1930 in music


This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1930.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Published popular songs

Top Popular Recordings 1930

After $75 million in sales during 1929, the stock market crash in October nearly destroyed the industry, after forty years of consistent operation. Sales fell to $18 million in 1930 and to under $6 million in 1931.
The top popular records of 1930 listed below were compiled 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, there were no Billboard charts in 1930, the numbers are only used for a frame of reference.
RankArtistTitleLabelRecordedReleasedChart Positions
1Rudy Vallee and His Connecticut Yankees"Stein Song "Victor 22321US Billboard 1930 #1, US #1 for 10 weeks, 21 total weeks
2Don Azpiazu and His Havana Casino Orchestra"The Peanut Vendor"Victor 22483US Billboard 1930 #2, US #1 for 7 weeks, 28 total weeks, National Recording Registry 2005
3Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra (voc Lewis James)"Dancing With Tears In My Eyes"Victor 22425US Billboard 1930 #3, US #1 for 7 weeks, 11 total weeks
4Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (Vocal Jack Fulton)"Body and Soul"Columbia 2297DUS Billboard 1930 #4, US #1 for 6 weeks, 15 total weeks
5Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians"Little White Lies"Victor 22492US Billboard 1930 #5, US #1 for 6 weeks, 12 total weeks, 75,001 sales
6Rudy Vallee and His Connecticut Yankees"If I Had a Girl Like You"Victor 22419US Billboard 1930 #6, US #3 for 10 total weeks, 73,710 sales
7Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians"You're Driving Me Crazy!"Columbia 2335DUS Billboard 1930 #7, US #1 for 4 weeks, 12 total weeks
8Duke Ellington and His Orchestra v_The Rhythm Boys"Three Little Words"Victor 22488US Billboard 1930 #8, US #1 for 3 weeks, 13 total weeks
9Hilo Hawaiian Orchestra "When It's Springtime in the Rockies"Victor 22339US Billboard 1930 #9, US #1 for 2 weeks, 19 total weeks
10Isham Jones Orchestra"Star Dust"Brunswick 4856US Billboard 1930 #10, US #1 for 1 week, 20 total weeks
11Ben Selvin and His Orchestra"When It's Springtime in the Rockies"Columbia 2206DUS Billboard 1930 #12, US #1 for 3 weeks, 11 total weeks
12McKinney's Cotton Pickers"If I Could Be with You One Hour To-night"Victor 38115US Billboard 1930 #10, US #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks
13Roy Ingraham and His Orchestra"Chant of the Jungle"Brunswick 4586US Billboard 1930 #13, US #1 for 3 weeks, 8 total weeks
14Rudy Vallee and His Connecticut Yankees"You're Driving Me Crazy"Columbia 2297DUS Billboard 1930 #14, US #3 for 9 total weeks, 58,458 sales
15Ted Weems Orchestra w_Art Jarrett"The Man from the South"Victor 22238US Billboard 1930 #15, US #1 for 1 week, 8 total weeks, 53,277 sales
16Leo Reisman and His Orchestra"Bye Bye Blues"Victor 22459US Billboard 1930 #16, US #17 for 1 week, 1 total week, 52,811 sales
17Leo Reisman and His Orchestra"What is This Thing Called Love?"Victor 22282US Billboard 1930 #17, US #5 for 1 week, 9 total weeks, 51,254 sales
18Benny Meroff Orchestra"Happy Days are Here Again"Brunswick 4709US Billboard 1930 #18, US #1 for 3 weeks, 8 total weeks
19Ben Selvin and His Orchestra "Happy Days are Here Again"Columbia 2116US Billboard 1930 #19, US #1 for 2 weeks, 11 total weeks
20Harry Richman with Earl Burtnett Orchestra"Puttin' On the Ritz"Brunswick 4677US Billboard 1930 #20, US #1 for 2 weeks, 8 total weeks
21Al Jolson"Let Me Sing and I'm Happy"Brunswick 4721US Billboard 1930 #21, US #2 for 2 weeks, 10 total weeks

Top Blues Recordings

Classical music

Opera

Musical theater

Darling, I Love You – London production opened at the Gaiety Theatre on January 22 and ran for 147 performancesEldorado – London production opened at Daly's Theatre on September 3 and ran for 93 performancesEver Green – London production opened at the Adelphi Theatre on December 3 and ran for 254 performancesFine and Dandy – Broadway musical opened at the Erlanger's Theatre on September 23 and ran for 246 performances.Follow a Star London production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 17 and ran for 118 performancesGirl Crazy – Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on October 14 and ran for 272 performancesHere Comes the Bride – London production opened at the Piccadilly Theatre on February 20 and ran for 175 performancesDas Land Des Lächelns – Vienna production opened at the Theater an der Wien on September 26 and ran for 105 performancesLittle Tommy Tucker – London production opened at Daly's Theatre on November 19 and ran for 83 performancesThe Love Race – London production opened at the Gaiety Theatre on June 25 and ran for 237 performancesThe New Yorkers – Broadway revue opened at the Broadway Theatre on December 8 and ran for 168 performancesNippy – London production opened at the Prince Edward Theatre on October 30 and ran for 137 performancesRio Rita – London production opened at the Prince Edward Theatre on April 3 and ran for 59 performancesThe Second Little Show – Broadway revue opened at the Royale Theatre on September 2 and ran for 63 performancesSilver Wings – London production opened at the Dominion Theatre on February 14 and ran for 120 performancesSons o' Guns – London production opened at the Hippodrome on June 26 and ran for 211 performancesSweet and Low – Broadway revue opened at Chanin's 46th Street Theatre on November 17 and ran for 184 performancesThe Three Musketeers – London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on March 28 and ran for 240 performancesThree's a Crowd – Broadway revue opened at the Selwyn Theatre on October 15 and ran for 271 performancesThe Vanderbilt Revue Broadway revue opened at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 5 and ran for 13 performancesViktoria und ihr Husar – Vienna production opened at the Theater an der Wien on December 23 and ran for 121 performancesThe White Horse Inn – Ralph Benatzky. First performed at the Grosses Schauspielhaus in Berlin on November 8.Wonder Bar London production opened at the Savoy Theatre on December 5 and ran for 210 performances

[Musical film]s

Along Came Youth starring Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Frances Dee and Stuart Erwin. Directed by Lloyd Corrigan and Norman McLeod.Animal Crackers, starring the Marx Brothers, Lillian Roth and Margaret Dumont. Directed by Victor Heerman.Be Yourself!, starring Fanny Brice, Harry Green and Robert Armstrong. Directed by Thornton Freeland.Big Boy, starring Al Jolson and Claudia Dell. Directed by Alan Crosland.The Big Pond, starring Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert. Directed by Hobart Henley.Bride of the Regiment, starring Walter Pidgeon and Vivienne SegalBright Lights, starring Dorothy Mackaill, Frank Fay, Noah Beery, Inez Courtney and Eddie Nugent. Directed by Michael Curtiz.Chasing Rainbows starring Bessie Love, Charles King, Jack Benny and Marie DresslerChildren of Pleasure starring Lawrence GrayThe Cuckoos starring Bert Wheeler and Robert WoolseyDancing Sweeties starring Grant Withers, Sue Carol and Edna MurphyDixiana starring Bebe Daniels and Everett MarshallEnd of the Rainbow, starring Richard Tauber, Lucie Englisch and Sophie Pagay, with music by Paul DessauFollow Thru starring Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Nancy Carroll, Zelma O'Neal, Jack Haley, Eugene Pallette and Thelma ToddGoing Wild starring Joe E. Brown and Ona MunsonGolden Dawn, released on June 14, starring Walter Woolf King, Vivienne Segal, Noah Beery, Alice Gentle and Lupino LaneGood News, starring Bessie Love, Cliff Edwards and Penny Singleton and featuring Abe Lyman & his BandHeads Up, starring Charles "Buddy" Rogers and Helen Kane. Directed by Victor Schertzinger.High Society Blues, starring Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell and Louise FazendaHit the Deck, starring Jack Oakie, Polly Walker and June ClydeHold Everything, starring Winnie Lightner and Joe E. BrownHoney, starring Nancy Carroll, Lillian Roth and Mitzi GreenIn Gay Madrid, starring Ramón Novarro and Dorothy JordanKing of Jazz, starring Paul Whiteman and John Boles and featuring The Rhythm Boys and The Brox SistersLeathernecking, starring Irene DunneLet's Go Native, starring Jack Oakie, Jeanette MacDonald and James HallLife of the Party, starring Winnie Lightner and Jack WhitingThe Lottery Bride, starring Jeanette MacDonald, Zasu Pitts, Joe E. Brown and John Garrick. Directed by Paul L. Stein.Love Comes Along, starring Bebe DanielsMadam Satan, starring Kay Johnson and Reginald DennyMammy, starring Al JolsonMaybe It's Love, starring Joe E. Brown, James Hall and Joan BennettMonte Carlo, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Jack Buchanan. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch.New Movietone Follies of 1930 starring El Brendel and Marjorie WhiteNo, No Nanette starring ZaSu Pitts, Louise Fazenda, Lilyan Tashman and Mildred HarrisOh Sailor Behave starring Charles King and Irene DelroyParamount on Parade featuring Maurice Chevalier and Clara BowPuttin' on the Ritz starring Harry Richman, Joan Bennett and James GleasonRendezvous, starring Lucie Englisch, Ralph Arthur Roberts and Alexa Engström, with music by Artur GuttmannThe Rogue Song released May 10 starring Lawrence Tibbett and Catherine Dale Owen and featuring Stan Laurel and Oliver HardyShe Couldn't Say No starring Winnie LightnerShow Girl In Hollywood starring Alice WhiteSong o' My Heart released September 7 starring John McCormack.Song of the Flame starring Bernice Claire and Noah BeerySong of the West starring John Boles and Vivienne SegalSpring Is Here starring Lawrence Gray, Bernice Claire, Inez Courtney, Frank Albertson and The Brox Sisters.Sunny starring Marilyn Miller, Lawrence Gray and Joe Donahue.Sunny Skies starring Benny Rubin, Marceline Day, Rex Lease and Marjorie KaneSweet Kitty Bellairs starring Claudia Dell and Walter PidgeonSwing High starring Helen Twelvetress and Fred ScottTop Speed starring Bernice Claire, Jack Whiting and Joe E. BrownUnder a Texas Moon starring Frank Fay, Myrna Loy and Noah BeeryUnder the Roofs of Paris starring Albert Préjean, with music by Armand Bernard, Raoul Moretti and René NazellesThe Immortal Vagabond, starring Liane Haid, Gustav Fröhlich and Hans Adalbert Schlettow.The Vagabond King starring Dennis King, Jeanette MacDonald and Lillian RothViennese Nights released November 26 starring Vivienne Segal, Jean Hersholt, Walter Pidgeon and Louise Fazenda.What a Widow! starring Gloria SwansonWhen Naples Sings, starring Malcolm Tod, with music by Ernesto TagliaferriWhoopee! starring Eddie Cantor, Ethel Shutta and featuring George Olsen & his Orchestra and Betty GrableYoung Man of Manhattan starring Claudette Colbert, Ginger Rogers, Norman Foster and Charles Ruggles. Directed by Monta Bell.

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