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right|thumb|Musicians including [[Thelonious Monk and Roy Eldridge in New York City in 1947]]

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1947.

Specific locations

  • 1947 in British music
  • 1947 in Norwegian music

Specific genres

  • 1947 in country music
  • 1947 in jazz

Events

  • June 11 – 15 – First Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is held in Wales.
  • August 7 – Carlo Bergonzi makes his professional debut as Schaunard in La bohème at the Arena Argentina in Catania.
  • October – Enrico De Angelis leaves Quartetto Cetra to join the army. Lucia Mannucci replaces him.
  • Jack Brymer becomes principal clarinettist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • Patti Page signs with Mercury.
  • Frankie Laine earns the first of his 21 gold records.
  • Kay Starr signs with Capitol.
  • George Jones begins performing.
  • Ernesto Bonino embarks on his Latin American tour.
  • The Amadeus Quartet is founded, as the Brainin Quartet.
  • Bernard Greenhouse and John Serry Sr. appear in Studio One on the CBS network.

Albums released

  • Glenn Miller Masterpieces, Vol. 2 – Glenn Miller
  • Music Out of the Moon – Les Baxter
  • The Jolson Album Vol. 1 – Al Jolson
  • St. Patrick's Day – Bing Crosby
  • Accordion Capers – The Biviano Rhythm Sexteete with John Serry Sr. & Tony Mottola

Before the Hot100 was implemented in 1958, Billboard magazine measured a record's performance in the United States with three charts, 'Best-Selling Popular Retail Records', 'Records Most-Played On the Air' or 'Records Most Played By Disk Jockeys' and 'Most-Played Juke Box Records'. The following rankings are supplemented with reliable data from the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 and other sources as specified.

{| class="wikitable"

! Rank

! Artist

! Title

! Label

! Recorded

! Released

! Chart positions

|-

| 1 || Francis Craig and His Orchestra || "Near You" || Bullet 1001 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 1, US no. 1 for 17 weeks, 25 total weeks, 657 points, sold 2.5 million

|-

| 2 || Ted Weems and His Orchestra || "Heartaches" || Decca 25017 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 2, US no. 1 for 13 weeks, 20 total weeks, 643 points

|-

| 3 || Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra || "Ballerina" || RCA Victor 20-2433 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 3, US no. 1 for 10 weeks, 22 total weeks, 589 points

|-

| 4 || The Harmonicats || "Peg o' My Heart" || Vitacoustic 1 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 4, US no. 1 for 8 weeks, 26 total weeks, 452 points

|-

| 5 || Buddy Clark (Ray Noble Orchestra) || "Linda" || Columbia 37215 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 5, US no. 1 for 2 weeks, 23 total weeks, 381 points, CashBox no. 4

|-

| 6 || Tex Williams and The Western Caravan || "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" || Capitol 40001 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 6, US no. 1 for 6 weeks, 23 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1947 no. 3, USHB no. 1 for 16 weeks, 23 total weeks, 358 points

|-

| 7 || The Three Suns || "Peg O' My Heart" || RCA Victor 20-2272 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 7, US no. 1 for 4 weeks, 19 total weeks, 326 points

|-

| 8 || Arthur Godfrey || "Too Fat Polka (I Don't Want Her-You Can Have Her-She's Too Fat For Me)" || Columbia 37921 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 8, US no. 2 for 8 weeks, 18 total weeks, 320 points

|-

| 9 || Perry Como (Ted Weems Orchestra)|| "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" || Decca 25078 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 9, US no. 1 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks, 283 points

|-

| 10 || Freddy Martin and His Orchestra || "Managua, Nicaragua" || Majestic 1124 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 11, US no. 2 for 4 weeks, 19 total weeks, 237 points, CashBox no. 4

|-

| 12 || Hoagy Carmichael || "Huggin' and Chalkin'" || Decca 23675 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 12, US no. 1 for 2 weeks, 15 total weeks, 218 points, CashBox no. 3, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, 1,000,000 sales || MGM 10011 || || ||US Billboard 1947 no. 13, US no. 1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks, 216 points

|-

| 14 || Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra || "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" || Tower 1258 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 15, US no. 2 for 1 weeks, 20 total weeks, 201 points

|-

| 16 || Eddy Howard and His Orchestra || "My Adobe Hacienda" || Capitol 412 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 18, US no. 1 for 1 week, 15 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1947 no. 7, USHB no. 2 for 11 weeks, 18 total weeks, 190 points

|-

| 19 || Perry Como || "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" || Decca 23741 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 88, US pop charts no. 6 for 1 week, 6 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 1, Race Records chart no. 1 for 17 weeks, 27 total weeks, 199 points

|-

| 2 || Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five || "Boogie Woogie Blue Plate" || Decca 24104 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 205, US pop charts no. 21 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 2, Race Records chart no. 1 for 14 weeks, 25 total weeks, 168 points

|-

| 3 || Julia Lee and Her Boy Friends || "(Opportunity Knocks But Once) Snatch and Grab It" || Manor 1046 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 236, US pop charts no. 21 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 4, Race Records chart no. 1 for 8 weeks, 25 total weeks, 127 points

|-

| 5 || Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five || "Jack, You're Dead" || Decca 23901 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 200, US pop charts no. 21 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 5, US no. 1 for 7 weeks, 20 total weeks, 108 points

|-

| 6 || Eddie Vinson and His Orchestra || "Old Maid Boogie" || Mercury 8028 || || || US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 6, US no. 1 for 2 weeks, 23 total weeks, 79 points

|-

| 7 || Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm || "He's a Real Gone Guy" || Decca 23741 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 88, US pop charts no. 6 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 8, US no. 2 for 4 weeks, 23 total weeks, 52 points

|-

| 9 || Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five || "Texas and Pacific" || Decca 23810 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 197, US pop charts no. 20 for 1 week, 3 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 9, US no. 1 for 2 weeks, 15 total weeks, 49 points

|-

| 10 || Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm || "Hurry on Down" || Exclusive 240 || || || US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 11, US no. 2 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks, 32 points

|-

| 12 || Lionel Hampton and His Hamptonians || "I Want to Be Loved (But Only by You)" || Decca 23879 || || || US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 12, US no. 2 for 1 weeks, 11 total weeks, 25 points

|-

| 13 || Mills Brothers || "Across the Alley from the Alamo" || Decca 23863 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 30, US pop charts no. 2 for 2 weeks, 15 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 13, Race Records chart no. 2 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, 24 points

|-

| 14 || Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five || "Open the Door, Richard!" || Decca 23841 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 66, US pop charts no. 6 for 1 week, 4 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 14, Race Records chart no. 2 for 4 weeks, 6 total weeks, 21 points

|-

| 15 || Frankie Laine and Mannie Klein's All Stars || "That's My Desire" || Black & White 792 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 64, US pop charts no. 3 for 1 week, 9 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 16, Race Records chart no. 2 for 2 weeks, 7 total weeks, 19 points

|-

| 17 || Dusty Fletcher || "Open The Door, Richard (Part 1)" || National 4012 || || || US Billboard 1947 no. 50, US pop charts no. 3 for 1 week, 7 total weeks, US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 17, Race Records chart no. 2 for 2 weeks, 7 total weeks, 19 points

|-

| 18 || Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five || "Early In The Mornin" || Decca 24155 || || || US Billboard Most-Played Juke Box Race Records 1947 no. 18, Race Records chart no. 3 for 3 weeks, 10 total weeks, 19 points

|-

| 19 || Erskine Hawkins || "Hawk's Boogie"

|-

| Barber, Samuel || Suite from Medea || 1947-12-05 || Philadelphia || Philadelphia Orchestra – Ormandy

|-

| Boulez, Pierre || Flute Sonatina || 1947-02-28 || Brussels || Van Boterdael, Mercenier

|-

| Britten, Benjamin || Canticle I: My Beloved is Mine and I am His || 1947-11-01 || London || Pears, Britten

|-

| Carter, Elliott || Piano Sonata || 1947-03-05