Online Encyclopedia
List of musical events
This page indexes the individual year in music pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point.
2000s - 1990s - 1980s - 1970s - 1960s - 1950s - 1940s - 1930s - 1920s - 1910s - 1900s - 1890s - 1880s - 1870s - 1860s - 1850s - 1840s - 1830s - 1820s - 1810s - 1800s - 1790s - 1780s - 1770s - 1760s - 1750s - 1740s - 1730s - 1720s - 1710s - 1700s - 1690s - 1680s - 1670s - 1660s - 1650s - 1640s - 1630s - 1620s - 1610s - 1600s - 1590s
2000s
- 2005 in music - Oasis will release a new album, which was previously scheduled for release in late 2004, but delayed
- 2004 in music - Dave Grohl releases PROBOT
- 2003 in music - Michael Jackson arrested
- 2002 in music - Eminem releases his third album, Eminem Show
- 2001 in music - Napster's popularity peaks
- 2000 in music - The Beatles release the greatest hits collection 1
1990s
- 1999 in music - Red Hot Chili Peppers release Californication
- 1998 in music - The Offspring release Americana
- 1997 in music - Radiohead release Ok Computer
- 1996 in music - Death of Tupac Shakur
- 1995 in music - Alanis Morissette releases Jagged Little Pill
- 1994 in music - Kurt Cobain is found dead
- 1993 in music - Tool release Undertow
- 1992 in music - Dr. Dre releases The Chronic
- 1991 in music - Nirvana release Nevermind
- 1990 in music - Public Enemy releases Fear Of A Black Planet
1980s
- 1989 in music - N.W.A. release Straight Outta Compton
- 1988 in music - Jane's Addiction release Nothing's Shocking
- 1987 in music - U2 release The Joshua Tree
- 1986 in music - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens
- 1985 in music - Live Aid concert raises money for African famine relief
- 1984 in music - Tina Turner releases Private Dancer
- 1983 in music - Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney record "Say, Say, Say"
- 1982 in music - Michael Jackson releases Thriller
- 1981 in music - MTV first airs
- 1980 in music - John Lennon is murdered
1970s
- 1979 in music - The Clash releases London Calling
- 1978 in music - Sony introduce the Walkman
- 1977 in music - Elvis Presley dies
- 1976 in music - The Eagles release Hotel California
- 1975 in music - Bruce Springsteen releases Born to Run
- 1974 in music - Jackson Browne releases Late for the Sky
- 1973 in music - Pink Floyd releases Dark Side of the Moon
- 1972 in music - Deep Purple releases Machine Head
- 1971 in music - Rod Stewart releases Every Picture Tells a Story, containing his breakthrough hit "Maggie May".
- 1970 in music - Simon & Garfunkel release Bridge Over Troubled Water
1960s
- 1969 in music - Woodstock music festival held in Bethel, New York
- 1968 in music - Jimi Hendrix releases Electric Ladyland
- 1967 in music - The Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
- 1966 in music - The Beach Boys release Pet Sounds
- 1965 in music - The Beatles play Shea Stadium
- 1964 in music - Roy Orbison releases "Oh, Pretty Woman'", the fastest selling single in history
- 1963 in music - Surfin' U.S.A. released by The Beach Boys
- 1962 in music - Dee Dee Sharp releases Mashed Potato Time
- 1961 in music - Hello Mary Lou released by Ricky Nelson
- 1960 in music - "Cathy's Clown" is a hit for The Everly Brothers
1950s
- 1959 in music - Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, The Big Bopper die in plane crash
- 1958 in music - Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great balls of fire"
- 1957 in music - John Coltrane releases Blue Train
- 1956 in music - Elvis Presley has a hit with "Hound dog"
- 1955 in music - "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and his Comets is played over the titles of the film "The Blackboard Jungle", kicking off the Rock and Roll era
- 1954 in music - Frank Sinatra releases his "In The Wee Small Hours" album
- 1953 in music - "I Believe" by Frankie Laine sets the U.K.'s all-time record for weeks at number one on the charts
- 1952 in music - Georgia Gibbs scores her biggest hit with "Kiss Of Fire"
- 1951 in music - Johnnie Ray tops the charts with the double-sided smash single Cry/The Little White Cloud That Cried
- 1950 in music - Al Jolson dies
1940s
- 1949 in music - Mitch Miller begins his career as one of the century's most successful record producers at Mercury
- 1948 in music - 331/3 RPM LPs introduced
- 1947 in music -
- 1946 in music - Frank Sinatra releases Voice of Frank Sinatra
- 1945 in music - Glenn Miller's album Glenn Miller is released.
- 1944 in music - Glenn Miller dies
- 1943 in music -
- 1942 in music - Bing Crosby releases "White Christmas"
- 1941 in music - Les Paul builds the first solid-body electric guitar
- 1940 in music - Walt Disney releases Fantasia
1930s
- 1939 in music - Charlie Christian's musical career begins
- 1938 in music - Pete Seeger's musical career begins
- 1937 in music - Hank Williams' and Sonny Boy Williamson's musical careers begin
- 1936 in music - Tony Bennett's and Nat King Cole's musical careers begin
- 1935 in music - Frank Sinatra's and Ella Fitzgerald's musical career begins
- 1934 in music - Sun Ra's and Django Reinhardt's musical careers begin
- 1933 in music - Billie Holliday's musical career begins
- 1932 in music - Johnny Cash and Petula Clark are born
- 1931 in music - Roy Rogers' musical career begins
- 1930 in music - Bukka White begins performing
1920s
- 1929 in music - Cab Calloway's, and Gene Autry's musical careers begin
- 1928 in music - Louis Armstrong records "West End Blues", Burt Bacharach is born
- 1927 in music - Carter Family make first recordings
- 1926 in music - Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers begin recording
- 1925 in music - Big record labels begin using electric microphones for recording
- 1924 in music - Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue premieres
- 1923 in music - Bessie Smith, King Oliver, many other African American artists begin recording
- 1922 in music - Ravel orchestrates Pictures at an Exhibition
- 1921 in music - Enrico Caruso dies
- 1920 in music - Mamie Smith has Blues recording hit
1910s
- 1919 in music - Original Dixieland Jazz Band brings jazz to the UK
- 1918 in music - Ella Fitzgerald, Leonard Bernstein born
- 1917 in music - First Jazz recordings by Original Dixieland Jass Band
- 1916 in music - Charles Ives' 4th Symphony
- 1915 in music - Tom Brown starts billing his group as a "Jass Band"
- 1914 in music - First calypso music recordings
- 1913 in music - near-riot at premiere of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring
- 1912 in music - W.C. Handy publishes "The Memphis Blues"
- 1911 in music - Scott Joplin's ragtime opera, "Treemonisha".
- 1910 in music - Mahler's Symphony No. 8
1900s
- 1909 in music - Benny Goodman born
- 1908 in music - Mahler's 7th; Take Me Out to the Ball Game
- 1907 in music - Cab Calloway born
- 1906 in music - Little Brother Montgomery born
- 1905 in music - Franz Lehár The Merry Widow premieres
- 1904 in music - Puccini's Madame Butterfly premieres
- 1903 in music - Mississippi John Hurt begins performing
- 1902 in music - Leadbelly begins performing
- 1901 in music - Louis Armstrong born
- 1900 in music - Puccini's Tosca premieres
1890s
- 1899 in music - Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag; Elgar's Enigma Variations
- 1898 in music -
- 1897 in music - Ragtime music becomes popular in the USA
- 1896 in music - Puccini's La Bohème premieres
- 1895 in music -
- 1894 in music - Enrico Caruso's musical career begins
- 1893 in music - Falstaff premieres
- 1892 in music - "After The Ball" sells over 1 million sheet music copies
- 1891 in music - Sergei Prokofiev, Cole Porter born
- 1890 in music -
1880s
- 1889 in music - first gramophone records by Emile Berliner
- 1888 in music - wax phonograph cylinders commercially marketed
- 1887 in music - Alexander Borodin dies
- 1886 in music - Ma Rainey born
- 1885 in music - Tin Pan Alley music industry formed
- 1884 in music - Sophie Tucker born
- 1883 in music - Mamie Smith born
- 1882 in music - Leopold Stokowski born
- 1881 in music - Offenbach's Tales of Hoffman premieres
- 1880 in music - Jacques Offenbach dies
1870s
- 1879 in music - Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance premieres
- 1878 in music - George M. Cohan born
- 1877 in music - phonograph invented. Buddy Bolden born.
- 1876 in music - Ricard Wagner's Siegfried premieres
- 1875 in music - Georges Bizet's Carmen premieres
- 1874 in music - Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky
- 1873 in music - W.C. Handy, Enrico Caruso born
- 1872 in music -
- 1871 in music - Giuseppe Verdi's Aida premieres
- 1870 in music -
1860s
- 1869 in music - Ricard Wagner's Das Rheingold
- 1868 in music - Scott Joplin born
- 1867 in music - "Blue Danube Waltz" by Johann Strauss II
- 1866 in music - Bedrich Smetana's The Bartered Bride
- 1865 in music - Jean Sibelius born
- 1864 in music - Stephen Foster dies
- 1863 in music - Ernesto Nazareth born
- 1862 in music - Claude Debussy born
- 1861 in music - Nellie Melba born
- 1860 in music - Gustav Mahler born
1850s
- 1859 in music -
- 1858 in music - Giacomo Puccini born
- 1857 in music -
- 1856 in music -
- 1855 in music -
- 1854 in music - Stephen Foster's "Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair"
- 1853 in music - Verdi's Il Trovatore premieres
- 1852 in music -
- 1851 in music - Stephen Foster's Old Folks At Home
- 1850 in music - Stephen Foster's Oh, Susana!
1840s
- 1849 in music -
- 1848 in music - Gaetano Donizetti dies
- 1847 in music -
- 1846 in music - Adolphe Sax invents the "saxophone"
- 1845 in music - Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser premieres
- 1844 in music - Rimsky-Korsakov born
- 1843 in music - Minstrel show premieres in United States
- 1842 in music - Arthur Sullivan born
- 1841 in music -
- 1840 in music - Paganini dies; Tchaikovsky born
1830s
- 1839 in music - Modest Mussorgsky born
- 1838 in music -
- 1837 in music -
- 1836 in music - Donizetti's Belisario premieres
- 1835 in music - Camille Saint-Saëns born
- 1834 in music -
- 1833 in music - Alexander Borodin born
- 1832 in music -
- 1831 in music -
- 1830 in music -
1820s
- 1829 in music - Anton Rubenstein born
- 1828 in music -
- 1827 in music - Beethoven dies
- 1826 in music - Stephen Foster born
- 1825 in music - Antonio Salieri dies
- 1824 in music - Beethoven's 9th Symphony
- 1823 in music -
- 1822 in music -
- 1821 in music - Pauline Garcia-Viardot born
- 1820 in music -
1810s
- 1819 in music - Jacques Offenbach born
- 1818 in music - Silent Night premieres
- 1817 in music -
- 1816 in music -
- 1815 in music -
- 1814 in music -
- 1813 in music -
- 1812 in music -
- 1811 in music -
- 1810 in music -
1800s
- 1809 in music - Joseph Haydn dies
- 1808 in music - Beethoven's 5th Symphony
- 1807 in music -
- 1806 in music -
- 1805 in music - Fidelio
- 1804 in music -
- 1803 in music -
- 1802 in music -
- 1801 in music - Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata
- 1800 in music -
1790s
- 1799 in music -
- 1798 in music -
- 1797 in music -
- 1796 in music -
- 1795 in music -
- 1794 in music -
- 1793 in music -
- 1792 in music -
- 1791 in music - Mozart's The Magic Flute
- 1790 in music -
1780s
- 1789 in music - Mozart's Così fan tutte
- 1788 in music -
- 1787 in music - Mozart's Don Giovanni
- 1786 in music - Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
- 1785 in music -
- 1784 in music -
- 1783 in music -
- 1782 in music -
- 1781 in music -
- 1780 in music -
1770s
- 1779 in music -
- 1778 in music -
- 1777 in music -
- 1776 in music -
- 1775 in music -
- 1774 in music -
- 1773 in music -
- 1772 in music -
- 1771 in music -
- 1770 in music - Ludwig van Beethoven born
1760s
- 1769 in music -
- 1768 in music -
- 1767 in music -
- 1766 in music -
- 1765 in music -
- 1764 in music -
- 1763 in music -
- 1762 in music -
- 1761 in music -
- 1760 in music -
1750s
- 1759 in music -
- 1758 in music -
- 1757 in music -
- 1756 in music - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born
- 1755 in music -
- 1754 in music -
- 1753 in music -
- 1752 in music -
- 1751 in music -
- 1750 in music - Johann Sebastian Bach dies
1740s
- 1749 in music -
- 1748 in music -
- 1747 in music -
- 1746 in music -
- 1745 in music -
- 1744 in music -
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- 1740 in music -
1730s
- 1739 in music -
- 1738 in music -
- 1737 in music -
- 1736 in music -
- 1735 in music -
- 1734 in music -
- 1733 in music -
- 1732 in music - Joseph Haydn born
- 1731 in music -
- 1730 in music -
1720s
- 1729 in music -
- 1728 in music -
- 1727 in music -
- 1726 in music -
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- 1720 in music -
1710s
- 1719 in music -
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- 1712 in music -
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- 1710 in music -
1700s
- 1709 in music -
- 1708 in music -
- 1707 in music -
- 1706 in music - Johann Pachelbel dies
- 1705 in music -
- 1704 in music -
- 1703 in music -
- 1702 in music -
- 1701 in music -
- 1700 in music -
1690s
- 1699 in music -
- 1698 in music -
- 1697 in music -
- 1696 in music -
- 1695 in music - Henry Purcell dies
- 1694 in music -
- 1693 in music -
- 1692 in music -
- 1691 in music -
- 1690 in music -
1680s
- 1689 in music -
- 1688 in music -
- 1687 in music -
- 1686 in music -
- 1685 in music - Johann Sebastian Bach born
- 1684 in music -
- 1683 in music -
- 1682 in music -
- 1681 in music -
- 1680 in music -
1670s
- 1679 in music -
- 1678 in music -
- 1677 in music -
- 1676 in music -
- 1675 in music -
- 1674 in music -
- 1673 in music -
- 1672 in music -
- 1671 in music -
- 1670 in music -
1660s
- 1669 in music -
- 1668 in music -
- 1667 in music -
- 1666 in music -
- 1665 in music -
- 1664 in music -
- 1663 in music -
- 1662 in music -
- 1661 in music -
- 1660 in music -
1650s
- 1659 in music - Henry Purcell born
- 1658 in music -
- 1657 in music -
- 1656 in music -
- 1655 in music -
- 1654 in music -
- 1653 in music - Johann Pachelbel born
- 1652 in music -
- 1651 in music -
- 1650 in music -
1640s
- 1649 in music -
- 1648 in music -
- 1647 in music -
- 1646 in music -
- 1645 in music -
- 1644 in music -
- 1643 in music -
- 1642 in music -
- 1641 in music -
- 1640 in music -
1630s
- 1639 in music -
- 1638 in music -
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- 1635 in music -
- 1634 in music -
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- 1631 in music -
- 1630 in music -
1620s
- 1629 in music -
- 1628 in music -
- 1627 in music -
- 1626 in music -
- 1625 in music -
- 1624 in music -
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- 1622 in music -
- 1621 in music -
- 1620 in music -
1610s
- 1619 in music -
- 1618 in music -
- 1617 in music -
- 1616 in music -
- 1615 in music -
- 1614 in music -
- 1613 in music -
- 1612 in music -
- 1611 in music -
- 1610 in music -
1600s
- 1609 in music -
- 1608 in music - "Arianna " by Claudio Monteverdi
- 1607 in music - "La Favola D'Orfeo " by Claudio Monteverdi
- 1606 in music -
- 1605 in music -
- 1604 in music -
- 1603 in music -
- 1602 in music -
- 1601 in music -
- 1600 in music -
1590s
- 1599 in music -
- 1598 in music -
- 1597 in music -
- 1596 in music -
- 1595 in music -
- 1594 in music -
- 1593 in music -
- 1592 in music -
- 1591 in music -
- 1590 in music -
Last updated: 10-24-2004 05:10:45