1945 in music


This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1945.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Publications

Albums released

US charts 1945

For the United States, charts are compiled from data published by Billboard magazine, using their own formulas with slight modifications. There are no songs missing or truncated by Billboard's holiday deadline. Each year, records included enter the charts between the prior November and early December. Each week, fifteen points are awarded to the number one record, then nine points for number two, eight points for number three, and so on. This system rewards songs that reach the highest positions, as well as those that had the longest chart runs, adjusting Whitburn's formula, which places no. 1 records on top, then no 2 and so on, ordered by weeks at that position.
Before the Hot100 was implemented in 1958, Billboard magazine measured a record's performance with three charts, 'Best-Selling Popular Retail Records', 'Records Most-Played On the Air' or 'Records Most Played By Disk Jockeys' and 'Most-Played Juke Box Records'. As Billboard did starting in the 1940s, the three totals for each song are combined, with that number determining the final year-end rank. For example, 1944's "A Hot Time in the Town of Berlin" by Bing and the Andrews Sisters finished at no. 19, despite six weeks at no. 1 on the 'Most-Played Juke Box Records' chart. It scored 126 points, to go with its Best-Selling chart total of 0. Martha Tilton's version of "I'll Walk Alone" peaked at no. 4 on the Juke Box chart, which only totalled 65 points, but her BS total was also 65, for a final total of 130, ranking no. 18. Examples like this can be found in "The Billboard" magazine up to 1958. The 'Records Most-Played On the Air' chart did not begin until January 1945.
The following songs appeared in The Billboard's 'Best Selling Retail Records', 'Records Most-Played On the Air' and 'Most Played Juke Box Records' charts during 1945.
RankArtistTitleLabelRecordedReleasedChart Positions
1Les Brown and his Orchestra "Sentimental Journey"Columbia 36769US 1945 #3, US #1 for 8 weeks, 28 total weeks, CashBox #2, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, 1,000,000 sales
2Perry Como"Till The End Of Time"Victor 20-1709US BB 1945 #2, US #1 for 9 weeks, 17 total weeks, CashBox #3, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, 1,000,000 sales
3Johnny Mercer And The Pied Pipers"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"Capitol 195US BB 1945 #3, US #1 for 7 weeks, 19 total weeks, CashBox #7
4Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra"There! I've Said It Again"Victor 20-1637US BB 1945 #4, US #1 for 6 weeks, 25 total weeks, CashBox #8
5The Andrews Sisters"Rum and Coca-Cola"Decca 18636US 1945 #1, US #1 for 10 weeks, 21 total weeks, CashBox #6, 1,000,000 sales
6Les Brown and his Orchestra "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time"Columbia 36779US 1945 #5, US #1 for 7 weeks, 16 total weeks, CashBox #1, 1,000,000 sales
7Swing And Sway With Sammy Kaye"Chickery Chick"Victor 20-1726US 1945 #8, US #1 for 4 weeks, 16 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales
8Harry James and his Orchestra "It's Been a Long, Long Time"Columbia 36838US BB 1945 #6, US #1 for 4 weeks, 17 total weeks, CashBox #5
9Johnny Mercer, Jo Stafford, and The Pied Pipers"Candy"Capitol 183US BB 1945 #14, US #1 for 1 week, 19 total weeks
10Bing Crosby with Carmen Cavallaro on piano"I Can't Begin to Tell You"Decca 23457US BB 1945 #10, US #1 for 6 weeks, 19 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales
11Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive"Capitol 180US BB 1945 #11, US #1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998
12Bing Crosby and Les Paul"It's Been a Long, Long Time"Decca 18708US BB 1945 #13, US #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks
13Carmen Cavallaro and His Orchestra"Chopin's Polonaise"Decca 18677US BB 1945 #14, US #3 for 10 weeks, 20 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales
14Harry James and his Orchestra "I'm Beginning To See The Light"Columbia 36758US BB 1945 #10, US #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks
15Tony Pastor and his Orchestra"Bell Bottom Trousers"Victor 20-1661US BB 1945 #16, US #2 for 2 weeks, 15 total weeks
16Benny Goodman and his Orchestra"Gotta Be This Or That"Columbia 36813US BB 1945 #18, US #2 for 1 week, 17 total weeks
17Hal McIntyre and His Orchestra"Sentimental Journey"Victor 20-1643US BB 1945 #18, US #3 for 1 week, 19 total weeks
18Helen Forrest & Dick Haymes"I'll Buy That Dream"Decca 23434US BB 1945 #19, US #2 for 1 week, 18 total weeks
19Stan Kenton and His Orchestra"Tampico"Capitol 202US BB 1945 #20, US #3 for 1 weeks, 14 total weeks
20The Pied Pipers"Dream"Capitol 185US BB 1945 #20, US #1 for 1 week, 18 total weeks

Top race records

At the start of 1945, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the "most popular records in Harlem" under the title of "the Harlem Hit Parade". Rankings were based on a survey of record stores primarily in the Harlem district of New York City, an area which has historically been noted for its African American population. This chart was published for the final time in the issue dated February 10. The following week the magazine launched a new chart in its place, "Most Played Juke Box Race Records", based on reports from juke box operators. For the year-end list of 1945's top R & B records below, peak positions and numbers of weeks from the HHP charts were carried over.
1945 chronological list of records that reached number one on the "Most Played Juke Box Race Records" chart.
RankArtistTitleLabelRecordedReleasedChart positions
1Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers"The Honeydripper"Exclusive 207US BB 1945 #191, US #16 for 1 week, 4 total weeks, US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #1, Harlem/Race Records #1 for 18 weeks, 27 total weeks
2Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra"Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well"Decca 18674US BB 1945 #90, US #9 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #2, Harlem/Race Records #1 for 8 weeks, 20 total weeks
3Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five"Caldonia"Decca 8670US BB 1945 #66, US #6 for 1 weeks, 8 total weeks, US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #3, Harlem/Race Records #1 for 7 weeks, 26 total weeks
4Roosevelt Sykes and His Piano"I Wonder"Bluebird 34-0721US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #4, Harlem/Race Records #1 for 7 weeks, 13 total weeks
5Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra"Tippin' In"Victor 20-1639US BB 1945 #238, US #21 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #5, Harlem/Race Records #1 for 6 weeks, 25 total weeks
6Pvt. Cecil Gant"I Wonder"Gilt-Edge 500US BB 1945 #266, US #26 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #6, Harlem/Race Records #1 for 2 weeks, 28 total weeks
7Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five"Mop Mop"Decca 8668US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #7, Harlem/Race Records #1 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks
8Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra"The Honeydripper"Decca 23451US BB 1945 #247, US #21 for 1 week, 4 total weeks, US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #8, Harlem/Race Records #2 for 8 weeks, 9 total weeks
9Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five"You Can't Get That No More"Decca 8668US BB 1945 #189, US #15 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #9, Harlem/Race Records #2 for 4 weeks, 13 total weeks
10Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra"Beulah's Boogie"Decca 18719US Most-Played Race Records 1945 #10, Harlem/Race Records #2 for 4 weeks, 9 total weeks

Published popular music

Classical music

Compositions

[Opera]

Film

[Musical theatre]

Are You with It?. Broadway production opened at the Century Theatre on November 10 and ran for 266 performances.Billion Dollar Baby. Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on December 21 and ran for 220 performances. Starring Mitzi Green, Joan McCracken, William Tabbert, Danny Daniels and Shirley Van.Carib Song. Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on April 19 and ran for 890 performances.The Day Before Spring. Broadway production opened on November 22 at the National Theatre and ran for 165 performances.The Firebrand of Florence. Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on March 22 and ran for 43 performances. Starring Lotte Lenya, Earl Wrightson, Beverly Tyler and Melville Cooper.

[Musical film]s

Anchors Aweigh starring Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly. Directed by George Sidney.The Bells of St. Mary's starring Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby. Directed by Leo McCarey.

Births

Deaths