1940 in music

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List of years in music (table)

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1940.

Events

Albums released

Biggest hit songs

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1940.

# Artist Title Year Country Chart Entries
1 Glenn Miller In the Mood 1940 United States Europe 1 of the 1940s, US BB 2 of 1940, POP 2 of 1940, RYM 4 of 1939, Scrobulate 4 of swing, RIAA 11, UK 13 – Jan 1976, Netherlands 15 – Aug 1972, Party 45 of 1999, Acclaimed 477
2 Artie Shaw Frenesi 1940 United States US 1940s 1 – Aug 1940, US 1 for 13 weeks Dec 1940, US BB 6 of 1940, POP 6 of 1940, Scrobulate 48 of swing, Europe 71 of the 1940s
3 Bing Crosby Only Forever 1940 United States US 1940s 1 – Sep 1940, US 1 for 9 weeks Oct 1940, US BB 15 of 1940, POP 15 of 1940, Europe 24 of the 1940s, RYM 87 of 1940
4 Tommy Dorsey I'll Never Smile Again 1940 United States US 1940s 1 – Jul 1940, US 1 for 12 weeks Jul 1940, US BB 8 of 1940, POP 8 of 1940, Europe 17 of the 1940s
5 Cliff Edwards (Ukelele Ike) When You Wish Upon a Star 1940 United States Oscar in 1940, AFI 7, RYM 20 of 1940, RIAA 55, Acclaimed 1090

Top hit records

Clarinetist and bandleader Artie Shaw in 1940

Published popular music

Classical music

Premieres

Sortable table
Composer Composition Date Location Performers
Britten, Benjamin Les Illuminations 1940-01-30 United Kingdom London Wyss / Neel String OrchestraNeel [3]
Britten, Benjamin Violin Concerto 1940-03-29 United States New York City Brosa / New York PhilharmonicBarbirolli [4]
Carpenter, John Alden Symphony No. 1 (2nd version) 1940-10-24 United States Chicago Chicago SymphonyStock [5]
Creston, Paul Symphony No. 1 1940-02-22 United States New York City NYA SymphonyMahler [6]
Ginastera, Alberto Malambo for piano 1940-09-11 Uruguay Montevideo Balzo [7]
Ginastera, Alberto Three Pieces for Piano 1940-10-16 Uruguay Montevideo Balzo [8]
Hartmann, Karl Amadeus Concerto funebre 1940-02-29 Switzerland St. Gallen Neracher / St. Gallen Chamber OrchestraKlug [9]
Khachaturian, Aram Violin Concerto 1940-11-16 Soviet Union Moscow Oistrakh / USSR State SymphonyGauk [10]
Krenek, Ernst Little Concerto for Piano, Organ and Chamber Orchestra 1940-05-23 United States Poughkeepsie, NY Williams, Geer / Vassar Orchestra – Krenek [11]
Krenek, Ernst Symphonisches Stück 1940-06-11 Switzerland Basel Basel Chamber OrchestraSacher [12]
Larsson, Lars-Erik God in Disguise 1940-04-01 Sweden Stockholm Torlind, Hasslo, Molander / Swedish Radio Symphony – Larsson [13]
Lilburn, Douglas Aotearoa, overture 1940-04-15 United Kingdom London Sadler's Welles OrchestraBraithwaite [14]
Milhaud, Darius Symphony No. 1 1940-10-17 United States Chicago Chicago Symphony – Milhaud [15]
Myaskovsky, Nikolai Symphony No. 20 1940-11-28 Soviet Union Moscow USSR Radio SymphonyGolovanov [16]
Piston, Walter Violin Concerto No. 1 1940-03-18 United States New York City Posselt / National Orchestral AssociationBarzin [17]
Prokofiev, Sergei Piano Sonata No. 6 1940-04-08 Soviet Union Moscow Prokofiev [18]
Rodrigo, Joaquín Concierto de Aranjuez 1940-11-09 Francoist Spain Barcelona Saenz de la Maza / Barcelona PhilharmonicMendoza-Lasalle [19]
Schoenberg, Arnold Chamber Symphony No. 2 1940-12-15 United States New York City Friends of New Music OrchestraStiedry [20]
Schoenberg, Arnold Violin Concerto 1940-12-06 United States Philadelphia Krasner / Philadelphia OrchestraStokowski [21]
Shostakovich, Dmitri Piano Quintet 1940-11-23 Soviet Union Moscow Shostakovich, Beethoven Quartet [22]
Shostakovich, Dmitri Four Romances on Verses by Pushkin 1940-12-08 Soviet Union Moscow Baturin, Shostakovich [23]
Strauss, Richard Japanese Festival Music 1940-12-14 Japan Tokyo Tokyo Broadcast OrchestraFellmer [24]
Stravinsky, Igor Symphony in C 1940-11-07 United States Chicago Chicago Symphony – Stravinsky [25]
Tippett, Michael Concerto for Double String Orchestra 1940-04-21 United Kingdom London South London Orchestra – Tippett [26]
Webern, Anton Fünf Lieder, Op. 4 (1909) 1940-02-10 Switzerland Basel Gradmann-Lüscher, Schmid [27]

Compositions

Opera

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

References