This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1943.

Specific locations

  • 1943 in British music
  • 1943 in Norwegian music

Specific genres

  • 1943 in country music
  • 1943 in jazz

Events

  • January 1 – Frank Sinatra appears at the Paramount Theatre causing a mob of hysterical bobby soxers to flood Times Square and block midtown New York City traffic for hours. Sinatra becomes a featured singer on the popular Your Hit Parade radio program, and co-star of the series Broadway Bandbox. By fall, he will have left Bandbox to star in his own series Songs By Sinatra.
  • January 23 – Duke Ellington's orchestra performs for the first time at New York City's Carnegie Hall. During the concert, which raises money for war relief, Ellington premieres his most famous and revered extended composition, Black, Brown and Beige.
  • June 1 – A performance of Darius Milhaud's suite for two pianos Scaramouche at the École Normale de Musique de Paris in Nazi occupied France is billed anagrammatically as Mous Are-chac by 'Hamid-al-Usurid' to evade the ban on works by Jewish composers.
  • June 17 – Perry Como signs with RCA in the United States.
  • September 27 – Decca Records is the first label to come to terms with the American Federation of Musicians, which has been on strike since August 1942 over music royalties. The first song to be recorded is "Pistol Packin' Mama" by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters.
  • October 30 – "Pistol Packin' Mama" by Al Dexter goes where no "Hillbilly" record has ever gone, to the top of the National Best Selling Retail Records chart in the United States. Despite fighting a World War in Europe and the Pacific, civilian and armed forces alike are caught up in a national craze not seen again until Elvis and the Beatles. But not everyone is excited about Country music: Dexter's publishing company sues The Hit Parade radio show for ignoring their record.
  • November 14 – Leonard Bernstein, substituting at the last minute for ailing principal conductor Bruno Walter, directs the New York Philharmonic in its regular Sunday afternoon broadcast concert on CBS. The event receives front-page coverage in The New York Times the following day.
  • Jo Stafford and The Pied Pipers sign with the newly formed Capitol Records (having broken from the Tommy Dorsey band in 1942).
  • Fredda Gibson takes her professional name, "Georgia Gibbs", and begins appearing on the popular Camel Caravan radio program in the United States, hosted by Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore (It is Moore who bestows the famous nickname "Her Nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs" upon her, a playful reference to her diminutive stature).
  • The Ward Singers first tour nationally in the United States.
  • Carter Family disbands.
  • William Schuman's cantata A Free Song wins the first Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Albums released

  • Oklahoma – Original Broadway Cast, 1,000,000 sales
  • Reveille with Beverly – Original soundtrack

The following songs appeared in The Billboard's 'Best Selling Retail Records' chart during 1943. Each week fifteen points were awarded to the number one record, then nine points for number two, eight points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. Regional charts determined the 11–25 rankings each week, and records that failed to score on the main chart were ranked by highest position. Additional information was obtained from the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954 and other sources as specified.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! Rank<

! Artist

! Title

! Label

! Recorded

! Released

! Chart positions

|-

| 1 || The Mills Brothers || "Paper Doll" || Decca 18318 || || || US BB 1943 #2, US #1 for 12 weeks, 40 total weeks, US R&B 1943 #14, Harlem Hit Parade #2 for 5 weeks, 29 total weeks, 287 points, 1,000,000 sales, || Victor 27974 || || || US BB 1943 #4, US #1 for 5 weeks, 26 total weeks, 176 points, 1,000,000 sales || Decca 18561 || || || US BB 1943 #3, US #1 for 7 weeks, 20 total weeks, 174 points, 1,000,000 sales || Columbia 36651 || || || US BB 1943 #5, US #2 for 7 weeks, 24 total weeks, 140 points

|-

| 6 || Al Dexter and His Troopers || "Pistol Packin' Mama" || Okeh 6708 || || || US BB 1943 #10, US #1, US Hillbilly 1943 #1, USHB #1 for 27 weeks, 47 total weeks, 109 points, 1,000,000 sales || Decca 18556 || || || US BB 1943 #5, US #1 for 4 weeks, 19 total weeks, US R&B 1943 #5, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 4 weeks, 16 total weeks, 135 points, Oscar in 1943 (film 'Hello, Frisco, Hello'), ASCAP song of 1943, 1,000,000 sales

|-

| 8 || Harry James and His Orchestra (Vocal Helen Forrest) || "I Had The Craziest Dream" || US BB 1943 #19, US #2 for 1 weeks, 25 total weeks, 107 points, 1,000,000 sales || Victor 27947 || || || US BB 1943 #6, US #1 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks, 123 points

|-

| 12 || Dinah Shore || "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" || Victor 20-1519 || || || US BB 1943 #15, US #2 for 2 weeks, 20 total weeks, 73 points

|-

| 13 || Dick Haymes & the Song Spinners || "It Can't Be Wrong" || Decca 18557 || || || US BB 1943 #13, US #2 for 5 weeks, 15 total weeks, 71 points

|-

| 14 || Harry James and His Orchestra || "Velvet Moon" || Victor 20-1526 || || || US BB 1943 #21, US #2 for 1 week, 18 total weeks, 250,000 sales

|-

| 16 || Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters || "Pistol Packin' Mama" || Decca 23277 || || || US 1943 #14, US #2 for 1 week, 15 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #2, USHB #1 for 11 weeks, 23 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales || Columbia 35869 || || || US BB 1943 #7, US #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks

|-

| 18 || Bing Crosby || "Moonlight Becomes You" || Decca 18513 || || || US BB 1943 #20, US #3 for 1 weeks, 20 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales || Victor 27970 || || || US BB 1943 #23, US #3 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks

|-

| 21 || Rudy Vallee & His Connecticut Yankees || "As Time Goes By" || Decca 18570 || || || US BB 1943 #24, US #3 for 2 weeks, 7 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales || Decca 18553 || || || US BB 1943 #8, US #1 for 3 weeks, 12 total weeks, 91 points

|-

| 25 || Harry James and His Orchestra || "I Heard You Cried Last Night" || Decca 18564 || || || US BB 1943 #22, US #2 for 1 week, 17 total weeks, 86 points

|-

| 28 || The Ink Spots || "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" || Decca 18503 || || || US BB 1943 #18, US #2 for 1 week, 27 total weeks, 82 points

|-

| 29 || Frank Sinatra || "You'll Never Know" || Victor 27970 || || || US BB 1943 #23, US #3 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks

|-

| 32 || Ted Daffan's Texans || "No Letter Today" || Okeh 6706 || || || US BB 1943 #50, US #9 for 1 week, 20 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #3, USHB #1 for 5 weeks, 53 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales

|}

Harlem Hit Parade Top Records of 1943

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! Rank

! Artist

! Title

! Label

! Recorded

! Released

! Chart positions

|-

| 1 || Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra || "Don't Cry, Baby" || Bluebird 30-0813 || || || US Billboard 1943 #57, US Pop #11 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks, US R&B 1943 #1, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 14 weeks, 29 total weeks, August 14 – November 13, 1943

|-

| 2 || Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra || "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" || Victor 20-1547 || || || US Billboard 1944 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points

|-

| 3 || The Mills Brothers || "Paper Doll" || Decca 18318 || || || US Billboard 1943 #1, US Pop #1 for 12 weeks, 40 total weeks, 287 points, US R&B 1943 #14, Harlem Hit Parade #2 for 5 weeks, 29 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998, 1,000,000 sales, || Decca 18503 || || || US Billboard 1943 #16, US Pop #2 for 1 week, 27 total weeks, 82 points

|-

| 5 || Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra || "Apollo Jump" || Victor 20-1547 || || || US Billboard 1944 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points

|-

| 6 || The Ink Spots || "I Can't Stand Losing You" || Decca 18503 || || || US Billboard 1943 #16, US Pop #2 for 1 week, 27 total weeks, 82 points

|-

| 7 || Bea Booze || "See See Rider Blues" || Victor 20-1547 || || || US Billboard 1944 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points

|-

| 8 || Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra vocals Billie Holiday || "Trav'lin' Light" || Capitol 47 || || || US Billboard 1943 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points

|-

| 9 || Dick Haymes and the Song Spinners || "You'll Never Know" || Decca 18556 || || || US Billboard 1943 #6, US Pop #1 for 4 weeks, 19 total weeks, 135 points, US R&B 1943 #9, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 4 weeks, 16 total weeks

|-

| 10 || Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra || "When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World)" || Victor 20-1547 || || || US Billboard 1944 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points

|}

  • "All Er Nuthin'" words: Oscar Hammerstein II music: Richard Rodgers
  • "Amor" w. (Eng) Sunny Skylar (Sp) Ricardo Lopez Mendez m. Gabriel Ruiz
  • "Artistry In Rhythm" m. Stan Kenton
  • "Beat Out Dat Rhythm On a Drum" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Georges Bizet
  • "Besame Mucho" w. Sunny Skylar m. Conseulo Velázquez
  • "By the River of the Roses" w. Marty Symes m. Joe Burke
  • "Candlelight and Wine" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh. Introduced by Georgia Carroll and Harry Babbitt in the film Around the World
  • "Close to You" w.m. Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston & Carl Lampl
  • "Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh
  • "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" w. Bob Russell m. Duke Ellington
  • "Don't Let's Be Beastly To The Germans" w.m. Noël Coward
  • "Don't Sweetheart Me" w. Charles Tobias m. Cliff Friend
  • "The Farmer and the Cowman" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers from the musical Oklahoma!
  • "A Fellow on a Furlough" w.m. Bobby Worth
  • "Foolish Heart" w. Ogden Nash m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical One Touch Of Venus
  • "Have I Stayed Away Too Long?" w.m. Frank Loesser
  • "Hit the Road to Dreamland" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen
  • "How Much I Love You" w. Ogden Nash m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Kenny Baker in the musical One Touch Of Venus
  • "I Cain't Say No" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
  • "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh
  • "I Love You" w. Robert Wright & George Forrest m. Grieg
  • "I Sustain the Wings" m. Glenn Miller, Chummy MacGregor, Norman Leyden & Bill Meyers
  • "If You Please" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen
  • "I'll Be Home for Christmas" w.m. Kim Gannon, Walter Kent & Buck Ram
  • "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" w. Ogden Nash m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical One Touch Of Venus
  • "I'm Going to Get Lit Up When the Lights Go On In London" w.m. Hubert Gregg
  • "I'm Riding for a Fall" w. Frank Loesser m. Arthur Schwartz. Introduced by Dennis Morgan and Joan Leslie in the film Thank Your Lucky Stars
  • "It Could Happen to You" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen
  • "It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers. From the musical Oklahoma!
  • "A Journey to a Star" w. Leo Robin m. Harry Warren. Introduced by Alice Faye in the film The Gang's All Here
  • "Julpolskan" w.m. Anna-Lisa Frykman (in Nu ska vi sjunga)
  • "Kansas City" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
  • "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh
  • "Mairzy Doats" w.m. Milton Drake, Al Hoffman & Jerry Livingston
  • "Many a New Day" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
  • "La Mer" w.m. Charles Trenet
  • "Moonlight in Vermont" w. John Blackburn m. Karl Suessdorf
  • "My Heart Tells Me" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren
  • "My Shining Hour" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen
  • "No Love, No Nothin' " w. Leo Robin m. Harry Warren. Introduced by Alice Faye in the film The Gang's All Here
  • "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'"' w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
  • "Oklahoma!" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
  • "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen
  • "Opus No. 1" w. Sid Garris m. Sy Oliver
  • "Out of My Dreams" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
  • "Pedro the Fisherman" w. Harold Purcell m. Harry Parr-Davies
  • "People Will Say We're In Love" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
  • "Pore Jud is Daid" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
  • "San Fernando Valley" w.m. Gordon Jenkins
  • "Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There" w. Herb Magidson m. Jimmy McHugh. Introduced by Deanna Durbin in the film Hers to Hold
  • "Shoo Shoo Baby" w.m. Phil Moore
  • "Silver Wings In The Moonlight" w.m. Hughie Charles, Sonny Miller & Leo Towers
  • "So Tired" w.m. Russ Morgan & Jack Stuart
  • "Speak Low" w. Ogden Nash m. Kurt Weill. w. Ogden Nash m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Mary Martin and Kenny Baker in the musical One Touch Of Venus. Performed in the 1948 film version by Dick Haymes, and Eileen Wilson dubbing for Ava Gardner.
  • "Star Eyes" w.m. Don Raye & Gene De Paul
  • "Straighten Up and Fly Right" w.m. Nat King Cole & Irving Mills
  • "Sunday, Monday Or Always" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen
  • "Take It Easy" w.m. Albert De Brue, Irving Tayor & Vic Mizzy. Introduced in the 1944 musical film Two Girls and a Sailor by Virginia O'Brien, Lee Wilde, Lyn Wilde, and Lina Romay with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra
  • "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
  • "That's Him" w. Ogden Nash m. Kurt Weill w. Ogden Nash m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical One Touch of Venus. Performed in the 1948 film version by Eileen Wilson (dubbing for Ava Gardner), Olga San Juan and Eve Arden.
  • "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" w. Frank Loesser m. Arthur Schwartz
  • "Tico-Tico" w. (Eng) Ervin Drake (Port) Aloysio Oliviera m. Zequinha Abreu
  • "To Keep My Love Alive" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers
  • "Vict'ry Polka" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
  • "What Do You Do In the Infantry?" w.m. Frank Loesser
  • "When Can I Have a Banana Again?" w.m. Nat Mills, Gaby Rogers, Harry Roy
  • "You'll Never Know" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren introduced by Alice Faye in the film Hello, Frisco, Hello and also performed by Faye in the 1944 film Four Jills in a Jeep

Classical music

Premieres

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Composer !! Composition !! Date !! Location !! Performers

|-

| Berkeley, Lennox || Symphony No. 1 || 1943-07-08 || London (Proms) || London Philharmonic – Cameron

|-

| Britten, Benjamin || Prelude and Fugue for Strings || 1943-06-23 || London || Neel String Orchestra – Neel

|-

| Britten, Benjamin || Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings || 1943-10-15 || London || Pears, Brain / Neel String Orchestra – Britten

|-

| Copland, Aaron || Music for the Movies || 1943-02-17 || New York City || Saidenberg Little Symphony – Saidenberg

|-

| Copland, Aaron || Fanfare for the Common Man || 1943-03-12 || Cincinnati || Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra – Goossens

|-

| Dale, Benjamin || The Flowing Tide || 1943-08-06 || London (Proms) || BBC Symphony – Boult

|-

| Dutilleux, Henri || Melodies for Voice and Orchestra || 1943-12-14 || Paris || Panzera / Paris Conservatory Concert Orchestra – Tomasi

|-

| Feldman, Morton || Dirge in Memory of Thomas Wolfe || 1943-04-15 || New York City || HSMA Senior Symphony – Feldman

|-

| Foss, Lukas || The Prairie || 1946-10-15 || Boston || Boston Symphony – Koussevitzky

|-

| Ginastera, Alberto || Dances from Estancia || 1943-05-12 || Buenos Aires || Teatro Colón Regular Orchestra – Calusio

|-

| Gundry, Inglis || Heyday Freedom, orchestral suite || 1943-06-26 || London (Proms) || London Philharmonic – Cameron

|-

| Harris, Roy || Symphony No. 5 || 1943-02-26 || Boston || Boston Symphony – Koussevitzky

|-

| Jolivet, André || Les trois complaintes du soldat || 1943-02-28 || Paris || Bernac / Paris Conservatory Concert Orchestra – Munch

|-

| Martinů, Bohuslav || Concerto for Two Pianos || 1943-11-05 || Philadelphia || Luboshutz, Nemenoff / Philadelphia Orchestra – Ormandy

|-

| Martinů, Bohuslav || Memorial to Lidice || 1943-10-28 || New York City || New York Philharmonic – Rodzinski

|-

| Martinů, Bohuslav || Symphony No. 2 || 1943-10-28 || Cleveland, Ohio || Cleveland Orchestra – Leinsdorf

|-

| Martinů, Bohuslav || Violin Concerto No. 2 || 1943-12-31 || Boston || Elman / Boston Symphony – Koussevitzky

|-

| Messiaen, Olivier || Visions de l'Amen || 1943-05-10 || Paris || Loriod, Messiaen

|-

| Moeran, Ernest John || Rhapsody No. 3, for piano and orchestra || 1943-08-19 || London (Proms) || Cohen / BBC Symphony – Boult

|-

| Moroi, Saburō || Sinfonietta for Children || 1943-11-05 || Tokyo || Tokyo Broadcast Orchestra – Moroi

|-

| Ponce, Manuel || Violin Concerto || 1943-08-20 || México DF || Szeryng / Mexico Symphony – Chávez

|-

| Prokofiev, Sergei || Flute Sonata || 1943-12-07 || Moscow || Kharkovsky, Richter

|-

| Prokofiev, Sergei || Piano Sonata No. 7 || 1943-01-18 || Moscow || Richter

|-

| Prokofiev, Sergei || The Year 1941 || 1943-01-21 || Sverdlovsk, Russia || USSR Radio Symphony – Rabinovich

|-

| Rodrigo, Joaquín || Concierto heroico || 1943-04-03 || Lisbon || Querol / Spanish National Orchestra – E. Halffter

|-

| Rowley, Alec || Burlesque Quadrilles || 1943-07-13 || London (Proms) || London Philharmonic – Cameron

|-

| Shostakovich, Dmitri || Piano Sonata No. 2 || 1943-06-06 || Moscow || Shostakovich

|-

| Shostakovich, Dmitri || Six Romances on Verses by English Poets || 1943-06-06 || Moscow || Flachs, Shostakovich

|-

| Shostakovich, Dmitri || Symphony No. 8 || 1943-11-04 || Moscow || USSR State Symphony – Mravinsky

|-

| Strauss, Richard || Divertimento after pieces by Couperin || 1943-01-31 || Vienna || Vienna Philharmonic – Krauss

|-

| Stravinsky, Igor || Ode || 1943-10-08 || Boston || Boston Symphony – Koussevitzky

|-

| Tippett, Michael || Boyhood's End || 1943-05-24 || Morley College, London || Unspecified performers

|-

| Tippett, Michael || String Quartet No. 2 || 1943-03-27 || London || Zorian Quartet

|-

| Tubin, Eduard || Suite on Estonian Dance Tunes || 1943-10-02 || Tartu, Estonia || Turgan, Mangre

|-

| Vaughan Williams, Ralph || Symphony No. 5 || 1943-06-24 || London (Proms) || London Philharmonic – Vaughan Williams

|-

| Villa Lobos, Heitor || String Quartet No. 6 || 1943-11-30 || Rio de Janeiro || Quarteto Haydn

|-

| Walton, William || Violin Concerto (2nd version) || 1943-11-30 || Wolverhampton, UK || Royal Liverpool Philharmonic – Sargent

|-

| Webern, Anton || Three Lieder, Op. 23 || 1943-12-05 || Basel, Switzerland || Gradmann-Lüscher, Baumgartner

|-

| Webern, Anton || Variations for Orchestra (1940) || 1943-03-03 || Winterthur, Switzerland || Stadtorchester Winterthur – Scherchen

|-

| Weisgall, Hugo || American Comedy 1943 || 1943-07-29 || London (Proms) || BBC Symphony – Weisgall

  • May 28 – Vaughn De Leath, US singer and radio pioneer, 48 (alcohol-related)
  • June 16 – Sigrid Onégin, opera singer, 54
  • June 26 – Ruby Elzy, African American soprano Porgy and Bess, 35 (post-operative complications)
  • July 13 – Lorenzo Barcelata, songwriter, 44
  • July 20 – Maria Gay, opera singer, 64
  • September 1 – August Brunetti-Pisano, Austrian composer, 72
  • September 7
  • Frank Crumit, US singer, 53
  • Karlrobert Kreiten, pianist, 27
  • September 21 – Trixie Smith, blues singer, 48
  • October 5 – Leon Roppolo, jazz musician, 41
  • October 23 – Ben Bernie, US jazz violinist and bandleader, 52
  • October 31 – Max Reinhardt, theatre director, 70
  • November 22 – Lorenz Hart, lyricist, 48 (pneumonia)
  • November 26 – Winnaretta Singer, musical patron, 78
  • November 28 – Arthur Catterall, violinist, orchestra leader and conductor, 60
  • December 15 – Fats Waller, jazz pianist and singer, 39 (pneumonia)
  • December 18 – Joseph McCarthy, composer, 58
  • date unknown
  • Max Bouvet, operatic baritone (born 1854)
  • Harry Kandel, bandleader (born 1885)
  • Erhard Wechselmann, baritone opera singer (born 1895?) (killed in Auschwitz concentration camp)

References