1961 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1961.

Events
January 15 – Motown Records signs The Supremes. January 20 – Francis Poulenc's Gloria receives its premiėre in Boston, USA. February 12 – The Miracles' "Shop Around" becomes Motown's first million-selling single. February 13 – Frank Sinatra forms his own record label, Reprise Records, which will later release recordings by The Beach Boys, Ella Fitzgerald, The Kinks and Jimi Hendrix. February 14 – The Platters file a lawsuit against Mercury Records for breach of contract after the record company refuses to accept recordings on which Tony Williams does not sing lead. The group's lawsuit contends that their contract does not require Williams to sing lead. March 21 – The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club in Liverpool for the first time. March 25 – Elvis Presley performs a benefit show at the Block Arena in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The show raises $62,000 for the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial fund. April 13 – Intolleranza 1960 by Luigi Nono, his first opera, premières at La Fenice. April 17 – Dalida and Charles Aznavour receive Radio Monte Carlo Oscar Awards for Best Song. April 23 – Judy Garland's concert at Carnegie Hall. April 29 – Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti makes his operatic debut as Rodolfo in La Bohème at the Teatro Municipale (Reggio Emilia). May 1 – The Pulitzer Prize for Music is awarded to Walter Piston for his Symphony No. 7.[1] June 14 – Patsy Cline is hospitalized as a result of a head-on car collision. While she is in hospital, the song "I Fall to Pieces" becomes a big Country/Pop crossover hit for her. June 25 – The Bill Evans Trio completes a two-week stay at The Village Vanguard in New York. It is the last time this trio will play before virtuoso bassist Scott LaFaro's death 10 days later. The five sets they play on the 25th are recorded, resulting in two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby. July 1 – French composer Olivier Messiaen marries pianist Yvonne Loriod privately in Paris. July 17 – Billboard magazine first publishes an "Easy Listening" chart, listing songs that the magazine determines are not rock & roll records. The first #1 song on this chart is "The Boll Weevil Song" by Brook Benton. This chart will be renamed a number of times, becoming the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. October – John Cage's book Silence: Lectures and Writings is published in the United States. October 17 – Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, later of The Rolling Stones, first meet at Dartford railway station in Kent, England. December 8 – The Beach Boys release their debut 45rpm single: Surfin'/Luau on the small California label Candix Records. William Alwyn sets up home with fellow-composer Doreen Carwithen, his former pupil, at Blythburgh in England. The Leeds International Pianoforte Competition is founded in the north of England by Marion, Countess of Harewood and Fanny Waterman. Bob Seger's musical career begins. Indian tabla player Keshav Sathe and sitar player Bhaskar Chandavarkar perform with Larry Adler. The Country Music Association (CMA) creates the Country Music Hall of Fame and inducts, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose and Hank Williams as the first three members.

Bands formed
See Category:Musical groups established in 1961

Singles

 * 1) Duke of Earl Gene Chandler
 * 2) The Twist Chubby Checker
 * 3) Peppermint Twist Joey Dee and the Starliters
 * 4) Hey! Little Girl Del Shannon

Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1961.

Published popular music
"Another Time, Another Place" w.m. Richard Adler from the musical Kwamina "Baby Elephant Walk" m. Henry Mancini from the film Hatari! "Big, Bad John" w.m. Jimmy Dean "Blue Bayou" w.m. Joe Melson & Roy Orbison "Breaking In A Brand New Broken Heart" w.m. Howard Greenfield & Jack Keller "Crazy" w.m. Willie Nelson Cruella DeVil w.m. Mel Leven, from the Walt Disney animated film 101 Dalmatians "Crying" w.m. Joe Melson & Roy Orbison "Funny How Time Slips Away" w.m. Willie Nelson "Hats Off to Larry" w.m. Del Shannon "Hit the Road Jack" w.m. Percy Mayfield "I Love How You Love Me" w.m. Barry Mann & Larry Kolber "Let's Get Together" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film The Parent Trap "Let's Twist Again" w.m. Dave Appell & Kal Mann "Little Miss Stuck-up" w.m. Lee Pockriss & Paul Vance "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" w.m. Bob Merrill from the film Carnival! "Mister Ed theme song" w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans "Moon River" w. Johnny Mercer m. Henry Mancini from the film Breakfast at Tiffany's "Multiplication" w.m. Bobby Darin. Introduced by Bobby Darin in the film Come September. "My Kind Of Girl"     w.m. Leslie Bricusse "The Passenger's Always Right" w.m. Noël Coward from the musical Sail Away "Pocketful Of Miracles"    w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen from the film Pocketful of Miracles "Running Scared" w.m. Joe Melson & Roy Orbison "Speedy Gonzales" w.m David Hess, Buddy Kaye & Ethel Lee "Ten Girls Ago" w. Diane Lampert m. Sammy Fain "Tender Is the Night" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sammy Fain. Theme from the film Tender Is the Night "Tower of Strength" w. Bob Hilliard m. Burt Bacharach "A Walk On The Wild Side" w. Mack David m. Elmer Bernstein "When the Girl in Your Arms Is the Girl in Your Heart" w.m. Roy Bennett & Sid Tepper from the soundtrack album The Young Ones "Why Do The Wrong People Travel?" w.m. Noël Coward from the musical Sail Away "The Young Ones" w. Roy Bennett m. Sid Tepper from soundtrack album The Young Ones

Other notable songs
"Buliao qing" m. Wong Fuk Ling w. Tao Tseon, sung by Koo Mei "Cunto 'e lampare" - Mario Trevi "Mare verde" - Mario Trevi "Nous les amoureux" by Jean-Claude Pascal "Santiano" by Hugues Aufray "Settembre cu mme" - Mario Trevi

Awards
Grammy Awards Grammy Awards of 1961

Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision Song Contest 1961