This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1961.
The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1961.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1961 | US | UK 1 – Feb 1987, Ireland 1 – Feb 1987, DDD 1 of 1961, RYM 2 of 1961, Switzerland 3 – Mar 1987, US BB 4 – May 1961, Germany 4 – Mar 1987, US BB 7 of 1961, Netherlands 7 – Mar 1987, POP 7 of 1961, Norway 9 – Apr 1987, Scrobulate 14 of soul, Canada 16 – May 1961, Austria 17 – Apr 1987, RIAA 25, US CashBox 43 of 1961, Acclaimed 53, 95 in 2FM list, Italy 96 of 1962, Rolling Stone 121, Germany 235 of the 1980s, Party 269 of 1999, WXPN 746 | |||
| 2 | 1961 | US | UK 1 – Apr 1961, US BB 1 – Mar 1961, Canada 1 – Mar 1961, Australia 1 for 6 weeks Oct 1960, RYM 1 of 1961, Norway 4 – Jun 1961, DDD 7 of 1961, US CashBox 9 of 1961, Australia Goset 12 – Oct 1967, Australia 15 of 1961, US BB 5 of 1961, POP 17 of 1961, South Africa 18 of 1961, Acclaimed 66, Scrobulate 96 of oldies, Rolling Stone 466 | |||
| 3 | 1961 | US | UK 2 – Dec 1961, Canada 2 – Jul 1961, Norway 2 – Feb 1962, US BB 3 of 1961, Netherlands 3 – Jan 1976, POP 3 of 1961, South Africa 6 of 1962, US BB 8 – Jul 1961, Sweden (alt) 10 – Feb 1976, Austria 11 – Apr 1976, Germany 12 – Mar 1962, RYM 16 of 1961, Italy 17 of 1962, Party 23 of 1999, US CashBox 62 of 1961, DDD 67 of 1961, Scrobulate 95 of oldies, Germany 396 of the 1960s | |||
| 4 | 1961 | US | UK 1 – May 1961, US BB 1 – Feb 1961, Canada 1 – Mar 1961, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Sep 1960, Norway 2 – Apr 1961, Germany 6 – May 1961, South Africa 10 of 1961, US CashBox 32 of 1961, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1961, RYM 33 of 1961 | |||
| 5 | 1961 | US | UK 1 – Apr 1961, US BB 1 – Mar 1961, Canada 1 – Mar 1961, Norway 4 – May 1961, US CashBox 11 of 1961, South Africa 11 of 1961, Germany 13 – Jun 1961, US BB 14 of 1961, DDD 14 of 1961, POP 14 of 1961, RYM 26 of 1961, Acclaimed 1034 |
See also: List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1961.
| Composer | Composition | Date | Location | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Music, for flute and piano | 1961-01-08 | London Drawing Room of the Arts Council (Park Lane Group) | W. Bennett, Bradshaw[5] | |
| 1961-07-07 | Aldeburgh, UK (Festival) | Rostropovich, Britten [6] | ||
| Soli II | 1961-04-23 | Washington, D.C., Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress (IA Festival) | Philadelphia Wind Quintet[7] | |
| Choreographic Suite for El payaso | 1961-04-29 | Washington, D.C., Howard University (IA Festival) | Mexico National Symphony – Herrera de la Fuente[8] | |
| Trio for flute, oboe, and piano | 1961-01-08 | London Drawing Room of the Arts Council (Park Lane Group) | Mabillon Trio | |
| Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima | 1961-09-22 | Warsaw, Poland (Autumn) | Kraków Philharmonic – Markowski[9] | |
| 1961-02-10 | Philadelphia | Philadelphia Orchestra – Ormandy[10] | ||
| 1961-01-20 | Boston | Addison / Chorus Pro Musica, Boston Symphony – Munch[11] | ||
| 1961-12-30 | Moscow | Moscow Philharmonic – Kondrashin[12] | ||
| Originale, music theatre with Kontakte | 1961-10-26 | Cologne, Germany (Theater am Dom) | Caspari, Tudor, Caskel, Kobayashi, Paik, Helms, Bauermeister, Sommer, Ramsbott, Koch, Knobelsdorff, et al.[13] | |
See main article: 1961 in jazz.