1938 in music


This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1938.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Albums released

Top popular recordings

The twenty popular records listed below were extracted 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, they are only used as a frame of reference.
RankArtistTitleLabelRecordedReleasedChart positions<
1Chick Webb Orchestra "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"Decca 1840US Billboard 1938 #1, US #1 for 10 weeks, 19 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 1986, 250,000 sales
2Larry Clinton and His Orchestra "My Reverie"Victor 26006US Billboard 1938 #2, US #1 for 8 weeks, 19 total weeks, 100,000 sales
3Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra "Music, Maestro, Please"Victor 25866US Billboard 1938 #3, US #1 for 6 weeks, 20 total weeks
4Artie Shaw and his Orchestra"Begin the Beguine"Bluebird 7746US Billboard 1938 #4, US #1 for 6 weeks, 18 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 1977, National Recording Registry 2012, Jazz Standards 1935
5Horace Heidt And His Brigadiers"Ti-Pi-Tin"Brunswick 8078US Billboard 1938 #5, US #1 for 6 weeks, 13 total weeks
6Benny Goodman and His Orchestra"Don't Be That Way"Victor 25792US Billboard 1938 #6, US #1 for 5 weeks, 13 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 1987
7The Andrews Sisters"Bei Mir Bistu Shein"Decca 1562US Billboard 1938 #7, US #1 for 5 weeks, 10 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 1996, National Recording Registry 2008, 100,000 sales, 100,000 sales
8Larry Clinton and His Orchestra "Cry, Baby, Cry"Victor 25819US Billboard 1938 #8, US #1 for 4 weeks, 25 total weeks
9Bing Crosby"I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams"Decca 1562US Billboard 1938 #9, US #1 for 4 weeks, 17 total weeks
10Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra"Thanks for the Memory"Bluebird 7318US Billboard 1938 #10, US #1 for 4 weeks, 14 total weeks, Jazz Standards 1938
11Red Norvo and His Orchestra "Says My Heart"Brunswick 8135US Billboard 1938 #11, US #1 for 4 weeks, 12 total weeks
12Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra"I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"Brunswick 8108US Billboard 1938 #12, US #1 for 3 weeks, 19 total weeks
13Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra"Love Walked In"Vocalion 4017US Billboard 1938 #13, US #1 for 3 weeks, 16 total weeks
14Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra"Cathedral in the Pines"Bluebird 7533US Billboard 1938 #14, US #1 for 3 weeks, 10 total weeks
15Red Norvo and His Orchestra "Please Be Kind"Brunswick 8088US Billboard 1938 #15, US #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks
16Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra"Rosalie"Vocalion 4017US Billboard 1938 #16, US #1 for 2 weeks, 15 total weeks
17Russ Morgan and His Orchestra"I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams"Decca 1936US Billboard 1938 #17, US #1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks
18Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra"Change Partners"Decca 2002US Billboard 1938 #18, US #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks
19Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy"I Won't Tell a Soul "Decca 2127US Billboard 1938 #19, US #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks
20Bing Crosby"You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby"Decca 2147US Billboard 1938 #20, US #1 for 2 weeks, 11 total weeks
21Bing Crosby and Connee Boswell"Alexander's Ragtime Band"Decca 1887US Billboard 1938 #21, US #1 for 2 weeks, 11 total weeks
22Fats Waller and his Rhythm"Two Sleepy People"Bluebird 10000US Billboard 1938 #22, US #1 for 2 weeks, 11 total weeks
23Fred Astaire"Change Partners"Brunswick 8189US Billboard 1938 #23, US #1 for 2 weeks, 8 total weeks
24Fred Astaire"Nice Work if You Can Get It"Brunswick 7983US Billboard 1938 #24, US #1 for 1 weeks, 15 total weeks, Jazz Standards 1937
25Larry Clinton and His Orchestra"Heart and Soul"Victor 26046US Billboard 1938 #25, US #1 for 1 weeks, 14 total weeks, Jazz Standards 1938

Top Christmas hits

Top [blues] records

Published popular music

Classical music

Compositions

Opera

Film

[Musical theatre]

The Boys from Syracuse – Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 23 and ran for 235 performancesGreat Lady Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on December 1 and ran for only 20 performancesMaritza aka Countess Maritza, London production opened at the Palace Theatre on July 6The Fleet's Lit Up, London opened at the London Hippodrome and ran for 191 performancesHellzapoppin', Broadway revue opened at the 46th Street Theatre on September 22 and ran for 1404 performancesI Married an Angel, Broadway production opened at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre on May 11 and ran for 338 performancesKnickerbocker Holiday, Broadway production opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on October 19 and ran for 168 performancesLeave It to Me!, Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on November 9 and ran for 291 performancesNine Sharp, London production opened at The Little Theatre on January 26 and ran for 405 performancesOperette, London production opened at His Majesty's Theatre on March 16Right This Way, Broadway production opened at the 46th Street Theatre on January 5 and ran for 14 performancesSing Out The News, Broadway revue opened at the Music Box Theatre on September 24 and ran for 105 performancesThese Foolish Things London revue opened at the Palladium on September 29You Never Know, Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 21 and ran for 78 performances

[Musical film]s

The Big Broadcast of 1938, starring W. C. Fields, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour and Martha RayeCarefree, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger RogersChampagnegaloppen, starring Svend Methling and Valdemar Møller.Cocoanut Grove, starring Fred MacMurray, Harriet Hilliard, Ben Blue and Eve Arden.Cowboy from Brooklyn, starring Dick Powell and Priscilla LaneDoctor Rhythm, starring Bing Crosby, Mary Carlisle and Beatrice Lillie.Dos amigos y un amor, directed by Lucas DemareEs leuchten die Sterne, starring Ernst Fritz Fürbringer and Fridtjof MjøenFreshman Year, starring Constance Moore, William Lundigan and Dixie Dunbar. Directed by Frank McDonald.The Girl Of The Golden West, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson EddyGoing Places, starring Dick Powell, Anita Louise, Allen Jenkins and Ronald Reagan and featuring Louis Armstrong and Maxine SullivanGold Diggers in Paris, starring Rudy Vallée, Rosemary Lane, Hugh Herbert and Allen Jenkins. Directed by Ray Enright.The Great Waltz, released November 4 starring Luise Rainer and Miliza Korjus. Oscar Hammerstein II contributed new English lyrics to the music of Johann Strauss II

Births

Deaths