1955 in music

See also: 1954 in music, other events of 1955, 1956 in music, 1950s in music and the list of 'years in music'

Events

• January 1 – RCA victor announces a marketing plan called "Operation TNT." The label drops the list price on LP's from $5.95 to $3.98, EP's from $4.95 to $2.98, 45 EP's from $1.58 to $1.49 and 45's from $1.16 to $.89. Other record labels follow RCA's lead and begin to drop prices as well.
• January 14 – In New York City, Alan Freed produces the first rock and roll concert.
• February 26 – For the first time since they were introduced in 1949, 45 rpm discs begin to outsell the old standard 78s
• Kay Starr leaves Capitol to sign with RCA
• March 5 – Elvis Presley makes his first television appearance on a program called Louisiana Hayride.
• The Patti Page Show premieres on NBC
• The Frankie Laine Show premieres on CBS
• March 7 – Carl Perkins' single "Blue Suede Shoes" enters the R&B charts, marking the first time a Country music artist has made it on the R&B charts.
• March 15 – Colonel Tom Parker becomes Elvis Presley's manager
• March 19 – The film Blackboard Jungle premieres in New York City. The film features Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" over the opening credits — the first use of a rock and roll song in a major film. This event causes a groundswell of sales for the recording and is credited with helping to launch in earnest the Rock and Roll Era.
• July 9 – "Rock Around the Clock" becomes the first Rock and roll single to reach Number One on the American charts
• September 26 – "America's Sweethearts," Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds marry.
• Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's musical careers begin as they copyright a song, "The Girl For Me," with the Library of Congress and begin singing together as a duo while still in high school in New York, New York.
• Johnny Cash's musical career begins
• Patsy Cline's musical career begins
• Eddie Cochran's musical career begins
• Little Richard's musical career begins
• John Coltrane's musical career begins
• Al Green's musical career begins
• Clyde McPhatter launches a solo career
• Renato Carosone and Nicola Salerno meet and start their songwriting partnership
• Italian singers Natalino Otto and Flo Sandon's wed

Albums released

• Day Dreams – Doris Day
• Doris Day In Hollywood – Doris Day
• Eddie Fisher Sings Academy Award Winning Songs – Eddie Fisher
• Especially For You...  – Teresa Brewer
• Exactly Like You – The Ames Brothers
• Four Brothers – The Ames Brothers
• Frankie – Frank Sinatra
• Happy Holidays – Jo Stafford
• The Hi-Lo's, I Presume – The Hi-Lo’s
• I Cry For You – Johnnie Ray
• I Love You – Eddie Fisher
• I’m In The Mood For Love – Eddie Fisher
• In A Blue Mood – Kay Starr
• Jazz Spectacular – Frankie Laine & Buck Clayton
• Love After Midnight" – Patti Page
• Lovers' Laine – Frankie Laine
• Memory Songs – Jo Stafford
• Moments To Remember – The Four Lads
• Music Ala Carte – The Crew Cuts
• The One, The Only Kay Starr – Kay Starr
• Our Town – Frank Sinatra
• Romance On The Range – Patti Page
• Satch Plays Fats – Louis Armstrong
• Songs For Swingin' Lovers! – Frank Sinatra
• Soft And Sentimental – Jo Stafford
• Voice Of Our Choice – Guy Mitchell
• Swing Easy – Frank Sinatra
• Young At Heart – Doris Day & Frank Sinatra

No. 1 hit singles

These singles reached the top of Billboard magazine's charts in 1955.

Top hits on record

• "Ain't That A Shame" – Pat Boone
• "Arrivederci Roma" – Georgia Gibbs
• "Band Of Gold" – Don Cherry
• "A Blossom Fell" – Nat King Cole
• "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" – Perez Prado
• "Cool Water" – Frankie Laine
• "Croce Di Oro" – Patti Page
• "Cry Me A River" – Julie London
• "Dance With Me, Henry" – Georgia Gibbs
• "Danger! Heartbreak Ahead" – Jaye P. Morgan
• "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" – Nat King Cole
• "Earth Angel" – The Crew Cuts
• "The Great Pretender" – The Platters
• "Hawk-Eye" – Frankie Laine
• "He" – Al Hibbler
• "He" – McGuire Sisters
• "Heart" – Eddie Fisher
• "How Important Can It Be?" – Joni James
• "Hummingbird" – Frankie Laine
• "Hummingbird" – Les Paul and Mary Ford
• "I Hear You Knocking" – Gale Storm
• "I Need You Now" – Eddie Fisher
• "I Want You To Be My Baby" – Georgia Gibbs
• "If I Give My Heart To You" – Doris Day
• "If I Give My Heart To You" – Denise Lor
• "In The Beginning" – Frankie Laine
• "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" – Somethin' Smith & The Redheads
• "Let Me Go, Lover" – Joan Weber
• "Let's Go Fishin'" – Frankie Laine & Jimmy Boyd
• "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" – The Four Aces featuring Al Alberts
• "Love Me Or Leave Me" – Doris Day
• "Maybelline" – Chuck Berry
• "Memories Are Made Of This" – Dean Martin
• "My Friend" – Frankie Laine
• "Never Look Back" – Doris Day
• "Only You (And You Alone)" – The Platters
• "Rock Around The Clock" – Bill Haley & his Comets
• "Rock And Roll Waltz" – Kay Starr
• "Same Old Saturday Night" – Frank Sinatra
• "Seventeen" – The Fontane Sisters
• "Sincerely" – McGuire Sisters
• "Sixteen Tons" – Tennessee Ernie Ford
• "Sixteen Tons" – Frankie Laine
• "Smack Dab In The Middle" – The Mills Brothers
• "Song Of Seventeen" – Petty King
• "Stars Fell On Alabama" – Frankie Laine & Buck Clayton
• "Suddenly There's A Valley" – Gogi Grant
• "Teenage Prayer" – Gale Storm
• "That Old Feeling" – Frankie Laine & Buck Clayton
• "That Old Feeling" – Patti Page
• "Tweedle Dee" – Georgia Gibbs
• "Unchained Melody" – Les Baxter
• "Unchained Melody" – Roy Hamilton
• "Unchained Melody" – Al Hibbler
• "A Woman In Love" – Frankie Laine
• "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" – Mitch Miller & The Gang

Top R&B and Country Hits on record

• "Ain't That A Shame" – Fats Domino
• "Earth Angel" – Penguins
• "Flip, Flop & Fly" – Joe Turner
• "Tweedle Dee" – LaVern Baker

Published popular music

• "Adelaide"     w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Ain't That A Shame"     w.m. Antoine Domino & Dave Bartholomew
• "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby"     w.m. Jimmy Reed
• "All At Once You Love Her"     w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers
• "Arrivederci Roma"     w. (Eng) Carl Sigman m. Renato Ranucci
• "Ballad Of Davy Crockett"     w. Tom Blackburn m. George Bruns
• "Banana Boat (Day O)"     trad West Indies arr. William Attaway and Irving Burgie (aka Lord Burgess)
• "Band Of Gold"     w. Bob Musel m. Jack Taylor
• "The Bible Tells Me So"     w.m. Dale Evans
• "Black Denim Trousers And Motorcycle Boots"     w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
• "Blue Monday"     w.m. Antoine "Fats" Domino & Dave Bartholomew
• "Blue Suede Shoes"     w.m. Carl Perkins
• "Bo Diddley"     w.m. Ellas McDaniel
• "Charlie Brown"     w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
• "Christmas Alphabet"     Buddy Kaye, Jules Loman
• "Cry Me A River"     w.m. Arthur Hamilton
• "Dance With Me Henry"     w.m. Johnny Otis, Hank Ballard & Etta James aka "Wallflower"
• "Domani"     w. Tony Velona m. Ulpio Minucci
• "Don't Be Angry"     w.m. Nappy Brown, Rose Marie McCoy & Fred Mendelsohn
• "Dreamboat"     w.m. Jack Hoffman
• "Dungaree Doll"     w. Ben Raleigh m. Sherman Edwards
• "Folsom Prison Blues"     w.m. Johnny Cash
• "The Great Pretender"     w.m. Buck Ram
• "Hallelujah I Love Her So"     w.m. Ray Charles
• "He"     w. Jack Mullan m. Jack Richards
• "Heart"     w.m. Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
• "Hey, Mister Banjo"     w.m. Freddy Morgan & Norman Malkin
• "I Hear You Knocking"     w.m. Dave Bartholomew & Pearl King
• "I Never Has Seen Snow"     w. Truman Capote & Harold Arlen m. Harold Arlen
• "I'm In Love Again"     w.m. Antoine Domino & Dave Bartholomew
• "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning"     w. Bob Hilliard m. Dave Mann
• "Innamorata"     w. Jack Brooks m. Harry Warren Introduced by Dean Martin in the film Artists And Models
• "It's Almost Tomorrow"     w. Wade Buff m. Gene Adkinson
• "Jamaica Farewell"     w.m. Lord Burgess
• "Jim Dandy"     w.m. Lincoln Chase
• "Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)"     w.m. Forest Wilson, Jake Porter & Eunice Levy
• "Learnin' The Blues"     w.m. Dolores Vicki Silvers
• "Let Me Go, Lover"     w.m. Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
• "Life Could Not Better Be"     w.m. Sylvia Fine & Sammy Cahn
• "Little One"     w.m. Cole Porter
• "Love And Marriage"     w. Sammy Cahn m. James Van Heusen
• "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing"     w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sammy Fain
• "Maybellene"     w.m. Chuck Berry, Russ Frato & Alan Freed
• "Memories Are Made Of This"     w.m. Terry Gilkyson, Rich Dehr & Frank Miller
• "Mind If I Make Love To You"     w.m. Cole Porter
• "Moments To Remember"     w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
• "Mr. Wonderful"     w.m. Jerry Bock, George David Weiss & Larry Holofcener
• "My Boy – Flat Top"     w.m. Boyd Bennett & John Young Jr
• "No, Not Much"     w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
• "Once-A-Year Day"     w.m. Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
• "Paper Roses"     w. Janice Torre m. Fred Spielman
• "Pet Me Poppa"     w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Pete Kelly's Blues"     w. Sammy Cahn m. Ray Heindorf
• "Relax-Ay-Voo"     Sammy Cahn & Arthur Schwartz
• "The Rock And Roll Waltz"     w. Dick Ware m. Shorty Allen
• "Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie"     w.m. Bill Haley
• "Same Old Saturday Night"     w. Sammy Cahn m. Frank Reardon
• "See You Later Alligator"     w.m. Robert Guidry
• "Seven-And-A-Half Cents"     w.m. Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
• "The Siamese Cat Song"     w.m. Peggy Lee & Sonny Burke
• "A Sleepin' Bee"     w. Truman Capote & Harold Arlen m. Harold Arlen
• "Smokey Joe's Café"     w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
• "Softly, Softly"     Pierre Dudan, Paddy Roberts & Mark Paul
• "Something's Gotta Give"     w.m. Johnny Mercer
• "Speedoo"     w.m. Esther Navarro
• "Stereophonic Sound"     w.m. Cole Porter
• "A Story Untold"     Leroy Griffin
• "Suddenly There's A Valley"     w.m. Chuck Meyer & Biff Jones
• "The Tender Trap"     w. Sammy Cahn m. James Van Heusen
• "Theme From "East Of Eden""     m. Leonard Rosenman
• "Tina Marie"     w.m. Bob Merrill
• "Tutti Frutti"     w.m. Richard Penniman, D. La Bostrie & Joe Lubin
• "Two Lost Souls"     w.m. Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
• "Unchained Melody"     w. Hy Zaret m. Alex North
• "Wake The Town And Tell The People"     w. Sammy Gallop m. Jerry Livingston
• "The Wallflower" (aka "Dance With Me Henry")     w.m. Johnny Otis, Hank Ballard & Etta James
• "Whatever Lola Wants"     w.m. Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
• "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?"     w.m. Frankie Lymon & George Goldner
• "A Woman In Love"     w.m. Frank Loesser
• "You Don't Know Me"     w.m. Cindy Walker & Eddy Arnold
• "You're Sensational"     w.m. Cole Porter

Classical music

• Mario Davidovsky – Quintet for Clarinet and Strings
• Mario Davidovsky – Suite Sinfonica Para "El Payaso" for orchestra
• Einar Englund – Piano Concerto
• Ferenc Farkas – Bukki Varlatok
• Alan Hovhaness – Symphony no. 2 – "Mysterious Mountain"
• Bohuslav Martinu – The Epic of Gilgamesh
• Franz Waxman – Sinfonietta for Strings and Timpani

Opera

• Carlisle Floyd – Susannah
• Dmitri Kabalevsky – Nikita Vershinin

Musical theater

• The Amazing Adele     Philadelphia production
• Ankles Aweigh     Broadway production
• Catch A Star     Broadway production
• Damn Yankees (Richard Adler and Jerry Ross) – Broadway production
• Kismet     London production
• The Pajama Game (Richard Adler and Jerry Ross) – London production
• Phoenix '55     Broadway production
• Pipe Dream (Rodgers & Hammerstein) – Broadway production
• Plain And Fancy     Broadway production
• Seventh Heaven     Broadway production
• Shoestring Revue     Broadway production
• Silk Stockings     Broadway production
• Wonderful Town (Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green) – London production

Musical films

• Artists And Models released November 7 starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
• The Benny Goodman Story
• Daddy Long Legs
• Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
• It's Always Fair Weather
• Kismet
• Lady And The Tramp     Animated feature
• Love Me Or Leave Me
• Oklahoma!
• Pete Kelly's Blues
• Seven Little Foys
• A Star Is Born

Musical television

• Heidi     television production
• Our Town     television production
• Together With Music     television production

Births

• January 3 – Helen O'Hara, British musician
• January 8 – Mike Reno, Loverboy
• January 13 – Fred White, Earth Wind and Fire
• January 13 – Trevor Rabin, Yes
• January 17 – Steve Earle
• January 19 – Simon Rattle, conductor
• January 27 – Richard Young, Kentucky Headhunters
• February 23 – Howard Jones
• March 2 – Jay Osmond, The Osmonds
• March 10 – Bunny DeBarge, DeBarge
• March 15 – Dee Snider, Twisted Sister
• April 13 – Louis Johnson, The Brothers Johnson
• April 17 – Pete Shelley Buzzcocks
• May 9 – Anne Sofie von Otter
• May 20 – Steve George, Mr. Mister
• May 20 – Zbigniew Preisner, composer
• May 21 – Stan Lynch, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• May 28 – John McGeoch, Magazine, PiL, and Siouxsie & the Banshees, (d. 2004)
• May 30 – Nicky Headon, The Clash
• June 7 – Joey Scarbury
• June 20 – Michael Anthony, Van Halen
• July 4 – John Waite
• July 18 – Terry Chambers, XTC
• July 21 – Howie Epstein, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• August 9 – Benjamin Orr, The Cars
• August 17 – Colin Moulding, XTC
• August 29 – Diamanda Galás
• September 3 – Steve Jones, The Sex Pistols
• September 28 – George Lynch, Dokken
• October 2 – Philip Oakey, Human League
• October 7 – Yo-Yo Ma, cellist
• October 10 – David Lee Roth, Van Halen
• October 21 – Rich Mullins (+ 1997)
• October 29 – Kevin Dubrow, Quiet Riot
• November 30 – Billy Idol
• December 6 – Bright Sheng, composer
• December 15 – Paul Simonon, The Clash

Deaths

• March 12 – Charlie Parker, Jazz saxophonist, heart failure
• August 5 – Carmen Miranda, singer
• November 11 – Jerry Ross (composer)
• November 27 – Arthur Honegger, composer