1956 in music

=Events=

* The Malt Shop Era Begins With Love Is Strange By Mickey & Sylvia
*January 1 - Blue Suede Shoes is released by Carl Perkins on the Sun Records label.
*Cameo-Parkway Records formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Kal Mann & Bernie Lowe.
*Foundation of the Korean piano brand Young Chang.
*1^st Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music (see [http://www.culture.pl/en/culture/artykuly/os_baird_tadeusz] )
*January 26 - Buddy Holly's first recording sessions for Decca Records take place in Nashville, Tennessee
*Roy Orbison signs with Sun Records
*January 27 - Elvis Presley's Single Heartbreak Hotel / I Was The One was released. It goes on to be Elvis' 1st #1 hit.
*January 28 - Elvis Presley makes his national television debut on "The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show"
*March 10 - Carl Perkins' single "Blue Suede Shoes" enters the R&B charts, marking the first time a Country music artist has made it on the R&B charts.
*March 22 - Carl Perkins is injured in a car accident near Wilmington, Delaware and spends several months in the hospital. Perkins had been on his way to New York City to make an appearance on the "Ed Sullivan show".
*March 31 - Elvis Presley films a screen test for Paramount Pictures.
*April 3 - Elvis Presley makes his first appearance on "The Milton Berle Show"
*April 6 - Paramount Pictures signs Elvis Presley to a three picture deal.
*April 7 - The first regularly scheduled nationally broadcast rock & roll show, "Rock 'n Roll Dance Party", with Alan Freed as host, premieres on the CBS Radio Network.
*April 10 - A group of racial segregationists (followers of Asa Earl Carter) rush the stage at a Nat King Cole concert in Birmingham, Alabama, but are quickly captured.
*May 2 - For the first time in "Billboard magazine" history, five singles appear in both the pop and R&B Top Ten charts. They are Elvis Presley's "Heatbreak Hotel" (#1 pop, #6 R&B), Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" (#4 pop, #3 R&B), Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally" (#9 pop, #1 R&B), the Platters' "Magic Touch" (#10 pop, #7 R&B) and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (#7 pop, #4 R&B). Presley's and Perkins' singles also appeared on the country and western Top Ten chart at #1 and #2 respectively
*May 6 - Elvis Presley appears on the "Milton Berle show"
*May 24 - First ever Eurovision Song Contest
*Bo Diddley records his song "Who Do You Love".
*June 3 - Fred Diodati replaces Al Alberts as lead singer of The Four Aces.
* June 5 - Elvis Presley introduces his new single, "Hound Dog", on "The Milton Berle Show", scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements.
*June 26 - Both trumpeter Clifford Brown and pianist Richie Powell are killed in a car accident.
*July 1 - Elvis Presley appears on the "Steve Allen show"
*July 9 - Dick Clark hosts "American Bandstand" for the first time
*September 9 - Elvis Presley appears on "The Ed Sullivan Show".
*Nat King Cole becomes the first major black performer to host a variety show on national television. "The Nat King Cole Show" was first broadcast on November 5, 1956
*December 4 - Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash record together at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The sessions are later released under the name, the "Million Dollar Quartet"
*December 19 - Breaking the record for the highest number of concurrent singles by a single artist, Elvis Presley holds 9 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Presley would hold the record until 1964 when the Beatles held 14 positions on the chart.
*Elvis Presley emerges as one of the world's first rock stars.
*Aretha Franklin's musical career begins
*Gene Vincent's recording career begins
*The Coasters' recording career begins
*Charlie Rich's recording career begins
*Bobby Darin's recording career begins
*Dalida's musical career begins on Barclay Records in Europe as (one of) the first biggest "world pop star" and sex symbol and she is the first artist to have her photo on a single in France. 175 000 copies of her big hits "Bambino" are sold in a few weeks.
*Chrysler Corporation provides an in-car turntable 16⅔ rpm record player with 7-inch ultramicrogroove records in its luxury model, the "Imperial". The machine was developed by Peter Carl Goldmark — the man who invented the 33⅓ rpm long playing (LP) record format
*The Everly Brothers form.

Albums released

* "The Ames Brothers" - The Ames Brothers
* "Ames Brothers Concert" - The Ames Brothers
* "The Ames Brothers With Hugo Winterhalter" - The Ames Brothers & Hugo Winterhalter
* "At Basin Street" - Clifford Brown and Max Roach
* "Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings" - Bing Crosby
* "Black Coffee" - Peggy Lee
* "The Boss of the Blues" - Big Joe Turner
* "Calendar Girl" - Julie London
* "Calypso" - Harry Belafonte
* "The Champ" - Jimmy Smith
* "Chet Baker Sings" - Chet Baker
* "The Complete Porgy and Bess" - Original Broadway Cast
* "Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet" - Miles Davis
* "Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings" - Joe Williams
* "Day by Day" - Doris Day
* "Dinner in Colombia" - Aldemaro Romero
* "Dinner Music for People Who Aren't Very Hungry" - Spike Jones
* "Django" - Modern Jazz Quartet
* "Do You Remember When?" - McGuire Sisters
* "The East Side" - Patti Page
* "Ella and Louis" - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
* "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook" - Ella Fitzgerald
* "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook" - Ella Fitzgerald
* "Ellington at Newport" - Duke Ellington
* "Elvis" - Elvis Presley
* "Elvis Presley" - Elvis Presley (debut)
* "Exactly Like You" - The Ames Brothers
* "Finger Style Guitar" - Chet Atkins
* "Flight to Romance" - Aldemaro Romero
* "Fontessa" - Modern Jazz Quartet
* "For Musicians Only" - Stan Getz
* "The Four Aces" - The Four Aces
* "Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color" - Frank Sinatra
* "Frankie Laine & The Four Lads" - Frankie Laine
* "A Girl Named Jo" - Jo Stafford
* "The Hi-Fi Nightingale" - Caterina Valente
* "High Society" - Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong & Celeste Holm
* "High Step" - Paul Chambers and John Coltrane
* "Holding Hands at Midnight" - Dinah Shore
* "Howdy!" - Pat Boone
* "Improvisations" - Stéphane Grappelli
* "In the Land of Hi Fi" - Patti Page
* "Informal Jazz" - Elmo Hope
* "Kay Starr Country" - Kay Starr
* "The Lark in the Morning" - Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem
* "Latin Kick" - Cal Tjader
* "Lennie Tristano" - Lennie Tristano
* "Let There Be Love" - Joni James
* "Listen To The Hi-Lo's" - The Hi-Lo's
* "Lonely Girl" - Julie London
* "Love Songs Sung" - Dinah Shore
* "Love's Old Sweet Song" - The Ames Brothers
* "Lullaby Time" - Bing Crosby
* "Manhattan Tower" - Gordon Jenkins
* "Manhattan Tower" - Patti Page
* "Mating Call" - Tadd Dameron
* "Max Roach Plus Four" - Max Roach
* "Miles Davis with Horns" - Miles Davis
* "Music and Memories" - Georgia Gibbs
* "My Fair Lady" - Shelly Manne & His Friends
* "New Jazz Conceptions" - Bill Evans
* "Nursery Days" - Woody Guthrie
* "Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues" - Odetta
* "On Hand" - The Hi-Lo's
* "On the Sunny Side of the Street" - The Four Lads
* "Page Three - Easy Listening" - Patti Page
* "Pat Boone" - Pat Boone
* "Pick Yourself Up with Anita O'Day" - Anita O'Day
* "Pithecanthropus Erectus" - Charles Mingus
* "Playboys" - Chet Baker and Art Pepper
* "Rock 'n' Roll Stage Show" - Bill Haley & His Comets
* "Rock, Rock, Rock" - Various Artists
* "'Round about Midnight" - Miles Davis
* "Saxophone Colossus" - Sonny Rollins
* "Shillelaghs and Shamrocks" - Bing Crosby
* "Singin' And Swingin' " - The Mills Brothers
* "Ski Trails" - Jo Stafford
* "Son nom est Dalida" - Dalida
* "Song Favorites" - Georgia Gibbs
* "Songs by Kay Starr" - Kay Starr
* "Songs for Swingin' Lovers" - Frank Sinatra
* "Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around" - Bing Crosby
* "Songs of Faith" - Aretha Franklin
* "Songs to Grow on for Mother and Child" - Woody Guthrie
* "Squeeze Play" - John Serry, Sr.
* "Swingin' with Her Nibs" - Georgia Gibbs
* "Swingin' with Kay Starr " - Kay Starr
* "Tenor Conclave" - Prestige All Stars
* "Tenor Madness" - Sonny Rollins
* "This Is Anita" - Anita O'Day
* "This Is Sinatra!" - Frank Sinatra
* "Toshiko - Her Trio, Her Quartet" - Toshiko Akiyoshi
* "The Toshiko Trio" - Toshiko Akiyoshi
* "Two For Tonight" - Bing Crosby
* "Under Glass" - The Hi-Lo's
* "The Unique Thelonious Monk" - Thelonious Monk
* "Venezuelan Fiesta" - Aldemaro Romero
* "Whims of Chambers" - Paul Chambers
* "Work Time" - Sonny Rollins
* "You Go to My Head" - Patti Page

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest [http://tsort.info/music/yr1956.htm chart positions] in the charts of 1956.

US No. 1 hit singles

These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1956.

Top hits on record

*"(Heigh, Ho) Addison Road" - The Eisenhowers
*"Ain't Got No Home" - Clarence Frogman Henry
*"All the Way" - Frank Sinatra
*"I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash
*"Allegheny Moon" - Patti Page
*"And This Is My Beloved" - Mario Lanza
*"Any Way You Want Me" - Elvis Presley
*"Bambino" - Dalida
*"Be-Bop-A-Lula" - Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps
*"Blue Suede Shoes" - Carl Perkins
*"Blueberry Hill" - Fats Domino
*"Can I Steal a Little Love" - Frank Sinatra
*"Che bambola" - Fred Buscaglione(Italy)
*"Don't Be Cruel" - Elvis Presley
*"Don't Forbid Me" - Pat Boone
*"Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)" - Pat Boone
*"Glad Rag Doll" - Kay Starr
*"Gonna Get Along Without You Now" - Patience & Prudence
*"The Great Pretender" - The Platters
*"The Green Door" - Jim Lowe
*"Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe" - Georgia Gibbs
*"Happiness Street" recorded by
** Georgia Gibbs
** Tony Bennett
*"Heartbreak Hotel" - Elvis Presley
*"Hell Hath No Fury" - Frankie Laine
*"Hey! Jealous Lover" - Frank Sinatra
*"Hound Dog" - Elvis Presley
*"(How Little It Matters) How Little We Know" - Frank Sinatra
*"I Almost Lost My Mind" - Pat Boone
*"I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" - Georgia Gibbs
*"I Remember You" - Doris Day
*"I Want to Be Loved" - Johnnie Ray
*"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" - Elvis Presley
*"I Was the One" - Elvis Presley
*"I'll Be Home" - Pat Boone
*"Innamorata" - Dean Martin
*"It's Almost Tomorrow" - The Dream Weavers
*"I've Got You Under My Skin" - Frank Sinatra
*"Ivory Tower" - Cathy Carr
*"Just Walkin' in the Rain" - Johnnie Ray
*"Lonesome Road" - Georgia Gibbs
*"Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard
*"Lotus Blossom" - Johnnie Ray
*"Love Is a Golden Ring" - Frankie Laine & The Easy Riders
*"Love Me Tender" - Elvis Presley
*"(You've Got) The Magic Touch" - The Platters
*"Mama from the Train" - Patti Page
*"The Man That Got Away" - Georgia Gibbs
*"Memories Are Made Of This" - Dean Martin
*"My Blue Heaven" - Fats Domino
*"My Prayer" - The Platters
*"No, Not Much" - The Four Lads
*"On the Road to Mandalay" - Frankie Laine
*"On the Street Where You Live" - Vic Damone
*"Picnic" - The McGuire Sisters
*"Rock Right" - Georgia Gibbs
*"Roll Over Beethoven" - Chuck Berry
*"See You Later Alligator" - Bill Haley and His Comets
*"Shake a Hand" - Johnnie Ray
*"Singing the Blues" - Guy Mitchell
*"Standing on the Corner" - The Four Lads
*"Suddenly There's a Valley" - Gogi Grant
*"Sweet Old Fashioned Girl" - Teresa Brewer
*"A Tear Fell" - Teresa Brewer
*"Tonight You Belong to Me" - Patience and Prudence
*"Tra La La" - Georgia Gibbs
*"Tutti-Frutti" - Little Richard
*"Walk Hand in Hand" - Tony Martin
*"The Wayward Wind" - Gogi Grant
*"Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" - Doris Day
*"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" - The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon
*"Without Him" - Frankie Laine
*"You Don't Know Me" - Jerry Vale

Top R&B and Country hits on record

*"Blue Suede Shoes" - Carl Perkins
*"In the Still of the Night" - Five Satins
*"I've Loved And Lost Again" - Patsy Cline
*"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" - Brenda Lee
*"My Pink Cadillac" - Hal Willis
*"Ooby Dooby" - Roy Orbison
*"I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash

Published popular music

* "11th Hour Melody" w. Carl Sigman m. King Palmer
* "Abbondanza" w.m. Frank Loesser
* "After The Lights Go Down Low" w.m. Alan White & Leroy Lovett
* "Ain't Got No Home" w.m. Clarence Henry
* "Allegheny Moon" w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
* "Anastasia" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Alfred Newman
* "Anyway You Want Me (That's How I Will Be)" w.m. Aaron Schroeder & Cliff Owens
* "Around the World" w. Harold Adamson m. Victor Young
* "The Banana Boat Song" trad arr. Alan Arkin, Bob Carey & Erik Darling
* "Be-Bop-A-Lula" w.m. Tex Davis & Gene Vincent
* "Bells Are Ringing" w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Jule Styne
* "The Best of All Possible Worlds" w. Richard Wilbur m. Leonard Bernstein
* "Big D" w.m. Frank Loesser
* "The Birds And The Bees" Mack David, Harry Warren
* "Bloodnock's Rock And Roll Call" T. Carbone
* "Bluebottle Blues" Spike Milligan, Carbone
* "Bo Weevil" w.m. Dave Bartholomew & Antoine "Fats" Domino
* "Boppin' The Blues" w.m. Carl Perkins & Howard Griffin
* "Born To Be With You" w.m. Don Robertson
* "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" Chuck Berry
* "The Bus Stop Song" (aka "A Paper Of Pins") w.m. Ken Darby
* "Can I Steal A Little Love" w.m. Phil Tuminello
* "Canadian Sunset" w. Norman Gimbel m. Eddie Heywood
* "Chain Gang" w.m. Sol Quasha & Herb Yakus
* "Cindy, Oh Cindy" w.m. Bob Barron & Burt Long
* "Don't Be Cruel" w.m. Otis Blackwell & Elvis Presley
* "Don't Forbid Me" w.m. Charles Singleton
* "Eddie My Love" A. Collins, M. Davis, S. Ling
* "Fever" w.m. Eddie Cooley & John Davenport
* "Flying Saucer" w. Bill Buchanan & Dickie Goodman
* "Fools Fall In Love" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
* "Friendly Persuasion" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Dimitri Tiomkin
* "The Garden of Eden" w.m. Dennise Haas Norwood
* "Get Me to the Church on Time" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Stanley Holloway in the musical "My Fair Lady" and also performed by Holloway in the 1964 film.
* "Glendora" w.m. Ray Stanley
* "Glitter and Be Gay" w. Richard Wilbut m. Leonard Bernstein
* "The Gnu" Michael Flanders & Donald Swann
* "Good Golly, Miss Molly" w.m. John Marascalco & Robert Blackwell
* "Goodnight My Love" G. Motola, J. Marascalco
* "The Green Door" w. Marvin Moore m. Bob Davie
* "Happy To Make Your Acquaintance" w.m. Frank Loesser
* "The Happy Whistler" m. Don Robertson
* "Heartbreak Hotel" w.m. Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden & Elvis Presley
* "Hey! Jealous Lover" w.m. Sammy Cahn, Kay Twomey & Bee Walker
* "High Society Calypso" w.m. Cole Porter
* "The Hippopotamus" Michael Flanders & Donald Swann
* "Honky Tonk" w. Henry Glover m. Bill Doggett, Billy Butler, Shep Shephard & Clifford Scott
* "Hot Diggity" w. m.(adapt) Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
* "A House With Love In It" w. Sylvia Dee m. Sid Lippman
* "(How Little It Matters) How Little We Know(1)" w. Carolyn Leigh m. Philip Springer
* "I Could Have Danced All Night" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Julie Andrews in the musical "My Fair Lady". Performed in the 1964 film by Marni Nixon dubbing for Audrey Hepburn.
* "I Dreamed" w. Marvin Moore m. Charles Grean
* "I Love You, Samantha" w.m. Cole Porter Introduced by Bing Crosby in the film "High Society".
* "I Walk the Line" w.m. Johnny Cash
* "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" w. George Mysels m. Ira Kosloff
* "I Was The One" w.m. Claude Demetrius, Bill Peppers, Hal Blair, Aaron Schroeder
* "If I Had My Druthers" w. Johnny Mercer m. Gene De Paul
* "I'm An Ordinary Man" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe Introduced by Rex Harrison in the musical "My Fair Lady"
* "I'm Walkin"' w.m. Antoine "Fats" Domino & Dave Bartholomew
* "I'm Walking Backwards For Christmas" Spike Milligan, T. Carbone
* "In The Still Of The Nite" w.m. Fred Parris
* "It Only Hurts For A Little While" w. Mack David m. Fred Spielman
* "It's Not For Me To Say" w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
* "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Rex Harrison in the musical "My Fair Lady".
* "Ivory Tower" w.m. Jack Fulton & Lois Steele
* "Joey, Joey, Joey" w.m. Frank Loesser
* "Jubilation T. Cornpone" w. Johnny Mercer m. Gene De Paul. Introduced by Stubby Kaye in the musical "Li'l Abner".
* "Juke Box Baby" w. Noel Sherman m. Joe Sherman
* "Just In Time" w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin in the musical "Bells Are Ringing"
* "Knee Deep In The Blues" w.m. Melvin Endsley
* "Lay Down Your Arms" w.(Eng) Paddy Roberts (Swed) Ake Gerhard m. Ake Gerhard & Leon Land
* "Let The Good Times Roll" w.m. Leonard Lee
* "Long Before I Knew You" w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin in the musical "Bells Are Ringing"
* "Long Tall Sally" w.m. Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman & Robert A. Blackwell
* "Look Homeward Angel" w.m. Wally Gold
* "Love Me Tender" w. Elvis Presley & Vera Matson m. George R. Poulton
* "Love Me" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
* "Lucky Lips" w.m. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
* "The Magic Touch" w.m. Buck Ram
* "Mama From The Train" w.m. Irving Gordon
* "Mama, Teach Me To Dance" w.m. Al Hoffman & Dick Manning
* "Mangos" w.m. Sid Wayne & Dee Libbey
* "Maria" w. Stephen Sondheim m. Leonard Bernstein
* "Marianne" w.m. Terry Gilkyson, Frank Miller & Richard Dehr
* "Married I Can Always Get" w.m. Gordon Jenkins
* "Mary's Boy Child" w.m. Jester Hairston
*"Mind If I Make Love to You?" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film "High Society"
* "The Money Tree" w. Cliff Ferre m. Mark McIntyre
* "Moonlight Gambler" w. Bob Hilliard m. Philip Springer
* "More" w. Tom Glazer m. Alex Alstone
* "The Most Happy Fella" w.m. Frank Loesser
* "Mutual Admiration Society" w. Matt Dubey m. Harold Karr. Introduced by Ethel Merman and Virginia Gibson in the musical "Happy Hunting"
* "My Heart Is So Full Of You" w.m. Frank Loesser
* "My Lucky Charm" Sammy Cahn & Nicholas Brodszky
* "Namely You" w. Johnny Mercer m. Gene De Paul
* "Now You Has Jazz" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong in the film "High Society".
* "Oh What A Nite" w.m. Marvin Junior & John Funches
* "On The Street Where You Live" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Michael King in the musical "My Fair Lady".
* "Our Language Of Love" w.m. Monte Norman, David Heneker, Julian More, Alexander Breffort & Marguerite Monnot
* "Pardners" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen. Introduced by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in the film of the same name
* "The Party's Over" w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Jule Styne. Introduced by Judy Holliday in the musical "Bells Are Ringing".
* "The Portuguese Washerwomen" (Original title "Las Lavanderas De Portugal") m. André Popp & Roger Lucchesi
* "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" w.m. Jay Livingston & Ray Evans
* "The Rain in Spain" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Julie Andrews, Rex Harrison and Robert Coote in the musical "My Fair Lady".
* "Rock With The Caveman" Steele, Pratt, Lionel Bart, Frank Chacksfield
* "Roll Over Beethoven" - w.m. Chuck Berry
* "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" - w.m. John D. Loudermilk
* "Round and Round" - w.m. Lou Stallman & Joe Shapiro
* "Shape of Things" w.m. Sheldon Harnick
* "Show Me" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Julie Andrews in the musical "My Fair Lady"
* "Singing the Blues" w.m. Melvin Endsley
* "(A Little Boy Called) Smiley" Clyde Collins
* "Soft Summer Breeze" w. Judy Spencer m. Eddie Heywood
* "Somebody Up There Likes Me" w. Sammy Cahn m. Bronislau Kaper
* "Somebody Somewhere" w.m. Frank Loesser
* "Song For A Summer Night" w.m. Robert Allen
* "Standing on the Corner" w.m. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Shorty Long, Alan Gilbert, John Henson and Roy Lazarus in the musical "The Most Happy Fella".
* "Sweet Heartaches" w.m. Nat Simon & Jimmy Kennedy
* "A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl" w.m. Bob Merrill
* "A Tear Fell" w.m. Eugene Randolph & Dorian Burton
* "Teen Age Crush" w.m. Audrey Allison & Joe Allison
* "Theme from Picnic" w. Steve Allen m. George Duning
* "There's Never Been Anyone Else But You" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Dimitri Tiomkin
* "This Could Be The Start Of Something" w.m. Steve Allen
* "This Is What I Call Love" w. Matt Dubey m. Harold Karr
* "A Thousand Miles Away" J. Shephard, N. H. Miller
* "Too Close For Comfort" w. Larry Holofcener & George David Weiss m. Jerry Bock
* "Too Much" w.m. Lee Rosenberg & Bernard Weinman
* "A Town Like Alice" w.m. Letty Katts
* "Transfusion" w.m. Jimmy Drake
* "True Love" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the film "High Society".
* "Two Different Worlds" w. Sid Wayne m. Al Frisch
* "Walk Hand In Hand" w.m. Johnny Cowell
* "Warm All Over" w.m. Frank Loesser
* "The Wayward Wind" w.m. Stan Lebowsky & Herb Newman
* "When Sunny Gets Blue" w. Jack Segal m. Marvin Fisher
* "Who Needs You" w. Al Stillman m. Robert Allen
* "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Celeste Holm and Frank Sinatra in the film "High Society".
* "With A Little Bit Of Luck" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Stanley Holloway in the musical "My Fair Lady".
* "Without You" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Julie Andrews in the musical "My Fair Lady".
* "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe. Introduced by Julie Andrews in the musical "My Fair Lady". Performed in the 1964 film by Marni Nixon dubbing for Audrey Hepburn.
* "Wringle, Wrangle" w.m. Stan Jones. Introduced by Fess Parker in the film "Westward Ho, The Wagons!"
* "Written on the Wind" w.m. Sammy Cahn & Victor Young
* "Ying Tong Song" w.m. Spike Milligan
* "Young Love" w.m. Carole Joyner & Ric Cartey

Classical music

*Samuel Barber - "Summer Music" for wind quintet
*Reginald Smith Brindle - "El Polifemo de Oro"
*Mario Davidovsky - "Three Pieces for Woodwind Quartet", "Noneti for Nine Instruments"
*Cecil Armstrong Gibbs - "Threnody"
*Glenn Gould releases "The Goldberg Variations (Gould Album)" ("Goldberg Variations")
*Karl Amadeus Hartmann - "Symphony No. 1 Versuch eines Requiems"
*Lars-Erik Larsson - "Concertino for Violin"
*Gian-Francesco Malipiero - "Dialoghi VII" for two pianos and orchestra
*Peter Mennin - "Concerto for Cello and Orchestra", "Sonata Concertante, for Violin and Piano"
*Luigi Nono - "Il Canto Sospeso"
*Vincent Persichetti - "Symphony No. 6 for Band"
*Francis Poulenc - "Dernier poème"
*Ned Rorem - "Symphony No. 2"
*Miklós Rózsa - "Concerto for Violin"
*Edmund Rubbra - "Piano Concerto in G" Op. 85, "Improvisation for Violin and Orchestra" Op. 89
*Roger Sessions - "Piano Concerto"
*Dmitri Shostakovich - "String Quartet No. 6 in G major" Op. 101
*Sándor Szokolay - "Violin Concerto" Op. 13
*Mieczysław Weinberg - "Piano Sonata No. 5 in A minor" op. 58
*William Walton - "Cello Concerto"

Opera

*Lukas Foss - "Griffelkin" (opera in three acts, libretto by A. Reed after H. Foss, premiered on November 6, 1956, on NBC television)
*Douglas Moore - "The Ballad of Baby Doe"
*Robert Ward - "He Who Gets Slapped" (libretto by Bernard Stambler}

Musical theater

* "At The Drop Of A Hat" London revue Starring Michael Flanders and Donald Swann, opened at the New Lindsey Theatre on December 31 and transferred to the Fortune Theatre on January 24, 1957 for a total run of 808 performances
* "Bells Are Ringing" Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on November 29 and ran for 924 performances
* "Candide" (Leonard Bernstein) - Broadway production opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on December 1 and ran for 73 performances
* "Fanny" London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on November 15 and ran for 347 performances
* "Grab Me a Gondola" London production opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith on November 27 and ran for 673 performances
*"Happy Hunting" Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on December 6 and ran for 412 performances
* "Irma La Douce" Paris production opened at the Théâtre Gramont on November 12
* "Li'l Abner" (Gene De Paul and Johnny Mercer) - Broadway production opened at the St. James Theatre on November 15 and ran for 693 performances
* "The Most Happy Fella" Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on May 3 and ran for 676 performances
* "Mr Wonderful" Broadway production opened at the Broadway Theatre on March 22 and ran for 383 performances
* "My Fair Lady" (Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe) - Broadway production opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 15 and ran for 2717 performances
* "Plain and Fancy" London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on January 25 and ran for 217 performances

Musical films

* "Anything Goes" starring Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor
* "Carousel" starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones
* "The Court Jester" starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone and Angela Lansbury
* "The Girl Can't Help It" starring Jayne Mansfield and Tom Ewell, and featuring Julie London, Ray Anthony, Fats Domino and The Platters.
* "High Society" starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Celeste Holm
* "It's a Wonderful World" starring George Cole and featuring Ted Heath and Dennis Lotis
* "It's Great to Be Young" starring John Mills and Cecil Parker
* "The King and I" starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr
* "Pardners" starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and Lori Nelson
* "A Touch of the Sun" starring Frankie Howerd, Ruby Murray and Dennis Price
* "The Vagabond King" starring Kathryn Grayson

Births

*January 3 - Julie Miller, singer
*January 4 - Bernard Albrecht/Summer, Joy Division, New Order
*January 17 - Paul Young
*January 18 - Tom Bailey, The Thompson Twins
*January 25 - Andy Cox, The Beat, Fine Young Cannibals
*January 31 - Johnny Rotten, Sex Pistols
*February 3 - Lee Ranaldo, Sonic Youth
*February 13 - Peter Hook, Joy Division, New Order
*March 2 - John Cowsill, The Cowsills
*March 12 - Steve Harris, Iron Maiden
*May 4 - Bill T Miller, musician, producer, photographer
*May 9 - John Jay Ruskin, fiddle player
*May 25 - Sugar Minott, singer
*June 5 - Kenny G, saxophonist
*July 15 - Ian Curtis, Joy Division
*July 20 - Paul Cook, Sex Pistols
*August 8 - Chris Foreman, Madness
*August 26 - Sally Beamish, composer
*August 27 - Glen Matlock, Sex Pistols
*September 22 - Debby Boone
*October 2 - Freddie Jackson
*October 23 - Dwight Yoakam
*November 4 – Igor Talkov, Russian singer/songwriter (d. 1991)
*November 24 - Jouni Kaipainen, composer
*December 6 - Peter Buck, R.E.M.
*December 8 - Warren Cuccurullo of Missing Persons, Duran Duran
*December 23 - Dave Murray, Iron Maiden
*December 28 - Nigel Kennedy, violinist

Deaths

*January 3 - Alexander Gretchaninov, composer
*January 5 - Mistinguett
*January 27 - Erich Kleiber, conductor
*February 2 - Charles Grapewin, vaudeville performer
*February 18 - Gustave Charpentier, composer
*February 21 - Edwin Franko Goldman, band composer
*February 26 - Elsie Janis, singer, songwriter and actress
*March 11 - Sergey Nikiforovich Vasilenko, Russian composer
*June 11 - Frankie Trumbauer, US saxophonist, bandleader and sometime singer
*June 23 - Reinhold Glière, composer
*June 26:
**Clifford Brown, jazz trumpeter; car accident
**Richie Powell, jazz pianist; car accident
*July 18 - Violet Loraine, musical theatre star
*September 27 - Gerald Finzi, composer
*October 1 - Albert Von Tilzer, songwriter
*October 12 - Don Lorenzo Perosi, composer
*October 19 - Isham Jones, US bandleader and composer
*October 22 - Valda Valkyrien, ballerina
*November 5 - Art Tatum, jazz pianist
*November 10 - Victor Young, violinist, conductor and composer
*November 24 - Guido Cantelli, conductor
*November 26 - Tommy Dorsey, bandleader
*November 30
**Ludvík Kuba, artist and musician
**Jean Schwartz, songwriter
*December 7 - Henry Fillmore, composer and publisher
*"date unknown" - Rupert Hughes, composer
*"date unknown" - Little Jack Little, composer, actor, singer and songwriter

Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

*Eurovision Song Contest 1956