Ruby m. Rube Bloom
- "Good Good Good (That's You, That's You)" w.m. Fisher Roberts
- "Gotta Be This or That" w.m. Sunny Skylar
- "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
- "The Gypsy" w.m. Billy Reid
- "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?" w.m. Scott Wiseman
- "Her Bathing Suit Never Got Wet" w. Charles Tobias m. Nat Simon
- "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" w.m. Lionel Hampton & Curley Hamner
- "Homesick – That's All" w.m. Gordon Jenkins
- "The Honeydripper" w.m. Joe Liggins
- "I Can't Begin to Tell You" w. Mack Gordon m. James V. Monaco. Introduced by John Payne and reprised by Betty Grable in the film The Dolly Sisters
- "I Don't Know Enough About You" w.m. Peggy Lee & Dave Barbour
- "I Have But One Heart" Marty Symes, J. Farrow
- "I Wish I Knew" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren. Introduced by Dick Haymes in the film Diamond Horseshoe
- "I Wonder" Gant, Leveen
- "I Wonder What Happened To Him" w.m. Noël Coward
- "If I Loved You" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by John Raitt and Jan Clayton in the musical Carousel.
- "I'll Buy That Dream" w. Herb Magison m. Allie Wrubel
- "I'm a Big Girl Now" w.m. Al Hoffman, Milton Drake & Jerry Livingston
- "I'm Gonna Love That Guy" w.m. Frances Ash
- "In Acapulco" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren. Introduced by Betty Grable in the film Diamond Horseshoe
- "In Love In Vain" w. Leo Robin m. Jerome Kern. Introduced by Louanne Hogan dubbing for Jeanne Crain in the film Centennial Summer
- "In the Middle of May" w. Al Stillman m. Fred Ahlert
- "Isn't It Kinda Fun" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Dick Haymes and Vivian Blaine in the film State Fair. Performed in the 1962 film version by Ann-Margret and David Street
- "It Might as Well Be Spring" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Louanne Hogan dubbing for Jeanne Crain in the film State Fair. Performed in the 1962 film version by Anita Gordon dubbing for Pamela Tiffin.
- "It's a Grand Night For Singing" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "It's Been a Long, Long Time" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
- "Johnnie Fedora (and Alice Bluebonnet)" w. Allie Wrubel & Ray Gilbert
- "June is Bustin' Out All Over" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "Just a Blue Serge Suit" w.m. Irving Berlin
- "Laura" w. Johnny Mercer m. David Raksin
- "Lavender Blue" w. Larry Morey m. Eliot Daniel
- "Leone Jump" m. John Serry Sr.
- "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
- "Love Letters" w. Edward Heyman m. Victor Young
- "Love on a Greyhound Bus" w. Ralph Blane & Kay Thompson m. George Stoll
- "Matelot" w.m. Noël Coward. Introduced by Graham Payn in the revue Sigh No More
- "Mister Snow" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "Money is the Root of All Evil" w.m. Joan Whitney & Alex Kramer
- "The More I See You" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren
- "Nina" w.m. Noël Coward
- "Oh! What It Seemed To Be" w.m. Bennie Benjamin, George David Weiss & Frankie Carle
- "Personality" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen
- "Rodger Young" w.m. Frank Loesser
- "Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy" w. Sammy Gallop m. Guy Wood
- "Sigh No More" w.m. Noël Coward
- "Sioux City Sue" w. Ray Freedman m. Dick Thomas
- "Soliloquy" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "Some Sunday Morning" w. Ted Koehler m. M.K. Jerome & Ray Heindorf
- "A Stranger in Town" w.m. Mel Tormé
- "Symphony" w.(Eng) Jack Lawrence m. Alex Alstone
- "Tampico" w.m. Allan Roberts & Doris Fisher
- "(Did You Ever Get) That Feeling in the Moonlight?" w.m. James Cavanaugh, Larry Stock & Ira Schuster
- "That Little Dream Got Nowhere" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen
- "That's for Me" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "This Was a Real Nice Clambake" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "Till the End of Time" w.m. Buddy Kaye & Ted Mossman
- "Two Silhouettes" w. Ray Gilbert m. Charles Wolcott
- "Waitin' for the Train to Come In" w.m. Sunny Skylar & Martin Block
- "We'll Be Together Again" w. Frankie Laine m. Carl Fischer
- "We'll Gather Lilacs" w.m. Ivor Novello
- "What's the Use of Wond'rin'?" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "When the Children Are Asleep" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "The Wild, Wild West" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harry Warren from the film The Harvey Girls
- "You'll Never Walk Alone" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
- "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
Premieres
Sortable table
Composer |
Composition |
Date |
Location |
Performers
|
Boulez, Pierre |
Three Psalmodies for Piano |
1945-02-12 |
Paris |
Grimaud [1]
|
Britten, Benjamin |
Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes |
1945-06-13 |
Cheltenham (Festival) |
London Philharmonic – Britten [2]
|
Britten, Benjamin |
Passacaglia from Peter Grimes |
1945-08-29 |
London |
BBC Symphony – Boult [3]
|
Britten, Benjamin |
String Quartet No. 2 |
1945-11-21 |
London |
Zorian Quartet [4]
|
Carpenter, John Alden |
The Seven Ages |
1945-12-02 |
New York City |
New York Philharmonic – Rodzinski [5]
|
Copland, Aaron |
Jubilee Variation on a Theme of Goossens |
1945-03-23 |
Cincinnati |
Cincinnati Symphony – Goossens [6]
|
Finzi, Gerald |
Earth and Air and Rain (1935) |
1945-07-02 |
London |
Falkner, Ferguson [7]
|
Ginastera, Alberto |
Las horas de una estancia |
1945-06-11 |
Montevideo |
Baridon, Satalia de Perna [8]
|
Ginastera, Alberto |
Psalm 150 |
1945-04-07 |
Buenos Aires |
Teatro Colón Regular Orchestra and Chorus – Wolff [9]
|
Jolivet, André |
Le chant de Linos (quintet version) |
1945-06-01 |
Paris |
Jamet Quintet [10]
|
Jolivet, André |
Trois chansons de ménestrels |
1945-02-10 |
Paris |
Dyonis, Soulage [11]
|
Khachaturian, Aram |
Fantasy on Russian Themes |
1945-11-06 |
Moscow |
USSR State Radio Symphony – Gorchakov [12]
|
Kodály, Zoltán |
Missa brevis |
1945-02-11 |
Budapest |
[unknown performers] [13]
|
Lutoslawski, Witold |
Wind Trio |
1945-09-?? |
Krákow |
Snieckowski, Rudnicki, Orlow [14]
|
Malipiero, Gian Francesco |
Sinfonia delle campane (Symphony No. 3) |
1945-11-04 |
Florence |
[unknown orchestra] – Markevitch [15]
|
Martinu, Bohuslav |
Symphony No. 3 |
1945-10-12 |
Boston |
Boston Symphony – Koussevitzky [16]
|
Messiaen, Olivier |
Trois petites liturgies de la présence divine |
1945-04-21 |
Paris |
Loriod, Martenot / Paris Conservatory Concert Society Orchestra – Désormière [17]
|
Messiaen, Olivier |
Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus |
1945-03-23 |
Paris |
Loriod [18]
|
Novák, Vitezslav |
May Symphony |
1945-12-05 |
Prague |
[unknown performers] [19]
|
Piston, Walter |
Sonatina for Violin and Harpsichord |
1945-11-30 |
New York City |
Schneider, Kirkpatrick [20]
|
Prokofiev, Sergei |
Symphony No. 5 |
1945-01-13 |
Moscow |
USSR State Symphony – Prokofiev [21]
|
Shostakovich, Dmitri |
Symphony No. 9 |
1945-11-03 |
Leningrad |
Leningrad Philharmonic – Mravinsky [22]
|
Stravinsky, Igor |
Elegy for Viola |
1945-01-26 |
Washington DC |
Prévost [23]
|
Tippett, Michael |
Symphony No. 1 |
1945-11-10 |
Liverpool |
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic – Sargent [24]
|
Tubin, Eduard |
Capriccio for Violin and Piano No. 2 |
1945-09-25 |
Stockholm |
Aumere, Roots [25]
|
Villa-Lobos, Heitor |
String Quartet No. 7 |
1945-05-30 |
Theatro Municipal (Rio de Janeiro) |
Quarteto Borgerth[26]
|
Castelnuovo-Tedesco / Milhaud / Schoenberg / Shilkret / Stravinsky / Tansman / Toch |
Genesis Suite |
1945-11-18 |
Los Angeles |
Janssen Symphony – Janssen [27]
|
Compositions
- Samuel Barber – Cello Concerto
- Béla Bartók
- John A. Carpenter – The Seven Ages
- George Crumb
- Four Pieces for violin and piano
- Sonata for Piano
- Four Songs for voice, clarinet and piano
- Wolfgang Fortner – Sonata for violin and piano
- Jesús Guridi – Pyrenean Symphony
- Dmitri Kabalevsky – Piano Sonata No. 2
- Paul von Klenau – Symphony No. 9
- Erich W. Korngold – Violin Concerto
- G. Francesco Malipiero – Symphony No. 3
- Frank Martin – Petite symphonie concertante
- Bohuslav Martinů
- Rhapsodie Tcheque
- Etudes and Polkas, H. 308, for piano
- Olivier Messiaen – Harawi
- Douglas Moore – Symphony No. 2
- Walter Piston – Sonatina for Violin and Harpsichord
- Sergei Prokofiev – Ivan the Terrible
- Nico Richter – Serenade for flute, violin and viola
- Henri Sauguet – Les forains, ballet
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Richard Strauss
- Igor Stravinsky
- Michael Tippett – Symphony No. 1
- Various composers (Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Milhaud, Schoenberg, Shilkret, Stravinsky, Tansman and Toch) – Genesis Suite
- Heitor Villa-Lobos
- Anchors Aweigh starring Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly. Directed by George Sidney.
- The Bells of St. Mary's starring Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby. Directed by Leo McCarey.
- The Blonde from Brooklyn released June 21, starring Lynn Merrick and Richard Stanton, with Gwen Verdon in a minor role.
- Blonde Ransom starring Donald Cook and Virginia Grey. Directed by William Beaudine.
- Bring on the Girls starring Veronica Lake, Sonny Tufts, Eddie Bracken and Marjorie Reynolds and featuring Spike Jones and his Orchestra.
- Abbott and Costello in Hollywood starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Frances Rafferty, Bob Stanton and Jean Porter. Directed by S. Sylvan Simon.
- Delightfully Dangerous starring Jane Powell, Ralph Bellamy, Constance Moore, Arthur Treacher and Morton Gould & his Orchestra. Directed by Arthur Lubin.
- Diamond Horseshoe aka Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe starring Betty Grable, Dick Haymes, Phil Silvers, William Gaxton and Beatrice Kay and featuring vaudevillian Willie Solar in his only filmed performance.
- The Dolly Sisters released November 14 starring Betty Grable, June Haver and John Payne.
- Duffy's Tavern starring Ed Gardner, Betty Hutton, Bing Crosby, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, Sonny Tufts, Barry Fitzgerald and Veronica Lake. Directed by Hal Walker.
- Eadie Was a Lady starring Ann Miller
- Here Come the Co-eds starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello and Peggy Ryan. Directed by Edgar Fairchild.
- Hit the Hay starring Judy Canova
- Let's Go Steady released January 4 starring Pat Parrish and Jackie Moran and featuring Mel Tormé and Skinnay Ennis.
- Nob Hill starring George Raft, Joan Bennett and Vivian Blaine.
- Out of This World starring Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake and Cass Daley
- Rhapsody In Blue starring Robert Alda, Joan Leslie and Alexis Smith and featuring Hazel Scott.
- A Song for Miss Julie starring Shirley Ross
- State Fair starring Dick Haymes, Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews and Vivian Blaine.
- The Stork Club starring Betty Hutton, Barry Fitzgerald, Don DeFore, Andy Russell and Robert Benchley
- Thrill of a Romance starring Van Johnson and Esther Williams and featuring Lauritz Melchior
- Tonight and Every Night starring Rita Hayworth, Lee Bowman and Janet Blair.
- Yolanda and the Thief starring Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, Frank Morgan, Mildred Natwick and Mary Nash. Directed by Vincente Minnelli.
Births
- January 3 – Stephen Stills, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- January 10 – Rod Stewart, rock singer
- January 15 – Joan Johnson (The Dixie Cups)
- January 17
- January 19 – Rod Evans (Deep Purple)
- January 20 – Eric Stewart, singer-songwriter (The Mindbenders, 10cc)
- January 26
- January 27 – Nick Mason, Pink Floyd
- January 28 – Robert Wyatt, Canterbury scene musician
- February 6 – Bob Marley, reggae singer-songwriter, musician and guitarist (d. 1981)
- February 14 – Vic Briggs, guitarist Animals
- February 20 – Alan Hull, singer-songwriter (Lindisfarne) (d. 1995)
- February 26
- February 27 – Carl Anderson, actor and singer
- March 6 – Hugh Grundy (The Zombies)
- March 7 – Arthur Lee (Love)
- March 8 – Micky Dolenz, singer, songwriter and actor (The Monkees)
- March 9 – Robin Trower (Procol Harum)
- March 10 – Ramón Ayala, accordion player and norteño
- March 14
- March 17 – Elis Regina, Brazilian singer (d. 1982)
- March 19 – Cem Karaca, Turkish rock musician
- March 28 – Charles Portz (The Turtles)
- March 30 – Eric Clapton, blues guitarist and singer
- April 1 – John Barbata (Jefferson Starship), The Turtles
- April 9 – Steve Gadd, American session drummer
- April 13 – Lowell George (Little Feat)
- April 14 – Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
- April 20 – Frank DiLeo, American actor and music industry executive
- April 24 – Robert Knight, singer
- April 25
- April 28 – John Wolters, Dr. Hook
- April 29 – Tammi Terrell, Soul singer (d. 1970)
- May 1 – Rita Coolidge, singer
- May 2
- May 4 – Georg Wadenius (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
- May 6
- May 7 – Christy Moore, folk musician
- May 8 – Keith Jarrett, pianist and composer
- May 9 – Steve Katz, Blues Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears
- May 12 – Ian McLagan, keyboard player, The Faces (d. 2014)
- May 13 – Magic Dick, The J. Geils Band
- May 19 – Pete Townshend, The Who
- May 24 – Priscilla Presley, wife of Elvis
- May 27 – Bruce Cockburn, Canadian singer/songwriter
- May 28
- May 29 – Gary Brooker, singer and keyboardist (Procol Harum)
- June 1
- June 2 – Lord David Dundas, singer and composer
- June 4
- June 14 – Rod Argent, The Zombies, Argent
- June 20 – Anne Murray, singer
- June 24 – Colin Blunstone, singer Zombies
- June 25
- July 26 – Betty Davis, singer
- June 28 – Dave Knights, Procol Harum
- July 1
- July 6 – R. K. Elswit (Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show)
- July 15 – Peter Lewis (Moby Grape)
- July 18 – Danny McCulloch (The Animals)
- July 20
- July 23 – Dino Danelli, The Rascals
- July 30 – David Sanborn, saxophonist
- August 16 – Gary Liozzo, American Breed
- August 18 – Barbara Harris (The Toys)
- August 19 – Ian Gillan, rock singer (Deep Purple)
- August 24
- August 31
- September 4 – Bill Kenwright, producer of West End musicals
- September 5 – Al Stewart, singer-songwriter
- September 8
- September 9
- September 10 – Jose Feliciano, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- September 15 – Jessye Norman, operatic soprano (d. 2019)
- September 17 – Danny Rivera, singer
- September 19 – David Bromberg, guitarist
- September 23 – Paul Petersen, singer and actor
- September 24 – John Rutter, composer
- September 25 – Onnie McIntire (Average White Band)
- September 26
- October 1 – Donny Hathaway, singer and musician (d. 1979)
- October 2 – Don McLean, singer-songwriter
- October 7 – Kevin Godley, singer and songwriter
- October 9 – Chucho Valdés, jazz musician
- October 10 – Alan Cartwright (Procol Harum)
- October 13 – Christophe, singer-songwriter (d. 2020)
- October 19 – Jeannie C. Riley, country singer
- October 22 – Leslie West (Mountain) (The Vagrants)
- October 28 – Wayne Fontana, singer
- October 29 – Melba Moore, singer
- October 31 – Russ Ballard, Argent, singer-songwriter
- November 8
- November 10 – Donna Fargo, country musician
- November 11
- November 12 – Neil Young, singer-songwriter
- November 13 – Bobby Manuel, American guitarist and producer (Booker T. & the M.G.'s)
- November 15 – Anni-Frid Lyngstad, singer (ABBA)
- November 16 – Teenie Hodges, American guitarist and songwriter (Hi Rhythm Section) (d. 2014)
- November 20 – Dan McBride (Sha Na Na)
- November 24 – Lee Michaels, keyboardist and singer
- November 26 – John McVie, guitarist (Fleetwood Mac)
- December 1 – Bette Midler, singer and actress
- December 10 – Toots Hibbert, Toots & the Maytals
- December 12
- December 14 – Stanley Crouch, music critic
- December 20 – Peter Criss, hard-rock drummer (KISS)
- December 23 – Ronald Busby, Iron Butterfly
- December 24 – Lemmy, born Ian Kilmister, heavy metal musician (Motörhead) (d. 2015)
- December 25 – Noel Redding, rock guitar bassist (Jimi Hendrix Experience) (d. 2003)
- December 27 – Clarence Barlow, composer
- December 30 – Davy Jones, singer and actor (d. 2012)
- date unknown – Abed Azrie, singer
Deaths
- January 4 – Michael Coleman, fiddle player (born 1891)
- January 17 – Malcolm McEachern, operatic bass (born 1883)
- January 30 – Herbert L. Clarke, cornet virtuoso and composer (born 1867)
- February – David Beigelman, violinist, orchestra leader and composer (born 1887) (died in Auschwitz concentration camp)
- February 5 – Volga Hayworth, showgirl (born 1897)
- February 7 – Aldo Finzi, composer (born 1897)
- February 11 – Al Dubin, songwriter (born 1891)
- February 25 – Mário de Andrade, writer and musicologist (born 1893)
- March 2 – Jean-Baptiste Lemire, composer (born 1867)
- March 3 – Blanche Arral, operatic soprano (born 1864)
- April 1 – May Beatty, New Zealand singer (born 1880)
- April 4 – Berta Bock, Romanian composer (born 1857)
- April 15 – Raffaello Squarise, violinist, conductor and composer (born 1856)
- April 19 – Alois Burgstaller, operatic tenor (born 1872)
- April 25
- April 29 – Dezső d'Antalffy, Hungarian organist and composer (born 1885)
- May 15 – Kenneth J. Alford, band composer (born 1881)
- May 31 – Gustave Huberdeau, operatic bass-baritone (born 1874)
- June 26 – Nikolai Tcherepnin, composer (born 1873)
- June 28 – Jonny Heykens, Dutch composer and orchestra leader (born 1884)
- July 24 – Rosina Storchio, operatic soprano (born 1876)
- August 2
- August 19 – Carl Wilhelm Kern, pianist and composer (born 1874)
- August 23 – Leo Borchard, conductor (born 1899) (shot)
- August 31 – Elsa Stralia, operatic soprano (born 1881)
- September 8 – Leo Rich Lewis, composer (born 1865)
- September 15 – Anton Webern, composer (born 1883) (shot)
- September 16 – John McCormack, tenor (born 1884)
- September 18 – Blind Willie Johnson, gospel singer and guitarist (born 1897) (pneumonia)
- September 25 – Julius Korngold, music critic (born 1860)
- September 26 – Béla Bartók, composer (born 1881)
- October 16 – James V. Monaco, Italian-born US composer (born 1885)
- November 3 – Alessandro Longo, composer and musicologist (born 1864)
- November 7 – Gus Edwards, Prussian-born US songwriter, entertainer and producer (born 1879)
- November 11 – Jerome Kern, composer (born 1885) (cerebral haemorrhage)
- December 24 – Adelina Stehle, operatic soprano (born 1860)
- December 30 – France Ačko, Slovenian organist and composer (born 1904)
- date unknown
References