1973 in music explained

This is a list of music-related events in 1973.

__TOC__

Specific locations

• 1973 in British music
• 1973 in Norwegian music

Specific genres

• 1973 in country music
• 1973 in heavy metal music
• 1973 in jazz

Events

January–April

• January 8 – British Rail authorities restrict Pipe Major Gordon Speirs to playing his bagpipes just one minute in every fifteen on Liverpool Street station, London, on grounds that his playing (part of a holiday campaign by the Scottish Tourist Board) "interferes with station business".^[1]
• January 9 – Mick Jagger's request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug conviction, putting an abrupt end to The Rolling Stones' plans to perform in Japan during their forthcoming tour.
• January 13 - The Sweet release "Block Buster!", their only number one hit in the UK. It stays at the top of the charts for 5 weeks. This is one of the first Glam hits of the decade. The Sweet follow this up with 3 straight number 2 singles:^[2] "Hell Raiser", "The Ballroom Blitz" and "Teenage Rampage".
• January 14
  • Elvis Presley's Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite television special is broadcast in over 40 countries around the world.
  • Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh is arrested for drug possession at his Marin County home.
• January 18 – The Rolling Stones' benefit concert for Nicaraguan earthquake victims raises over $350,000. On December 22, 1972, an earthquake destroyed Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.
• January 21 – The Rolling Stones open their Pacific tour of Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• January 30 – Kiss perform their first concert, at the Coventry Club in Queens, New York City, United States.
• February 2 – The Midnight Special makes its début as a regular series on US TV channel NBC. Helen Reddy is the featured artist.^[3]
• February 14 – David Bowie collapses from exhaustion after a performance at New York's Madison Square Garden.
• February 18 – The King Biscuit Flower Hour is first broadcast with performances by Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and new artist Bruce Springsteen.
• March 1
  • Leonard Bernstein conducts Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto for the first time in his career, with soloist Isaac Stern and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • The Joffrey Ballet's Deuce Coupe Ballet opens. The ballet is set entirely to music by The Beach Boys.
  • Pink Floyd releases The Dark Side of the Moon, which goes on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album debuts on the Billboard 200 on March 17, reaches #1 on April 28, and eventually logs the all-time record of 741 weeks on that chart. Sleeve design is by Hipgnosis.
• March 5 – Jimi Hendrix's former personal manager, Michael Jeffery, is killed in a plane crash while travelling from Majorca to England; no passengers survive.
• March 6 – The New York Office of the US Immigration Department cancels John Lennon's visa extension five days after granting it.
• March 7 – The director of talent acquisition at Columbia Records, John H. Hammond, suffers a non-fatal heart attack following a performance by one of his most recent finds, Bruce Springsteen.
• March 8 – Paul McCartney is fined $240 after pleading guilty to charges of growing marijuana outside his Scottish farm.^[4]
• March 14 – The singers Stephen Stills and Véronique Sanson are married near Guildford, England.
• March 24 – Lou Reed is bitten on the buttocks by a fan during a concert in Buffalo, New York.
• April 2 – Capitol Records releases two collections of The Beatles' greatest hits, The Beatles 1962-1966 and The Beatles 1967-1970 (commonly referred to as the "Red Album" and the "Blue Album", respectively).
• April 7 – In Luxembourg City, the 18th Eurovision Song Contest is won by Luxembourg for the second consecutive year, this time with "Tu te reconnaîtras", sung by Anne-Marie David. Spain finish in second place with "Eres Tú", sung by Mocedades; the United Kingdom finish third with Cliff Richard singing "Power to All Our Friends". The top three placed songs become international hits.
• April 8 – Opening of the first La Rochelle Festival of Contemporary Music, under the direction of Claude Samuel. Featured composers include Karlheinz Stockhausen and Iannis Xenakis
• April 15 – Tenth Royan Festival of International Contemporary Art begins, including concerts featuring music by Jean Barraqué and Horațiu Rădulescu, amongst others.
• April 16 – Paul McCartney's first solo television special, James Paul McCartney, airs on ABC. The special includes performances by McCartney and Wings.
• April 18 – Violinist Jascha Heifetz deposits parts from his prized Guarnerius violin in the newly poured wet concrete of the foundation for the new Virginia Ramo Hall of Music, under construction at the University of Southern California, United States, in order to ensure the building will be "in tune", and to bring luck.

May–August

• May 4 – July 29 – Led Zeppelin embarks on a tour of the United States, during which they set the record for highest attendance for a concert, 56,800, at the Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The record was previously held by The Beatles. Performances for the movie The Song Remains the Same are also filmed.
• May 9 – Mick Jagger adds $150,000 of his own money to the $350,000 raised by The Rolling Stones' January 18 benefit concert for the victims of the Nicaraguan earthquake.
• May 12 – David Bowie is the first rock artist to perform at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London.
• May 13 – Daniel Barenboim collapses with a gastric upset during a concert at the Brighton Festival in England, but later had sufficiently recovered to be driven home.
• May 23 – Don Robey sells Duke Records, Peacock Records and Backbeat Records to ABC Dunhill Records.
• May 25 – Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells becomes the first release on Richard Branson's newly launched Virgin label in the UK.
• June 1 - Robert Wyatt falls three storeys from a London apartment block, becoming paralized from the waist down. After a six-month stay in hospital, where he composes the material for his Rock Bottom album, he continues his musical career using a wheelchair.
• June 4 – Ronnie Lane plays his last show with Faces at the Edmonton Sundown in London. Lane had informed the band three weeks earlier that he was quitting.
• June 15 – The first Istanbul International Music Festival opens.
• June 16 – Benjamin Britten's opera Death in Venice, receives its première at Snape Maltings in England.
• June 29 – The Scorpions play their first gig with Uli Roth at a festival in Vechta, Germany. Roth was originally intended as a temporary replacement for Michael Schenker, who had just been snapped up by U.F.O. earlier in the month.
• June 30 – Ian Gillan quits Deep Purple.
• July 1 – Slade play a sell-out Earls Court in London after two number one singles this year.
• July 3 – David Bowie 'retires' his stage persona Ziggy Stardust in front of a shocked audience at the Hammersmith Odeon in London at the end of his British tour.
• July 4 – Slade drummer Don Powell is critically injured in a car crash in Wolverhampton; his 20-year-old girlfriend is killed. With his life in danger, the band's future is left in the balance. Powell recovers after surgery, and is able to join the band ten weeks later in New York, to record "Merry Xmas Everybody".
• July 13
  • The Everly Brothers break up after Phil Everly smashes his guitar on the floor midway through their final show together.
  • Queen release their debut album.
• July 15 – Ray Davies of The Kinks makes an emotional outburst during a performance at White City Stadium in London, announcing he is quitting the group. He later recants the statement.
• July 28 – Summer Jam at Watkins Glen rock festival in New York (state) is attended by 600,000, who see The Allman Brothers Band, The Band and the Grateful Dead.
• July 30 – Soviet officials grant permission for Gennadi Rozhdestvensky to accept a three-year appointment as chief conductor of the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the first time a Soviet orchestra conductor has been allowed to take up such a position outside of the Eastern Bloc.^[5]
• August 6 – Stevie Wonder is seriously injured in a car accident outside Durham, North Carolina, spending the next four days in a coma.^[6]
• August 11 – DJ Kool Herc originates the hip hop genre in New York City.^[7]
• August 20 – The London Symphony Orchestra becomes the first British orchestra to take part in the Salzburg Festival.
• August 25 – The Allman Brothers nearly suffer another tragedy when Butch Trucks crashes his car near Macon, Georgia, not far from where Duane Allman was killed two years earlier. Trucks survives with only a broken leg.^[8]

September–December

• September 1 – The Rolling Stones open their European tour in Vienna, Austria.
• September 20 – Jim Croce, Maury Muehleisen and four others die in a plane crash in Louisiana.^[9]
• September 22 – Benita Valente makes her debut with the Metropolitan Opera, singing Pamina in The Magic Flute.^[10]
• September 23 – The Roxy Theatre opens in West Hollywood, California.
• September 27 – Don Kirshner's Rock Concert is premièred on syndicated television in the United States, including a performance by The Rolling Stones.^[11]
• September 29 – Jan Akkerman from the Netherlands was chosen 'Best Guitarist in The World' by the readers of the UK magazine, Melody Maker.
• October 6 – Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band become the national brass-band champions of Great Britain by defeating 18 other bands at the Albert Hall in London.^[12]
• October 12 – Genesis releases their 5th studio album Selling England by the Pound, one of their most commercially successful albums
• October 13 – Family play their last concert at De Montfort Hall at Leicester Polytechnic (now De Montfort University) before splitting up for good. A farewell party at a local Holiday Inn after the show ends in a good-natured melée, with people jumping in or pushed into the motel pool.
• October 17 – The 1973 oil crisis begins, causing shortages of the vinyl needed to manufacture records. A number of new albums are either delayed or only available in limited quantities until after the holiday season.
• October 19 – The Who release Quadrophenia, one of their most critically acclaimed albums.
• October 20 – Queen Elizabeth opens Sydney Opera House.
• November 1 – Kiss becomes the first act signed to Neil Bogart's new label, Casablanca Records.
• November 5
  • Cellist Jacqueline du Pré is forced to retire because she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.^[13]
  • Two friends of the recently deceased Gram Parsons hand themselves in to police and confess to having carried out an impromptu cremation of the singer's body at the Joshua Tree National Monument.^[14]
• November 7 – Harold Holt Ltd., agent for Jacqueline du Pré, deny newspaper reports that she will never perform again, while at the same time confirming she has been diagnosed with "a mild case of multiple sclerosis" and has no definite plans for future performances.^[15]
• November 20 – The Who open their Quadrophenia US tour with a concert at San Francisco's Cow Palace, but drummer Keith Moon passes out and has to be carried off the stage. 19-year old fan Scot Halpin is selected from the audience to finish the show.
• December – Paul Pena produces his second album, New Train, but due to a dispute with Albert Grossman of Bearsville Records the release was canceled. The album would later be released on Hybrid Recordings in 2000.
• December 10 – CBGB music club opens in Manhattan.
• December 15 – Jermaine Jackson marries Hazel Gordy, daughter of Motown Records executive Berry Gordy.
• December 25 – Universal Pictures releases The Sting, reviving interest in the ragtime music of Scott Joplin.
• December 31
  • Brothers Malcolm and Angus Young perform under the name AC/DC at the former Sydney nightclub 'Chequers' for their New Year's Eve party.
  • The second annual New Year's Rockin' Eve airs on NBC, with performances by Tower of Power, Billy Preston and The Pointer Sisters.

Unknown dates

• Musica Antiqua Köln formed.
• Royal Manchester College of Music and the Northern School of Music merge to create the Royal Northern College of Music.
• The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival is launched, with Pablo Casals as its president.
• U.F.O. signs a contract with Chrysalis Records.
• Approximate date – Salsa music originates in New York City.

Bands formed

• See Musical groups established in 1973

Bands disbanded

• See Musical groups disestablished in 1973

Albums released

January

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1		Various Artists	-
5	Aerosmith		-
	Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.		-
8	Approximately Infinite Universe		-
	Holland		-
12	Who Do We Think We Are		US
15	Any Old Wind That Blows		-
19	Life in a Tin Can		-
25	Dixie Chicken		-
	The Great Lost Kinks Album		Compilation of unreleased material
26	Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player		-
-	The Six Wives of Henry VIII		-
	Artificial Paradise		-
	Back in '72		-
	Doug Sahm and Band		-
	GP		-
	Heartbreaker		-
	In Concert		Live 1970
	Let Me Touch Your Mind		-
	Naked Songs		-
	Separate Ways		Compilation
	True Stories and Other Dreams		-
	We the People		-

February

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite		Live^[16]
7	Raw Power		-
10	Cameo		-
21	Masterpiece		-
22	Amabutho		-
27	Billion Dollar Babies		-
rowspan="14" style="vertical-align:top;"	-	Camel		Debut
Blueprint		-
Tyranny and Mutation		-
All Out		-
In the Right Place		-
Back Up Against the Wall		-
The Best of Mountain		Compilation
Black Caesar		Soundtrack
David Ruffin		-
Heaven Help the Child		-
Rosie		-
Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory		-
Solid Air		-
A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing		-

March

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	The Dark Side of the Moon		US; released in UK on 16 March
	Paris 1919		-
	A Wizard, a True Star		-
2	ELO 2/Electric Light Orchestra II		-
	The Captain and Me		-
5	In Deep		-
6	Closing Time		-
7	Byrds		-
9	The New Age		-
16	Tanx		-
23	For Your Pleasure		-
	Larks' Tongues in Aspic		-
26	Beck, Bogert & Appice		-
	Ring Ring		-
27	I've Got So Much to Give		-
28	Houses of the Holy		-
	My Tennessee Mountain Home		-
29	Skywriter		-
	Birds of Fire		-
30	Sextant		-
rowspan="17" style="vertical-align:top;"	-	Penguin		-
Ooh La La		-
Rock and Roll		aka Rock and Roll
After You, Pride's Not Hard to Swallow		-
Atem		-
Cosmic Wheels		-
Grand Hotel		-
Heart Food		-
A Letter to Myself		-
Lonesome, On'ry and Mean		-
Losin' Streak		-
My Feet Are Smiling		Live
Neither One of Us		-
Raunch 'N' Roll Live		Live
Still Alive and Well		-
Sylvester and the Hot Band		-
Where Are You Now, My Son?		-

April

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
2	1962-1966		Compilation
	1967-1970		Compilation
12	Bloodshot		-
13	Catch a Fire		-
	Music & Me		-
17	Desperado		-
18	Renaissance		-
19	Aladdin Sane		-
23	Down the Road		-
30	Red Rose Speedway		-
rowspan="19" valign="top"	-	Live Songs		Live
Bittersweet White Light		-
The Blue Ridge Rangers		-
Call Me		-
Danny's Song		Studio and live
Diamond Girl		-
Eat It		Double LP; three sides studio, one side live
The Gospel Road		Soundtrack
Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys		-
The Marshall Tucker Band		-
Ma		-
Melanie at Carnegie Hall		Live
No Ruinous Feud		-
Parcel of Rogues		-
Spinners		-
Thirty Seconds Over Winterland		Live
Uriah Heep Live		Live
What's Your Mama's Name		-
Zarathustra		-

May

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
7	Daltrey		^[17]
11	Space Ritual		Live
	Wishbone Four		-
16	Now & Then		-
17	Bachman–Turner Overdrive		-
18	History of The Byrds		Compilation
	Yessongs		Live
25	Flying Teapot		-
	Tubular Bells		-
30	Les Granges Brûlées		-
	Living in the Material World		US
rowspan="14" style="vertical-align:top;"	-	There Goes Rhymin' Simon		-
Any Day Now		-
Bananamour		-
Country Casanova		-
Eddie Kendricks		-
Head to the Sky		-
Honey in the Rock		-
I Knew Jesus (Before He Was a Star)		-
Oora		-
The Pointer Sisters		-
Razamanaz		-
Rigor Mortis Sets In		-
Tower of Power		-
You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw		-

June

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Touch Me		-
4	A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean		-
8	Facts of Life		-
11	Shotgun Willie		-
15	Messin'		-
18	Extension of a Man		-
	The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get		-
19	Smokey		-
22	Touch Me in the Morning		-
25	Chicago VI		-
	Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)		-
	Honky Tonk Heroes		-
rowspan="10" style="vertical-align:top;"	-	Fresh		-
The Plan		-
10		-
Crossword Puzzle		-
Fantasy		-
Farewell Andromeda		-
Jesus Christ Superstar	Various Artists	Soundtrack
A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night		-
Never Turn Your Back on a Friend		-
Roger McGuinn		-

July

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
9	Cosmic Slop		-
13	A Passion Play		-
	History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice)		Live 1970
	Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid		Soundtrack
	Queen		Debut
16	Elvis		-
	We're an American Band		-
18	Rufus		-
20	Genesis Live		Live
	Love Devotion Surrender		-
	Mott		-
26	Tres Hombres		-
27	New York Dolls		-
rowspan="15" style="vertical-align:top;"	-	Foreigner		-
Life and Times		-
10cc		-
African Herbsman		Compilation
Barry Manilow		-
Boulders		-
Countdown to Ecstasy		-
Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits		Compilation
Styx II		-
The Morning After		-
The Sweet		US-only compilation and debut
Unlucky Boy		-
Whatever Turns You On		-

August

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Killing Me Softly		-
3	Innervisions		-
7	3 + 3		-
	Pressure Cookin'		-
10	Sing It Again Rod		Compilation
13	(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)		-
23	Body Talk		-
28	Let's Get It On		-
31	Goats Head Soup		-
	Legend		-
rowspan="14" style="vertical-align:top;"	-	Moontan		-
41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti	Various Artists	Soundtrack
Bio		-
Brothers and Sisters		-
Chi-Lites		-
Deliver the Word		-
Future Days		-
Hard Nose the Highway		-
Live at Montezuma Hall		Live
Maria Muldaur		-
No Sweat		-
Valley Hi		-
Volcanic Rock		-
Yeah!		-

September

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
3	Sweet Freedom		-
	Johnny Cash and His Woman		-
7	Over-Nite Sensation		-
10	Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert		Live
	Side 3		-
11	Angel Clare		-
14	Bubbling Over		-
21	In a Glass House		-
	Vagabonds of the Western World		-
	Faust IV		-
			-
	Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music		-
24	Milestones		-
	Super Fly T.N.T.		Soundtrack
28	Hello!		-
	Sladest		Compilation
-	Bang		-
	I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter		-
	Half-Breed		-
	Back into the Future		Live
	Don't Call Me Mama Anymore		Live
	Crazy Eyes		-
	Paper Roses		-
	Ecstasy
	From the Depths of My Soul		-
	Full Moon		-
	It's Only a Movie		-
	Live! The World of Ike & Tina	Ike & Tina Turner	Live
	Mine		Compilation
	Nice 'n' Greasy		-
	Show Your Hand		-
	Ten Years Are Gone		-
	Where My Heart Is		-
	Wild and Peaceful		-

October

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Raised on Rock		-
	Spectrum		-
	Don't Cry Now		-
2	Stone Gon'		-
5	Selling England by the Pound		-
	Berlin		-
	For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night		-
	Goodbye Yellow Brick Road		-
	These Foolish Things		Solo Debut
9	Cyan		-
	Imagination		-
13	Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back		-
14	Jackie Jackson		-
15	For Everyman		-
	Moondog Matinee		-
	Mystery to Me		-
	Time Fades Away		Live
	Wake of the Flood		-
16	Live in Europe		Live
17	Montrose		-
19	Burnin'		-
	The Joker		-
	Pin Ups		Covers album
23	High on the Hog		-
25	Honky Tonk Heroes		-
26	Quadrophenia		^[18]
	Diana & Marvin		-
	Hat Trick		-
	Head Hunters		-
29	It's Like You Never Left		-
-	Ashes Are Burning		-
	At the Rainbow		Live
	The Adventures of Panama Red		-
	All American Boy		-
	Bodacious DF	Bodacious DF	-
	Bulletin Board		-
	Cyborg		-
	Dreams Are Nuthin' More Than Wishes		-
	Full Sail		-
	Gone Crazy		-
	Inside Out		-
	I Remember Hank Williams		-
	Laid Back		-
	Marjory Razorblade		-
	Nine		-
	On the Road		Live
	Playin' Favorites		-
	Please Don't Ever Change		-
	Ralf und Florian	Kraftwerk	-
	Suzi Quatro		-
	Sweet Revenge		-
	Takin' My Time		-
	You've Got It Bad Girl		-

November

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Stranded		-
2	Barbra Streisand...And Other Musical Instruments		-
	On the Road to Freedom		-
	Ringo		-
3	Abandoned Luncheonette		-
5	The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle		-
9	Ladies Invited		-
	Loud 'n' Proud		UK
	Welcome		-
14	Piano Man		-
16	Bette Midler		-
	Between Nothingness and Eternity		Live
	Mind Games		-
	Preservation Act 1		-
19	The Beach Boys in Concert		Live
	Dylan		Outtakes recorded 1969–'70
20	Muscle of Love		-
23	Feeling the Space		-
26	Ass		-
30	Solar Fire		-
-	Sabbath Bloody Sabbath		-
	Tattoo		-
	Bedside Manners Are Extra		-
	Rockin' with Curly Leads		-
	Electric Jewels		-
	Friends and Legends		-
	The Human Menagerie		-
	John Denver's Greatest Hits		Compilation
	(No Pussyfooting)		-
	Nutbush City Limits (album)	Ike & Tina Turner	-
	On the Third Day		US
	Ship Ahoy		-
	Quiet Places		-
	Stretch		-
	Viva Terlingua		Live
	Witness		-
	Wovoka		-

December

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
6	Last Time I Saw Him		-
	Livin' for You		-
7	Brain Salad Surgery		^[19]
	Tales from Topographic Oceans		Double album
	Band on the Run		^[20]
	1990		-
	Angel's Egg		-
21	Ridin' the Storm Out		-
rowspan="10" style="vertical-align:top;"	-	I Got a Name		Posthumous
Short Stories		-
Comin' Atcha		-
Another Lonely Song		-
Bachman–Turner Overdrive II		-
Essence to Essence		-
Live Dates		Live
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils		-
The Payback		-
Virtuoso		-

Release date unknown

• 8th Street Nites - Back Door
• 953 West - Siegel-Schwall Band
• Abbiamo tutti un blues da piangere – Perigeo
• Afrodisiac – Fela Kuti
• Afrodisiac - The Main Ingredient
• After the Ball - John Fahey
• Air Cut - Curved Air
• The Alchemist - Home
• All I Need Is Time - Gladys Knight & the Pips
• And I Love You So – Perry Como
• Andy Pratt - Andy Pratt
• Anthenagin - Art Blakey
• Aquashow – Elliott Murphy
• Arbeit macht frei – Area
• Astral Traveling - Lonnie Liston Smith
• Attempted Mustache – Loudon Wainwright III
• Back Street Crawler - Paul Kossoff
• Back to the World – Curtis Mayfield
  • Bad Dreams - Ike Turner Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun - Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, and David Freiberg
• – Miles Davis
• Be What You Are - The Staple Singers
• Beans and Fatback - Link Wray
• Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich
• Betty Davis – Betty Davis
• Black & Blue - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
• Black Byrd - Donald Byrd
• Both Feet on the Ground - Kenny Burrell
• Brenda - Brenda Lee
• Bummm! – Locomotiv GT
• Bursting at the Seams - Strawbs
• Butterfly Dreams - Flora Purim
• Call of the Wild - The Amboy Dukes
  • Can't Get No Grindin' - Muddy Waters Canto por travesura – Víctor Jara
• Cannons in the Rain - John Stewart
• Carnegie Hall - Hubert Laws
• Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night - Peter Hammill
• The Chieftains 4 – The Chieftains
• Chemins de Terre – Alan Stivell
• Le Cimetière des arlequins – Ange
• Come into My Life - Jermaine Jackson
• Composite Truth - Mandrill
• Concerto delle menti – Pholas Dactylus
• Conference of the Birds – Dave Holland
• Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir - Michael Martin Murphey
• Crystal Silence - Chick Corea and Gary Burton
• Dave Mason Is Alive - Dave Mason
• Doing It to Death - The J.B.'s
• Don't Mess with Mister T. - Stanley Turrentine
• Double Diamond – If
• Dublin Street Songs / Through Dublin City – Frank Harte
• Duncan Browne - Duncan Browne
• Earth – Vangelis
• Etta James - Etta James
• Evolution - Malo
• Extensions - McCoy Tyner
• Farewell to Paradise – Emitt Rhodes
• The Faust Tapes – Faust
• Felona e Sorona – Le Orme
• For Real! – Ruben and the Jets
• Forever and Ever – Demis Roussos
• Funky Kingston - Toots and the Maytals
• Funky Serenity - Ramsey Lewis
• Gentleman - Fela Kuti
• Giant Box - Don Sebesky
• Gluggo - The Spencer Davis Group
• Grimms – Grimms
• Hank Wilson's Back Vol. I - Leon Russell
• Home Thoughts – Clifford T. Ward
• How Sweet to Be an Idiot – Neil Innes
• Have a Good Time for Me – Jonathan Edwards
• Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy - Return to Forever
• I'm in Love with You – The Detroit Emeralds

• Join Inn – Ash Ra Tempel
• Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Neil Diamond
• Journey - Kingdom Come
• Joy - Isaac Hayes
• Julien – Dalida
• Just Outside of Town - Mandrill
• Kindling - Gene Parsons
• Kings of Oblivion - Pink Fairies
• Layers - Les McCann
• Lifemask – Roy Harper
  • Light as a Feather – Return to Forever Live at the Lighthouse – Elvin Jones – Live
• – Donovan
• The London Bo Diddley Sessions - Bo Diddley
• Long Hard Climb - Helen Reddy
• Looking Back – Leon Russell
• Louisiana Rock & Roll - Potliquor
• Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man - Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
• Love Is the Message – MFSB
• Lucy & Carly – The Simon Sisters Sing for Children – The Simon Sisters
• Main Street People - Four Tops
• Marlena Shaw Live at Montreux - Marlena Shaw (Live Album)
• Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh – Magma
• MFSB – MFSB
• The MG's - The MG's
• Mr. Jones – Elvin Jones
• Monk in Tokyo – Thelonious Monk
• Moon Germs - Joe Farrell
• Moonshine - Bert Jansch
• Multiple - Joe Henderson
• Natural High - Bloodstone
• Neu! 2 – Neu!
• The New Quartet - Gary Burton
  • – Ella Fitzgerald Next – The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
• Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half as Bad as Losing You) - George Jones
• October - Claire Hamill
• One Man Band - Ronnie Dyson
• Oooh So Good 'n Blues – Taj Mahal
• Our Lady of Late – Meredith Monk
• Outside the Dream Syndicate - Tony Conrad and Faust
• Over the Rainbow - Livingston Taylor
• Palepoli – Osanna
• Penny Arcade - Joe Farrell
• Pipedream – Alan Hull (solo début)
• Plain and Simple – The Dubliners
• Planxty – Planxty (début)
• The Power of Joe Simon - Joe Simon
• Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash – Mike Nesmith
• Really – J.J. Cale
• Right Now! – Little Richard
• Rock On – David Essex
• Rockin' Duck – Grimms
• Sings in Italian for You – Dalida
• Solitaire – Andy Williams
• – Keith Jarrett
• Songs That Made America Famous – Patrick Sky
• Starring Rosi – Ash Ra Tempel
• Studio One Presents Burning Spear - Burning Spear
• Super Natural – Edwin Birdsong
• The Supremes Live! In Japan – Supremes – Live
• The Táin – Horslips
• Tango – Tanguito
• The Three Degrees – The Three Degrees
• Take Love Easy – Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass
• Twice Removed from Yesterday – Robin Trower
• Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle – Lee Perry
• Viva Chile! – Inti-Illimani
• The Way – The Way
• The Well Below the Valley – Planxty
• Wizzard Brew – Wizzard (début)

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positionsin the charts of 1973.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart entries
1			1973		US BB 1 – Sep 1973, Canada 1 – Sep 1973, Netherlands 1 – Sep 1973, France 1 – Sep 1973, Switzerland 1 – Sep 1973, Norway 1 – Oct 1973, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Jun 1974, Australia Goset 1 – Oct 1973, Europe 3 of the 1970s, Germany 4 – Jan 1974, Belgium 4 of all time, UK 5 – Sep 1973, Italy 6 of 1974, Austria 8 – Oct 1973, DDD 11 of 1973, Australia 19 of 1973, RYM 27 of 1973, Poland 43 of all time, Scrobulate 51 of ballad, US CashBox 69 of 1973, OzNet 71, Germany 190 of the 1970s, WXPN 571, Acclaimed 1093
2			1973		UK 1 – Mar 1973, US BB 1 – Mar 1973, US CashBox 1 of 1973, Canada 1 – Mar 1973, Netherlands 1 – Apr 1973, Norway 1 – May 1973, Australia 1 of 1973, Éire 1 – Apr 1973, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Dec 1973, Australia Goset 1 – May 1973, Austria 2 – Jun 1973, France 3 – Apr 1973, Germany 10 – Jun 1973, South Africa 10 of 1973, US BB 11 of 1973, TOTP 14, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1973, POP 36 of 1973, DDD 88 of 1973
3			19731975 (us)		Canada 1 – Aug 1975, France 1 – Oct 1973, Éire 1 – Sep 1973, Australia Goset 1 – Nov 1973, UK 2 – Sep 1973, Norway 2 – Oct 1973, Switzerland 3 – Sep 1973, Germany 3 – Jan 1974, Netherlands 4 – Sep 1973, US BB 5 – Aug 1975, Austria 5 – Nov 1973, Australia 9 of 1974, Scrobulate 9 of glam rock, US BB 11 of 1975, RYM 15 of 1973, POP 30 of 1975, US CashBox 46 of 1975, DDD 51 of 1973, Germany 137 of the 1970s, TheQ 188, OzNet 217, Acclaimed 2373
4			1972		US BB 1 – Dec 1972, Canada 1 – Dec 1972, Switzerland 1 – Jan 1973, Italy 1 of 1973, Australia Goset 2 – Jan 1973, Norway 3 – Feb 1973, US CashBox 4 of 1973, Germany 4 – Jan 1973, UK 5 – Nov 1972, Australia 5 of 1973, Austria 6 – Feb 1973, France 9 – Dec 1972, POP 9 of 1973, Netherlands 12 – Dec 1972, OzNet 12, US BB 16 of 1973, RYM 26 of 1972, DDD 27 of 1972, Germany 223 of the 1970s, Acclaimed 2325
5			1973		US BB 1 – Feb 1973, Canada 1 – Feb 1973, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Nov 1973, Australia Goset 1 – Mar 1973, Grammy in 1973, Netherlands 3 – Feb 1973, Norway 4 – Aug 1973, France 5 – Apr 1973, UK 6 – Feb 1973, DDD 8 of 1973, Australia 17 of 1973, Austria 19 – Dec 1973, US CashBox 21 of 1973, RYM 25 of 1973, Switzerland 32 – Oct 1996, RIAA 101, Rolling Stone 360, Acclaimed 631, OzNet 863

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Song title	Artist(s)	Release date(s)	US	UK	Highest chart position	Other Chart Performance(s)
""			September 1973	45	20	20 (United States)	n/a
"48 Crash"			July 1973	n/a	3	1 (Australia)	See chart performance entry
"20th Century Boy"			March 1973	n/a	3	1 (Ireland)	8 (West Germany) - 9 (Norway) - 28 (Spain) - 57 (Australia)
"After the Goldrush"			November 1973	22	21	21 (United Kingdom)	51 (Australia)
			January 1973	4	n/a	4 (United States)	1 (U.S. Cash Box Top 100) - 2 (U.S Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles) - 11 (Canada) - 14 (U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary)
"All I Know"			August 1973	9	n/a	1 (Canada)	1 (U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary) - 6 (U.S. Cash Box Top 100) - 7 (Canada) - 17 (New Zealand) - 36 (Australia)
"Alright Alright Alright"			June 1973	n/a	3	2 (Netherlands [Dutch Single Top 100])	4 (Ireland) - 12 (Belgium [Flanders], Germany) - 16 (Belgium [Wallonia]) - 26 (Australia)
"Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)"			January 1973	2	7	2 (United States)	3 (Canada) - 5 (U.S. Billboard Easy Listening) - 22 (Canadian RPM AC Chart)
"Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)"			September 1979	n/a	1	1 (United Kingdom)	7 (Ireland) - 42 (Australia)
"Angie "			August 1973	1	5		See chart performance entry
"Are You Man Enough"			June 1973	15	55	15 (U.S. Billboard Hot 100)	2 (U.S Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles) - 35 (Canadia)
"Armed and Extremely Dangerous"			March 1973	28	16	16 (United Kingdom)	1 (UK Blues & Soul magazine chart) - 11 (U.S. Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles) - 19 (U.S. Cash Box Top 100) - 55 (Canada)

Other Chart hit singles

Notable singles

Song title	Artist(s)	Release date(s)	Other Chart Performance(s)
"Jet Boy" b/w "Vietnamese Baby"			April 1973	n/a
"Life on Mars" b/w "The Man Who Sold the World"			June 1973	3 (UK Singles Chart) - 39 (West Germany)
"Personality Crisis" b/w "Looking for a Kiss"			July 1973	n/a
"Search and Destroy"			June 1973	n/a
"Shake Appeal" b/w "Search and Destroy"		1973	n/a
"Trash" b/w "Personality Crisis"			July 1973	n/a

Other Notable singles

• • "Ashes to Ashes" - The 5th Dimension "Daddy" b/w "It Was Written Down" - Toots and the Maytals

Published popular music

• "And I Love You So" w.m. Don McLean
• "Candle in the Wind" w. Bernie Taupin m. Elton John
• "Empty Tables" w. Johnny Mercer m. Jimmy Van Heusen. Introduced by Frank Sinatra
• "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" w.m. Jim Croce
• "I've Got to Use My Imagination"      w.m. Gerry Goffin & Barry Goldberg
• "Last Song" w.m. Lawrence Wayne Evoy
• "Liaisons" w.m. Stephen Sondheim from the musical A Little Night Music
• "Midnight Train to Georgia"     w.m. Jim Weatherly
• "Misdemeanor" w.m. Foster Sylvers
• "Nadia's Theme" m. Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr., from the TV soap opera The Young and the Restless
• "(Say Has Anybody Seen) My Sweet Gypsy Rose"     w.m. Irwin Levine & L. Russell Brown
• "Piano Man" w.m. Billy Joel
• "Send in the Clowns"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim from the musical A Little Night Music
• "Stuck in the Middle with You"     w.m. Joe Egan & Gerry Rafferty
• "There Used To Be A Ballpark" w.m. Joe Raposo
• "Top of the World" w.m. John Bettis & Richard Carpenter
• "The Way We Were" w. Alan and Marilyn Bergman m. Marvin Hamlisch from the film The Way We Were
• "WOLD (song)" – Harry Chapin
• "Yesterday Once More" w.m. John Bettis & Richard Carpenter

Other notable songs (world)

• "Desert Of Passion" – The Peanuts (Japan)
• "Fusil Contra Fusil" – Silvio Rodríguez (Cuba)
• "Goodbye, My Love, Goodbye" – Demis Roussos (Europe-wide)
• "I Love You Because" – Michel Polnareff (France)
• "J'ai un probleme" – Sylvie Vartan (France)
• "Mistero" – Gigliola Cinquetti (Italy)

Classical music

• Jean Absil – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3
• William Alwyn – Fantasy Sonata for flute and harp
• Malcolm Arnold – Symphony No. 7
• Günter Bialas – Trois Moments Musicaux, for piano
• Luciano Berio
  • Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
  • Still, for orchestra
  • Linea for Two Pianos, Marimba and Vibraphone
• John Cage
  • Etcetera, for small orchestra, tape and, optionally, three conductors
  • Exercise, for an orchestra of soloists (based on Etcetera)
• Carlos Chávez
  • Estudio a Rubinstein, for piano
  • Paisajes mexicanos, for orchestra
  • Partita, for timpani
  • Sonante, for orchestra
• Gloria Coates – Music on Open Strings (Symphony No. 1)
• George Crumb – Makrokosmos, Volume II for amplified piano
• Morton Feldman
  • String Quartet and Orchestra
  • For Frank O'Hara, for flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, and cello
  • Voices and Cello, for 2 female voices and cello
• Alberto Ginastera – String Quartet No. 3
• Lou Harrison – Organ Concerto with Percussion
• Anthony Iannaccone – Rituals
• Ben Johnston
  • "I'm Goin' Away", for SATB choir
  • String Quartet No. 3, "Vergings"
  • String Quartet No. 4, "Ascent" ("Amazing Grace")
• Paul Lansky – Mild und leise (computer music)
• Bruno Maderna – Oboe Concerto No. 3^[21]
• Frank Martin – Requiem
• Donald Martino – Notturno, for piccolo/flute/alto flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, viola, 'cello, piano, and percussion (awarded the 1974 Pulitzer Prize in Music)
• Akira Miyoshi – Nocturne
• Luigi Nono – Canto per il Vietnam
• Carl Orff – De temporum fine comoedia
• Arvo Pärt – Ukuaru valss
• Walter Piston – Three Counterpoints, for violin, viola, and cello
• Henri Pousseur – Vue sur les Jardins interdits, for saxophone quartet
• Dmitri Shostakovich – Six Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva, Op. 143
• Eduard Tubin – Symphony No. 10

Opera

• Robert Beadell – Napoleon (2 February, University of Nebraska, Lincoln)
• Nikolai Korndorf – Feast in the Time of Plague

Jazz

See main article: 1973 in jazz.

Musical theater

• Gigi (Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe) – Broadway production (adaptation of the film version)
• Grease – London production
• Gypsy (Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim) – London production opened at the Piccadilly Theatre on May 29 starring Angela Lansbury, Barrie Ingham and Zan Charisse
• Irene – Broadway revival
• The King and I (Rodgers & Hammerstein) – London revival
• La Révolution Française (Claude-Michel Schönberg, Raymond Jeannot, Alain Boublil and Jean-Max Rivière) – Original production opened at the Palais des Sports de Paris.^[22]
• A Little Night Music (Stephen Sondheim) – Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre and ran for 601 performances
• No, No, Nanette (Irving Caesar, Otto Harbach, Vincent Youmans) – London revival
• The Pajama Game (Richard Adler and Jerry Ross) – Broadway revival
• Pippin – London production
• Raisin – Broadway production opened at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 847 performances
• The Rocky Horror Show (Richard O'Brien) – London production
• Seesaw – Broadway production opened at the Uris Theatre on March 18 and ran for 296 performances
• Treasure Island London production opened at the Mermaid Theatre on December 17. Starred Bernard Miles, Jonathan Scott Taylor and Spike Milligan.
• Two Gentleman of Verona – London production

Musical films

• Allá en el Norte
• Andrea
• Dnestrovskiye melodii
• Charlotte's Web
• Godspell
• Jaal
• Jesus Christ Superstar
• Lost Horizon
• Maria d'Oro und Bello Blue
• Robin Hood
• Tom Sawyer

Births

• January 1 – Magnus Sahlgren, Swedish guitarist and linguist
• January 7 – Jonna Tervomaa, Finnish singer
• January 9 – Sean Paul, reggae and dancehall artist
• January 12
  • Hande Yener, Turkish singer^[23]
  • Matt Wong (Reel Big Fish)
• January 13 - Juan Diego Flórez, Peruvian operatic tenor
• January 14 – Katie Griffin, Canadian actress and singer
• January 19 – Antero Manninen, Finnish cellist
• February 2 - Latino, Brazilian singer-songwriter
• February 11 - Jeon Do-yeon, South Korean actress
  • • February 21 Heri Joensen, Faroese musician (Týr)
  • Justin Sane, singer, guitarist and songwriter
• February 22
  • Gustavo Assis-Brasil, Brazilian guitarist
  • Scott Phillips, drummer
• February 24 – Chris Fehn, American rock percussionist (Slipknot)
  • • February 26 André Tanneberger, German DJ
  • Anders and Jonas Björler, Swedish rock guitarists
• February 27 – Peter Andre, English-born Australian singer-songwriter, businessman and television personality
• March 1 – Ryan Peake, Canadian rock musician (Nickelback)
• March 6 – Peter Lindgren, Swedish musician
• March 8 – Anneke van Giersbergen, Dutch singer and guitarist
• March 10 – Dan Swanö, Swedish musician
• March 13 – David Draiman, American vocalist (Disturbed (band))
• March 17 – Caroline Corr, Irish drummer (The Corrs)
• March 22 - Beverley Knight, English actress and singer-songwriter
• March 25 – Anders Fridén, Swedish vocalist
• March 28 – Matt Nathanson, American folk/rock singer-songwriter
• March 30 – DJ AM, American DJ (d. 2009)
  • • April 3 Marija Gluvakov, pianist
  • Andreas Carlsson, Swedish music producer, composer and pop songwriter
• April 4 – Kelly Price, soul singer
• April 5 – Pharrell Williams, American rapper, singer-songwriter and record and film producer (The Neptunes, N.E.R.D, Chad Hugo)
• April 16 – Akon, American singer-songwriter, businessman, record producer and actor^[24]
• April 22 - Jung Woo-sung, South Korean actor
• April 25 – Fredrik Larzon, Swedish rock musician (Millencolin)
• April 27 – Sharlee D'Angelo, Swedish guitarist
• April 29 – Mike Hogan, Irish bassist (The Cranberries)
• April 30 – Jeff Timmons, American singer
• May 2 – Justin Burnett, film score composer
• May 3 – Brad Martin, American country musician (died 2022)^[25]
• May 5 – Casino Versus Japan, electronic musician
• May 13 – Eric Lewis, jazz pianist
• May 14
  • Natalie Appleton, British singer (All Saints)
  • Shanice, American singer
  • Sinéad O'Carroll, Irish singer (B*Witched)
• May 17 – Joshua Homme, guitarist and vocalist of Queens of the Stone Age
• May 21 – Noel Fielding, English comedian, writer, actor, artist, musician and television presenter
• May 23
  • Jacopo Gianninoto, Italian musician
  • Emperor Magus Caligula, Swedish musician
• May 26 - Magdalena Kožená, Czech mezzo-soprano
• May 31 – Cadaveria, Italian singer (Opera IX)
• June 5 - Michelle Leonard, German / British singer and songwriter
• June 9 – Jana Sýkorová, Czech operatic contralto
• June 10
  • Faith Evans, singer-songwriter, record producer and actress
  • Flesh-n-Bone, American rapper
• June 13 – Cheryl "Coko" Clemons, American singer (SWV)
• June 14 – Ceca, Serbian folk singer
• June 17 – Krayzie Bone, American rapper and producer (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)
• June 19 – Jörg Widmann, German clarinetist and composer
• June 20 – Chino Moreno, American singer-songwriter (Deftones, Team Sleep, and Crosses)
• June 23 – Marija Naumova, Latvian Eurovision-winning singer
• June 26 – Gretchen Wilson, American singer
• June 28
  • DJ Vlad, American hip hop interviewer
  • Frost, Norwegian drummer
• June 30 - Chan Ho Park, South Korean baseball
• July 1 – Brenton Brown, South African-American Christian musician and worship leader
• July 4 – Gackt, singer-songwriter and musician
  • • July 5 Joe, American R&B singer
  • Bengt Lagerberg, Swedish drummer (The Cardigans)
  • Róisín Murphy, Irish singer-songwriter and record producer
• July 11 – Andrew Bird, singer-songwriter
  • • July 15 Buju Banton, reggae/dancehall artist
  • John Dolmayan, Lebanese-born rock drummer for the band System of a Down
• July 17 – Tony Dovolani, Albanian-American dancer and actor
  • • July 22 Aleksey Igudesman, Russian violinist, composer, conductor and actor
  • Daniel Jones, English-Australian guitarist, songwriter and producer (Savage Garden)
  • Petey Pablo, American rapper and actor
  • Rufus Wainwright, American-Canadian singer-songwriter and composer
• July 23 – Fran Healy, British singer (Travis)^[26]
• July 25 – Dani Filth, Israeli-born musician (Cradle of Filth)
  • • July 29 Wanya Morris, American singer (Boyz II Men)
  • Amy S. Foster, Canadian singer-songwriter and author
• July 30 – Sonu Nigam, Indian singer^[27]
• August 6 - Donna Lewis, Welsh singer
  • August 7 – Zane Lowe, New Zealand born radio and TV presenter, DJ and record producer
• August 8 – Scott Stapp, American singer (Creed)
  • • August 9 Meg Okura, American jazz violinist, Erhu player and composer
  • Oleksandr Ponomariov, Ukrainian singer
• August 12 – Grey DeLisle, American voice actress and singer
• August 13 - Gregory Vajda, Hungarian clarinetist, conductor and composer
• August 15 – Adnan Sami, British born singer, music composer, pianist
• August 22
  • Beenie Man, reggae/dancehall artist
  • Howie Dorough, American singer (Backstreet Boys)
• September 1 – J.D. Fortune, Canadian rock singer (INXS)
• September 3 – Jennifer Paige, American singer-songwriter
• September 5 – Rose McGowan, American actress, model, singer and author
• September 12 - Dorota Miśkiewicz, Polish singer-songwriter, composer and violinist
• September 14 – Nas, American rapper
• September 15 – Indira Levak, Croatian lead vocalist of Colonia
• September 17 – Amy Black, operatic mezzo-soprano (died 2009)
• September 18 – Ami Onuki, Japanese singer
• September 19 – David Zepeda, Mexican actor, model and singer
• September 22
  • Yoo Chae-yeong, South Korean singer and actress
  • Martin Owen (BBC Symphony Orchestra)
• September 26 – Julienne Davis, American actress/model/singer
• September 27 - Lee Brennan, English singer (911)
  • • September 29 Alfie Boe, operatic tenor
  • Rie Eto, Japanese singer
• October 1 – Christian Borle, American actor and singer^[28]
• October 2
  • Proof American Rapper and member of D12 (died 2006)
  • Lene Nystrøm, Norwegian musician, singer-songwriter and actress (Aqua)
  • Verka Serduchka, Ukrainian pop star
    • October 9 Terry Balsamo, American guitarist
  • Steve Burns, American actor, musician and television host
  • Jen Cloher, Australian singer/songwriter/musician
  • Fabio Lione, Italian singer
• October 24 – Laura Veirs, American singer-songwriter
• October 25 – Lamont Bentley, American actor and rapper (died 2005)
• October 26 – Seth MacFarlane, American actor, screenwriter, producer, director and singer
• November 3
  • Sticky Fingaz, American rapper (onyx)
  • Mick Thomson, guitarist of Slipknot
• November 6 – Rumi Shishido, Japanese voice actress and singer
  • • November 9 Nick Lachey, American singer (98 Degrees)
  • Maija Vilkkumaa, Finnish pop rock singer
    • November 10 Jacqui Abbott, English singer (The Beautiful South)
  • Róbert Gulya, Hungarian composer
• November 11 – Jason White, American rock musician (Green Day)
• November 12 – Mayte Garcia, American actress, singer, author and dancer
  • • November 19 Billy Currington, American country singer
  • Savion Glover, American tap dancer, actor and choreographer
• November 27 – Twista,American rapper and record producer
• November 28 – Jade Puget (AFI)
• December 4 – Kate Rusby, English folk singer-songwriter
  • • December 7 Chantelle Barry, Australian singer-songwriter and actress
  • Damien Rice, Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer
• December 8 – Corey Taylor, vocalist of Slipknot
• December 9 - Bárbara Padilla, operatic soprano
• December 11 – Mos Def, rapper
• December 16 – Mariza, fado singer
• December 17 – Eddie Fisher, pop rock drummer and songwriter (OneRepublic)
• December 27 – Kristoffer Zegers, Dutch composer
• December 29 – Pimp C, American rapper (d. 2007)^[29]
• December 30 – Jon Theodore, American drummer (Queens of the Stone Age)
• unknown date – Xian Zhang, Chinese-born orchestral conductor

Deaths

• January 16 – Clara Ward, gospel singer, 48 (stroke)^[30]
• January 23 – Kid Ory, jazz trombonist and bandleader, 86^[31]
• February 3 – Andy Razaf, composer, poet and lyricist, 77^[32]
• February 5 – Kathleen Riddick, British conductor, 65^[33]
• February 7 – Pixinguinha, choro composer and woodwind player, 75
  • • February 19 Joseph Szigeti, violinist, 80
  • Leon Washington, jazz saxophonist, 63 (leukemia)
• February 24 – Manolo Caracol, Spanish flamenco singer (b. 1909)
• February 28 – Terig Tucci, Argentine composer, violinist, pianist and mandolinist, 75
• March 5 – Michael Jeffery, Jimi Hendrix's personal manager, 39 (air crash)
• March 8 – Ron Pigpen McKernan, musician and songwriter (Grateful Dead), 27 (stomach hemorrhage)
• March 19 – Lauritz Melchior, Wagnerian tenor, 82^[34]
• March 26
  • Safford Cape, American composer and musicologist, 66
  • Noël Coward, composer and dramatist, 73^[35]
• March 28 – Gertrude Johnson, coloratura soprano, 78
• April 16
  • Nino Bravo, Spanish singer, 28 (car accident)^[36]
  • Istvan Kertesz, Hungarian conductor, 43 (drowned)^[37]
• April 18 – Willie 'The Lion' Smith, US jazz pianist, 79
  • • May 9 Owen Brannigan, singer^[38]
  • Mark Wessel, pianist and composer, 79
• May 21 – Vaughn Monroe, US singer and bandleader, 61
• May 27 – Ilona Kabos, Hungarian-British pianist and teacher, 79
• May 29 – P. Ramlee, Malaysian film actor, director, singer, songwriter, composer, and producer, 44 (heart attack)^[39]
• June 4 – Murry Wilson, musician and record producer, 55
• June 8 – Tubby Hayes, jazz musician, 38 (during heart surgery)^[40]
• June 29 – Germán Valdés, Mexican actor, singer and comedian (hepatitis)
• July 2 – Betty Grable, US actress and singer, 56 (lung cancer)
• July 3 – Karel Ančerl, conductor, 65
• July 6 – Otto Klemperer, conductor, 88
• July 11 – Alexander Mosolov, Russian composer, 72
• July 15 – Clarence White, guitarist (The Byrds), 29 (road accident)
• August 2 – Rosetta Pampanini, operatic soprano, 76
• August 4 – Eddie Condon, jazz banjoist and guitarist, 67
• August 6 – Memphis Minnie, blues singer and guitarist, 76
• August 16 – Astra Desmond, operatic contralto, 80
• August 17
  • Jean Barraqué, French classical composer, 45^[41]
  • Paul Williams, baritone singer and co-founder of the Motown group, The Temptations, 34 (suicide by gunshot)
• August 19 – Brew Moore, jazz saxophonist, 49 (fell downstairs)
• September 1 – Graziella Pareto, operatic soprano, 84
• September 6 – Sir William Henry Harris, organist and composer, 90
• September 10 – Allan Gray, composer, 71
• September 11 – Martha Angelici, operatic soprano, 66
• September 16 – Víctor Jara, Chilean folk singer, 40 (murdered)
• September 17– Hugo Winterhalter, US conductor and arranger, 53
• September 19 – Gram Parsons, guitarist/vocalist, 26 (drug overdose)^[42]
• September 20
  • Jim Croce, 30, singer-songwriter and
  • Maury Muehleisen, 24, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter (plane crash)^[43]
  • Ben Webster, jazz saxophonist, 64
• October 9 – Sister Rosetta Tharpe, gospel singer, 58^[44]
• October 16
  • Gene Krupa, drummer, 64
  • Jorge Peña Hen, composer, 45
• October 22 – Pablo Casals, cellist, 95
• October 27 – Norman Allin, English singer, 88
• November 10
  • Zeke Zettner (The Stooges), 25 (heroin overdose)
  • David "Stringbean" Akeman, country banjo player and comedian, 57 (murdered)
• November 18 – Alois Hába, composer, 80
• November 23 – De De Pierce, jazz trumpeter, 69
• November 26 – Edith Mason, operatic soprano, 81
• November 27 – Frank Christian, jazz trumpeter, 85
• December 13 – Fanny Heldy, operatic soprano, 85
• December 20 – Bobby Darin, American singer and actor, 37 (heart failure)^[45]
• December 31 – Emile Christian, jazz trombonist, 78
• date unknown – Cäwdät Fäyzi, Tatar composer and folklorist

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1973

Country Music Association Awards

• Entertainer of the Year

Roy Clark

• Male Vocalist of the Year

Charlie Rich

• Female Vocalist of the Year

Loretta Lynn

• Song of the Year

Kenny O'Dell – "Behind Closed Doors"

• Album of the Year

Behind Closed Doors^[46]

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1973

References

1. Anon., "Pipe Down, Rail Chiefs Tell Major", The Times issue 58676 (January 9, 1973)
2. Web site: SWEET full Official Chart History Official Charts Company . 2023-06-13 . www.officialcharts.com.
3. Web site: TV.com. The Midnight Special. TV.com. 2013-09-22. August 12, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110812075146/http://www.tv.com/the-midnight-special/show/2974/summary.html. dead.
4. Book: Harry, Bill. The Paul McCartney Encyclopedia. 2002. Virgin. 978-0-7535-0716-2. 300–307.
5. Anon., "Russia Lets Conductor Take Post in Sweden", The Times, issue 58848 (July 31, 1973): 5 col G.
6. Web site: I heard that Stevie Wonder lost his sense of smell. Is that true? . October 22, 2008 . Gavin . Edwards . Rule Forty Two . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090106030029/http://rulefortytwo.com/secret-rock-knowledge/chapter-1/stevie-wonder-lost-his-sense-of-smell/ . January 6, 2009 .
7. Web site: Birthplace of Hip Hop. History Detectives. PBS. 2017-08-11.
8. Book: Rock Movers & Shakers. Billboard Publications, Incorporated. 1989. 9780823076086. 12.
9. News: Rock group killed . The Michigan Daily . Associated Press . September 22, 1973 . 2 . (Ann Arbor).
10. Book: Current Biography Yearbook. H.W. Wilson Company. 1988. 587.
11. O'Connor, John J. " 'In Concert' man gathers Stones for new series", The New York Times, September 27, 1973, p. 78
12. Anon., "Brass Band Champions", The Times issue 58907 (October 8, 1973): 2 col. G.
13. Anon., "Miss du Pré is Forced by Illness to Retire", The Times issue 58931 (November 6, 1973): 1 col. A.
14. Web site: Gram Parsons Project, interview with Phil Kaufman . Gramparsonsproject.com . 2012-06-07.
15. Tim Devlin, "Miss du Pré 'Very Ill' Report Denied", The Times, issue 58932 (November 7, 1973): 5 col C.
16. Web site: RIAA.
17. Web site: BPI.
18. Book: Unterberger, Richie. Won't Get Fooled Again: The Who from Lifehouse to Quadrophenia. Jawbone Press. 2011. 978-1-906002-75-6. 232.
19. Web site: BPI.
20. Web site: BPI.
21. Daniel Stolper, Tom Stacy, Ned Rorem and a New Concerto, The Double Reed, Vol. 17, No. 2, 1992
22. Book: Nathan Hurwitz. Songwriters of the American Musical Theatre: A Style Guide for Singers. Taylor & Francis. 2016. 9781317428336. 263.
23. Web site: Hande Yener. Türk Telekom Müzik. 3 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170103212213/https://www.turktelekommuzik.com/artist/Hande_Yener/591226/biyografi. 3 January 2017.
24. Web site: Akon – Music Producer, Songwriter, Singer – Biography.com . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160821123250/http://www.biography.com/people/akon-21330753 . August 21, 2016 . August 30, 2016.
25. Web site: Bradley Curtis Martin 1973 - 2022 Obituary. August 13, 2022. murrayfettro.com.
26. Web site: 37 . franhealy.com . 12 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100725182110/http://www.franhealy.com/ . 25 July 2010 . dead.
27. Web site: Sen . Sushmita . Happy Birthday Sonu Nigam: Lesser Known Facts and Popular Tracks of the Singing Sensation . International Business Times, India Edition . 14 May 2016 . 30 July 2015 . 4 June 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160604035210/http://www.ibtimes.co.in/happy-birthday-sonu-nigam-lesser-known-facts-popular-tracks-singing-sensation-video-640905 . live .
28. U.S. Public Records Index, Vol 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
29. Web site: Pimp C, Southern Hip-Hop Rapper, Dies at 33. Kelefa. Sanneh. New York Times. December 5, 2007.
30. 1954–1955 . Social Security Death Index . Social Security Administration . Baltimore, Maryland. 182-30-7100.
31. Book: The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz. Colin Larkin. Guinness Publishing. 1992. First. 0-85112-580-8. 309/310.
32. Book: The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Colin Larkin. Guinness Publishing. 1992. First. 0-85112-939-0. 2050/1.
33. Book: The Musical Times. Orpheus. 1973. 415.
34. Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Location 31996). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
35. "Obituary: Sir Noel Coward", The Times, 27 March 1973, p. 18
36. News: Nino Bravo: una voz inolvidable y eterna . Juan Andrés . Rubert . 3 August 2019 . 4 August 2019 . . es.
37. "Obituary for István Kertész," The Musical Times 114, No. 1564 (1973), p. 632.
38. Book: Evelyn Mack Truitt. Who was who on screen. Bowker. 1977. 9780835209144. 49.
39. News: Malay movie idol Ramlee dies after heart attack. The Straits Times. 30 May 2010. 17 August 2018. 17.
40. GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1973 5b 1627 HAMMERSMITH, DoB = 30 January 1935
41. News: Page . Tim . 24 November 1986 . Music: Prism Orchestra in Barraqué Premiere . . 18 April 2017.
42. https://books.google.com/books?id=bMBf3TYZigQC&dq=%22Gram+Parsons%22+death+OR+dead+OR+died&pg=PT83 The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches
43. NTSB Identification: FTW74AF017; 14 CFR Part 135 Nonscheduled operation of ROBERT AIRWAYS; Aircraft: BEECH E18S, registration: N50JR . 1973-09-20 . NTSB.gov . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111208152047/http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=84416&key=0&print=1 . December 8, 2011 . mdy .
44. 1974. Rosetta Nubin (Sister) Tharpe. The Black Perspective in Music. 2. 2. 227. 1214272. 0090-7790.
45. News: December 21, 1973 . Bobby Darin, Pop Singer, Dies at 37 . en-US . . December 24, 2020 . 0362-4331.
46. Book: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. 2012. 9780199920839. 623.