Music History

Jimmie Rodgers made his first recordings for the Victor Talking Machine Company: “Sleep, Baby, Sleep” and “The Soldier’s Sweetheart.”

Fats Waller recorded the song “Ain't Misbehavin'.”

Helen Morgan joined Victor Young’s orchestra to record “Bill” from the Broadway musical “Show Boat.”

Bunny Berigan a jeho orchestr nahráli skladbu „I Can't Get Started“.

Les Brown and his Band of Renown recorded the song “Joltin' Joe DiMaggio”.

Louis Jordan recorded “Saturday Night Fish Fry” in New York, which became a No. 1 hit on the R&B chart for 12 weeks.

The Platters’ debut single, “Only You (And You Alone)”, was performed publicly for the first time.

Fats Domino released his debut album "This Is Fats".

Columbia Records released the single “Chances Are” in both 45 and 78 RPM formats. The song later reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 and spent 22 weeks in the Top 40.

Sam Cooke released his debut single “You Send Me” on Keen Records. The song became his biggest hit, reaching No. 1 on both the Billboard R&B and Pop charts and selling 2.5 million copies. Over the following eight years, he placed another 28 songs on the Hot 100, three of which charted only after his death on December 11, 1964.

Frankie Avalon released the single “Just Ask Your Heart.”

The Isley Brothers recorded “Shout” at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World in Manhattan, New York City.

Dean Martin entered Capitol Records' studio at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, where he recorded his version of “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.” The recording first entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 2018, reaching No. 8.

The Isley Brothers released the single “Shout”. It was not particularly successful at the time of release and reached only number 47, but became very popular in later years.

“The Bad Boys” by The Miracles became the first single released on Barry Gordy's newly established Motown Records label.

Mattel Toy Corporation introduced the first Barbie doll.

Elvis Presley recorded four songs at Radio Recorders studio in Hollywood for the film "Flaming Star" during an overnight recording session.

Johnny Horton recorded “North To Alaska” at Quonset Hut Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

Elvis Presley released the single "(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame" / "Little Sister". The single reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart and spent four weeks at No. 1 in the U.K.

Sam Cooke recorded “Frankie and Johnny” at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World studios in New York City.

Tamla Records released the Marvelettes’ first single, “Please Mr. Postman”. The song sold more than one million copies, became the group’s biggest hit, topped both the Billboard pop and R&B charts, and was Motown’s first song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Joan Baez released the album Volume Two and the single “Banks of the Ohio.”

Phil Spector and Lester Sill released the first single on their new Philles Records label, “Oh Yeah Maybe Baby” by The Crystals. A little more than a year later, their No. 1 hit “He's a Rebel” followed, along with other well-known recordings such as “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me.”

The Tijuana Brass released their first single, “The Lonely Bull”, on A&M Records, the label founded by their bandleader Herb Alpert and his partner Jerry Moss. The song reached No. 6 in the US and launched a run of 19 pop hits by Alpert.

Mary Wells released “You Beat Me To The Punch.”

Warner Bros. released the single "If I Had a Hammer" by Peter, Paul and Mary. The song reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Grammy Awards for Best Folk Recording and Best Performance by a Vocal Group.

Twelve-year-old Little Stevie Wonder released his first single, "I Call It Pretty Music (But The Old People Call It The Blues)", issued by Motown Records. Marvin Gaye played drums on the recording, which reached No. 101 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“He's A Rebel” was released and credited to The Crystals, although Phil Spector had the song recorded by The Blossoms because The Crystals were on tour.

Elvis Presley released the single “Return to Sender,” backed by the song “Where Do You Come From.”

The Cookies released the song “Chains.”

Allan Sherman released the single “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp).”

The Beach Boys released “Surfer Girl,” written and produced by Brian Wilson, who regarded it as his first original composition.

Bob Dylan began the first recording sessions at Studio A of Columbia Recording Studios in New York with producer Tom Wilson for his third album, “The Times They Are a-Changin'.” It was his first album made up entirely of original songs. Upon its release the following February, the album reached No. 20 in the U.S. and No. 4 in the UK.

Comedian Allan Sherman released “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadda,” a comedy song based on music from Ponchielli’s “Dance of the Hours,” which first appeared on his album “My Son the Nut.” Sherman wrote the song based on his son’s real experience at Camp Champlain, where he desperately wanted to leave and later pleaded to be allowed to return. The recording reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in 2020 was added to the United States National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress as culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

The Beatles released the single “She Loves You” in the UK, backed with “I'll Get You”. By 1977, the single had become the best-selling British single of all time, with sales of 1.93 million copies. It entered the UK chart on August 31 and spent 31 consecutive weeks on the chart, including 18 weeks in the Top Three. The record was not surpassed until 1977, when Paul McCartney achieved it with “Mull Of Kintyre”. The single also became their best-selling single in the UK and reached number one in charts in several countries around the world.

The Beatles released the single „She Loves You“ with „I'll Get You“ on the B-side in the U.K. The song entered the U.K. chart on August 31 and remained there for 31 weeks, including 18 weeks in the Top Three.

The Ronettes released their first single, "Be My Baby", produced by Phil Spector. The song was their only U.S. Top 10 hit. Lead singer Veronica Bennett, later known as Ronnie Spector, sued Phil Spector in the late 1990s over unpaid royalties.

The single “Love Me Do” from The Beatles’ first recording session for EMI was released.

Elvis Presley released the single “(You’re the) Devil in Disguise”, which around this date reached the top positions of the charts.

The Beach Boys released the single “Surfer Girl”, which later reached No. 7 in the US. It was the first song written by Brian Wilson and the first recording he produced himself. The B-side, “Little Deuce Coupe”, reached No. 15 in the US.

The Kinks released their third single, “You Really Got Me,” in the UK on Pye Records. The song became their breakthrough hit, later reaching No. 1 on the UK chart and No. 7 in the U.S.

The Beach Boys recorded “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)” at United Western Studios in Hollywood. The song later reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 7 on the Cashbox chart and No. 1 on the Canadian singles chart.

Bob Dylan released the album "Another Side of Bob Dylan" on Columbia Records.

The Young World Singers released “Ringo For President” on Decca Records. The song was created ahead of the U.S. presidential election and reached No. 132 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Beatles reissued four singles in the United States: “Do You Want To Know A Secret”, “Please, Please Me”, “Love Me Do” and “Twist And Shout”.

The Beatles released the single „Matchbox / Slow Down“ in the U.S.

Roy Orbison and The Candy Men released the song “Oh, Pretty Woman”. The song became a commercial success and a major international hit, reaching No. 1 on singles charts in eleven countries.

The Kinks released “You Really Got Me” in the United States.

Monument Records released Roy Orbison's single "Oh, Pretty Woman". Four weeks later, it reached No. 1 on Billboard and entered the Top 10 in fifteen other countries. The single sold more than seven million copies worldwide. The title was inspired by Orbison's wife Claudette, who announced during a conversation that she was going out. When Orbison asked if she had enough money, his co-writer Bill Dees remarked that a beautiful woman never needs money.