1944 in music

Events

January 18 - The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City for the first time hosts a jazz concert; the performers are Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge and Jack Teagarden.
December - Glenn Miller is reported missing. The official explanation is that his plane went down somewhere over the English Channel, although many alternate theories have been suggested.
December 1 - Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra is premiered in Boston, Massachusetts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky

Top hit records

Besame Mucho by Jimmy Dorsey
Don't Fence Me In by Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters
A Hot Time In the Town of Berlin by Bing Crosby & theAndrews Sisters
I Love You by Bing Crosby
I'll Get By by Harry James
Mairzy Doats by Merry Macs
San Fernando Valley by Bing Crosby
Shoo-Shoo Baby by The Andrews Sisters
Swinging On a Star by Bing Crosby
You Always Hurt the One You Love by The Mills Brothers

Published popular songs

Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen
All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings w. (Eng) Harold Rome (Fr) Jean Marie Blanvillain m. Herpin
And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine w. Joe Greene m. Stan Kenton & Charles Lawrence
The Boy Next Door w.m. Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane
Candy w.m. Mack David, Joan Whitney & Alex Kramer
Can't Help Singing w. E. Y. Harburg m. Jerome Kern
Close As Pages In A Book w. Dorothy Fields m. Sigmund Romberg
Dance With A Dolly w.m. Terry Shand, Jimmy Eaton & David Kapp
Don't Fence Me In w.m. Cole Porter
Dream w.m. Johnny Mercer
Fine Brown Frame w.m. Guadalupe Cartiero & J. Mayo Williams
First Class Private Mary Brown w.m. Frank Loesser
G. I. Jive w.m. Johnny Mercer
Going My Way w. Johnny Burke m. James Van Heusen
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas w.m. Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane
A Hot Time In The Town Of Berlin w. John De Vries m. Joe Bushkin
How Blue The Night w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh
How Little We Know w. Johnny Mercer m. Hoagy Carmichael
I Begged Her w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
I Didn't Know About You w. Bob Russell m. Duke Ellington
I Dream Of You (More Than You Dream I Do) w.m. Marjorie Goetschius & Edna Osser
I Fall In Love Too Easily w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
I Love You w.m. Cole Porter
I'll Walk Alone w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
I'm Beginning To See The Light w.m. Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges & Harry James
I'm Making Believe w. Mack Gordon m. James V. Monaco
Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall w.m. Allan Roberts & Doris Fisher
Jealous Heart w.m. Jenny Lou Carson
A Little On The Lonely Side w.m. Dick Robertson, Frank Weldon & James Cavanaugh
Long Ago And Far Away w. Ira Gershwin m. Jerome Kern
Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet w.m. Don Raye & Gene De Paul
Moonlight In Vermont w. John Blackburn m. Karl Suessdorf
More And More w. E. Y. Harburg m. Jerome Kern From the Universal picture Can't Help Singing
My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time w. Mann Curtis m. Vic Mizzy
Nancy w. Phil Silvers m. James Van Heusen
New York, New York w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Leonard Bernstein
Now I Know w. Ted Koehler m. Harold Arlen
On The Atchison, Topeka, And The Santa Fe w. Johnny Mercer m. Harry Warren
One Meat Ball w. Hy Zaret m. Lou Singer
Opus No. 1 w. Sid Garris m. Sy Oliver
Put It There Pal w. Johnny Burke m. James Van Heusen
Rum And Coca Cola w.m. Morey Amsterdam, Paul Baron & Jeri Sullivan
Saturday Night w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
Sentimental Journey w. Bud Green m. Les Brown & Ben Homer
Some Day (You'll Want Me To Want You) w.m. Jimmie Hodges
Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year w.m. Frank Loesser
Swinging On A Star w. Johnny Burke m. James Van Heusen
There Goes That Song Again w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
There's A Fellow Waiting In Poughkeepsie w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen
There's No You w. Tom Adair m. Hal Hopper
This Heart Of Mine w. Arthur Freed m. Harry Warren
Till Then w.m. Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus & Guy Wood
Twilight Time w.m. Buck Ram, Mortie Nevins & Artie Dunn
Umbriago w.m. Irving Caesar & Jimmy Durante
You Always Hurt The One You Love w.m. Allan Roberts & Doris Fisher
You Belong To My Heart w. (Eng) Ray Gilbert m. Augustin Lara
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You w.m. Russ Morgan, Larry Stock & James Cavanaugh

Musical theater

Bloomer Girl Broadway production
Follow The Girls Broadway production
Mexican Hayride Broadway production
A Night In Venice London production
On The Town Broadway production
Panama Hattie London production
Seven Lively Arts Broadway production
Song Of Norway Broadway production
Sweeter And Lower London production

Musical films

Births

January 9 - Scott Engel, Walker Brothers
January 9 - Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, The Firm
January 16 - Jim Stafford
January 17 - Chris Montez
January 19 - Shelley Fabares
January 28 - Brian Keenan, Chambers Brothers
February 4 - Florence LaRue, The Fifth Dimension
February 5 - Al Kooper, Blues Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears
February 15 - Mick Avory, The Kinks
February 20 - Lew Soloff, Blood, Sweat & Tears
February 23 - Johnny Winter
February 23 - Mike Maxfield, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas
February 24 - Paul Jones, Manfred Mann
February 24 - Nicky Hopkins, Quicksilver Messenger Service
March 1 - Mike D'Abo, Manfred Mann
March 1 - Roger Daltrey, the Who
March 3 - Jance Garfat, Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show
March 4 - Mary Wilson, The Supremes
March 4 - Bobby Womack
March 9 - Mark Lindsay, Paul Revere and the Raiders
March 15 - Sly Stone
March 15 - David Costell, Gary Lewis & The Playboys
March 17 - John Sebastian, Loving Spoonful
March 22 - Jeremy Clyde, Chad & Jeremy
March 23 - Ric Ocasek, The Cars
March 26 - Diana Ross
March 31 - Rod Allen, The Fortunes
April 3 - Tony Orlando
April 3 - Barry Pritchard, The Fortunes
April 5 - Crispian St. Peters
April 6 - Michelle Phillips, Mamas and Papas
April 9 - Emil Stucchio, The Classics
April 12 - John Kay, Steppenwolf
April 13 - Jack Casady, Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna
April 15 - Dave Edmunds
April 18 - Skip Spence, Moby Grape
April 30 - Richard Shoff, The Sandpipers
May 9 - Richie Furay, Buffalo Springfield, Poco
May 12 - Billy Swan
May 12 - James Purify, James & Bobby Purify
May 17 - Jesse Winchester
May 17 - Richard Schwartz, The Quotations
May 20 - Joe Cocker, British singer
May 20 - Boudewijn de Groot, Dutch singer
May 21 - Marcie Blane
May 24 - Patti LaBelle
May 26 - Verdon Allen, Mott the Hoople
May 28 - Billy Vera
May 28 - Gladys Knight
May 30 - Lenny Davidson, The Dave Clark Five
May 31 - Mick Ralphs, Mott The Hoople
June 3 - Michael Clark, The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers
June 4 - Roger Ball, Average White Band
June 6 - Peter Albin, Big Brother & the Holding Company
June 6 - Edgar Froese, Tangerine Dream
June 7 - Clarence White, The Byrds
June 8 - Boz Scaggs
June 17 - Chris Spedding
June 21 - Ray Davies, The Kinks
June 22 - Peter Asher, Peter & Gordon
June 23 - Rosetta Hightower, The Orlons
June 24 - Chris Wood, Traffic
June 24 - Jeff Beck
June 24 - Arthur Brown, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
June 27 - Bruce Johnston, The Beach Boys
June 30 - Glenn Shorrock, The Little River Band
July 5 - Robbie Robertson
July 7 - Warren Entner, Grassroots
July 8 - Michael Johnson
July 8 - Jai Johanny Johanson, The Allman Brothers
July 22 - Estelle Bennett, The Ronettes
July 22 - Richard Davies, Supertramp
July 27 - Bobbie Gentry
July 28 - Mike Bloomfield, Butterfield Blues Band, Electric Flag
August 18 - Carl Wayne, The Move
August 21 - Jackie DeShannon
August 24 - Jim Capaldi, Traffic
August 24 - James Brady, The Sandpipers
August 27 - Tim Bogert, Vanilla Fudge, Cactus
August 27 - Cuba Gooding, Main Ingredient
September 1 - Archie Bell, The Drells
September 3 - Gary Leeds, Walker Brothers
September 6 - Roger Waters, Pink Floyd
September 12 - Barry White
September 13 - Peter Cetera, Chicago
September 16 - Betty Kelley, Martha and the Vandellas
September 24 - Rosa Lee Hawkins, Dixie Cups
September 29 - Tommy Boyce, Boyce & Hart
September 29 - Mike Post
September 30 - Marilyn McCoo, The Fifth Dimension

October 1 - Barbara Parritt, Toys
October 1 - Scott McKenzie
October 4 - Nona Hendryx
October 4 - Marlena Davis, The Orlons
October 9 - John Entwistle, bassist, The Who
October 9 - Peter Tosh, The Wailers
October 13 - Robert Lamm, Chicago
October 15 - Don Stevenson, Moby Grape
October 24 - Ted Templeton, Harper's Bizarre
October 24 - Bettye Swann
October 26 - Michael Piano, The Sandpipers
November 2 - Keith Emerson, The Move, Emerson Lake & Palmer
November 8 - Bonnie Bramlett, Delaney & Bonnie
November 11 - Jesse Colin Young, The Youngbloods
November 12 - Booker T. Jones, Booker T. & the M.G.'s
November 17 - Gene Clark, The Byrds, Dillard and Clark
November 19 - Fred Lipsius, Blood, Sweat & Tears
November 25 - Bob Lind
November 27 - Eddie Rabbitt
November 28 - R.B. Greaves
November 29 - Felix Cavaliere, The Rascals
November 30 - Rob Grill, Grassroots
November 30 - Luther Ingram
December 1 - John Densmore, The Doors
December 1 - Eric Bloom, Blue Oyster Cult
December 4 - Dennis Wilson, The Beach Boys
December 6 - Jonathan King
December 9 - Neil Innes, Bonzo Dog Band
December 9 - Shirley Brickley, The Orlons
December 11 - Brenda Lee
December 12 - Rob Tyner, MC5
December 19 - Alvin Lee, Ten Years After
December 19 - Zalman Yanovsky, The Lovin' Spoonful
December 20 - Bobby Colomby, Blood, Sweat & Tears
December 22 - Barry Jenkins, The Animals
December 25 - Henry Vestine, Canned Heat
December 27 - Mick Jones, Spooky Tooth, Foreigner
December 27 - Tracy Nelson

Deaths

December ? - Glenn Miller
April 19 - Jimmie Noone