1959 in music

Events

* 1959 (date unknown) Jimi Hendrix buys first electric guitar: a White Single pickup Supro Ozark 1560 S.
*January 5 The first sessions for Ella Fitzgerald's "George and Ira Gershwin Songbook" are held.
*January 22 - Buddy Holly records some acoustic demos in his New York City apartment, the last songs he recorded. Songs included "Peggy Sue Got Married", "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", "Learning the Game", "What to Do", "That's What They Say", and "That Makes It Tough."
*February 3 - News of the February 2 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper becomes widely known. This date becomes known as "The Day the Music Died". Future country star Waylon Jennings was scheduled to be on the plane, but instead gave his seat up to the Big Bopper.
*February 7 - New Orleans blues and R&B guitarist Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones dies of pneumonia in New York City.
*March 2 The first of two recording sessions for the extremely influential Miles Davis album "Kind of Blue" takes place.
*April 3 - The BBC bans the Coasters song "Charlie Brown" because of the word "spitball", a decision it reversed later in the month.
*April 24 - The "Your Hit Parade" television series airs its last episode
*May 12
**Eddie Fisher marries Elizabeth Taylor
**Plácido Domingo makes his stage debut at the Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara as Pascual in "Marina".
*September 13 - Bo Diddley's single "Say Man" enters the US R&B charts.
*Fall - Bill Haley & His Comets end their groundbreaking association with Decca Records, for whom they had recorded since 1954. Their first recording for the label, "Rock Around the Clock", helped usher in the rock and roll era. Haley signs with Warner Bros. Records.
*October 7 - Legendary tenor Mario Lanza dies
*December 14 - Berry Gordy, Jr. purchases the property for Hitsville USA and incorporates Tamla Records, which is soon renamed Motown Records.
*Otto Luening and Vladimir Ussachevsky co-found the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center in New York City.
*The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences sponsors the first Grammy Award ceremony for music recorded in 1958.
*Dalida receives a Music Oscar for Best Song and a first foreign award (a "Golden Lion" in Berlin).
*Ornette Coleman plays a legendary and controversial concert at New York's Five Spot.
*Carole King's musical career begins
*Roy Orbison signs with Monument Records
*The Supremes' musical career begins (as "The Primettes")

Albums released (in alphabetical order)

*"All That Jazz" - The Hi-Lo's
*"An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer" - Tom Lehrer
*"Ballad of the Blues" - Jo Stafford
*"Barbershop Harmony" - The Mills Brothers
*"Bill Haley's Chicks" - Bill Haley & His Comets
*"Breezin' Along" - The Four Lads
*"Broadway Playbill" - The Hi-Lo's
*"Cliff" - Cliff Richard (debut)
*"Cliff Sings" - Cliff Richard
*"Come Dance With Me!" - Frank Sinatra
*"Como Swings" - Perry Como
*"Connie's Greatest Hits" - Connie Francis
*"Cuttin' Capers" - Doris Day
*"A Date with Elvis" - Elvis Presley
*"Day By Night" - Doris Day
*"Dinah, Yes Indeed" - Dinah Shore
*"Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook" - Ella Fitzgerald
*"The Fabulous Johnny Cash" - Johnny Cash
*"50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong" - Elvis Presley
*"For LP Fans Only" - Elvis Presley
*"from the Hungry i" - The Kingston Trio
*"Get Happy!" - Ella Fitzgerald
*"Go Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley
*"Gogi Grant - If You Want To Get To Heaven, Shout" - Gogi Grant
*"Gogi Grant - Torch Time" - Gogi Grant
*"Greatest!" - Johnny Cash
*"Guy Mitchell's Greatest Hits" - Guy Mitchell
*"Heavenly Lover" - Teresa Brewer
*"Hooray for Hollywood" (Vol. 2) - Doris Day
*"Hymns by Johnny Cash" - Johnny Cash
*"I Hear The Word" - Kay Starr
*"I'll Be Seeing You" - Jo Stafford
*"In a Little Spanish Town" - Bing Crosby
*"A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra" - Oscar Peterson
*"Kind of Blue" - Miles Davis
*"The Kingston Trio At Large" - The Kingston Trio
*"Le Disque d'Or de Dalida" - Dalida
*"London by Night" - Julie London
* "Look To Your Heart" - Frank Sinatra
*"Love In Portofino (A San Cristina)" - Dalida
*"Mingus Ah Um" - Charles Mingus
*"Movin' " - Kay Starr
*"No One Cares" - Frank Sinatra
*"" - Mel Tormé
*"On The Trail" - Johnnie Ray
*"Once Upon a Summertime - Blossom Dearie
*"Pat Boone Sings" - Pat Boone
*"Portrait in Jazz" - Bill Evans Trio
*"Presenting Dion & The Belmonts" - Dion DiMucci & The Belmonts
*"Reunion In Rhythm" - Frankie Laine and Michel LeGrand
*"Ritchie Valens" - Ritchie Valens
*"San Antonio Rose" - The Mills Brothers
*"Seasons Greetings From Perry Como" - Perry Como
*"The Shape of Jazz to Come" - Ornette Coleman
*"Sincerely Yours" - Guy Mitchell
*"Ella Fitzgerald Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers" - Ella Fitzgerald
*"A Sinner Am I" - Johnnie Ray
*"The Song You Heard When You Fell in Love" - Betty Johnson
*"Songs of Our Soil" - Johnny Cash
*"Strictly Instrumental" - Bill Haley & His Comets
*"Swing Along" - The Four Lads
*"Swing Me an Old Song" - Julie London
*"Tenderly" - Pat Boone
*"Teresa Brewer And The Dixieland Band" - Teresa Brewer
*"The Genius of Ray Charles" - Ray Charles
*"The West Side" - Patti Page
*"Time Out" - Dave Brubeck Quartet
*"What a Diff'rence a Day Makes!" - Dinah Washington
*"When Your Love Has Gone" - Teresa Brewer
*"White Christmas" - Pat Boone
*"Words And Music" - The Ames Brothers
*"You Are My Love" - Frankie Laine
*"Your Number Please" - Julie London

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest [http://tsort.info/music/yr1959.htm chart positions] in the charts of 1959.

Top hits on record (in alphabetical order)

*"A Fool Such As I" - Elvis Presley
*"All For The Love Of A Girl" - Johnny Horton
*"(All of A Sudden) My Heart Sings" - Paul Anka
*"Among My Souvenirs" - Connie Francis
*"Apron Strings" - Cliff Richard
*"The Battle Of New Orleans" - Johnny Horton
*"Beyond The Sea" - Bobby Darin
*"The Big Hurt" - Toni Fisher
*"Billy Bayou" - Jim Reeves
*"Ciao, Ciao Bambina" - Dalida
*"Come Softly To Me" - The Fleetwoods
*"Crying, Waiting, Hoping" - Buddy Holly
*"Don't You Know" - Della Reese
*"Dream Lover" - Bobby Darin
*"El Paso" - Marty Robbins
*"First Name Initial" - Annette
*"Forty Miles Of Bad Road" - Duane Eddy
*"Heartaches By The Number" - Guy Mitchell
*"He'll Have To Go" - Jim Reeves
*"High Hopes" - Frank Sinatra
*"I'm Blue Again" - Patsy Cline
*"I Only Have Eyes For You" - The Flamingos
*"It Doesn't Matter Anymore" - Buddy Holly
*"It's All In The Game" - Tommy Edwards
*"It's Just A Matter Of Time" - Brook Benton
*"It's Only The Good Times" - Tommy Edwards
*"J'ai rêvé" - Dalida
*"Kansas City" - Wilbert Harrison
*"Kissin' Time" - Bobby Rydell
*"La Bamba" - Ritchie Valens
*"Lipstick On Your Collar" - Connie Francis
*"Lonely Boy" - Paul Anka
*"Lonesome Town" - Ricky Nelson
*"Love In Portofino (A San Cristina)" - Dalida
*"Love Potion Number Nine" - The Clovers
*"M.T.A" - The Kingston Trio
*"Mack The Knife" - Bobby Darin
*"Mr. Blue" - The Fleetwoods
*"Misty" - Johnny Mathis
*"Morgen" - Ivo Robic
*"My Heart Is An Open Book" - Carl Dobkins, Jr.
*"Non Dimenticar" - Nat King Cole
*"Peggy Sue Got Married" - Buddy Holly
*"Personality" - Lloyd Price
*"Pillow Talk" - Doris Day
*"Poison Ivy" - The Coasters
*"Poor Jenny" - The Everly Brothers
*"Put Your Head On My Shoulder" - Paul Anka
*"Raining In My Heart" - Buddy Holly
*"Roberta" - Frankie Ford
*"Rockin' Mother" - Frankie Laine
*"Rocks And Gravel" - Frankie Laine
*"Rummy Polka" - Matys Brothers
*"Running Bear" - Johnny Preston
*"Sea Cruise" - Frankie Ford
*"Since I Don't Have You" - The Skyliners
*"Sleepwalk" - Santo & Johnny
*"Small World" - Johnny Mathis
*"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" - The Platters
*"Stagger Lee" - Lloyd Price
*"Sweet Nothin's" - Brenda Lee
*"Take A Message To Mary" - The Everly Brothers
*"Tall Oak Tree" - Dorsey Burnette
*"A Teenager In Love" - Dion & the Belmonts
*"There Goes My Baby" - The Drifters
*"'Til I Kissed You" - The Everly Brothers
*"Till There Was You" - Anita Bryant
*"True Love, True Love" / "Dance With Me" - The Drifters
*"The Twist" - Hank Ballard
*"Venus" - Frankie Avalon
*"What a Difference a Day Makes" - Dinah Washington
*"What'd I Say" - Ray Charles
*"Where the Boys Are" - Connie Francis
*"Why" - Frankie Avalon
*"A Worried Man" - The Kingston Trio

See also: Hot 100 number-one hits of 1959 (United States)

Published popular music (in alphabetical order)

* " 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty" w.m. Fredda Gold & Aaron Schroeder
* "77 Sunset Strip" w.m. Mack David & Jerry Livingston
* "All I Need Is The Girl" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne from the musical ""
* "Along Came Jones" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
*"All My Tomorrows" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen, from the film "A Hole in the Head"
* "Alvin's Harmonica" w.m. Ross Bagdasarian
* "Angela Jones" w.m. John D. Loudermilk
* "Anyone Would Love You" w.m. Harold Rome. Introduced by Andy Griffith and Dolores Gray in the musical "Destry Rides Again"
* "The Battle Of New Orleans" trad arr. Jimmy Driftwood
*"The Best Is Yet to Come" w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman
* "Best Of Everything" w. Sammy Cahn m. Lionel Newman, from the film "The Best of Everything"
*"A Big Hunk o' Love" w. m. Aaron Schroeder & Sid Wyche
* "The Big Hurt" w.m. Wayne Shanklin
* "Big Iron" w.m. Marty Robbins
* "Bobby Socks To Stockings" w.m. Richard di Cicco, Russell Faith & Clarence Kehner
* "Boom, Boom Baby" Burgess
* "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" w.m. Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield
* "The Children's Marching Song" trad arr. Malcolm Arnold. Performed by Ingrid Bergman and The Orphans' Chorus in the film "Inn of the Sixth Happiness"
* "China Doll" w.m. Cindy Walker
* "Ciao, Ciao, Bambina" w.(Eng) Mitchell Parish (Ital) Eduardo Verde & Domenico Modugno m. Domenico Modugno
* "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Patricia Neway in the musical "Sound of Music"
* "Come Softly To Me" w.m. Gary Troxel, Barbara Ellis & Gretchen Christopher
* "Delaware" w.m. Irving Gordon
* "Desafinado" w. Newton Mendonça w. (Eng) Jon Hendricks & Jessie Cavanaugh m. Antonio Carlos Jobim
* "Don't You Know" w.m. adapt. Bobby Worth
* "Do-Re-Mi" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical "Sound of Music". Sung by Julie Andrews in the film version.
* "Dream Lover" w.m. Bobby Darin
* "Early In The Morning" adapt Bruce Belland & Glen Larson
* "Edelweiss" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical "Sound of Music". Sung by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in the film version.
* "El Paso" w.m. Marty Robbins
* "Endlessly" w.m. Clyde Otis & Brook Benton
* "Everything's Coming Up Roses" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman in the musical "". Sung in the film version by Lisa Kirk dubbing for Rosalind Russell.
* "Frankie" w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka
* "Game Of Poker" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen, from the musical "Saratoga"
* "Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye" w.m. Jack Vaughn
* "Greenfields" w.m. Terry Gilkyson, Rich Dehr & Frank Miller
* "Handy Man" w.m. Otis Blackwell & Jimmy Jones
* "The Hanging Tree" w. Mack David m. Jerry Livingston, Introduced by Marty Robbins in the film "The Hanging Tree"
* "Happy Anniversary" w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
* "The Happy Organ" w.m. Ken Wood, David Clowney & James Kreigsmann
* "Heartaches By The Number" w.m. Harlan Howard
* "He'll Have To Go" w.m. Joe Allison & Audrey Allison
* "High Hopes" w. Sammy Cahn m. James Van Heusen. Introduced by Frank Sinatra and Eddie Hodges in the film "A Hole in the Head".
* "I Ain't Never" w.m. Mel Tillis
* "I Feel Sorry For The Girl" w.m. Glenn Paxton, Robert Goldman & George Weiss
* "I Know" w.m. Carl Stutz & Edith Lindeman
* "I Need Your Love Tonight" w.m. Sid Wayne & Bix Reichner
* "I Wanna Be Around" w.m. Johnny Mercer & Sadie Vimmerstedt
* "If I Ever Fall In Love Again" w. Peter Wildeblood m. Peter Greenwell
* "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" Johnnie Ray
* "I'm Gonna Get Married" w.m. Lloyd Price & Harold Logan
* "I'm Looking Out The Window" John Jacob Niles, Don Raye
* "I'm Never Gonna Tell" Hoffman, Manning, Markwell
* "In A Little While" w. Marshall Barer m. Mary Rodgers
* "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" w.m. Paul Anka
* "Kansas City" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
* "Kookie, Kookie" w.m. Irving Taylor
* "Let Me Entertain You" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Sandra Church and chorus in the musical "".
* "Like Young" m. Andre Previn
* "Lipstick On Your Collar" w. Eddie Lewis m. George Goehring
* "Little Donkey" w.m. Eve Boswell
* "The Little Drummer Boy" w.m. adapt. Henry Onorati, Katherine Davis & Harry Simeone
* "Little Tin Box" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
* "The Little White Bull" Lionel Bart, Michael Pratt, Jimmy Bennett
* "Living Doll" w.m. Lionel Bart
* "Lock Up Your Daughters" w. Lionel Bart m. Laurie Johnson
* "Lonely Blue Boy" F & B Wiseman
* "Lonely Boy" w.m. Paul Anka
* "Lonely Goatherd" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin and the children in the musical "Sound of Music". Performed by Julie Andrews in the film version.
* "Lonely Street" w.m. Carl Belew, Kenny Sowder & W. S. Stevenson
* "Love Potion Number Nine" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
* "Love Will Find Out The Way" w.m. Glenn Paxton, Robert Goldman & George Weiss
* "Lullaby In Ragtime" w.m. Sylvia Fine. Introduced by Danny Kaye in the film "The Five Pennies".
* "The M.T.A." w.m. adapt. Jacqueline Steiner & Bess Hawes
* "Maria" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Patricia Neway, Muriel O'Malley, Elizabeth Howell and Karen Shepard in the musical "Sound of Music".
* "Marina" w.(Eng) Ray Maxwell m. Rocco Granata
*"The Mating Game" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse. Theme song from the film "The Mating Game"
* "May You Always" w.m. Larry Markes & Dick Charles
* "Memphis" w.m. Chuck Berry
* "Merely Marvellous" w. Dorothy Fields m. Arthur Hague. Introduced by Gwen Verdon in the musical "Redhead".
* "Milord" w. (Eng) B. G. Lewis (Fr) Joseph Mustacchi m. Marguerite Monnot
* "Morgen" w. (Eng) Noel Sherman (Ger) Peter Mosser m. Peter Mosser
* "Mr. Blue" w.m. Dewayne Blackwell
* "My Favourite Things" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Patricia Neway and Mary Martin in the musical "Sound of Music". Performed in the film version by Julie Andrews.
* "My Heart Is An Open Book" w. Hal David m. Lee Pockriss
* "My Wish Came True" w.m. Ivory Joe Hunter
* "Oh! Carol" w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka
* "Only Love Me" w. (Eng) Mann Curtis (Ital) Pinchi m. V. Panzuti
* "Only Sixteen" w.m. Barbara Campbell
* "Personality" w.m. Lloyd Price & Harold Logan
* "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" w.m. Harlan Howard
* "Pillow Talk" w.m. Buddy Pepper & Inez James. Introduced by Doris Day and Rock Hudson in the film of the same name.
* "La Plume De Ma Tante" w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
* "Poison Ivy" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
* "Politics And Poker" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced by Howard Da Silva in the musical "Fiorello".
* "Promise Me A Rose" w.m. Bob Merrill, introduced by Eileen Herlie in the musical "Take Me Along"
* "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" w.m. Paul Anka
* "Quiet Village" m. Les Baxter
* "Red River Rock" trad arr. Tom King, Ira Mack & Fred Mendelsohn
* "Ring-A-Ling-A-Lario" w.m. Gerry Grant, Arthur Kent & Joe Reisman
* "Rose's Turn" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman in the musical "".
* "Roulette" m. Trevor H. Stanford
* "Running Bear" w.m. J. P. Richardson
* "The Same Old Me" F. Owen
* "Sea Of Love" w.m. George Khoury & Phil Baptiste
* "See You In September" w. Sid Wayne m. Sherman Edwards
* "Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat" w. Bob Hilliard m. Lee Pockriss
* "Shout" O'Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley
* "Shy" w. Marshall Barer m. Mary Rodgers
* "Side Saddle" m. Trevor H. Stanford
* "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Laurie Peters and Brian Davies in the musical "Sound of Music".
* "Sleep Walk" m. Ann Farina, Johnny Farina & Santo Farina
* "Small World" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman and Jack Klugman in the musical ""
* "Some People" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Intorudced by Ethel Merman in the musical "".
* "Sorry, I Ran All The Way Home" w.m. Harry Giosasi & Artie Zwirn
* "The Sound Of Music" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical "Sound of Music". Performed in the film version by Julie Andrews (1965).
* "Strange Are The Ways Of Love" w. Ned Washington m. Dimitri Tiomkin, from the film western "The Young Land"
* "Summertime Love" w.m. Frank Loesser
* "Sweet Nothin's" Ronnie Self
* "Take Me Along" w.m. Bob Merrill. Introduced by Jackie Gleason and Walter Pidgeon in the musical "Take Me Along".
* "Tall Paul" w.m. Bob Roberts, Bob Sherman & Dick Sherman
* "Tallahassee Lassie" w.m. Frank C. Slay Jr, Bob Crewe & Frederick A. Picariello
* "Teen Angel" w.m. Jean Surrey & Red Surrey
* "A Teenager In Love" w.m. Jerome "Doc" Pomus & Mort Shuman
* "There Goes My Baby" w.m. Benjamin Nelson, Lover Patterson, George Treadwell, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
* "This Magic Moment" w.m. Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman
* "Three Steps To Heaven" Eddie Cochran
* "The Tijuana Jail" w.m. Denny Thompson
* " 'Til I Kissed You" w.m. Don Everly
* "Till Tomorrow" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced by Ellen Hanley in th emusical "Fiorello".
* "Time And The River" w.m. Aaron Schroeder & Wally Gold
* "Together Wherever We Go" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Ethel Merman, Sandra Church and Jack Klugman in the musical ""
* "Tomboy" w.m. Joe Farrell & Jim Conway
* "Too Long At The Fair" w.m. Billy Barnes
* "Tucumcari" Olofson, McIntyre
* "The Untouchables" m. Nelson Riddle.
* "Venus" w.m. Ed Marshall
* "Waterloo" w.m. John D. Loudermilk & Marijohn Wilkin
* "We Got Love" w. Kal Mann m. Bernie Lowe
* "What Do You Want?" Les Vandyke
* "What'd I Say" w.m. Ray Charles
* "When Did I Fall In Love?" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced by Ellen Hanley in the musical "Fiorello".
* "Why" w. Bob Marcucci m. Peter De Angelis
* "The Wonder Of You" w.m. Baker Knight
* "Wonderful You" Stallman, Jacobson
* "A Worried Man" w.m. Dave Guard & Tom Glazer
* "You'll Never Get Away From Me" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Jack Klugman and Ethel Merman in the musical "".
* "You're Starting To Get To Me" Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen, from the film "Say One for Me"

Classical music

*Arnold Bax - "Symphony No. 4"
*Elliott Carter - "String Quartet No. 2"
*George Crumb - "Variazioni" for large orchestra
*Mario Davidovsky - "Serie Sinfonica 1959" for orchestra
*Henri Dutilleux - "Symphony No. 2 (Le Double)"
*Francis Jackson - "Diversion for Mixtures"
*Miloslav Kabeláč - "Motifs from Foreign Countries", op. 38
*György Ligeti - "Apparitions for Orchestra (1958-59)"
*Giacinto Scelsi - "Quattro Pezzi Su Una Nota Sola ["Four pieces each on a single note"] "
*Pierre Schaeffer - "Etudes aux Objets"
*Karlheinz Stockhausen - "Gruppen"
*Healey Willan - "Poem for Strings"
*Grace Williams - "All Seasons shall be Sweet"

Opera

*Samuel Barber - "A Hand of Bridge"
*Karl-Birger Blomdahl - "Aniara"
*Ferenc Farkas - "Paradies der Schwiegersöhne"
*Nicolas Flagello - "The Judgment of St Francis"
*Jakov Gotovac - "Stanac"
*Francis Poulenc - "La Voix humaine"

Musical theater

* "Aladdin" (Cole Porter) London production opened at the Coliseum on December 17.
* "Destry Rides Again" Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on April 23 and ran for 472 performances
* "Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be" (Lionel Bart) - Stratford production opened at the Theatre Royal on April 17 and ran for 63 performances
* "Fiorello!" Broadway production opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on November 23 and ran for 795 performances
* "" (Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim) - Broadway production opened at the Broadway Theatre on May 21 and ran for 702 performances
* "Hooray for Daisy" London production opened at the Lyric Opera House, Hammersmith on December 20 and ran for 51 performances
* "Lend An Ear" Broadway revival opened at the Renata Theatre on September 24 and ran for 94 performances
* "Little Mary Sunshine" Broadway production opened at the Orpheum Theatre on November 18 and ran for 1143 performances.
* "Lock Up Your Daughters" (Lionel Bart) - London production opened at the Mermaid Theatre on May 28 and ran for 328 performances
* "The Love Doctor" London production opened at the Piccadilly Theatre on October 12 and ran for only 16 performances.
* "On the Town" Broadway revival opened at the Carnegie Hall Playhouse on January 15 and ran for 70 performances
*"Redhead" Broadway production opened at the 46th Street Theatre on February 5 and ran for 405 performances
* "The Sound of Music" (Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II) - Broadway production opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 16 and ran for 1443 performances.
* "Take Me Along" Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on October 22 and ran for 448 performances

Musical films

* "Expresso Bongo"
* "The Five Pennies" starring Danny Kaye
* "Go, Johnny, Go" starring Jimmy Clanton and Sandy Stewart, and featuring Chuck Berry, Jackie Wilson, Ritchie Valens, The Cadillacs, Jo-Ann Campbell, The Flamingos and Eddie Cochran.
* "Li'l Abner"
* "The Lady is a Square" starring Anna Neagle, Frankie Vaughan, Janette Scott, Anthony Newley and Wilfrid Hyde-White
* "Porgy And Bess"
*"Say One for Me" starring Bing Crosby
*"Tommy the Toreador" starring Tommy Steele
*"Sleeping Beauty" from Walt Disney Pictures (animated)

Births

*January 3 - Curt Bisquera
*January 6 - Kathy Sledge, Sister Sledge
*January 7 - Kathy Valentine, The Go-Go's
*January 8 - Paul Hester, drummer (Crowded House) (died 2005)
*January 10 - Curt Kirkwood, Meat Puppets
*January 12 - Per Gessle, Roxette
*January 14
** Chas Smash (Madness)
** Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche)
*January 17 - Susanna Hoffs, singer (The Bangles)
*January 28 - Dave Sharp (The Alarm)
*January 30 - Jody Watley, singer
*February 3 - Lol Tolhurst, The Cure
*February 14 - Renée Fleming, operatic soprano
*February 15 - Ali Campbell, UB40
*February 25 - Mike Peters, The Alarm
*March 16 - Flavor Flav, Public Enemy
*March 17 - Mike Lindup, keyboard player and vocalist (Level 42)
*March 27 - Andrew Farriss, INXS
*March 29 - Perry Farrell, Jane's Addiction
*April 10
** Babyface, musician and record producer
** Brian Setzer, guitarist and singer (The Stray Cats)
*April 21
** Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies)
** Robert Smith, singer (The Cure)
*April 27 - Sheena Easton
*May 3 - David Ball, Soft Cell
*May 4 - Randy Travis, country singer
*May 5 - Ian McCulloch, Echo & The Bunnymen
*May 20 - Susan Cowsill, The Cowsills, Continental Drifters
*June 1 - Alan Wilder, Depeche Mode
*June 12 - John Linnell, They Might Be Giants
*June 19 - Mark DeBarge, DeBarge
*June 22 - Alan Anton, Cowboy Junkies
*June 24 - Andy McCluskey, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
*July 3 - Stephen Pearcy, Ratt
*July 5 - Marc Cohn
*July 9 - Marc Almond, Soft Cell
*July 11
** Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi
** Suzanne Vega, singer-songwriter
*August 1 - Joe Elliott, Def Leppard
*August 9 - Kurtis Blow, rapper
*September 14 - Morten Harket, singer (a-ha)
*October 4 - Chris Lowe, Pet Shop Boys
*October 13 - Marie Osmond
*October 16 - Gary Kemp, Spandau Ballet
*October 23 - "Weird Al" Yankovic
*November 1 - Eddie MacDonald, The Alarm
*November 5 - Bryan Adams, singer/guitarist
*November 27 - Charlie Burchill, Simple Minds
*November 29 - Steve Hindalong, The Choir, record producer
*December 4 - Bob Griffin, The BoDeans
*December 31 - Paul Westerberg

Deaths

*January 6 - José Enrique Pedreira, composer
*February 3 - rock and roll performers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper, in a plane crash outside Mason City, Iowa. The news isn't widely known until the next day - The Day The Music Died.
*February 12 - George Antheil, pianist and composer
*February 14 - Baby Dodds, jazz musician
*February 18 - Erich Zeisl, composer
*February 28 - Maxwell Anderson, lyricist
*March 1 - Mack Gordon, songwriter
*March 15 - Lester Young, jazz musician
*May 14 - Sidney Bechet, jazz musician
*June 9 - Sonnie Hale, English actor and singer
*July 14 - Grock, musical clown
*July 15
**Ernest Bloch, composer
**Billie Holiday, jazz and blues singer.
*August 15 - Blind Willie McTell, blues singer.
*August 16 - Wanda Landowska, harpsichordist
*August 28 - Bohuslav Martinů, composer
*September 1 - Jack Norworth, singer and songwriter
*September 6 - Kay Kendall, musical comedy actress
*September 17 - Omer Simeon, jazz musician
*September 21 - Agnes Nicholls, operatic soprano
*September 22 - Josef Matthias Hauer, composer
*September 25 - Helen Broderick, Broadway star
*October 7 - Mario Lanza, operatic tenor
*November 7 - Alberto Guerrero, pianist and composer
*November 17 - Heitor Villa-Lobos, composer.
*November 22 - Sam M. Lewis, US lyricist
*November 26 - Albert Ketèlbey, composer, conductor and pianist
*December 20 - Gilda Gray, dancer

Awards

Grammy Awards

*Grammy Awards of 1959

Eurovision Song Contest

*Eurovision Song Contest 1959