1941 in music

Events

• January 5 - Ernesto Bonino debuts on Italian radio
• January 15 - Olivier Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps is premiered in Stalag VIIIA in Silesia.
• January 20 - Béla Bartók's String Quartet No. 6 is premiered in New York City.
• February 11 - 1st Gold record presented to Glenn Miller for Chattanooga Choo Choo.
• May 10 - London's Queen's Hall, venue for the Promenade Concerts, is bombed by the Luftwaffe. The Proms re-locate to the Royal Albert Hall.
• August 18 - In a brutal police operation in Nazi Germany, over 300 Swing Kids are arrested, marking the end of tolerance to swing music.
• Alan Lomax (working for the Library of Congress) discovers Muddy Waters and Son House, among others
• Les Paul designs and builds the first solid-body electric guitar.
• Woody Guthrie writes and records "Roll on Columbia" in Portland, Oregon on a commission from the Bonneville Power Administration.
• Enrico Gentile leaves Quartetto Ritmo. Felice Chiusano replaces him and the group is renamed Quartetto Cetra.
• Dutch Leschan sisters of Trio Lescano become Italian citizens.

Albums released

• Songs for John Doe - Almanac Singers
• The Maltese Falcon Soundtrack - Adolph Deutsch
• Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger - Burl Ives

Biggest hit songs

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1941.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Glenn Miller	Chattanooga Choo Choo	1941		US 1940s 1 - Sep 1941, US 1 for 9 weeks Nov 1941, RYM 2 of 1941, US BB 9 of 1941, POP 16 of 1941, Europe 54 of the 1940s
2	Glenn Miller	A String of Pearls	1941		US 1940s 1 - Jan 1942, US 1 for 2 weeks Feb 1942, US BB 2 of 1941, RYM 13 of 1941, POP 13 of 1941
3	Jimmy Dorsey	Green Eyes	1941		US 1940s 1 - May 1941, US 1 for 4 weeks Aug 1941, US BB 12 of 1941, POP 12 of 1941, Europe 62 of the 1940s
4	Jimmy Dorsey	Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)	1941		US 1940s 1 - Mar 1941, US 1 for 10 weeks Mar 1941, US BB 18 of 1941, POP 21 of 1941, Europe 75 of the 1940s
5	Billie Holiday	God Bless the Child	1941		US BB 3 of 1941, POP 3 of 1941, RYM 5 of 1941, RIAA 58, Scrobulate 89 of jazz, Acclaimed 341, WXPN 814

Top hit records

• "A Weeked In Havana" by Carmen Miranda
• "Amapola" by Jimmy Dorsey
• "Blue Champagne" by Jimmy Dorsey
• "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" - Andrews Sisters
• "Chattanooga Choo Choo" by Glenn Miller
• "Daddy" by Sammy Kaye
• "Dolores" recorded by
  • Bing Crosby
  • Tommy Dorsey
• "Elmer's Tune" by Glenn Miller
• "God Bless The Child" by Billie Holiday
• "Green Eyes" by Jimmy Dorsey
• "High On A Windy Hill" by Jimmy Dorsey
• "The Hut Sut Song" by Mel Tormé
• "I Don't Want to Set the World On Fire" recorded by
  • Horace Heidt
  • The Ink Spots
• "I Hear a Rhapsody" recorded by
  • Charlie Barnet
  • Jimmy Dorsey
• "I'll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time" - Andrews Sisters
• "Intermezzo" by Earl Hines
• "Lament To Love" by Harry James
• "Let Me Off Uptown" by Gene Krupa
• "Maria Elena" by Jimmy Dorsey
• "Music Makers" by Harry James
• "My Sister and I" by Jimmy Dorsey
• "Oh! Look at Me Now" by Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra
• "Pan Pan" by Louis Jordan
• "Perfidia" by Xavier Cugat
• "Piano Concerto in B Flat" by Freddy Martin
• "Racing With The Moon" by Vaughn Monroe
• "Saxa-Woogie" by Louis Jordan
• "Song of the Volga Boatmen" by Glenn Miller
• "Take the "A" Train" by Duke Ellington
• "There I Go" by Vaughn Monroe
• "Yes Indeed! by Tommy Dorsey
• "You and I" by Glenn Miller
• "You Made Me Love You" by Harry James

Published popular music

• "All That Meat And No Potatoes" w.m. Fats Waller & Ed Kirkeby
• "The Anniversary Waltz" w. Al Dubin m. Dave Franklin
• "Apollo Jump" m. Ernest Puree, Prince Robinson & Lucius "Lucky" Millinder
• "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In A Hurry" w. Johnny Mercer m. Victor Schertzinger
• "Baby Mine" w. Ned Washington m. Frank Churchill
• "Be Honest With Me" w.m. Fred Rose & Gene Autry
• "Blue Champagne" w.m. Jimmy Eaton, Grady Watts & Frank Ryerson
• "Blues In The Night" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen
• "Boa Noite" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren
• "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" w.m. Don Raye & Hughie Prince
• "Botch-A-Me" w. (Eng) Eddie Stanley (Ital) R. Morbelli & L. Astore m. R. Morbelli & L. Astore
• "Casey Junior" w. Ned Washington m. Frank Churchill from the animated feature Dumbo
• "Chattanooga Choo Choo" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren
• "Cherry" w.m. Charles N. Daniels
• "Chica Chica Boom Chic" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren
• "Could You Please Oblige Us with a Bren Gun?" w.m. Noël Coward
• "Daddy" w.m. Bobby Troup
• "Deep in the Heart of Texas" w. June Hershey m. Don Swander
• "Down Forget-Me-Not Lane" w.m. Horatio Nicholls, Charlie Chester & Reg Morgan
• "Elmer's Tune" w.m. Elmer Albrecht, Sammy Gallop & Dick Jurgens
• "Everything Happens To Me" w. Tom Adair m. Matt Dennis
• "Five Guys Named Moe" w. Larry Wynn m. Jerry Bresler
• "God Bless The Child" w.m. Arthur Herzog Jr & Billie Holiday
• "Goodbye Mama, I'm Off To Yokohama" w.m. J. Fred Coots
• "He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings" w. Eric Maschwitz m. Michael Carr
• "Hey Little Hen" w.m. Ralph Butler & Noel Gay
• "How About You?" w. Ralph Freed m. Burton Lane
• "Humpty Dumpty Heart" w. Johnny Burke m. James Van Heusen
• "The Hut-Sut Song" w.m. Leo V. Killion, Ted McMichael & Jack Owens, The Cruising Crooner
• "I Could Write a Book" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst in the musical Pal Joey. Performed in the 1953 film version by Frank Sinatra.
• "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire" w.m. Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin & Eddie Durham
• "I Don't Want To Walk Without You" w. Frank Loesser m. Jule Styne
• "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Duke Ellington
• "I Guess I'll Have To Dream The Rest" w. Mickey Stoner & Martin Block m. Harold Green
• "I Know Why (And So Do You)" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren
• "I Remember You" w. Johnny Mercer m. Victor Schertzinger
• "I Said No!" w. Frank Loesser m. Jule Styne
• "I See A Million People" w. Robert Sour m. Una Mae Carlisle
• "I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren
• "I'll Remember April" w. Don Raye & Patricia Johnston m. Gene De Paul
• "It Happened In Sun Valley" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren
• "It's So Peaceful In The Country" w.m. Alec Wilder
• "I Understand" w. Kim Gannon m. Mabel Wayne
• "I've Got Sixpence" w.m. Elton Box & Desmond Cox
• "Jenny" (aka "The Saga of Jenny") w. Ira Gershwin m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Gertrude Lawrence in the musical Lady in the Dark. Performed in the 1944 film version by Ginger Rogers
• "Jersey Bounce" m. Bobby Plater, Tiny Bradshaw, Edward Johnson & Robert B. Wright
• "Jim" w. Nelson Shawn m. Caesar Petrillo & Edward Ross
• "Kiss The Boys Goodbye" w. Frank Loesser m. Victor Schertzinger
• "Knock Me A Kiss" w.m. Mike Jackson
• "Let's All Meet At My House" w. Johnny Burke m. James Van Heusen
• "Let's Get Away from It All" w. Tom Adair m. Matt Dennis
• "Let's Not Talk About Love" w.m. Cole Porter
• "London Pride" w.m. Noël Coward
• "Ma! I Miss Your Apple Pie" w.m. Carmen Lombardo & John Jacob Loeb
• "Misirlou" w. (Eng) Milton Leeds, S. K. Russell & Fred Wise m. N. Roubanis
• "Moonlight Cocktail" w. Kim Gannon m. C. Luckeyth "Lucky" Roberts
• "My Adobe Hacienda" w.m. Louise Massey & Lee Penny
• "My Ship" w. Ira Gershwin m. Kurt Weill
• "My Sister And I" w.m. Hy Zaret, Joan Whitney & Alex Kramer
• "Oh! Look at Me Now" w. John De Vries m. Joe Bushkin
• "Please Take A Letter Miss Brown" Paul Cunningham, Ernie Burnett
• "Racing With The Moon" w. Vaughn Monroe & Pauline Pope m. Johnny Watson
• "Rancho Pillow" Charles Newman & Allie Wrubel
• "Remember Pearl Harbor" w.m. Don Reid & Sammy Kaye
• "Road To Zanzibar" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen from the film Road To Zanzibar
• "Rose O'Day" w.m. Charles Tobias & Al Lewis
• "Sand In My Shoes" w. Frank Loesser m. Victor Schertzinger
• "The Shrine Of Saint Cecilia" w. Carroll Loveday m. Nils Johan
• "A Sinner Kissed An Angel" w. Mack David m. Larry Shayne
• "Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat" w.m. Leon René, Otis René & Emerson Scott
• "So Near and Yet So Far" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Fred Astaire in the film You'll Never Get Rich.
• "Starlight Serenade" w.m. Sonny Miller, Frederick Tysh & Hans May
• "The Story Of A Starry Night" w.m. Jerry Livingston, Al Hoffman & Mann Curtis
• "A String Of Pearls" w. Eddie De Lange m. Jerry Gray
• "Sun Valley Jump" m. Jerry Gray from the film Sun Valley Serenade
• "Take The "A" Train" w.m. Billy Strayhorn
• "Tangerine" w. Johnny Mercer m. Victor Schertzinger
• "Tenement Symphony" w. Sid Kuller & Ray Golden m. Hal Borne
• "That Lovely Weekend" w.m. Ted Heath & Moira Heath
• "There Goes That Song Again" Allie Wrubel
• "There, I've Said It Again" w.m. Redd Evans & Dave Mann
• "This Is New" w. Ira Gershwin m. Kurt Weill
• "This Time the Dream's on Me" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Priscilla Lane in the film Blues in the Night.
• "(Lights Out) 'Til Reveille" w. Stanley Cowan m. Stanley Cowan & Bobby Worth
• "Tonight We Love" w. Bobby Worth m. Freddy Martin & Ray Austin
• "Tschaikovsky ( And Other Russians)" w. Ira Gershwin m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Danny Kaye in the musical Lady in the Dark
• "Two In Love" w.m. Meredith Willson
• "Violets For Your Furs" w. Tom Adair m. Matt Dennis
• "The Waiter And The Porter And The Upstairs Maid" w.m Johnny Mercer
• "Walking The Floor Over You" w.m. Ernest Tubb
• "We're The Couple In The Castle" w. Frank Loesser m. Hoagy Carmichael
• "When I See an Elephant Fly" w. Ned Washington m. Oliver Wallace
• "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again" w.m. Wiley Walker & Gene Sullivan
• "When They Sound The Last All Clear" w.m. Hugh Charles, Louis Elton
• "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" w. Nat Burton m. Walter Kent
• "Why Don't We Do This More Often?" w. Charles Newman m. Allie Wrubel
• "Winter Weather" w.m. Ted Shapiro
• "You And I" w.m. Meredith Willson
• "You Don't Know What Love Is" w. Don Raye m. Gene De Paul

Classical music

• Joseph Achron - Concerto for Piano Solo
• Richard Addinsell - Warsaw Concerto
• Hanns Eisler - Fourteen Ways of Describing the Rain
• Roberto Gerhard - Sinfonía homenaje a Pedrell
• Reinhold Glière - Pochodnyj marš (Field march) for wind orchestra, op. 76
• Vítězslav Novák - De Profundis
• Harry Partch - Barstow
• Sergei Prokofiev - String Quartet No. 2 in F, Op. 92
• Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 7 C major, Op. 60 "Leningrad"

Opera

• Benjamin Britten - Paul Bunyan

Musical theater

• Apple Sauce London revue opened at the Palladium on March 5
• Banjo Eyes Broadway production opened on December 25 at the Hollywood Theatre and ran for 126 performances.
• Best Foot Forward Broadway production opened on October 1 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and ran for 326 performances.
• Get a Load of This London production opened on November 19 at the Hippodrome Theatre and ran for 698 performances.
• High Kickers Broadway production opened on October 31 at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for 171 performances.
• It Happens on Ice Broadway Revue opened on July 15 at the Center Theatre and ran for 386 performances.
• Lady Behave London production opened at His Majesty's Theatre on July 24 and ran for 401 performances
• Lady in the Dark Broadway production opened on January 23 at the Alvin Theatre and ran for 467 performances.
• Let's Face It! Broadway production opened on October 29 at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 547 performances.
• Sons O' Fun Broadway Revue opened on December 1 at the Winter Garden Theatre and ran for 742 performances.

Musical films

• Babes on Broadway
• Birth of the Blues
• Blues in the Night
• The Chocolate Soldier
• Dumbo
• He Found a Star starring Vic Oliver, Sarah Churchill and Evelyn Dall
• Hold That Ghost starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and featuring The Andrews Sisters and Ted Lewis and his Band
• In the Navy starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Powell and The Andrews Sisters
• Kiss the Boys Goodbye starring Don Ameche and Mary Martin
• Lady Be Good
• Moon Over Miami
• Navy Blues starring Ann Sheridan, Jack Oakie, Martha Raye and Jack Haley
• Playmates
• Rise and Shine starring Jack Oakie, Linda Darnell, George Murphy and Milton Berle
• Road to Zanzibar
• San Antonio Rose starring Robert Paige, Jane Frazee, Eve Arden and The Merry Macs
• Sis Hopkins starring Judy Canova, Bob Crosby, Jerry Colonna and Susan Hayward
• Smilin' Through
• Sun Valley Serenade
• Sunny
• Sweetheart of the Campus
• That Night in Rio
• They Met in Argentina
• Time Out for Rhythm
• Too Many Blondes starring Rudy Vallee and Helen Parrish
• Week-End in Havana
• You'll Never Get Rich
• You're the One starring Bonnie Baker, Orrin Tucker & his Orchestra, Edward Everett Horton and Jerry Colonna
• Ziegfeld Girl
• Zis Boom Bah starring Grace Hayes, Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Skeets Gallagher and Benny Rubin, and directed by William Nigh

Births

• January 3 - Van Dyke Parks, singer, arranger and composer
• January 9 - Joan Baez, folk singer
• January 12 - Long John Baldry, R&B singer (died 2005)
• January 15 - Captain Beefheart, musician and artist
• January 18 - David Ruffin (The Temptations) (died 1991)
• January 20 - Ron Townson, The 5th Dimension
• January 21 - Richie Havens, folk singer
• January 24
  • Aaron Neville, The Neville Brothers
  • Neil Diamond, singer-songwriter
• February 4 - John Steel, The Animals
• February 5 - Barrett Strong, singer and songwriter
• February 6 - Dave Berry, singer
• February 11
  • Earl Lewis (The Channels)
  • Sergio Mendes, Latin American musician
  • Tom Rush, folk & blues singer
• February 15 - Brian Holland, songwriter
• February 17 - Gene Pitney, singer and songwriter (died 2006)
• February 18
  • Herman Santiago (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers)
  • Irma Thomas, soul singer
• February 20 - Buffy Sainte-Marie, singer and composer
• February 24 - Joanie Sommers, singer and actress
• March 6 - Palle Mikkelborg, jazz trumpeter and composer
• March 12 - Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane)
• March 15 - Mike Love (The Beach Boys)
• March 17 - Clarence Clemons (E Street Band)
• March 18 - Wilson Pickett, soul singer (died 2006)
• March 28 - Alf Clausen, orchestra conductor (The Simpsons)
• April 3 - Jan Berry (Jan and Dean)
• April 5 - David LaFlamme (It's a Beautiful Day)
• April 8 - J. J. Jackson, VJ
• April 9 - Kaye Adams, country singer
• April 17 - Billy Fury, pop singer (died 1983)
• April 19 - Roberto Carlos, singer
• April 28
  • Peter Anders, The Tradewinds
  • Ann-Margret, actress and singer
• April 30 - Johnny Farina (Santo & Johnny)
• May 4 - Richard Burns (The Hondells)
• May 8 - John Fred, vocalist (John Fred & His Playboy Band) (died 2005)
• May 9
  • Peter Birrell (Freddie & The Dreamers)
  • Danny Rapp (Danny and the Juniors)
• May 11 - Eric Burdon, R&B singer (The Animals)
• May 13
  • Ritchie Valens, singer (died 1959)
  • Joe Brown, singer and guitarist
• May 21 - Ronald Isley (The Isley Brothers)
• May 24 - Bob Dylan, folk singer and songwriter
• June 1 - Edo de Waart, conductor
• June 2
  • William Guest (Gladys Knight & the Pips)
  • Charlie Watts, drummer (The Rolling Stones)
• June 5 - Martha Argerich, pianist
• June 9 - Jon Lord, keyboard player and composer
• June 10 - Shirley Owens (The Shirelles)
• June 12
  • Chick Corea, jazz musician
  • Roy Harper, singer-songwriter
  • Reg Presley, The Troggs
• June 13 - Esther Ofarim, singer
• June 15 - Harry Nilsson, singer-songwriter
• June 16 - Lamont Dozier, Holland/Dozier/Holland
• July 5 - Terry Cashman, record producer and singer-songwriter
• July 7 - Jim Rodford (Argent)
• July 9 - Donald McPherson, Main Ingredient
• July 16 - Desmond Dekker, reggae musician (died 2006)
• July 17
  • Spencer Davis, instrumentalist (The Spencer Davis Group)
  • Gribouille, singer (died 1968)
• July 18
  • Martha Reeves, vocalist
  • Lonnie Mack, rock and blues guitarist
• July 19 - Vicki Carr, singer
• July 22 - George Clinton, American musician
• July 25 - Manny Charlton, Nazareth
• July 26 - Brenton Wood, singer-songwriter
• July 28 - Riccardo Muti, conductor
• July 30 - Paul Anka, singer and songwriter
• August 2 - Doris Coley (The Shirelles)
• August 3 - Beverly Lee (The Shirelles)
• August 4 - Timi Yuro, soul singer (died 2004)
• August 14 - David Crosby (The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash)
• August 20 - Dave Brock (Hawkwind)
• August 21 - Tom Coster (Santana)
• August 24 - Kenny Rogers, country musician
• August 26 - Chris Curtis (The Searchers)
• August 30 - John McNally (The Searchers)
• September 8 - Donald Drowty (Dante & the Evergreens)
• September 9 - Otis Redding, soul singer (died 1967)
• September 10 - Christopher Hogwood, conductor and harpsichordist
• September 13 - David Clayton-Thomas, vocalist (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
• September 19 - Cass Elliot, singer (died 1974)
• September 21 - Dickey Lee, country singer-songwriter
• September 24 - Linda McCartney (Wings) (died 1998)
• October 2 - Ron Meagher (The Beau Brummels)
• October 3 - Chubby Checker, singer
• October 13 - Paul Simon, singer-songwriter
• October 17
  • James Seals (Seals and Crofts)
  • Alan Howard (The Tremeloes)
• October 21
  • Manfred Lubowitz (Manfred Mann)
  • Steve Cropper, Booker T. & the M.G.'s
• October 24 - Helen Reddy, singer
• October 28
  • Hank Marvin, guitarist (The Shadows)
  • Curtis Lee, singer
• October 30 - Otis Williams, vocalist (The Temptations)
• November 2
  • Brian Poole, singer (The Tremeloes)
  • Bruce Welch, guitarist and singer (The Shadows)
• November 5 - Art Garfunkel, singer
• November 6 - Doug Sahm (Sir Douglas Quintet)
• November 8 - Simon Standage, baroque violinist
• November 9 - Tom Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
• November 21 - David Porter, soul musician
• November 24
  • Donald "Duck" Dunn, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Blues Brothers
  • Pete Best, Beatles' original drummer
• November 27 - Eddie Rabbitt, Amos Garrett
• November 29 - Denny Doherty, The Mamas & the Papas
• December 2 - Tom McGuinness, Manfred Mann
• December 18 - Sam Andrew, Big Brother & The Holding Company
• December 19 - Maurice White, Earth, Wind and Fire
• December 27
  • Leslie Maguire, Gerry & the Pacemakers
  • Mike Pinder, The Moody Blues
• December 29 - Ray Thomas, The Moody Blues

Deaths

• January 10 - Frank Bridge, composer
• January 23 - Dobri Hristov, composer
• February 13 - Blind Boy Fuller, blues musician
• February 15 - Guido Adler, musicologist
• February 21 - La Bolduc, Québécois singer
• March 11 - Henry Walford Davies, composer
• March 12 - Ernst Décsey, music critic
• March 17 - Wassily Sapellnikoff, pianist
• March 20 - Oskar Baum, music teacher and writer
• March 27 - Primo Riccitelli, Italian composer
• April 6 - Henry Burr, popular singer
• April 17 - Al Bowlly, popular singer
• April 19 - Johanna Müller-Hermann, Austrian composer and teacher
• April 21 - Agustín Bardi, tango composer, pianist and violinist
• April 28 - Luisa Tetrazzini, Italian coloratura soprano
• May 1 - Johan Wagenaar, Dutch composer and organist
  • Julia Claussen, operatic mezzo-soprano
  • Howard Johnson, lyricist
• May 18 - Milka Ternina, Croatian dramatic soprano
• May 23 - Slavko Osterc, Slovenian composer
• July 5 - Oskar Fried, conductor and composer
• July 8 - Philippe Gaubert, composer and conductor
• July 10 - Jelly Roll Morton, jazz pianist
• August 16 - John Coates, operatic tenor
• September 19 - Enrique Saborido, tango pianist and composer
• October 2 - Julian Felipe, composer of the Philippines national anthem
• October 8
  • Helen Morgan, US singer and actress
  • Gus Kahn, US lyric writer
• October 26 - Victor Schertzinger, violinist and composer
• October 30 - Leon "Chu" Berry, jazz saxophonist
• November 1 - Félix Mayol, singer
• November 29 - Genarro Papi, Italian opera conductor
• December 3 - Christian Sinding, composer
• December 21 - Peetie Wheatstraw, blues singer
• December 24 - Siegfried Alkan, composer
• date unknown - Rudy Concepcion, actor and singer