1964 in music

Events

January 1 – Top of the Pops is broadcast for the first time, on BBC television in the U.K.

January 3 – Footage of the Beatles performing a concert in Bournemouth, England is shown on The Jack Paar Show.

January 13 – Bob Dylan's The Times They Are a-Changin' is released on Columbia Records.

January 15 – Vee Jay Records files a lawsuit against Capitol Records and Swan Records over manufacturing and distribution rights to Beatles albums. On April 9, Capitol Records is granted an injunction restraining Vee Jay Records from further manufacturing, distributing or advertising recordings by the Beatles.

January 18 – The Beatles appear on the Billboard magazine charts for the first time.

January 25 - The late John F. Kennedy becomes the first President credited with a Top 10 album after Dickie Goodman released John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Years 1960-1963. The following week a second album, credited to the late President, would also hit the Top 10 giving Kennedy two posthumous albums simultaneously in the Top 10.

February 1 – Indiana Governor Matthew E. Welsh declares the song "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen pornographic. He requests that the Indiana Broadcasters Association ban the record. Governor Welsh claimed that hearing the song made his "ears tingle." Publisher Max Firetag offers $1,000 to anyone that can find anything "suggestive" in the song's lyrics.

February 7 – The Beatles arrive in the United States and are greeted by thousands of screaming fans at New York's Kennedy Airport.

February 9 – The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, which breaks television ratings records.

February 12 – Anna Moffo collapses onstage at Covent Garden in the first act of Rigoletto, and her part is taken over, after a delay of 45 minutes, by Welsh soprano Elizabeth Vaughan.

February 16 – The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show.

February 22 – Plácido Domingo makes his international breakthrough at the première of Ginastera's Don Rodrigo in New York City.

February 23

The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show.

João Carlos Martins suddenly breaks off a performance in the middle of the second movement of Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at Birmingham Town Hall due to an attack of appendicitis.

March 1

Capitol Records is bombarded with requests for heavyweight boxing champion Cassius Clay's album, I Am the Greatest, following Clay's defeat of Sonny Liston on February 25 and his announcement two days later that he had converted to Islam. (On March 6 would come the announcement that he would adopt the name Muhammad Ali.)

American premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Momente, by Martina Arroyo (soprano), the Crane Collegiate Singers of SUNY Potsdam (Brock McElheran, chorus master), and members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (Lukas Foss, music director), conducted by the composer, in Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York.

March 6 – Elvis Presley's 14th motion picture, Kissin' Cousins is released to theaters.

March 14 – Billboard Magazine reports that sales of Beatles records make up 60% of the entire singles market.

March 16 – Disc jockey Alan Freed is charged with tax evasion.

March 21 – Italy wins the 9th Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, with the song "Non ho l'età", sung by 16-year-old Gigliola Cinquetti.

March 24 – John Lennon's first book, In His Own Write is published.

March 27 – The Beatles occupy the top six spots on the Australian pop chart.

March 28 – Wax likenesses of The Beatles are put on display in London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. The Beatles are the first pop stars to be displayed at the museum.

April – Drummer Keith Moon joins The Who.

April 4 – The Beatles occupy all five top positions on Billboard's Hot 100 with their singles "Can't Buy Me Love", "Twist and Shout", "She Loves You", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and "Please Please Me".

April 11 – The Beatles hold 14 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Previously, the highest number of concurrent singles by one artist on the Hot 100 was nine by Elvis Presley, December 19, 1956.

April 16 – The Rolling Stones release their eponymous début album.

May 2 – In the United States, The Beatles' Second Album climbs to the #1 spot on the LP charts in only its second week of release.

May 20 - Judy Garland makes headlines after a disastrous concert in Melbourne, Australia

June - During a performance at the Railway, Pete Townshend of The Who accidentally breaks the head of his guitar on the low ceiling above the stage. This incident marks the start of auto-destructive art by destroying guitars and drums on stage.

June 5 – The Rolling Stones start their first U.S. tour.

July 3 - With their new manager Peter Meaden, The Who release their first single "Zoot Suit"/"I'm the Face" under the name The High Numbers in an attempt to appeal to a mod audience. It fails to reach the top 50 and the band reverts to calling themselves The Who.

July 6 - The Beatles' first film, A Hard Day's Night, is released.

July 10

The album of A Hard Day's Night is released in the U.K. All tracks are written by Lennon and McCartney.

More than 300 people are injured in Liverpool when a crowd of some 150,000 people welcome The Beatles back to their home city.

August 2 – The wreckage of the plane piloted by Jim Reeves is found near Brentwood, Tennessee, 42 hours after it crashed. There are no survivors.

August 8 – Bob Dylan releases his fourth album, Another Side of Bob Dylan.

August 17 – Indiana University Opera Theater presents Turandot at the NY World's Fair featuring newly retired Metropolitan Opera soprano Margaret Harshaw, a member of the voice faculty, in the title role.

August 22 – The Supremes reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the first of five successive number one hits, "Where Did Our Love Go".

August 26 – The Kinks release their iconic single "You Really Got Me".

September 8 – The American premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Originale at Judson Hall in New York City is picketed by a group calling themselves Action Against Cultural Imperialism.

September 16 – Shindig! premieres on ABC.

September 22 – Fiddler on the Roof opens on Broadway.

October – Dr. Robert Moog demonstrates his prototype synthesizers.

October 19 – Simon & Garfunkel release Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which is initially a total flop upon first release. After release of their second album, Sounds of Silence, in 1966, it hits #30 on the Billboard charts.

October 24 – The Rolling Stones start their second US tour.

October 25 – The Rolling Stones perform on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time.

October 29 – The T.A.M.I. Show is filmed.

October 31 – The Supremes reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the second of five successive number one hits, "Baby Love".

November - A deal with U.K. impresario W. H. Miller lands the Anita Kerr Quartette on Capitol Records for North America.

December 11 – Sam Cooke is killed under mysterious circumstances in Los Angeles, California. Shortly thereafter, "A Change Is Gonna Come", a song considered by many to be his best, is released.

December 19 - The Supremes reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the third of five successive number one hits, "Come See About Me".

December 24 - The Beatles gain the Christmas number one in the United Kingdom for the second year running with I Feel Fine, which has topped the singles charts for the third week running. The Beatles have now had six number ones in the U.K. alone.

date unknown

Simon & Garfunkel make their first recording for Columbia Records.

Dalida is the first star to receive a Platinum Disc in Europe.

11-year-old Keith Green becomes the youngest person ever to sign a contract with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) after publishing, recording and releasing the song "The Way I Used to Be".

Marianne Faithfull's musical career begins.

Sonny and Cher begin performing together as "Caesar and Cleo".

The National Institute of Kathak Dance is established in New Delhi.

The China Conservatory of Music is established in Beijing.

Bands formed

See Category:Musical groups established in 1964

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1964.

Other significant singles

"All Cried Out"- Dusty Springfield

"All Day and All of the Night" – The Kinks

"Almost There" - Andy Williams

"Alone with You" - Brenda Lee

"Anyone Who Had a Heart" – Cilla Black

"As Tears Go By" – Marianne Faithfull

"Baby I Need Your Loving" – The Four Tops

"Baby Let Me Take You Home" – The Animals

"Baby Love" – The Supremes

"Baby Please Don't Go" – Them

"Because" – The Dave Clark Five

"Bread and Butter" - The Newbeats

"Chapel of Love" – The Dixie Cups

"Come See About Me" – The Supremes

"Cotton Candy" - Al Hirt

"Can't Buy Me Love" – The Beatles

"Constantly" – Cliff Richard

"Dancing In The Street" – Martha and The Vandellas

"Dear Heart" - Andy Williams

"Do Wah Diddy Diddy" – Manfred Mann

"Do You Want to Know a Secret" – The Beatles

"Dream Baby"- Cher

"Everything's Alright" - The Newbeats

"Ferry Cross the Mersey" – Gerry & the Pacemakers

"Fever" – Helen Shapiro

"A Fool Never Learns" - Andy Williams

"Gator Tails And Monkey Ribs" - The Spats

"Genie With the Light Brown Lamp" – The Shadows

"Girl Don't Come" – Sandie Shaw

"Gloria" – Them

"Goldfinger" – Shirley Bassey

"Happiness" – Ken Dodd

"Hello, Dolly! – Louis Armstrong

"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp) (1964 Version)" - Allan Sherman

"Hey Now"- Lesley Gore

"I Could Easily Fall (In Love With You)" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows

"I Don't Wanna Be a Loser" - Lesley Gore

"I Get Around" – The Beach Boys

"I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" – Dusty Springfield

"I Never Dreamed"- The Cookies

"I Understand" – Freddie & the Dreamers

"I'm Crying" – The Animals

"I'm Into Something Good" – Herman's Hermits

"I'm the Lonely One" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows

"It's All Over Now" – The Rolling Stones

"It's for You" – Cilla Black

"Java" - Al Hirt

"Just One Look" – The Hollies

"Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand / Sie Liebt Dich" – The Beatles

"Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)" - Jay and the Americans

"Little Children" – Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas

"A Little Loving" – The Fourmost

"Little Old Lady from Pasadena" – Jan and Dean

"Little Red Rooster" – The Rolling Stones

"Losing You" – Dusty Springfield

"Maybe I Know" - Lesley Gore

"A Message To Martha" – Adam Faith

"My Boy Lollipop" – Millie

"My Guy" – Mary Wells

"Needle In A Haystack"- The Velvelettes

"Non Ho L'Età (Per Amarti)" – Gigliola Cinquetti

"One Way Love" – Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers

"On the Beach" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows

"On the Street Where You Live" - Andy Williams

Peter and the Commissar - Allan Sherman

"Rag Doll" – The Four Seasons

"Rhythm and Greens" – The Shadows

"Ringo" – Lorne Greene

"The Rise and Fall of Flingle Bunt" – The Shadows

"Share Your Love with Me" - Bobby Bland

"She's Not There" – The Zombies

"Shout" – Lulu & The Luvvers

"Show Me Girl" - Herman's Hermits

"Sugar Lips" - Al Hirt

"Suspicion" - Terry Stafford

"T'ain't Nothin' To Me" - The Coasters

"Terry" – Twinkle

"Theme for Young Lovers" – The Shadows

"(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" – Sandie Shaw

"Twist and Shout" – The Beatles

"(They Call Her) La Bamba" – The Crickets

"There's a Place" – The Beatles

"Think" - Brenda Lee

"Thou Shalt Not Steal" - Dick and Dee Dee

"Tobacco Road" – The Nashville Teens

"The Twelfth of Never" – Cliff Richard

"Up Above My Head (I Hear Music in the Air)" - Al Hirt

"Walk Away" – Matt Monro

"Walking in the Rain" - The Ronettes

"The Way You Do The Things You Do" -The Temptations

"We Love You Beatles" – The Carefrees

"We'll Sing in the Sunshine"- Gale Garnett

"The Wedding" – Julie Rogers

"When Joanna Loved Me" – Tony Bennett

"When You Loved Me" - Brenda Lee

"Where Did Our Love Go?" – The Supremes

"The World of Lonely People" – Anita Bryant

"A World Without Love" – Peter & Gordon

"Wrong for Each Other" - Andy Williams

"You're My World" – Cilla Black

"You're No Good" – The Swinging Blue Jeans

"You Really Got Me" – The Kinks

"Zoot Suit" – The Who

Published popular music

"The Addams Family theme song" w.m. Vic Mizzy

"Baby, I Need Your Loving w.m. Edward Holland, Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier

"The Ballad of Gilligan's Island" w.m. Frank DeVol and Sherwood Schwartz

"Before the Parade Passes By" w.m. Jerry Herman, from the musical Hello, Dolly!

"Bewitched theme song" w.m. Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller

"Chapel Of Love" w.m. Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry

"Chim Chim Cher-ee" w.m. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

"Cryin' Time" w.m. Buck Owens

"Dear Heart" w. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans m. Henry Mancini

"Feed the Birds" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Mary Poppins

"Gimme Some" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse

"Glad All Over" w.m. Dave Clark & Mike Smith

"Goin' Out of My Head" w.m. Teddy Randazzo & Bobby Weinstein

"Golden Boy" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse

"Hang on Sloopy" w.m. Bert Russell & Wes Farrell

"Have I the Right?" w.m. Ken Howard & Alan Blaikley

"Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte", m. Frank DeVol from the film of the same name

"I Will Wait For You" m. Michel Legrand. From the film musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"

"If I Were a Rich Man" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced in the musical Fiddler on the Roof by Zero Mostel. Performed by Chaim Topol in the 1971 film version.

"Invisible Tears" w.m. Ned Miller and Sue Miller

"It's Over" w.m. Roy Orbison & Bill Dees

"Let's Go Fly a Kite" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Mary Poppins

"Oh, Pretty Woman" w.m. Roy Orbison & Bill Dees

"Pass Me By" w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman. Introduced by Digby Wolfe in the film Father Goose

"Put On Your Sunday Clothes" w.m. Jerry Herman, from the musical Hello, Dolly!

"Sister Suffragette" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman. Introduced by Glynis Johns in the film Mary Poppins.

"So Long, Dearie" w.m. Jerry Herman, from the musical Hello, Dolly!

"A Spoonful of Sugar" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Mary Poppins

"Style" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen from the film Robin And The Seven Hoods

"Sunrise, Sunset" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Mary Poppins

"That's Life" w.m. Dean Kay & Kelly Gordon

"Tradition" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock

"Where Did Our Love Go?" w.m. Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Edward Holland

"A World Without Love" w.m. John Lennon and Paul McCartney

"Zorbas" (Zorba's Dance) m. Mikis Theodorakis

Other notable songs

"Dahil Sa Iyo" w.m. Tom Spinosa and Mike Velarde, Jr.

"I miei pensieri" w. Sanzio Chiesa m. Giovanni Pelli

"Laisse tomber les filles" w.m. Serge Gainsbourg

"L'Orange" w.m. Gilbert Bécaud and Pierre Delanoë

"Mon Pays" w.m. Gilles Vigneault

"There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" w.m. Sherman Brothers (for Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress)

"Que C'est Triste Venise" w.m. Françoise Dorin

Compositions

Gilbert Amy

Alpha-beth, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, and horn

Cahiers d'épigrammes, for piano

Eyvin Andersen – Concerto for violin and orchestra

Jurriaan Andriessen – After the Fall, incidental music

Louis Andriessen

A Flower Song II, for oboe

A Flower Song III, for cello

Ittrospezione III, for two pianos and three instrumental groups,

Sweet, for alto recorder

Malcolm Arnold

Pieces (5), for violin and piano, Op. 84

Sinfonietta No. 3, for orchestra, Op. 81

A Sunshine Overture, for orchestra, Op. 83

Water Music, for winds and percussion, Op. 82

Milton Babbitt

Ensembles for Synthesizer, for four-track tape

Philomel, for soprano and four-track tape

Samuel Barber

Chorale for Ascension Day, for chorus, brass, timpani, and organ (ad lib.)

Night Flight, for orchestra, Op.19a,

Luciano Berio

Chemins I on Sequenza II, for harp and orchestra

Folk Songs, for soprano and seven instruments

Rounds, for voice and harpsichord (subsequently withdrawn)

Traces, for soprano, mezzo-soprano, two actors, chorus, and orchestra (subsequently withdrawn)

Harrison Birtwistle

Entr’actes and Sappho Fragments, for soprano, flute, oboe, violin, viola, harp, and percussion

Three Movements with Fanfares, for chamber orchestra

Rob du Bois

Deuxième série de rondeaux, for piano four-hands and optional percussion

Just Like a Little Sonata, for piano

Pastorale VI, for piano

Pastorale VII, for alto recorder

Quartet, for oboe, violin, violin, and cello (revised version)

Benjamin Britten

Cadenza for Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major

Suite No. 1 for cello solo, Op. 72

Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, op. 68 (revised version)

Earle Brown – Corroboree, for three or two pianos

Carlos Chávez

Concerto for four horns and orchestra (revision)

Fuga HAGC, for violin, viola, cello, and contrabass

Resonancias, for orchestra

Tambuco, for six percussionists

Aaron Copland

Down a Country Lane, for school orchestra

Emblems, for symphonic band

Music for a Great City

George Crumb – Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) for violin and piano

Luigi Dallapiccola

Parole di San Paolo, for mezzo-soprano or boy's voice and 11 instruments

Quattro liriche di Antonio Machado, version for soprano and chamber orchestra

Mario Davidovsky

Electronic Study No. 3

Synchronisms No. 2 for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and tape

Synchronisms No. 3 for cello and electronic sound

Peter Maxwell Davies

Little Pieces (5), for piano

Second Fantasia on John Taverner's In Nomine, for orchestra

Shakespeare Music, for 11 instruments

Michel Decoust – Horizon remarquable (lyrics by René Char)

David Diamond

The Martyr for male choir (revised version)

"My Papa's Waltz", for voice and piano

"Prayer", for voice and piano

String Quartet No. 8

Symphony No. 5

We Two, song cycle, voice and piano

Andrzej Dobrowolski – Music for Strings and Four Groups of Wind Instruments

Henri Dutilleux – Métaboles

Morton Feldman

The King of Denmark, for percussion solo

Numbers, for flute, horn, trombone, tuba, percussion, celesta, piano, violin, and contrabass

Piano Piece

Vertical Thoughts IV, for piano

Wolfgang Fortner

Epigramme, for piano

Minne, cantata for tenor and guitar

Zyklus, for cello and piano

Gara Garayev

Symphony No. 3

Roberto Gerhard

The Anger of Achilles, incidental music

Macbeth, incidental music

Alberto Ginastera

Bomarzo cantata, for tenor or baritone, narrator, and chamber orchestra, Op. 32

Don Rodrigo Symphony, for soprano and orchestra, Op. 31a

Alexander Goehr

Five Poems and an Epigram of William Blake, for chorus and trumpet, Op. 17

Pieces (3), for piano, Op. 18

Karel Goeyvaerts – Stuk voor piano en tape

Fernando Lopes Graça

Canciones (4), for voice and chamber orchestra (revised version)

Prelúdio, capricho e galope, for violin and piano (second revision)

Romances, for voice and piano

Sonnets (4), for voice and piano

String Quartet No. 1

Ferde Grofé – World's Fair Suite

Alois Hába

String Quartet No. no.15, Op. 95, in ⅕-tones

Suite, for bass clarinet solo, Op. 96

Roy Harris

Epilogue to Profiles in Courage–JFK, for orchestra

Etudes for Pedals, for organ

Fantasy, for organ, brass, and timpani

Horn of Plenty, for orchestra

Jubilate for Worship (Alleluia), for SATB choir, brass, piano, and percussion

Salute to Youth, for orchestra

Sonata, for cello and piano

Hans Werner Henze

Chor gefangener Trojer, for chorus and orchestra (revised version)

Divertimenti, for two pianos

Der Frieden, incidental music

Ein Landarzt, monodrama, for baritone and orchestra

Lieder von einer Insel, for chamber chorus, trombone, two cellos, contrabass, chamber organ, percussion, and timpani

Sinfonische Etüden (3), for orchestra (revised version)

Tancredi, ballet, for orchestra

Zwischenspiele (from Der junge Lord), for orchestra

Alan Hovhaness

Bagatelles (4), for string quartet, Op. 30

Floating World "Ukiyo", for orchestra, Op. 209

Haiku (3), for piano, op. 113

Meditation on Zeami, for orchestra, Op. 207

Sonata, for flute solo, Op. 118

Sonata, for 2 oboes and organ, Op. 130 (revised version)

String Quartet no.3, Op. 208, No. 1

String Quartet no. 4, Op. 208, No. 2

Variations and Fugue, for orchestra, Op. 18

Kan Ishii – Otokonoko ga umareta, for chorus

Maki Ishii – Galgenlieder

Włodzimierz Kotoński

Monochromia, for oboe solo

Pezzo, for flute and piano

Wind Quintet

György Ligeti – Fragment, for ten instruments (revised version)

David Lumsdaine – Annotations of Auschwitz (cantata with words by Peter Porter)

Witold Lutosławski – String Quartet

Bruno Maderna

Aria da ‘'Hyperion’, for soprano, flute, and orchestra

Dimensioni IV, for flute, picccolo, alto flute, bass flute, and chamber orchestra

Yoritsune Matsudaira

Chamber Concerto, for harpsichord and harp

Concerto No. 1 for piano and orchestra

Toshirō Mayuzumi

Campanology Olympica, electronic music

Ongaku no tanjō, for orchestra

Raihai jokyoku, for orchestra

Olivier Messiaen

Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum, for 34 wind instruments and 3 percussionists

Prélude, for piano

Darius Milhaud

Adam, for soprano, 2 tenors, and 2 baritones, Op. 411

Adieu (cantata), for voice, flute, viola, and harp, Op. 410

L’amour chanté, for voice and piano, Op. 409

Concerto for harpsichord and orchestra, Op. 407

Septet, for 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, and contrabass, Op. 408

İlhan Mimaroğlu

Agony, for magnetic tape

Le Tombeau d'Edgar A. Poe, for magnetic tape

Intermezzo, for magnetic tape

Bowery Bum, for magnetic tape

Makoto Moroi

Pieces (5), for shakuhachi

Toccata, Sarabande, and Tarantella, for piano and two string orchestras

Bo Nilsson – La bran, for chorus and orchestra

Luigi Nono

Da un diario italiano, for two choruses

La fabbrica illuminata, for mezzo-soprano and tape

Juan Orrego-Salas

Concerto, for winds, Op. 53

Sonata, for violin and piano, op. 9 (revised version)

Sonata a 4 (Edgewood Sonata), for flute, oboe, harpsichord, and contrabass, Op. 55

Luis de Pablo – Escena, for SATB choir, strings, and percussion

Arvo Pärt

Collage über B-A-C-H, oboe, harpsichord, piano, and strings

Diagramme, for piano, Op.11

Musica sillabica, for 12 instruments, Op. 12

Quintettino, for wind quintet

Juan Carlos Paz

Concreción 1964, for flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba

Galaxia 64, for organ

Música para piano y orquesta

Krzysztof Penderecki

Cantata in honorem Almae Matris Universitatis Iagellonicae sescentos abhinc annos fundatae, for 2 choruses, contrabassoon, brass, percussion, piano, and organ

Pieśń żałobna ku czci B. Rutkowskiego, for chorus

Sonata, for cello and orchestra

Vincent Persichetti

Cummings Choruses (4), for two voices and piano, Op. 98

Introit, for string orchestra, Op. 96

Winter Cantata (11 Haiku), for four-part women's choir, flute, and marimba, Op. 97

Goffredo Petrassi

Concerto for Orchestra No. 7

Sesto non-senso, for a cappella choir

Tre per sette, for piccolo (+ flute + alto flute), oboe (+ English horn), E♭ clarinet (+ clarinet)

Walter Piston

Quartet for violin, viola, cello, and piano

Sextet for strings

Terry Riley – In C

Hilding Rosenberg – Sönerna (Cain and Abel), ballet, for orchestra

Ahmed Adnan Saygun – Ten Etudes on "Aksak" Rhythms, for piano

R. Murray Schafer – Statement in Blue, for youth orchestra

Dieter Schnebel

Compositio, for orchestra (revised version)

Concert sans orchestre (réactions 2), for piano and audience

William Schuman – Amaryllis Variations, for string trio

Dmitri Shostakovich

String Quartet No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 117

String Quartet No. 10 in A-flat major, Op. 118

Karlheinz Stockhausen

Mikrophonie I

Mixtur for five orchestra groups, sine-wave generators, and ring modulators

Igor Stravinsky

Elegy for J.F.K., for baritone or mezzo-soprano and 3 clarinets

Fanfare for a New Theatre, for two trumpets

Tōru Takemitsu

Blue Aurora for Toshi Ichiyanagi, theatre piece

Ichinotani monogatari, incidental music

Natsukashino San Francisco, for tape

James Tenney – Music for Player Piano

Mikis Theodorakis – Axion Esti

Virgil Thomson

Autumn, concertino for harp, strings, and percussion

Auvergnat Folk Songs (5), for SATB choir and orchestra

The Feast of Love, for baritone and orchestra

Pilgrims and Pioneers, for band

When I Survey the Bright Celestial Sphere, for unison voices and organ or piano

Iannis Xenakis

Eonta, for two trumpets, three trombones, and piano

Hiketides: les suppliates d'Eschyle, for 50 female voices and 10 instruments or orchestra

La Monte Young

Bowed Mortar Relays, action work, realization of Composition 1960 no. 9

Eat (music for the film by Andy Warhol), for tape

Haircut (music for the film by Andy Warhol), for tape

Kiss (music for the film by Andy Warhol), for tape

Prelude to The Tortoise, for voices, various instruments, and electronic drones

Sleep (music for the film by Andy Warhol), for tape

The Tortoise Droning Selected Pitches from The Holy Numbers for The Two Black Tigers, The Green Tiger and The Hermit, for voices, various instruments, and electronic drones

The Tortoise Recalling The Drone of The Holy Numbers as They Were Revealed in the Dreams of The Whirlwind and The Obsidian Gong and Illuminated by The Sawmill, The Green Sawtooth Ocelot and The High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer, for voices, various instruments, and electronic drones

The Well-Tuned Piano

Joji Yuasa – Projection Esemplastic with White Noise, electronic music

Bernd Alois Zimmermann

Monologue, for two pianos

Un petit rien, for small orchestra

Opera

Jurriaan Andriessen – Het zwarte blondje

Samuel Barber – Vanessa (revised version)

Benjamin Britten – Curlew River (church parable)

Alberto Ginastera – Don Rodrigo, op. 31

Bruno Maderna – Hyperion

Gian Carlo Menotti – Martin's Lie

Joaquín Rodrigo – El hijo fingido (zarzuela)

Robert Ward – The Lady from Colorado

Musical theater

Hello, Dolly! (Jerry Herman) – Broadway production opened at the St. James Theatre on January 16 and ran for 2844 performances

What Makes Sammy Run? – Broadway production opened at the 54th Street Theater on February 27 and ran for 540 performances

Funny Girl (Jule Styne and Bob Merrill) – Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on March 26 and ran for 1348 performances

Anyone Can Whistle – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on April 4 and ran for 9 performances

Fiddler on the Roof (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick) – Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on September 22 and ran for 3242 performances

Foxy Book: Ian McLellan Hunter & Ring Lardner, Jr. Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Music: Robert Emmett Dolan. Broadway production opened on February 16 and ran for 72 performances. Starring Bert Lahr, Larry Blyden, Cathryn Damon and Julienne Marie.

Golden Boy – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on October 20 and ran for 569 performances

She Loves Me – London production opened at the Lyric Theatre on April 29 and ran for 189 performances

Maggie May London production opened at the Adelphi Theatre on September 22 and ran for 501 performances

Robert and Elizabeth – London production opened at the Lyric Theatre on October 20 and ran for 948 performances

Little Me, the musical – London production opened at the Cambridge Theatre on November 18 and ran for 334 performances

Salad Days (Julian Slade) – London revival

Musical films

Ayee Milan Ki Bela, with music by Shankar Jaikishan

Dosti, starring Sanjay Khan, with music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal

A Hard Day's Night starring The Beatles

Mary Poppins starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Glynis Johns and David Tomlinson

My Fair Lady starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn

Robin and the 7 Hoods starring Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg)

The Unsinkable Molly Brown starring Debbie Reynolds and Harve Presnell

Viva Las Vegas starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret

Births

January 5 – Grant Young (Soul Asylum)

January 10 – Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies)

January 11 – Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, composer

January 15 – Osmo Tapio Räihälä, composer

January 29 – Roddy Frame (Aztec Camera)

January 30 – Marcel Jacob, Swedish rock bassist Talisman (d. 2009)

January 31 – Jeff Hanneman, American rock guitarist (Slayer) (d. 2013)

February 1 – Jani Lane, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Warrant and Saints of the Underground) (d. 2011)

February 4 – Noodles of The Offspring

February 5 – Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses Velvet Revolver

February 23 – John Norum, Europe guitarist

March 1 – Clinton Gregory, American musician

March 11 – Vinnie Paul, drummer (Pantera, Damageplan)

March 18 – Rozalla, Zambian singer

March 19 – Yoko Kanno, composer

March 20 – Natacha Atlas, Belgian singer

March 30 – Tracy Chapman, singer-songwriter

April 5 – Princess Erika, French singer

April 11 – Steve Azar, American country music singer-songwriter

April 12 – Amy Ray (Indigo Girls)

April 16

Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum)

Esbjörn Svensson Swiss jazz pianist (d. 2008)

April 17 – Maynard James Keenan (Tool)

April 18 – Bez, British dancer

April 25

Andy Bell, singer (Erasure)

Kenji Yamamoto, Japanese video game composer

April 30 – Kent James, American singer-songwriter

May 26 – Lenny Kravitz, guitarist

May 30

Wynonna Judd, American country singer

Tom Morello, American rock guitarist (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman)

May 31

Darryl McDaniels (Run-D.M.C.)

Frost

June 3 – Kerry King, American rock guitarist (Slayer)

June 6 – Jay Bentley (Bad Religion)

June 10 – Jimmy Chamberlin, American rock musician (The Smashing Pumpkins)

June 13 – Robbie Merrill (Godsmack)

June 22

Dicky Barrett (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones)

Mike Edwards (Jesus Jones)

June 29 – Stedman Pearson, British R&B singer (Five Star)

June 19 – Brian Vander Ark, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (The Verve Pipe)

July 13

Brent Fischer, American composer, arranger, bandleader, bass guitarist and percussionist

Paul Thorn, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

July 17 – Craig Morgan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

July 19 – Masahiko Kondō, Japanese singer

July 20 – Chris Cornell (Soundgarden & Audioslave)

July 22 - Will Calhoun (Living Colour)

July 23 - Nick Menza, German drummer and songwriter (Megadeth and Memorain)

July 31 – Jim Corr, Irish singer and musician (The Corrs)

August 1 – Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)

August 3 – Lucky Dube, South African reggae musician (d. 2007)

August 5 – Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys) (d. 2012)

August 17 – Colin James, Canadian singer-songwriter

September 7 – Eazy-E (NWA) (d. 1995)

September 11 – Victor Wooten, American bassist

September 23 – Koshi Inaba, Japanese rock singer (B'z)

September 26 – Nicki French, British singer

September 27 – Stephan Jenkins, American rock singer (Third Eye Blind)

September 30

Trey Anastasio, American musician

Robby Takac, Goo Goo Dolls

October 4 – Francis Magalona, Filipino rapper (d. 2009)

October 5 – Dave Dededer, Presidents of the United States of America

October 6 – Matthew Sweet, rock musician

October 7 – Sam Brown, singer, daughter of Joe Brown

October 10 – Neneh Cherry, singer

October 20

Frederic Chiu, pianist

Luciano, reggae singer

Jim Sonefeld (Hootie & The Blowfish)

October 22 – Toby McKeehan, American musician

October 23 – Robert Trujillo (Metallica)

October 30 - Silvano Monasterios, pianist and composer

November 6

Corey Glover (Living Colour)

Greg Graffin (Bad Religion)

November 12

Vic Chesnutt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (brute. and The Undertow Orchestra) (d. 2009)

David Ellefson, American bass player and songwriter (Megadeth, Avian, and F5)

November 14

Joseph Simmons (Run-D.M.C.)

Nic Dalton (The Lemonheads)

November 16 – Diana Krall, Canadian jazz pianist and singer

November 24 – Tony Rambola (Godsmack)

November 25 – Mark Lanegan, American rock singer (Screaming Trees)

December 9 – Paul Landers, German rock musician (Rammstein)

December 11

Justin Currie, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (Del Amitri and The Uncle Devil Show)

Dave Schools, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (Widespread Panic, Stockholm Syndrome, and J Mascis + The Fog)

Cosy Sheridan, American singer-songwriter

December 13 – Hideto Matsumoto (Hide), Japanese rock musician (d. 1998)

December 23 – Eddie Vedder, American rock singer (Pearl Jam)

December 28 – Malcolm Gets, American actor and dancer

date unknown - Kyaw Kyaw Naing, Burmese traditional musician

Deaths

January 7 – Colin McPhee, Canadian composer and musicologist, 63

January 9 – Big Boy Goudie, jazz saxophonist,

January 15 – Jack Teagarden, jazz trombonist and vocalist, 58 (pneumonia/heart attack)

January 22 – Marc Blitzstein, composer, 58

January 27 - Leib Glantz, musicologist, 65

February 25 – Johnny Burke, lyricist, 55

March 8 – Renata Borgatti, Italian pianist, 69 or 70

March 27 – Emil Reesen, Danish composer, conductor and pianist, 76

April 4 – Georgia Caine, Broadway star, 87

May 10 – Carol Haney, dancer and choreographer, 39 (pneumonia)

May 24 – Gali Penchala Narasimha Rao, film composer

June 10 – Louis Gruenberg, pianist and composer, 79

June 29 – Eric Dolphy, American jazz saxophonist, flautist and bass clarinettist, 36 (diabetic coma)

July 1 – Pierre Monteux, French conductor, 89

July 10 – Joe Haymes, bandleader and arranger, 57 (heart failure)

July 31 – Jim Reeves, American country singer, 40 (plane crash)

August 9 - Chucho Monge, Mexican songwriter, 53

August 14 – Johnny Burnette, rockabilly singer, 30 (drowned)

September 20 – Lazare Lévy, French pianist and teacher, 82

September 28

Nacio Herb Brown, songwriter and film/TV composer, 68

George Dyson, English composer, 81

Harpo Marx, American comedian and musician, 75

October 10

Eddie Cantor, comedian, singer and songwriter, 72

Heinrich Neuhaus, Soviet (of German extraction) pianist and teacher, 76

October 15 – Cole Porter, songwriter and composer, 73

October 29 – Vasily Agapkin, Soviet composer

November 5 – Buddy Cole, jazz pianist and orchestra leader, 45 (heart attack)

November 30 – Don Redman, US arranger, bandleader and saxophonist

December 2 – Sam H. Stept, Russian-born US songwriter, pianist and conductor, 67

December 9 – Edith Sitwell, poet and collaborator of William Walton

December 11

Alma Mahler, songwriter and widow of Gustav Mahler

Sam Cooke, singer, 33 (shot)

December 14 – Francisco Canaro, Uruguayan violinist and tango orchestra leader, 76

December 21 – Theodor Blumer, composer and conductor, 83

Grammy Awards

Grammy Awards of 1964

Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1964