1954 in music

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

1954 in music
By location
By genre
By topic
List of years in music (table)
Flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya in 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.

# Artist Title Year Country Chart Entries
1The ChordettesMr. Sandman1954US 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)
2Doris DaySecret Love1954UK 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
3The Crew-CutsSh-Boom1954US 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
4Kitty KallenLittle Things Mean a Lot1954UK 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
5Rosemary ClooneyHey There1954US 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 weekNumber of weeksTitleArtist
January 2, 19548"Oh! My Pa-Pa"Eddie Fisher
February 27, 19542"Secret Love"Doris Day
March 13, 19541"Make Love to Me"Jo Stafford
March 20, 19541"Secret Love"Doris Day
March 27, 19542"Make Love to Me"Jo Stafford
April 10, 19548"Wanted"Perry Como
June 5, 19549"Little Things Mean a Lot"Kitty Kallen
August 7, 19547"Sh-Boom"Crew-Cuts
September 25, 19546"Hey There"Rosemary Clooney
November 6, 19541"This Ole House"Rosemary Clooney
November 13, 19543"I Need You Now"Eddie Fisher
December 4, 19547"Mr. Sandman"The Chordettes

Top hits on record

A-J

L-S

T-Y

Top R&B and country hits on record

Other notable songs

Classical music

Premieres
Sortable table
ComposerCompositionDateLocationPerformers
Brian, HavergalSymphony No. 8 (1949)1954-02-01 LondonLondon Philharmonic – Boult [10]
Chávez, CarlosSymphony No. 31954-12-09 CaracasVenezuela Symphony – Chávez[11]
Dohnányi, ErnőAmerican Rhapsody1954-02-21 Athens, OH? – Dohnányi[12]
Enescu, GeorgeString Quartet No. 2, Op. 22, No. 21954-02-07 BostonStradivarius Quartet[13]
Goeyvaerts, KarelNummer 51954-10-19 Cologne (Musik der Zeit)[14]electronic music
Jolivet, AndréSymphony No. 11954-05-30 Haifa (ISCM Festival)[unknown orchestra and conductor] [15]
Korngold, Erich W.Symphony1954-10-17 ViennaVienna Symphony – Harold Byrns1[16]
Lutoslawski, WitoldConcerto for Orchestra1954-11-26 WarsawWarsaw Philharmonic – Rowicki[17]
Persichetti, VincentSymphony No. 41954-12-17 PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia Orchestra – Ormandy[18]
Rubbra, EdmundSymphony No. 61954-11-17 LondonBBC Symphony – Sargent[19]
Shchedrin, RodionPiano Concerto No. 11954-11-07 MoscowShchedrin / Moscow Conservatory Symphony – Rozhdestvensky[20]
Shostakovich, DmitriFestive Overture1954-11-06 MoscowBolshoi Orchestra – Nebolsin[21]
Stockhausen, KarlheinzKlavierstücke I–V1954-08-21 Darmstadt (Ferienkurse)Mercenier[22]
Karlheinz StockhausenStudie I + Studie II1954-10-19 Cologne (Musik der Zeit)[14]electronic music
Stravinsky, IgorIn memoriam Dylan Thomas1954-09-20 Los Angeles (Monday Evening Concerts)Robinson, Baker, Babitz, Figelski, Neikrug, Bohannon, Howard, Ulyate, Zeldin – Craft[23][24]
Thomson, VirgilConcerto for Flute, Strings, Harp and Percussion1954-09-17 Venice (Biennale)La Fenice Philharmonic – Sanzogno[25]
Varèse, EdgardDéserts1954-12-02 ParisHenry / French Radio National Orchestra – Scherchen[26]
Vaughan Williams, RalphTuba Concerto1954-06-13 LondonCatelinet / London Symphony – Barbirolli[27]
Villa-Lobos, HeitorOdisseia de uma raça, symphonic poem1954-05-30 Haifa (ISCM Festival)Israel Philharmonic – Taube[28]
Villa-Lobos, HeitorRudá (Dio d'amore), symphonic poem and ballet1954-08-30 ParisFrench Radio National Orchestra – Villa-Lobos[29]
Villa-Lobos, HeitorString Quartet No. 141954-08-11 Ann ArborStanley Quartet[30]

Compositions
Witold Lutoslawski 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. Anon. "Arnold Schoenberg: Moses und Aaron". Metropolitan Opera International Radio Broadcast Information Center (Archived copy from 14 April 2012, accessed 20 April 2013).
  2. "The 26th Academy Awards | 1954". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2017-10-03.
  3. Bill Haley at AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  4. 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.
  5. "Elvis Presley records "That's All Right (Mama)"". This Day in History. History. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  6. Harvey Rachlin (15 March 2020). Song and System: The Making of American Pop Music. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-5381-1213-7.
  7. "Lyric Opera House History". Lyric Opera of Chicago.
  8. 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.
  9. "São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra". Osesp.
  10. "Symphony 8".
  11. "Ronpenndorf.com". Archived from the original on 2015-05-31. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
  12. "Dohnányi, Ernst von".
  13. Bentoiu, Pascal (11 October 2010). Masterworks of George Enescu: A Detailed Analysis. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810876903 – via Google Books.
  14. 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.
  15. "Symphonie n°1, André Jolivet".
  16. "YourClassical from American Public Media".
  17. "Concerto for Orchestra (dir. Witold Lutosławski)".
  18. "Vincent Persichetti – biografia e opere".
  19. The Tablet
  20. Sikorski
  21. Chicago Symphony Orchestra
  22. AG, Universal Edition. "Universal Edition: Karlheinz Stockhausen – Klavierstücke 1–4".
  23. White, Eric Walter (1 January 1984). Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520039858 – via Google Books.
  24. Anon., "New Stravinsky Work to Be Featured at First Monday Concert", Los Angeles Times (19 September 1954): D6.
  25. "Venice Biennale" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
  26. "Edgar Varèse – Déserts (World Premiere, 1954)". 25 January 2014.
  27. Web(UK), Music on the. "British Tuba Concertos 8.557754 [RB]: Classical CD Reviews- June 2006 MusicWeb-International".
  28. Villa-Lobos, sua obra, second edition ([Rio de Janeiro]: MEC/DAC/Museu Villa-Lobos, 1972): 117.
  29. Villa-Lobos, sua obra, second edition ([Rio de Janeiro]: MEC/DAC/Museu Villa-Lobos, 1972): 119.
  30. David P. Appleby, Heitor Villa-Lobos: A Bio-Bibliography, Bio-Bibliographies inMusic 9 (New York, Westport, London: Greenwood Press, 1988): 116.
  31. International, MusicWeb. "Korngold Symphony Kempe VSD5346 [IL]: Classical Music Reviews – June 2011 MusicWeb-International".
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