Events
★
January 1 -
The Beatles start a 5 day tour in
Scotland to support the release of their new single, "Love Me Do".
★
January 4 - At
Cortina d'Ampezzo in
Italy,
Dalida receives a Juke Box Global Oscar for the year's most-played artist on juke boxes.
★
January 7 -
Gary U.S. Bonds files a $100,000 lawsuit against
Chubby Checker, claiming that Checker stole "Quarter to Three" and turned it into "Dancin' Party." The lawsuit is later settled out of court.
★
January 11 -
Please Please Me is released in the
United Kingdom by
The Beatles, with
Ask Me Why as the
B-side. It would be the first Beatles' single to reach #1 (on most record charts) in the UK.
★
January 11 - The
Whisky a Go Go night club in
Los Angeles, the first
disco in the USA, opens.
★
January 12 -
Bob Dylan portrays a folk singer in ''The Madhouse of Castle Street'', a radio play for the
BBC in
London.
★
February 16
★
★
The Beatles receive their first #1 hit single, when "Please Please Me" tops the charts in the UK
★
★
Paul Anka marries
Marie-Ann DeZogheb
★
February 22 -
The Beatles form
Northern Songs Publishing Company.
★
March 5 -
Patsy Cline is killed in small plane crash near
Camden, Tennessee, while on her way to
Nashville, Tennessee from
Kansas City, Missouri at the height of her career.
★
April 29 - 19 year old
Andrew Loog Oldham signs a contract with
The Rolling Stones, becoming their manager. Oldham had seen the band in concert the previous day at the Crawdaddy Club in
London.
★
The Beatles record their first album, ''
Please Please Me''
★
Dalida receives the Music Oscar for the world song success.
★
The Righteous Brothers begin performing together;
★
Lonnie Mack begins his musical career;
★
The Kinks form
★
Herman's Hermits form
★
Philips introduce the
Musicassette at the Berlin Funkaustellung
★
Coxsone Dodd opens the first black-owned recording studio in
Jamaica, named
Studio One
★
Lord Shorty's "Clock and Dagger" is widely considered the first
soca recording
Albums released
★ ''
Annie Get Your Gun'' -
Doris Day
★ ''
As Long As She Needs Me'' -
Sammy Davis, Jr.
★ ''Bill Haley and His Comets'' -
Bill Haley & His Comets
★ ''
Black Fire'' -
Andrew Hill
★ ''
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady'' -
Charles Mingus
★ ''Carnaval de Ritmos Modernos'' -
Bill Haley & His Comets
★ ''
The Composer of Desafinado, Plays'' -
Antonio Carlos Jobim
★ ''
The Concert Sinatra'' - Frank Sinatra
★ ''Dion Sings Love Came To Me '' -
Dion DiMucci
★ ''
Ella and Basie!'' -
Ella Fitzgerald and
Count Basie
★ ''
Ella Sings Broadway'' - Ella Fitzgerald
★ ''
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook'' - Ella Fitzgerald
★ ''
Eux'' -
Dalida
★ ''
Follow The Boys'' -
Connie Francis
★ ''
For Your Sweet Love'' -
Ricky Nelson
★ ''
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'' -
Bob Dylan
★ ''
Getz/Gilberto'' -
Stan Getz and
João Gilberto
★ ''Have You Heard?'' -
Dick Morrissey Quartet
★ ''
I Left My Heart in San Francisco '' -
Tony Bennett
★ ''
In Dreams'' -
Roy Orbison
★ ''
Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2'' -
Joan Baez
★ ''
Little Deuce Coupe'' -
The Beach Boys
★ ''
Live at the Apollo'' -
James Brown
★ ''
Live at Birdland'' -
John Coltrane
★ ''
Love Him'' -
Doris Day
★ ''Madison'' - Bill Haley & His Comets
★ ''
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus'' -
Charles Mingus
★ ''
Mingus Plays Piano'' -
Charles Mingus
★ ''
The Patsy Cline Story'' -
Patsy Cline
★ ''
Please Please Me'' -
The Beatles
★ ''Los Relámpagos del Norte'' -
Los Relámpagos del Norte
★ ''Rock Around the Clock King'' -
Bill Haley & His Comets
★ ''Ruby Baby'' -
Dion DiMucci
★ '' -
Frank Sinatra and
Count Basie
★ ''
Sinatra's Sinatra'' - Frank Sinatra
★ ''
The Songs I Love'' -
Perry Como
★ ''
Surfin' USA'' -
The Beach Boys
★ ''
Surfer Girl'' -
The Beach Boys
★ ''
These Are the Blues'' - Ella Fitzgerald
★ ''
With the Beatles'' -
The Beatles
Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest
chart positions in 1963.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Chart Entries |
|---|
| 1 | The Beatles | She Loves You | 1963 | UK 1 - Aug 1963, US BB 1 - Feb 1964, US BB 20 of 1964, US CashBox 2 of 1964, Canada 1 - Dec 1963, Norway 1 - Oct 1963, Australia 1 of 1963, Germany 332 of the 1960s, Germany 7 - Mar 1964, South Africa 2 of 1963, Global 33 (5 M sold) - 1963, Rolling Stone 64, TOTP 2, RYM 4 of 1963, DDD 2 of 1963, POP 20 of 1964, Scrobulate 18 of oldies, Acclaimed 119 |
| 2 | Kingsmen | Louie Louie | 1963 | UK 26 - Jan 1964, US BB 2 - Nov 1963, US BB 3 of 1963, US CashBox 6 of 1964, Canada 1 - Nov 1963, Peel list 3 of 1964, Rolling Stone 55, 19 in 2FM list, RYM 5 of 1963, DDD 1 of 1963, POP 1 of 1963, RIAA 57, Acclaimed 10, Party 139 of 1999 |
| 3 | Leslie Gore | It's My Party | 1963 | UK 9 - Jun 1963, US BB 1 - May 1963, US BB 1 of 1963, US CashBox 30 of 1963, Canada 1 - May 1963, Australia 1 for 2 weeks, RYM 22 of 1963, DDD 30 of 1963, POP 3 of 1963, RIAA 229, Acclaimed 1286 |
| 4 | Paul & Paula | Hey Paula | 1963 | UK 8 - Feb 1963, US BB 1 - Jan 1963, US BB 33 of 1963, US CashBox 14 of 1963, Canada 1 - Dec 1962, Norway 2 - Mar 1963, Australia 9 of 1963, Germany 16 - May 1963, Australia 1 for 2 weeks, South Africa 16 of 1963, RYM 123 of 1962, POP 33 of 1963 |
| 5 | Ned Miller | From a Jack to a King | 1963 | UK 2 - Feb 1963, US BB 6 - Jan 1963, US CashBox 47 of 1963, Canada 1 - Nov 1962, Norway 1 - Apr 1963, Australia 4 of 1963, Eire 1 - Mar 1963, Australia 1 for 3 weeks, South Africa 10 of 1963 |
Top hits on record
★ "
Please Please Me" -
The Beatles
★ "
Ring of Fire" -
Johnny Cash
★ "
She Loves You" -
The Beatles
★ "
Love Me Do" -
The Beatles
★ "
I want to Hold Your Hand" -
The Beatles
★ "
From Me to You" -
The Beatles
★ "
In Dreams" -
Roy Orbison
★ "
Blue Bayou" -
Roy Orbison
★ "
Mean Woman Blues" -
Roy Orbison
★ "Pretty Paper" -
Roy Orbison
★ "
Hey Paula" -
Paul & Paula
★ "
He's So Fine" -
The Chiffons
★ "
Bo Diddley" -
Buddy Holly
★ "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" -
Buddy Holly
★ "
Surf City" -
Jan & Dean
★ "
It's My Party" -
Lesley Gore
★ "
Sweet Dreams" -
Patsy Cline
★ "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" -
Gene Pitney
★ "
Be My Baby" -
The Ronettes
★ "
Wipe Out" -
The Surfaris
★ "
If I Had A Hammer" -
Peter, Paul and Mary
★ "
If I Had A Hammer" -
Trini Lopez
★ "
Da Doo Ron Ron" -
The Crystals
★ "
Pipeline" -
The Chantays
★ "Tu Croiras" -
Dalida
★ "Le jour du retour" -
Dalida
★ "Eux" -
Dalida
★ "
Walk Like A Man" -
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
★ "
(Your Love is Like a) Heat Wave" -
Martha & the Vandellas
★ "
Up On The Roof" -
The Drifters
★ "I Can't Stay Mad At You" -
Skeeter Davis
★ "Only In America" -
Jay & the Americans
★ "Who Stole The Keeshka?" -
Matys Brothers
★ "Wonderful Summer" -
Robin Ward
★ "
I Only Want to Be With You" -
Dusty Springfield
★ "The Folk Singer" -
Tommy Roe
★ "Guilty" -
Jim Reeves
★ "Is This Me" -
Jim Reeves
See also:
Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1963 (USA)
Published popular songs
★ "18 Yellow Roses"
Bobby Darin
★ "Abilene" w.m.
John D. Loudermilk, Lester Brown, Bob Gibson, Albert Stanton
★ "
All My Loving" w.m.
John Lennon &
Paul McCartney
★ "Another Saturday Night" w.m.
Sam Cooke
★ "As Usual" Zanetis
★ "
Call Me Irresponsible" w.
Sammy Cahn, m.
Jimmy Van Heusen
★ "Charade" w.
Johnny Mercer m.
Henry Mancini. From the
film of the same name.
★ "Da Do Ron Ron" w.m.
Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich &
Jeff Barry
★ "Detroit City" w.m.
Mel Tillis & Danny Dill
★ "Distant Drums" w.m.
Cindy Walker
★ "
Dominique"
Soeur Sourire
★ "Don't Talk To Him"
Cliff Richard, Welch
★ "Don't You Forget It" w. Al Stillman m.
Henry Mancini
★ "Every Time I Think About You" w.m.
Claude Demetrius
★ "Flash! Bang! Wallop!" w.m.
David Heneker
★ "
From Me to You" w.m.
John Lennon &
Paul McCartney
★ "Good Morning, Good Day" w. Sheldon Harnick m. Jerry Bock
★ "
Half A Sixpence" w.m.
David Heneker
★ "
Hello, Dolly!" w.m.
Jerry Herman
★ "
Higitus Figitus", w.m.
Richard M. Sherman and
Robert B. Sherman, from the
Walt Disney film ''
The Sword and the Stone''
★ "How Do You Do It?" w.m.
Mitch Murray
★ "I Call Your Name" w.m.
John Lennon &
Paul McCartney
★ "I Like It"
Mitch Murray
★ "I Saw Her Standing There" w.m.
John Lennon &
Paul McCartney
★ "
I Want to Hold Your Hand" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
★ "I Will Follow Him" w. (Eng) Norman Gimbel & Arthur Altman m. J. W. Stole & Del Roma
★ "I'll Get You" w.m.
John Lennon &
Paul McCartney
★ "If I Ruled the World" w.
Leslie Bricusse m.
Cyril Ornadel. Introduced by
Harry Secombe in the musical ''
Pickwick''
★ "It Won't Be Long" w.m.
John Lennon &
Paul McCartney
★ "It's My Party" w.m. Herb Wiener, Wally Gold & John Gluck Jnr
★ "
Kissin' Cousins" w.m.
Fred Wise & Randy Starr
★ "Losing You" w.(Eng)
Carl Sigman m.
Jean Renard
★ "Martian Hop" w.m.
Steven Rappaport, John Spirt, Robert Rappaport
★ "Move Over Darling"
Hal Kanter
★ "
On Broadway" w.m.
Cynthia Weil,
Barry Mann,
Jerry Leiber &
Mike Stoller
★ "On the Beach" Welch, Marvin, Richard
★ "
Our Day Will Come" w.m.
Bob Hilliard &
Mort Garson
★ "The Pink Panther" w.
Johnny Mercer m.
Henry Mancini
★ "Pretty Paper"
Willie Nelson
★ "Reverend Mr Black" Billy Edd Wheeler, Jed Peters
★ "Ring of Fire" w.m.
Merle Kilgore &
June Carter
★ "She Loves Me" w.
Sheldon Harnick m.
Jerry Bock. Introduced by
Daniel Massey in the musical ''
She Loves Me''
★ "She Loves You" w.m.
John Lennon &
Paul McCartney
★ "Surf City" w.m.
Jan Berry &
Brian Wilson
★ "Surfer Girl" w.m.
Brian Wilson
★ "Talk Back Trembling Lips" w.m.
John D. Loudermilk
★ "This Boy" w.m.
John Lennon &
Paul McCartney
★ "The Times They Are A-Changin' " w.m.
Bob Dylan
★
"The Ugly Bug Ball" w.m.
Richard M. Sherman and
Robert B. Sherman, from the film ''
Summer Magic''
★ "Viva Las Vegas" Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman
★ "
Washington Square" w.m. Bob Goldstein & David Shire
★ "Will He Like Me?" w.
Sheldon Harnick m.
Jerry Bock. Introduced by
Barbara Cook in the Broadway production of ''
She Loves Me''. Performed by
Anne Rogers in the 1964 London production.
★ "Wives And Lovers" w.
Hal David m.
Burt Bacharach
★ "You Were Made For Me"
Mitch Murray
Classical music
★
Benjamin Britten - ''Nocturnal'' after John Dowland, op. 70, for
guitar
★
Francis Poulenc - ''Sept répons des ténèbres''
★
Giacinto Scelsi - String Quartet No. 3
★
Igor Stravinsky - ''Abraham and Isaac''
★
William Walton -
Variations on a Theme by Hindemith, for orchestra
★
Iannis Xenakis - ''Eonta''
==
Opera==
★
Richard Rodney Bennett - ''The Mines of Sulphur''
★
Carlisle Floyd - ''The Sojourner and Molly Sinclair''
★
Malcolm Williamson - ''Our Man in Havana''
==
Musical theater==
★ ''
Oliver!'' (Music, Lyrics and Book:
Lionel Bart) - Broadway production opened at the
Imperial Theatre on
January 6 and ran for 744 performances
★ ''
She Loves Me'' (Music:
Jerry Bock Lyrics:
Sheldon Harnick Book:
Joe Masteroff).
Broadway production opened at the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre on
April 23 and ran for 302 performances
★ ''
Here's Love'' (Music, Lyrics and Book:
Meredith Willson). Broadway production opened at the
Shubert Theatre on
October 3 and ran for 334 performances
★ ''
110 in the Shade'' (Music:
Harvey Schmidt Lyrics:
Tom Jones Book:
N. Richard Nash). Broadway production opened at the
Broadhurst Theatre on
October 24 and ran for 331 performances
★ ''
The Girl Who Came To Supper'' (Music and Lyrics:
Noël Coward). Broadway production opened at the
Broadway Theatre on
December 8 and ran for 112 performances
★ ''
Carnival'' (Music and Lyrics:
Bob Merrill Book:
Michael Stewart). London production opened at the
Lyric Theatre on
February 8 and ran for 34 performances
★ ''
Oh! What a Lovely War'' (Music and Lyrics: Various Book:
Charles Chilton). Opened at the
Theatre Royal Stratford East on
March 19 and transferred to
Wyndham's Theatre, London on
June 20 for a total run of 501 performances.
★ ''
Half A Sixpence'' (Music and Lyrics:
David Heneker Book:
Douglas Cross).
London production opened at the
Cambridge Theatre on
March 21 and ran for 677 performances
★ ''
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying'' (Music and Lyrics:
Frank Loesser Book:
Abe Burrows,
Jack Weinstein and
Willie Gilbert). London production opened at the
Shaftesbury Theatre on
March 28 and ran for 520 performances.
★ ''
On The Town'' (Music:
Leonard Bernstein Lyrics and Book:
Betty Comden and
Adolph Green). London production opened at the
Prince Of Wales Theatre on
May 30 and ran for 53 performances
★ ''
Pickwick'' (Music:
Cyril Ornadel Lyrics:
Leslie Bricusse Book:
Wolf Mankowitz).
London production opened at the
Saville Theatre on
July 4 and ran for 694 performances
★ ''
At The Drop Of Another Hat'' ( Music and Lyrics:
Michael Flanders and
Donald Swann). London revue opened at the
Haymarket Theatre on
October 2
★ ''
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (Music and Lyrics:
Stephen Sondheim Book:
Burt Shevelove and
Larry Gelbart). London production opened at the
Strand Theatre on
October 3 and ran for 762 performances
★ ''
The Boys From Syracuse'' (Music:
Richard Rodgers Lyrics:
Lorenz Hart Book:
George Abbott). London production opened at the
Drury Lane Theatre on
November 7 and ran for 100 performances
==
Musical films==
★ ''
Bye Bye Birdie''
★ ''
Fun In Acapulco''
★ ''
Summer Holiday''
★ ''
Summer Magic'' starring
Hayley Mills,
Burl Ives,
Dorothy McGuire and
Eddie Hodges
Births
★
January 26
★
★
Jazzie B,
Soul II Soul
★
★
Andrew Ridgeley,
Wham!
★
January 28 -
Dan Spitz,
Anthrax
★
February 2 -
Eva Cassidy
★
February 19 -
Seal
★
March 1 -
Dan Michaels,
producer,
saxophonist, member of the
rock band The Choir and also
The Swirling Eddies, owner of
Galaxy21 Music.
★
March 4 -
Jason Newsted,
Metallica
★
March 10 -
Jeff Ament,
Pearl Jam
★
March 15 -
Bret Michaels,
Poison
★
March 27 -
Dave Koz, saxophonist
★
April 8 -
Julian Lennon, son of
John Lennon
★
May 21 -
Gilles Apap, violinist
★
June 7 -
Roberto Alagna, tenor
★
June 25 -
George Michael
★
June 30 -
Yngwie J. Malmsteen, guitar performer
★
July 7 -
Vonda Shepard, singer and musician
★
July 22 -
Emily Saliers,
Indigo Girls
★
August 3 -
James Hetfield,
Metallica
★
August 12 -
Sir Mix-A-Lot
★
August 19 -
Joey Tempest,
Europe
★
August 22
★
★
Tori Amos
★
★
James DeBarge,
DeBarge
★
October 14 -
Alessandro Safina, operatic tenor
★
October 26 -
Natalie Merchant
★
October 30 -
Jerry DeBorg,
Jesus Jones
★
November 1 -
Rick Allen,
Def Leppard
★
December 26 -
Lars Ulrich,
Metallica
★
December 31 -
Scott Ian,
Anthrax
Deaths
★
January 2 -
Dick Powell, actor and singer
★
January 6 -
Lina Barbanell, German singer and actress
★
January 24 -
Otto Harbach, lyricist
★
January 30 -
Francis Poulenc
★
February 19 -
Benny Moré, Cuban singer
★
February 20 -
Ferenc Fricsay, conductor
★
March 5 -
Patsy Cline, American country/pop singer, in a plane crash
★
March 17 -
Lizzie Miles, singer
★
March 31 -
Harry Akst, US composer and pianist
★
April 12 -
Herbie Nichols, jazz musician
★
May 6 -
Ted Weems, 61, US bandleader
★
May 10 -
Irving Aaronson, bandleader and composer
★
September 12 -
Modest Altschuler, cellist, conductor and composer
★
October 11 -
Édith Piaf, French singing superstar
★
November 1 -
Elsa Maxwell, songwriter, "the hostess with the mostest"
★
November 19 -
Carmen Amaya, flamenco dancer and singer
★
November 26 -
Amelita Galli-Curci, Operatic soprano
★
November 29 -
Ernesto Lecuona, Cuban composer, pianist and bandleader
★
December 5 -
Karl Amadeus Hartmann, composer
★
December 28 -
Paul Hindemith, composer
★ ''date unknown'' -
Naftule Brandwein, clarinettist
Awards
===
Grammy Awards===
★
Grammy Awards of 1963
===
Eurovision Song Contest===
★
Eurovision Song Contest 1963
===
Leeds International Piano Competition===
★
Michael Roll
External Charts
★
Pop Culture Madness 1963 Pop Music Chart