1964 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1964.

Events

• January 1 – Top of the Pops is broadcast for the first time, on BBC television.
• January 3 – Footage of the Beatles performing a concert in Bournemouth, England is shown on The Jack Paar Show.
• January 15 – Vee Jay Records files a lawsuit against Capitol Records and Swan Records over manufacturing and distribution rights to Beatles albums. On April 9, Capitol Records is granted an injunction restraining Vee Jay Records from further manufacturing, distributing or advertising recordings by the Beatles.
• January 18 – The Beatles appear on the Billboard magazine charts for the first time.

The Beatles arrive in the USA to great acclaim in 1964

• February 1 – Indiana Governor Matthew E. Welsh declares the song "Louie, Louie" by the Kingsmen pornographic. He requests that the Indiana Broadcasters Association ban the record. Governor Welsh claimed that hearing the song made his "ears tingle." Publisher Max Firetag offers $1,000 to anyone that can find anything "suggestive" in the song's lyrics.
• February 7 – The Beatles arrive in the United States and are greeted by thousands of screaming fans at New York's Kennedy Airport.
• February 9 – The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, which breaks television ratings records.
• February 12 – Anna Moffo collapses onstage at Covent Garden in the first act of Rigoletto, and her part is taken over, after a delay of 45 minutes, by Welsh soprano Elizabeth Vaughan.
• February 16 – The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show.
• February 22 – Plácido Domingo makes his international breakthrough at the première of Ginastera's Don Rodrigo in New York City.
• February 23 –
  • The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show.
  • João Carlos Martins suddenly breaks off a performance in the middle of the second movement of Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at Birmingham Town Hall due to an attack of appendicitis.
• March – Capitol Records is bombarded with requests for heavyweight boxing champion Cassius Clay's album, I Am the Greatest, following Clay's defeat of Sonny Liston on February 25.
• March 1 – American premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Momente, by Martina Arroyo (soprano), the Crane Collegiate Singers of SUNY Potsdam (Brock McElheran, chorus master), and members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (Lukas Foss, music director), conducted by the composer, in Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York.
• March 6 – Elvis Presley's 14th motion picture, Kissin' Cousins is released to theaters.
• March 14 – Billboard Magazine reports that sales of Beatles records make up 60% of the entire singles market.
• March 16 – Disc jockey Alan Freed is charged with tax evasion.
• March 21 – Italy wins the 9th Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, with the song "Non ho l'età", sung by 16-year-old Gigliola Cinquetti.
• March 24 – John Lennon's first book, In His Own Write is published.
• March 27 – The Beatles occupy the top six spots on the Australian pop chart.
• March 28 – Wax likenesses of The Beatles are put on display in London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. The Beatles are the first pop stars to be displayed at the museum.
• April 4 – The Beatles occupied all five top positions on Billboard's Hot 100 with their singles "Can't Buy Me Love", "Twist and Shout", "She Loves You", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and "Please Please Me".
• April 11 – The Beatles hold 14 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Previously, the highest number of concurrent singles by one artist on the Hot 100 was nine by Elvis Presley, December 19, 1956.
• April 16 – The Rolling Stones release their eponymous début album.
• May 2 – In the United States, The Beatles' Second Album climbs to the #1 spot on the LP charts in only its second week of release.
• June 5 – The Rolling Stones start their first US tour.
• August 2 – The wreckage of the plane piloted by Jim Reeves is found near Brentwood, Tennessee, 42 hours after it crashed. There are no survivors.
• August 8 – Bob Dylan releases his fourth album, Another Side of Bob Dylan.
• August 17 – Indiana University Opera Theater presents Turandot at the NY World's Fair featuring newly retired Metropolitan Opera soprano Margaret Harshaw, a member of the voice faculty, in the title role.
• August 22 – The Supremes reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the first of five successive number one hits, "Where Did Our Love Go".
• August 26 – The Kinks release their iconic single "You Really Got Me".
• September 8 – The American premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Originale at Judson Hall in New York City is picketed by a group calling themselves Action Against Cultural Imperialism.
• September 16 – Shindig! premieres on ABC.
• September 22 – Fiddler on the Roof opens on Broadway.
• October 19 – Simon & Garfunkel release Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which is initially a total flop upon first release. After release of their second album, Sounds of Silence, in 1966, it hits #30 on the Billboard charts.
• October 24 – The Rolling Stones start their second US tour.
• October 25 – The Rolling Stones perform on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time.
• October 29 – The T.A.M.I. Show is filmed.
• October 31 – The Supremes reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the second of five successive number one hits, "Baby Love".
• November – A deal with UK impresario W. H. Miller lands the Anita Kerr Quartette on Capitol Records for North America.
• December 11 – Sam Cooke is killed under mysterious circumstances in Los Angeles, California. Shortly thereafter, "A Change Is Gonna Come", a song considered by many to be his best, is released.
• December 19 – The Supremes reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the third of five successive number one hits, "Come See About Me".
• Simon & Garfunkel make their first recording for Columbia Records.
• Dalida is the first star to receive a Platinum Disc in Europe.
• 11-year-old Keith Green becomes the youngest person ever to sign a contract with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) after publishing, recording and releasing the song "The Way I Used to Be".
• Marianne Faithfull's musical career begins.
• Sonny and Cher begin performing together as "Caesar and Cleo".
• The National Institute of Kathak Dance is established in New Delhi.
• The China Conservatory of Music is established in Beijing.

Bands formed

• See Category:Musical groups established in 1964

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Release Date Unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1964.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	The Beatles	I Want to Hold Your Hand	1964		UK 1 – Dec 1963, US BB 1 – Jan 1964, US CashBox 1 of 1964, Canada 1 – Jan 1964, Norway 1 – Jan 1964, Germany 1 – Feb 1964, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Jul 1963, Australia 2 of 1963, RYM 2 of 1964, DDD 4 of 1963, South Africa 6 of 1963, US BB 7 of 1964, Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1963, POP 7 of 1964, Rolling Stone 16, RIAA 28, Scrobulate 29 of oldies, Acclaimed 30, Germany 40 of the 1960s, WXPN 350
2	Roy Orbison	Oh, Pretty Woman	1964		UK 1 – Sep 1964, US BB 1 – Sep 1964, Canada 1 – Aug 1964, Norway 1 – Oct 1964, Germany 1 – Jan 1965, Éire 1 – Oct 1964, Netherlands 3 – Jan 1965, US CashBox 4 of 1964, DDD 8 of 1964, RYM 13 of 1964, South Africa 15 of 1964, 16 in 2FM list, US BB 17 of 1964, POP 17 of 1964, Australia 20 of 1964, RIAA 43, OzNet 62, Germany 64 of the 1960s, Acclaimed 77, Europe 83 of the 1960s, Party 147 of 2007, Rolling Stone 222, Belgium 234 of all time, WXPN 655
3	The Animals	House of the Rising Sun	1964		UK 1 – Jun 1964, US BB 1 – Aug 1964, Canada 1 – Aug 1964, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Apr 1964, France 4 – Oct 1972, DDD 4 of 1964, RYM 5 of 1964, Netherlands 3 1964, Poland 6 – Oct 1982, Europe 7 of the 1960s, Germany 9 – Jan 1965, US BB 38 of 1964, POP 38 of 1964, US CashBox 53 of 1964, Acclaimed 55, Italy 66 of 1965, Scrobulate 80 of oldies, 89 in 2FM list, Rolling Stone 122, Belgium 124 of all time, TheQ 227, RIAA 240, OzNet 275, Germany 296 of the 1960s
4	The Beatles	A Hard Day's Night	1964		UK 1 – Jul 1964, US BB 1 – Jul 1964, Canada 1 – Jul 1964, Norway 1 – Aug 1964, Éire 1 – Aug 1964, Australia 1 for 4 weeks Mar 1964, Germany 2 – Sep 1964, Australia 3 of 1964, RYM 6 of 1964, DDD 11 of 1964, South Africa 14 of 1964, US CashBox 18 of 1964, Scrobulate 39 of oldies, Europe 96 of the 1960s, Rolling Stone 153, Germany 254 of the 1960s, Acclaimed 411, OzNet 815
5	The Beatles	I Feel Fine	1964		UK 1 – Dec 1964, US BB 1 – Dec 1964, Canada 1 – Nov 1964, Netherlands 1 – Jan 1965, Norway 1 – Dec 1964, Éire 1 – Dec 1964, Australia 1 for 6 weeks Jul 1964, Germany 3 – Jan 1965, Australia 8 of 1964, RYM 8 of 1964, DDD 9 of 1964, US CashBox 19 of 1965, Scrobulate 40 of oldies, Germany 207 of the 1960s

Other significant singles

• "All Day and All of the Night" – The Kinks
• "Almost There" - Andy Williams
• "Anyone Who Had a Heart" – Cilla Black
• "As Tears Go By" – Marianne Faithfull
• "Baby I Need Your Loving" – The Four Tops
• "Baby Let Me Take You Home" – The Animals
• "Baby Love" – The Supremes
• "Baby Please Don't Go – Them
• "Because" – The Dave Clark Five
• "Come See About Me" – The Supremes
• "Cotton Candy" - Al Hirt
• "Can't Buy Me Love" – The Beatles
• "Constantly" – Cliff Richard
• "Dancing In The Street" – Martha and The Vandellas
• "Dear Heart" - Andy Williams
• "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" – Manfred Mann
• "Do You Want to Know a Secret" – The Beatles
• "Ferry Cross the Mersey" – Gerry & the Pacemakers
• "Fever" – Helen Shapiro
• "A Fool Never Learns" - Andy Williams
• "Genie With the Light Brown Lamp" – The Shadows
• "Girl Don't Come" – Sandie Shaw
• "Gloria" – Them
• "Goldfinger" – Shirley Bassey
• "Happiness" – Ken Dodd
• "Hello, Dolly! – Louis Armstrong
• "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp) (1964 Version)" - Allan Sherman
• "I Could Easily Fall (In Love With You)" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows
• "I Get Around" – The Beach Boys
• "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" – Dusty Springfield
• "I Understand" – Freddie & the Dreamers
• "I'm Crying" – The Animals
• "I'm Into Something Good" – Herman's Hermits
• "I'm the Lonely One" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows
• "It's All Over Now" – The Rolling Stones
• "It's for You" – Cilla Black
• "Just One Look" – The Hollies
• "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand / Sie Liebt Dich" – The Beatles
• "Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)" - Jay and the Americans
• "Little Children" – Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas
• "A Little Loving" – The Fourmost
• "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" – Jan and Dean
• "Little Red Rooster" – The Rolling Stones
• "Losing You" – Dusty Springfield
• "A Message To Martha" – Adam Faith
• "My Boy Lollipop – Millie(Millie Small)
• "My Guy – Mary Wells
• "Non Ho L'Età (Per Amarti)" – Gigliola Cinquetti
• "One Way Love" – Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
• "On the Beach" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows
• "On the Street Where You Live" - Andy Williams
• Peter and the Commissar - Allan Sherman
• "Rag Doll" – The Four Seasons
• "Rhythm and Greens" – The Shadows
• "Ringo" – Lorne Greene
• "The Rise and Fall of Flingle Bunt" – The Shadows
• "Share Your Love with Me" - Bobby Bland
• "She's Not There" – The Zombies
• "Shout" – Lulu & The Luvvers
• "Sugar Lips" - Al Hirt
• "Suspicion" - Terry Stafford
• "Terry" – Twinkle
• "Theme for Young Lovers" – The Shadows
• "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" – Sandie Shaw
• "Twist and Shout" – The Beatles
• "(They Call Her) La Bamba" – The Crickets
• "There's a Place" – The Beatles
• "The Way You Do The Things You Do" -The Temptations
• "Tobacco Road" – The Nashville Teens
• "The Twelfth of Never" – Cliff Richard
• "Up Above My Head (I Hear Music in the Air)" - Al Hirt
• "Walk Away" – Matt Monro
• "Walking in the Rain" - The Ronettes
• "We Love You Beatles" – The Carefrees
• "The Wedding" – Julie Rogers
• "When Joanna Loved Me" – Tony Bennett
• "Where Did Our Love Go?" – The Supremes
• "The World of Lonely People" – Anita Bryant
• "A World Without Love" – Peter & Gordon
• "Wrong for Each Other" - Andy Williams
• "You're My World" – Cilla Black
• "You're No Good" – The Swinging Blue Jeans
• "You Really Got Me" – The Kinks
• "Zoot Suit" – The Who

Published popular music

• "The Addams Family theme song" w.m. Vic Mizzy
• "Baby, I Need Your Loving w.m. Edward Holland, Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier
• "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island" w.m. Frank DeVol and Sherwood Schwartz
• "Before the Parade Passes By" w.m. Jerry Herman, from the musical Hello, Dolly!
• "Bewitched theme song" w.m. Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller
• "Chapel Of Love" w.m. Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry
• "Chim Chim Cher-ee" w.m. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
• "Cryin' Time" w.m. Buck Owens
• "Dear Heart" w. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans m. Henry Mancini
• "Feed the Birds" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Mary Poppins
• "Gimme Some" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse
• "Glad All Over" w.m. Dave Clark & Mike Smith
• "Goin' Out of My Head" w.m. Teddy Randazzo & Bobby Weinstein
• "Golden Boy" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse
• "Hang on Sloopy" w.m. Bert Russell & Wes Farrell
• "Have I the Right?" w.m. Ken Howard & Alan Blaikley
• "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte", m. Frank DeVol from the film of the same name
• "I Will Wait For You" m. Michel Legrand. From the film musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"
• "If I Were a Rich Man" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock. Introduced in the musical Fiddler on the Roof by Zero Mostel. Performed by Chaim Topol in the 1971 film version.
• "Invisible Tears" w.m. Ned Miller and Sue Miller
• "It's Over" w.m. Roy Orbison & Bill Dees
• "Let's Go Fly a Kite" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Mary Poppins
• "Oh, Pretty Woman" w.m. Roy Orbison & Bill Dees
• "Pass Me By" w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman. Introduced by Digby Wolfe in the film Father Goose
• "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" w.m. Jerry Herman, from the musical Hello, Dolly!
• "Sister Suffragette" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman. Introduced by Glynis Johns in the film Mary Poppins.
• "So Long, Dearie" w.m. Jerry Herman, from the musical Hello, Dolly!
• "A Spoonful of Sugar" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Mary Poppins
• "Style" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen from the film Robin And The Seven Hoods
• "Sunrise, Sunset" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
• "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Mary Poppins
• "That's Life" w.m. Dean Kay & Kelly Gordon
• "Tradition" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
• "Where Did Our Love Go?" w.m. Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Edward Holland
• "A World Without Love" w.m. John Lennon and Paul McCartney
• "Zorbas" (Zorba's Dance) m. Mikis Theodorakis

Other notable songs

• "Dahil Sa Iyo" w.m. Tom Spinosa and Mike Velarde, Jr.
• "I miei pensieri" w. Sanzio Chiesa m. Giovanni Pelli
• "Laisse tomber les filles" w.m. Serge Gainsbourg
• "L'Orange" w.m. Gilbert Bécaud and Pierre Delanoë
• "Mon Pays" w.m. Gilles Vigneault
• "Que C'est Triste Venise" w.m. Françoise Dorin

Classical music

• Gilbert Amy
  • Alpha-beth, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, and horn
  • Cahiers d'épigrammes, for piano
• Eyvin Andersen – Concerto for violin and orchestra
• Jurriaan Andriessen – After the Fall, incidental music
• Louis Andriessen
  • A Flower Song II, for oboe
  • A Flower Song III, for cello
  • Ittrospezione III, for 2 pianos and 3 instrumental groups,
  • Sweet, for alto recorder
• Malcolm Arnold
  • Pieces (5), for violin and piano, op. 84
  • Sinfonietta No. 3, for orchestra, op. 81
  • A Sunshine Overture, for orchestra, op. 83
  • Water Music, for winds and percussion, op. 82
• Milton Babbitt
  • Ensembles for Synthesizer, for 4-track tape
  • Philomel, for soprano and 4-track tape
• Samuel Barber
  • Chorale for Ascension Day, for chorus, brass, timpani, and orgsn (ad lib.)
  • Night Flight, for orchestra, op.19a,
• Luciano Berio
  • Chemins I on Sequenza II, for harp and orchestra
  • Folk Songs, for soprano and 7 instruments
  • Rounds, for voice and harpsichord (subsequently withdrawn)
  • Traces, for soprano, mezzo-soprano, 2 actors, chorus, and orchestra (subsequently withdrawn)
• Harrison Birtwistle
  • Entr’actes and Sappho Fragments, for soprano, flute, oboe, violin, viola, harp, and percussion
  • Three Movements with Fanfares, for chamber orchestra
• Rob du Bois
  • Deuxième série de rondeaux, for piano four-hands and optional percussion
  • Just Like a Little Sonata, for piano
  • Pastorale VI, for piano
  • Pastorale VII, for alto recorder
  • Quartet, for oboe, violin, violin, and cello (revised version)
• Benjamin Britten
  • Cadenza for Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major
  • Suite No. 1 for cello solo, op. 72
  • Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, op. 68 (revised version)
• Earle Brown – Corroboree, for 3 or 2 pianos
• Carlos Chávez
  • Concerto for 4 horns and orchestra (revision)
  • Fuga HAGC, for violin, viola, cello, and contrabass
  • Resonancias, for orchestra
  • Tambuco, for 6 percussionists
• Aaron Copland
  • Down a Country Lane, for school orchestra
  • Emblems, for symphonic band
  • Music for a Great City
• George Crumb – Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) for violin and piano
• Luigi Dallapiccola
  • Parole di San Paolo, for mezzo-soprano or boy's voice and 11 instruments
  • Quattro liriche di Antonio Machado, version for soprano and chamber orchestra
• Mario Davidovsky
  • Electronic Study No. 3
  • Synchronisms No. 2 for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and tape
  • Synchronisms No. 3 for cello and electronic sound
• Peter Maxwell Davies
  • Little Pieces (5), for piano
  • Second Fantasia on John Taverner's In Nomine, for orchestra
  • Shakespeare Music, for 11 instruments
• Michel Decoust – Horizon remarquable (lyrics by René Char)
• David Diamond
  • The Martyr for male choir (revised version)
  • "My Papa's Waltz", for voice and piano
  • "Prayer", for voice and piano
  • String Quartet No. 8
  • Symphony No. 5
  • We Two, song cycle, voice and piano
• Andrzej Dobrowolski – Music for Strings and 4 Groups of Wind Instruments
• Henri Dutilleux – Métaboles
• Morton Feldman
  • The King of Denmark, for percussion solo
  • Numbers, for flute, horn, trombone, tuba, percussion, celesta, piano, violin, and contrabass
  • Piano Piece
  • Vertical Thoughts IV, for piano
• Wolfgang Fortner
  • Epigramme, for piano
  • Minne, cantata for tenor and guitar
  • Zyklus, for cello and piano
• Gara Garayev
  • Symphony No. 3
• Roberto Gerhard
  • The Anger of Achilles, incidental music
  • Macbeth, incidental music
• Alberto Ginastera
  • Bomarzo cantata, for tenor or baritone, narrator, and chamber orchestra, op. 32
  • Don Rodrigo Symphony, for soprano and orchestra, op. 31a
• Alexander Goehr
  • Five Poems and an Epigram of William Blake, for chorus and trumpet, op. 17
  • Pieces (3), for piano, op. 18
• Karel Goeyvaerts – Stuk voor piano en tape
• Fernando Lopes Graça
  • Canciones (4), for voice and chamber orchestra (revised version)
  • Prelúdio, capricho e galope, for violin and piano (second revision)
  • Romances, for voice and piano
  • Sonnets (4), for voice and piano
  • String Quartet No. 1
• Ferde Grofé – World's Fair Suite
• Alois Hába
  • String Quartet No. no.15, op. 95, in ⅕-tones
  • Suite, for bass clarinet solo, op. 96
• Roy Harris
  • Epilogue to Profiles in Courage–JFK, for orchestra
  • Etudes for Pedals, for organ
  • Fantasy, for organ, brass, and timpani
  • Horn of Plenty, for orchestra
  • Jubilate for Worship (Alleluia), for SATB choir, brass, piano, and percussion
  • Salute to Youth, for orchestra
  • Sonata, for cello and piano
• Hans Werner Henze
  • Chor gefangener Trojer, for chorus and orchestra (revised version)
  • Divertimenti, for 2 pianos
  • Der Frieden, incidental music
  • Ein Landarzt, monodrama, for baritone and orchestra
  • Lieder von einer Insel, for chamber chorus, trombone, 2 cellos, contrabass, chamber organ, percussion, and timpani
  • Sinfonische Etüden (3), for orchestra (revised version)
  • Tancredi, ballet, for orchestra
  • Zwischenspiele (from Der junge Lord), for orchestra
• Alan Hovhaness
  • Bagatelles (4), for string quartet, op. 30
  • Floating World "Ukiyo", for orchestra, op. 209
  • Haiku (3), for piano, op. 113
  • Meditation on Zeami, for orchestra, op. 207
  • Sonata, for flute solo, op. 118
  • Sonata, for 2 oboes and organ, op.130 (revised version)
  • String Quartet no.3, op. 208, no. 1
  • String Quartet no. 4, op. 208, no. 2
  • Variations and Fugue, for orchestra, op. 18
• Kan Ishii – Otokonoko ga umareta, for chorus
• Maki Ishii – Galgenlieder
• Włodzimierz Kotoński
  • Monochromia, for oboe solo
  • Pezzo, for flute and piano
  • Wind Quintet
• György Ligeti – Fragment, for 10 instruments (revised version)
• David Lumsdaine – Annotations of Auschwitz (cantata with words by Peter Porter)
• Witold Lutosławski – String Quartet
• Bruno Maderna
  • Aria da ‘'Hyperion’, for soprano, flute, and orchestra
  • Dimensioni IV, for flute, picccolo, alto flute, bass flute, and chamber orchestra
• Yoritsune Matsudaira
  • Chamber Concerto, for harpsichord and harp
  • Concerto No. 1 for piano and orchestra
• Toshirō Mayuzumi
  • Campanology Olympica, electronic music
  • Ongaku no tanjō, for orchestra
  • Raihai jokyoku, for orchestra
• Olivier Messiaen
  • Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum, for 34 wind instruments and 3 percussionists
  • Prélude, for piano
• Darius Milhaud
  • Adam, for soprano, 2 tenors, and 2 baritones, op. 411
  • Adieu (cantata), for voice, flute, viola, and harp, op. 410
  • L’amour chanté, for voice and piano, op. 409
  • Concerto for harpsichord and orchestra, op. 407
  • Septet, for 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, and contrabass, op. 408
• Makoto Moroi
  • Pieces (5), for shakuhachi
  • Toccata, Sarabande, and Tarantella, for piano and 2 string orchestras
• Bo Nilsson – La bran, for chorus and orchestra
• Luigi Nono
  • Da un diario italiano, for 2 choruses
  • La fabbrica illuminata, for mezzo-soprano and tape
• Juan Orrego-Salas
  • Concerto, for winds, op. 53
  • Sonata, for violin and piano, op. 9 (revised version)
  • Sonata a 4 (Edgewood Sonata), for flute, oboe, harpsichord, and contrabass, op. 55
• Luis de Pablo – Escena, for SATB choir, strings, and percussion
• Arvo Pärt
  • Collage über B-A-C-H, oboe, harpsichord, piano, and strings
  • Diagramme, for piano, op.11
  • Musica sillabica, for 12 instruments, op. 12
  • Quintettino, for wind quintet
• Juan Carlos Paz
  • Concreción 1964, for flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba
  • Galaxia 64, for organ
  • Música para piano y orquesta
• Krzysztof Penderecki
  • Cantata in honorem Almae Matris Universitatis Iagellonicae sescentos abhinc annos fundatae, for 2 choruses, contrabassoon, brass, percussion, piano, and organ
  • Pieśń żałobna ku czci B. Rutkowskiego, for chorus
  • Sonata, for cello and orchestra
• Vincent Persichetti
  • Cummings Choruses (4), for 2 voices and piano, op. 98
  • Introit, for string orchestra, op. 96
  • Winter Cantata (11 Haiku), for four-part women's choir, flute, and marimba, op.97
• Goffredo Petrassi
  • Concerto for Orchestra No. 7
  • Sesto non-senso, for a cappella choir
  • Tre per sette, for piccolo (+ flute + alto flute), oboe (+ English horn), E♭ clarinet (+ clarinet)
• Walter Piston
  • Quartet for violin, viola, cello, and piano
  • Sextet for strings
• Terry Riley – In C
• Hilding Rosenberg – Sönerna (Cain and Abel), ballet, for orchestra
• R. Murray Schafer – Statement in Blue, for youth orchestra
• Dieter Schnebel
  • Compositio, for orchestra (revised version)
  • Concert sans orchestre (réactions 2), for piano and audience
• William Schuman – Amaryllis Variations, for string trio
• Dmitri Shostakovich
  • String Quartet No. 9 in E-flat major, op. 117
  • String Quartet No. 10 in A-flat major, op. 118
• Karlheinz Stockhausen
  • Mikrophonie I
  • Mixtur for five orchestra groups, sine-wave generators, and ring modulators
• Igor Stravinsky
  • Elegy for J.F.K., for baritone or mezzo-soprano and 3 clarinets
  • Fanfare for a New Theatre, for 2 trumpets
• Tōru Takemitsu
  • Blue Aurora for Toshi Ichiyanagi, theatre piece
  • Ichinotani monogatari, incidental music
  • Natsukashino San Francisco, for tape
• James Tenney – Music for Player Piano
• Mikis Theodorakis – Axion Esti
• Virgil Thomson
  • Autumn, concertino for harp, strings, and percussion
  • Auvergnat Folk Songs (5), for SATB choir and orchestra
  • The Feast of Love, for baritone and orchestra
  • Pilgrims and Pioneers, for band
  • When I Survey the Bright Celestial Sphere, for unison voices and organ or piano
• Iannis Xenakis
  • Eonta, for 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, and piano
  • Hiketides: les suppliates d'Eschyle, for 50 female voices and 10 instruments or orchestra
• La Monte Young
  • Bowed Mortar Relays, action work, realization of Composition 1960 no. 9
  • Eat (music for the film by Andy Warhol), for tape
  • Haircut (music for the film by Andy Warhol), for tape
  • Kiss (music for the film by Andy Warhol), for tape
  • Prelude to The Tortoise, for voices, various instruments, and electronic drones
  • Sleep (music for the film by Andy Warhol), for tape
  • The Tortoise Droning Selected Pitches from The Holy Numbers for The Two Black Tigers, The Green Tiger and The Hermit, for voices, various instruments, and electronic drones
  • The Tortoise Recalling The Drone of The Holy Numbers as They Were Revealed in the Dreams of The Whirlwind and The Obsidian Gong and Illuminated by The Sawmill, The Green Sawtooth Ocelot and The High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer, for voices, various instruments, and electronic drones
  • The Well-Tuned Piano
• Joji Yuasa – Projection Esemplastic with White Noise, electronic music
• Bernd Alois Zimmermann
  • Monologue, for 2 pianos
  • Un petit rien, for small orchestra

Opera

• Jurriaan Andriessen – Het zwarte blondje
• Samuel Barber – Vanessa (revised version)
• Luciano Berio – Traces
• Benjamin Britten – Curlew River, op. 71
• Alberto Ginastera – Don Rodrigo, op. 31
• Hans Werner Henze – Der junge Lord
• Bruno Maderna – Hyperion
• Gian Carlo Menotti – Martin's Lie
• Joaquín Rodrigo – El hijo fingido (zarzuela)
• Robert Ward – The Lady from Colorado

Musical theater

• Hello, Dolly! (Jerry Herman) – Broadway production opened at the St. James Theatre on January 16 and ran for 2844 performances
• What Makes Sammy Run? – Broadway production opened at the 54th Street Theater on February 27 and ran for 540 performances
• Funny Girl (Jule Styne and Bob Merrill) – Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on March 26 and ran for 1348 performances
• Anyone Can Whistle – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on April 4 and ran for 9 performances
• Fiddler on the Roof (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick) – Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on September 22 and ran for 3242 performances
• Foxy Book: Ian McLellan Hunter & Ring Lardner, Jr. Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Music: Robert Emmett Dolan. Broadway production opened on February 16 and ran for 72 performances. Starring Bert Lahr, Larry Blyden, Cathryn Damon and Julienne Marie.
• Golden Boy – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on October 20 and ran for 569 performances
• She Loves Me – London production opened at the Lyric Theatre on April 29 and ran for 189 performances
• Maggie May London production opened at the Adelphi Theatre on September 22 and ran for 501 performances
• Robert and Elizabeth – London production opened at the Lyric Theatre on October 20 and ran for 948 performances
• Little Me, the musical – London production opened at the Cambridge Theatre on November 18 and ran for 334 performances
• Salad Days (Julian Slade) – London revival

Musical films

• Ayee Milan Ki Bela, with music by Shankar Jaikishan
• Dosti, starring Sanjay Khan, with music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal
• A Hard Day's Night starring The Beatles
• Mary Poppins starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Glynis Johns and David Tomlinson
• My Fair Lady starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn
• Robin and the 7 Hoods starring Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.
• The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg)
• The Unsinkable Molly Brown starring Debbie Reynolds and Harve Presnell
• Viva Las Vegas starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret

Births

• January 5 – Grant Young (Soul Asylum)
• January 10 – Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies)
• January 11 – Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, composer
• January 15 – Osmo Tapio Räihälä, composer
• January 29 – Roddy Frame (Aztec Camera)
• January 30 – Marcel Jacob, Swedish rock bassist (d. 2009)
• January 31 – Jeff Hanneman, American rock guitarist (Slayer)
• February 4 – Noodles of The Offspring
• February 5 – Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses)
• February 23 – John Norum, Europe guitarist
• March 1 – Clinton Gregory, American musician
• March 11 – Vinnie Paul, drummer (Pantera, Damageplan)
• March 18 – Rozalla, Zambian singer
• March 19 – Yoko Kanno, composer
• March 20 – Natacha Atlas, Belgian singer
• March 30 – Tracy Chapman, singer-songwriter
• April 5 – Princess Erika, French singer
• April 11 – Steve Azar, American country music singer-songwriter
• April 12 – Amy Ray (Indigo Girls)
• April 16
  • Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum)
  • Esbjörn Svensson Swiss jazz pianist (d. 2008)
• April 17 – Maynard James Keenan (Tool)
• April 18 – Bez, British dancer
• April 25
  • Andy Bell, singer (Erasure)
  • Kenji Yamamoto, Japanese video game composer
• April 30 – Kent James, American singer-songwriter
• May 26 – Lenny Kravitz, guitarist
• May 30
  • Wynonna Judd, American country singer
  • Tom Morello, American rock guitarist (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman)
• May 31 – Darryl McDaniels (Run-D.M.C.)
• May 31 - Kid Frost
• June 3 – Kerry King, American rock guitarist (Slayer)
• June 6 – Jay Bentley (Bad Religion)
• June 10 – Jimmy Chamberlin, American rock musician (The Smashing Pumpkins)
• June 13 – Robbie Merrill (Godsmack)
• June 22
  • Dicky Barrett (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones)
  • Mike Edwards (Jesus Jones)
• June 29 – Stedman Pearson, British R&B singer (Five Star)
• July 13 – Brent Fischer, American composer, arranger, bandleader, bass guitarist and percussionist
• July 19 – Masahiko Kondō, Japanese singer
• July 20 – Chris Cornell (Soundgarden & Audioslave)
• July 22 – Will Calhoun (Living Colour)
• July 31 – Jim Corr, Irish singer and musician (The Corrs)
• August 1 – Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)
• August 3 – Lucky Dube, South African reggae musician (d. 2007)
• August 5 – Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys) (d. 2012)
• August 17 – Colin James, Canadian singer-songwriter
• September 7 – Eazy-E (NWA) (d. 1995)
• September 11 – Victor Wooten, American bassist
• September 23 – Koshi Inaba, Japanese rock singer (B'z)
• September 26 – Nicki French, British singer
• September 27 – Stephan Jenkins, American rock singer (Third Eye Blind)
• September 30
  • Trey Anastasio, American musician
  • Robby Takac, Goo Goo Dolls
• October 4 – Francis Magalona, Filipino rapper (d. 2009)
• October 5 – Dave Dededer, Presidents of the United States of America
• October 6 – Matthew Sweet, rock musician
• October 7 – Sam Brown, singer, daughter of Joe Brown
• October 10 – Neneh Cherry, singer
• October 20
  • Frederic Chiu, pianist
  • Luciano, reggae singer
  • Jim Sonefeld (Hootie & The Blowfish)
• October 22 – Toby McKeehan, American musician
• October 23 – Robert Trujillo (Metallica)
• November 6
  • Corey Glover (Living Colour)
  • Greg Graffin (Bad Religion)
• November 14
  • Joseph "Run" Simmons (Run-D.M.C.)
  • Nic Dalton (The Lemonheads)
• November 16 – Diana Krall, Canadian jazz pianist and singer
• November 24 – Tony Rambola (Godsmack)
• November 25 – Mark Lanegan, American rock singer (Screaming Trees)
• December 9 – Paul Landers, German rock musician (Rammstein)
• December 13 – Hideto Matsumoto (Hide), Japanese rock musician (d. 1998)
• December 23 – Eddie Vedder, American rock singer (Pearl Jam)
• December 28 – Malcolm Gets, American actor and dancer
• date unknown - Kyaw Kyaw Naing, Burmese traditional musician

Deaths

• January 7 – Colin McPhee, Canadian composer and musicologist, 63
• January 9 – Big Boy Goudie, jazz saxophonist,
• January 15 – Jack Teagarden, jazz trombonist and vocalist, 58 (pneumonia/heart attack)
• January 22 – Marc Blitzstein, composer, 58
• January 27 - Leib Glantz, musicologist, 65
• February 25 – Johnny Burke, lyricist, 55
• March 8 – Renata Borgatti, Italian pianist, 69 or 70
• March 27 – Emil Reesen, Danish composer, conductor and pianist, 76
• April 4 – Georgia Caine, Broadway star, 87
• May 10 – Carol Haney, dancer and choreographer, 39 (pneumonia)
• June 10 – Louis Gruenberg, pianist and composer, 79
• June 29 – Eric Dolphy, American jazz saxophonist, flautist and bass clarinettist, 36 (diabetic coma)
• July 1 – Pierre Monteux, French conductor, 89
• July 10 – Joe Haymes, bandleader and arranger, 57 (heart failure)
• July 31 – Jim Reeves, American country singer, 40 (plane crash)
• August 9 - Chucho Monge, Mexican songwriter, 53
• August 14 – Johnny Burnette, rockabilly singer, 30 (drowned)
• September 20 – Lazare Lévy, French pianist and teacher, 82
• September 28
  • Nacio Herb Brown, songwriter and film/TV composer, 68
  • George Dyson, English composer, 81
  • Harpo Marx, American comedian and musician, 75
• October 10
  • Eddie Cantor, comedian, singer and songwriter, 72
  • Heinrich Neuhaus, Soviet (of German extraction) pianist and teacher, 76
• October 15 – Cole Porter, songwriter and composer, 73
• October 29 – Vasily Agapkin, Soviet composer
• November 5 – Buddy Cole, jazz pianist and orchestra leader, 45 (heart attack)
• November 30 – Don Redman, US arranger, bandleader and saxophonist
• December 2 – Sam H. Stept, Russian-born US songwriter, pianist and conductor, 67
• December 9 – Edith Sitwell, poet and collaborator of William Walton
• December 11
  • Alma Mahler-Werfel, songwriter and widow of Gustav Mahler
  • Sam Cooke, singer, 33 (shot)
• December 14 – Francisco Canaro, Uruguayan violinist and tango orchestra leader, 76
• December 21 – Theodor Blumer, composer and conductor, 83
• date unknown - Gali Penchala Narasimha Rao, film composer

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1964

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1964

See also

Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1964, 1963 in music, other events of 1964, 1965 in music and the list of 'years in music'