1954 in music
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By topic
List of years in music (table)
In radio
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
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1957
In television
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
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In film
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
+...
Flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya in 1954

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1954.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Albums released

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the set of charts available for 1954.[15]

# Artist Title Year Country Chart entries
1 The Chordettes "Mr. Sandman" 1954 US US Billboard 1 – Oct 1954 (20 weeks), US 1940s 1 – Nov 1954 (8 weeks), US 1 for 4 weeks – Dec 1954, US CashBox 1 – Oct 1954 (23 weeks), Radio Luxembourg sheet music 1 for 6 weeks – Jan 1955, Australia 1 for 4 weeks – Apr 1955, Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002 (1954), Peel list 1 of 1954, US BB 5 of 1954, DZE 5 of 1954, Your Hit Parade 6 of 1954, POP 7 of 1954, RYM 9 of 1954, UK 11 – Dec 1954 (8 weeks), Brazil 27 of 1955, DDD 45 of 1954, RIAA 252, Acclaimed 1006 (1954)
2 Doris Day "Secret Love" 1954 US UK 1 – Apr 1954 (29 weeks), US Billboard 1 – Jan 1954 (22 weeks), US 1940s 1 – Jan 1954 (20 weeks), US 1 for 3 weeks – Feb 1954, US CashBox 1 – Nov 1953 (30 weeks), Radio Luxembourg sheet music 1 for 7 weeks – May 1954, Oscar in 1953 (film 'Calamity Jane'), Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (1953), UKMIX 7, DZE 8 of 1954, US BB 11 of 1954, POP 11 of 1954, Your Hit Parade 12 of 1954, RYM 12 of 1953, Brazil 17 of 1954, Italy 54 of 1954
3 The Crew-Cuts "Sh-Boom" 1954 US US Billboard 1 – Jul 1954 (20 weeks), US 1940s 1 – Jul 1954 (20 weeks), US 1 for 7 weeks – Aug 1954, US CashBox 1 – Jul 1954 (24 weeks), Australia 1 for 4 weeks – Dec 1954, DZE 1 of 1954, US BB 3 of 1954, Flanders 3 – Dec 1954 (3 months), POP 3 of 1954, UK 12 – Oct 1954 (9 weeks), Brazil 13 of 1954, France (50s) 20 of 1954, RYM 22 of 1954, Italy 95 of 1955
4 Kitty Kallen "Little Things Mean a Lot" 1954 US UK 1 – Jul 1954 (23 weeks), US Billboard 1 – Apr 1954 (26 weeks), US 1940s 1 – Apr 1954 (25 weeks), US 1 for 9 weeks – Jun 1954, US CashBox 1 – Apr 1954 (28 weeks), Radio Luxembourg sheet music 1 for 12 weeks – Jul 1954, Australia 1 for 5 weeks – Oct 1954, DZE 2 of 1954, Your Hit Parade 9 of 1954, US BB 15 of 1954, POP 15 of 1954, UKMIX 28, RYM 145 of 1954
5 Rosemary Clooney "Hey There" 1954 US US Billboard 1 – Jul 1954 (27 weeks), US 1940s 1 – Jul 1954 (23 weeks), US 1 for 6 weeks – Sep 1954, US CashBox 1 – Jul 1954 (31 weeks), Australia 1 for 4 weeks – Feb 1957, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (1954), UK 4 – Oct 1955 (11 weeks), DZE 7 of 1954, Your Hit Parade 14 of 1954, US BB 18 of 1954, POP 21 of 1954, Brazil 31 of 1954, RYM 34 of 1954, DDD 66 of 1954

US No. 1 hit singles

These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1954.

First week Number of weeks Title Artist
January 2, 1954 8 "Oh! My Pa-Pa" Eddie Fisher
February 27, 1954 2 "Secret Love" Doris Day
March 13, 1954 1 "Make Love to Me" Jo Stafford
March 20, 1954 1 "Secret Love" Doris Day
March 27, 1954 2 "Make Love to Me" Jo Stafford
April 10, 1954 8 "Wanted" Perry Como
June 5, 1954 9 "Little Things Mean a Lot" Kitty Kallen
August 7, 1954 7 "Sh-Boom" The Crew-Cuts
September 25, 1954 6 "Hey There" Rosemary Clooney
November 6, 1954 1 "This Ole House" Rosemary Clooney
November 13, 1954 3 "I Need You Now" Eddie Fisher
December 4, 1954 7 "Mr. Sandman" The Chordettes

Top hits on record

A–J

L–S

T–Y

Top R&B and country hits on record

Published popular music

Other notable songs

Classical music

Premieres

Sortable table
Composer Composition Date Location Performers
Brian, Havergal Symphony No. 8 (1949) 1954-02-01 London London Philharmonic – Boult[17]
Chávez, Carlos Symphony No. 3 1954-12-09 Caracas, Venezuela Venezuela Symphony – Chávez[18]
Dohnányi, Ernő American Rhapsody 1954-02-21 Athens, Ohio ? – Dohnányi[19]
Enescu, George String Quartet No. 2, Op. 22, No. 2 1954-02-07 Boston Stradivarius Quartet[20]
Goeyvaerts, Karel Nummer 5 1954-10-19 Cologne (Musik der Zeit)[21] electronic music
Jolivet, André Symphony No. 1 1954-05-30 Haifa, Israel (ISCM Festival) [unknown orchestra and conductor] [22]
Korngold, Erich W. Symphony 1954-10-17 Vienna Vienna Symphony – Harold Byrns1[23]
Lutosławski, Witold Concerto for Orchestra 1954-11-26 Warsaw Warsaw Philharmonic – Rowicki[24]
Persichetti, Vincent Symphony No. 4 1954-12-17 Philadelphia Philadelphia Orchestra – Ormandy[25]
Rubbra, Edmund Symphony No. 6 1954-11-17 London BBC Symphony – Sargent[26]
Shchedrin, Rodion Piano Concerto No. 1 1954-11-07 Moscow Shchedrin / Moscow Conservatory Symphony – Rozhdestvensky[27]
Shostakovich, Dmitri Festive Overture 1954-11-06 Moscow Bolshoi Orchestra – Nebolsin[28]
Stockhausen, Karlheinz Klavierstücke I–V 1954-08-21 Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Germany Mercenier[29]
Karlheinz Stockhausen Studie I + Studie II 1954-10-19 Cologne (Musik der Zeit)[21] electronic music
Stravinsky, Igor In memoriam Dylan Thomas 1954-09-20 Los Angeles (Monday Evening Concerts) Robinson, Baker, Babitz, Figelski, Neikrug, Bohannon, Howard, Ulyate, Zeldin – Craft[30][31]
Thomson, Virgil Concerto for Flute, Strings, Harp and Percussion 1954-09-17 Venice Biennale La Fenice Philharmonic – Sanzogno[32]
Varèse, Edgard Déserts 1954-12-02 Paris Henry / French Radio National Orchestra – Scherchen[33]
Vaughan Williams, Ralph Tuba Concerto 1954-06-13 London Catelinet / London Symphony – Barbirolli[34]
Villa-Lobos, Heitor Odisseia de uma raça, symphonic poem 1954-05-30 Haifa, Israel (ISCM Festival) Israel Philharmonic – Taube[35]
Villa-Lobos, Heitor Rudá (Dio d'amore), symphonic poem and ballet 1954-08-30 Paris French Radio National Orchestra – Villa-Lobos[36]
Villa-Lobos, Heitor String Quartet No. 14 1954-08-11 Ann Arbor, US Stanley Quartet[37]

Compositions

Witold Lutosławski in 1952/53; the Concerto for Orchestra launched his international career

Opera

Jazz

Main article: 1954 in jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Ethel Merman sings the title number of the 1954 film There's No Business Like Show Business.

Musical television

Births

January–April

May–December

Deaths

References

  1. ^ Alan Duke (3 August 2014). "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to remove Alan Freed's ashes". CNN. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  2. ^ "Young John Watson: Space Guitar (1954)". Elsewhere by Graham Reid. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  3. ^ Anon. "Arnold Schoenberg: Moses und Aaron". Metropolitan Opera International Radio Broadcast Information Center (Archived copy from 14 April 2012, accessed 20 April 2013).
  4. ^ "Top Chords Songs | Highest Chart Hit". Playback.fm. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  5. ^ "The 26th Academy Awards | 1954". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2017-10-03.
  6. ^ Bill Haley at AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  7. ^ Anon., "'Maggio Musicale': Spontini Opera to Be Revived", The Times, issue 52830 (15 January 1954): 10D; Anon., "Opening of 'Maggio Musicale': Orchestra's Anniversary", The Times Issue 52927 (10 May 1954): 9D.
  8. ^ "Elvis Presley records "That's All Right (Mama)"". This Day in History. History. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  9. ^ "On this day, first Elvis song on the radio". MPR News. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  10. ^ Radio Daily-Television Daily. Publisher: Radio Daily Corporation 29 October 1954, p. 8 - "RCA Thesaurus cut a session of Latin-American music, polkas, and novelties with the John Serry Accordion Quartet", RCA Thesaurus John Serry on Google Books
  11. ^ Harvey Rachlin (15 March 2020). Song and System: The Making of American Pop Music. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-5381-1213-7.
  12. ^ "Lyric Opera House History". Lyric Opera of Chicago.
  13. ^ Gulla, Bob (2008). Icons of R&B and Soul: An Encyclopedia of the Artists Who Revolutionized Rhythm. ABC-CLIO. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-313-34044-4.
  14. ^ "São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra". Osesp.
  15. ^ "Songs from the Year 1954".
  16. ^ "Tierra bendita y divina" - Composer Robert C. Savage, himnescristians.com Retrieved February 08, 2011.
  17. ^ "Symphony 8".
  18. ^ "Ronpenndorf.com". Archived from the original on 2015-05-31. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
  19. ^ "Dohnányi, Ernst von".
  20. ^ Bentoiu, Pascal (11 October 2010). Masterworks of George Enescu: A Detailed Analysis. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810876903 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ a b Marietta Morawska-Büngeler, Schwingende Elektronen: ine Dokumentation über das Studio für Elektronische Musik des Westdeutschen Rundfunks in Köln 1951–1986 (Cologne-Rodenkirchen: P. J. Tonger Musikverlag, 1988): 115.
  22. ^ "Symphonie No. 1, André Jolivet" (work details) (in French and English). IRCAM.
  23. ^ "YourClassical from American Public Media".
  24. ^ "Concerto for Orchestra (dir. Witold Lutosławski)".
  25. ^ "Vincent Persichetti – biografia e opere".
  26. ^ "The Tablet". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
  27. ^ Sikorski
  28. ^ Chicago Symphony Orchestra
  29. ^ AG, Universal Edition. "Universal Edition: Karlheinz Stockhausen – Klavierstücke 1–4".
  30. ^ White, Eric Walter (1 January 1984). Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520039858 – via Google Books.
  31. ^ Anon., "New Stravinsky Work to Be Featured at First Monday Concert", Los Angeles Times (19 September 1954): D6.
  32. ^ "Venice Biennale" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
  33. ^ "Edgar Varèse – Déserts (World Premiere, 1954)". 25 January 2014.
  34. ^ Web(UK), Music on the. "British Tuba Concertos 8.557754 [RB]: Classical CD Reviews- June 2006 MusicWeb-International".
  35. ^ Villa-Lobos, sua obra, second edition ([Rio de Janeiro]: MEC/DAC/Museu Villa-Lobos, 1972): 117.
  36. ^ Villa-Lobos, sua obra, second edition ([Rio de Janeiro]: MEC/DAC/Museu Villa-Lobos, 1972): 119.
  37. ^ David P. Appleby, Heitor Villa-Lobos: A Bio-Bibliography, Bio-Bibliographies inMusic 9 (New York, Westport, London: Greenwood Press, 1988): 116.
  38. ^ International, MusicWeb. "Korngold Symphony Kempe VSD5346 [IL]: Classical Music Reviews – June 2011 MusicWeb-International".
  39. ^ Randel, Don Michael (30 October 2002). The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Harvard University Press. p. 866. ISBN 978-0-674-25572-2.
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