1939 in music

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1 Events
2 Albums Released
3 Biggest hit songs
4 Top hits on record
5 Top Blues records
6 Published popular music
7 Classical music
8 Opera
9 Musical theater
10 Musical films
11 Births
12 Deaths

[edit] Events

Publication of Music Here and Now, book by Ernst Krenek
March 23 – Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 (the only violin concerto known to be by him at the time) is premiered by Zoltán Székely and the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Willem Mengelberg
May 17 – Sergei Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky (Op. 78) cantata debuted in Moscow. It was an adaptation from the 1938 film score to Alexander Nevsky
June 21 – Francis Poulenc's Organ Concerto is premiered in Paris
Harry James forms his own band, with Frank Sinatra as vocalist
The Nordstrom Sisters are the resident act at the Ritz Hotel in London
Jo Stafford and The Pied Pipers join the Tommy Dorsey orchestra
Charlie Christian's musical career begins
Dorothy Kirsten makes her professional concert debut at the New York World's Fair

[edit] Albums Released

Featuring Charlie Christian - Benny Goodman

[edit] Biggest hit songs

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1939.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Chart Entries
1	Judy Garland	Over the Rainbow	1939	US BB 1 of 1939, Oscar in 1939, AFI 1, RYM 1 of 1939, POP 1 of 1939, RIAA 1, Scrobulate 71 of vocal, Acclaimed 497
2	Glenn Miller	Moonlight Serenade	1939	US BB 5 of 1939, RYM 5 of 1939, POP 5 of 1939, UK 12 - Mar 1954, Europe 12 of the 1930s, Scrobulate 53 of jazz, Italy 74 of 1954, Party 74 of 1999, Acclaimed 1202
3	Kate Smith	God Bless America	1939	US BB 2 of 1939, POP 2 of 1939, US 1940s 5 - Aug 1940, Europe 18 of the 1930s, RIAA 19, RYM 33 of 1939, Acclaimed 568
4	Billie Holiday	Strange Fruit	1939	RYM 2 of 1939, Scrobulate 25 of jazz, Europe 92 of the 1930s, Acclaimed 180, RIAA 273, WXPN 717
5	Louis Armstrong	When the Saints Go Marching In	1939	US BB 4 of 1939, POP 4 of 1939, RIAA 13, RYM 18 of 1939, Scrobulate 33 of swing

[edit] Top hits on record

"And the Angels Sing" by Martha Tilton with Benny Goodman & his orchestra
"At The Woodchopper's Ball" by Woody Herman
"Beer Barrel Polka" by Will Glahe
"Begin the Beguine" by Chick Henderson with Joe Loss and his Band ( recorded July 5.
"Class Will Tell' by Ted Weems And His Orchestra With Perry Como
"Deep Purple" by Larry Clinton
"God Bless America by Kate Smith
"The Ghost Of Piccolo Pete" by Ted Weems And His Orchestra
"If I Didn't Care by The Ink Spots
"I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" by Ted Weems And His Orchestra With Perry Como
"Jeepers Creepers" by Al Donohue
"Little Brown Jug" by Glenn Miller
"The Man With the Mandolin" by Glenn Miller
"Moonlight Serenade" by Glenn Miller
"Moon Love" by Glenn Miller
"Our Love" by Tommy Dorsey
"Over the Rainbow" by Glenn Miller, also Judy Garland
"Scatter-Brain" by Frankie Masters
"South of the Border" by Shep Fields
"Stairway to the Stars" by Glenn Miller
"Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday
"Summertime" by Sidney Bechet
"Sunrise Serenade" by Glenn Miller
"Tea For Two" by Art Tatum
"Thanks For The Memory" by Bob Hope & Shirley Ross
"Wishing (Will Make It So)" by Glenn Miller
In Italy, "Se potessi avere mille lire al mese"

[edit] Top Blues records

"Po' Gal" - Zora Neale Hurston
"The Bourgeois Blues" - Leadbelly
"De Kalb Blues" - Leadbelly
"The Gallis Pole" - Leadbelly
"Thing My Blues Away" - Sonny Boy Williamson I

[edit] Published popular music

"Address Unknown" w.m. Carmen Lombardo, Johnny Marks & Dedette Lee Hill
"All In Fun" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern Introduced by Frances Mercer and Jack Whiting in the musical Very Warm For May
"All or Nothing at All" w. Jack Lawrence m. Arthur Altman
"All the Things You Are" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern from the musical Very Warm For May
"Anatole (Of Paris)" w.m. Sylvia Fine Introduced by Danny Kaye in the revue The Straw Hat Revue
"An Apple For The Teacher" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
"Are You Havin' Any Fun?" w. Jack Yellen m. Sammy Fain
"The Army Air Corps" w.m. Robert M. Crawford
"At The Woodchoppers' Ball" m. Woody Herman & Joe Bishop
"Back In The Saddle Again" w.m. Gene Autry & Ray Whitley
"Between Eighteenth And Nineteenth On Chestnut Street" w.m. Will Osborne & Dick Rodgers
"Bless You" w.m. Don Baker & Eddie Lane
"Blue Orchids" w.m. Hoagy Carmichael
"Bluebirds In The Moonlight" w. Leo Robin m. Ralph Rainger
"The Boys In The Back Room" w. Frank Loesser m. Frederick Hollander. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film Destry Rides Again.
"Brazil" w. (Eng) Bob Russell m. Ary Baroso
"Careless" w.m. Lew Quadling, Eddy Howard & Dick Jurgens
"Comes Love" w.m. Sam H. Stept, Charles Tobius & Lew Brown
"Cuckoo In The Clock" w. Johnny Mercer m. Walter Donaldson
"Darn That Dream" w. Eddie DeLange m. James Van Heusen
"Day In, Day Out" w. Johnny Mercer m. Rube Bloom
"Desert Rumba" m. John Serry, Sr.
"Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
"Do I Love You?" w.m. Cole Porter
"Don't Worry 'Bout Me" w. Ted Koehler m. Rube Bloom
"Faithful Forever" w. Leo Robin m. Ralph Rainger
"Flyin' Home" w. Sid Robin m. Lionel Hampton & Benny Goodman
"Frenesi" w. (Eng) Ray Charles & Bob Russell m. Alberto Dominguez
"The Gaucho Serenade" w.m. James Cavanaugh, John Redmond & Nat Simon
"Give A Little Whistle" w. Ned Washington m. Leigh Harline
"Give Him the Ooh-La-La" w.m. Cole Porter
"Give it Back to the Indians" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Jane Walsh in the musical Too Many Girls.
"Go Fly A Kite" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
"God Bless America" w.m. Irving Berlin
"Good Morning" w. Arthur Freed m. Nacio Herb Brown
"Goodnight, Children Ev'rywhere" w.m. Gabby Rogers & Harry Phillips
"Hang Your Heart On A Hickory Limb" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
"Heaven Can Wait" w. Eddie DeLange m. Jimmy Van Heusen
"Honey Hush" Fats Waller, Ed Kirkeby
"Huckleberry Duck" w. Jack Lawrence m. Raymond Scott
"I Concentrate on You" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Douglas McPhail (and danced to by Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire) in the film Broadway Melody of 1940
"I Didn't Know What Time it Was" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Richard Kollmar and Marcy Westcott in the musical Too Many Girls. Performed by Trudy Erwin dubbing for Lucille Ball in the 1940 film version and interpolated into the score of the 1957 film Pal Joey where it was sung by Frank Sinatra.
"I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)" m. Hoagy Carmichael w. Jane Brown Thompson
"I Like to Recognize the Tune" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Eddie Bracken, Marcy Westcott, Mary Jane Walsh, Richard Kollmar and Hal Le Roy in the musical Too Many Girls.
"I Miss You In The Morning" w. Edgar Leslie m. Joe Burke
"I Never Knew Heaven Could Speak" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel
"I Poured My Heart Into A Song" w.m. Irving Berlin
"I Thought About You" w. Johnny Mercer m. Jimmy Van Heusen
"I Want My Mama" w. (Port) Jararaca & Vincente Paiva (Eng) Al Stillman m. Jararaca & Vincente Paiva
"If A Grey Haired Lady Says "How's Yer Father?"" w.m. Ted Waite
"If I Didn't Care" w.m. Jack Lawrence
"If I Only Had a Brain" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
"If I Only Had Wings" w.m. Sid Colin & Ronnie Aldrich
"I'll Never Smile Again" w.m. Ruth Lowe
"I'll Walk Beside You" w.m. Alan Murray & Edward Lockton
"I'm Building A Sailboat Of Dreams" Cliff Friend, Dave Franklin
"In a Mellow Tone" w. Milt Gabler m. Duke Ellington
"In An Eighteenth Century Drawing Room" m. Raymond Scott
"In The Mood" w. Andy Razaf m. Joe Garland
"Is 'E An Aussie, Lizzie, Is 'E?" w.m. B. C. Hilliam & Malcolm McEachern
"It's A Big, Wide, Wonderful World" w.m. John Rox
"It's A Hap - Hap - Happy Day" w.m. Sammy Timberg, Winston Sharples & Al J. Neiburg
"I've Got My Eyes On You" w.m. Cole Porter
"J'Attendrai" w. (Fr) Louis Poterat (Eng) Anna Sosenko m. Dino Olivieri
"The Jumpin' Jive" w.m. Cab Calloway, Frank Froeba & Jack Palmer
"Katie Went To Haiti" w.m. Cole Porter
"Kiss Me Goodnight Sergeant-Major" Noel, Pelosi
"The Lady's In Love With You" w. Frank Loesser m. Burton Lane
"The Lamp Is Low" w. Mitchell Parish m. Peter De Rose & Bert Shefter
"Leanin' On The Ole Top Rail" w.m. Charles Kenny & Nick Kenny
"Lili Marlene" w. (Ger) Hans Leip (Eng) Tommy Connor m. Norbert Schultze
"The Little Man Who Wasn't There" w. Harold Adamson m. Bernie Hanighen
"Love Never Went To College" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers
"A Lover Is Blue" w.m. Charles Carpenter, James R. Mundy & Trummy Young
"Lydia, The Tattooed Lady" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
"A Man And His Dream" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
"The Man With The Mandolin" w. James Cavanaugh & John Redmond m. Frank Weldon
"A Marvellous Party" w.m. Noël Coward
"The Masquerade Is Over" w. Herb Magidson m. Allie Wrubel
"La Mer" w.m. Charles Trenet
"The Moon And The Willow Tree" w. Johnny Burke m. Victor Schertzinger
"Moon Love" w.m. Mack David, Mack Davis & Andre Kostelanetz
"Moonlight Serenade" w. Mitchell Parish m. Glenn Miller
"My Dearest Dear" w.m. Ivor Novello & Christopher Hassall
"My Prayer" w. Jimmy Kennedy m. Georges Boulanger & Jimmy Kennedy
"On A Little Street In Singapore" w.m. Peter DeRose & Billy Hill
"On The Outside Always Lookin' In" w.m. Michael Carr
"Over The Rainbow" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Judy Garland in the film The Wizard of Oz.
"Palms in Paradise" w. Frank Loesser m. Frederick Hollander Introduced by Dorothy Lamour in the 1940 film Typhoon.
"Pennsylvania 6-5000" w. Carl Sigman m. Jerry Gray
"Perfidia" w. (Eng) Milton Leeds m. Alberto Dominguez
"Run, Rabbit, Run" w. Noel Gay & Ralph T. Butler m. Noel Gay
"Scatterbrain" w.m. Johnny Burke, Carl Bean, Kahn Keene & Frankie Masters
"She Had To Go And Lose It At The Astor" w.m. Don Raye & Hugh Prince
"Sing A Song Of Sunbeams" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
"Somewhere In France With You" w.m. Michael Carr
"South American Way" w. Al Dubin m. Jimmy McHugh
"South Of The Border" w.m. Jimmy Kennedy & Michael Carr
"Stairway To The Stars" w. Mitchell Parish m. Matty Malneck
"Start The Day Right" w.m. Al Lewis, Maurice Spitalny & Charles Tobias
"Strange Fruit" w.m. Lewis Allan
"Sunrise Serenade" w. Jack Lawrence m. Frankie Carle
"Sweet Potato Piper" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
"'Tain't What You Do" w.m. Sy Oliver & Trummy Young
"Tara's Theme" m. Max Steiner
"That Sentimental Sandwich" w. Frank Loesser m. Frederick Hollander
"That Sly Old Gentleman" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
"There'll Always Be an England" w.m. Ross Parker & Hugh Charles
"They Would Wind Him Up And He Would Whistle" Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby
"This Is It" w. Dorothy Fields m. Arthur Schwartz
"Three Little Fishes" w.m. Saxie Dowell
"Till The Lights Of London Shine Again" w.m. Tommie Connor, Eddie Pola
"Too Romantic" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
"Traffic Jam" m. Teddy McRae & Artie Shaw
"Tuxedo Junction" w. Buddy Feyne m. Erskine Hawkins, Williams Johnson & Julian Dash
"Two Blind Loves" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
"Two O'Clock Jump" m. Harry James, Count Basie & Benny Goodman
"Under a Blanket of Blue" w.m. Jerry Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, & Marty Symes
"The Washing On The Siegfried Line" w.m. Jimmy Kennedy & Michael Carr
"We'll Meet Again" w. Hugh Charles m. Albert Rostron Parker
"Well, Did You Evah!" w. m. Cole Porter
"What's New?" w. Johnny Burke m. Bob Haggart
"When You Wish Upon A Star" w. Ned Washington m. Leigh Harline
"Who's Taking You Home Tonight?" w.m. Manning Sherwin & Tommy Connor from the revue Shephard's Pie
"Wish Me Luck" w.m. Harry Parr-Davies & Phil Park
"Wishing (Will Make It So)" w.m. B. G. De Sylva
"You Meet The Nicest People In Your Dreams" Al Hoffman, Al Goodhart, Manny Kurtz
"You've Got That Look" w. Frank Loesser m. Frederick Hollander from the film Destry Rides Again

[edit] Classical music

Agustín Barrios - Variations on a Theme of Tarrega
Arnold Bax - Pastoral Fantasia for Viola and String Orchestra
Arthur Bliss - Piano Concerto in B-flat
Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra
Herbert Howells - Concerto for Strings
Joaquin Rodrigo - Concierto de Aranjuez
Hilding Rosenberg - String Quartet No. 4
William Schuman - American Festival Overture
Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 6 B minor, Op. 54
Heitor Villa-Lobos - New York Sky-Line Melody
William Walton - Violin Concerto

[edit] Opera

Gian-Carlo Menotti - The Old Maid and the Thief (radio opera)
Tolibjon Sadikov - Leili and Mejnun (opera)

[edit] Musical theater

Black Velvet London revue opened at the Hippodrome Theatre on November 14 and ran for 620 performances
The Dancing Years London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on March 23 and ran for 187 performances
Du Barry Was A Lady Broadway production opened at the 46th Street Theatre on December 6 and ran for 408 performances
Folies Bergere Broadway revue opened at the Broadway Theatre on December 25 and ran for 121 performances
George White's Scandals Of 1939 Broadway revue opened at the Alvin Theatre on August 28 and ran for 120 performances
Haw-Haw (Music: Harry Parr-Davies Words: Phil Park Script: Max Miller & Ben Lyon) opened at the Holborn Empire on December 22. Starring Bebe Daniels, Ben Lyon and Max Miller.
The Little Revue London revue opened at the Little Theatre on April 21 and ran for 415 performances
Magyar Melody London production opened at His Majesty's Theatre on January 20 and ran for 105 performances
New Pins And Needles Broadway revue (a renamed version of Pins and Needles which opened in 1937)
Runaway Love opened at the Saville Theatre on November 3 and ran for 195 performances
Shephard's Pie London revue opened at the Princes Theatre on December 21
The Straw Hat Revue opened at the Ambassador Theatre on September 29 and ran for 75 performances
The Streets of Paris Broadway revue opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on June 19 and ran for 274 performances
Swingin' the Dream Broadway production opened at the Center Theatre on November 29 and ran for 13 performances. A musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream starring Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman & his Sextet and Maxine Sullivan.
Too Many Girls Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on October 18 and ran for 249 performances.
Very Warm For May Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 17 and ran for 59 performances