1975 in music
List of years in music (Table) |
---|
… 1965 . 1966 . 1967 . 1968 . 1969 . 1970 . 1971 … 1972 . 1973 . 1974 -1975- 1976 . 1977 . 1978 … 1979 . 1980 . 1981 . 1982 . 1983 . 1984 . 1985 … |
Related time period or subjects |
… 1972 . 1973 . 1974 – 1975 – 1976 . 1977 . 1978 … … 1940s . 1950s . 1960s – 1970s – 1980s . 1990s . 2000s … … 19th century – 20th century – 21st century … |
Art . Archaeology . Architecture . Literature . Music . Science . more… |
Contents |
Events
- January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case.
- January 5 - The Wiz, a new version of the classic The Wizard of Oz story, opens at Broadway's Majestic Theater in New York City.
- January 6 - Approximately 1000 Led Zeppelin fans cause an estimated $30,000 in damage to the lobby of the Boston Garden. The fans had been waiting for tickets to go on sale for Led Zeppelin's February 4 concert. The fans reportedly broke chairs and doors and caused other damage to the building. Boston Mayor Kevin White cancels the upcoming show.
- The Alice Cooper stage show for Welcome to My Nightmare becomes the largest stage spectacle of the decade.
- January 8 - Three Led Zeppelin concerts at Madison Square Garden sell out in a record four hours.
- January 12 - "The Warner Brothers Music Show" begins a nine city, 18 show tour of Europe. The tour included Warner Brothers acts Little Feat, Tower of Power, the Doobie Brothers, Bonaroo, Montrose, and Graham Central Station.
- February 21 - John Lennon releases his Rock 'n' Roll LP, featuring John singing his favorite early rock songs from the 50's. To promote the album he conducts a telephone interview with 20 rock radio stations simultaneously.
- March 2 - Los Angeles Police make a routine traffic stop that turns out to be Paul McCartney and his wife Linda. Linda McCartney is arrested for having six to eight ounces of marijuana in her pocketbook.
- March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London.
- Welcome To My Nightmare, Alice cooper's first solo album is released.
- April 3 - Steve Miller is arrested and charged with setting fire to the clothes and personal effects of a friend, Benita DiOrio, and resisting arrest. DiOrio drops the charges the following day.
- April 4 - Minnie Riperton scores a #1 hit single with "Lovin' You".
- April 18 - Alice Cooper's first television special, Welcome To My Nightmare: The Making Of A Record Album airs.
- April 24 - Pete Ham, founder of the group Badfinger, is found hanged in his London garage. His death is ruled a suicide.
- April 28 - Tom Snyder interviews John Lennon on the Tomorrow Show.
- May 10 - Stevie Wonder performs before 125,000 people at the Washington Monument as part of Human Kindness Day festivities.
- August 9 - The Bee Gees begin their mid-70s comeback when Jive Talkin' reaches #1 and goes platinum with sales over 1 million.
- August 9 - Dmitri Shostakovich, the last of the great Soviet composers, dies.
- August 9 - Renato Carosone's comeback concert after 15-year retirement.
- September 15 - Pink Floyd releases their album Wish You Were Here and is a huge hit.
- October 30 - Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour begins
- November - The Ramones release their debut single, "Blitzkrieg Bop".
- November 6 - The Sex Pistols play their first concert at St. Martin's School of Art in London.
- November 21 - Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" goes to number one. (5 weeks 1975 + 4 weeks 1976)
- December 25 - Iron Maiden forms
Also in 1975
- Firefall forms
- Ramones sign to Sire Records
- Pere Ubu forms in August
- .38 Special forms
- Motörhead forms
- Wizzard disbands
- Ocean disbands
- John Rutter becomes Director of Music at Clare College, Cambridge
- Billy Davis, Jr. and Marilyn McCoo leave the Fifth Dimension and start solo careers
- Peter Gabriel leaves British progressive rock group Genesis.
- Camel's classic album, The Snow Goose, is realised.
Albums released
- ABBA - ABBA
- Adventures in Paradise - Minnie Riperton
- Afro-Filipino - Joe Bataan
- Alive! - Kiss
- A Night at the Opera - Queen
- Another Green World - Brian Eno
- Another Year - Leo Sayer
- Atlantic Crossing - Rod Stewart
- Bandolier - Budgie
- The Basement Tapes - Bob Dylan & The Band
- Beautiful Loser - Bob Seger
- The Best of Carly Simon - Carly Simon
- Between the Lines - Janis Ian
- Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan
- - Jeff Beck
- - The Grateful Dead
- Born To Be With You - Dion DiMucci + Produced by Phil Spector
- Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
- Bright Size Life - Pat Metheny Group
- Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy - Elton John
- Captured Angel - Dan Fogelberg
- Caress of Steel - Rush
- Chicago VIII - Chicago
- Chocolate City-Parliament
- Come Taste the Band - Deep Purple
- Crisis? What Crisis? - Supertramp
- Das schönste im Leben - Die Flippers
- Deluxe - Harmonia
- Desperate Straights - Slapp Happy / Henry Cow
- Diamonds & Rust - Joan Baez
- The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! - The Dictators
- Die schönsten Volkslieder - Die Flippers
- Dreadlocks Dread - Big Youth
- Dressed to Kill - Kiss
- Ella and Oscar - Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson
- Extra Texture - George Harrison
- Face the Music - Electric Light Orchestra
- Fandango - ZZ Top
- Fleetwood Mac (album) - Fleetwood Mac
- Fool for the City - Foghat
- Gorilla - James Taylor
- Have You Never Been Mellow - Olivia Newton-John
- Head Over Heels - Poco
- High Voltage - AC/DC
- The Hissing of Summer Lawns- Joni Mitchell
- Hokey Pokey - Richard and Linda Thompson
- Horizon - Carpenters
- Horses - Patti Smith
- In Praise of Learning - Henry Cow
- In Trance - Scorpions
- Initiation - Todd Rundgren
- Katy Lied - Steely Dan
- The Köln Concert - Keith Jarrett
- Landed - Can
- The Last Record Album - Little Feat
- Late For The Sky - Jackson Browne
- Let's Take It To The Stage-Funkadelic
- Live! - Bob Marley and the Wailers
- Main Course - The Bee Gees
- Marcus Garvey - Burning Spear
- Minstrel in the Gallery - Jethro Tull
- Monster Planet - Steve Maxwell Von Braund
- Montreux '75 - Ella Fitzgerald
- Natty Dread - Bob Marley and the Wailers
- Neu! '75 - Neu!
- A Night at the Opera - Queen
- - Tom Waits
- Nuthin' Fancy - Lynyrd Skynyrd
- One of These Nights - The Eagles
- One Size Fits All - Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention
- Ommadawn - Mike Oldfield
- The Original Soundtrack - 10cc
- The Outlaws - The Outlaws
- Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
- - Emmylou Harris
- Playing Possum - Carly Simon
- Pour Down Like Silver - Richard and Linda Thompson
- Prisoner in Disguise- Linda Ronstadt
- Radioactivity - Kraftwerk
- Red Octopus - Jefferson Starship
- Rimmel - Francesco de Gregori
- Rock 'n' Roll - John Lennon
- Rock of the Westies - Elton John
- Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance - Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance
- Red Headed Stranger - Willie Nelson
- Red Octopus - Jefferson Starship
- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron
- Ripper-Various Artists
- Rudy's Rock: The Sax That Changed the World - Rudy Pompilli and The Comets
- Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard - Robert Wyatt
- Sabotage - Black Sabbath
- - The Marshall Tucker Band
- Shaved Fish - John Lennon
- Siren - Roxy Music
- Stampede - The Doobie Brothers
- Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon
- Straight Shooter - Bad Company
- Sweet Deceiver - Kevin Ayers
- Tea Break Over, Back On Your 'Eads - IF
- The Dragon is Dancing - Jimmie Spheeris
- The Tubes - The Tubes
- - Elvis Presley
- Tonight's the Night - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
- Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith
- Velvet Donkey - Ivor Cutler
- Venus and Mars - Paul McCartney & Wings
- Waves - Jade Warrior
- Welcome to My Nightmare - Alice Cooper
- The Who By Numbers - The Who
- -
- Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
- Young Americans - David Bowie
- Zuma - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
- - Heart (in Canada; released in U.S. in 1976)
Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1975.
# | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Sweet | 1975 | Australia 1 of 1975, Germany 1 - Mar 1975, Australia 1 for 6 weeks Mar 1976, UK 2 - Mar 1975, Canada 2 - Nov 1975, Holland 2 - Apr 1975, Norway 2 - Apr 1975, South Africa 2 of 1975, Austria 3 - May 1975, Switzerland 3 - May 1975, France 4 - May 1975, US BB 5 - Nov 1975, Sweden (alt) 10 - Nov 1975, Germany 24 of the 1970s, RYM 24 of 1975, US CashBox 63 of 1976, Scrobulate 64 of glam rock, OzNet 535 | ||
2 | Billy Swan | I Can Help | 1975 | US BB 1 - Oct 1974, Holland 1 - Dec 1974, Austria 1 - Jan 1975, Switzerland 1 - Jan 1975, Norway 1 - Feb 1975, Australia 1 for 1 weeks Aug 1975, Germany 2 - Jan 1975, Canada 3 - Nov 1974, UK 6 - Dec 1974, France 10 - Dec 1974, Sweden (alt) 18 - Feb 1976, Australia 20 of 1975, US CashBox 64 of 1975, Germany 95 of the 1970s, RYM 115 of 1974, Acclaimed 2397 | |
3 | Abba | SOS | 1975 | France 1 - Sep 1975, Germany 1 - Jan 1976, Australia 1 for 1 weeks Aug 1976, Holland 2 - Jun 1975, Austria 2 - Sep 1975, Norway 2 - Oct 1975, Switzerland 3 - Aug 1975, UK 6 - Sep 1975, Italy 7 of 1976, South Africa 8 of 1975, US BB 15 - Oct 1975, US BB 15 of 1975, RYM 15 of 1975, Canada 16 - Oct 1975, Australia 16 of 1976, POP 21 of 1975, Germany 36 of the 1970s, 71 in 2FM list, Acclaimed 1175 | |
4 | George Baker Selection | Una Paloma Blanca | 1975 | Holland 1 - Mar 1975, Sweden (alt) 1 - Nov 1975, Austria 1 - Jul 1975, Switzerland 1 - Jun 1975, Norway 1 - Sep 1975, Germany 1 - May 1975, Germany 4 of the 1970s, Canada 5 - Jan 1976, South Africa 6 of 1975, UK 10 - Sep 1975, Australia 11 of 1975, US BB 26 - Jan 1976, Global 33 (5 M sold) - 1975, Italy 44 of 1975 | |
5 | Salsoul Orchestra | Tangerine | 1975 |
Chronological Table of U.S. and UK Number One Hit Singles
U.S. Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One) |
UK Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One) |
---|---|
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" - Elton John (2) |
"Lonely This Christmas" - Mud (2 weeks 1974 + 2 weeks 1975) |
note: best sellers of the year are bold
Other significant singles
- "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" - Helen Reddy
- "All By Myself" - Eric Carmen
- "All My Friends Are Getting Married" - Skyhooks
- "Amie" - Pure Prairie League
- "At Seventeen" - Janis Ian
- "Autobahn" - Kraftwerk
- "Back In The Night" - Dr. Feelgood
- "Bad Luck' - Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
- "Ballroom Blitz" - Sweet
- "Black Friday" - Steely Dan
- "Black Superman Muhammed Ali" - Johnny Wakelin
- "Blue Guitar" - Justin Hayward and John Lodge
- "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - Stevie Wonder
- "Born to Run" - Bruce Springsteen
- "The Boys Are Back In Town" - Thin Lizzy
- "Bye Bye Baby" - Bay City Rollers
- "Calypso" - John Denver
- "Cavalry" - Daryl Braithwaite
- "Can't Stop Myself From Lovin' You" - William Shakespeare
- "Can't Get It Out of My Head" - Electric Light Orchestra
- "The Carpet Crawlers" - Genesis
- "Chevy Van" - Sammy Johns
- "Convoy" - C.W. McCall
- "Could It Be Magic" - Barry Manilow
- "Curiosity Killed The Cat" - Little River Band
- "Cut The Cake" - Average White Band
- "Daisy Jane" - America
- "Dance With Me" - Orleans
- "Department of Youth" - Alice Cooper
- "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" - Sugarloaf
- "Dreamer" - Supertramp
- "Dynomite, Part 1" - Bazuka
- "Ego Is Not A Dirty Word" - Skyhook
- "Eighteen With A Bullet" -
- "Emma" - Hot Chocolate
- "Evil Woman" - Electric Light Orchestra
- "Express" - B.T. Express
- "Fame" - David Bowie
- "Feel Like Makin' Love" - Bad Company
- "Feelings" - Morris Albert
- "Fight The Power, Part 1" - The Isley Brothers
- "Fly Away" - John Denver
- "Fox on the Run" - Sweet
- "Freedom" - Sherbet
- "" -
- "Golden Years" - David Bowie
- "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" - Bad Company
- "Have a Cigar" - Pink Floyd
- "Hey You" - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- "Hijack" - Herbie Hancock
- "Hold Back The Night" - Trammps
- "Horror Movie" - Skyhooks
- "How Does It Feel" - Slade
- "How Long" - Ace
- "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick On the Side)" - Pointer Sisters
- "The Hustle" - Van McCoy
- "I Am Love" - The Jackson 5
- "I Believe In Father Christmas" - Greg Lake
- "I Can Help" - Billy Swan
- "I Love Music" -
- "Imagine" - John Lennon
- 'I'm Not In Love" - 10cc
- "In Dulce Jubilo/On Horseback" - Mike Oldfield
- "I Only Have Eyes For You" - Art Garfunkel
- "It's a Miracle" - Barry Manilow
- "I Write The Songs" - Barry Manilow
- "Just Can't Stop It(Games People Play)" - The Spinners
- "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" - Eric Clapton
- "Kometenmelodie 2" - Kraftwerk
- "Lady" - Styx
- "Let The Music Play" - Barry White
- "Life...Is For Living" - Sherbert
- "Lonely People" - America
- "Long Tall Glasses" - Leo Sayer
- "Love Hurts" - [[Nazareth
- "L.O.V.E.(Love)" - Al Green
- "Love Is the Drug" - Roxy Music
- "Love Rollercoaster" - The Ohio Players
- "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer
- "Love Won't Let Me Wait" - Major Davis
- "Low Rider" - War
- "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" - Elton John
- "Lyin' Eyes" - The Eagles
- "Magic" - Pilot
- "Mamma Mia" - ABBA
- "Matter Of Time" - Sherbet
- "Man On The Silver Mountain" - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
- "Midnight Blue" - Melissa Manchester
- "Million Dollar Riff" - Skyhooks
- "Miracles" - Jefferson Starship
- "Mr. Jaws" - Dickie Goodman
- "The Newcastle Song" - Bob Hudson
- "Mr. Raffles (Man It Was Mean)" - Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel
- "My Eyes Adored You" - Frankie Valli
- "My Little Town" - Paul Simon
- "Never Can Say Good-Bye" - Gloria Gaynor
- "Nightingale" - Carole King
- "Nights On Broadway" - The Bee Gees
- "The No-No Song" - Ringo Starr
- "No Woman No Cry" - Bob Marley and the Wailers
- "Now I'm Here" - Queen
- "Number 9 Dream" - John Lennon
- "Old Days" - Chicago
- "Once Bitten Twice Shy" - Ian Hunter (singer)
- "Once You Get Started" - Rufus
- "Only Women Bleed" - Alice Cooper
- "Only Yesterday" - Carpenters
- "Our Day Will Come" - Frankie Valli
- "Out On The Floor" - Dobie Gray
- "Pick Up The Pieces" - Average White Band
- "Please Mr. Please" - Olivia Newton-John
- "Please Mr. Postman" - Carpenters
- "Real Man" - Todd Rundgren
- "Remember What I Told You To Forget" - Tavares
- "Right Back Where We Started From" - Maxine Nightingale
- "Rock and Roll All Nite" - Kiss
- "Rocky" - Austin Roberts
- "Rockin' All Over the World" - John Fogerty
- "Rockin' Chair" - Gwen McCrae
- "Roll On Down The Highway" - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- "Roll Over Lay Down" - Status Quo
- "Run Joey Run" - David Geddes
- "Saturday Night" - Bay City Rollers
- "Saturday Night Special" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
- "School's Out (EP)" - Alice Cooper
- "Send In the Clowns" - Judy Collins
- "Shame, Shame, Shame" - Shirley and Company
- "Shaving Cream" - Benny Bell
- "She Does It Right" - Dr. Feelgood
- "Sing A Song" -
- "Sky High" - Jigsaw
- "Slow Ride" - Foghat
- "The Snake" - Al Wilson
- "SOS" - ABBA
- "Spirits In The Night" - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
- "Squeeze Box" - The Who
- "Strange Magic" - Electric Light Orchestra
- "Super Natural Thing" - Ben E. King
- "Swearin' To God" - Frankie Valli
- "Sweet Thing" - Rufus
- "Sweet Surrender" - John Denver
- "Third Rate Romance" -
- "Solitaire" - The Carpenters
- "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" - Elton John
- "Squeeze Box" - The Who
- "Stand By Me" - John Lennon
- "Summer Love" - Sherbet
- "Swearin' To God" - Frankie Valli
- "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan
- "That's the Way (I Like It)" - KC and the Sunshine Band
- "Theme From Mahogany(Do You Know Where You're Going Too)" - Diana Ross
- "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" - Natalie Cole
- "" - Rabbit
- "" - Polly Brown
- "" - Paul McCartney and Wings
- "" - David Ruffin
- "Walking in Rhythm" - The Blackbyrds
- "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" - Freddy Fender
- "" - Captain & Tennille
- "The Way We Were" - Gladys Knight and the Pips
- "" - Pink Floyd
- "What A Difference A Day Makes" - Esther Phillips
- "" - Barry White
- "" - Gil Scott-Heron
- "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" - Roy Harper
- "When Will I Be Loved" - Linda Ronstadt
- "Who Loves You" - The Four Seasons
- "Why Can't We Be Friends - War
- "Wildfire" - Michael Murphy
- "" - Harry Chapin
- "You Are So Beautiful" - Joe Cocker
- "You Sexy Thing" - Hot Chocolate
- "Young Americans" - David Bowie
- "Your My Best Friend" - Queen
- "Paloma Blanca" - George Baker Selection
Published popular music
- "Anytime (I'll Be There)" w.m. Paul Anka
- "At Seventeen" w.m. Janis Ian
- "Calypso" w.m. John Denver
- "I'm Not in Love" w.m. Graham Keith Gouldman & Eric Michael Stewart
- "I'm Sorry" w.m. John Denver
- "The Last Farewell" w.m. R. A. Webster & Roger Whittaker
- "Mamma Mia" w.m. Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson & Björn Ulvaeus
- "Love Will Keep Us Together" w.m. Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield
- "Movin' On Up" w.m. Jeff Barry and Ja'Net DuBois, theme from the TV series The Jeffersons
- "New York State of Mind" w.m. Billy Joel
- "One" w. Edward Kleban m. Marvin Hamlisch
- "Rockin' All Over the World" w.m. John C. Fogerty
- "Wasted Days Wasted Nights" w.m. Freddy Fender & Wayne Duncan
- "The Way I Want To Touch You" w.m. Toni Tennille
- "What I Did For Love" w. Edward Kleban m. Marvin Hamlisch
- "You" w.m. Tom Snow
Classical music
- Samuel Adler - Symphony No. 5, "We are the Echoes"
- Osvaldas Balakauskas - Sonata of the Mountains
- Claude Bolling and Jean Pierre Rampal - Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano
- Mario Davidovsky - Scenes from Shir ha-Shirim for soprano, two tenors, bass soli and chamber ensemble
- Theo Loevendie - Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Orchestra, "Incantations"
- Witold Lutosławski - Les Espaces du Sommeil
- Alexander Vustin - The Word
- Dmitri Shostakovich - Viola Sonata - his final work.
Opera
Musical theatre
- Chicago - Broadway production
- A Chorus Line (Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban) - Broadway production
- A Little Night Music (Stephen Sondheim) - London production
- Dance With Me - Broadway Production
- The Wiz - Broadway production
- Pacific Overtures - Broadway Production
Musical films
Births
- January 2 - Doug Robb (Hoobastank)
- January 3 - Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk)
- January 13 - Jason King
- January 12 - Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice) (Spice Girls)
- February 1 - Big Boi (OutKast)
- February 4 - Natalie Imbruglia
- February 5 - Adam Carson (AFI)
- February 6 - Tomoko Kawase
- February 7 - Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit)
- February 17 - Wish Bone
- February 20 - Brian Littrell (The Backstreet Boys)
- February 23 - Robert Lopez
- March 10 - Jerry Horton (Papa Roach)
- March 17 - Justin Hawkins (The Darkness)
- March 25 - Melanie Blatt (All Saints)
- March 25 - Stacy Ferguson (Black Eyed Peas)
- April 10 - Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional)
- April 26 - Jose Pasillas (Incubus)
- April 26 - Joey Jordison (Slipknot)
- May 3 - Maksim Mrvica
- May 8 - Enrique Iglesias
- May 18 - Jack Johnson
- May 25 - Lauryn Hill (The Fugees)
- May 27 - André 3000 (OutKast)
- May 29 - Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) (Spice Girls)
- June 8 - Emm Gryner
- June 18 -
- July 2 - Erik Ohlsson, (Millencolin)
- July 6 - 50 Cent
- July 9 - Jack White, The White Stripes
- July 11 - Lil' Kim
- July 18 - Daron Malakian, System of a Down
- September 8 - Richard Hughes, Keane
- September 9 - Michael Bublé
- September 11 - Brad Fischetti (LFO)
- September 16 - Shannon Noll
- September 17 - Constantine Maroulis (Pray for the Soul of Betty)
- September 22 - Mystikal
- October 9 - Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono
- November 1 - Bo Bice
- November 6 - Mike Herrera (MxPx)
- November 14 - Travis Barker (blink-182)
- November 20 - Dierks Bentley
- November 20 - Davey Havok, (AFI)
- December 13 - Tom Delonge (blink-182)
- December 14 - Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October)
Deaths
- February 4 - Louis Jordan, jazz musician
- February 19 - Luigi Dallapiccola, composer
- February 22 - Lionel Tertis, viola player
- March 27 - Sir Arthur Bliss, Master of the Queen's Musick
- April 14 - Michael Flanders, lyricist, actor, partner of Donald Swann
- April 23 - Peter Ham, Badfinger, suicide
- May 18 - Leroy Anderson, U.S. composer and conductor
- June 29 - Tim Buckley, drug overdose
- July 14 - Zutty Singleton, U.S. jazz drummer
- July 19 – Lefty Frizzell, Country Music Hall of Fame singer
- August 9 - Dmitri Shostakovich, heart attack
- September 5 - Bill Sprouse Jr. The Road Home, heart attack
- October 1 - Al Jackson, drummer and songwriter
- October 30 - , U.S. arranger and conductor
- December 17 - Noble Sissle, U.S. bandleader and singer
- December 17 - Hound Dog Taylor, blues musician
- December 24 - Bernard Herrmann, composer