This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1942.
Specific locations 1942 in British music 1942 in Norwegian music
Specific genres 1942 in country music 1942 in jazz
Events February 10 – Glenn Miller receives his first gold disc, for "Chattanooga Choo Choo". March 1 – Marianne Lorraine appears with John Serry Sr. at The Town Hall (New York City) in a performance of poetry by Carl Sandburg and Archibald MacLeish as presented by the Free World Association and sponsored by Eleanor Roosevelt.Free World Vol. 2 p. 94 "The Free world Association presents Marianne Oswald...John Serry accordionist...Patroness Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt" - Free World Association Eleanor Roosevelt Feb. 1942 on Google BooksFree World - A Monthly Magazine devoted to Democracy, p. 94 "The Free World Association presents...Marianne Oswald...John Serry accordionist...Town Hall, February28, 1942" Free World Association Marianne Oswald 1942 on Google Books March 5 – World première of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 (Leningrad), given by the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra conducted by Samuil Samosud at Kuybyshev in Russia and broadcast across the Soviet Union. Premières in Moscow, London and New York follow by the end of July. March 27 – Johnny Mercer, Buddy DeSylva, and Glenn Wallichs take the first legal steps towards founding Capitol Records in the United States. June 22 – The Paronyan Musical Comedy Theatre of Yerevan opens in Yerevan, Armenia. July 8 – Music variety show Uncle Walter's Doghouse is broadcast for the last time on NBC radio in the United States. July 21 – In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Goldman Band performs a unique concert, playing all original works. This is the first time a concert of music originally composed for the wind ensemble has been performed. August 1 – James Petrillo, leader of the American Federation of Musicians, orders a ban on musicians recording new material. The labels Decca and Capitol negotiate an end to the ban in 1943, but RCA Victor and Columbia Records hold out until 1944. The strike does not include live performances in concerts and on the radio. August 9 – Leningrad première of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 with the city still under siege. Autumn – Hans Krása's children's opera Brundibár is premiered in the Jewish orphanage in Prague after the composer has been transported to the Theresienstadt Ghetto (August 10). Bunk Johnson makes his first recordings.
Albums released Song Hits from Holiday Inn – Bing Crosby Selections from George Gershwin's Folk Opera Porgy and Bess – Various artists
Top popular recordings 1942
The following songs appeared in The Billboard's 'Best Selling Retail Records' chart during 1942. Each week fifteen points were awarded to the number one record, then nine points for number two, eight points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. Regional charts determined the 11–25 rankings each week, and records that failed to score on the main chart were ranked by highest position. Additional information was obtained from the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954 and other sources as specified.
The following songs appeared in The Billboard's 'Best Selling Retail Records' chart during 1942. Rank Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart positions 1 Bing Crosby "White Christmas" Decca 18429 US Billboard 1942 #1, US Pop #1 for 11 weeks, 17 total weeks, 191 points, 2,600,000 sales 1944, 50,000,000 2007, Grammy Hall of Fame 1974 2 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo" Victor 27934 US Billboard 1942 #2, US Pop #1 for 7 weeks, 18 total weeks, 181 points, 1,000,000 sales 3 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra "Moonlight Cocktail" Bluebird 11401 US Billboard 1942 #3, US Pop #1 for 10 weeks, 21 total weeks, 178 points, 1,000,000 sales 4 Kay Kyser and his Orchestra "Who Wouldn't Love You" Columbia 36526 US Billboard 1942 #4, US Pop #2 for 8 weeks, 25 total weeks, 157 points, 1,000,000 sales 5 Harry James and his Orchestra "Sleepy Lagoon" Columbia 36549 US Billboard 1942 #5, US Pop #1 for 4 weeks, 23 total weeks, 153 points 6 Kay Kyser and his Orchestra "Jingle Jangle Jingle" Columbia 36604 US Billboard 1942 #6, US Pop #1 for 8 weeks, 13 total weeks, 153 points, 1,000,000 sales 7 Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra (Vocal Bob Eberle & Helen O'connell) "Tangerine" Decca 4123 US Billboard 1942 #7, US Pop #1 for 6 weeks, 20 total weeks, 148 points 8 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra "A String of Pearls" Bluebird 11382 US Billboard 1942 #8, US Pop #1 for 2 weeks, 22 total weeks, 128 points, 1,000,000 sales 9 Benny Goodman and his Orchestra "Jersey Bounce" Okeh 6590 US Billboard 1942 #9, US Pop #2 for 6 weeks, 23 total weeks, 119 points 10 Kay Kyser and his Orchestra "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" Columbia 36640 US Billboard 1942 #10, US Pop #2 for 7 weeks, 14 total weeks, 109 points, 1,000,000 sales 11 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra "Serenade in Blue" Victor 27935 US Billboard 1942 #11, US Pop #2 for 1 weeks, 19 total weeks, 92 points 12 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone else But Me)" Bluebird 11474 US Billboard 1942 #12, US Pop #2 for 2 weeks, 20 total weeks, 81 points 13 Woody Herman and His Orchestra "Blues In the Night" Decca 4030 US Billboard 1942 #13, US Pop #1 for 1 weeks, 21 total weeks, 78 points 14 Harry James and his Orchestra "I Don't Want To Walk Without You" Columbia 36478 US Billboard 1942 #14, US Pop #2 for 5 weeks, 17 total weeks, 77 points 15 Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra "When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World)" Victor 27945 US Billboard 1942 #15, US Pop #2 for 1 weeks, 18 total weeks, 77 points 16 Kay Kyser and his Orchestra "He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings" Columbia 36604 US Billboard 1942 #16, US Pop #2 for 4 weeks, 12 total weeks, 70 points 17 Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra "My Devotion" Columbia 36620 US Billboard 1942 #17, US Pop #2 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks, 70 points 18 Alvino Rey and his Orchestra "I Said No!" Bluebird 11391 US Billboard 1942 #18, US Pop #2 for 1 weeks, 15 total weeks, 54 points 19 Spike Jones and His City Slickers "Der Fuehrer's Face" Bluebird 11586 US Billboard 1942 #19, US Pop #3 for 1 week, 16 total weeks, 50 points 20 Harry James and His Orchestra (vocal Helen Forrest) "Mister Five By Five" Columbia 36650 US Billboard 1942 #20, US Pop #2 for 1 weeks, 15 total weeks, 48 points
Published popular music "C Jam Blues" music: Duke Ellington ""Murder", He Says!" words: Frank Loesser, music: Jimmy McHugh "Abraham" w.m. Irving Berlin "Ain't Got A Dime To My Name" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen "At Last" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren "Baltimore Oriole" w. Paul Francis Webster & Hoagy Carmichael "Be Careful, It's My Heart" w.m. Irving Berlin "Be Like the Kettle and Sing" w.m. Connor, O'Connor & Ridley "Boom Shot" w. Glenn Miller & Billy May, under pseudonym Arletta May "Born To Lose" w.m. Frankie Brown "Constantly" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen. Introduced by Bing Crosby in the film Road to Morocco "Cow-Cow Boogie" w.m. Don Raye, Gene de Paul & Benny Carter "Dearly Beloved" w. Johnny Mercer m. Jerome Kern "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" w. Bob Russell m. Duke Ellington "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" w. Lew Brown & Charles Tobias m. Sam H. Stept "Ev'rything I've Got" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers from the musical By Jupiter "Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen "Happy Holiday" w.m. Irving Berlin "Holiday for Strings" m. David Rose "The House I Live In" w.m. Earl Robinson & Lewis Allan "I Came Here To Talk For Joe" w. Charles Tobias & Lew Brown m. Sam H. Stept "I Get the Neck of the Chicken" w. Frank Loesser m. Jimmy McHugh. Introduced by Marcy McGuire in the film Seven Days' Leave "I Had the Craziest Dream" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren. Introduced by Helen Forrest with Harry James and his Music in the film Springtime in the Rockies. "I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen" w.m. Irving Berlin "I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City" w.m. Leon René & Johnny Lange "I Threw A Kiss In The Ocean" w.m. Irving Berlin "If You Are But A Dream" w.m. Moe Jaffe, Jack Fulton & Nat Bonx "If You Build A Better Mousetrap" Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger "I'll Be Around" w.m. Alec Wilder "I'll Capture Your Heart" w.m. Irving Berlin "I'm Getting Tired So I Can Sleep" w.m. Irving Berlin "I'm Old Fashioned" w. Johnny Mercer m. Jerome Kern "In The Blue Of Evening" w. Tom Adair m. Alfred D'Artega "It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That)" w. Sunny Skylar m. Chummy MacGregor & George Williams "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren "I've Heard That Song Before" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne "Jingle Jangle Jingle" w. Frank Loesser m. Joseph J. Lilley "Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland" w. Kay Twomey m. Al Goodhart "Juke Box Saturday Night" w. Al Stillman m. Paul McGrane "The Lamplighter's Serenade" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Hoagy Carmichael "Let's Get Lost" w. Frank Loesser m. Jimmy McHugh "Let's Start The New Year Right" w.m. Irving Berlin "Lover Man" w.m. Jimmy Davis, Roger "Ram"Ramirez & Jimmy Sherman "Mad About Him, Sad About Him, How Can I Be Glad About Him Blues" w.m. Larry Markes & Dick Charles "Mister Five By Five" w.m. Don Raye & Gene de Paul "Moonlight Becomes You" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen "My Devotion" w.m. Roc Hillman & Johnny Napton "One Dozen Roses" w. Roger Lewis & Country Washburn m. Dick Jurgens & Walter Donovan "Pennsylvania Polka" w.m. Lester Lee & Zeke Manners "People Like You And Me" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren "Perdido" w. Hans Lengsfelder & Ervin Drake m. Juan Tizol "Pistol Packin' Mama" w.m. Al Dexter "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" w.m. Frank Loesser "Put Your Dreams Away" w.m. Ruth Lowe, Stephan Weiss & Paul Mann "The Road To Morocco" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen "Rose Ann Of Charing Cross" w. Kermit Goell m. Mabel Wayne "Serenade in Blue" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren "Skylark" w. Johnny Mercer m. Hoagy Carmichael "Strip Polka" w.m. Johnny Mercer "That Old Black Magic" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen "That's Sabotage" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren "There Are Such Things" w.m. Stanley Adams, Abel Baer & George W. Meyer "There Will Never Be Another You" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren "This Is The Army, Mr Jones" w.m. Irving Berlin "This Is Worth Fighting For" w. Eddie De Lange m. Sam H. Stept "Three Little Sisters" w.m. Irving Taylor & Vic Mizzy "Trav'lin' Light" w. Sidney Clare m. Harry Akst "There Won't Be a Shortage of Love" w.m. Carmen Lombardo and John Jacob Loeb "Tweedle-O-Twill" w.m. Gene Autry & Fred Rose "Wait Till You See Her" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Ronnie Graham in the musical By Jupiter "Warsaw Concerto" m. Richard Addinsell "When the Lights Go On Again" w.m. Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus & Bennie Benjamin "White Christmas" w.m. Irving Berlin "Why Don't You Do Right?" w.m. Joe McCoy "You Were Never Lovelier" w. Johnny Mercer m. Jerome Kern "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" w.m. Cole Porter. Performed in the 1943 musical film Something to Shout About by Don Ameche and Janet Blair.
Classical music
Premieres