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1940 in music

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:YYYY music Template:Year nav topic5 This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1940.

Specific locations

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Specific genres

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Events

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Albums released

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The following songs appeared in The Billboard's 'Best Selling Retail Records' chart during 1940. Each week fifteen points were awarded to the number one record, then nine points for number two, eight points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. Regional charts determined the 11–25 rankings each week, and records that failed to score on the main chart were ranked by highest position. Additional information was obtained from the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954<ref name=PopMemories>Template:Cite book</ref> and other sources as specified.

Rank Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart positions
1 Artie Shaw and His Orchestra "Frenesi"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Victor 26542 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #1, US #1 for 13 weeks, 29 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 2000, 1,000,000 sold<ref name=GoldenDiscs>Template:Cite book</ref>
2 Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Vocal Frank Sinatra "I'll Never Smile Again"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Victor 26628 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #2, US #1 for 12 weeks, 20 total weeks, 1,000,000 sold<ref name=GoldenDiscs/>
3 Bing Crosby "Only Forever"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Decca 3300 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #3, US #1 for 9 weeks, 22 total weeks
4 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra "Tuxedo Junction"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bluebird 10612 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #4, US #1 for 9 weeks, 19 total weeks, 1,000,000 sold<ref name=GoldenDiscs/>
5 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra "The Woodpecker Song"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bluebird 10598 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #5, US #1 for 7 weeks, 16 total weeks
6 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra "When You Wish Upon a Star"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bluebird 10570 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #6, US #1 for 5 weeks, 16 total weeks
7 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra "Careless" Bluebird 10520 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #7, US #1 for 5 weeks, 13 total weeks
8 Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Vocal Jack Leonard) "All the Things You Are"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Victor 26401 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #8, US #1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks
9 Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (Vocal Jack Leonard) "Indian Summer"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Victor 26390 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #9, US #1 for 1 week, 16 total weeks
10 Glenn Miller and His Orchestra (Vocal Ray Eberle) "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bluebird 10728 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #10, US #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks
11 Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (Vocal Mildred Bailey) "Darn That Dream" Columbia 35331 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #11, US #1 for 1 week, 11 total weeks
12 The Ink Spots "Maybe"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Decca 3258 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #12, US #2 for 6 weeks, 17 total weeks
13 Glenn Miller and His Orchestra (Vocal Ray Eberle) "Blueberry Hill"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bluebird 10768 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #13, US #2 for 4 weeks, 19 total weeks
14 Will Bradley and His Orchestra Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar Columbia 35530 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #14, US #2 for 1 week, 21 total weeks
15 Bing Crosby "Trade Winds" Decca 3299 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #15, US #2 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks
16 Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra The Breeze and I<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Decca 3150 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #16, US #2 for 6 weeks, 11 total weeks, 1,000,000 sold<ref name=GoldenDiscs/>
17 The Ink Spots "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Decca 3379 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #17, US #3 for 1 week, 15 total weeks
18 Bing Crosby "Sierra Sue" Decca 3133 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #18, US #3 for 1 week, 14 total weeks
19 Bob Crosby and His Orchestra "With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Decca 3018 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #19, US #2 for 3 weeks, 14 total weeks
20 Tony Martin "It's a Blue World"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Decca 2932 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #20, US #2 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks
21 Glenn Miller and His Orchestra (Vocal Ray Eberle) "Say It"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bluebird 10631 Template:Start date Template:Start date US BB 1940 #21, US #2 for 2 weeks, 11 total weeks
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Classical music

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Premieres

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Composer Composition Date Location Performers
Britten, Benjamin Les Illuminations 1940-01-30 London Wyss / Neel String Orchestra – Neel<ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Britten, Benjamin Violin Concerto 1940-03-29 New York City Brosa / New York Philharmonic – Barbirolli<ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Carpenter, John Alden Symphony No. 1 (2nd version) 1940-10-24 Chicago Chicago Symphony – Stock<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Chávez, Carlos Xochipilli-Macuilxóchitl 1940-05-16 Museum of Modern Art, New York City Ensemble – Chávez
Creston, Paul Symphony No. 1 1940-02-22 New York City NYA Symphony – Mahler<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Ginastera, Alberto Malambo for piano 1940-09-11 Montevideo, Uruguay Balzo<ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Ginastera, Alberto Three Pieces for Piano 1940-10-16 Montevideo, Uruguay Balzo<ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Hartmann, Karl Amadeus Concerto funebre 1940-02-29 St. Gallen, Switzerland Neracher / St. Gallen Chamber Orchestra – Klug<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Hindemith, Paul Violin Concerto (1939) 1940-03-14 Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra
Khachaturian, Aram Violin Concerto 1940-11-16 Moscow Oistrakh / USSR State Symphony – Gauk<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Krenek, Ernst Little Concerto for Piano, Organ and Chamber Orchestra 1940-05-23 Poughkeepsie, New York Williams, Geer / Vassar Orchestra – Krenek <ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Krenek, Ernst Symphonisches Stück 1940-06-11 Basel Basel Chamber Orchestra – Sacher<ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Larsson, Lars-Erik God in Disguise 1940-04-01 Stockholm Torlind, Hasslo, Molander / Swedish Radio Symphony – Larsson <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lilburn, Douglas Aotearoa, overture 1940-04-15 London Sadler's Welles Orchestra – Braithwaite<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Milhaud, Darius Symphony No. 1 1940-10-17 Chicago Chicago Symphony – Milhaud <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Myaskovsky, Nikolai Symphony No. 20 1940-11-28 Moscow USSR Radio Symphony – Golovanov<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Piston, Walter Violin Concerto No. 1 1940-03-18 New York City Posselt / National Orchestral Association – Barzin<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Price, Florence Symphony No. 3 (Price) 1940-11-06 Little Rock, US Detroit Civic Orchestra – Valter Poole<ref name="Symphony nos. 1 and 3">Template:Cite book</ref>
Prokofiev, Sergei Piano Sonata No. 6 1940-04-08 Moscow Prokofiev<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rodrigo, Joaquín Concierto de Aranjuez 1940-11-09 Barcelona Saenz de la Maza / Barcelona Philharmonic – Mendoza-Lasalle<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Schoenberg, Arnold Chamber Symphony No. 2 1940-12-15 New York City Friends of New Music Orchestra – Stiedry<ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Schoenberg, Arnold Violin Concerto (finished 1936) 1940-12-06 Philadelphia Krasner / Philadelphia Orchestra – Stokowski<ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Shostakovich, Dmitri Piano Quintet 1940-11-23 Moscow Shostakovich, Beethoven Quartet<ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Shostakovich, Dmitri Four Romances on Verses by Pushkin 1940-12-08 Moscow Baturin, Shostakovich <ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Strauss, Richard Japanese Festival Music 1940-12-14 Tokyo Tokyo Broadcast Orchestra – Fellmer<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Stravinsky, Igor Symphony in C 1940-11-07 Chicago Chicago Symphony – Stravinsky <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Tippett, Michael Concerto for Double String Orchestra 1940-04-21 London South London Orchestra – Tippett <ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>
Webern, Anton Fünf Lieder, Op. 4 (1909) 1940-02-10 Basel, Switzerland Gradmann-Lüscher, Schmid<ref>Template:IRCAM work</ref>

Compositions

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Opera

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Film

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Jazz

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Musical theatre

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Musical films

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Births

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Deaths

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References

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