1971 in music - Definition and Overview

See also: 1970 in music, other events of 1971, 1972 in music, 1970s in music and the list of 'years in music'

Events

• February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music. The film includes footage from Dylan's 1966 UK tour
• February 16 - Alan David Pasaro, the Hell's Angel who was tried and acquitted for the stabbing death of Meredith Hunter at the Altamont Speedway in 1969, files a lawsuit againt the Rolling Stones for invasion of privacy because the documentary, Gimme Shelter showed the stabbing
• Lancelot Layne's "Blown Away" is the beginning of rapso music
• March 13 - The Allman Brothers Band records its live album, Live at the Fillmore East.
• March 16 - The 13th Grammy Awards, honoring musical accomplishments of 1970 are presented.
• The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour premeires on television
• Elton John's musical career begins
• ABBA's musical career begins
• The New York Dolls' musical career begins
• Donna Summer's musical career begins
• Stevie Ray Vaughan's musical career begins
• Roxy Music's musicial career begins
• Jesus Christ Superstar is performed for the first time
• Michael Jackson's solo career begins
• Rick Springfield leaves Zoot for a solo career
• The Crystals reunite
• Beach Boys musician Daryl Dragon and singer Toni Tennille meet and begin to perform together as Captain & Tennille

Albums released

• Trafalgar - The Bee Gees
• Hunky Dory - David Bowie
• Budgie - Budgie
• Chicago III - Chicago
• At Fillmore East - The Allman Brothers Band
• Fireball - Deep Purple
• L.A. Woman - The Doors
• Tarkus - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
• Quite Fire - Roberta Flack
• Maggot Brain - Funkadelic
• What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
• All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
• Shaft - Isaac Hayes
• Aqualung - Jethro Tull
• The Inner Mounting Flame - Mahavishnu Orchestra
• 11-17-70 - Elton John
• Madman Across the Water - Elton John
• Tumbleweed Connection - Elton John
• A Nod is as Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse - The Faces
• Pearl - Janis Joplin
• Live in Cook County Jail - B.B. King
• Tapestry - Carole King
• untitled fourth album - Led Zeppelin
• Ram - Paul McCartney
• Wild Life - Paul McCartney & Wings
• American Pie - Don McLean
• Blue - Joni Mitchell
• If Not for You - Olivia Newton-John
• Nilsson Schmilsson - Harry Nilsson
• Meddle - Pink Floyd
• John Prine - John Prine
• There's a Riot Going On - Sly & the Family Stone
• Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones
• Santana III - Santana
• Anticipation - Carly Simon
• Carly Simon - Carly Simon
• Tapestry - Carly Simon
• Tea for the Tillerman - Cat Stevens
• Every Picture Tells a Story - Rod Stewart
• Electric Warrior - T. Rex
• Golden Biscuits - Three Dog Night
• Harmony - Three Dog Night
• Who's Next - The Who
• Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison
• Jesus Christ Superstar - Various Artists
• Up to Date - The Partridge Family
• BonnieRaitt - Bonnie Raitt

Top hits

• "Baby Jump" - Mungo Jerry
• "Double Barrel" - Dave & Ansil Collins
• "Hot Love" - T. Rex
• "Imagine" - John Lennon
• "It's Too Late" - Carole King
• "Never Can Say Goodbye" - The Jackson Five
• "Proud Mary" - Ike & Tina Turner
• "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye
• "Peace Train" - Cat Stevens
• "Maggie Mae" - Rod Stewart
• "Grandad" - Clive Dunn
• "Knock Three Times" - Tony Orlando and Dawn
• "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" - Middle of the Road
• "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" - Paul & Linda McCartney
• "Get It On" - T. Rex
• "Joy to the World" - Three Dog Night
• "I'm Still Waiting" - Diana Ross
• "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me" - The Tams
• "One Bad Apple" - The Osmonds
• "Got to Be There" - Michael Jackson
• "Another Day" - Paul & Linda McCartney
• "Family Affair" - Sly & the Family Stone
• "Go Away Little Girl" - Donny Osmond
• "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" - The Bee Gees
• "One Less Bell to Answer" - Fifth Dimension
• "Coz I Love You" - Slade
• "Black Magic Woman" - Santana
• "Brown Sugar" - The Rolling Stones
• "One Bad Apple" - The Osmonds
• "Indian Reservation" - The Raiders
• "Draggin' the Line" - Tommy James
• "My Sweet Lord" - George Harrison
• "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves" - Cher
• "Treat Her Like a Lady" - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
• "Ernie" - Bennie Hill
• "It Don't Come Easy" - Ringo Starr
  • First hit by Ringo Starr, the last member of the Beatles to have a solo hit
• "Black Dog" - Led Zeppelin
• "I Woke Up in Love This Morning" - The Partridge Family
• "If You Really Love Me" - Stevie Wonder
• "Temptation Eyes" - The Grass Roots
• "Sooner or Later" - The Grass Roots

Published popular music

• "The Age of Not Believing"     w.m. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, from the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks
• "American Pie"     w.m. Don McLean
• "And I Love You So"     w.m. Don McLean
• "Baby I'm A-Want You" w.m. David Gates
• "Been On A Train" w.m. Laura Nyro
• "Ben"     w. Don Black m. Walter Scharf
• "Brown Earth" w.m. Laura Nyro
• "The Candy Man"     w.m. Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley, from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
• "Day By Day"     w. John Michael Tebelak m. Stephen Schwartz
• "Eagle Rock"     w.m. Ross Wilson
• "I Am Woman"     w. Helen Reddy m. Ray Burton
• "I Don't Know How To Love Him" w. Tim Rice m. Andrew Lloyd Webber
• "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing"     w.m. B. Backer, B. Davis, R. Cook & R. Greenaway
• "I'm Still Here"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Kiss An Angel Good Morning"     w.m. Ben Peters
• "Knock Three Times"     w.m. Irwin Levine
• "Losing My Mind"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• Pure Imagination     w.m. Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley, from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
• "Riders On The Storm"     w.m. The Doors
• "Stairway to Heaven"     w. Robert Plant m. Jimmy Page
• Substitutiary Locomotion     w.m. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, from the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks
• "The Summer Knows"      w. Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman m. Michel Legrand from the film Summer Of Forty-Two
• "Too Many Mornings"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim

Classical music

• Gavin Bryars - Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
• Elliott Carter - String Quartet No. 3
• Mario Davidovsky - Chacona for violin, cello, and piano
• Morton Feldman - Rothko Chapel
• Mauricio Kagel - Staatstheater
• Ladislav Kupkovic - Klanginvasion auf Bonn
• Luigi Nono - Ein Gespenst geht um in der Welt
• Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 15 A major, Op. 141
• Karlheinz Stockhausen - Mixtur

Opera

• Alberto Ginastera - Beatrix Cenci

Musical theater

• Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death     Broadway production
• Follies (Stephen Sondheim) - Broadway production
• Godspell (Stephen Schwartz) - Broadway and London productions
• Golden Bat     Broadway production
• Jesus Christ Superstar (Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice) - Broadway production
• Meeow!     Broadway production
• No, No, Nanette (Irving Caesar, Otto Harbach, Vincent Youmans) - Broadway revival
• On The Town     Broadway revival
• Show Boat (Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) - London revival
• To Live Another Summer     Broadway production
• Two Gentlemen Of Verona     Broadway production

Musical films

• Bedknobs And Broomsticks
• Fiddler On The Roof
• Journey Back to Oz     animated feature
• Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory

Births

• January 8 - Karen Poole,Alisha's Attic
• January 11 - Mary J. Blige
• January 11 - Tom Rowlands, Chemical Brothers
• January 17 - Kid Rock
• January 18 - Jonathan Davis, Korn
• January 25 - China Kantner (Daughter of Grace Slick and Paul Kantner)
• February 1 - Ron Welty of The Offspring
• February 2 - Michelle Gayle, singer
• February 2 - Ben Mize, Counting Crows
• February 23 - Jeff Beres, Sister Hazel
• February 26 - Erykah Badu
• March 4 - Feargal Lawler, The Cranberries
• March 5 - John Frusciante, Red Hot Chili Peppers
• April 17 - Selena Quintanilla
• April 20 - Mikey Welsh, Weezer
• May 4 - Mike Dirnt, Green Day
• May 30 - Patrick Dahlheimer, Live
• June 9 - Paul McGuigan, Oasis
• June 18 - Nathan Morris, Boyz II Men
• June 21 - Betty Boo
• July 17 - DJ Minutemix, P.M. Dawn
• July 17 - Ed Kowalczyk, Live
• July 23 - Alison Krauss
• September 6 - Dolores O'Riordan, The Cranberries
• September 24 - Marty Cintron, No Mercy
• October 2 - Tiffany
• October 10 - Evgeny Kissin, pianist
• December 24 - Ricky Martin
• December 25 - Noel Hogan, The Cranberries
• John Dolmayan, System of a Down
• Derrick Plourde, The Ataris
• June 16- Tupac Shakur,Rapper

Deaths

• March 21 - Nan Wynn, US singer
• April 17 - Carmen Lombardo, US singer, composer and saxophonist
• May 2 - Edith Day, US actress, singer and dancer
• May 30 - Marcel Dupré, organist and composer
• June 11 - Bert Ambrose, English bandleader and violinist
• June 18 - Libby Holman, US singer and actress
• July 6 - Louis Armstrong
• July 3 - Jim Morrison
• August 25 - Ted Lewis
• October 24 - Carl Ruggles, composer
• October 29 - Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1971

Country Music Association Awards

• CMA Entertainer of the Year: Charley Pride
• CMA Top Male Vocalist: Charley Pride
• CMA Top Female Vocalist: Lynn Anderson
• CMA Top Vocal Group: Osborne Brothers
• CMA Top Instrumental Group: Danny Davis & the Nashville Brass
• CMA Top Vocal Duo: Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
• CMA Single of the Year: "Help Me Make It Through The Night" - Sammi Smith
• CMA Song of the Year: "Easy Loving" - Freddie Hart
• CMA Album of the Year: I Won't Mention It Again - Ray Price
• CMA Musician of the Year: Jerry Reed

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1971
  • Severine (of Monaco) for "Un Banc, Un Arbre, Un Rue"