1954 in music.html

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Events

Frank Sinatra wins the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in From Here to Eternity, 1953; resuscitating his singing career in the process
Bing Crosby received a Best Actor nomination for his work in The Country Girl
January 14 - First documented use of the abbreviated term "Rock 'n' Roll" to promote Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Jubillee, held at St. Nicholas Arena in New York, New York. Previously the genre term was just called "Rock and Roll"
March 12 - Arnold Schoenberg's opera Moses und Aron premiered in Hamburg (given a staged premiere on June 6 in Zurich) ([1])
April 12 - Bill Haley and His Comets record "Rock Around the Clock" in New York City for Decca Records.
May 10 - "Rock Around the Clock" released as the b-side to "Thirteen Women (and Only One Man in Town)". The song is only a moderate success until it is featured in the film Blackboard Jungle the next year.
July 5 - Elvis Presley has his first commercial recording session at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. He sang That's All Right (Mama) and Blue Moon of Kentucky.
October 16 - Elvis Presley makes his first appearance on a radio program in Shreveport, Louisiana called the Louisiana Hayride.
Fall - A cover version of Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll" by Bill Haley and His Comets becomes the first internationally popular rock and roll recording.
Record companies deliver 7 inch 45 rpm record singles to radio stations instead of 78s.
Lyric Opera of Chicago is founded.
Pat Boone begins his recording career at Republic Records
Les Paul commissions Ampex to build the first eight track tape recorder, at his own expense.
The Drifters form.
The Everly Brothers form.
The Isley Brothers form.
Carl Perkins' musical career begins.
The Newport Jazz Festival is established by George Wein.
São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra founded

Albums released

Al Haig Trio (Esoteric) - Al Haig
And I Thought About You - Patti Page
Bags' Groove - Miles Davis
Bing: A Musical Autobiography - Bing Crosby
Blue Haze - Miles Davis
The Chordettes Sing Your Requests - The Chordettes
Clap Yo' Hands - The Four Lads
Crew Cut Capers - The Crew Cuts
Dinah Jams - Dinah Washington
Favorite Songs - The Ames Brothers
Grand Jacques - Jacques Brel
Guy Mitchell Sings - Guy Mitchell
Irving Berlin Favorites - Eddie Fisher
Irving Berlin's White Christmas - Rosemary Clooney
It Must Be True - The Ames Brothers
Louis Armstrong and the Mills Brothers - Louis Armstrong & The Mills Brothers
Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy - Louis Armstrong and His All Stars
The Man That Got Away - Georgia Gibbs
Meet The Mills Brothers - The Mills Brothers
Mr. Rhythm - Frankie Laine
My Heart's In The Highland - Jo Stafford
A Night at Birdland Vol. 1 - The Art Blakey Quintet
A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 - The Art Blakey Quintet
Old Masters - Bing Crosby
Original Folk Blues - John Lee Hooker
RCA Thesaurus - John Serry, Sr.
Red Garters - Rosemary Clooney
Selections from Irving Berlin's White Christmas - Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Trudy Stevens, Peggy Lee
Some Fine Old Chestnuts - Bing Crosby
Something Cool - June Christy
Song Souvenirs - Patti Page
Songs For Young Lovers - Frank Sinatra
Songs in a Mellow Mood - Ella Fitzgerald
Souvenir Album - The Mills Brothers
Swing Easy - Frank Sinatra
Till I Waltz Again with You - Teresa Brewer
The Tin Angel - Odetta & Larry
Toshiko at Mocambo - Toshiko Akiyoshi
Toshiko's Piano - Toshiko Akiyoshi
Walkin' - Miles Davis
Young at Heart - Doris Day & Frank Sinatra

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the set of charts available for 1954.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Chart Entries
1	Doris Day	Secret Love	1954	UK 1 - Apr 1954, US 1940s 1 - Jan 1954, US 1 for 3 weeks Feb 1954, Oscar in 1953, US BB 11 of 1954, POP 11 of 1954, RYM 12 of 1953, Italy 54 of 1954
2	Rosemary Clooney	Hey There	1954	US 1940s 1 - Jul 1954, US 1 for 6 weeks Sep 1954, Australia 1 for 4 weeks May 1956, UK 4 - Sep 1955, US BB 18 of 1954, POP 21 of 1954, RYM 34 of 1954, DDD 66 of 1954
3	The Chordettes	Mr Sandman	1954	US 1 for 4 weeks Dec 1954, Peel list 1 of 1953, US BB 5 of 1954, POP 7 of 1954, RYM 9 of 1954, UK 11 - Dec 1954, DDD 45 of 1954, RIAA 252, Acclaimed 1006
4	Rosemary Clooney	This Ole House	1954	UK 1 - Oct 1954, US 1940s 1 - Aug 1954, US 1 for 1 weeks Nov 1954, US BB 12 of 1954, POP 12 of 1954, RYM 34 of 1954
5	Kitty Kallen	Little Things Mean a Lot	1954	UK 1 - Jul 1954, US 1940s 1 - Apr 1954, US 1 for 9 weeks Jun 1954, US BB 15 of 1954, POP 15 of 1954, RYM 145 of 1954

US No. 1 hit singles

These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1954.

First week	Number of weeks	Title	Artist	Label
January 2, 1954	8	"Oh My Papa"	Eddie Fisher	RCA Victor
February 27, 1954	2	"Secret Love"	Doris Day	Columbia
March 13, 1954	1	"Make Love To Me"	Jo Stafford	Columbia
March 20, 1954	1	"Secret Love"	Doris Day	Columbia
March 27, 1954	2	"Make Love To Me"	Jo Stafford	Columbia
April 10, 1954	7	"Wanted"	Perry Como	RCA Victor
May 29, 1954	10	"Little Things Mean a Lot"	Kitty Kallen	Decca
August 7, 1954	7	"Sh-Boom"	Crew-Cuts	Mercury
September 25, 1954	6	"Hey There"	Rosemary Clooney	Cactus
November 6, 1954	1	"This Ole House"	Rosemary Clooney	Columbia
November 13, 1954	3	"I Need You Now"	Eddie Fisher	RCA Victor
December 4, 1954	7	"Mr. Sandman"	The Chordettes	Bluebird then sun in 56