1949 in music

Events

Mitch Miller begins his career as one of the 20th century's most successful record producers at Mercury
Eddie Fisher signs with RCA
Bob Hope suggests that Anthony Benedetto change his stage name from "Joe Bari" to "Tony Bennett"
Frankie Laine cuts "Mule Train," the first modern pop record
Les Paul and Mary Ford wed
Teresa Brewer cuts her first record for the London label
The Ames Brothers score their first hit with "You, You, You Are The One"
Johnnie Ray performs at the Flame Show Bar in Detroit
Frank Sinatra stars in "On The Town" with Gene Kelly, a sequel to their 1945 hit "Anchors Aweigh"
The legendary Al Jolson records the soundtrack to "Jolson Sings Again," the sequel to his hugely successful biopic "The Jolson Story" (1946)
Chart-topping crooner Buddy Clark dies in a plane crash on October 1
Coral Records is formed as a subsidiary of Decca
45 rpm discs are introduced
The Trio Carosone is formed
Gorni Kramer starts working for musical impresarios Garinei and Giovannini
Country singer Bill Haley enters into a partnership with musicians Johnny Grande and Billy Williamson to form Bill Haley and His Saddlemen; in 1952 the group is renamed Bill Haley & His Comets.

Albums released

Der Bingle - Bing Crosby
Dinah Shore - Dinah Shore
Frankie Laine Favorites - Frankie Laine
Jerome Kern Songs - Bing Crosby
Jo Stafford With Gordon McRae - Jo Stafford & Gordon MacRae
Lights, Cameras, Action - Doris Day
Merry Christmas - Bing Crosby
Songs From The Heart - Frankie Laine
Stephen Foster Songs - Bing Crosby
Voice Of Frank Sinatra - Frank Sinatra
You're My Thrill - Doris Day
Birth Of The Cool - Miles Davis

No. 1 hit singles

These singles reached the top of the charts in 1949.

First week	Number of weeks	Title	Artist
January 8, 1949	1	"All I Want For Christmas"	Spike Jones
January 15, 1949	1	"Buttons and Bows"	Dinah Shore
February 22, 1949	7	"A Little Bird Told Me"	Evelyn Knight
March 12, 1949	2	"Cruising Down the River"	Blue Barron
March 26, 1949	7	"Cruising Down the River"	Russ Morgan
May 14, 1949	11	"Riders In the Sky"	Vaughn Monroe
July 30, 1949	5	"Some Enchanted Evening"	Perry Como
September 3, 1949	4	"You're Breaking My Heart"	Vic Damone
October 1, 1949	8	"That Lucky Old Sun"	Frankie Laine
November 26, 1949	6	"Mule Train"	Frankie Laine

Top hit records

"A You're Adorable" - Perry Como
"Again" - Gordon Jenkins (Joe Graydon, vocal)
"Again" - Vic Damone
"Again" - Doris Day
"Again" - Tommy Dorsey
"Again" - Vera Lynn
"Again" - Art Mooney
"Again" - Mel Tormé
"At The End Of The Road" - Frankie Laine
"Baby, I Need You" - Frankie Laine
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Dinah Shore & Buddy Clark
"Baby, Just For Me" - Frankie Laine
"Bali Ha'i" - Perry Como
"Bamboo" - Vaughn Monroe
"Bebop Spoken Here" - Frankie Laine
"Carry Me Back To Old Virginney" - Frankie Laine
"Coquette" - Guy Lombardo & Jimmy Brown
"Cruising Down the River" - Blue Barron
"Cruising Down the River" - Russ Morgan
"Dear Hearts & Gentle People" - Bing Crosby
"Deep In The Heart Of Texas" - Bing Crosby, Woody Herman & His Woodchoppers
"Don't Cry Little Children" - Frankie Laine
"A Dreamer's Holiday" - Perry Como
"A Dreamer's Holiday" - Buddy Clark
"Far Away Places" - Bing Crosby
"Far Away Places" - Margaret Whiting
"Forever and Ever" - Russ Morgan
"Georgia On My Mind" - Frankie Laine
"(Ghost) Riders In the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" - Vaughn Monroe
"God Bless The Child" - Frankie Laine
"Goodnight Irene" - The Weavers sells four million copies and launches the group's success
"Jealous Heart" - Al Morgan
"Lavender Blue" (Dilly Dilly) - Dinah Shore
"A Little Bird Told Me" - Evelyn Knight
"Mule Train" - Bing Crosby
"Mule Train" - Tennessee Ernie Ford
"Mule Train" - Frankie Laine
"Mule Train" - Vaughn Monroe
"No Orchids For My Lady" - The Ink Spots
"O Sole Mio" - Mario Lanza
"On The Alamo" - Jo Stafford
"Powder Your Face With Sunshine" - Evelyn Knight
"Rockin' Chair" - Frankie Laine
"Satan Wears A Satin Gown" - Frankie Laine
"Slap 'Er Down Agin, Paw" - Arthur Godfrey
"Slippin' Around" - Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely
"Some Day You'll Want Me To Want You" - The Mills Brothers
"Some Enchanted Evening" - Perry Como
"Swamp Girl" - Frankie Laine
"That Lucky Old Sun" - Frankie Laine
"They Didn't Believe Me" - Mario Lanza
"You're Breaking My Heart" - Buddy Clark
"You're Breaking My Heart" - Vic Damone
"You're Breaking My Heart" - The Ink Spots
"You're Breaking My Heart" - Jan Garber

Top R&B and Country hit records

"The Fat Man", by Fats Domino, first record with back beat all the way through

Published popular music

"Again" w. Dorcas Cochran m. Lionel Newman
"Bali Ha'i" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by Juanita Hall in the musical South Pacific
"Bamboo" w. Buddy Bernier m. Nat Simon
"Beyond The Reef" w.m. Jack Pitman
"Blame My Absent-Minded Heart" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne
"Bloody Mary" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers from the musical South Pacific
"Blue Ribbon Gal" Irwin Dash & Ross Parker
"Bluebird On Your Windowsill" w.m. Elizabeth Clarke & Robert Mellin
"Bonaparte's Retreat" w.m. Pee Wee King
"Bye Bye Baby" w. Leo Robin m. Jule Styne introduced by Carol Channing and Jack McCauley in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Performed in the film version by Marilyn Monroe.
"Cafe Mozart Waltz" m. Anton Karas played by Karas on the soundtrack of the film The Third Man.
"C'Est Si Bon" w. (Eng) Jerry Seelan (Fr) Andrez Hornez m. Henri Bett
"Clopin Clopant" Bruno Coquatrix, Pierre Dudan & Kermit Goell
"A Cock-Eyed Optimist" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by Mary Martin in the musical South Pacific. Mitzi Gaynor sang it in the film version.
"Count Every Star" w. Sammy Gallop m. Bruno Coquatrix
"Crazy, He Calls Me" w. Bob Russell m. Carl Sigman
"Daddy's Little Girl" w.m. Bobby Burke & Horace Gerlach
"Dear Hearts And Gentle People" w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain
"Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" w. Leo Robin m. Jule Styne introduced by Carol Channing in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Marilyn Monroe performed the number in the film version.
"Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" w.m. Buddy Johnson
"Dites-Moi" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by Michael de Leon and Barbara Luna in the musical South Pacific
"Don't Cry, Joe" w.m. Joe Marsala
"A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" w.m. Mack David, Al Hoffman & Jerry Livingston. Ilene Woods provided the vocal for the animated film Cinderella.
"Dreamer With A Penny" w.m. Allan Roberts & Lester Lee
"A Dreamer's Holiday" w. Kim Gannon m. Mabel Wayne
"Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)" w. Herb Magidson m. Carl Sigman
"The Fat Man" w. Antoine Domino m. Dave Bartholomew
"The Four Winds And The Seven Seas" w. Hal David m. Don Rodney
"Happy Talk" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by Juanita Hall in the musical South Pacific.
"He's A Real Gone Guy" w.m. Nellie Lutcher
"Homework" w.m. Irving Berlin
"Honey Bun" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers from the musical South Pacific
"Hop-Scotch Polka" w.m. William "Billy" Whitlock, Carl Sigman & Gene Rayburn
"The Horse Told Me" w. Johnny Burke m. James Van Heusen introduced by Bing Crosby in the film Riding High.
"The Hot Canary" m. Paul Nero
"How Can You Buy Killarney?" Hamilton Kennedy, Ted Steels, Freddie Grant (Grundland) & Gerard Morrison
"How It Lies, How It Lies, How It Lies!" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sonny Burke
"The Hucklebuck" w. Roy Alfred m. Andy Gibson
"Hymne á L'amour" w. Édith Piaf m. Marguerite Monnot
"I Almost Lost My Mind" w.m. Ivory Joe Hunter
"I Didn't Know The Gun Was Loaded" w.m. Hank Fort & Herb Leighton
"I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore" w.m. Bennie Benjamin & George David Weiss
"I Love You Because" w.m. Leon Payne
"I Said My Pajamas" w.m. Edward Pola & George Wyle
"I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas" w.m. Harry Stewart
"I'll Never Slip Around Again" Floyd Tillman
"I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by Mary Martin in the musical South Pacific.
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" w.m. Hank Williams
"It's a Great Feeling" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne introduced by Doris Day in the film It's a Great Feeling
"It's So Nice To Have A Man Around The House" w. Jack Elliott m. Harold Spina
"Just One Way To Say I Love You" w.m. Irving Berlin introduced by Eddie Albert and Allyn McLerie in the musical Miss Liberty.
"Let's Take An Old Fashioned Walk" w.m. Irving Berlin introduced by Eddie Albert and Allyn McLerie in the musical Miss Liberty
"A Little Girl From Little Rock" w. Leo Robin m. Jule Styne introduced by Carol Channing in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe were just two little girls in the film version.
"Lush Life" w.m. Billy Strayhorn
"Maybe It's Because" w. Harry Ruby m. Johnnie Scott
"Melodie D'Amour" w.(Eng) Leo Johns m. Henri Salvador
"Mona Lisa" w.m. Ray Evans & Jay Livingston
"Mule Train" w.m. Johnny Lange, Hy Heath & Fred Glickman
"Music! Music! Music!" w.m. Stephen Weiss & Bernie Baum
"My Bolero" Kennedy, Simon
"My Foolish Heart" w. Ned Washington m. Victor Young introduced by Susan Hayward in the film My Foolish Heart
"My One And Only Highland Fling" w. Ira Gershwin m. Harry Warren introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the film The Barkleys Of Broadway.
"Now That I Need You" w.m. Frank Loesser introduced by Betty Hutton in the film Red, Hot, And Blue.
"The Old Master Painter" w. Haven Gillespie m. Beasley Smith
"Paris Wakes Up And Smiles" w.m. Irving Berlin introduced by Johnny V. R. Thompson and Allyn McLerie in the musical Miss Liberty
"Peter Cottontail" w.m. Jack Rollins & Steve Nelson
"Pigalle" w.m. Georges Konyn, Charles Newman & Georges Ulmer
"Portrait Of Jenny" w. Gordon Burge m. J. Russell Robinson
"Put Your Shoes On, Lucy" w.m. Hank Fort
"Quicksilver" w.m. Irving Taylor, George Wyle & Eddie Pola
"Rag Mop" w.m. Johnnie Lee Wills & Deacon Anderson
"(Ghost) Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend)" w.m. Stan Jones
"The Right Girl For Me" w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Roger Edens introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"The River Seine" w. (Eng) Allan Roberts & Alan Holt m. Guy La Forge
"Room Full Of Roses" w.m. Tim Spencer
"Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" w.m. Johnny Marks
"Saturday Night Fish Fry" w.m. Louis Jordan, Ellis Walsh & Al Carters
"Scarlet Ribbons" w. Jack Segal m. Evelyn Danzig
"La Seine" w. Geoffrey Parsons m. Berkeley Fase
"Sentimental Me" w.m. James T. Morehead & James Cassin
"Sing Soft, Sing Sweet, Sing Gentle" w.m. Jimmy Durante & Jack Barnett
"Slipping Around" w.m. Floyd Tillman
"Some Day My Heart Will Awake" w. Christopher Hassall m. Ivor Novello
"Some Enchanted Evening" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by Ezio Pinza in the musical South Pacific. Giorgio Tozzi dubbed for Rossano Brazzi in the film.
"A Strawberry Moon (In A Blueberry Sky)" Bob Hilliard & Sammy Mysels
"Sunshine Cake" w. Johnny Burke m. James Van Heusen
"Swamp Girl" w.m. Michael Brown
"That Lucky Old Sun" w. Haven Gillespie m. Beasley Smith
"There Is Nothin' Like A Dame" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers from the musical South Pacific.
"Third Man Theme" m. Anton Karas played by Karas on the soundtrack of the film The Third Man. Also known as "The Harry Lime Theme".
"This Nearly Was Mine" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by Ezio Pinza in the musical South Pacific. Giorgio Tozzi dubbed for Rossano Brazzi in the film.
"Through A Long And Sleepless Night" w. Mack Gordon m. Alfred Newman
"Too-Whit! Too-Whoo!" Billy Reid
"Twenty-Four Hours Of Sunshine" w. Carl Sigman m. Peter De Rose
"Up Above My Head" w.m. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
"The Wedding Of Lili Marlene" w.m. Tommie Connor & Johnny Reine
"When The Wind Was Green" w.m. Don Hunt
"A Wonderful Guy" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by Mary Martin in the musical South Pacific
"Yingle Bells" adapt. Harry Stewart
"You Can Have Him" w.m. Irving Berlin from the musical Miss Liberty
"Younger Than Springtime" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by William Tabbert in the musical South Pacific
"You've Got To Be Carefully Taught" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Richard Rodgers introduced by William Tabbert in the musical South Pacific