This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1933.
1933 USA pop songs
There were many talented writers, producers and performers in the music industry during 1933, but record sales were very low, although higher than 1932, and work was hard to find. Most of the records released came from Radio Corporation of America (Victor) and American Record Corporation (ARC), through its premium (Brunswick label, and its discounted "dime store" labels (Perfect, Vocalion, Oriole, Banner, Melotone, Romeo, and Conqueror), with a trickle from Columbia (that would completely disappear by mid-1934). Four of the top five records paired one of the label's top vocalists (Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Al Bowly) with a headline band (Reisman (Victor), Lombardo (Brunswick)) and Ray Noble (Decca UK). Victor also featured Howard Arlen, composer of "Stormy Weather" as vocalist with house band Reisman. This tactic was extremely successful in stimulating sales in the depressed economic conditions.
The top popular records of 1933 listed below were compiled from Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954,[2] record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, and other sources as specified. Numerical rankings are approximate, there were no Billboard charts in 1933, the numbers are only used for a frame of reference.
| Rank | Artist | Title | Label | Recorded | Released | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Night and Day"[3] | Victor 24193 | US Billboard 1933 #1, US #1 for 10 weeks, 18 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 2004, Jazz Standards 1932,[4] 22, 811 sales reported by Victor was top-selling record for 1933. | ||||
| 2 | George Olsen and His Music (vocal Joe Morrison) | "The Last Roundup"[5] | Columbia 2791-D | US Billboard 1933 #2, US #1 for 9 weeks, 24 total weeks | |||
| 3 | "Stormy Weather"[6] | Victor 24262 | US Billboard 1933 #3, US #1 for 8 weeks, 19 total weeks | ||||
| 4 | "Love Is the Sweetest Thing"[7] | Victor 24333 | US Billboard 1933 #4, US #1 for 5 weeks, 16 total weeks | ||||
| 5 | "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me" | Brunswick 6472 | US Billboard 1933 #5, US #1 for 4 weeks, 14 total week | ||||
| 6 | "Willow Weep for Me"[8] | Victor 24187 | US Billboard 1933 #6, US #2 for 2 weeks, 7 total weeks, Jazz Standards 1932, 8,292 sales (second highest total 1933).[9] | ||||
| 7 | "Stormy Weather" | Brunswick 6564 | US Billboard 1933 #7, US #1 for 3 weeks, 11 total weeks, Added to National Recording Registry 2004, Grammy Hall of Fame 2003 | ||||
| 8 | Ray Noble and His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, vocal refrain by Al Bowlly | "The Old Spinning Wheel"[10] | Victor 24357 | US Billboard 1933 #8, US #1 for 3 weeks, 22 total weeks | |||
| 9 | "Lazybones"[11] | Columbia 2786-D | US Billboard 1933 #9, US #1 for 4 weeks, 11 total weeks | ||||
| 10 | Bing Crosby | "Shadow Waltz" | Brunswick 6599 | US Billboard 1933 #10, US #1 for 2 weeks, 8 total weeks | |||
| 11 | "Forty-Second Street"[12] | Victor 24253 | US Billboard 1933 #11, US #1 for 3 weeks, 12 total weeks | ||||
| 12 | "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking"[13] | Victor 24477 | US Billboard 1933 #12, US #1 for 3 weeks, 6 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998 | ||||
| 13 | Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians | "The Last Round-up" | Brunswick 6662 | US Billboard 1933 #13, US #1 for 3 weeks, 8 total weeks | |||
| 14 | "Sophisticated Lady" | Brunswick 6600 | US Billboard 1933 #14, US #1 for 5 weeks, 15 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 2007 | ||||
| 15 | Bing Crosby | "Thanks"[14] | Brunswick 6643 | US Billboard 1933 #15, US #2 for 2 weeks, 7 total weeks | |||
| 16 | Bing Crosby with Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians | "Young and Healthy" | Brunswick 6472 | US Billboard 1933 #16, US #2 for 2 weeks, 7 total weeks | |||
| 17 | Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians | "Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)" | Brunswick 6550 | US Billboard 1933 #17, US #2 for 4 weeks, 10 total weeks | |||
| 18 | Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra | "Night And Day"[15] | Brunswick 6445 | US Billboard 1933 #18, US #2 for 3 weeks, 8 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998 | |||
| 19 | Bing Crosby | "Just an Echo in the Valley" | Brunswick 6454 | US Billboard 1933 #19, US #2 for 2 weeks, 11 total weeks | |||
| 20 | Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra | "Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)" | Brunswick 6600 | US Billboard 1933 #20, US #1 for 5 weeks, 15 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 2007 | |||
| 21 | Don Bestor and His Orchestra | "The Last Round-Up" | Victor 24391 | US Billboard 1933 #21, US #2 for 2 weeks, 10 total weeks | |||
| 22 | Don Bestor and His Orchestra | "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?"[16] | Victor 24410 | US Billboard 1933 #22, US #2 for 2 weeks, 8 total weeks | |||
| 23 | "Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore" | Brunswick 6662 | US Billboard 1933 #23, US #2 for 2 weeks, 8 total weeks | ||||
| 24 | Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians | "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking" | Brunswick 6713 | US Billboard 1933 #20, US #2 for 2 weeks, 7 total weeks |
| Composer | Composition | Date | Location | Performers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinfonía de Antígona | December 15, 1933 | Mexico City | Mexico Symphony – Chávez [17] | ||
| January 22, 1933 | Florence, Italy | Pasini / Teatro Comunale Orchestra – Gui[18] | |||
| Dances of Galánta | October 23, 1933 | Budapest, Hungary | Budapest Philharmonic Society Orchestra – Dohnányi[19] | ||
| Fantaisie burlesque | February 8, 1933 | Paris, France | Casadesus | ||
| Janitzio | December 8, 1933 | Mexico City | Mexico Symphony – Revueltas [20] | ||
| October 15, 1933 | Leningrad, Soviet Union | Shostakovich / Leningrad Philharmonic – Stiedry[21] | |||
| May 24, 1933 | Leningrad, Soviet Union | Shostakovich |
See main article: 1933 in jazz.