1964 in music

Events

January 1 - Top of the Pops premieres on BBC television.
January 3 - Footage of the Beatles performing a concert in Bournemouth, England is shown on The Jack Paar Show
January 15 - Vee Jay Records files a lawsuit against Capitol Records and Swan Records over manufacturing and distribution rights to Beatles albums. Capitol Records is granted an injuction restraining Vee Jay Records from further manufacturing, distributing or advertising recordings by the Beatles.
January 18 - The Beatles appear on the Billboard magazine charts for the first time
February 1 - Indiana Governor Welsh declares the song "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen pornographic. He requests that the Indiana Broadcasters Association ban the record. Governor Welsh claimed that his "ears tingle" when he heard the song. Publisher Max Firetag offers $1,000 to anyone that can find anything "suggestive" in the song's lyrics.
February 7 - The Beatles arrive in the United States and are greeted by thousands of screaming fans at New York's Kennedy Airport.
February 9 - The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan show, which breaks television ratings records
April 4 - The Beatles occupied all five top positions on Billboard's Top Pop Singles chart with their singles "Can't Buy Me Love", "Twist and Shout", "She Loves You", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and "Please Please Me".
September - Shindig! premieres on ABC
October 19 - Simon and Garfunkel release Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which is initially a total flop upon first release. After release of their second album, Sounds of Silence, in 1966, it hits #30 on the Billboard charts.
Simon and Garfunkel form to record for Columbia Records, marking first time that ethnic names are used in pop music.
Frank Zappa's musical career begins
Phil Ochs' musical career begins
Marianne Faithfull's musical career begins
Sonny and Cher begin performing together
MC5 forms
The Mamas & the Papas form

Albums Released

A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles
With the Beatles - The Beatles
Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. - Simon and Garfunkel
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane

Top Hits

"I Feel Fine"/"She's A Woman" - The Beatles
"A Hard Day's Night" - The Beatles
"Can't Buy Me Love" - The Beatles
"Twist and Shout" - The Beatles
Hello Dolly recorded by Louis Armstrong
"Fun Fun Fun" - The Beach Boys
"Baby Love" - The Supremes
"Dawn" - The Four Seasons
"I Get Around" - The Beach Boys
"Under The Boardwalk" - The Drifters
"You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
"House Of The Rising Sun" - The Animals
"She's Not There" - The Zombies
"Glad All Over" - Dave Clark Five
"Oh, Pretty Woman" - Roy Orbison
- This is reported to be the fastest selling single in history

"Dancin' In The Street" - Martha & the Vandellas

Births

January 5 - Grant Young, Soul Asylum
January 10 - Brad Roberts, Crash Test Dummies
January 29 - Roddy Frame, Aztec Camera
February 4 - Noodles of The Offspring
March 20 - Tracy Chapman
April 12 - Amy Ray, Indigo Girls
April 16 - Dave Pirner, Soul Asylum
April 17 - Maynard James Keenan, Tool
April 25 - Andy Bell, Erasure
May 12 - Brett Gurewitz, Bad Religion
May 26 - Lenny Kravitz
May 30 - Tom Morello, Rage Against The Machine
May 31 - Darryl McDaniels, Run D.M.C.
June 6 - Jay Bentley, Bad Religion
June 13 - Robbie Merril, Godsmack
June 22 - Mike Edwards, Jesus Jones
July 20 - Chris Sornell, Soundgarden
July 22 - Will Calhoun, Living Colour
August 1 - Adam Duritz, Counting Crows
September 30 - Robby Takac, Goo Goo Dolls
October 5 - Dave Dededer, Presidents of the United States of America
October 6 - Matthew Sweet
October 10 - Neneh Cherry
October 20 - Jim Sonefeld, Hootie & The Blowfish
November 6 - Corey Glover, Living Colour
November 6 - Greg Gaffin, Bad Religion
November 14 - Joseph Run Simmons, Run DMC
November 14 - Nic Dalton, The Lemonheads
November 24 - Tony Rambola, Godsmack
Frank Rizzo, Jerky Boys

Deaths

January 15 - Jack Teagarden
October 15 - Cole Porter