1962 in music

Events

• January 24 - Brian Epstein signs to manage The Beatles
• January 24 - Teenage star Danny Peppermint is nearly killed when he is electrocuted by a microphone stand at the Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Peppermint is rushed to a hospital where he recovers.
• April 7 - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Mick Taylor meet Brian Jones at the Ealing Club, a blues club in London
• April 10 - Former Beatle Stuart Sutcliffe dies from cerebral paralysis caused by a brain hemorrhage in Hamburg, Germany.
• April 12 - A recording is made of Bob Dylan's concert at the Town Hall, in New York City by Columbia Records. Columbia would eventually release the recording of "Tomorrow Is a Long Time" from this concert
• August 16 - The Beatles fire Pete Best and replace him with Ringo Starr.
• August 23 - John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell
• Decca Records rejects a demo tape of The Beatles. The Tremeloes are signed to the label instead of the Beatles.
• Release of first Beatles recording: the single "Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You" on October 5 in the United Kingdom
• Stevie Wonder's musical career begins
• Otis Redding's musical career begins
• Wilson Pickett's musical career begins
• Harry Nilsson's musical career begins
• Booker T. & the MG's' musical career begins
• Isaac Hayes' musical career begins

Albums released

• Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan
• Let's Face the Music - Shirley Bassey
• Only Love Can Break a Heart - Gene Pitney
• Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits - Roy Orbison
• Sincerely, Brenda Lee - Brenda Lee
• Surfer's Choice - Dick Dale's debut LP

Top hits on record

• "Peppermint Twist" - Joey Dee & the Starlighters
• "The Twist" - Chubby Checker
• "Soldier Boy" - The Shirelles
• "V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N" - Connie Francis
• "Hey Baby" - Bruce Channel
• "The Loco-Motion" - Little Eva
• "Sherry" - The Four Seasons
• "Only Love Can Break a Heart" - Gene Pitney
• "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" - Gene Pitney
• "Break It To Me Gently" - Brenda Lee
• "All Alone Am I" - Brenda Lee
• "He's A Rebel" - The Crystals
• "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" - Neil Sedaka
• "Any Day Now" - Chuck Jackson
• "Leah" - Roy Orbison
• "Dream Baby" - Roy Orbison
• "Fortune Teller" - Bobby Curtola
• "Duke Of Earl" - Gene Chandler
• "Telstar" - The Tornadoes
• "Johnny Angel" - Shelly Fabares
• "Go Away Little Girl" - Steve Lawrence
• "What's Now My Love" - Shirley Bassey
• "Old Rivers" - Walter Brennan
• "Sheila" - Tommy Roe
• "Don't Make Me Over" - Dionne Warwick

Published popular music

• "Comedy Tonight"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Everybody Ought To Have A Maid"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Free"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Have A Dream"     w.Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse
• "He's A Rebel"     w.m. Gene Pitney
• "Her Royal Majesty"     w.m. Gerry Goffin & Carole King
• "I'm Calm"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "I've Got Your Number"     w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman
• "Impossible"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Love I Hear"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Lovely"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "More" w. Marcello Ciorciolini & Norman Newell m. Nino Oliviero & Riz Ortolani from the film Mondo Cane
• "On The Other Side Of The Tracks" w. Carolyn Leigh m. Cy Coleman from the musical Little Me
• "Pretty Little Picture"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "The Sweetest Sounds"     w.m. Richard Rodgers

Musical theater

• All American     Broadway production
• Blitz!     London production
• A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum     Broadway production
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes     London production
• The Golden Apple     Broadway revival
• I Can Get It For You Wholesale     Broadway production
• Little Mary Sunshine     London production
• Little Me     Broadway production
• Stop The World - I Want To Get Off     Broadway production

Musical films

• Blue Hawaii
• State Fair

Births

• January 16 - Paul Webb, Talk Talk
• January 28 - Leslie Phillips/Sam Phillips, singer
• February 6 - Axl Rose, Guns N'Roses
• February 7 - David Bryan, Bon Jovi
• February 7 - Garth Brooks, country singer
• February 11 - Sheryl Crow, American singer
• February 22 - Michael Wilton, Queensryche
• March 2 - Jon Bon Jovi
• March 5 - Craig Reid, The Proclaimers
• March 5 - Charlie Reid, The Proclaimers
• March 7 - Taylor Dayne
• March 30 - M.C. Hammer
• April 3 - Mike Ness, Social Distortion
• April 16 - Ian MacKaye, lead singer of Minor Threat and Fugazi
• May 9 - David Gahan, Depeche Mode
• May 28 - Roland Gift, Fine Young Cannibals
• May 31 - Corey Hart
• June 8 - Nick Rhodes, Duran Duran
• June 19 - Paula Abdul, pop vocalist
• July 7 - Mark White, Spin Doctors
• July 27 - Karl Mueller, Soul Asylum
• August 25 - Vivian Campbell, Def Leppard
• October 15 - Mark Reznicek, The Toadies
• October 25 - Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers
• November 1 - Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of Red Hot Chili Peppers
• November 21 - Steven Curtis Chapman
• November 27 - Charlie Benante, Anthrax
• November 28 - Matt Cameron, Soundgarden
• November 27 - Mike Bordin, Faith No More
• December 4 - Vinnie Dombroski, Sponge
• December 8 - Marty Friedman, Megadeath

Deaths

• April 10 - Stuart Sutcliffe, former member of The Beatles, cerebral paralysis caused by a brain hemorrhage
• July 25 - Christie MacDonald, actress and singer

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1962

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1962

Referenced By