1951 in music

Contents

1 Events

2 Albums

3 Top hits on record

4 Top R&B hits on record

5 Published popular music

Events

Johnnie Ray has his first hit record with "Cry." Some music historians consider this to be the first rock and roll record.
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."
July 11 - Disc jockey and music promoter Alan Freed broadcasts his first Rhythm and blues radio programme from station WJW in Cleveland, Ohio
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 show, The Dinah Shore Show, which will run for 5 1/2 years
Disc jockey Alan Freed uses the term rock and roll to describe R&B, in an effort to introduce the music to a broader white audience.
Both Jackie Brentson and the Delta Cats and Bill Haley and His Saddlemen release versions of "Rocket 88". The Haley version, which combines the original's rhythm and blues arrangement with country music trappings, 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.
Ray Charles' musical career begins
Charlie Rich's musical career begins
Big Mama Thornton's musical career begins
Bobby Blue Bland's musical career begins

Albums

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
Cown Memory Lane - Bing Crosby
Folksong Favorites - Patti Page
Go West, Young Man - Bing Crosby
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
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

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
"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" - Del Wood
"Down Yonder" - 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" - Perry Como
"Hello, Young Lovers" - 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" - 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" - Eddie 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
"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

Top R&B hits on record

"Rocket 88" - Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats
"Sixty-Minute Man" - Dominoes
"The Glory Of Love" - Five Keys

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
"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" B. Putman, B. 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
"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
"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
"Thumbelina" w.m. Frank Loesser
"Too Young" w. Sylvia Dee m. Sidney Lippman
"Top Banana" w.m. Johnny Mercer from the musical Top Banana
"The Typewriter" m. Leroy Anderson
"Unforgettable" w.m. Irving Gordon
"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