1971 in music

David Tudor and John Cage at the 1971 Shiraz Arts Festival

Events

• February 1 – after months of feuding in the press, Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones hold a "drum battle" at The Lyceum.
• February 3 - Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees
• February 8 – Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, is premièred at New York's Academy of Music. The film includes footage from Dylan's 1966 UK tour.
• February 16 – Alan Passaro of the Hells Angels, who was acquitted on January 19 of the stabbing death of Meredith Hunter at the Altamont Speedway in 1969, files a lawsuit against The Rolling Stones for invasion of privacy because the documentary film Gimme Shelter showed the stabbing.
• March 1 – The line-up for Queen is completed when bassist John Deacon joins the band.
• March 4 – The Rolling Stones open their UK tour in Newcastle upon Tyne, intended as a "farewell" to the UK prior to the band's relocation to France as "tax exiles".
• March 5 – Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland, sees the first live performance of Led Zeppelin's iconic song "Stairway to Heaven".
• March 6 - The Soul to Soul concert takes place in Accra, Ghana, headlined by Wilson Pickett.
• March 12-13 – The Allman Brothers Band records its live album, At Fillmore East.
• March 16 – The 13th Grammy Awards, honoring musical accomplishments of 1970, are presented. The ceremonies are broadcast on live television for the first time.
• April 3 – The 16th Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, is won by Monaco with the song "Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue" sung by Séverine.
• April 6 – The Rolling Stones hold a party in Cannes to officially announce their new contract with Atlantic and the launch of Rolling Stones Records.
• May 12 – Mick Jagger marries Bianca de Macías in Saint-Tropez, France, in a Roman Catholic ceremony. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and their wives are among the wedding guests.
• June 6 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono join Frank Zappa on stage at the Fillmore East for an encore jam. The performance would be released the following year on the Some Time in New York City album.
• June 8 - Carole King gives her first live concert, at Carnegie Hall.
• June 20-24 – the first Glastonbury Festival to take place at the summer solstice is held in South West England. Performers include David Bowie, Traffic, Fairport Convention, Quintessence and Hawkwind.
• June 27 – Promoter Bill Graham closes the Fillmore East in New York City with a final concert featuring the The Allman Brothers Band, The Beach Boys and Mountain.
• July 3 – Jim Morrison is found dead in a bath tub in Paris, France, aged 27. Alain Ronay would claim, years later, that he assisted Morrison's lover, Pamela Courson, in covering up the circumstances.
• July 4 – The Fillmore West is closed in San Francisco with a final show featuring Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Grateful Dead.
• July 9 – Grand Funk becomes only the second band (after The Beatles) to perform a sold-out concert at Shea Stadium.
• August 1
  • The Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden, New York, starring Ravi Shankar, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, and Leon Russell; also featuring Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Jesse Ed Davis, and Badfinger.
  • The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour premieres on CBS.
• September 11 – The Jackson 5ive, a Saturday morning cartoon series based on the popular Motown group The Jackson 5, premieres on ABC.
• October 5 – Black Sabbath perform the first set of their Whisky a Go Go performance in all-white tuxedos.
• November 8 – Led Zeppelin release officially untitled fourth studio album, which would become the biggest-selling album of the year (1972), the band's biggest-selling album, and the fourth best-selling album of all time.
• December 1 – Belgian singing duo Nicole & Hugo are married at Wemmel.
• December 4 – The Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland, catches fire and burns during a performance by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention when a fan fires a flare gun into its rafters. Members of Deep Purple, who were due to begin recording at the casino the next day, watched the scene from their hotel across Lake Geneva, and later immortalized the events in their song, "Smoke on the Water".
• December 10 – Frank Zappa breaks his leg after being pushed off the stage by a deranged fan at The Rainbow in London.
• December 31 – Bob Dylan makes a surprise appearance for the encore of The Band's New Year's Eve concert at the Academy of Music, joining the group for four songs including "Like a Rolling Stone".
• Lancelot Layne's "Blown Away" is the beginning of rapso music.
• Ann Wilson joins Heart, which moves to Vancouver, British Columbia.
• Kenny Rogers and The First Edition issued their Greatest Hits album, which will sell over 4 million copies worldwide by the end of the decade. They also star in their own TV series Rollin' on the River which runs until 1974.
• Brad Whitford replaces Ray Tabano on rhythm guitar in Aerosmith
• Elton John has first international hit with "Your Song".
• Donna Summer begins her recording career under her real name of Donna Gaines.
• Rick Springfield leaves Zoot for a solo career.
• Rick Wakeman joins Yes.
• Conrad Schnitzler leaves Kluster, which dissolves.
• The Beach Boys musician Daryl Dragon and singer Toni Tennille meet and begin to perform together as Captain & Tennille.
• The American Musical Instrument Society is founded.

Bands formed

• See Musical groups established in 1971

Bands reformed

• The Crystals

Bands disbanded

• Booker T. & the M.G.'s
• Derek & The Dominos
• The Monkees
• See also Musical groups disestablished in 1971

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Hooteroll?	Howard Wales and Jerry Garcia	-
	David Axelrod's Rock Interpretation of Handel's Messiah	David Axelrod	-
5	Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories	Barclay James Harvest	-
	Dog of Two Head	Status Quo	-
	Madman Across the Water	Elton John	-
8	(untitled fourth album)	Led Zeppelin	aka Led Zeppelin IV
9	Quiet Fire	Roberta Flack	-
12	Nursery Cryme	Genesis	-
13	Stones	Neil Diamond	-
15	E Pluribus Funk	Grand Funk Railroad	-
17	Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II	Bob Dylan	Compilation + new and unreleased material
	Farther Along	The Byrds	-
	Gonna Take a Miracle	Laura Nyro	-
	Live-Evil	Miles Davis	-
	A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse	Faces	-
20	Kazemachi Roman	Happy End	-
	There's a Riot Goin' On	Sly & the Family Stone	-
24	Muswell Hillbillies	The Kinks	-
26	Fragile	Yes	-
28	Deuce	Rory Gallagher	-
-	Aerie	John Denver	-
	All Day Music	War	-
	Anne Murray / Glen Campbell	Anne Murray and Glen Campbell	-
	Anticipation	Carly Simon	-
	Asylum Choir II	Leon Russell and Marc Benno	-
	Babbacombe Lee	Fairport Convention	-
	Beautiful Lies You Could Live In	Pearls Before Swine	-
	Black Moses	Isaac Hayes	-
	Bless the Weather	John Martyn	-
	Bonnie Raitt	Bonnie Raitt	-
	Brain Capers	Mott the Hoople	-
	Choice Quality Stuff/Anytime	It's a Beautiful Day	-
	Cold Spring Harbor	Billy Joel	-
	Do You Like It Here Now, Are You Settling In?	Man	-
	Flowers of Evil	Mountain	-
	For Ladies Only	Steppenwolf	-
	Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be	Sweet	-
	Good and Dusty	The Youngbloods	-
	If Not for You	Olivia Newton-John	-
	Jonathan Edwards	Jonathan Edwards	-
	Killer	Alice Cooper	-
	Lay it All Out	Barry Mann	-
	Liv	Livingston Taylor	-
	The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions	Howlin' Wolf	-
	The Lonesome Picker Rides Again	John Stewart	-
	Lost in the Ozone	Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen	-
	The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys	Traffic	-
	Nazareth	Nazareth	-
	The Need of Love	Earth, Wind & Fire	-
	Nice Feelin'	Rita Coolidge	-
	Nilsson Schmilsson	Harry Nilsson	-
	'Nuff Said	Ike & Tina Turner	-
	A Partridge Family Christmas Card	The Partridge Family	Christmas
	People Like Us	The Mamas & the Papas	-
	Pictures at an Exhibition	Emerson, Lake & Palmer	-
	Quicksilver	Quicksilver Messenger Service	-
	Rudy the Fifth	Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band	-
	Sanctuary	Dion	-
	Shake Off the Demon	Brewer & Shipley	-
	Sunfighter	Paul Kantner and Grace Slick	-
	There's Gotta Be a Change	Albert Collins	-
	Tigers Will Survive	Ian Matthews	-
	Whatevershebringswesing	Kevin Ayers	-
	Year of Sunday	Seals and Crofts	-

December

Release Date Unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1971.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	John Lennon	Imagine	1971		UK 1 – Dec 1980, Éire 1 – Dec 1975, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Jul 1972, Australia Goset 1 – Dec 1971, Virgin 1, OzNet 1, Switzerland 2 – Nov 1971, DDD 2 of 1971, WXPN 2, US BB 3 – Oct 1971, Canada 3 – Sep 1971, Norway 3 – Feb 1972, Italy 3 of 1972, Rolling Stone 3, RYM 4 of 1971, Holland 5 – Nov 1971, France 5 – Nov 1971, South Africa 5 of 1972, POP 5 of 1971, Austria 6 – Mar 1981, Europe 8 of the 1970s, TheQ 9, US BB 10 of 1971, Belgium 11 of all time, Germany 12 – Jan 1981, TOTP 16, Poland 17 of all time, Sweden (alt) 19 – Dec 1975, Australia 19 of 1972, Acclaimed 21, RIAA 30, Scrobulate 33 of classic rock, 86 in 2FM list
2	George Harrison	My Sweet Lord	1971		UK 1 – Jan 1971, US BB 1 – Dec 1970, Canada 1 – Nov 1970, Holland 1 – Dec 1970, France 1 – Mar 1971, Switzerland 1 – Jan 1971, Norway 1 – Feb 1971, Germany 1 – Jan 1971, Éire 1 – Jan 1971, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Jul 1971, Australia Goset 1 – Jan 1971, Australia 2 of 1971, RYM 3 of 1970, Italy 4 of 1971, Virgin 5, Poland 7 – Feb 2002, DDD 11 of 1970, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1970, Germany 40 of the 1970s, US CashBox 70 of 1971, Europe 93 of the 1970s, OzNet 170, WXPN 339, Rolling Stone 454, TheQ 484, Acclaimed 604
3	Rod Stewart	Maggie May	1971		UK 1 – Sep 1971, US BB 1 – Aug 1971, Canada 1 – Aug 1971, Australia 1 for 4 weeks May 1972, Australia Goset 1 – Oct 1971, Peel list 1 of 1970, Holland 3 – Oct 1971, RYM 3 of 1971, Switzerland 5 – Dec 1971, DDD 5 of 1971, US BB 6 of 1971, France 10 – Nov 1971, POP 10 of 1971, Australia 13 of 1971, Germany 17 – Jan 1972, US CashBox 23 of 1971, TheQ 37, Virgin 53, Acclaimed 80, Rolling Stone 130, OzNet 149, RIAA 194, WXPN 218
4	The Rolling Stones	Brown Sugar	1971		US BB 1 – May 1971, Canada 1 – May 1971, Holland 1 – May 1971, Switzerland 1 – May 1971, UK 2 – Apr 1971, US BB 3 of 1971, POP 3 of 1971, Norway 4 – May 1971, Germany 5 – May 1971, Australia Goset 5 – Jun 1971, DDD 8 of 1971, France 9 – Apr 1971, RYM 11 of 1971, Virgin 21, US CashBox 38 of 1971, TheQ 82, Scrobulate 89 of classic rock, Acclaimed 137, Germany 249 of the 1970s, WXPN 274, OzNet 412, Rolling Stone 490
5	Lynn Anderson	Rose Garden	1971		Canada 1 – Dec 1970, Switzerland 1 – Mar 1971, Norway 1 – Mar 1971, Germany 1 – Mar 1971, Éire 1 – Mar 1971, Australia 1 for 4 weeks Oct 1971, Holland 2 – Jan 1971, France 2 – Apr 1971, Australia Goset 2 – Feb 1971, UK 3 – Feb 1971, US BB 3 – Dec 1970, US CashBox 6 of 1971, Germany 50 of the 1970s, DDD 57 of 1970, RYM 75 of 1970, Acclaimed 1217

Top hit singles

Elton John in 1971.

• "Ain't No Sunshine" – Bill Withers
• "All Day Music" – War
• "All I Ever Need Is You" – Sonny & Cher
• "Another Day" – Paul and Linda McCartney
• "Baby I'm-a Want You" – Bread
• "Baby Jump" – Mungo Jerry
• "Back Street Luv" – Curved Air
• "Bangla Desh" – George Harrison
• "Banks of the Ohio" – Olivia Newton-John
• "Banner Man" – Blue Mink
• "Beginnings" – Chicago
• "Behind Blue Eyes" – The Who
• "Black & White" – Greyhound
• "Black Dog" – Led Zeppelin
• "Black Magic Woman" – Santana
• "Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys" – The Equals
• "Blue Money" – Van Morrison
• "Brand New Key" – Melanie
• "Brandy" – Scott English
• "Bridge Over Troubled Water" – Aretha Franklin
• "Bridget the Midget (The Queen of the Blues)" – Ray Stevens
• "Bring the Boys Home" – Freda Payne
• "Brown Sugar/Bitch/Let It Rock" – The Rolling Stones
• "Butterfly" – Danyel Gérard
• "Cherish" – David Cassidy
• "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" – Middle of the Road
• "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" – Mac and Katie Kissoon (Lally Stott's original was dubbed into French)
• "Co-Co" – The Sweet
• "Colour My World" – Chicago
• "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need" – Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
• "Country Road" – James Taylor
• "Cousin Norman" – Marmalade
• "Coz I Luv You" – Slade
• "Crazy Love" – Helen Reddy
• "Cried Like a Baby" – Bobby Sherman
• "Day After Day" – Badfinger
• "Desiderata" – Les Crane
• "Did You Ever...?" – Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
• "Do You Know What I Mean?" – Lee Michaels
• "DOA" – Bloodrock
• "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" – The Partridge Family
• "Don't Knock My Love, Part 1" – Wilson Pickett
• "Don't Let It Die" – Hurricane Smith
• "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You" – Wilson Pickett
• "Don't Pull Your Love" – Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
• "Double Barrel" – Dave and Ansell Collins
• "Draggin' the Line" – Tommy James
• "Ernie" – Walter Matthau
• "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" – Benny Hill
• "Everybody's Everything" – Santana
• "Everything's Tuesday" – Chairmen of the Board
• "Family Affair" – Sly & the Family Stone
• "Fly Little White Dove Fly" – The Bells
• "Flying Machine" – Cliff Richard
• "For All We Know" – The Carpenters
• "Forget Me Not" – Martha and the Vandellas
• "Friends" – Elton John
• "Funky Nassau" – The Beginning of the End
• "Get Down and Get With It" – Slade
• "Get It On" – T.Rex
• "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved Pt. 1" – James Brown
• "Girls Are Out to Get You" – The Fascinations
• "Go Away Little Girl" – Donny Osmond
• "Got to Be There" – Michael Jackson
• "Grandad" – Clive Dunn
• "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" – Cher
• "Hallelujah" – Sweathog
• "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Have You Seen Her" – The Chi-Lites
• "He's Gonna Step On You Again" – John Kongos
• "Heaven Must Have Sent You" – The Elgins
• "Help Me Make It Through the Night" – Sammi Smith
• "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again" – The Fortunes
• "Here Comes the Sun" – Richie Havens
• "Hey Big Brother" – Rare Earth
• "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me" – The Tams
• "Hey Mister, That's Me Up On the Jukebox" – James Taylor
• "Hey Tonight" – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Hot Love" – T. Rex
• "Hot Pants (She Got to Use What She Got to Get Just What She Wants)" – James Brown
• "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" – Bee Gees
• "I Am...I Said" – Neil Diamond
• "I Believe (In Love)" – Hot Chocolate
• "I Did What I Did for Maria" – Tony Christie
• "I Don't Blame You At All" – Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
• "I Don't Know How to Love Him" – Helen Reddy
• "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from the original studio cast recording of Jesus Christ Superstar – Yvonne Elliman
• "I Don't Want to Do Wrong" – Gladys Knight & the Pips
• "I Hear You Knocking" – Dave Edmunds
• "I Just Can't Help Believing" – Elvis Presley
• "I Just Can't Help Believing" – Sacha Distel (Dubbed)
• "I Just Want to Celebrate" – Rare Earth
• "I Love You For All Seasons" – The Fuzz
• "I Will Return" – Springwater
• "I Woke Up In Love This Morning" – The Partridge Family
• "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" – The New Seekers
• "I'd Love to Change the World" – Ten Years After
• "I'll Meet You Halfway" – The Partridge Family
• "I'm a Greedy Man, Part 1" – James Brown
• "I'm Eighteen" – Alice Cooper
• "I'm Gonna Run Away From You" – Tami Lynn
• "(I Know) I'm Losing You" – Rod Stewart
• "I'm Still Waiting" – Diana Ross
• "I've Found Someone of My Own" – Free Movement
• "If" – Bread
• "If I Were Your Woman" – Gladys Knight & the Pips
• "If Not For You" – Olivia Newton-John
• "If You Could Read My Mind" – Gordon Lightfoot
• "If You Really Love Me" – Stevie Wonder
• "Imagine" – John Lennon
• "In My Own Time" – Family
• "Indian Reservation" – Paul Revere & the Raiders
• "Indiana Wants Me" – R. Dean Taylor
• "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)" – Marvin Gaye
• "Iron Man" – Black Sabbath
• "Is This the Way to Amarillo" – Tony Christie
• "It Don't Come Easy" – Ringo Starr
• "It's Impossible" – Perry Como
• "It's The Same Old Song – The Weathermen
• "It's Too Late" – Carole King
• "Jack in the Box" – Clodagh Rodgers
• "Jeepster" – T. Rex
• "Johnny Reggae" – The Piglets
• "Joy to the World" – Three Dog Night
• "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" – The Temptations
• "K- Jee" – The Nite- Liters, see (New Birth)
• "Knock Three Times" – Tony Orlando and Dawn
• "L.A. International Airport" – Susan Raye
• "L.A. Woman" – The Doors
• "Lady Rose" – Mungo Jerry
• "Legend In Your Own Time" – Carly Simon
• "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah" – The Pioneers
• "Levon" – Elton John
• "Liar" – Three Dog Night
• "Locomotive Breath" – Jethro Tull
• "Lonely Days" – The Bee Gees
• "Look Wot You Dun" – Slade
• "Love Her Madly" – The Doors
• "Love Means (You Never Have To Say You’re Sorry)" – Sounds of Sunshine
• "Love the One You're With" – The Isley Brothers
• "Love the One You're With" – Stephen Stills
• "Maggie May" – Rod Stewart
• "Malt and Barley Blues" – McGuinness Flint
• "Make It With You" – Sacha Distel (dubbed)
• "Mama's Pearl" – The Jackson 5
• "Marianne" – Stephen Stills
• "Me And Bobby McGee" – Janis Joplin
• "Me and My Arrow" – Harry Nilsson
• "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" – Lobo
• "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" – Marvin Gaye
• "Mighty Clouds of Joy" – B. J. Thomas
• "Mr. Big Stuff" – Jean Knight
• "Mr. Bojangles" – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• "Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G minor K550 1st movement (Allegro molto)" – Waldo de los Ríos
• "My Brother Jake" – Free
• "My Sweet Lord" – George Harrison
• "Nathan Jones" – The Supremes
• "Never Can Say Goodbye" – The Jackson 5
• "Never Ending Song of Love" – The New Seekers
• "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" – Joan Baez
• "No Matter What" – Badfinger
• "An Old Fashioned Love Song" – Three Dog Night
• "Once You Understand" – Think
• "One Bad Apple" – The Osmonds
• "One Less Bell to Answer" – The 5th Dimension
• "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Part 1)" – Honey Cone
• "One Tin Soldier" – Coven (apocalyptic statement)
• "One Toke Over the Line" – Brewer & Shipley
• "Only You Know and I Know" – Delaney and Bonnie
• "Oye Como Va" – Santana
• "Paint it Black" – Eric Burdon & War
• "Pay to the Piper" – Chairmen of the Board
• "Peace Train" – Cat Stevens
• "The Pied Piper" – Bob and Marcia
• "Power to the People" – John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
• "Proud Mary" – Ike & Tina Turner
• "Pushbike Song" – Mixtures
• "Put Your Hand in the Hand" – Ocean
• "Rain Dance" – The Guess Who
• "Rainy Days and Mondays" – The Carpenters
• "Remember Me" – Diana Ross
• "Resurrection Shuffle" – Ashton, Gardner and Dyke
• "Ride a White Swan" – T. Rex
• "Riders on the Storm" – The Doors
• "Right on the Tip of My Tongue" – Brenda & The Tabulations
• "River Deep - Mountain High" – The Supremes and Four Tops
• "Rock and Roll" – Led Zeppelin
• "Rock Steady" – Aretha Franklin
• "Rose Garden" – Lynn Anderson
• "Run Baby Run (Back Into My Arms)" – The Newbeats
• "She Didn't Do Magic" – Lobo
• "She's a Lady" – Tom Jones
• "She's Not Just Another Woman" – 8th Day
• "Signs" – Five Man Electrical Band
• "Silvery Rain" – Cliff Richard
• "Simple Game" – The Four Tops
• "Sing a Song of Freedom" – Cliff Richard
• "Smiling Faces Sometimes" – Undisputed Truth
• "So Far Away" – Carole King
• "Softly Whispering I Love You" – The Congregation
• "Soldier Blue" – Buffy Sainte-Marie
• "Soley, Soley" – Middle of the Road
• "Something Old, Something New" – The Fantastics
• "Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight)" – Cilla Black
• "Sooner or Later" – The Grass Roots
• "Soul Power Pt. 1" – James Brown
• "Spanish Harlem" – Aretha Franklin
• "Stay Awhile" – The Bells
• "Stay With Me" – The Faces
• "Stairway to Heaven" – Led Zeppelin
• "Stick Up" – Honey Cone
• "Stoned Love" – The Supremes
• "Stoney End" – Barbra Streisand
• "Stop, Look, Listen" – The Stylistics
• "The Story In Your Eyes" – The Moody Blues
• "Strange Kind of Woman" – Deep Purple
• "Sugar, Sugar" – Sakkarin
• "Sultana" – Titanic
• "Summer of '42" – Peter Nero
• "Sunny Honey Girl" – Cliff Richard
• "Superstar" – The Carpenters
• ""Superstar" (from Jesus Christ Superstar) – Murray Head
• "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" – The Temptations
• "Surrender" – Diana Ross
• "Sweet and Innocent" – Donny Osmond
• "Sweet City Woman" – The Stampeders
• "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Sweet Mary" – Wadsworth Mansion
• "Take Me Home Country Roads" – John Denver and Fat City
• "Tap Turns On the Water" – C.C.S.
• "Temptation Eyes" – The Grass Roots
• "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" – Carly Simon
• "Theme from Shaft" – Isaac Hayes
• "They Can't Take Away Our Music" – Eric Burdon & War
• "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" – The Persuaders
• "Timothy" – The Buoys
• "Till" – Tom Jones
• "Tiny Dancer" – Elton John
• "Tired of Being Alone" – Al Green
• "Toast and Marmalade for Tea" – Tin Tin
• "Tokoloshe Man" – John Kongos
• "Trapped By a Thing Called Love" – Denise LaSalle
• "Treat Her Like a Lady" – Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
• "Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum" – Middle of the Road
• "Two Divided By Love" – The Grass Roots
• "Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue" – Séverine
• "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" – Paul and Linda McCartney
• "Walkin'" – C.C.S.
• "Want Ads" – Honey Cone
• "Watching Scotty Grow" – Bobby Goldsboro
• "We Can Work It Out" – Stevie Wonder
• "What Are You Doing Sunday" – Dawn
• "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" – The Dramatics
• "What's Going On" – Marvin Gaye
• "What is Life" – George Harrison
• "When You're Hot, You're Hot" – Jerry Reed
• "(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story" – Andy Williams; also Henry Mancini
• "White Lies, Blue Eyes" – Bullet
• "Wild Horses" – The Rolling Stones
• "Wild Night" – Van Morrison
• "Wild World" – Cat Stevens
• "Witch Queen of New Orleans" – Redbone
• "Who put the Lights Out" – Dana
• "Won't Get Fooled Again" – The Who
• "Yo-Yo" – The Osmonds
• "You Are Everything" – The Stylistics
• "You Can Close Your Eyes" – James Taylor
• "Your Move" – Yes
• "Your Song" – Elton John
• "You're All I Need to Get By – Aretha Franklin
• "You've Got a Friend" – James Taylor
• "You've Got to Crawl (Before You Walk)" – 8th Day

Published popular music

• "The Age of Not Believing"     w.m. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, from the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks
• "Always on My Mind" w.m. Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson Thompson.
• "American Pie"     w.m. Don McLean
• "And I Love You So"     w.m. Don McLean
• "Baby I'm A-Want You" w.m. David Gates
• "Been on a Train" w.m. Laura Nyro
• "Ben"     w. Don Black m. Walter Scharf
• "Brown Earth" w.m. Laura Nyro
• "The Candy Man"     w.m. Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley, from the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
• "Day By Day"     w. John Michael Tebelak m. Stephen Schwartz
• "Eagle Rock"     w.m. Ross Wilson
• "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" w.m. Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb
• "I Am Woman"     w. Helen Reddy m. Ray Burton
• "I Don't Know How to Love Him" w. Tim Rice m. Andrew Lloyd Webber. Introduced by Yvonne Elliman in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar
• "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"     w.m. B. Backer, B. Davis, R. Cook & R. Greenaway
• "I'm Still Here"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Imagine w.m. John Lennon
• "Kiss an Angel Good Morning"     w.m. Ben Peters
• "Knock Three Times"     w.m. Irwin Levine
• "The Last Farewell"     w.m. Roger Whittaker & Ron A. Webster
• "Losing My Mind"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Maggie May" w.m. Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton
• "Pure Imagination"     w.m. Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley, from the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
• "Riders on the Storm"     w.m. The Doors
• "Stairway to Heaven"     w. Robert Plant m. Jimmy Page
• "Substitutiary Locomotion"     w.m. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, from the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks
• "The Summer Knows"      w. Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman m. Michel Legrand from the film Summer of '42
• "Those Were the Days" w. Lee Adams, m. Charles Strouse, from the TV series All in the Family
• "Too Many Mornings"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Avec le Temps" – Dalida
• "Mamy Blue" – Dalida
• "Queen of the Hours" w.m. Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood

Classical music

• Malcolm Arnold – Viola concerto with small orchestra
• Gavin Bryars – Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
• Elliott Carter – String Quartet No. 3
• George Crumb
  • Lux Aeterna for soprano, bass flute/soprano recorder, sitar, and percussion (two players)
  • Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale) for electric flute, electric cello, and amplified piano
• Mario Davidovsky – Chacona for violin, cello, and piano
• Morton Feldman – Rothko Chapel
• Lorenzo Ferrero – Primavera che non vi rincresca
• Jorgen Jersild – Three Danish Romances
• Mauricio Kagel – Staatstheater
• Ladislav Kupkovic – Klanginvasion auf Bonn
• Jean Langlais – Concerto for Organ no 3 "Reaction"
• Luigi Nono – Ein Gespenst geht um in der Welt
• Steve Reich – Drumming
• Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 15 A major, Op. 141
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Mixtur
• Iannis Xenakis – Charisma

Opera

• Alberto Ginastera – Beatrix Cenci
• Hans Werner Henze – Der langwierige Weg in die Wohnung der Natascha Ungeheuer
• Lee Hoiby – Summer and Smoke
• Heitor Villa-Lobos – Yerma

Musical theater

• Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death – Off-Broadway production
• Follies (Stephen Sondheim) – Broadway production
• Godspell (Stephen Schwartz) – Broadway and London productions (Off-Broadway from 1971, 572 performances on Broadway, 2,600 total NYC performances)
• Jalta, Jalta (Alfi Kabiljo and Milan Grgić) - premièred in Zagreb
• Jesus Christ Superstar (Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice) – Broadway production (eighteen months)
• Lolita, My Love (John Barry and Alan Jay Lerner) – closed in pre-Broadway tryout
• Prettybelle – ditto
• No, No, Nanette (Irving Caesar, Otto Harbach, Vincent Youmans) – Broadway revival
• On the Town     Broadway revival
• Show Boat (Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) – London revival
• To Live Another Summer, To Pass Another Winter – Broadway production of Jewish revue; opened at the Helen Hayes Theatre on October 21 and transferred to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on January 10, 1972 for a total run of 173 performances.
• Two Gentlemen of Verona – Broadway production

Musical films

• 200 Motels
• Aquellos años locos
• Arriba Juventud
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson
• Bumbarash
• Chervona Ruta
• Fiddler on the Roof
• Haathi Mere Saathi
• Journey Back to Oz     animated feature
• Out of the Darkness
• Raga, documentary about the life and work of Ravi Shankar
• Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
• Skæve dage i Thy, documentary about the Thylejren rock festival

Births

• January 8 – Karen Poole (Alisha's Attic)
• January 9 – Angie Martinez, American rapper and radio talk host
• January 11
  • Mary J. Blige, American singer
  • Tom Rowlands (Chemical Brothers)
  • Stuart Davis, lyricist
• January 13 – Lee Agnew (Nazareth)
• January 17 – Kid Rock, singer and rapper
• January 18 – Jonathan Davis (KoЯn)
• January 19 – John Wozniak, American singer and songwriter (Marcy Playground)
• January 20
  • Gary Barlow, British singer-songwriter (Take That)
  • Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, American musician, composer, producer, photographer, and author
• January 21 – Tweet, American singer
• January 25 – China Kantner (Daughter of Grace Slick and Paul Kantner)
• January 27 – Lil Jon, rapper and producer
• January 28 – Anthony Hamilton, American singer
• February 1 – Ron Welty (The Offspring)
• February 2
  • Michelle Gayle, British singer
  • Ben Mize (Counting Crows)#
• February 5 – Sara Evans, American singer
• February 13 – Sonia, English pop singer
• February 16
  • Amanda Holden, British actress and singer
  • Steven Houghton, British actor and singer
• February 19 – Gil Shaham, violinist
• February 23 – Jeff Beres (Sister Hazel)
• February 26 – Erykah Badu, American singer
• February 27 – Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, singer (TLC)
• March 4 – Feargal Lawler Irish drummer (The Cranberries)
• March 6 – Betty Boo, singer
• March 9 – C-Murder, American rapper
• March 10 – Timbaland, American rapper/singer
• March 11 - Erin O'Donnell, American Christian musician
• March 21 – John Hendy, British singer (East 17)
• March 29 – Attila Csihar, Hungarian vocalist (Mayhem)
• March 31 – Ewan McGregor, actor and singer
• April 1 – Method Man, American rapper
• April 2 – Zeebra, Japanese rapper
• April 3 – Wes Berggren, American musician
• April 4 – Josh Todd, American rock singer (Buckcherry)
• April 11 – Oliver Riedel, German musician (Rammstein)
• April 16 – Selena Quintanilla Perez, American singer (d. 1995)
• April 20 – Mikey Welsh (Weezer)
• April 24
  • Mauro Pawlowski, Belgian guitar player and singer (Evil Superstars, Deus)
  • Alejandro Fernandez, Mexican singer
• April 29
  • Siniša Vuco, Croatian musician
  • Tamara Johnson-George, American singer (SWV)
• May 3 – Damon Dash, record label executive
• May 6 – Chris Shiflett, American rock musician (Foo Fighters)
• May 9 – Paul McGuigan British bassist (Oasis)
• May 10 – Craig Mack, American rapper
• May 17 – Vernie Bennett, British singer (Eternal)
• May 22 – Raimund Marasigan, drummer (Eraserheads)
• May 27 – Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, American rapper and songwriter TLC (d. 2002)
• May 30
  • Patrick Dahlheimer, Live
  • Idina Menzel, American actress and singer
• May 31 – Adam Walton, British DJ
• June 1 – Mario Cimarro, Cuban actor and singer
• June 5 – Mark Wahlberg, American rapper and actor
• June 9
  • Erika Miklósa, Hungarian coloratura soprano
  • Rick Renstrom, American guitarist
• June 16 – Tupac Shakur, rapper (d. 1996)
• June 17
  • Bif Naked, singer
  • Paulina Rubio, Mexican singer
• June 18 – Nathan Morris American singer (Boyz II Men)
• June 21 – Anette Olzon, Swedish singer (Nightwish)
• June 27 – DJ Screw, rapper (d. 2000)
• June 29 – Matthew Good, Canadian musician
• July 1 – Missy Elliott, American singer
• July 11 – Leisha Hailey, American musician and actress
• July 12 – MC Breed, American rapper (d. 2008)
• July 17
  • DJ Minutemix, P.M. Dawn
  • Ed Kowalczyk, Live
• July 20 – DJ Screw, American hip hop deejay (d. 2000)
• July 21 - Charlotte Gainsbourg, French actress and singer-songwriter
• July 23
  • Alison Krauss, American singer
  • Scott Krippayne, American Christian musician
  • Dalvin DeGrate, American rapper (Jodeci)
• July 30 – Calogero, singer
• July 31 – John Lowery, American guitarist
• August 3 – DJ Spinderella, American rapper (Salt-n-Pepa)
• August 4 – Yo-Yo, rapper
• August 7 – Rachel York, American actress and singer
• August 12 – Phil Western, Canadian musician
• August 17
  • Anthony Kearns, Irish tenor
  • Uhm Jung-hwa, South Korean actress and singer
• August 18 – Richard D. James, Irish musician
• August 20 – Fred Durst, American singer (Limp Bizkit)
• August 23 – Bone Crusher, American rapper
• August 26 – Thalía, Mexican actress and singer
• August 27 – Julian Cheung, Hong Kong actor and singer
• August 30 – Lars Frederiksen (Rancid)
• September 1 - DJ Cocoa Chanelle, djer
• September 6 – Dolores O'Riordan, Irish vocalist (The Cranberries)
• September 11 – Richard Ashcroft, British singer and songwriter
• September 18 - Anna Netrebko, operatic soprano
• September 19 – D-Flame, hip-hop and reggae performer
• September 21 – Alfonso Ribeiro, American actor, singer and dancer
• September 24 – Marty Cintron American singer (No Mercy)
• September 28 – A. J. Croce, singer-songwriter and son of Jim Croce
• October 2
  • Tiffany, American singer
  • James Root, guitarist for Slipknot
  • LeShaun, American rapper
• October 3 – Kevin Richardson American singer (Backstreet Boys)
• October 4 – Brian Transeau, American disc jockey
• October 5 – South Park Mexican, American rapper
• October 10 – Evgeny Kissin, Russian pianist
• October 11 – MC Lyte, American rapper
• October 17
  • Chris Kirkpatrick, American singer 'N Sync
  • Derrick Plourde (The Ataris) (died 2005)
• October 20
  • Dannii Minogue, Australian singer
  • Snoop Dogg, American rapper
• October 25
  • Athena Chu, Hong Kong actress and singer
  • Midori, Japanese violinist
• October 26 – Anthony Rapp, American singer and actor
• October 30 – John Alford, British singer and actor
• November 5 – Jonny Greenwood, British musician, song writer and composer
• November 6 – Joey Beltram, DJ and record producer
• November 8
  • Tech N9ne, rapper
  • Aaron Yates, American rapper
• November 12 – Tom Shear, American musician and producer
• November 13 – Buddy Zabala, bassist (Eraserheads)
• November 16 - Annely Peebo, operatic mezzo-soprano
• November 18 – Özlem Tekin, Turkish singer
• December 8 – Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
• December 16 – Michael McCary, American singer (Boyz II Men)
• December 20
  • Roger J. Beaujard, American musician
  • Simon O'Neill, New Zealand opera singer
• December 24 – Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican singer
• December 25
  • Dido, English singer
  • Noel Hogan Irish guitarist (The Cranberries)
• December 31 – Marcus Adoro, lead guitarist (Eraserheads)

Deaths

• January 19 – Harry Shields, American musician (b. 1899)
• February 1 – Harry Roy, British bandleader (b. 1900)
• February 7 – Dock Boggs, banjo player (b. 1898)
• March 6 – Thurston Dart, English harpsichordist and conductor (b. 1921)
• March 17 - Piero Coppola, Italian conductor, pianist and composer, 82
• March 21 – Nan Wynn, US singer (b. 1915)
• March 26 – Harold McNair, saxophonist and flute player (b. 1931) (lung cancer)
• March 30 - Harold Craxton, pianist and composer, 85
• March 31 – Karl King, composer and bandleader (b. 1891)
• April 6 – Igor Stravinsky, composer (b. 1882)
• April 17 – Carmen Lombardo, US singer, composer and saxophonist, 67
• May 2 – Edith Day, US actress, singer and dancer (b. 1896)
• May 30 – Marcel Dupré, organist and composer (b. 1886)
• June 11 – Ambrose, English bandleader and violinist (b. 1896)
• June 18 – Libby Holman, US singer and actress (b. 1906)
• June 26 - Inia Te Wiata, New Zealand Māori bass-baritone opera singer, 56 (cancer)
• July 3 – Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, 27 (unknown cause)
• July 6 – Louis Armstrong, US jazz pioneer (b. 1901)
• July 25 – Leroy Robertson, American composer, 74
• August 9 – Leslie Kong, Jamaican record producer (b. 1933)
• August 13 – King Curtis, jazz and blues musician (b. 1934) (murdered)
• August 15 - Edythe Baker, boogie-woogie pianist, 71
• August 17 – Tab Smith, saxophonist, 62
• August 25 – Ted Lewis, singer and bandleader, 81
• August 27 – Lil Hardin Armstrong, wife and musical collaborator of Louis Armstrong, 73
• September 13 - George Lambert, operatic baritone and voice teacher, 70
• October 2 – Bola de Nieve, Cuban singer, pianist, and songwriter, 60
• October 3 – Seán Ó Riada, composer and bandleader, 40 (cirrhosis of liver)
• October 12 – Gene Vincent, singer, 36 (stomach ulcer)
• October 24 – Carl Ruggles, composer, 95
• October 29 – Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band, 24 (motorcycle accident)
• November 4 – Ann Pennington, American actress & dancer, 77
• November 18 – Junior Parker, blues musician, 39 (brain tumour)
• November 22 – Zez Confrey, popular composer and pianist, 76
• December 8 - Marie Collier, operatic soprano, 44 (death from a fall)
• December 21 – Charlie Fuqua, vocalist (The Ink Spots)
• December 28 – Max Steiner, composer, 83
• date unknown - Marie-Anne Asselin, operatic mezzo-soprano and voice teacher

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1971

Country Music Association Awards

• Entertainer of the Year: Charley Pride
• Top Male Vocalist: Charley Pride
• Top Female Vocalist: Lynn Anderson
• Top Vocal Group: Osborne Brothers
• Top Instrumental Group: Danny Davis & the Nashville Brass
• Top Vocal Duo: Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
• Single of the Year: "Help Me Make It Through The Night" – Sammi Smith
• Song of the Year: "Easy Loving" – Freddie Hart
• Album of the Year: I Won't Mention It Again – Ray Price
• Musician of the Year: Jerry Reed

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1971
  • Séverine (of Monaco) for "Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue"

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