This is a list of notable events in music that took place in 1931.
Specific locations 1931 in British music 1931 in Norwegian music
Specific genres 1931 in country music 1931 in jazz
Events January 6 - John Serry Sr. makes the first of several professional appearances as a soloist on the Italian radio station WOV in New York City. January 24 Mary Garden makes her last appearance with Chicago Opera, before retiring to her native Scotland. The Romen Theatre opens as a studio in Moscow. May 14 – After conducting a concert in memory of Giuseppe Martucci in Bologna, Arturo Toscanini is attacked by a crowd for having refused to perform the fascist Italian national anthem on the program.David Darrah, "Slap Toscanini: Refuses to Play Fascist Anthem", Chicago Tribune 90, no. 117 (16 May 1931): 3. May 21 – RCA Victor's first commercially issued rpm record, "Salon Suite, No. 1" by The Victor Salon Orchestra, directed by Nathaniel Shilkret, is recorded. May 23 – Edward Elgar's Nursery Suite receives its premiere in a recording studio (Kingsway Hall, London). July 22–28 – The ninth annual ISCM Festival of Contemporary Music takes place in London and Oxford, with concerts of orchestral, choral and chamber music.Anon., "Contemporary Music: Festival in England This Year", The Times, issue 45735 (Saturday, 31 January 1931): 10C. October 20 – The Indian Music Circle, dedicated to the revival of Indian classical music, is inaugurated with a ceremony held in the Jinnah Memorial Hall, Bombay.Anon., "Indian Music: Inauguration of Circle in Bombay", The Times of India (Thursday, 22 October 1931): 7.
Published popular music "All of Me" w.m. Seymour Simons & Gerald Marks "As Time Goes By" w.m. Herman Hupfeld "At Your Command" w.m. Harry Barris, Bing Crosby & Harry Tobias "Black Jazz" m. Gene Gifford "Blah, Blah, Blah" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by El Brendel in the film Delicious "Blues in My Heart" w. Irving Mills m. Benny Carter "Bend Down, Sister" w. Ballard MacDonald & David Silverstein m. Con Conrad. From the musical film Palmy Days. "Brighter Than The Sun" w. Anona Winn m. Ray Noble "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Jay Gorney "By The River Sainte Marie" w. Edgar Leslie m. Harry Warren "Close Your Eyes" D. Carter – H. M. Tennent "Come to Me" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson "Concentratin' On You" w. Andy Razaf m. Fats Waller "Crosby, Columbo And Vallee" w. Al Dubin m. Joe Burke "Cuban Love Song" w.m. Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh & Herbert Stothart, for the film "The Cuban Love Song", 1931 "Dancing In The Dark" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz "Delishious" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin, for the film "Delishious", 1931 "Doin' What I Please" w. Andy Razaf m. Thomas Waller "Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away" w. Sammy Timberg m. Samuel Lerner. Introduced by Mae Questel and Rudy Vallee in the Betty Boop animated short Musical Justice (1931) "Dream a Little Dream of Me" w. Gus Kahn m. Fabian Andre & Wilbur Schwandt "An Evening In Caroline" w.m. Walter Donaldson "Goodnight, Sweetheart" w.m. Ray Noble, James Campbell & Reg Connelly "Got A Date With An Angel" w. Clifford Grey & Sonny Miller m. Jack Waller & Joseph Tunbridge "Got the Bench, Got the Park" w.m. Al Sherman, Al Lewis & Fred Phillips "Green Eyes" w. (Eng) E. Rivera & Eddie Woods (Sp) Adolfo Utrero m. Nilo Menendez "Guilty" w. Gus Kahn m. Richard A. Whiting & Harry Akst "He Played His Ukulele As The Ship Went Down" w.m. Arthur Le Clerq "Heartaches" w. John Clenner m. Al Hoffman "Hello, My Lover, Goodbye" w. Edward Heyman m. John Green. Introduced by Frances Langford in the musical Here Goes the Bride "Help Yourself to Happiness" w.m. Mack Gordon, Harry Revel and Harry Richman. Introduced by Harry Richman in the revue Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 "Hold My Hand" w. Douglas Furber m. Noel Gay "Hoops" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz "I Apologize" w.m. Al Hoffman, Al Goodhart & Ed Nelson "I Don't Know Why" w. Roy Turk m. Fred E. Ahlert "I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store)" w. Billy Rose & Mort Dixon m. Harry Warren "I Heard" w.m. Don Redman "I Love Louisa" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz "I Surrender, Dear" w. Gordon Clifford m. Harry Barris "If You Should Ever Need Me" w. Al Dubin m. Joe Burke "I'll Be Good Because Of You" w.m. Ray Noble & Alan Murray "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" w. Alex Hill m. Fats Waller "I'm Gonna Get You" w.m. Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias & Jules Lemare "I'm Thru with Love" w. Gus Kahn m. Matty Malneck & Fud Livingston "It isnae me" w. Sally Holmes m. Edward Elgar "It's the Darndest Thing" w. Dorothy Fields m. Jimmy McHugh "It's the Girl" w. Dave Oppenheim m. Abel Baer "I've Got Five Dollars" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers "Kicking The Gong Around" w. Ted Koehler m. Harold Arlen "A Lady Must Live" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Jeanne Aubert in the musical America's Sweetheart "Lady Of Spain" w.m. Robert Hargreaves, Tolchard Evans, Stanley J. Damerell & Henry J. Tilsley "Lies" w. George E. Springer m. Harry Barris "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson "Love Is Sweeping The Country" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin "Love Letters In The Sand" w. Nick Kenny & Charles Kenny m. J. Fred Coots "Lullaby Of The Leaves" w. Joe Young m. Bernice Petkere "Mad Dogs And Englishmen" w.m. Noël Coward "Mama Inez" w. (Eng) L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Eliseo Grenet "Maria, My Own" w. (Eng) L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Ernesto Lecuona "Marta" w. (Eng) L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Moises Simons "Mary (I'm in Love with You)" w.m. J. Fred Coots & Ozzie Nelson "Mausie" w. (Eng) Harry Graham m. Paul Abraham "Me!" w.m. Irving Berlin "My Song" w. Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson "Nevertheless" w. Bert Kalmar m. Harry Ruby "Now's The Time To Fall In Love" w.m. Al Sherman & Al Lewis "Of Thee I Sing" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin "Oh, Monah" w.m. Ted Weems & Joe "Country" Washburn "One More Time" w.m. B. G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson. "Ooh That Kiss" w. Mort Dixon & Joe Young m. Harry Warren "Out Of Nowhere" w. Edward Heyman m. John Green "Paradise" w. Nacio Herb Brown & Gordon Clifford m. Nacio Herb Brown "Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone)" w.m. Will Jason & Val Burton "Pied Piper Of Hamelin" w.m. Noel Gay "Poor Pierrot" w. Otto Harbach m. Jerome Kern "Prisoner Of Love" w. Leo Robin m. Russ Columbo & Clarence Gaskill "River, Stay 'Way From My Door" w. Mort Dixon m. Harry Woods "Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On" w.m. James McCaffrey, Eugene West & Dave Ringle "Running Between The Raindrops" w. James Dyrenforth m. Carroll Gibbons "She Didn't Say Yes" w. Otto Harbach m. Jerome Kern. Introduced by Bettina Hall in the musical The Cat and the Fiddle. "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile" w. Charles O'Flynn & Jack Meskill m. Max Rich "Somebody from Somewhere" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by Janet Gaynor in the film Delicious "Sweet And Lovely" w.m. Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias & Jules Lemare "Thanks To You" w. Grant Clarke m. Pete Wendling "That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine" w.m. Jimmy Long & Gene Autry "That's My Desire" w. Carroll Loveday m. Helmy Kresa "This Is The Missus" w.m. Lew Brown & Ray Henderson "The Thrill Is Gone" w.m. Lew Brown & Ray Henderson "Till The Real Thing Comes Along" w.m. Mann Holiner, Alberta Nichols. Introduced by Ethel Waters in the Broadway revue Rhapsody in Black. (Not to be confused with the 1936 song "Until the Real Thing Comes Along," which is a related composition with a new melody by Saul Chaplin and new words by Sammy Cahn.) "Twentieth Century Blues" w.m. Noël Coward "Under the Bridges of Paris" w. (Fr) Jean Rodor, (Eng) Dorcas Cochran m. Vincent Scotto "Underneath The Arches" w.m. Reg Connelly & Bud Flanagan "Was I?" w. Charles Farrell m. Chick Endor from the revue Ziegfeld Follies Of 1931 "We'll Be The Same" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers "Were You Sincere" w. Jack Meskill m. Vincent Rose "When I Take My Sugar To Tea" w.m. Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal & Pierre Norman Connor "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" w.m. Leon Rene, Otis Rene & Clarence Muse "When The Bloom Is On The Sage" w.m. Nat Vincent & Fred Howard Wright "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain" w.m. Howard Johnson, Harry Woods & Kate Smith "When Your Lover Has Gone" w.m. E. A. Swan "When Yuba Plays The Rumba On The Tuba" w.m. Herman Hupfeld "Where The Blue Of The Night" w.m. Roy Turk, Bing Crosby & Fred E. Ahlert "Who Cares?" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by William Gaxton and Lois Moran in the musical Of Thee I Sing "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" w. Ted Koehler & Billy Moll m. Harry Barris "Yes, Yes, My Baby Said Yes, Yes" Cliff Friend, Con Conrad. Introduced by Eddie Cantor in the film Palmy Days "You Are My Heart's Delight" w. Harry Graham m. Franz Lehár Music 1923 "You Can't Stop Me From Loving You" w. Mann Holiner m. Alberta Nichols "You Forgot Your Gloves" w. Edward Eliscu m. Ned Lehac. Introduced by Constance Carpenter and Carl Randall in the revue The Third Little Show "You Rascal You" w.m. Sam Theard "You Try Somebody Else" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson "You're Blasé" w. Bruce Sievier m. Ord Hamilton "You're My Decline And Fall" George Posford "You're My Everything" w. Mort Dixon & Joe Young m. Harry Warren "Yours" (orig. "Quiéreme Mucho") w. (Eng) Jack Sherr (Sp) Augustin Rodriguez m. Gonzalo Roig
Top Popular Recordings 1931
After $75 million in sales during 1929, the US stock market crash in October nearly destroyed the industry, after forty years of consistent operation. Sales fell to $18 million in 1930 and then $5.5 million in 1931, where they remained for the next four years. The top selling records of 1929 ranged from $500,000 and up, fell under $100,000 in 1930, $60k in 1931 and $20k in 1932, where they stayed for several years. Keep this in mind when reviewing sales figures. You may also notice less artists and records. Record companies were afraid of taking more losses, such as gambling on new artists and new styles. Guy Lombardo's recording schedule was unaffected because his releases always sold well, but there were few new acts. Most of the records released in 1931 came from Radio Corporation of America (Victor), Columbia/Okeh, Brunswick (now owned by Warner Brothers Studios) and American Record Corporation (ARC), which featured discounted "dime store" labels.
The top popular records of 1931 listed below were compiled from Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954, 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 1931, the numbers are only used for a frame of reference.