1964 in music

List of years in music (Table)
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Events

January 1 - Top of the Pops premieres on BBC television.
January 3 - Footage of the Beatles performing a concert in Bournemouth, England is shown on The Jack Paar Show.
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.
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 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.
March - 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 in February.
March 6 - Elvis Presley's 14th motion picture, Kissin' Cousins is released to theaters.
March 14 - Billboard Magazine reports that sales of Beatle records make up 60% of the entire singles market.
March 16 - Disc jockey Alan Freed is charged with tax evasion.
March 21 - For the first time in history, all Top Ten singles on the UK chart are by British acts.
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 Tussaud's Wax Museum. The Beatles are the first pop stars to be displayed at the museum.
April 4 - The Beatles occupied all five top positions on Billboard's Top Pop Singles chart 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 26 - 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.
July 31 - Country singer Jim Reeves dies in an airplane crash near Nashville.
Bob Dylan released his fourth album, Another Side of Bob Dylan.
August 22 - The Supremes are on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the first of five successive number one hits, Where Did Our Love Go.
September 16 - Shindig! premieres on ABC.
September 22 - Fiddler on the Roof opens on Broadway.
October 19 - Simon and 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 31 - The Supremes are on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the second of five successive number one hits, Baby Love.
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 are on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the third of five successive number one hits, Come See About Me.

Simon and Garfunkel form to record for Columbia Records, marking first time that ethnic names are used in pop music.
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.
MC5 forms.
The Mamas & the Papas form.
November - A deal with U.K. impresario W. H. Miller lands the Anita Kerr Quartette on Capitol Records for North America.

Albums released

12 x 5 - The Rolling Stones
Ain't That Good News - Sam Cooke
All Summer Long - The Beach Boys
America, I Hear You Singing - Frank Sinatra
Amore Scusami (Amour Excuse Moi) - Dalida
The Animals (UK Album) - The Animals
The Animals (US Album) - The Animals
Another Side of Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan
The Beach Boys' Christmas Album - The Beach Boys
Beach Boys Concert - The Beach Boys
The Beatles' Second Album - The Beatles (US)
Cuddlebug - The Simon Sisters
Donna The Prima Donna - Dion DiMucci
The Doris Day Christmas Album - Doris Day
Ella at Juan-Les-Pins - Ella Fitzgerald
Early Orbison - Roy Orbison
The Five Faces of Manfred Mann - Manfred Mann
A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles
Hello, Dolly! - Ella Fitzgerald
Hide and Seekers - The Seekers
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook - Ella Fitzgerald
In Person at the Americana - Julie London
It Hurts to Be in Love - Gene Pitney
It Might as Well Be Swing - Frank Sinatra (with Count Basie)
Joan Baez/5 - Joan Baez
Johnny Horton's Greatest Hits - Johnny Horton
The Kinks - The Kinks
Little Old Lady from Pasadena - Jan and Dean
Love After Midnight - Patti Page
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
The Manfred Mann Album - Manfred Mann
Meet the Beatles! - The Beatles (US)
Meet The Simon Sisters - The Simon Sisters
More of Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits - Roy Orbison
Rock Around the Clock King - Bill Haley & His Comets
The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones
Said I To Shostakovitch - Tupper Saussy
The Seekers - The Seekers
Dance With The Shadows - The Shadows
Simmer Down - The Wailing Wailers (Bunny Wailer, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh)
Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award Winners - Frank Sinatra
Surf Surf Surf - Bill Haley & His Comets
Softly, as I Leave You - Frank Sinatra
The Swinger's Guide To Mary Poppins - The Tupper Saussy Quartet with Charlie McCoy
Tears for Dolphy - Ted Curson
The Times They Are a-Changin' - Bob Dylan
Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. - Simon and Garfunkel
With a Smile and a Song - Doris Day
With the Beatles - The Beatles (UK)
You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry - Julie London

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1964.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Chart Entries
1	Roy Orbison	Oh, Pretty Woman	1964	UK 1 - Sep 1964, US BB 1 - Sep 1964, US BB 17 of 1964, US CashBox 4 of 1964, Canada 1 - Aug 1964, Holland 3 - Jan 1965, Norway 1 - Oct 1964, Australia 20 of 1964, Germany 64 of the 1960s, Germany 1 - Jan 1965, Eire 1 - Oct 1964, Europe 83 of the 1960s, South Africa 15 of 1964, Belgium 234 of all time, Rolling Stone 222, 16 in 2FM list, RYM 13 of 1964, DDD 8 of 1964, POP 17 of 1964, RIAA 43, Acclaimed 77, Party 147 of 2007
2	The Beatles	A Hard Day's Night	1964	UK 1 - Jul 1964, US BB 1 - Jul 1964, US CashBox 18 of 1964, Canada 1 - Jul 1964, Norway 1 - Aug 1964, Australia 3 of 1964, Germany 254 of the 1960s, Germany 2 - Sep 1964, Eire 1 - Aug 1964, Australia 1 for 4 weeks, Europe 96 of the 1960s, South Africa 14 of 1964, Rolling Stone 153, RYM 6 of 1964, DDD 11 of 1964, Scrobulate 39 of oldies, Acclaimed 411
3	The Beatles	I Feel Fine	1964	UK 1 - Dec 1964, US BB 1 - Dec 1964, US CashBox 19 of 1965, Canada 1 - Nov 1964, Holland 1 - Jan 1965, Norway 1 - Dec 1964, Australia 8 of 1964, Germany 207 of the 1960s, Germany 3 - Jan 1965, Eire 1 - Dec 1964, Australia 1 for 6 weeks, RYM 8 of 1964, DDD 9 of 1964, Scrobulate 40 of oldies
4	The Animals	House of the Rising Sun	1964	UK 1 - Jun 1964, US BB 1 - Aug 1964, US BB 38 of 1964, US CashBox 53 of 1964, Canada 1 - Aug 1964, France 4 - Oct 1972, Germany 296 of the 1960s, Germany 9 - Jan 1965, Australia 1 for 2 weeks, Europe 7 of the 1960s, Belgium 124 of all time, Rolling Stone 122, 89 in 2FM list, RYM 5 of 1964, DDD 4 of 1964, POP 38 of 1964, RIAA 240, Scrobulate 80 of oldies, Acclaimed 55
5	The Righteous Brothers	You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'	1964	UK 1 - Jan 1965, US BB 1 - Dec 1964, US BB 5 of 1964, US CashBox 7 of 1965, Canada 3 - Jan 1965, Holland 8 - Feb 1965, Europe 92 of the 1960s, Rolling Stone 34, TOTP 23, 2 in 2FM list, RYM 19 of 1964, DDD 1 of 1964, POP 5 of 1964, RIAA 9, Acclaimed 20, Party 223 of 1999

Singles released

"All Day and All of the Night" - The Kinks
"Anyone Who Had a Heart" - Cilla Black
"Do Wah Diddy Diddy" - Manfred Mann
"Ferry Cross the Mersey" - Gerry and the Pacemakers
"Fever" - Helen Shapiro
"Gloria" - Them
"Goldfinger" - Shirley Bassey
"Happiness" - Ken Dodd
"Hello, Dolly! - Louis Armstrong
"The House of the Rising Sun" - The Animals
"I Get Around" - Beach Boys
"I Understand" - Freddie & the Dreamers
"I'm Into Something Good" - Herman's Hermits
"It's All Over Now" - The Rolling Stones
"Just One Look" - The Hollies
"Little Children" - Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas
"A Little Loving" - The Fourmost
"Little Old Lady from Pasadena" - Jan and Dean
"A Message To Martha" - Adam Faith
"One Way Love" - Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers
"Ringo" - Lorne Greene
"She Loves You" - The Beatles
"(They Call Her) La Bamba" - The Crickets
"Tobacco Road" - Nashville Teens
"Walk Away" - Matt Monro
"We Love You Beatles" - The Carefrees
"A World Without Love" - Peter & Gordon
"You're No Good" - The Swinging Blue Jeans
"You Really Got Me - The Kinks

Published popular music

"The Addams Family theme song" w.m. Vic Mizzy
"Anatevka" - w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
"Anyone Who Had a Heart" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
"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
"Dear Heart" w. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans m. Henry Mancini
"Do You Love Me?" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
"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
"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 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
"Matchmaker, Matchmaker" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
"Miracle of Miracles" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
"Now I Have Everything" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
"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!
"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
"To Life" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
"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
"Zorba's Dance" m. Mikis Theodorakis

Classical music

Eyvin Andersen - Concerto for violin and orchestra
Aaron Copland - Music for a Great City
George Crumb - Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) for violin and piano
Mario Davidovsky
- Electronic Study No. 3
- Synchronisms No. 2 for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and tape
- Synchronisms No. 3 for cello and electronic sound
Henri Dutilleux - Métaboles
David Lumsdaine - Annotations of Auschwitz (cantata with words by Peter Porter)
Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet No.9 in E flat major, Op.117
Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet No.10 in A flat major, Op.118
James Tenney - Music for Player Piano

Opera

Luciano Berio - Traces
Benjamin Britten - Curlew River
Alberto Ginastera - Don Rodrigo
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 Theatre 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
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