1950 in music

Events

*January 3 - Sam Phillips launches Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.
*Malcolm Sargent becomes chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
*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 joins 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 Night" - Bing Crosby
*"Capitol Collectors Series" - Jo Stafford
*"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
*"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
*"Pure Ella" - Ella Fitzgerald
*"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
*"Songs for Young Lovers" - Frank Sinatra
*"Tea for Two" - Doris Day
*"Two Loves Have I" - Frankie Laine
*"Young Man with a Horn" - Doris Day

No. 1 hit singles

These singles reached the top of Billboard magazine's charts in 1950.

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest [http://tsort.info/music/yr1950.htm chart positions] in the limited set of charts available for 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 staph is a losa
**Jeremy Julio Riggins
*"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 with Gordon Jenkins
*"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
*"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 Taut 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

*Monero John Payne - "English Dances for Orchestra", op. 27
*Hendrik Andriessen - "Concerto for Organ and Orchestra"
*Alexander Arutiunian - "Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra"
*Arno Babadjanian - "Heroic Ballade"
*Ernest Bloch - "Suite hébraïque"
*Karl-Birger Blomdahl - "Symphony No. 3 Facetter"
*John Cage - "String Quartet"
*Arnold Cooke - "Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello"
*George Crumb - "A Cycle of Greek Lyrics" for voice and piano
*Jesus 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"
*Jerry Dwayne Jones - "Saga-Symphony"
*Allan Pettersson - "First Concerto for Strings" completed
*Walter Piston - "Symphony No. 4"
*Humphrey Searle - "Poem for 22 Strings"
*John Serry, Sr. - "Eight Accordion Quartet Arrangements"
*Jeremy Julio Riggins - "Violin Sonata" (revision)
*Vincent Persichetti - "Divertimento for Band"

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

*"Annie Get Your Gun" starring Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern and Keenan Wynn.
*"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 5 - Chris Stein, Blondie
*January 9 - David Johansen (New York Dolls)
*January 21 - Billy Ocean, singer
*January 23
** Luis Alberto Spinetta
** Patrick Simmons, The Doobie Brothers
** Danny Federici, E Street Band
*January 26 - Paul Pena
*February 2 - Ross Valory, Santana
*February 12 - Steve Hackett, Genesis
*February 13 - Peter Gabriel, singer
*February 19 - Andy Powell, Wishbone Ash
*February 20 - Walter Becker, Steely Dan
*February 23 - Steve Priest (Sweet)
*February 26 - Jonathan Cain, Journey

March - April

*March 2 - Karen Carpenter, singer (d. 1983)
*March 21 - Roger Hodgson, Supertramp
*March 26 - Teddy Pendergrass, singer
*March 27 - Tony Banks, Genesis
*April 5 - Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA
*April 12 - David Cassidy, singer
*April 15 - Tonio K, 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 9 - Tom Petersson, Cheap Trick
*May 12 - Billy Squier
*May 13
**Stevie Wonder, singer-songwriter
**Danny Kirwan, Fleetwood Mac
*May 16 - Ray Condo
*May 18 - Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo
*May 22 - Bernie Taupin
*May 29 - Rebbie Jackson
*May 24 - Terry Scott Taylor, record producer, The Lost Dogs, Daniel Amos, The Swirling Eddies
*June 1 - Graham Russell, Air Supply
*June 2 - Antone Tavares
*June 3 - Suzi Quatro, rock singer
*June 5
** Laurie Anderson
** Ronnie Dyson (d. November 10, 1990)
** Michael Monarch, Steppenwolf
*June 19 - Ann Wilson, Heart
*June 21 - Joey Kramer, Aerosmith

July - August

*July 10 - Greg Kihn
*July 12 - Eric Carr, Kiss (d. 1991)
*July 14 - Gwen Guthrie (d. 1999)
*July 15 - Gregory Isaacs, reggae singer
*July 18 - Glenn Hughes, The Village People
*July 19 - Freddy Moore, Songwriter
*July 23 - Blair Thornton, Bachman-Turner Overdrive
*August 1 - Jim Carroll
*August 12 - Kid Creole
*August 18 - Dennis Elliott, Foreigner
*August 25 - Willy DeVille

eptember - October

*September 10 - Joe Perry, Aerosmith
*September 14 - Paul Kossoff, Free
*September 17 - Fee Waybill, The Tubes
*October 2 - Michael Rutherford, Genesis
*October 8 - Robert Kool Bell, Kool and The Gang

November - December

*November 1 - Dan Peek, America
*November 11 - Jim Peterik, Ides of March, Survivor
*November 18 - Graham Parker, singer
*November 21 - Livingston Taylor
*November 22
**Tina Weymouth, Talking Heads
**Steven Van Zandt (aka "Little Steven", "Miami Steve"), E Street Band
*December 1 - Keith Thibodeaux, drummer and actor ("Little Ricky" on "I Love Lucy")
*December 5 - Camarón de la Isla, flamenco singer
*December 9 - Joan Armatrading
*December 28 - Alex Chilton, Box Tops, Big Star

Deaths

*January 28 - Kansas Joe McCoy, blues musician and songwriter (born 1905)
*February 26 - Sir Harry Lauder, Scottish singer, comedian and songwriter
*April 3 - Kurt Weill, composer in many styles
*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)
*June 9 - Joe Burke, pianist and composer (born 1884)
*July 1 - Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, developer of eurhythmics
*July 11 - Buddy De Sylva, songwriter (born 1895)
*July 21 - Al Hoffman, songwriter
*July 26 - Papa Charlie McCoy, blues musician
*July 30 - Guilhermina Suggia, cellist
*August 8 - Nikolai Myaskovsky, Soviet composer and teacher of Polish birth
*August 26 - Giuseppe De Luca, operatic baritone
*September 5 - Al Killian, trumpeter and bandleader (born 1916)
*October 15 - Clément Doucet, pianist
*October 23 - Al Jolson
*November 20 - Francesco Cilea, opera composer (born 1866)
*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)
**Kate Carney, English singer and comedian (born 1869)
**Cenobio Hernandez, composer (b. 1863)
**Georg Høeberg, composer and conductor (born 1872)
**Georges Mager, trumpet player (b. 1885)
**Ray Perry, jazz musician (b. 1915)
**Armen Tigranian, Armenian composer (born 1879)