1952 in music


This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1952.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Publications

Musical groups formed

Albums released

US No. 1 hit singles

These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1952.
First weekNumber of weeksTitleArtist
March 15, 19529"Wheel of Fortune"Kay Starr
May 17, 19525"Blue Tango"Leroy Anderson
June 21, 19522"Here in My Heart"Al Martino
July 5, 19521"Delicado"Percy Faith & his Orchestra
July 12, 19529"Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart"Vera Lynn
September 13, 19525"You Belong to Me"Jo Stafford
October 18, 19525"I Went to Your Wedding"Patti Page
November 22, 19521"It's in the Book"Johnny Standley
November 29, 19524"Why Don't You Believe Me?"Joni James
December 27, 19522"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"Jimmy Boyd

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1952.
#ArtistTitleYearCountryChart entries
1Percy FaithDelicado1952CanadaUS 1940s 1 – Apr 1952, US 1 for 1 weeks Jul 1952, Peel list 1 of 1951, US BB 18 of 1952, POP 18 of 1952, Italy 26 of 1952, RYM 127 of 1952
2Jo StaffordYou Belong to Me1952USUK 1 – Nov 1952, US 1940s 1 – Aug 1952, US 1 for 5 weeks Sep 1952, US BB 4 of 1952, POP 4 of 1952, RYM 145 of 1952
3Al MartinoHere in My Heart1952USUK 1 – Nov 1952, US 1940s 1 – May 1952, US 1 for 2 weeks Jun 1952, US BB 20 of 1952, POP 20 of 1952, RYM 22 of 1952
4Kay StarrWheel of Fortune1952USUS 1940s 1 – Feb 1952, US 1 for 9 weeks Mar 1952, Peel list 3 of 1952, US BB 8 of 1952, POP 8 of 1952, DDD 35 of 1952, Acclaimed 2343
5Frankie LaineHigh Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)1952USOscar in 1952, US BB 3 of 1952, POP 3 of 1952, US 1940s 5 – Jul 1952, UK 7 – Nov 1952, RYM 34 of 1952, Italy 48 of 1952

Published popular music

Top R&B and country hits on record

Classical music

Premieres

  • 1 The ensemble Bruno Maderna conducted comprised both faculty and students of the Ferienkurse and members of the Landestheater Orchestra Darmstadt.
  • 2 Only the first half of Spiel was performed at Donaueschingen in 1952. The complete score was only first performed in a radio recording made in July 1973 with the SWR Symphony Orchestra, Baden-Baden, conducted by the composer. The first public performance of the complete composition was given by the Berlin Philharmonic on 14 September 1975, also under the composer's baton.

Compositions

Opera

Film

[Musical theatre]

Bet Your Life London production opened at the Hippodrome on February 18 and ran for 362 performancesCurtain Going Up Broadway productionThe Globe Revue London revue opened on July 10 at the Globe TheatreLove from Judy London production opened at the Saville Theatre on September 25 and ran for 594 performancesNew Faces of 1952 Broadway productionPal Joey – Broadway revival of original 1940 productionRing Out the Bells London revue opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre on November 12Three Wishes for Jamie Broadway production opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 21 and moved to the Plymouth Theatre on May 27 for a total run of 92 performancesTwo's Company Broadway productionWish You Were Here Broadway production

[Musical film]s

Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick starring Alan Young, Dinah Shore, Robert Merrill and Adele Jergens. Directed by Claude Binyon.

Births

Deaths