1969 in Scandinavian music

The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Scandinavian music in 1969.

Events

• 1 March – At the 1969 Melodifestivalen, Anni-Frid Lyngstad finishes in second place with the song "Härlig är vår jord". During the event, she meets Benny Andersson, whom she would later marry and perform with in ABBA. ^[1]
• 29 March – The 14th Eurovision Song Contest is held in Madrid, Spain, and is won jointly by four countries: France, Netherlands, Spain and UK. Of the three competing Scandinavian countries, Sweden finish in 9th place, Finland 12th and Norway 16th. ^[2]

New works

• Ulf Grahn – Cinq Preludes ^[3]
• Vagn Holmboe – String Quartet no. 10, Op. 102 ^[4]
• Lars-Erik Larsson – Quattro Tempi — Divertimento for wind orchestra ^[5]
• Einojuhani Rautavaara – Piano Concerto no 1 ^[6]
• Leif Thybo – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra ^[7]

Popular music

• Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus – "Ljuva sextital", performed by Brita Borg (#2 Sweden) ^[8]
• Jan Johansson – "Här kommer Pippi Långstrump", performed by Inger Nilsson
• Toivo Kärki & Juha Vainio – "Mä en muista mitään" ^[9]
• Birthe Kjær – "Casatschok" (#1 Denmark) ^[10]
• Tommy Körberg – "Judy min vän" (#1 Norway) ^[11]

Hit albums

• Jan Erik Vold & Jan Garbarek – Briskeby Blues (#2 Norway) ^[12]
• Pugh Rogefeldts – Ja, dä ä dä ^[13]

Recordings

• Jan Garbarek Quartet – Esoteric Circle ^[14]

Film and television music

• Henrik Otto Donner and Kaj Chydenius – Ruusujen aika ^[15]
• Thorstein Bergman – "Balladen om kråkguldet" (theme from Kråkguldet ^[16]

Musical films

• Midt i en jazztid , with music by Bent Fabricius-Bjerre ^[17]

Births

• 21 February – Bosson, Swedish singer-songwriter ^[18]
• 13 March – Susanna Mälkki, Finnish cellist and orchestra conductor ^[19]
• 8 August – Øyonn Groven Myhren, Norwegian folk musician ^[20]
• 19 September – Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer (died 1969) ^[21]
• 22 September – Tuomas Kantelinen, Finnish composer ^[22]

Deaths

• 24 January – Pauline Hall, Norwegian music critic and composer (born 1890) ^[23]
• 11 April – Ludvig Irgens-Jensen, Norwegian composer (born 1894) ^[24]
• 8 June – Aino Sibelius (née Järnefelt), Finnish memoirist (born 1871) ^[25]
• 9 August – Reidar Bøe, Norwegian singer and composer (born 1921) ^[26]
• 18 August – Laci Boldemann, Swedish composer (born 1921) ^[27]
• 11 December – Jens Gunderssen, Norwegian pianist and music teacher (born 1912) ^[28]
• 16 December – Leo Mathisen, Danish pianist, composer, arranger, singer, and bandleader (born 1906) ^[29]
• 24 December – Mary Barratt Due, Norwegian pianist and music teacher (born 1888) ^[30]

See also

• 1969 in Denmark
• 1969 in Iceland
• 1969 in Norwegian music
• 1969 in Sweden

References

1. van Drongelen, Remko (2022). Frida Beyond ABBA. pp. 120–131.
2. "Madrid 1969 – Scoreboard". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
3. "Cinq Preludes". Swedish Musical Heritage. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
4. Rapoport, Paul (1996). The Compositions of Vagn Holmboe. Copenhagen: Edition Wilhelm Hansen. ISBN   87-598-0813-6.
5. "Quattro Tempi — Divertimento for wind orchestra". Swedish Musical Heritage. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
6. Finnish Music Quarterly. Performing Music Promotion Centre (ESEK). 1991. p. 62.
7. "Twenty-Six Danish Violin Concertos". Musicweb international. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
8. "Ljuva sextital" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. 1969. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
9. Kalervo Kärki (2015). Sydämeni sävel - Toivo Kärki ja hänen musiikkinsa (in Finnish). Tampere: Mediapinta. p. 635. ISBN   978-952-235-888-2.
10. "Estra Bladet". Ekstra Bladet . 19 April 1969 – 7 January 1970.
11. "VG Lista - Singles Top 40". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
12. "VG Lista - Album Top 40". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
13. Ewa Bjarnholt (1987). Musical Life in Sweden. Swedish Institute. p. 139. ISBN   9789152002018.
14. Music and Mysticism. Harwood Academic Publishers. 1996. p. 90.
15. Detwiler, Grace (3 March 2023). "Deaf Crocodile Films to release Finnish director Risto Jarva's long-unseen pop art/sci-fi feature "Time of Roses" (1969)". Rue Morgue. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
16. "Kråkguldet (1969)". Swedish Film Database. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
17. "Jazz All Around". Danish Film Institute. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
18. "Från sunk till modellhunk". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 3 September 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
19. Crelin, Joy (May 2017). "Susanna Mälkki". Current Biography . 78 (5): 53–57. ISSN   0011-3344.
20. Bitustøyl, Kjell; Mjør, Johan. "Øyonn Groven Myhren". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
21. Codrea-Rado, Anna (12 February 2018). "Johann Johannsson, Award-Winning Movie Composer, Dies at 48". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
22. "Tuomas Kantelinen". earsense. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
23. Faurdal, Inger Lokjær (13 February 2009). "Pauline Hall". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk Biografisk Leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
24. Vollsnes, Arvid O. (13 February 2009). "Ludvig Irgens-Jensen". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk Biografisk Leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
25. "Aino Sibelius". sibelius.fi. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
26. Ness, Sindre (28 January 2014). "Kurt Foss Og Reidar Bøe". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
27. Burnett R. Toskey (1983). Concertos for violin and viola: a comprehensive encyclopedia. B.R. Toskey. pp. 110–11. ISBN   9780960105489.
28. Berg, Thoralf (13 February 2009). "Jens Gunderssen". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk Biografisk Leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
29. "Leo Mathisen". All About Jazz. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
30. Cecilie, Dahm (13 February 2009). "Mary Barratt Due". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk Biografisk Leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 22 March 2017.