1940 in music

See also:

Births

• January 8 - Anthony Gourdine, Little Anthony & the Imperials
• January 22 - Addie "Micki" Harris, The Shirelles
• January 31 - Sandy Yaguda, Jay & The Americans
• February 2 - Alan Caddy, The Tornados
• February 3 - Angelo D'Aleo, Dion and the Belmonts
• February 10 - Roberta Flack
• February 10 - Jimmy Merchant, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
• February 11 - Bobby 'Boris' Pickett
• February 19 - Smokey Robinson
• February 20 - Barbara Ellis, The Fleetwoods
• February 28 - Joe South
• February 28 - Marty Sanders, Jay & The Americans
• February 29 - Gretchen Christopher, The Fleetwoods
• March 9 - John Cale
• March 10 - Dean Torrence, Jan and Dean
• March 11 - Mike Hugg, Manfred Mann
• March 12 - Al Jarreau
• March 13 - Daniel Bennie, The Reflections
• March 14 - Loretta Lynn
• March 15 - Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead
• March 17 - Vito Picone, The Elegants
• March 30 - Astrud Gilberto
• April 12 - Herbie Hancock
• April 13 - Lester Chambers, The Chambers Brothers
• April 17 - Billy Fury
• April 24 - George Tomsco, The Fireballs
• April 26 - Giorgio Moroder
• May 8 - Rick Nelson
• May 15 - Lainie Kazan, US actress and singer
• May 17 - Taj Mahal
• May 19 - Mickey Newbury
• June 7 - Tom Jones
• June 8 - Nancy Sinatra
• June 8 - Sherman Garnes, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
• June 11 - Joey Dee
• June 13 - Bobby Freeman
• June 23 - Adam Faith
• June 23 - Diana Trask, Australian singer
• June 26 - Billy Davis Jr., The Fifth Dimension
• July 7 - Ringo Starr, drummer for The Beatles
• July 16 - Tony Jackson, The Searchers
• July 22 - George Clinton
• August 10 - Bobby Hatfield, The Righteous Brothers
• August 14 - Dash Crofts, Seals and Crofts
• August 19 - Johnny Nash
• August 19 - Jonathan Cook, David & Jonathan
• August 20 - John Lantree, The Honeycombs
• September 2 - Jimmy Clanton
• September 7 - Ronnie Dove
• September 9 - Joe Negroni, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
• September 11 - Bernie Dwyer, Freddie & The Dreamers
• September 17 - Lamonte McLemore, The Fifth Dimension
• September 18 - Frankie Avalon
• September 19 - Bill Medley, The Righteous Brothers
• October 8 - Fred Cash, The Impressions
• October 9 - John Lennon
• October 14 - Cliff Richard
• October 19 - Larry Chance, The Earls
• October 21 - Jimmy Beaumont, The Skyliners
• October 23 - Fred Marsden, Gerry & The Pacemakers
• October 26 - Keith Hopwood, Herman's Hermits
• November 4 - Delbert McClinton
• November 14 - Fred Garrity, Freddie & the Dreamers
• November 16 - John Ryanes, The Monotones
• November 21 - Dr. John
• November 28 - Bruce Channel
• November 29 - Chuck Mangione
• December 3 - Jim Freeman, The Five Satins
• December 4 - Freddy Cannon
• December 4 - John Cale, The Velvet Underground
• December 11 - David Gates, Bread
• December 12 - Dionne Warwick
• December 17 - Stephen Kovacevich, pianist
• December 19 - Phil Ochs
• December 21 - Frank Zappa
• December 21 - Ray Hildebrand, Paul & Paula
• December 23 - Tim Hardin
• December 23 - Eugene Record, The Chi-Lites
• December 23 - Jorma Kaukonen, Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna
• December 26 - Phil Spector