1958 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1958.
Specific locations
- 1958 in British music
- 1958 in Norwegian music
Specific genres
- 1958 in country music
- 1958 in jazz
Events
- January – Maria Callas, due to open the Rome Opera House season with Norma, with Italy's president, Giovanni Gronchi, in the audience, cancels after the first act because of voice problems.
- February – 45,000 people in one week watch performances of "rokabirī" music by Japanese singers at the first Nichigeki Western Carnival.
- February 14 – The Iranian government bans rock & roll, claiming that this form of music is against the concepts of Islam and is a health hazard. Iranian doctors warn of the risk of injuries to the hips from the "extreme gyrations" of rock & roll dances.
- March 12
- * Billie Holiday is given a year's probation by a Philadelphia court following her arrest and guilty plea on narcotics possession charges in 1956.
- * In Hilversum, Netherlands, "Dors, mon amour" sung by André Claveau wins the third annual Eurovision Song Contest for France. Domenico Modugno places third for Italy with "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" which, retitled "Volare", will reach No. 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100, and will win two Grammy Awards next year for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for 1958.
- March 24 – Elvis Presley enters the U.S. Army.
- April 10 – Cleo Laine marries John Dankworth.
- May 30 – Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 1 is premiered in Basel, 50 years after it was composed
- August 4 – Billboard magazine launches its "Hot 100" singles chart, with Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool" as the #1 record.
- September 24 – Italian singers Natalino Otto and Flo Sandon's scout the young, talented Mina
- The Festival dei Due Mondi is founded by Gian Carlo Menotti.
- Marvin Gaye begins recording with his first group.
- Otis Williams & the Distants begin their musical career. They will later join with The Primes and become The Temptations.
- Phil Spector begins his recording career.
- Dalida receives the Music Hall "Bravos" along with Yves Montand.
- RCA introduces its first stereo LPs.
- The major record labels begin to cease production of 78 rpm records.
- Kenny Rogers signs his first recording contract with a major record label and makes his first national TV performance on American Bandstand.
- Fred Foster opens Monument Records in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
- Ernesto Bonino leaves the US and returns to Italy.
- Bob Bogle and Don Wilson founds the surf instrumental group The Ventures.
- The Country Music Association is founded as the first trade association dedicated to a single music genre.
- Singer Júnior joins the pioneering Spanish electric guitar group Jump.
Albums released
- Anita Sings the Winners – Anita O'Day
- Around the World – Bing Crosby
- As Long As There's Music – Eddie Fisher
- Ascenseur pour l'échafaud – Miles Davis
- The Atomic Mr. Basie – Count Basie
- Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley
- Breezin' Along – The Four Lads
- C'est ça – Charles Aznavour
- Chicago Musette – John Serry and His Accordion – John Serry Sr.
- Come Fly with Me – Frank Sinatra
- Destination Moon – The Ames Brothers
- Dream – The Mills Brothers
- Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday at Newport – Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook – Ella Fitzgerald
- Ella Swings Lightly – Ella Fitzgerald
- Ellington Indigos – Duke Ellington
- Elvis' Golden Records – Elvis Presley
- The Everly Brothers – The Everly Brothers
- The Fabulous Johnny Cash – Johnny Cash
- Fancy Meeting You Here – Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney
- For Musicians Only – Stan Getz
- For Teenagers In Love – Teresa Brewer
- Foreign Affair – Frankie Laine and Michel LeGrand
- Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely – Frank Sinatra
- Freedom Suite – Sonny Rollins
- Give Him the Ooh-La-La – Blossom Dearie
- Gogi Grant – Welcome To My Heart – Gogi Grant
- Gondolier – Dalida
- Greatest Hits – Frankie Laine
- A Guy in Love – Guy Mitchell
- Have 'Twangy' Guitar Will Travel – Duane Eddy
- He's So Fine – Jackie Wilson
- Hooray for Hollywood – Doris Day
- John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio – John Coltrane
- Johnny Horton Sings Free And Easy – Johnny Horton
- Johnny's Greatest Hits – Johnny Mathis
- Julie Is Her Name, Volume II – Julie London
- Kate Smith Sings Folk Songs – Kate Smith
- King Creole – Elvis Presley
- King of Suriname – Ramdew Chaitoe
- The Kingston Trio – The Kingston Trio
- Last Night When We Were Young – Art Farmer
- Les Gitans – Dalida
- London by Night – Julie London
- Milestones – Miles Davis
- The Mills Brothers In Hi-Fi – The Mills Brothers
- The Mills Brothers Sing – The Mills Brothers
- Miss Music – Teresa Brewer
- Mmmm, The Mills Brothers – The Mills Brothers
- Music! Music! Music! – Teresa Brewer
- My Happiness – Connie Francis
- No Count Sarah – Sarah Vaughan
- One Dozen Berrys – Chuck Berry
- Our Gal Sal – Sally Starr
- Paris Holiday – Bing Crosby
- Rhonda – Rhonda Fleming
- Ricky Nelson – Ricky Nelson
- Rockin' Around the World – Bill Haley & His Comets
- Rockin' the Joint – Bill Haley & His Comets
- Rockin' With Kay Starr – Kay Starr
- Salut les copains – Gilbert Bécaud
- Saturday Night with Mr. C – Perry Como
- Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous – Johnny Cash
- Smoochin' Time – The Ames Brothers
- Some Pleasant Moments In The 20th Century – Oscar Levant
- Songs I Wish I Had Sung – Bing Crosby
- South Pacific – Original Soundtrack
- Star Dust – Pat Boone
- Surprise Package – The Crew Cuts
- Swingin' Down Broadway – Jo Stafford
- Teresa – Teresa Brewer
- Teresa Brewer At Christmas Time – Teresa Brewer
- Them There Eyes – Kay Starr
- This Is Sinatra Volume 2 – Frank Sinatra
- Til Morning – Johnnie Ray
- Time For Teresa – Teresa Brewer
- Torchin' – Frankie Laine
- Tormé – Mel Tormé
- Wheelin' & Dealin – Mal Waldron, John Coltrane and Frank Wess
- When You Come to the End of the Day – Perry Como
- Who's Sorry Now? – Connie Francis
- Yes Indeed! – Pat Boone
Biggest hit singles
in the charts for the longest time in 1958, in their respective countries.
# | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries |
1 | Domenico Modugno | Volare | 1958 | US BB 1 – Aug 1958, US CashBox 1 of 1958, Italy 1 of 1958, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Mar 1958, Grammy in 1958, Canada 2 – Jul 1958, Norway 2 – Oct 1958, South Africa 5 of 1958, Australia 6 of 1958, UK 10 – Sep 1958, RYM 29 of 1958, Europe 34 of the 1950s, DDD 56 of 1958 | |
2 | The Kingston Trio | Tom Dooley | 1958 | US BB 1 – Oct 1958, Canada 1 – Oct 1958, Norway 1 – Jan 1959, Australia 1 for 10 weeks May 1958, UK 5 – Nov 1958, Australia 5 of 1958, Italy 5 of 1959, South Africa 8 of 1958, Europe 18 of the 1950s, US CashBox 20 of 1958, US BB 37 of 1958, POP 37 of 1958, RYM 89 of 1958, DDD 94 of 1958, RIAA 197, Acclaimed 1001 | |
3 | The Everly Brothers | All I Have to Do is Dream | 1958 | UK 1 – May 1958, US Billboard 1 – Apr 1958, Canada 1 – Apr 1958, Record Mirror 1 for 9 weeks – Jun 1958, South Africa 1 of 1958, Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004, US BB 2 of 1958, US CashBox 4 of 1958, Your Hit Parade 4 of 1958, DDD 14 of 1958, US invalid BB 26 of 1958, POP 26 of 1958, Europe 28 of the 1950s, UKMIX 45, nuTsie 89 of 1950s, DMDB 98, Rolling Stone 141, Acclaimed 160, RYM 5 of 1958, NY Daily Love list 13, one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500 | |
4 | The Everly Brothers | Bird Dog | 1958 | Canada 1 – Aug 1958, Record Mirror 1 for 3 weeks – Nov 1958, Australia 1 for 3 weeks – Oct 1958, UK 2 – Sep 1958, US Billboard 2 – Aug 1958, Australia 2 of 1958, US CashBox 5 of 1958, Your Hit Parade 5 of 1958, Norway 5 – Oct 1965, Flanders 12 – Dec 1958, US BB 13 of 1958, US invalid BB 25 of 1958, POP 25 of 1958, Europe 33 of the 1950s, DDD 35 of 1958, D.Marsh 40 of 1958, Italy 88 of 1959, UKMIX 341, Acclaimed 1925, RYM 30 of 1958 |
Top Hits on record
Published popular music
- "16 Candles" w.m. Luther Dixon & Allyson R. Khent
- "All I Have to Do is Dream" w.m. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
- "Am I That Easy to Forget" w.m. Carl Belew, W. S. Stevenson & Shelby Singleton
- "Any Way The Wind Blows" w.m. William Dunham, Joseph Hooven & Marilyn Hooven
- "Are You Really Mine?" w.m. Al Hoffman, Dick Manning & Mark Markwell
- "A Big Hunk O' Love" w.m. Aaron Schroeder & Sid Wyche
- "Bird Dog" w.m. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
- "Broken Hearted Melody" w. Hal David m. Sherman Edwards
- "A Certain Smile" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sammy Fain
- "Chantilly Lace" w.m. Jiles Perry Richardson
- "C'mon Everybody" w.m. Eddie Cochran & Jerry Capeheart
- "Devoted to You" w.m. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
- "Do You Want To Dance?" w.m. Bobby Freeman
- "Donna" w.m. Ritchie Valens
- "Don't" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
- "Enchanted Island" w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
- "Everybody Loves a Lover" w. Richard Adler m. Robert Allen
- "French Foreign Legion" w. Aaron Schroeder m. Guy Wood
- "Hoots Mon" Harry Robertson
- "If I Had A Hammer" w.m. Pete Seeger & Lee Hays
- "It's Only Make Believe" w.m. Conway Twitty & Jack Nance
- "Johnny B. Goode" w.m. Chuck Berry
- "Kewpie Doll" w.m. Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
- "Kumbayah" recorded by Joe Hickerson and by Pete Seeger
- "Left Right Out Of Your Heart" w. Earl Shuman m. Mort Garson
- "The Little Serenade" w.m. Antonio Amurri, Paolo Esposito, Geoffrey C. Parsons & James J. T. Phillips
- "Little Star" w.m. Vito Picone & Arthur Venosa
- "Make Me A Miracle" Al Hoffman, Dick Manning, Mark Markwell
- "Maybe Baby" w.m. Norman Petty & Charles Hardin
- "Moon Talk" w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
- "My True Love" w.m. Jack Scott
- "Oh-Oh, I'm Falling In Love Again" w.m. Al Hoffman, Dick Manning & Mark Markwell
- "Once Upon A Summertime" Eddie Barclay, Michel Legrand, Eddy Marnay, Johnny Mercer
- "Only The Lonely" Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen
- "Padre" w. Paul Francis Webster Marcel Algeron & Jacques Larue m. Alain C. Romans
- "Patricia" w. Bob Marcus m. Perez Prado
- "Peter Gunn" m. Henry Mancini
- "Poor Little Fool" w.m. Shari Sheeley
- "The Purple People Eater" w.m. Sheb Wooley
- "Raining In My Heart" w.m. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
- "Rave On!" w.m. Norman Petty, Bill Tilghman & Sunny West
- "Rawhide" w. Ned Washington m. Dimitri Tiomkin. Title tune of the TV series performed by Frankie Laine.
- "Secretly" w.m. Al Hoffman, Dick Manning & Mark Markwell
- "Splish Splash" w.m. Bobby Darin & Jean Murray
- "Stupid Cupid" w. Howard Greenfield m. Neil Sedaka
- "Sugartime" w.m. Charlie Phillips & Odis Echols
- "Summertime Blues" Eddie Cochran, J. Capehart
- "Sweet Little Sixteen" w.m. Chuck Berry
- "Tears On My Pillow" w.m. Sylvester Bradford & Al Lewis
- "Tequila" w.m. Chuck Rio
- "There's Only One Of You" w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
- "Tom Dooley" trad arr. Dave Guard
- "Volare" w. Mitchell Parish Domenico Modugno & Franco Migliacci m. Domenico Modugno
- "We Belong Together", S. Weiss, Robert Carr, Johnny Mitchell
- "When" w.m. Jack Reardon & Paul Evans
- "Witch Doctor" w.m. Ross Bagdasarian
- "Yakety Yak" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
- "You Are My Destiny" w.m. Paul Anka
- "Young and Warm and Wonderful" w. Hy Zaret m. Lou Singer
Other notable songs
- "The Bells of Rhymney" by Pete Seeger and Idris Davies
- "Devojko mala" w. B. Timotijević m. D. Kraljić, sung by Vlastimir "Đuza" Stojiljković in the film Ljubav i moda
- "Mera naam Chin Chin Chu" w. Qamar Jalalabadi m. O.P. Nayyar, sung by Geeta Dutt in the film Howrah Bridge
- "Pod sjajem zvezda" w. Mirjana Savić m. Predrag Ivanović
- "Majulah Singapura" by Zubir Said
Classical music
Premieres
Compositions
- Jean Absil –
- Yasushi Akutagawa – Ellora Symphony
- William Alwyn –
- Hendrik Andriessen –
- Jurriaan Andriessen – Duo, for two violins
- Theodore Antoniou – Aquarelles, for piano
- Louis Applebaum –
- Hans Erich Apostel –
- Malcolm Arnold – Sinfonietta No. 2, for orchestra, Op. 65
- Tadeusz Baird – Four Essays
- Samuel Barber – Wondrous Love: Variations on a Shape-note Hymn, for organ, Op. 34
- Jürg Baur –
- Paul Ben-Haim – Lamenatseah mizmor, for orchestra
- Arthur Berger – String Quartet
- William Bergsma –
- Luciano Berio – Sequenza I, for solo flute
- Lennox Berkeley –
- Günter Bialas – Sonata piccola, for violin and piano
- Harrison Birtwistle – Three Sonatas for Nine Instruments
- Arthur Bliss – The Lady of Shallott
- Marc Blitzstein –
- Ernest Bloch – Suite for Viola Solo
- Rob du Bois – Pieces, for clarinet
- André Boucourechliev – Texte I, for tape
- Pierre Boulez –
- Henry Brant –
- Benjamin Britten –
- Earle Brown – Pentathis, for flute, bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, harp, piano, violin, viola, and cello
- Alan Bush –
- John Cage –
- Cornelius Cardew –
- Julián Carrillo –
- Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco –
- Niccolò Castiglioni –
- Carlos Chávez – Invención, for piano
- Chou Wen-chung –
- Aldo Clementi – Episode, for orchestra
- Ramiro Cortés –
- Henry Cowell –
- Ingolf Dahl – Fanfares, for piano
- Luigi Dallapiccola –
- Mario Davidovsky – String Quartet No. 2
- Peter Maxwell Davies –
- Norman Dello Joio –
- David Diamond – Wind Quintet
- Franco Donatoni – String Quartet No. 2
- Antal Doráti – The Two Enchantments of Li-Tai-Po, for baritone and chamber orchestra
- Jacob Druckman – Madrigals, for SATB chorus
- Vernon Duke – Variations on an Old Russian Chant, for oboe and strings
- Marcel Dupré –
- John Eaton –
- Petr Eben – Láska a smrt, for mixed chorus
- Helmut Eder –
- Cecil Effinger –
- Gottfried von Einem –
- Hanns Eisler –
- Halim El-Dabh – Clytemnestra, ballet
- Hans Ulrich Engelmann –
- Donald Erb –
- Heimo Erbse – Ruth, ballet in two acts, Op. 16
- Rudolf George Escher – Symphony No. 2
- Alvin Etler –
- Franco Evangelisti – Proporzioni, for flute solo
- Ferenc Farkas – Lieder
- Robert Farnon –
- David Farquhar – In Despite of Death, song cycle for baritone and piano
- Samuil Feinberg – Maritza, cycle of eight songs for voice and piano, Op. 47
- Jindřich Feld – Violin Concerto
- Morton Feldman –
- Luc Ferrari –
- Jacobo Ficher – Mi Aldea, cantata for soprano, alto, tenor, and chamber orchestra, Op. 91
- Irving Fine – Romanza, for wind quintet
- Nicolas Flagello – Serenata for orchestra, Op. 58
- Wolfgang Fortner _
- Lukas Foss –
- Jean Françaix –
- Benjamin Frankel – Symphony No. 1
- Alberto Ginastera –
- Marcel Grandjany – Fantaisie sur un thème de J. Haydn, Op. 31, for harp
- Ferde Grofé – Concerto in D, for piano and orchestra
- Dmitri Kabalevsky – In the Magic Forest
- Mauricio Kagel – Anagrama, for soprano, alto, baritone, bass, speaking chorus, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, 3 percussionists, celesta, 2 pianos, and 2 harps
- Leon Kirchner – String Quartet No. 2
- György Ligeti – Artikulation
- Witold Lutosławski – Funeral music
- Bohuslav Martinů – Piano Concerto No. 5, H. 366; The Parables H. 367; Estampes; Duo No. 2 for Violin and Cello
- Peter Mennin – Piano Concerto
- Darius Milhaud – String Sextet, Op. 368
- José Pablo Moncayo –
- Thea Musgrave – String Quartet
- Luigi Nono
- Harry Partch – Windsong, film score for ensemble of original instruments
- Goffredo Petrassi –
- George Rochberg – Cheltenham Concerto, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, and strings
- Ned Rorem – Symphony No. 3
- Edmund Rubbra – Pezzo Ostinato and Violin Concerto, Opp. 102 and 103.
- Carl Ruggles – Exaltation
- Dieter Schnebel –
- Alfred Schnittke – Oratorio Nagasaki
- Humphrey Searle – Symphony No. 2, Op. 33 ; Variations and Finale, Op. 34
- Roger Sessions –
- Dmitri Shostakovich – Moskva, Cheryomushki, operetta, Op. 105
- Toru Takemitsu –
- Eduard Tubin – Symphony No. 7
- Edgard Varèse – Poème électronique
- Anatol Vieru –
- Heitor Villa-Lobos –
- Leó Weiner – Concerto for Violin No. 1 in D major
- Stefan Wolpe –
- Bernd Alois Zimmermann –
Opera
- Samuel Barber – Vanessa
- Carlisle Floyd – Wuthering Heights
- Jakov Gotovac – Dalmaro
- Gian Carlo Menotti – Maria Golovin
- Humphrey Searle – The Diary of a Madman
[Jazz]
[Musical theatre]
- The Body Beautiful Broadway production, opened at The Broadway Theatre and ran for 60 performances
- The Boy Friend – off-Broadway revival
- Expresso Bongo London production
- Flower Drum Song Broadway production, opened at the St. James Theatre and ran for 600 performances
- Irma La Douce London production
- Lola Montez, Brisbane production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on October 1
- Oh, Captain! Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on February 4 and ran for 192 performances.
- Salad Days New York production ran for 80 performances
- Valmouth London production
- West Side Story – London production
- Where's Charley? London production
[Musical film]s
- April Love starring Pat Boone and Shirley Jones
- Damn Yankees starring Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston
- The Duke Wore Jeans British film starring Tommy Steele
- Gigi starring Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold
- King Creole starring Elvis Presley
- Mardi Gras starring Pat Boone
- Música de Siempre, featuring Édith Piaf
- Senior Prom starring Jill Corey
- South Pacific starring Mitzi Gaynor
- The Tunnel of Love
Musical television
- Aladdin televised on February 21 starring Cyril Ritchard, Basil Rathbone, Dennis King, Sal Mineo, Anna Maria Alberghetti and Una Merkel.
- Hansel and Gretel televised on April 27 starring Barbara Cook and Red Buttons
- Kiss Me, Kate starring Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Julie Wilson, Bill Hayes and Jack Klugman
Births
- January 1 – Grandmaster Flash, rapper
- January 2 – Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Russian pianist
- January 8 – Steve Garvey, bass guitarist
- January 9 – Hillevi Martinpelto, Swedish operatic soprano
- January 10 – Samira Said, Moroccan singer
- January 11
- *Vicki Peterson, rock guitarist and songwriter
- *Trevor Taylor, Jamaican-German singer and musician
- January 21 – Frank Ticheli, American composer and academic
- January 24 – Jools Holland, R&B pianist and singer, TV music presenter
- January 29 – Vlatka Oršanić, opera singer
- February 10 – Michael Weiss, jazz pianist and composer
- February 12 – Grant McLennan, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- February 16 – Ice-T, American musician, rapper, songwriter, actor, record executive, record producer and author
- February 21
- * Jake Burns
- * Mary Chapin Carpenter, American singer-songwriter
- February 23 – David Sylvian
- February 25 – Eva Johansson, Danish operatic soprano
- March 5 – Andy Gibb, English singer, songwriter, performer and teen idol
- March 8 – Gary Numan, singer
- March 9 – Martin Fry, vocalist
- March 10 – Frankie Ruiz, Puerto Rican singer
- March 28 – Edesio Alejandro, Cuban composer
- April 10
- * Yefim Bronfman, Russian-born pianist
- * Errollyn Wallen, Belize-born composer
- April 11 – Stuart Adamson
- April 12 – Will Sergeant
- April 14 – Aprile Millo, American operatic soprano of Italian and Irish ancestry
- April 18 – Les Pattinson
- April 21 – Andranik Madadian, Armenian/Iranian singer-songwriter
- April 25 – Fish, Scottish singer
- May 2 – Mayumi Horikawa, Japanese singer-songwriter and model
- May 6 – Lolita Flores, Spanish actress and singer
- May 10 – Vlada Divljan, Serbian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- May 12 – Eric Singer, American drummer and songwriter
- May 18 – Toyah Willcox, English singer and actress
- May 21 – Mike Barson
- May 23 – Shelly West, American country singer
- May 25 – Paul Weller, singer-songwriter The Jam, Style Council
- May 27 – Neil Finn, singer-songwriter
- May 30 – Marie Fredriksson, pop singer-songwriter
- June 2 – Karl Gottfried Brunotte, composer and music philosopher
- June 3 – Roger Redgate, composer-conductor
- June 7 – Prince, Prolific American singer-songwriter, multi instrumentalist, record executive, record producer, musician and film maker
- June 12 – Meredith Brooks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- June 17 – Jello Biafra
- June 21
- * Jennifer Larmore, american operatic mezzo-soprano
- * Steve Lieberman punk musician
- June 24 – Kathy Troccoli, American singer and author
- June 27
- *Lisa Germano, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- *Brian Helicopter, English bass player
- *Magnus Lindberg, Finnish pianist and composer
- *Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- June 29
- *Jeff Coopwood, American actor and singer
- *Mark Radcliffe, English singer and radio host
- June 30 – Esa-Pekka Salonen, composer-conductor
- July 5 – Paul Daniel, conductor
- July 7 – Michala Petri, recorder virtuoso
- July 18 – Bent Sørensen, composer
- July 25 – Thurston Moore
- July 30 – Kate Bush, English singer-songwriter, musician, dancer and record producer
- July 31
- * Bill Berry
- * Deborah Riedel, operatic soprano
- August 3 – Robert Buck
- August 6 – Randy DeBarge, soul singer and guitarist
- August 7 – Bruce Dickinson, singer
- August 16 – Madonna, American singer, songwriter, actress, activist and businesswoman.
- August 17 – Belinda Carlisle, American singer and songwriter.
- August 22
- * Ian Mitchell, British pop bassist
- * Vernon Reid, British-born rock guitarist and songwriter
- August 29 – Michael Jackson, American performer, singer and songwriter
- September 3 – Radoslav Lorković, Croatian pianist and accordionist
- September 6 – Buster Bloodvessel, vocalist
- September 10 – Siobhan Fahey, Irish singer and musician
- September 13 – Paweł Przytocki, Polish conductor
- September 14 – Rachid Taha, Algerian-born singer and activist
- September 19
- *Lita Ford, English-born American rock guitarist, actress, vocalist and songwriter
- *Lucky Ali, singer, composer and actor
- September 22
- * Andrea Bocelli, operatic tenor
- * Joan Jett, American alternative rock singer, songwriter, composer, musician, record producer and occasional actress
- October 9 – Al Jourgensen, Cuban-American industrial rock singer-songwriter and producer
- October 10 – Tanya Tucker, country singer
- October 13 – Derri Daugherty, American alternative rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer
- October 14 – Thomas Dolby, English rock musician
- October 20
- * Ricky Byrd, rock guitarist
- * Mark King, bassist and singer
- October 27 – Simon Le Bon, vocalist
- November 1 – Joe DeRenzo, American drummer, composer and producer
- November 10 – Frank Maudsley
- November 22 – Jason Ringenberg
- November 27 – Tetsuya Komuro, Japanese songwriter and music producer
- December 7 – Timothy Butler
- December 9 – Nick Seymour, bassist
- December 11 – Nikki Sixx
- December 12 – Dag Ingebrigtsen, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- December 14
- * Mike Scott
- * Spider Stacy, folk musician
- December 17 – Mike Mills
- December 23 – Victoria Williams, American singer, songwriter and musician
- December 25
- *Alannah Myles, Canadian singer-songwriter
- *Juancho Rois, Colombian vallenato musician, accordionist and composer
- probable – Fortuna, Brazilian singer
Deaths
- January 20 – Ataúlfo Argenta, conductor, 44
- February 5 – Lew Brown, lyricist, 64
- March 24 – John Harvey Gahan, violinist, songwriter and actor, 69
- March 25
- * Tom Brown, jazz trombonist, 69
- * Emerson Whithorne, composer and historian, 73
- March 28 – W. C. Handy, blues composer, 84
- April 1
- * Břetislav Bakala, pianist, conductor and composer, 61
- * Alfred Bryan, songwriter, 86
- April 2 – Tudor Davies, operatic tenor, 65
- April 10 – Chuck Willis, singer, 30
- April 16 – Margaret Burke Sheridan, operatic soprano, 68
- May 20 – Irma Baltuttis, singer, 37
- June 1 – Henri Pensis, violinist, conductor and composer
- June 3
- * Georges Boulanger, violinist, 65
- * Maude Nugent, songwriter, 81
- June 15 – José Pablo Moncayo, Mexican percussionist and composer, 45
- June 20 – Elfriede Trötschel, operatic soprano, 44
- June 21 – Eduard Erdmann, pianist and composer, 62
- June 23 – Armas Järnefelt, composer, 88
- June 27 – Marie Sundelius, operatic soprano, 74
- July 10 – Karl Erb, operatic tenor and lieder singer, 81
- July 31
- * Eugène Goossens, fils, violinist and conductor, 91
- * Percy Scholes, musicologist, 81
- August 5 – Joseph Holbrooke, composer, 80
- August 14 – Gladys Presley, mother of Elvis Presley
- August 15 – Big Bill Broonzy, blues musician and composer, 60
- August 17 – Florent Schmitt, composer, 87
- August 21 – Stevan Hristić, composer, 73
- August 26 – Ralph Vaughan Williams, composer, 85
- September 20 – Yvonne Arnaud, pianist, singer and actress, 65
- September 23 – Alfred Piccaver, British-born American operatic tenor, 74
- October 24 – Martin Shaw, composer, 83
- October 25 – Artie Matthews, ragtime composer and songwriter, 69
- October 27 – John Wooldridge, film composer, 39
- October 29 – Vassili Nebolsin, conductor, 60
- November 3 – Harry Revel, composer of musicals, 52
- November 26 – Tiny Bradshaw, jazz and blues musician, 53
- November 27 – Artur Rodziński, conductor, 66
- December 1 – Boots Mallory, dancer, 45
- December 8 – Julia Lee, blues singer, 56
- December 11 – Paul Bazelaire, cellist, 72
- December 20 – Éva Gauthier, operatic soprano, 73
- December 29 – Doris Humphrey, dancer and choreographer, 63
- date unknown
- * Samuel Antek, violinist and conductor
- * John Strachan, ballad singer
Awards
[Eurovision Song Contest]
- Eurovision Song Contest 1958
Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition">International Tchaikovsky Competition">Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition
- Van Cliburn