1931 in music
Events
Published popular music
- "Adios" w. Eddie Wood m. Enric Madriguera
- "All of Me" w.m. Seymour Simons & Gerald Marks
- "As Time Goes By" w.m. Herman Hupfeld
- "At Your Command" w.m. Harry Barris, Bing Crosby & Harry Tobias
- "Black Jazz" m. Gene Gifford
- "Blah, Blah, Blah" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by El Brendel in the film Delicious
- "Blues In My Heart" w. Irving Mills m. Benny Carter
- "Brighter Than The Sun" w. Anona Winn m. Ray Noble
- "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Jay Gorney
- "By The River Sainte Marie" w. Edgar Leslie m. Harry Warren
- "Call Me Darling, Call Me Sweetheart, Call Me Dear" w. (Eng) Dorothy Dick w.m. Bert Reisfeld, Mart Fryberg & Rolf Marbet
- "Close Your Eyes" D. Carter - H. M. Tennent
- "Come to Me" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson
- "Concentratin' On You" w. Andy Razaf m. Fats Waller
- "Crosby, Columbo And Vallee" w. Al Dubin m. Joe Burke
- "Cuban Love Song" w.m. Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh & Herbert Stothart
- "Dancing In The Dark" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz
- "Delishious" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin
- "Doin' What I Please" w. Andy Razaf m. Thomas Waller
- "Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away" w. Sammy Timberg m. Samuel Lerner. Introduced by Mae Questel and Rudy Vallee in the Betty Boop animated short Musical Justice (1931)
- "Down Sunnyside Lane" Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly
- "Dream a Little Dream of Me" w. Gus Kahn m. Fabian Andre & Wilbur Schwandt
- "An Evening In Caroline" w.m. Walter Donaldson
- "A Faded Summer Love" w.m. Phil Baxter
- "Goodnight, Sweetheart" w.m. Ray Noble, James Campbell & Reg Connelly
- "Got A Date With An Angel" w. Clifford Grey & Sonny Miller m. Jack Waller & Joseph Tunbridge
- "Got the Bench, Got the Park" w.m. Al Sherman, Al Lewis & Fred Phillips
- "Green Eyes" w. (Eng) E. Rivera & Eddie Woods (Sp) Adolfo Utrero m. Nilo Menendez
- "Guilty" w. Gus Kahn m. Richard A. Whiting & Harry Akst
- "Hang Out The Stars In Indiana" w. Billy Moll m. Harry Woods
- "He Played His Ukulele As The Ship Went Down" w.m. Arthur Le Clerq
- "Heartaches" w. John Clenner m. Al Hoffman
- "Hello, My Lover, Goodbye" w. Edward Heyman m. John Green. Introduced by Frances Langford in the musical Here Goes the Bride
- "Help Yourself to Happiness" w.m. Mack Gordon, Harry Revel and Harry Richman. Introduced by Harry Richman in the revue Ziegfeld Follies of 1931
- "Hold My Hand" w. Douglas Furber m. Noel Gay
- "Home" w.m. Peter Van Steeden, Harry Clarkson & Geoff Clarkson
- "Hoops" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz
- "I Apologize" w.m. Al Hoffman, Al Goodhart & Ed Nelson
- "I Don't Know Why" w. Roy Turk m. Fred E. Ahlert
- "I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store)" w. Billy Rose & Mort Dixon m. Harry Warren
- "I Heard" w.m. Don Redman
- "I Love Louisa" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz
- "I Surrender, Dear" w. Gordon Clifford m. Harry Barris
- "If You Should Ever Need Me" w. Al Dubin m. Joe Burke
- "I'll Be Good Because Of You" w.m. Ray Noble & Alan Murray
- "I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart" Fisher, Unger, Stern
- "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" w. Alex Hill m. Fats Waller
- "I'm Gonna Get You" w.m. Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias & Jules Lemare
- "I'm Good For Nothing But Love" Ballard, Maltin
- "I'm Through With Love" w. Gus Kahn m. Matty Malneck & Fud Livingston
- "It's The Darndest Thing" w. Dorothy Fields m. Jimmy McHugh
- "It's The Girl" w. Dave Oppenheim m. Abel Baer
- "It's You!" Razaf, Waller
- "I've Got Five Dollars" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers
- "Jazz Nocturne" m. Dana Suesse
- "Just One More Chance" w. Sam Coslow m. Arthur Johnston
- "Kicking The Gong Around" w. Ted Koehler m. Harold Arlen
- "A Lady Must Live" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Jeanne Aubert in the musical America's Sweetheart
- "Lady Of Spain" w.m. Robert Hargreaves, Tolchard Evans, Stanley J. Damerell & Henry J. Tilsley
- "Lies" w. George E. Springer m. Harry Barris
- "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson
- "Little Girl" w.m. Madeline Hyde & Francis Henry
- "Love Is Sweeping The Country" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin
- "Love Letters In The Sand" w. Nick Kenny & Charles Kenny m. J. Fred Coots
- "Lullaby Of The Leaves" w. Joe Young m. Bernice Petkere
- "Mad Dogs And Englishmen" w.m. Noel Coward
- "Makin' Faces At The Man In The Moon" w.m. Max Rich, Kate Smith, Al Hoffman & Ned Washington
- "Mama Inez" w. (Eng) L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Eliseo Grenet
- "Maria, My Own" w. (Eng) L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Ernesto Lecuona
- "Marta" w. (Eng) L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Moises Simons
- "Mausie" w. (Eng) Harry Graham m. Paul Abraham
- "Me!" w.m. Irving Berlin
- "(There Ought to Be a) Moonlight Saving Time" w.m. Irving Kahal & Harry Richman
- "My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes" Koehler, Pola, Golden
- "My Song" w. Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson
- "Nevertheless" w. Bert Kalmar m. Harry Ruby
- "Now's The Time To Fall In Love" w.m. Al Sherman & Al Lewis
- "Of Thee I Sing" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin
- "Oh, Monah" w.m. Ted Weems & Joe "Country" Washburn
- "One More Time" w.m. B. G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson.
- "Ooh That Kiss" w. Mort Dixon & Joe Young m. Harry Warren
- "Out Of Nowhere" w. Edward Heyman m. John Green
- "Paradise" w. Nacio Herb Brown & Gordon Clifford m. Nacio Herb Brown
- "Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone)" w.m. Will Jason & Val Burton
- "Pied Piper Of Hamelin" w.m. Noel Gay
- "Poor Pierrot" w. Otto Harbach m. Jerome Kern
- "Popeye The Sailor Man" w.m. Sammy Lerner
- "Prisoner Of Love" w. Leo Robin m. Russ Columbo & Clarence Gaskill
- "River, Stay 'Way From My Door" w. Mort Dixon m. Harry Woods
- "Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On" w.m. James McCaffrey, Eugene West & Dave Ringle
- "Running Between The Raindrops" w. James Dyrenforth m. Carroll Gibbons
- "Sally" w.m. William Haines, Harry Leon & Leo Towers
- "Shadrack" w.m. Robert MacGimsey
- "She Didn't Say Yes" w. Otto Harbach m. Jerome Kern. Introduced by Bettina Hall in the musical The Cat and the Fiddle.
- "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile" w. Charles O'Flynn & Jack Meskill m. Max Rich
- "Somebody from Somewhere" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by Janet Gaynor in the film Delicious
- "Sweet And Lovely" w.m. Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias & Jules Lemare
- "Thanks To You" w. Grant Clarke m. Pete Wendling
- "That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine" w.m. Jimmy Long & Gene Autry
- "That's My Desire" w. Carroll Loveday m. Helmy Kresa
- "This Is The Missus" w.m. Lew Brown & Ray Henderson
- "The Thrill Is Gone" w.m. Lew Brown & Ray Henderson
- "Till The Real Thing Comes Along" w.m. Mann Holiner, Alberta Nichols, Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin & L. E. Freeman
- "Twentieth Century Blues" w.m. Noel Coward
- "Under the Bridges of Paris" w. (Fr) Jean Rodor, (Eng) Dorcas Cochran m. Vincent Scotto
- "Underneath The Arches" w.m. Reg Connelly & Bud Flanagan
- "Wabash Moon" w.m. Dave Dreyer & Morton Downey
- "Was I?" w. Charles Farrell m. Chick Endor from the revue Ziegfeld Follies Of 1931
- "Was That The Human Thing To Do?" w. Joe Young m. Sammy Fain
- "We'll Be The Same" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers
- "Were You Sincere" w. Jack Meskill m. Vincent Rose
- "When I Take My Sugar To Tea" w.m. Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal & Pierre Norman Connor
- "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" w.m. Leon Rene, Otis Rene & Clarence Muse
- "When The Bloom Is On The Sage" w.m. Nat Vincent & Fred Howard Wright
- "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain" w.m. Howard Johnson, Harry Woods & Kate Smith
- "When Your Lover Has Gone" w.m. E. A. Swan
- "When Yuba Plays The Rumba On The Tuba" w.m. Herman Hupfeld
- "Where The Blue Of The Night" w.m. Roy Turk, Bing Crosby & Fred E. Ahlert
- "Who Cares?" w.Ira Gershwin m.George Gershwin. Introduced by William Gaxton and Lois Moran in the musical Of Thee I Sing
- "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" w. Ted Koehler & Billy Moll m. Harry Barris
- "Yes, Yes, My Baby Said Yes, Yes" Cliff Friend, Con Conrad. Introduced by Eddie Cantor in the film Palmy Days
- "You Are My Heart's Delight" w. Harry Graham m. Franz Lehár Music 1923
- "You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)" w.m. Con Conrad, Gladys Du Bois, Russ Columbo & Paul Gregory
- "You Can't Stop Me From Loving You" w. Mann Holiner m.Alberta Nichols
- "You Forgot Your Gloves" w. Edward Eliscu m. Ned Lehac. Introduced by Constance Carpenter and Carl Randall in the revue The Third Little Show
- "You Rascal You" w.m. Sam Theard
- "You Try Somebody Else" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson
- "You're Blasé" w. Bruce Sievier m. Ord Hamilton
- "You're My Decline And Fall" George Posford
- "You're My Everything" w. Mort Dixon & Joe Young m. Harry Warren
- "Yours" (orig. "Quiéreme Mucho") w. (Eng) Jack Sherr (Sp) Augustin Rodriguez m. Gonzalo Roig
Biggest hit songs
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1931.
# |
Artist |
Title |
Year |
Country |
Chart Entries |
1 |
Cab Calloway & His Cotton Club Orchestra |
Minnie the Moocher |
1931 |
|
RYM 1 of 1931, US BB 3 of 1931, POP 3 of 1931, RIAA 82, Scrobulate 87 of swing, Acclaimed 649 |
2 |
Ted Lewis |
Just a Gigolo |
1931 |
|
US BB 1 of 1931, POP 1 of 1931 |
3 |
Duke Ellington |
Mood Indigo |
1931 |
|
RYM 3 of 1931, US BB 7 of 1931, POP 7 of 1931, Acclaimed 518 |
4 |
Guy Lombardo |
Goodnight, Sweetheart |
1931 |
|
US BB 4 of 1931, POP 4 of 1931, RYM 40 of 1931 |
5 |
Isham Jones |
Stardust |
1931 |
|
US BB 5 of 1931, POP 5 of 1931, RYM 47 of 1930 |
Top hits on record
Top blues recordings
Classical music
Opera
Musical theater
Births
- January 5 - Alfred Brendel, pianist
- January 8 - Bill Graham, rock music entrepreneur (died 1991)
- January 12 - Roland Alphonso, saxophonist (died 1998)
- January 21 - Rudi Maugeri (The Crew-Cuts)
- January 22 - Sam Cooke, singer (died 1964)
- February 12 - Walt Groller, accordionist and polka musician
- February 14 - Phyllis McGuire, vocalist (The McGuire Sisters)
- March 15 - D. J. Fontana, drummer
- March 25 - Paul Motian, jazz drummer (died 2011)
- April 29 - Lonnie Donegan, skiffle musician (died 2002)
- May 4 - Ed Cassidy, drummer (Spirit)
- May 14 - Alvin Lucier, composer
- May 7 - Teresa Brewer, singer (died 2007)
- June 10 - João Gilberto, bossa nova musician
- July 6 - Della Reese, actress and singer
- July 11 - Tab Hunter, actor and singer
- July 18 - Papa Dee Allen, (War) (died 1988)
- July 31 - Kenny Burrell, jazz guitarist
- July 31 - Morey Carr (The Playmates)
- August 28:
- September 12 - George Jones, country singer
- September 19 - Brook Benton, singer and songwriter (died 1988)
- September 22 - George Chambers (The Chambers Brothers)
- September 24 - Anthony Newley, English songwriter, actor and singer (died 1999)
- October 24 - Sofia Gubaidulina, composer
- November 5 - Ike Turner, musician and record producer (died 2007)
- November 16 - Hubert Sumlin, blues guitarist (died 2011)
- December 24:
- December 27 - Scotty Moore, guitarist
- December 30 - Skeeter Davis, country singer (died 2004)
Deaths
- January 5 - Colonel Charles Gerard Conn, instrument manufacturer (born 1884)
- January 21 - Felix Blumenfeld, pianist, conductor and composer (born 1863)
- January 23 - Anna Pavlova, ballerina (born 1881)
- February 16 - Dirk Schäfer, pianist and composer (born 1873)
- February 23
- April 4 - George Whitefield Chadwick, composer
- May 8 - Bertha Lewis, singer and actress with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company (born 1887) (car accident)
- May 12 - Eugène Ysaÿe, violinist and composer (born 1858)
- May 13 - Josif Marinković, composer (born 1851)
- June 18 - Fanny Holland, singer and actress (born 1847)
- June 21 - Jimmy Blythe, jazz pianist (born 1901)
- July 2 - Charles Quef, organist and composer (born 1873)
- July 4 - Buddy Petit, jazz cornet player (born c. 1890)
- August 6 - Bix Beiderbecke, jazz musician (born 1903)
- August 11 - Linda Loredo, dancer (born 1907)
- August 26 - Heinrich Grünfeld, cellist (born 1855)
- August 28 - Jane Green singer (born 1897)
- September 3 - Franz Schalk, conductor (born 1863)
- September 20 - Ugo Falena, opera librettist (born 1875)
- September 23 - Harry Macdonough, pioneer recording artist (born 1871)
- October 3 - Carl Nielsen, composer (born 1865)
- October 8 - Luigi von Kunits, violinist, conductor and composer (born 1870)
- October 18 - Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph (born 1847)
- October 20 - Emánuel Moór, pianist, composer and inventor of the Duplex-Coupler Grand Pianoforte (born 1863)
- October 21 - Barbecue Bob, blues musician (born 1902)
- October 29 - Luciano Gallet, composer (born 1893)
- November 3 - Buddy Bolden, jazz musician (born 1877)
- November 19 - Frederic Cliffe, composer (born 1857)
- November 23 - Leonora Braham, operatic soprano and actress (Gilbert & Sullivan)
- December 2 - Vincent d'Indy, composer (born 1851)
- date unknown