This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1943.
Specific locations 1943 in British music 1943 in Norwegian music
Specific genres 1943 in country music 1943 in jazz
Events January 1 – Frank Sinatra appears at the Paramount Theatre causing a mob of hysterical bobby soxers to flood Times Square and block midtown New York City traffic for hours. Sinatra becomes a featured singer on the popular Your Hit Parade radio program, and co-star of the series Broadway Bandbox. By fall, he will have left Bandbox to star in his own series Songs By Sinatra. January 23 – Duke Ellington's orchestra performs for the first time at New York City's Carnegie Hall. During the concert, which raises money for war relief, Ellington premieres his most famous and revered extended composition, Black, Brown and Beige. June 1 – A performance of Darius Milhaud's suite for two pianos Scaramouche at the École Normale de Musique de Paris in Nazi occupied France is billed anagrammatically as Mous Are-chac by 'Hamid-al-Usurid' to evade the ban on works by Jewish composers. June 17 – Perry Como signs with RCA in the United States. September 27 – Decca Records is the first label to come to terms with the American Federation of Musicians, which has been on strike since August 1942 over music royalties. The first song to be recorded is "Pistol Packin' Mama" by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. October 30 – "Pistol Packin' Mama" by Al Dexter goes where no "Hillbilly" record has ever gone, to the top of the National Best Selling Retail Records chart in the United States. Despite fighting a World War in Europe and the Pacific, civilian and armed forces alike are caught up in a national craze not seen again until Elvis and the Beatles. But not everyone is excited about Country music: Dexter's publishing company sues The Hit Parade radio show for ignoring their record. November 14 – Leonard Bernstein, substituting at the last minute for ailing principal conductor Bruno Walter, directs the New York Philharmonic in its regular Sunday afternoon broadcast concert on CBS. The event receives front-page coverage in The New York Times the following day. Jo Stafford and The Pied Pipers sign with the newly formed Capitol Records (having broken from the Tommy Dorsey band in 1942). Fredda Gibson takes her professional name, "Georgia Gibbs", and begins appearing on the popular Camel Caravan radio program in the United States, hosted by Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore (It is Moore who bestows the famous nickname "Her Nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs" upon her, a playful reference to her diminutive stature). The Ward Singers first tour nationally in the United States. Carter Family disbands. William Schuman's cantata A Free Song wins the first Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Albums released Oklahoma – Original Broadway Cast, 1,000,000 sales Reveille with Beverly – Original soundtrack
Top popular recordings 1943
The following songs appeared in The Billboard's 'Best Selling Retail Records' chart during 1943. Each week fifteen points were awarded to the number one record, then nine points for number two, eight points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. Regional charts determined the 11–25 rankings each week, and records that failed to score on the main chart were ranked by highest position. Additional information was obtained from the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954 and other sources as specified.
Rank< Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart positions 1 The Mills Brothers "Paper Doll" Decca 18318 US BB 1943 #2, US #1 for 12 weeks, 40 total weeks, US R&B 1943 #14, Harlem Hit Parade #2 for 5 weeks, 29 total weeks, 287 points, 1,000,000 sales, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998 2 Harry James and His Orchestra (Vocal Helen Forrest) "I've Heard That Song Before" Columbia 36668 US BB 1943 #1, US #1 for 13 weeks, 26 total weeks, 240 points, 1,000,000 sales 3 Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Vocal Frank Sinatra & Pied Pipers) "There Are Such Things" Victor 27974 US BB 1943 #4, US #1 for 5 weeks, 26 total weeks, 176 points, 1,000,000 sales 4 Bing Crosby "Sunday, Monday or Always" Decca 18561 US BB 1943 #3, US #1 for 7 weeks, 20 total weeks, 174 points, 1,000,000 sales 5 Xavier Cugat & His Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra "Brazil" Columbia 36651 US BB 1943 #5, US #2 for 7 weeks, 24 total weeks, 140 points 6 Al Dexter and His Troopers "Pistol Packin' Mama" Okeh 6708 US BB 1943 #10, US #1, US Hillbilly 1943 #1, USHB #1 for 27 weeks, 47 total weeks, 109 points, 1,000,000 sales Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000 7 Dick Haymes & the Song Spinners "You'll Never Know" Decca 18556 US BB 1943 #5, US #1 for 4 weeks, 19 total weeks, US R&B 1943 #5, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 4 weeks, 16 total weeks, 135 points, Oscar in 1943 (film 'Hello, Frisco, Hello'), ASCAP song of 1943, 1,000,000 sales 8 Harry James and His Orchestra (Vocal Helen Forrest) "I Had The Craziest Dream" Columbia 36659 US BB 1943 #9, US #1 for 2 weeks, 22 total weeks, 128 points 9 Harry James and His Orchestra (Vocal Frank Sinatra) "All or Nothing at All" Columbia 35587 US BB 1943 #19, US #2 for 1 weeks, 25 total weeks, 107 points, 1,000,000 sales 10 Glenn Miller and His Orchestra "That Old Black Magic" Victor 20-1523 US BB 1943 #11, US #1 for 1 weeks, 19 total weeks, 105 points 11 Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Vocal Frank Sinatra) "In The Blue Of Evening" Victor 27947 US BB 1943 #6, US #1 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks, 123 points 12 Dinah Shore "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" Victor 20-1519 US BB 1943 #15, US #2 for 2 weeks, 20 total weeks, 73 points 13 Dick Haymes & the Song Spinners "It Can't Be Wrong" Decca 18557 US BB 1943 #13, US #2 for 5 weeks, 15 total weeks, 71 points 14 Harry James and His Orchestra "Velvet Moon" Columbia 36672 US BB 1943 #17, US #2 for 2 weeks, 17 total weeks, 68 points 15 Jacques Renard & His Orchestra "As Time Goes By" Victor 20-1526 US BB 1943 #21, US #2 for 1 week, 18 total weeks, 250,000 sales 16 Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters "Pistol Packin' Mama" Decca 23277 US 1943 #14, US #2 for 1 week, 15 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #2, USHB #1 for 11 weeks, 23 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales 17 Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (Vocal Peggy Lee) "Why Don't You Do Right?" Columbia 35869 US BB 1943 #7, US #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks 18 Bing Crosby "Moonlight Becomes You" Decca 18513 US BB 1943 #20, US #3 for 1 weeks, 20 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales 19 Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Vocal Frank Sinatra) "It Started All Over Again" Victor 27947 US BB 1943 #6, US #1 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks 20 Dinah Shore "Why Don't You Fall in Love with Me" Victor 27970 US BB 1943 #23, US #3 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks 21 Rudy Vallee & His Connecticut Yankees "As Time Goes By" Victor 20-1526 US BB 1943 #21, US #2 for 1 week, 18 total weeks 22 Judy Garland & Gene Kelly "For Me and My Gal" Decca 18480 US BB 1943 #25, US #3 for 1 week, 21 total weeksGrammy Hall of Fame in 2010 (1942) 23 Bing Crosby "I'll Be Home for Christmas" Decca 18570 US BB 1943 #24, US #3 for 2 weeks, 7 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales 24 Song Spinners "Comin' In On a Wing and a Prayer" Decca 18553 US BB 1943 #8, US #1 for 3 weeks, 12 total weeks, 91 points 25 Harry James and His Orchestra "I Heard You Cried Last Night" Columbia 36672 US BB 1943 #17, US #2 for 2 weeks, 17 total weeks, 90 points 26 Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (Vocal Helen Forrest) "Taking a Chance on Love" Columbia 35869 US BB 1943 #7, US #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks, 89 points 27 Bing Crosby & Trudy Erwin "People Will Say We're In Love" Decca 18564 US BB 1943 #22, US #2 for 1 week, 17 total weeks, 86 points 28 The Ink Spots "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" Decca 18503 US BB 1943 #18, US #2 for 1 week, 27 total weeks, 82 points 29 Frank Sinatra "You'll Never Know" Columbia 36678 US BB 1943 #16, US #2 for 2 weeks, 19 total weeks, 77 points 30 Glenn Miller and His Orchestra "Moonlight Becomes You" Decca 18513 US BB 1943 #20, US #3 for 1 weeks, 20 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales 31 Dinah Shore "Murder, He Says" Victor 27970 US BB 1943 #23, US #3 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks 32 Ted Daffan's Texans "No Letter Today" Okeh 6706 US BB 1943 #50, US #9 for 1 week, 20 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #3, USHB #1 for 5 weeks, 53 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales 33 Erskine Hawkins "Don't Cry, Baby" Bluebird 30-0813 US BS 1943 #58, US #11 for 2 weeks, 20 total weeks, US R&B 1943 #1, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 14 weeks, 29 total weeks, August 14 – November 13, 1943
Harlem Hit Parade Top Records of 1943
Rank Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart positions 1 Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra "Don't Cry, Baby" Bluebird 30-0813 US Billboard 1943 #57, US Pop #11 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks, US R&B 1943 #1, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 14 weeks, 29 total weeks, August 14 – November 13, 1943 2 Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" Victor 20-1547 US Billboard 1944 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points 3 The Mills Brothers "Paper Doll" Decca 18318 US Billboard 1943 #1, US Pop #1 for 12 weeks, 40 total weeks, 287 points, US R&B 1943 #14, Harlem Hit Parade #2 for 5 weeks, 29 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998, 1,000,000 sales, 4 The Ink Spots "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" Decca 18503 US Billboard 1943 #16, US Pop #2 for 1 week, 27 total weeks, 82 points 5 Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra "Apollo Jump" Victor 20-1547 US Billboard 1944 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points 6 The Ink Spots "I Can't Stand Losing You" Decca 18503 US Billboard 1943 #16, US Pop #2 for 1 week, 27 total weeks, 82 points 7 Bea Booze "See See Rider Blues" Victor 20-1547 US Billboard 1944 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points 8 Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra vocals Billie Holiday "Trav'lin' Light" Capitol 47 US Billboard 1943 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points 9 Dick Haymes and the Song Spinners "You'll Never Know" Decca 18556 US Billboard 1943 #6, US Pop #1 for 4 weeks, 19 total weeks, 135 points, US R&B 1943 #9, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 4 weeks, 16 total weeks 10 Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra "When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World)" Victor 20-1547 US Billboard 1944 #80, US Pop #10 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US R&B 1944 #7, Harlem Hit Parade #1 for 9 weeks, 18 total weeks, 191 points
Published popular music "All Er Nuthin'" words: Oscar Hammerstein II music: Richard Rodgers "Amor" w. (Eng) Sunny Skylar (Sp) Ricardo Lopez Mendez m. Gabriel Ruiz "Artistry In Rhythm" m. Stan Kenton "Beat Out Dat Rhythm On a Drum" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Georges Bizet "Besame Mucho" w. Sunny Skylar m. Conseulo Velázquez "By the River of the Roses" w. Marty Symes m. Joe Burke "Candlelight and Wine" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh. Introduced by Georgia Carroll and Harry Babbitt in the film Around the World "Close to You" w.m. Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston & Carl Lampl "Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" w. Bob Russell m. Duke Ellington "Don't Let's Be Beastly To The Germans" w.m. Noël Coward "Don't Sweetheart Me" w. Charles Tobias m. Cliff Friend "The Farmer and the Cowman" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers from the musical Oklahoma! "A Fellow on a Furlough" w.m. Bobby Worth "Foolish Heart" w. Ogden Nash m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Mary Martin in the musical One Touch Of Venus "Have I Stayed Away Too Long?" w.m. Frank Loesser "Hit the Road to Dreamland" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen "How Much I Love You" w. Ogden Nash m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Kenny Baker in the musical One Touch Of Venus