1931 in music

Specific locations

• 1931 in British music
• 1931 in Norwegian music

  Specific genres

• 1931 in country music
• 1931 in jazz

  Events

• January 24
• *Mary Garden makes her last appearance with Chicago Opera, before retiring to her native Scotland.
• *The Romen Theatre opens as a studio in Moscow.
• May 14 – After conducting a concert in memory of Giuseppe Martucci in Bologna, Arturo Toscanini is attacked by a crowd for having refused to perform the fascist Italian national anthem on the program.
• May 21 – RCA Victor's first commercially issued 33⅓ rpm record, "Salon Suite, No. 1" by The Victor Salon Orchestra, directed by Nathaniel Shilkret, is recorded.
• July 22–28 – The ninth annual ISCM Festival of Contemporary Music takes place in London and Oxford, with concerts of orchestral, choral, and chamber music.
• October 20 – The Indian Music Circle, dedicated to the revival of Indian classical music, is inaugurated with a ceremony held in the Jinnah Memorial Hall, Bombay.

  Published popular music

• "Adios" w. Eddie Wood m. Enric Madriguera
• "All of Me" w.m. Seymour Simons & Gerald Marks
• "As Time Goes By" w.m. Herman Hupfeld
• "At Your Command" w.m. Harry Barris, Bing Crosby & Harry Tobias
• "Black Jazz" m. Gene Gifford
• "Blah, Blah, Blah" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by El Brendel in the film Delicious
• "Blues in My Heart" w. Irving Mills m. Benny Carter
• "Bend Down, Sister" w. Ballard MacDonald & David Silverstein m. Con Conrad. From the musical film Palmy Days.
• "Brighter Than The Sun" w. Anona Winn m. Ray Noble
• "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Jay Gorney
• "By The River Sainte Marie" w. Edgar Leslie m. Harry Warren
• "Call Me Darling, Call Me Sweetheart, Call Me Dear" w. Dorothy Dick w.m. Bert Reisfeld, Mart Fryberg & Rolf Marbet
• "Close Your Eyes" D. Carter – H. M. Tennent
• "Come to Me" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson
• "Concentratin' On You" w. Andy Razaf m. Fats Waller
• "Crosby, Columbo And Vallee" w. Al Dubin m. Joe Burke
• "Cuban Love Song" w.m. Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh & Herbert Stothart
• "Dancing In The Dark" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz
• "Delishious" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin
• "Doin' What I Please" w. Andy Razaf m. Thomas Waller
• "Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away" w. Sammy Timberg m. Samuel Lerner. Introduced by Mae Questel and Rudy Vallee in the Betty Boop animated short Musical Justice
• "Down Sunnyside Lane" Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly
• "Dream a Little Dream of Me" w. Gus Kahn m. Fabian Andre & Wilbur Schwandt
• "An Evening In Caroline" w.m. Walter Donaldson
• "A Faded Summer Love" w.m. Phil Baxter
• "Goodnight, Sweetheart" w.m. Ray Noble, James Campbell & Reg Connelly
• "Got A Date With An Angel" w. Clifford Grey & Sonny Miller m. Jack Waller & Joseph Tunbridge
• "Got the Bench, Got the Park" w.m. Al Sherman, Al Lewis & Fred Phillips
• "Green Eyes" w. E. Rivera & Eddie Woods Adolfo Utrero m. Nilo Menendez
• "Guilty" w. Gus Kahn m. Richard A. Whiting & Harry Akst
• "Hang Out The Stars In Indiana" w. Billy Moll m. Harry Woods
• "He Played His Ukulele As The Ship Went Down" w.m. Arthur Le Clerq
• "Heartaches" w. John Clenner m. Al Hoffman
• "Hello, My Lover, Goodbye" w. Edward Heyman m. John Green. Introduced by Frances Langford in the musical Here Goes the Bride
• "Help Yourself to Happiness" w.m. Mack Gordon, Harry Revel and Harry Richman. Introduced by Harry Richman in the revue Ziegfeld Follies of 1931
• "Hold My Hand" w. Douglas Furber m. Noel Gay
• "Home" w.m. Peter Van Steeden, Harry Clarkson & Geoff Clarkson
• "Hoops" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz
• "I Apologize" w.m. Al Hoffman, Al Goodhart & Ed Nelson
• "I Don't Know Why" w. Roy Turk m. Fred E. Ahlert
• "I Found A Million Dollar Baby " w. Billy Rose & Mort Dixon m. Harry Warren
• "I Heard" w.m. Don Redman
• "I Love Louisa" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz
• "I Surrender, Dear" w. Gordon Clifford m. Harry Barris
• "If You Should Ever Need Me" w. Al Dubin m. Joe Burke
• "I'll Be Good Because Of You" w.m. Ray Noble & Alan Murray
• "I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart" Fisher, Unger, Stern
• "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" w. Alex Hill m. Fats Waller
• "I'm Gonna Get You" w.m. Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias & Jules Lemare
• "I'm Good For Nothing But Love" Ballard, Maltin
• "I'm Through with Love" w. Gus Kahn m. Matty Malneck & Fud Livingston
• "It isnae me" w. Sally Holmes m. Edward Elgar
• "It's the Darndest Thing" w. Dorothy Fields m. Jimmy McHugh
• "It's the Girl" w. Dave Oppenheim m. Abel Baer
• "It's You!" Razaf, Waller
• "I've Got Five Dollars" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers
• "Jazz Nocturne" m. Dana Suesse
• "Just One More Chance" w. Sam Coslow m. Arthur Johnston
• "Kicking The Gong Around" w. Ted Koehler m. Harold Arlen
• "A Lady Must Live" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Jeanne Aubert in the musical America's Sweetheart
• "Lady Of Spain" w.m. Robert Hargreaves, Tolchard Evans, Stanley J. Damerell & Henry J. Tilsley
• "Lies" w. George E. Springer m. Harry Barris
• "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson
• "Little Girl" w.m. Madeline Hyde & Francis Henry
• "Love Is Sweeping The Country" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin
• "Love Letters In The Sand" w. Nick Kenny & Charles Kenny m. J. Fred Coots
• "Lullaby Of The Leaves" w. Joe Young m. Bernice Petkere
• "Mad Dogs And Englishmen" w.m. Noël Coward
• "Makin' Faces At The Man In The Moon" w.m. Max Rich, Kate Smith, Al Hoffman & Ned Washington
• "Mama Inez" w. L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Eliseo Grenet
• "Maria, My Own" w. L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Ernesto Lecuona
• "Marta" w. L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Moises Simons
• "Mary " w.m. J. Fred Coots & Ozzie Nelson
• "Mausie" w. Harry Graham m. Paul Abraham
• "Me!" w.m. Irving Berlin
• " Moonlight Saving Time" w.m. Irving Kahal & Harry Richman
• "My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes" Koehler, Pola, Golden
• "My Song" w. Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson
• "Nevertheless" w. Bert Kalmar m. Harry Ruby
• "Now's The Time To Fall In Love" w.m. Al Sherman & Al Lewis
• "Of Thee I Sing" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin
• "Oh, Monah" w.m. Ted Weems & Joe "Country" Washburn
• "One More Time" w.m. B. G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson.
• "Ooh That Kiss" w. Mort Dixon & Joe Young m. Harry Warren
• "Out Of Nowhere" w. Edward Heyman m. John Green
• "Paradise" w. Nacio Herb Brown & Gordon Clifford m. Nacio Herb Brown
• "Penthouse Serenade " w.m. Will Jason & Val Burton
• "Pied Piper Of Hamelin" w.m. Noel Gay
• "Poor Pierrot" w. Otto Harbach m. Jerome Kern
• "Prisoner Of Love" w. Leo Robin m. Russ Columbo & Clarence Gaskill
• "River, Stay 'Way From My Door" w. Mort Dixon m. Harry Woods
• "Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On" w.m. James McCaffrey, Eugene West & Dave Ringle
• "Running Between The Raindrops" w. James Dyrenforth m. Carroll Gibbons
• "Sally" w.m. William Haines, Harry Leon & Leo Towers
• "Shadrack" w.m. Robert MacGimsey
• "She Didn't Say Yes" w. Otto Harbach m. Jerome Kern. Introduced by Bettina Hall in the musical The Cat and the Fiddle.
• "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile" w. Charles O'Flynn & Jack Meskill m. Max Rich
• "Somebody from Somewhere" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by Janet Gaynor in the film Delicious
• "Sweet And Lovely" w.m. Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias & Jules Lemare
• "Thanks To You" w. Grant Clarke m. Pete Wendling
• "That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine" w.m. Jimmy Long & Gene Autry
• "That's My Desire" w. Carroll Loveday m. Helmy Kresa
• "This Is The Missus" w.m. Lew Brown & Ray Henderson
• "The Thrill Is Gone" w.m. Lew Brown & Ray Henderson
• "Till The Real Thing Comes Along" w.m. Mann Holiner, Alberta Nichols, Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin & L. E. Freeman
• "Twentieth Century Blues" w.m. Noël Coward
• "Under the Bridges of Paris" w. Jean Rodor, Dorcas Cochran m. Vincent Scotto
• "Underneath The Arches" w.m. Reg Connelly & Bud Flanagan
• "Wabash Moon" w.m. Dave Dreyer & Morton Downey
• "Was I?" w. Charles Farrell m. Chick Endor from the revue Ziegfeld Follies Of 1931
• "Was That The Human Thing To Do?" w. Joe Young m. Sammy Fain
• "We'll Be The Same" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers
• "Were You Sincere" w. Jack Meskill m. Vincent Rose
• "When I Take My Sugar To Tea" w.m. Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal & Pierre Norman Connor
• "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" w.m. Leon Rene, Otis Rene & Clarence Muse
• "When The Bloom Is On The Sage" w.m. Nat Vincent & Fred Howard Wright
• "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain" w.m. Howard Johnson, Harry Woods & Kate Smith
• "When Your Lover Has Gone" w.m. E. A. Swan
• "When Yuba Plays The Rumba On The Tuba" w.m. Herman Hupfeld
• "Where The Blue Of The Night" w.m. Roy Turk, Bing Crosby & Fred E. Ahlert
• "Who Cares?" w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin. Introduced by William Gaxton and Lois Moran in the musical Of Thee I Sing
• "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" w. Ted Koehler & Billy Moll m. Harry Barris
• "Yes, Yes, My Baby Said Yes, Yes" Cliff Friend, Con Conrad. Introduced by Eddie Cantor in the film Palmy Days
• "You Are My Heart's Delight" w. Harry Graham m. Franz Lehár Music 1923
• "You Call It Madness " w.m. Con Conrad, Gladys Du Bois, Russ Columbo & Paul Gregory
• "You Can't Stop Me From Loving You" w. Mann Holiner m. Alberta Nichols
• "You Forgot Your Gloves" w. Edward Eliscu m. Ned Lehac. Introduced by Constance Carpenter and Carl Randall in the revue The Third Little Show
• "You Rascal You" w.m. Sam Theard
• "You Try Somebody Else" w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson
• "You're Blasé" w. Bruce Sievier m. Ord Hamilton
• "You're My Decline And Fall" George Posford
• "You're My Everything" w. Mort Dixon & Joe Young m. Harry Warren
• "Yours" w. Jack Sherr Augustin Rodriguez m. Gonzalo Roig

  Biggest hit songs

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Cab Calloway & His Cotton Club Orchestra	Minnie the Moocher	1931		RYM 1 of 1931, US BB 3 of 1931, POP 3 of 1931, RIAA 82, Scrobulate 87 of swing, Acclaimed 649
2	Ted Lewis	Just a Gigolo	1931		US BB 1 of 1931, POP 1 of 1931
3	Duke Ellington	Mood Indigo	1931		RYM 3 of 1931, US BB 7 of 1931, POP 7 of 1931, Acclaimed 518
4	Guy Lombardo	Goodnight, Sweetheart	1931		US BB 4 of 1931, POP 4 of 1931, RYM 40 of 1931
5	Isham Jones	Stardust	1931		US BB 5 of 1931, POP 5 of 1931, RYM 47 of 1930

Top hits on record

• "Any Little Fish" by Noël Coward
• "As Time Goes By" by Rudy Vallée
• "At Your Command" by Bing Crosby
• "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" by Cab Calloway
• "Beyond the Blue Horizon" by Jack Hylton
• "Blue Again" by Ambrose
• "Dream A Little Dream Of Me", recorded by
• *Wayne King, The Waltz King
• *Ozzie Nelson
• "Goodnight, Sweetheart", recorded by:
• *Al Bowlly
• *Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians
• "The Harp That Once Thro' Tara's Halls" by John McCormack
• "High Water" by Paul Robeson
• "I Apologize" by Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra, vocal Paul Small
• "I Don't Know Why – I Just Do" by Layton & Johnstone
• "I Found A Million Dollar Baby " by The Boswell Sisters
• "Just One More Chance" by Bing Crosby and Victor Young
• "The Kiss Waltz" by Gracie Fields
• "Lady, Play Your Mandolin" recorded by:
• *Havana Novelty Orchestra, directed Nat Shilkret, vocal Paul Small
• *Nick Lucas
• "Lazy River" by Louis Armstrong
• "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", recorded by
• *Hutch
• *Rudy Vallee
• "Linda" by Carroll Gibbons
• "Memories Of You" by Duke Ellington
• "Moanin' Low" by Sophie Tucker
• "Mood Indigo" by Duke Ellington & His Jungle Band
• "My Ideal" by Maurice Chevalier
• "Nevertheless" by Ruth Etting
• "Out Of Nowhere" by Bing Crosby
• "The Peanut Vendor " by Don Azpiazu
• "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" by Gene Austin
• "River Stay 'Way From My Door" by Paul Robeson
• "Rockin' Chair" by Paul Robeson
• "Sally" by Gracie Fields
• "Star Dust" by Bing Crosby
• "Sweet And Lovely" by Al Bowlly with Savoy Orpheans; Howard Jacobs and Carroll Gibbons
• "Time On My Hands" by Al Bowlly with The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra
• "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" by Maurice Chevalier
• "When I Take My Sugar To Tea" by Boswell Sisters and the Dorsey Brothers
• "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain" by Kate Smith
• "When Yuba Plays the Rumba On the Tuba" by Rudy Vallee & His Connecticut Yankees
• "Would You Like To Take A Walk" by Annette Hanshaw including Benny Goodman and Eddie Lang
• "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" by Bing Crosby
• "You Call It Madness " by Russ Columbo

  Top blues recordings

• "Devil Got My Woman" – Skip James
• "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" – Skip James
• "I'm So Glad" – Skip James
• "Uncle Ned, Don't Use Your Head" – Lonnie Johnson
• "Southern Can is Mine" – Blind Willie McTell
• "Broke Down Engine Blues" – Blind Willie McTell
• "Georgia Rag" – Blind Willie McTell

  Classical music

• Jean Absil – Trio for violin, cello, and piano, op. 7
• Joseph Achron – Quartet for Cello, Trumpet, Horn, and Piano, Golem
• Jehan Alain –
• Karel Albert – Oedipus a Colonus, incidental music for the play by Sophocles
• Franco Alfano –
• Hugo Alfvén – Swedish Rhapsody No. 3 , for orchestra, op. 47
• Hendrik Andriessen –
• George Antheil – Six Little Pieces, for string quartet
• Hans Erich Apostel – Fünf Lieder, for low voice and piano or orchestra, op. 3
• Dina Appeldoorn – Zes kantoj
• Blaž Arnič – Concerto for Organ and Percussion
• Kurt Atterberg – Suite No. 8, for orchestra, op. 34
• Georges Auric –
• Daniel Ayala –
• Grażyna Bacewicz – Suite, for string orchestra
• Henk Badings –
• Samuel Barber –
• Béla Bartók –
• Marion Bauer – "Here at High Morning", for male chorus, op. 27
• Arnold Bax
• Amy Beach –
• Paul Ben-Haim –
• Lennox Berkeley –
• Boris Blacher –
• Marc Blitzstein – Piano Concerto
• Paul Bowles –
• Luis de Freitas Branco – Lembrança, for four-part male choir
• Havergal Brian –
• Frank Bridge – Phantasm, for piano and orchestra
• Benjamin Britten –
• Willy Burkhard –
• John Alden Carpenter – Song of Faith, for SATB choir and orchestra
• Julián Carrillo –
• Elliott Carter – Philoctetes, for tenor, baritone, male chorus, oboe, and percussion
• Alfredo Casella –
• Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco –
• Juan José Castro – Symphony No. 1
• Abram Chasins – Parade, for orchestra
• Francesco Cilea – Suite No. 2, for orchestra
• Philip Greeley Clapp –
• Arnold Cooke – Passacaglia, Scherzo, and Finale, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and string quartet
• Aaron Copland – Miracle at Verdun, incidental music for the play by Hans Chlumberg, chamber orchestra
• Henry Cowell –
• Jean Cras – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
• Ruth Crawford Seeger – String Quartet
• Nancy Dalberg – Tre danske Duetter, for voices
• Georges Dandelot – Chansons de Bilitis, for voice and piano, second set
• Johann Nepomuk David – Kleine Präludien und Fugen, in A minor and G major, for organ
• Maurice Delage – Deux fables de Jean de La Fontaine, for voice, flute, oboe, two clarinets, bassoon, horn, trumpet, piano, and string quartet
• Frederick Delius –
• Vernon Duke –
• George Dyson – The Canterbury Pilgrims, for soprano, tenor, baritone, choir, and orchestra
• Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté –
• Werner Egk –
• Hanns Eisler –
• Edward Elgar – Soliloquy, for oboe and orchestra
• Heino Eller –
• Ulvi Cemal Erkin – Beş damla, for piano
• Ferenc Farkas –
• Samuel Feinberg – Piano Concerto No. 1
• Jacobo Ficher – Sonata, for flute, viola, and piano, op. 18
• Gerald Finzi – To Joy, for voice and piano, op. 13
• Wolfgang Fortner –
• Isadore Freed – String Quartet
• Noël Gallon – Sonatine, for piano
• Alejandro García Caturla –
• –
• Roberto Gerhard – Sis cançons populars catalanes, for soprano or tenor and orchestra
• George Gershwin – Second Rhapsody, for piano and orchestra
• Vittorio Giannini –
• Cecil Armstrong Gibbs –
• Alexander Glazunov – "Concerto ballata" in C major, for cello and orchestra, op. 108
• Reinhold Glière – Comedians
• Radamés Gnattali –
• Berthold Goldschmidt –
• Eugene Aynsley Goossens –
• Percy Grainger –
• Alexander Gretchaninov – Sonata, for piano, op. 129
• Ferde Grofé –
• Camargo Guarnieri –
• Alois Hába –
• Henry Hadley –
• Johan Halvorsen – Danses norvégiennes Nos. 3–6, for violin and orchestra
• Roy Harris –
• Karl Amadeus Hartmann –
• Alfred Hill – Mass in E major
• Paul Hindemith –
• Vagn Holmboe –
• Gustav Holst – Twelve Welsh Folk Songs, for choir, H183
• Arthur Honegger – Cris du monde, for solo voices, children's chorus, mixed chorus, and orchestra
• Alan Hovhaness – Boreas and Mount Wildcat, for orchestra op. 2a
• Mary Howe –
• Herbert Howells –
• Jacques Ibert –
• Vincent d'Indy –
• John Ireland – Songs Sacred and Profane, for voice and piano
• Charles Ives – The Fourth of July, from A Symphony: New England Holidays
• Gordon Jacob –
• Dorothy James – Symphonic Fragments, for orchestra
• André Jolivet –
• Joseph Jongen –
• Manolis Kalomiris – I symphonia ton anidheon ke ton kalon anthropon , for choir and orchestra
• Sigfrid Karg-Elert –
• Albert Ketèlbey – In the Mystic Land of Egypt
• Aram Khachaturian – Double Fugue, for string quartet
• Uuno Klami –
• Lev Knipper – Negrityonok Sėbi , ballet for orchestra, op. 24
• Zoltán Kodály –
• Erich Wolfgang Korngold – Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, op. 25
• Charles Koechlin –
• Ernst Krenek –
• Paul Ladmirault – En Fôret
• László Lajtha – Concerto, for violin and orchestra, op. 15
• Constant Lambert –
• Lars-Erik Larsson – Duo, for violin and viola, op. 6
• Marc Lavry – Jewish Suite, for string quartet
• Jón Leifs –
• George Frederick McKay – Trio, for violin, cello, and piano
• Alexander Mackenzie – Partsongs, for four-part mixed choir and piano, op. 92
• Elizabeth Maconchy –
• Gian Francesco Malipiero –
• Igor Markevitch – Serenade for Three Instruments
• Frank Martin – La nique à Satan, for baritone, children’s choir, female choir, male choir, wind instruments, 2 pianos, percussion, and contrabass
• Bohuslav Martinů –
• Nikolai Medtner –
• Erkki Melartin –
• Olivier Messiaen –
• Darius Milhaud – Sonata for organ, op. 112
• Ernest John Moeran –
• Federico Mompou – Comptines I–III, for voice and piano
• Carl Nielsen –
• Gösta Nystroem – Sinfonia breve
• Carl Orff –
• Leo Ornstein – Preludes, for cello and piano
• Paul Paray – Mass for the 500th Anniversary of the Death of Joan of Arc
• Harry Partch –
• Juan Carlos Paz –
• Wilhelm Peterson-Berger –
• Hans Pfitzner –
• Willem Pijper – Sonata, for unaccompanied violin
• Mario Pilati –
• Walter Piston – Suite, for oboe and piano
• Ildebrando Pizzetti – Introduzione all’Agamennone, for choir and orchestra
• Quincy Porter –
• Francis Poulenc –
• Sergei Prokofiev – Piano Concerto No. 4, for left hand, written for Paul Wittgenstein
• Sergei Rachmaninoff –
• Maurice Ravel – Piano Concerto in G
• Ottorino Respighi –
• Silvestre Revueltas –
• Duo para pato y canario, for voice and small orchestra
• Esquinas, for orchestra with soprano voice
• "Ranas", for voice and piano
• "El tecolote", for voice and piano
• String Quartet No. 2
• String Quartet No. 3
• Ventanas, for orchestra
• Wallingford Riegger –
• Vittorio Rieti –
• Joaquín Rodrigo – Serenata española, for piano
• Amadeo Roldán –
• Guy Ropartz – L'indiscret, ballet, for orchestra
• Hilding Rosenberg –
• Albert Roussel –
• Carl Ruggles – Sun-Treader, for orchestra
• Harald Sæverud –
• –
• Henri Sauguet –
• Franz Schmidt – Variationen über ein Husarenlied, for orchestra
• Florent Schmitt –
• Othmar Schoeck – Sonata in E major, for violin and piano, op. 46
• Arnold Schoenberg –
• Erwin Schulhoff – Suite dansante en jazz, for piano
• Cyril Scott –
• Roger Sessions – Waltzes, for orchestra
• Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, "First of May"
• Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji –
• Vissarion Shebalin – Lenin, dramatic symphony for narrator, four vocal soloists, choir, and orchestra, op. 16
• Nikos Skalkottas –
• Richard Strauss – Kampf und Sieg, for orchestra
• Igor Stravinsky – Violin Concerto in D
• Josef Suk – Mass in B major, for SATB choir, strings, organ, and timpani
• Karol Szymanowski – Harnasie, op. 55
• Alexandre Tansman –
• Virgil Thomson –
• Randall Thompson – Symphony No. 2 in E minor
• Michael Tippett – Symphonic Movement, for orchestra
• Henri Tomasi –
• Eduard Tubin – Süit eesti motiividel , for orchestra
• Joaquín Turina –
• Geirr Tveitt – Prillar, for orchestra
• Edgard Varèse – Ionisation
• Ralph Vaughan Williams –
• Louis Vierne –
• Heitor Villa-Lobos –
• John Vincent – A Folk Song Symphony, for orchestra
• William Walton –
• Kurt Weill – Mann ist Mann, incidental music to the play by Bertolt Brecht
• Jaromir Weinberger –
• Egon Wellesz –
• Mark Wessel –
• Stefan Wolpe –
• Ivan Wyschnegradsky –
• Riccardo Zandonai – Quadri di Segantini, for orchestra

  [Opera]

• Paul Abraham – Die Blume von Hawaii, staged 24 July, in Leipzig, Neues Theater
• George Antheil – Helen Retires
• Arthur Benjamin – The Devil Take Her, staged 1 December, London, Royal College of Music
• Alfredo Casella – La donna serpente, op. 50
• Gustave Charpentier – Orphée
• Werner Egk – Der Löwe und die Maus
• George Enescu – Œdipe, op. 23
• Walter Goehr – Malpopita
• Louis Gruenberg –
• Jesús Guridi – La cautiva, staged 10 February, Calderón Theater, Madrid
• Arthur Honegger – La belle de Moudon, staged 30 May, in Mézières, Théâtre du Jorat
• Jacques Ibert – Gonzague, staged 17 December, Monte Carlo
• Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov – Zhenit′ba , op. 70, staged 18 October at the Radio Theatre, Moscow
• Lev Knipper – Goroda i godï , op. 22
• Eduard Künneke – Nadja, op. 28, performed in Kassel
• Gian Francesco Malipiero –
• Italo Montemezzi – La notte di Zoraima, staged 31 January, Teatro alla Scala, Milan
• Hans Pfitzner – Das Herz, op. 39, staged 12 November, simultaneously in Berlin and Munich
• Jean Roger-Ducasse – Cantegril, staged 9 February at the Opéra-Comique, Paris
• Germaine Tailleferre – Zoulaina
• Deems Taylor – Peter Ibbetson, op. 20, staged 7 February, Metropolitan Opera, New York
• Gabriel von Wayditch – Horus
• Egon Wellesz – Die Bakchantinnen, staged 20 June, Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna
• Jaromir Weinberger – Milovaný hlas , staged 28 February, Munich
• Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari – La vedova scaltra, staged 5 March, at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Rome
• Eugène Ysaÿe – Piére li houïeu , staged 4 March in Liège

  [Jazz]

[Musical theater]

• America's Sweetheart Broadway production opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on February 10 and ran for 135 performances.
• The Band Wagon Broadway production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on June 3 and ran for 260 performances
• Bitter Sweet – London revival
• The Cat and the Fiddle Broadway production opened at the Globe Theatre on October 15 and ran for 395 performances
• Cavalcade – London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on October 13 and ran for 405 performances
• Die Dubarry Berlin production opened on August 14
• Folly To Be Wise London revue opened at the Piccadilly Theatre on January 8. Starring Cicely Courtneidge.
• Here Goes the Bride Broadway production opened at Chanin's 46th Street Theatre on November 3 and ran for 7 performances.
• Hold My Hand London production opened at the Gaiety Theatre on December 23. Starring Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale and Stanley Lupino.
• The Land of Smiles – London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on May 8
• The Laugh Parade Broadway revue opened at the Imperial Theatre on November 2 and ran for 231 performances
• Of Thee I Sing Broadway production, opened December 26 and ran for 441 performances.
• The Third Little Show Broadway production opened at the Music Box Theatre on June 1 and ran for 136 performances
• Victoria and Her Hussar London production opened at the Palace Theatre on September 17 and ran for 100 performances
• White Horse Inn London production opened at the Coliseum Theatre on April 8 and ran for 651 performances
• Ziegfeld Follies of 1931 Broadway revue opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on July 1 and ran for 165 performances.

  [Musical film]s

• Alam Ara, starring Master Vithal and Zubeida, with music by Ferozshah M. Mistri and B. Irani
• A Caprice of Pompadour, starring André Baugé
• Autumn Roses, starring Francisco Canaro, with music by Guillermo Barbieri and José Rial
• Children of Dreams starring Margaret Schilling, Paul Gregory and Tom Patricola
• City of Song, starring Jan Kiepura, with music by Paul Abraham, Philip Braham and Ernesto Tagliaferri
• The Cuban Love Song starring Lawrence Tibbett, Lupe Vélez, Jimmy Durante and Louise Fazenda
• Delicious starring Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell and El Brendl.
• Die Fledermaus, starring Anny Ondra, Georg Alexander and Oskar Sima, with music by Johann Strauss II.
• Her Majesty, Love starring Marilyn Miller
• The Hot Heiress starring Ben Lyon and Ona Munson
• Huwen op Bevel
• Kiss Me Again starring Bernice Claire and Edward Everett Horton
• Madame Pompadour, starring Anny Ahlers, Kurt Gerron and Walter Jankuhn, with music by Eduard Künneke, Rudolf Nelson and Robert Stolz
• Le Million starring Annabella and René Lefèvre
• Palmy Days starring Eddie Cantor and Charlotte Greenwood
• Pardon Us starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Directed by James Parrott.
• The Prodigal starring Lawrence Tibbett
• Sally in Our Alley starring Gracie Fields
• Showgirl's Luck starring Susan Denis, Arthur Tauchert, Arthur Clarke and Fred Bluett
• The Private Secretary, starring Renate Müller, Hermann Thimig and Felix Bressart, with music by Paul Abraham and Lajos Lajtai
• The Smiling Lieutenant starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins
• Sunshine Susie starring Renate Müller and Jack Hulbert

  Births

• January 5 – Alfred Brendel, pianist
• January 8 – Bill Graham, rock music entrepreneur
• January 12 – Roland Alphonso, saxophonist
• January 14 – Caterina Valente, multilingual singer
• January 21 – Rudi Maugeri, pop singer
• January 22 – Sam Cooke, singer
• February 12 – Walt Groller, accordionist and polka musician
• February 14 – Phyllis McGuire, vocalist
• March 5 – Barry Tuckwell, horn player
• March 15 – D. J. Fontana, drummer
• March 25
• *Vytautas Barkauskas, composer
• *Humphrey Burton, television music and arts presenter
• *Paul Motian, jazz drummer
• April 29 – Lonnie Donegan, skiffle musician
• May 4 – Ed Cassidy, drummer
• May 7 – Teresa Brewer, singer
• May 14
• *Aloys Kontarsky, pianist
• *Alvin Lucier, composer
• June 10 – João Gilberto, bossa nova musician
• June 11
• *Margarita Pracatan, Cuban-born novelty singer
• *Audrey Schuh, American soprano
• June 17 – Dominic Frontiere, accordionist and composer
• July 6 – Della Reese, actress and singer
• July 10 – Jerry Herman, American musical theater composer and lyricist
• July 11 – Tab Hunter, actor and singer
• July 18 – Papa Dee Allen, funk musician
• July 21 – Plas Johnson, American saxophonist
• July 31
• *Kenny Burrell, jazz guitarist
• *Morey Carr
• August 28
• *John Perkins
• *John Shirley-Quirk, operatic bass-baritone
• September 1
• * Richard Hundley, American pianist, composer
• * Javier Solís, Mexican ranchera & bolero singer
• September 12 – George Jones, country singer
• September 19 – Brook Benton, singer and songwriter
• September 22 – George Chambers
• September 24 – Anthony Newley, English songwriter, actor and singer
• October 1 – Alan Wagner, American opera critic
• October 15 – Freddy Cole, jazz singer and pianist
• October 24 – Sofia Gubaidulina, composer
• November 2 – Phil Woods, jazz saxophonist
• November 5 – Ike Turner, musician and record producer
• November 16
• *Bob Gibson, folk musician
• *Hubert Sumlin, blues guitarist
• December 21 – David Baker, American composer and educator
• December 24
• *Ray Bryant, jazz pianist
• *Mauricio Kagel, composer
• December 27 – Scotty Moore, guitarist
• December 30 – Skeeter Davis, country singer

  Deaths

• January 5 – Colonel Charles Gerard Conn, instrument manufacturer
• January 21 – Felix Blumenfeld, pianist, conductor and composer
• January 23 – Anna Pavlova, ballerina
• February 16 – Dirk Schäfer, pianist and composer
• February 23
• *Mario Ancona, bel canto baritone
• *Dame Nellie Melba, operatic soprano
• March 25 – Tomasz Bartkiewcz, organist and composer
• April 4 – George Whitefield Chadwick, composer
• May 8 – Bertha Lewis, singer and actress with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
• May 12 – Eugène Ysaÿe, violinist and composer
• May 13 – Josif Marinković, composer
• June 18 – Fanny Holland, singer and actress
• June 21 – Jimmy Blythe, jazz pianist
• July 2 – Charles Quef, organist and composer
• July 4 – Buddy Petit, jazz cornet player
• August 6 – Bix Beiderbecke, jazz musician
• August 11 – Linda Loredo, dancer
• August 22 – Joseph Tabrar, songwriter
• August 26 – Heinrich Grünfeld, cellist
• August 28 – Jane Green singer
• September 3 – Franz Schalk, conductor
• September 6 – Juliana Walanika, the "Hawaiian Nightingale", court singer
• September 10 – Alfonso Rendano, pianist, inventor of the "third pedal"
• September 20 – Ugo Falena, opera librettist
• September 23 – Harry Macdonough, pioneer recording artist
• October 3 – Carl Nielsen, composer
• October 8 – Luigi von Kunits, violinist, conductor and composer
• October 18 – Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph
• October 20 – Emánuel Moór, pianist, composer and inventor of the Duplex-Coupler Grand Pianoforte
• October 21 – Barbecue Bob, blues musician
• October 29 – Luciano Gallet, composer
• November 4 – Buddy Bolden, jazz musician
• November 17 – Georgi Atanasov, composer
• November 19 – Frederic Cliffe, composer
• November 23 – Leonora Braham, operatic soprano and actress
• December 2 – Vincent d'Indy, composer