1959 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1959.

Events
January 5 – The first sessions for Ella Fitzgerald's George and Ira Gershwin Songbook are held. January 12 – Tamla Records is founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in Detroit, Michigan. January 22 – Buddy Holly records some acoustic demos in his New York City apartment, the last songs he recorded. Songs included "Peggy Sue Got Married", "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", "Learning the Game", "What to Do", "That's What They Say", and "That Makes It Tough." February 3 – "The Day the Music Died": Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper are killed in a plane crash in Iowa. Future country star Waylon Jennings was scheduled to be on the plane, but instead gave his seat up to The Big Bopper. March 2 & April 22 – The recording sessions for the extremely influential Miles Davis jazz album Kind of Blue take place at the CBS 30th Street Studio in New York City. The album is released on August 17 in the United States. March 11 – The 4th Eurovision Song Contest is held in Cannes, France, and won by the Netherlands with the song "Een beetje" performed by Teddy Scholten. April 3 – The BBC bans the Coasters song "Charlie Brown" because of the word "spitball", a decision it reverses later in the month. April 24 – The Your Hit Parade television series airs its last episode May 12 – Plácido Domingo makes his stage debut at the Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara as Pascual in Marina. May 30 – Helge Rosvaenge gives his farewell concert at Vienna's Great Musikvereinsaal. June 11 – Violence erupts at the Seventh Festival of Neapolitan Song in a scandal that sparks a parliamentary inquiry amidst accusations of corruption and involvement of organized crime in a song competition that is seen to have become increasingly commercialised.[1] July–November – Alan Lomax and English singer Shirley Collins make a folksong collecting trip in the Southern United States during which they 'discover' Mississippi Fred McDowell. August 25–September 5 – Darmstädter Ferienkurse held in Darmstadt, with lectures by Włodzimierz Kotoński, György Ligeti, Andrzej Markowski, Yoritsune Matsudaira, Werner Meyer-Eppler, Luigi Nono, Henri Pousseur, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Bo Wallner, and world premieres of Claude Baillif's Mouvements pour deux, Sylvano Bussotti's Piano Pieces for David Tudor, Cornelius Cardew's Two Books of Study for Pianists and Piano Piece 1959, Niccolo Castiglioni's Cangiati per pianoforte, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati's Interpolation: Mobile pour flûte, Mauricio Kagel's Transición II, Angelo Paccagnini's Canti brevi: secondo libro, and Stockhausen's Zyklus. September 13 – Bo Diddley's single "Say Man" enters the US R&B charts. Fall – Bill Haley & His Comets end their groundbreaking association with Decca Records, for whom they had recorded since 1954. Their first recording for the label, "Rock Around the Clock", helped usher in the rock and roll era. Haley signs with Warner Bros. Records. Joan Baez performs at the first Newport Folk Festival as a surprise guest and becomes an underground favorite Otto Luening and Vladimir Ussachevsky co-found the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center in New York City. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences sponsors the first Grammy Award ceremony for music recorded in 1958. Dalida receives a Music Oscar for Best Song and a first foreign award (a "Golden Lion" in Berlin). Jacques Loussier forms the Play Bach Trio with bassist Pierre Michelot and percussionist Christian Garros. Ornette Coleman plays a legendary and controversial concert at New York's Five Spot. Roy Orbison signs with Monument Records. The Supremes are founded as a quartet ("The Primettes"). Jimi Hendrix buys his first electric guitar: a White Single pickup Supro Ozark 1560 S. Veteran sarodiya and multi-instrumentalist Allauddin Khan records for All India Radio. Jilin opera is developed in China. Approximate date – Ballads and Blues folk club founded by Ewan MacColl and others in a London pub in Soho as part of the second British folk revival.[2]

Albums

 * 1) Kind of Blue Miles Davis

Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1959.

Published popular music
"77 Sunset Strip"    w.m. Mack David & Jerry Livingston "Along Came Jones"    w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller "All My Tomorrows" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen, from the film A Hole in the Head "Alvin's Harmonica"    w.m. Ross Bagdasarian "Angela Jones"    w.m. John D. Loudermilk "Anyone Would Love You"    w.m. Harold Rome. Introduced by Andy Griffith and Dolores Gray in the musical Destry Rides Again "The Battle of New Orleans"    trad arr. Jimmy Driftwood "The Best Is Yet to Come" w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman "Best Of Everything"    w. Sammy Cahn m. Lionel Newman, from the film The Best of Everything "A Big Hunk o' Love" w. m. Aaron Schroeder & Sid Wyche "Big Iron"    w.m. Marty Robbins "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"    w.m. Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield "The Children's Marching Song"    trad arr. Malcolm Arnold. Performed by Ingrid Bergman and The Orphans' Chorus in the film Inn of the Sixth Happiness "China Doll"    w.m. Cindy Walker "Ciao, Ciao, Bambina"    w.(Eng) Mitchell Parish (Ital) Eduardo Verde & Domenico Modugno m. Domenico Modugno "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"    w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Patricia Neway in the musical Sound of Music "Come Softly To Me"    w.m. Gary Troxel, Barbara Ellis & Gretchen Christopher "Delaware"    w.m. Irving Gordon "Don't You Know?" w.m. adapt. Bobby Worth "Do-Re-Mi"    w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical Sound of Music. Sung by Julie Andrews in the film version. "Dream Lover"    w.m. Bobby Darin "Early In The Morning"    adapt Bruce Belland & Glen Larson "Edelweiss"    w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical Sound of Music. Sung by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in the film version. "El Paso"    w.m. Marty Robbins "Endlessly"    w.m. Clyde Otis & Brook Benton "Everything's Coming Up Roses"    w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman in the musical Gypsy. Sung in the film version by Lisa Kirk dubbing for Rosalind Russell. "Frankie"    w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka "Game Of Poker"    w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen, from the musical Saratoga "Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye"    w.m. Jack Vaughn "Greenfields"    w.m. Terry Gilkyson, Rich Dehr & Frank Miller "Handy Man"    w.m. Otis Blackwell & Jimmy Jones "The Hanging Tree"    w. Mack David m. Jerry Livingston, Introduced by Marty Robbins in the film The Hanging Tree "Happy Anniversary"    w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen "The Happy Organ"    w.m. Kurt Wood, David Clowney & James Kreigsmann "Heartaches By The Number"    w.m. Harlan Howard "He'll Have To Go"    w.m. Joe Allison & Audrey Allison "High Hopes"    w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen. Introduced by Frank Sinatra and Eddie Hodges in the film A Hole in the Head. "I Ain't Never"    w.m. Mel Tillis "I Feel Sorry For The Girl"    w.m. Glenn Paxton, Robert Goldman & George Weiss "I Know"    w.m. Carl Stutz & Edith Lindeman "I Need Your Love Tonight"    w.m. Sid Wayne & Bix Reichner "I Wanna Be Around"    w.m. Johnny Mercer & Sadie Vimmerstedt "If I Ever Fall In Love Again"    w. Peter Wildeblood m. Peter Greenwell "I'll Never Fall In Love Again"    Johnnie Ray "I'm Gonna Get Married"    w.m. Lloyd Price & Harold Logan "I'm Looking Out the Window"    John Jacob Niles, Don Raye "I'm Never Gonna Tell"    Hoffman, Manning, Markwell "In A Little While"    w. Marshall Barer m. Mary Rodgers "It Doesn't Matter Anymore"    w.m. Paul Anka "Kansas City"    w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)"    w.m. Irving Taylor "Let Me Entertain You"    w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Sandra Church and chorus in the musical Gypsy. "Like Young"    m. André Previn "Lipstick On Your Collar"    w. Eddie Lewis m. George Goehring "Little Donkey"    w.m. Eric Boswell "The Little Drummer Boy"    w.m. adapt. Henry Onorati, Katherine Davis & Harry Simeone "Little Tin Box"    w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock "The Little White Bull"    Lionel Bart, Michael Pratt, Jimmy Bennett "Living Doll"    w.m. Lionel Bart "Lock Up Your Daughters"    w. Lionel Bart m. Laurie Johnson "Lonely Blue Boy"    F & B Wiseman "Lonely Boy"    w.m. Paul Anka "The Lonely Goatherd"    w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin and the children in the musical Sound of Music. Performed by Julie Andrews in the film version. "Lonely Street"    w.m. Carl Belew, Kenny Sowder & W. S. Stevenson "Love Potion No. 9"    w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller "Love Will Find Out The Way"    w.m. Glenn Paxton, Robert Goldman & George Weiss "Lullaby In Ragtime"    w.m. Sylvia Fine. Introduced by Danny Kaye in the film The Five Pennies. "The M.T.A." w.m. adapt. Jacqueline Steiner & Bess Hawes "Maria"    w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Patricia Neway, Muriel O'Malley, Elizabeth Howell and Karen Shepard in the musical Sound of Music. "Marina"    w.(Eng) Ray Maxwell m. Rocco Granata "The Mating Game" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse. Theme song from the film The Mating Game "May You Always"    w.m. Larry Markes & Dick Charles "Memphis"    w.m. Chuck Berry "Milord"    w. (Eng) B. G. Lewis (Fr) Joseph Mustacchi m. Marguerite Monnot "Morgen"    w. (Eng) Noel Sherman (Ger) Peter Mosser m. Peter Mosser "Mr. Blue"    w.m. Dewayne Blackwell "My Favorite Things"    w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Patricia Neway and Mary Martin in the musical Sound of Music. Performed in the film version by Julie Andrews. "My Heart Is An Open Book"    w. Hal David m. Lee Pockriss "My Wish Came True"    w.m. Ivory Joe Hunter "Oh! Carol"    w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka "Only Love Me"    w. (Eng) Mann Curtis (Ital) Pinchi m. V. Panzuti "Only Sixteen"    w.m. Barbara Campbell "Personality"    w.m. Lloyd Price & Harold Logan "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down"    w.m. Harlan Howard "Pillow Talk"    w.m. Buddy Pepper & Inez James. Introduced by Doris Day and Rock Hudson in the film of the same name. "La Plume De Ma Tante"    w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning "Poison Ivy"    w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller "Promise Me A Rose"    w.m. Bob Merrill, introduced by Eileen Herlie in the musical Take Me Along "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"    w.m. Paul Anka "Quiet Village"    m. Les Baxter "Running Bear"    w.m. J. P. Richardson "The Same Old Me"    F. Owen "Sea Of Love"    w.m. George Khoury & Phil Baptiste "See You in September"    w. Sid Wayne m. Sherman Edwards "Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat"    w. Bob Hilliard m. Lee Pockriss "Shout"    O'Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley "Side Saddle"    m. Trevor H. Stanford "Sleep Walk"    m. Ann Farina, Johnny Farina & Santo Farina "Small World"    w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman and Jack Klugman in the musical Gypsy "Sorry, I Ran All The Way Home"    w.m. Harry Giosasi & Artie Zwirn "The Sound Of Music"    w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical Sound of Music. "Strange Are The Ways Of Love"    w. Ned Washington m. Dimitri Tiomkin, from the film western The Young Land "Summertime Love"    w.m. Frank Loesser "Sweet Nothin's"    Ronnie Self "Take Me Along"    w.m. Bob Merrill. Introduced by Jackie Gleason and Walter Pidgeon in the musical Take Me Along. "Tall Paul"    w.m. Bob Roberts, Bob Sherman & Dick Sherman "Tallahassee Lassie"    w.m. Frank C. Slay Jr, Bob Crewe & Frederick A. Picariello "Teen Angel"    w.m. Jean Surrey & Red Surrey "A Teenager in Love"    w.m. Jerome "Doc" Pomus & Mort Shuman "There Goes My Baby"    w.m. Benjamin Nelson, Lover Patterson, George Treadwell "This Magic Moment"    w.m. Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman "Three Steps to Heaven"    Eddie Cochran "The Tijuana Jail"    w.m. Denny Thompson " ('Til) I Kissed You"    w.m. Don Everly "Time And The River"    w.m. Aaron Schroeder & Wally Gold "Tomboy"    w.m. Joe Farrell & Jim Conway "Too Long At The Fair"    w.m. Billy Barnes "Tucumcari"    Olofson, McIntyre "The Untouchables"    m. Nelson Riddle. "Venus"    w.m. Ed Marshall "The Village of St. Bernadette" w.m. Eula Parker "Waterloo"    w.m. John D. Loudermilk & Marijohn Wilkin "We Got Love"    w. Kal Mann m. Bernie Lowe "What Do You Want?" Les Vandyke "What'd I Say"    w.m. Ray Charles "Why"    w. Bob Marcucci m. Peter De Angelis "The Wonder of You"    w.m. Baker Knight "Wonderful You"    Stallman, Jacobson "A Worried Man"    w.m. Dave Guard & Tom Glazer "You're Starting To Get To Me"    Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen, from the film Say One for Me

Other notable songs
"Chiclete com banana" w.m. Gordurinha and Almira Castilho "Jin-go-lo-ba" w.m. Babatunde Olatunji "Ne me quitte pas" w. m. Jacques Brel "Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)" w. Dino Verde m. Domenico Modugno "Satchan" w. Hiroo Sakata m. Megumi Ōnaka

Awards
Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision Song Contest 1959

Grammy Awards Grammy Awards of 1959

Pulitzer Prize for Music John La Montaine – Piano Concerto