List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1969.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Summary

Perhaps the two most famous musical events of 1969 were concerts. At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a fan was stabbed to death by Hells Angels, a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event. In retrospect, some commentators have concluded that the violence signaled the end of the "hippie" movement, which espoused an ethos of free love and peace. Even more famous than the Altamont concert was the Woodstock festival, which consisted of dozens of the most famous performers in the world at the time, playing together in an atmosphere of peace with nature and love, with many thousands of concert goers; it is still one of the largest concerts in the history of the world. One of those who performed was Ravi Shankar, his presence reflecting a growing interest in Indian and other Eastern music; Shankar later said that the 1960s "got India wrong". "Black Woodstock", the Harlem Cultural Festival, took place in New York City. The Beatles' rooftop concert was the last time the band played together in public. The 1967 musical Hair generated the same-named 1968 album, whose cuts include "Aquarius" and "Let The Sunshine In", "Hair", "Good Morning Starshine", "Easy to Be Hard" (covered, chronologically and respectively, by The 5th Dimension at number 1, The Cowsills at number 2, Oliver at number 3, Three Dog Night at number 4, on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969), and others, and a London Cast album released in April 1969. The Isle of Wight Festival saw the return of Bob Dylan to live music after his motorbike accident in 1966. US and UK pop music remained popular worldwide, with few European acts making the charts outside their home countries; exceptions included Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg, Shocking Blue, Georges Moustaki and Christian Anders. David Bowie's "Space Oddity" became a huge hit in this year, being released at the time that American astronauts first landed on the Moon. The song, the story of an astronaut named Major Tom who goes into space and is entranced by the beauty of seeing Earth from such a great distance and consequently lets himself float off into space, never again to return, was chosen by the BBC as the theme song for the television coverage of the Moon landing. The remainder of the album, Man of Words/Man of Music, was too eccentric for mainstream acceptance, though it established a devoted fanbase for Bowie, who would go on to become one of the most popular musicians in the world. King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King is a pioneering album in the development of progressive rock. The album drew upon influences like Procol Harum, The Moody Blues and The Nice to form a sound melding rock and roll with classical influences in long pieces of music. Similar albums by The Moody Blues, Procol Harum and The Nice, as well as Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd were also released this year, expanding the range of prog rock and developing it into a full-fledged genre. The Stooges' eponymous debut, The Stooges, was also released this year to little critical or popular acceptance. The album, however, went on to become one of the most important recordings in the early development of punk rock, as did Kick Out The Jams by Detroit protopunkers MC5. Johnny Cash's At San Quentin included his only Top Ten pop hit, "A Boy Named Sue". The album was a sequel to last year's At Folsom Prison. Also in country music, Merle Haggard's Same Train, Different Time, a tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, was enormously popular and influenced the development of the Bakersfield sound into outlaw country within a few years. Creedence Clearwater Revival cement their success from the previous year. Having had a single US number 11 hit in 1968 with "Suzie Q", they release not only their second, but also their third and fourth proper studio album in 1969, as well as drawing a total of four top 3 hits from these three albums. Starting with Bayou Country, including the US number 2 hit "Proud Mary", and continuing with Green River and finally Willy and the Poor Boys, which, during the year, transformed them from an up-and-coming underground act to bona fide rock stars. During 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival had number 2 hits in the US with "Proud Mary", "Green River" and "Bad Moon Rising", and also have a number 3 hit with "Down on the Corner"/"Fortunate Son". Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso released enormously popular albums in Brazil, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, respectively. The pair's fusion of bossa nova, samba and other native Brazilian folk influences, melded with politically and socially aware lyrics, kickstarted what came to be known as Tropicalia. Both musicians moved to London after a period of imprisonment for anti-government activities in Brazil. Family released their second album, Family Entertainment, in their native Britain. It is their first top 10 album in the United Kingdom, hitting number six. "The Weaver's Answer", which opens the record, becomes their most popular song in their concert performances. By the end of the year, however, they lose and replace two members, and their first attempt to break through commercially in the United States backfires miserably. Elvis Presley returned to live performances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas; breaking all attendance records in his 57-concert run. He also enjoyed great success with his songs "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds". The Wendy Carlos album Switched-On Bach was one of the first classical albums to sell 500,000 copies, and helped bring classical music into the popular sphere, as did Mason Williams' "Classical Gas", played on classical guitar, in addition to being accompanied by one of the first successful music videos. The composition won three Grammy Awards: Best Instrumental Composition, Best Contemporary-Pop Performance, Instrumental, and Best Instrumental Arrangement. In the meantime, German trumpeter Manfred Schoof's free jazz album, European Echoes, a recording of his half-hour free improvisation broadcast on German radio in June 1969, featured international musicians and is regarded as a seminal album in the genre. Cher was going broke after the commercial failure of her last two albums. She then starred in the film "Chastity" which had a soundtrack album produced by Sonny Bono. She also released her 6th solo studio album, 3614 Jackson Highway, which was also a commercial failure, but it was where she first explored blues and soul music, being highly praised by critics for her musical and vocal evolution. Chutney music was also first recorded in 1969, in Trinidad and Tobago by Sundar Popo. 1969 was the last year in which the United States government gave greater financial support, through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) "Music Program" to opera than it did to other classical music, and the first year in which it gave any support at all to jazz and folk music. New York City Ballet celebrates their 25th anniversary with performances at the David H. Koch Theater Lincoln Center.

Major events

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Release date unknown

Billboard Top popular records of 1969

from Billboard December 27, 1969 TOP RECORDS OF 1969 (Based on Billboard Charts) The information compiled for the Top Records of 1969 was based on the weekly chart positioning and length of time records were on the respective charts from the Billboard issue dates of January 4, 1969, through December 13, 1969. These recaps, as well as the weekly charts, do not reflect actual sales figures. The ratings take into account the number of weeks the disk was on the chart, plus the weekly positions it held during its chart life. Each disk was given points accordingly for its respective chart. These recaps were compiled by the staff of the Billboard Popularity Charts Department, under the direction of Andy Tomko. NOTE: Since the singles charts listed the most popular single sides and not the single record (with both sides) for the first 47 weeks of the year, the recaps list single sides in order of strength. In the case of a two-sided hit single, both sides were listed in the recaps based on the individual strength on the weekly chart. The 1969 Billboard year-end list is composed of records that entered the Billboard Hot 100 during November–December 1968 (only when the majority of chart weeks were in 1969), January to November–December 1969 (majority of chart weeks in 1969). Records with majority of chart weeks in 1968 or 1970 are included in the year-end charts for those years, respectively, and multiple appearances are not permitted. Each week thirty points were awarded to the number one record, then nineteen points for number two, eighteen points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. The complete chart life of each record is represented. There are no ties, even when multiple records have the same number of points. The next ranking category is peak chart position, then weeks at peak chart position, weeks in top ten, weeks in top forty, and finally weeks on Hot 100 chart. The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header. Additional details for each record can be accessed by clicking on the song title, and referring to the Infobox in the right column of the song page. Billboard also has chart summaries on its website. Cashbox rankings were derived by same process as the Billboard rankings. Sales information was derived from the RIAA's Gold and Platinum database, the BRIT Certified database and The Book of Golden Discs, but numbers listed should be regarded as estimates. Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry information with sources can be found on Wikipedia.

Billboard Top Soul Singles 1969

Billboard Top Country Singles 1969

Top Rock Tracks 1969 (unofficial)

Other hit singles

• "Acqua azzurra, acqua chiara/Dieci ragazze" – Lucio Battisti #4 Italy • "Ajax, Olé Olé Olé" – Willy Alberti • "Albatross" – Fleetwood Mac • "Atlantis" – Donovan • "Baby, I Love You" – Andy Kim #1 Canada, #9 US • "Badge" – Cream • "Ballad of John and Yoko" – The Beatles • "Ball of Fire" – Tommy James and the Shondells #8 Canada • "Behind a Painted Smile" – The Isley Brothers • "Blackberry Way" – The Move • "Black Pearl" – Checkmates, Ltd.#5 NZ • "Boom Bang-a-Bang" – Lulu • "The Boxer" – Simon & Garfunkel • "Break Away" – The Beach Boys • "Bringing on Back the Good Times" – Love Affair • "But You Know I Love You" – The First Edition • "(Call Me) Number One" – The Tremeloes #2 UK • "Cloud Nine" – The Temptations • "Come Back and Shake Me" – Clodagh Rodgers • "Conversations" – Cilla Black • "Weine Nicht,Kleine Eva" – Die Flippers • "Do Your Thing" – Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band • "Don't Forget to Remember" – The Bee Gees • "Don't Give In to Him" – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap • "Early in the Morning" – Vanity Fare • "Easy to Be Hard" – Three Dog Night • "First of May" – The Bee Gees • "Frozen Orange Juice" – Peter Sarstedt • "Gentle on My Mind" – Dean Martin • "Get Together" – The Youngbloods • "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" – Crazy Elephant • "Give Peace a Chance" – Plastic Ono Band • "Going in Circles" – Friends of Distinction • "Good Morning Starshine" – Oliver • "Good Times (Better Times)" – Cliff Richard • "Goodbye" – Mary Hopkin • "Goodnight Midnight" – Clodagh Rodgers • "Grazing In The Grass" – Friends Of Distinction • "Happy Heart" – Andy Williams • "Hare Krishna Mantra" – Radha Krishna Temple • "Hawaii Five-O" – The Ventures • "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" – The Hollies • "Hello Susie" – Amen Corner #4 UK • "Hooked On A Feeling" – B. J. Thomas • "I Can Hear Music" – The Beach Boys • "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" – Amen Corner #1 UK • "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" – Bobbie Gentry • "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" – Lou Christie • "I'm Livin' in Shame" – Diana Ross & the Supremes #3 Netherlands • "Indian Giver" – 1910 Fruitgum Company #5 US • "In the Ghetto" – Elvis Presley • "Israelites" – Desmond Dekker and the Aces • "I Started a Joke" – The Bee Gees #1 Brazil, Denmark, NZ • "It Miek" – Desmond Dekker and the Aces • "It's Getting Better" – "Mama" Cass Elliot • "Je t'aime... moi non plus" – Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg • "Jingle Jangle" – The Archies #1 Canada • "Laughing" – The Guess Who #1 Canada • "Lay Lady Lay" – Bob Dylan • "The Liquidator" – Harry J All Stars #9 UK • "L'homme a l'harmonica" – Ennio Morricone • "Ljuva sextital" – Brita Borg #2 Sweden • "Love (Can Make You Happy)" – Mercy #2 US • "Love Me Tonight" – Tom Jones #9 UK • "Make Me An Island" – Joe Dolan #2, BEL, IRE, SA, UK • "Man of the World" – Fleetwood Mac • "Melting Pot" – Blue Mink • "Mon bel amour d'été" – Mireille Mathieu • "More Today Than Yesterday" – Spiral Starecase #6 Canada • "My Cherie Amour" – Stevie Wonder • "My Sentimental Friend" – Herman's Hermits • "My Way" – Frank Sinatra • "Natural Born Bugie" – Humble Pie • "Nobody's Child" – Karen Young #6 UK • "Oh Happy Day" – Edwin Hawkins Singers • "Oh Well" – Fleetwood Mac • "The Onion Song" – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell • "Pastorale" – Ramses Shaffy & Liesbeth List • "Pinball Wizard" – The Who • "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" – B. J. Thomas • "Reuben James" – Kenny Rogers and The First Edition • "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" – Kenny Rogers and The First Edition • "Run Away Child, Running Wild" – The Temptations • "Saved By The Bell" – Robin Gibb • "Something in the Air" – Thunderclap Newman #1 UK • "Something's Happening" – Herman's Hermits • "Son Of A Preacher Man"- Dusty Springfield • "Sorry Suzanne" – The Hollies • "Soul Deep" – The Box Tops • "Soulful Strut" – Young-Holt Unlimited #1 Canada • "Space Oddity" – David Bowie • "Surround Yourself with Sorrow" – Cilla Black • "Sweet Cherry Wine" – Tommy James and the Shondells • "That's The Way God Planned It" – Billy Preston • "These Eyes" – The Guess Who • "This Girl Is a Woman Now" – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap #3 Canada • "This Girl's In Love With You" – Dionne Warwick • "Time Is Tight" – Booker T. & the M.G.'s • "Time of the Season" – The Zombies #1 Canada • "To Love Somebody" – Nina Simone • "Traces" – Classics IV #2 US • "Tracy" – Cuff Links • "Two Little Boys" – Rolf Harris #1 UK • "Viva Bobby Joe" – The Equals • "The Wedding Cake" - Connie Francis • "When I Die" – Motherlode #1 Canada • "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?" – Peter Sarstedt • "Who Do You Love?" – Juicy Lucy • "Why?" – The Cats #1 NL • "Worst That Could Happen" – The Brooklyn Bridge #1 Canada • "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" – Stevie Wonder • "You Showed Me" – The Turtles #5 NL

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Leeds International Piano Competition