This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1934.
Specific locations 1934 in British music 1934 in Norwegian music
Specific genres 1934 in country music 1934 in jazz
Events February 23 – In England: Sir Edward Elgar dies aged 76 in Worcester, leaving unfinished his Symphony No. 3, commissioned by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, who will premiere its realised version in 1998. Benjamin Britten's unaccompanied choral variations A Boy Was Born, Op. 3 (written in 1932/3 when the composer was a 19-year-old music student) are premiered in a BBC radio concert of contemporary music with Leslie Woodgate conducting the Wireless Chorus and choirboys of St Mark's, North Audley Street, London. March 13 – The French Orchestre national plays its first concert, in Paris. May 28 – The Glyndebourne festival of opera is inaugurated in England. June – Baritone Sir Henry Lytton retires from the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. September–October – Folk song collector John Lomax makes the first recordings of "Rock Island Line" at prison farms in Arkansas. November 7 – Sergei Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (written July 3–August 18 at the Villa Senar in Switzerland) is premiered with the composer at the piano at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland, with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski. On December 24, the same ensemble make the first recording, at RCA Victor's Trinity Church Studio in Camden, New Jersey. November 15 – Wilhelm Furtwängler writes a letter in the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, "Der Fall Hindemith" ("The Hindemith Case"), in support of the composer Paul Hindemith, labelled a degenerate artist by the Nazis, but whose Mathis der Maler Furtwängler premiered earlier in the year. He resigns from his official positions, including that of vice-president of the Reichsmusikkammer. December 2 – First public performance by the Quintette du Hot Club de France at the École Normale de Musique in Paris, playing continental jazz, led by guitarist Django Reinhardt with violinist Stéphane Grappelli. December 21 – The orchestral suite Lieutenant Kijé, one of Sergei Prokofiev's best-known works, is premiered in Paris. A former London roller skating rink reopens as the BBC's Maida Vale Studios and it becomes the home of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Published popular music
"All I Do Is Dream Of You" w. Arthur Freed m. Nacio Herb Brown. Introduced by Gene Raymond in the film Sadie McKee "All Through The Night" w.m. Cole Porter "Annie's Cousin Fannie" w.m. Glenn Miller "Anything Goes" w.m. Cole Porter "As Long as I Live" w. Ted Koehler m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Lena Horne and Avon Long in the revue Cotton Club Parade "Autumn In New York" w.m. Vernon Duke "Baby, Take A Bow" w. Lew Brown m. Jay Gorney "Be Like The Bluebird" w.m. Cole Porter "Beer Barrel Polka" w. (Czech) Vasek Zeman (Eng) Lew Brown m. Jaromir Vejvoda "Big John's Special" m. Horace Henderson "Blame It On My Youth" w. Edward Heyman m. Oscar Levant "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" w.m. Cole Porter "Blue Moon" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers "The Bluebird Of Happiness" w. Edward Heyman & Harry Parr-Davies m. Sandor Hamati "Boll Weevil" w. Lead Belly "Cocktails for Two" w.m. Arthur Johnston & Sam Coslow "College Rhythm" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel "The Continental" w. Herb Magidson m. Con Conrad. Introduced by Ginger Rogers in the film The Gay Divorcee "Dames" w. Al Dubin m. Harry Warren "Don't Let It Bother You" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel from the film The Gay Divorcee "Easy Come, Easy Go" w. Edward Heyman m. Johnny Green "Everything Stops for Tea" w.m. Maurice Sigler, Al Goodhart & Al Hoffman "Faint Harmony" w. Desmond Carter m. Vivian Ellis from the musical Jill Darling "Fair And Warmer" w. Al Dubin m. Harry Warren "Fare Thee Well, Annabelle" w. Mort Dixon m. Allie Wrubel "For All We Know" w. Sam M. Lewis m. J. Fred Coots "Fun To Be Fooled" w. Ira Gershwin & E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen "Give Me A Heart To Sing To" w. Ned Washington m. Victor Young "The Gypsy In My Soul" w. Moe Jaffe m. Clay Boland "Here Come The British" w. Johnny Mercer m. Bernard Hanighen "Hold My Hand" w. Jack Yellen & Irving Caesar m. Ray Henderson "The House Is Haunted" w. Billy Rose m. Basil G. Adlam. Introduced by Jane Froman in the revue Ziegfeld Follies of 1934 "I Get a Kick out of You" w.m. Cole Porter "I Never Had A Chance" w.m. Irving Berlin "I Only Have Eyes For You" w. Al Dubin m. Harry Warren "I Think I Can" Douglas Furber, Ray Noble "I Wish I Were Twins" w. Frank Loesser & Eddie DeLange m. Joseph Meyer "If" w. Robert Hargreaves & Stanley Damerell m. Tolchard Evans "If I Had A Million Dollars" w. Johnny Mercer m. Matty Malneck. Introduced by The Boswell Sisters in the film Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round. "If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz. Introduced by Georges Metaxa in the musical Revenge with Music "I'll Follow My Secret Heart" w.m. Noël Coward, Introduced by Noël Coward and Yvonne Printemps in the musical Conversation Piece "I'll String Along With You" w. Al Dubin m. Harry Warren "Ill Wind" w. Ted Koehler m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Aida Ward in the revue Cotton Club Parade "I'm On A Seesaw" w. Desmond Carter m. Vivian Ellis from the musical Jill Darling "Isle of Capri" w. Jimmy Kennedy m. Will Grosz "It's All Forgotten Now" w.m. Ray Noble "Judy" w.m. Hoagy Carmichael & Sammy Lerner "June In January" w. Leo Robin m. Ralph Rainger Movie: "Here Is My Heart" "Junk Man" w. Frank Loesser m. Joseph Meyer "Lady Fair" w.m. Cole Porter "Let's Take a Walk Around the Block" w. Ira Gershwin & E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Dixie Dunbar and Earl Oxford in the revue Life Begins at 8:40. "Little Man, You've Had a Busy Day" w. Maurice Sigler & Al Hoffman m. Mabel Wayne "Lost In A Fog" w. Dorothy Fields m. Jimmy McHugh "Love In Bloom" w. Leo Robin m. Ralph Rainger "Love Is Just Around The Corner" w. Leo Robin m. Lewis E. Gensler "Love Thy Neighbour" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel "Midnight, the Stars and You" Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, Harry Woods "Miss Otis Regrets" w.m. Cole Porter "Moon Country" w. Johnny Mercer m. Hoagy Carmichael "The Moon Was Yellow" w. Edgar Leslie m. Fred E. Ahlert "Moonglow" w. Eddie DeLange m. Will Hudson & Irving Mills "Moonlight Is Silver" Clemence Dane, Richard Addinsell "A New Moon Is Over My Shoulder" w. Arthur Freed m. Nacio Herb Brown "Nobody Loves A Fairy When She's Forty" w.m. Arthur Le Clerq "The Object Of My Affection" w.m. Pinky Tomlin, Coy Poe & Jimmie Grier "Okay Toots" w. Gus Kahn m. Walter Donaldson "On The Good Ship Lollipop" w.m. Sidney Clare & Richard A. Whiting "One Night Of Love" w. Gus Kahn m. Victor Schertzinger "Over My Shoulder" w.m. Harry Woods "Over Somebody Else's Shoulder" w.m. Al Sherman & Al Lewis "P.S. I Love You" w. Johnny Mercer m. Gordon Jenkins "Pardon My Southern Accent" w. Johnny Mercer m. Matty Malneck "Rhythm Is Our Business" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmie Lunceford "Ridin' Around in the Rain" w.m. Gene Austin & Carmen Lombardo "Riptide" w. Gus Kahn m. Walter Donaldson "Rock And Roll" w. Sidney Clare m. Richard A. Whiting "Rug Cutter's Swing" m. Horace Henderson "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" w.m. Haven Gillespie & J. Fred Coots "She Reminds Me Of You" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel. Introduced by Bing Crosby in the film We're Not Dressing "Sing As We Go" w.m. Harry Parr-Davies, Gracie Fields "(In My) Solitude" w. Eddie DeLange & Irving Mills m. Duke Ellington "Stars Fell on Alabama" w. Mitchell Parish m. Frank Perkins "Stay As Sweet As You Are" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel. Introduced by Lanny Ross in the film College Rhythm "Stompin' at the Savoy" w. Andy Razaf m. Benny Goodman, Chick Webb & Edgar Sampson "Straight from the Shoulder (Right from the Heart)" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel. Introduced by Bing Crosby and Kitty Carlisle in the film She Loves Me Not "The Sweetest Music This Side Of Heaven" w.m. Carmen Lombardo & Cliff Friend "Take a Number from One to Ten" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel. Introduced by Lyda Roberti in the film College Rhythm. "Thank You So Much, Mrs Lowsborough-Goodby" w.m. Cole Porter "There Goes My Heart" w. Benny Davis m. Abner Silver "Trust in Me" w. Ned Wever m. Milton Ager and Jean Schwartz. Recorded by Mildred Bailey in 1937. "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" w.m. Bob Nolan "Two Cigarettes In The Dark" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Lew Pollack "The Very Thought Of You" w.m. Ray Noble "Wagon Wheels" w. Billy Hill m. Peter De Rose "What A Diff'rence A Day Made" w. (Eng) Stanley Adams (Sp) Maria Grever m. Maria Grever "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" w.m. Harry Woods "When A Woman Loves A Man" w. Johnny Mercer m. Bernie Hanighen & Gordon Jenkins "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Sigmund Romberg "When My Ship Comes In" w. Gus Kahn m. Walter Donaldson "When You've Got A Little Springtime In Your Heart" w.m. Harry Woods. Introduced by Jessie Matthews in the film Evergreen "Winter Wonderland" w. Richard B. Smith m. Felix Bernard "With Every Breath I Take" w. Leo Robin m. Ralph Rainger "With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel. Introduced by Jack Oakie and Dorothy Dell in the film Shoot the Works. Performed by Dean Martin in the 1952 film The Stooge "Wonder Bar" w. Al Dubin m. Harry Warren "The World Owes Me a Living" w. Larry Morey m. Leigh Harline. Introduced by Pinto Colvig on the soundtrack of the animated short The Grasshopper and the Ants "Wrappin' It Up" m. Fletcher Henderson "You And The Night And The Music" w. Howard Dietz m. Arthur Schwartz "You Oughta Be in Pictures" w. Edward Heyman m. Dana Suesse "You're A Builder-Upper" w. Ira Gershwin & E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen "You're Not The Only Oyster In The Stew" w. Johnny Burke m. Harold Spina "You're the Top" w.m. Cole Porter "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" w.m. James F. Hanley. Introduced by Hal Le Roy and Eunice Healey in the Broadway revue Thumbs Up!
Top popular recordings
The Great Depression continued to wreak havoc on the American record industry in 1934. The Grigsby-Grunow Company, owner of Columbia Phonograph Company, failed, and Columbia was put up for sale. Columbia operations, catalogue and trademarks, as well as Okeh Records, were purchased by the American Record Corporation (ARC) for $70,000 in July 1934. Columbia's pressing and warehouse facilities, along with equipment and machines, were absorbed by ARC, but for the next four years, both labels were dormant. Decca Records, Ltd., London, UK, formed Decca Records, Inc. in the United States, and began operations in August 1934. Three former Brunswick managers, including Jack Kapp, were hired.
The top popular records of 1934 listed below were compiled from Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954, record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, and other sources as specified. Numerical rankings are approximate, there were no Billboard charts in 1934, the numbers are only used for a frame of reference.