Events

• July 11 - Disc jockey and music promoter Alan Freed broadcasts his first Rhythm and blues radio programme from station WJW in Cleveland, Ohio. Freed uses the term rock and roll to describe R&B, in an effort to introduce the music to a broader white audience.
• September 11 - The Rake's Progress, an opera by Igor Stravinsky with libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, premieres in Venice, conducted by the composer
• November - Popular songstress Dinah Shore begins her first TV series, The Dinah Shore Show, which will run for 5 1/2 years.
• Johnnie Ray has his first hit.
• Teresa Brewer leaves the London label for Coral
• Georgia Gibbs leaves Coral to sign with Mercury, where she will experience all of her biggest hits
• Frankie Laine is signed by Columbia Records, becoming the highest paid vocalist of his day. He immediately justifies his new contract with the double-sided megahit "Jezebel"/"Rose, Rose, I Love You."
• Both Jackie Brentson and the Delta Cats and Bill Haley and His Saddlemen release versions of "Rocket 88". The Haley version, recorded on June 14, combines the original's rhythm and blues arrangement with country music trappings, and is considered by many musical historians to be the first true rock and roll record. Other historians contend that Brentson's RnB recording deserves this honor.
• The Suk Trio is founded, consisting of Josef Suk, Julius Katchen and Janos Starker.
• Charlie Rich's musical career begins.

Albums released

• Ballin' the Jack - Georgia Gibbs
• Beloved Hymns - Bing Crosby
• Bing and the Dixieland Bands - Bing Crosby
• Bing Sing Victor Herbert - Bing Crosby
• Country Style - Bing Crosby
• Down Memory Lane - Bing Crosby
• Folksong Favorites - Patti Page
• Go West, Young Man - Bing Crosby
• Historically Speaking - Gerry Mulligan
• Hoop-De-Doo - The Ames Brothers
• I'll See You in My Dreams - Doris Day
• In the Evening by the Moonlight - The Ames Brothers
• Lullaby of Broadway - Doris Day
• Music, Maestro Please - Frankie Laine
• On Moonlight Bay - Doris Day
• One for My Baby - Frankie Laine
• Popo - Art Pepper and Shorty Rogers
• Porgy and Bess - Various Artists
• Sentimental Me - The Ames Brothers
• Sweet Leilani - The Ames Brothers
• Teresa Brewer - Teresa Brewer
• Two Tickets to Broadway - Dinah Shore
• Way Back Home - Bing Crosby
• Wonderful Words - The Mills Brothers

US No 1 hit singles

These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1951.

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1951.

Top hits on record

• "Aba Daba Honeymoon" - Debbie Reynolds & Carleton Carpenter
• "Because" - Mario Lanza
• "Because Of You" - Tony Bennett
• "Belle, Belle, My Liberty Belle" - Guy Mitchell
• "Blue Tango" - Leroy Anderson & his Orchestra
• "Charmaine" - Mantovani & his Orchestra
• "Cold, Cold Heart" - Tony Bennett
• "Come On-A My House" - Rosemary Clooney
• "Cry" - Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads
• "Detour" - Patti Page
• "Down The Trail Of Achin' Hearts" - Patti Page
• "Down Yonder" recorded by:
  • Del Wood
  • Champ Butler
• "Flamenco" - Frankie Laine
• "Gambella (The Gamblin' Lady)" - Frankie Laine & Jo Stafford
• "The Gang That Sang Heart Of My Heart" - Frankie Laine
• "Get Happy" - Frankie Laine
• "Get Out Those Old Records" - Guy Lombardo (The Lombardo Trio vocals)
• "The Girl In The Wood" - Frankie Laine
• "Give Me Time" - Johnnie Ray
• "Gone Fishin'" - Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong
• "Got Him Off My Hands" - Georgia Gibbs
• "Hello, Young Lovers" recorded by:
  • Perry Como
  • Guy Lombardo (Kenny Martin vocals)
• "Hey, Good Lookin'" - Frankie Laine & Jo Stafford
• "The Hot Canary" - Florian Zabach
• "How High The Moon" - Les Paul and Mary Ford
• "I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat" - Mel Blanc
• "If" - Perry Como
• "It Is No Secret" - Bill Kenny & The Song Spinners
• "It's All In the Game" - Tommy Edwards
• "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" - Perry Como & The Fontane Sisters
• "Jealousy (Jalousie)" - Frankie Laine
• "Jezebel" - Frankie Laine
• "The Little White Cloud That Cried" - Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads
• "The Loveliest Night Of The Year" - Mario Lanza
• "Lullaby of Broadway" - Doris Day
• "Mister And Mississippi" - Patti Page
• "Mockin' Bird Hill" - Patti Page
• "My Heart Cries For You" recorded by:
  • Vic Damone
  • Guy Mitchell
  • Dinah Shore
• "My Truly, Truly Fair" - Guy Mitchell
• "On Top Of Old Smoky" - The Weavers with Terry Gilkyson
• "Once Upon A Nickel" - Georgia Gibbs
• "One For My Baby" - Frankie Laine
• "Paths Of Paradise" - Johnnie Ray
• "Pretty-Eyed Baby" - Jo Stafford & Frankie Laine
• "Red Sails In The Sunset" - Nat King Cole
• "Rose, Rose, I Love You" - Frankie Laine
• "Shanghai" - Doris Day
• "Sin" - Eddy Howard & his Orchestra
• "Sound Off (The Duckworth Chant)" - Vaughn Monroe
• "The Sparrow In The Treetop" - Guy Mitchell
• "A Sunday Kind Of Love" - Jo Stafford
• "Sweet Violets" - Dinah Shore
• "The Syncopated Clock" - Leroy Anderson & his Orchestra
• "Tell Me" - Doris Day
• "Tell Me Why" - The Four Aces featuring Al Alberts
• "Tell The Lady I Said Goodbye" - Johnnie Ray
• "Tom's Tune" - Georgia Gibbs
• "Too Young" - Nat King Cole
• "Undecided" - The Ames Brothers
• "Vanity" - Don Cherry
• "When It's Sleep Time Down South" - Frankie Laine
• "While You Danced, Danced, Danced" - Georgia Gibbs
• "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise" - Les Paul and Mary Ford
• "Would I Love You (Love You, Love You)" - Patti Page

`

Top R&B hits on record

• "Rocket 88" - Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats
• "Sixty-Minute Man" - Dominoes
• "The Glory Of Love" - Five Keys
• "The Thrill Is Gone" - Roy Hawkins

Published popular music

• "Alice In Wonderland"     w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain
• "All In The Golden Afternoon"     w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain
• "Allentown Jail"     w.m. Irving Gordon
• "And So To Sleep Again" w.m. Joe Marsala & Sunny Skylar
• "Anywhere I Wander"     w.m. Frank Loesser
• "A-Round The Corner"     trad arr. Josef Marais
• "Asia Minor"     w.m. Roger King Mozian
• "A-Sleepin' At The Foot Of The Bed"      Happy Wilson, Luther Patrick
• "Be My Life's Companion"     w.m. Bob Hilliard & Milton De Lugg
• "Beautiful Brown Eyes"     trad arr. Arthur Smith & Alton Delmore
• "Because of You"     w.m. Arthur Hammerstein & Dudley Wilkinson
• "Belle, Belle, My Liberty Belle"     w.m. Bob Merrill
• "Bermuda"     w.m. Cynthia Strother & Eugene R. Strother
• "The Blacksmith Blues"     w.m. Jack Holmes
• "Blue Velvet"     w.m. Bernie Wayne & Lee Morris
• "Christopher Columbus"     w.m. Terry Gilkyson
• "Come On-A My House"     w.m. Ross Bagdasarian & William Saroyan
• "Cry"     w.m. Churchill Kohlman
• "Dance Me Loose"     w. Mel Howard m. Lee Erwin
• "Domino"     w. (Eng) Don Raye (Fr) Jacques Plante m. Louis Ferrari
• "Getting To Know You"     w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "Good Morning Mister Echo"     w.m. Bill Putman & Belinda Putman
• "Half As Much"     w.m. Curly Williams
• "He Had Refinement"     w. Dorothy Fields m. Arthur Schwartz
• "Hello, Young Lovers"     w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "Hey, Good Lookin"'     w.m. Hank Williams
• "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life?"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Burton Lane
• "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)"     w.m. Hank Williams
• "I Get Ideas"     w. Dorcas Cochran m. Lenny Sanders
• "I Have Dreamed"     w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "I Love Lucy theme song" m. Eliot Daniel
• "I Love The Sunshine Of Your Smile"     w. Jack Hoffman m. Jimmy MacDonald
• "I Still See Elisa"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "I Talk To The Trees"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "I Whistle A Happy Tune"     w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "I Wish I Wuz"     w.m. Sid Kuller & Lyn Murray. Introduced in the film Slaughter Trail
• "I Won't Cry Anymore"     w. Fred Wise m. Al Frisch
• "I'm A Fool To Want You"     w.m. Jack Wolf, Joel Herron & Frank Sinatra
• "I'm Late"     w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain
• "In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening"     w. Johnny Mercer m. Hoagy Carmichael. Introduced by Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman in the film Here Comes The Groom.
• "It's All In The Game"     w. Carl Sigman m. Charles Gates Dawes Based on "Melody" by Dawes 1912.
• "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"     w.m. Meredith Willson
• "Jezebel"     w.m. Wayne Shanklin
• "A Kiss To Build A Dream On"     w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Harry Ruby
• "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine"     w. Paul Campbell m. Joel Newman
• "The Little White Cloud That Cried"     w.m. Johnnie Ray
• "The March Of The Siamese Children"     m. Richard Rodgers
• "Mister And Mississippi"     w.m. Irving Gordon
• "Misto Cristofo Columbo"     w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans
• "Mockin' Bird Hill"     w.m. Vaughn Horton
• "The Morningside Of The Mountain"     w.m. Dick Manning & Larry Stock
• "My Truly, Truly Fair"     w.m. Bob Merrill
• "No Two People"     w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Sail Away"     w.m. Noël Coward
• "Shall We Dance?"     w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "Somewhere Along The Way"   w. Sammy Gallop m. Kurt Adams
• "Shanghai"     w.m. Bob Hilliard & Milton De Lugg
• "Shrimp Boats"     w.m. Paul Mason Howard & Paul Weston
• "(It?s No) Sin"     w. Chester R. Shull m. George Hoven
• "Slow Poke"     w.m. Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart & Chilton Price
• "So Far, So Good"      w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Jule Styne from the revue Two On The Aisle
• "Something Wonderful"     w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "Sound Off"     w.m. Willie Lee Duckworth, B. Lentz
• "Sparrow In The Tree Top"     w.m. Bob Merrill
• "Suzy Snowflake"     w.m. Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
• "Sweet Violets"     arr. Cy Coben & Charles Grean
• "Tell Me Why"     w. Al Alberts m. Marty Gold
• "They Call The Wind Maria"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "The Thrill Is Gone"     w.m. Rick Darnell & Roy Hawkins
• "Thumbelina"     w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Too Young"     w. Sylvia Dee m. Sidney Lippman
• "Top Banana"      w.m. Johnny Mercer from the musical Top Banana (musical)
• "The Typewriter"     m. Leroy Anderson
• "Unforgettable"     w.m. Irving Gordon
• "Vanity"     w. Jack Manus & Bernard Bierman m. Guy Wood
• "Very Good Advice"     w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain
• "A Very Merry Un-Birthday To You"     w.m. Mack David, Al Hoffman & Jerry Livingston
• "Wand'rin' Star"     w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe
• "We Kiss In A Shadow"     w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "When The World Was Young"     w. (Eng) Johnny Mercer (Fr) Angela Vannier m. M. Philippe-Gerard
• "Wonderful Copenhagen"     w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Would I Love You (Love You, Love You)"     w. Bob Russell m. Harold Spina

Classical music

• Malcolm Arnold - English Dances for Orchestra, op. 33
• Pierre Boulez - Polyphonie X
• John Cage - Imaginary Landscape No. 4
• Elliott Carter - String Quartet No. 1
• George Crumb - Prelude and Toccata for piano
• Mario Davidovsky - String Quartet No. 1
• Henri Dutilleux - Symphony No. 1
• George Enescu - String Quartet No. 2
• Morton Feldman - Structures
• Howard Ferguson - Piano Concerto in D
• Gerald Finzi - All This Night
• Lukas Foss - Piano Concerto No. 2
• Roberto Gerhard - Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
• Reinhold Glière - Concerto for Horn and Orchestra
• Vagn Holmboe - Symphony No. 8
• Gordon Jacob - Concerto for Flute and Strings
• György Ligeti - Concert românesc for Orchestra
• Peter Mennin - String Quartet No. 2
• Vincent Persichetti - Symphony No. 4 completed
• Allan Pettersson - Seven Sonatas for Two Violins
• Joseph Guy Ropartz - String Quartet No. 6 in F
• Edmund Rubbra - String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat Op. 73
• Mátyás Seiber - Concertino for Clarinet and String Orchestra
• Roger Sessions - String Quartet No. 2
• Dmitri Shostakovich - Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues for Piano op. 87 finished
• Eduard Tubin - Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano
• Heitor Villa-Lobos - Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra

Opera

• Benjamin Britten - Billy Budd, with libretto by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier
• Marcel Landowski - Le Rire de Nils Halerius
• Gian-Carlo Menotti - Amahl and the Night Visitors
• Igor Stravinsky - The Rake's Progress, with libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman

Musical theater

• And So To Bed (Vivian Ellis) London production opened at the New Theatre on October 17 and ran for 323 performances
• Borscht Capades
• Flahooley Broadway production
• Gay's The Word London production opened at the Saville Theatre on February 16 and ran for 504 performances
• It's About Time Broadway production
• The King And I (Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II) - Broadway production
• Kiss Me, Kate (Cole Porter) - London production opened at the Coliseum on March 8 and ran for 501 performances
• The Lyric Revue     London production
• Make A Wish Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on April 18 and ran for 102 performances
• A Month Of Sundays Broadway production
• Paint Your Wagon (Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe) - Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on November 12 and ran for 289 performances
• Penny Plain     London production
• See You Later (Sandy Wilson) London production opened at the Watergate Theatre on October 3.
• Seventeen Broadway production opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on June 21 and ran for 182 performances
• South Pacific (Rodgers & Hammerstein) - London production
• Top Banana Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on November 1 and ran for 350 performances.
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on April 19 and ran for 267 performances
• Two On The Aisle     Broadway production opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on July 19 and ran for 279 performances
• Zip Goes A Million     London production opened at the Palace Theatre on October 20 and ran for 544 performances

Musical films

• Alice In Wonderland
• An American In Paris starring Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guétary and Nina Foch
• Call Me Mister starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey
• Excuse My Dust starring Red Skelton, Monica Lewis, Sally Forrest, Macdonald Carey and William Demarest. Dirested by Roy Rowland.
• The Great Caruso
• Here Comes The Groom released September 20 starring Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman.
• The Lemon Drop Kid starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell.
• Lullaby Of Broadway starring Doris Day and Gene Nelson
• Mr. Imperium starring Lana Turner and Ezio Pinza
• On Moonlight Bay
• On the Riviera starring Danny Kaye, Gene Tierney and Corinne Calvet
• Purple Heart Diary starring Frances Langford, Judd Holdren, Ben Lessy and Tony Romano. Directed by Richard Quine.
• Rich, Young and Pretty starring Jane Powell, Danielle Darrieux, Wendell Corey, Vic Damone and Una Merkel
• Royal Wedding starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell
• Show Boat
• Slaughter Trail starring Brian Donlevy, Gig Young and Virginia Grey and featuring Terry Gilkyson and Rosemary Clooney
• The Strip starring Mickey Rooney and featuring Louis Armstrong
• Two Tickets to Broadway released November 20 starring Janet Leigh, Tony Martin, Gloria DeHaven, Ann Miller and Bob Crosby.

Births

• January 6 - Kim Wilson, The Fabulous Thunderbirds
• January 9 - Crystal Gayle
• January 19
  • Dewey Bunnell, America
  • Martha Davis, The Motels
• January 27
  • Brian Downey, Thin Lizzy
  • Seth Justman, The J. Geils Band
• January 30 - Phil Collins
• January 31 - Phil Manzanera, Roxy Music
• January 31 - K.C. (Harry Wayne Casey), K.C. and the Sunshine Band
• February 9 - Dennis Thomas, Kool and the Gang
• February 12 - Gil Moore, Triumph
• February 15 - Melissa Manchester
• March 4 - Chris Rea
• March 17 - Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy
• March 20 - Jimmie Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds
• March 21
  • Russell Thompkins Jr., The Stylistics
  • Conrad Lozano, Los Lobos
• March 23 - Phil Keaggy, guitarist, singer
• April 3 - Mel Schacher, Question Mark & the Mysterians, Grand Funk Railroad
• April 6 - Pascal Rogé, pianist
• April 7 - Janis Ian
• April 12 - Alex Briley, The Village People
• April 13
  • Peabo Bryson
  • Max Weinberg, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, E Street Band
• April 20 - Luther Vandross
• April 22 - Paul Carrack, Ace, Squeeze, Mike + the Mechanics
• April 27 - Ace Frehley, Kiss
• May 3 - Christopher Cross
• May 4
  • Jackie Jackson, The Jackson Five
  • Mick Mars, Mötley Crüe
• May 8 - Philip Bailey, Earth, Wind & Fire
• May 10 - Ronald Banks, The Dramatics
• May 16 - Jonathan Richman
• May 19 - Joey Ramone, The Ramones
• June 3 - Deniece Williams
• June 10 - Ed McTaggart, Daniel Amos, The Road Home
• June 12 - Brad Delp, Boston
• June 12 - Bun E. Carlos, Cheap Trick
• June 15 - Steve Walsh, Kansas
• July 1 - Fred Schneider, The B-52's
• July 5 - Huey Lewis
• July 11 - Bonnie Pointer, The Pointer Sisters
• August 2 - Andrew Gold
• August 3 - John Graham, Earth, Wind and Fire
• August 4 - Lois V Vierk, composer
• August 13 - Dan Fogelberg
• August 19 - John Deacon, Queen
• August 23 - Mark Hudson, The Hudson Brothers
• August 25 - Rob Halford, Judas Priest
• August 28 - Wayne Osmond, The Osmonds
• September 2 - Mik Kaminski, Electric Light Orchestra
• September 7 - Chrissie Hynde, The Pretenders
• September 19 - Daniel Lanois
• September 22 - David Coverdale, Deep Purple, Whitesnake
• October 2 - Sting
• October 6 - Kevin Cronin, REO Speedwagon
• October 7 - John Cougar Mellencamp
• October 13 - John Ford Coley, England Dan & John Ford Coley
• October 20 - Alan Greenwood, Foreigner
• October 23 - Charly García
• October 26 - Maggie Roche, The Roches
• October 27 - K. K. Downing, Judas Priest
• November 1 - Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang
• November 13 - Bill Gibson, Huey Lewis and The News
• November 27 - Kevin Kavanaugh, Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes
• November 29 - Barry Goudreau, Boston
• December 4 - Gary Rossington, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rossington-Collins Band
• December 10 - Johnny Rodriguez
• December 16 - Robben Ford
• December 21 - Nick Gilder
• December 23 - Johnny Contardo, Sha Na Na
• December 26
  • Paul Anthony Quinn, Saxon
  • John Scofield
• December 29 - Yvonne Elliman
• December 31
  • Tom Hamilton, Aerosmith
  • George Thorogood
• Mark Heard, American singer, songwriter

Deaths

• February 3 - Fréhel, French singer, actress
• February 9 - Eddy Duchin
• February 20 - Howard Brockway, composer (born 1870)
• March 6 - Ivor Novello, operetta composer, entertainer
• March 12 - Harold Bauer, pianist and violinist (born 1873)
• March 25 - Sid Catlett, jazz drummer (born 1910)
• April 21 - Olive Fremstad, operatic soprano (born 1871)
• May 29 -
  • Fanny Brice, US actress, comedienne and singer
  • Josef Bohuslav Foerster, Czech classical composer (born 1859)
  • Robert Kahn, composer
• July 9
  • Egbert Van Alstyne, US songwriter
  • Jorgen Bentzon, Danish composer
• July 13 - Arnold Schoenberg, Austrian composer
• August 15 - Artur Schnabel, pianist
• August 21 - Constant Lambert, composer
• September 3 - Leo Sheffield, d'Oyly Carte star
• September 14 - Fritz Busch, conductor
• September 17 - Jimmy Yancey, US jazz pianist
• November 9 - Sigmund Romberg, composer
• November 13 - Nikolai Karlovich Medtner, pianist and composer
• date unknown
  • Frank Ferera, Hawaiian musician (born 1885)
  • Margot Ruddock, actress and singer

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